Changing learning methods and approaches, their assessment and quality assurance

Changing learning methods and approaches, their assessment and

quality assuranceCharalambos Vrasidas, Executive Director, CARDET

Professor & Associate Dean for e-learning, UNic

www.vrasidas.com

www.cardet.org

pambos@cardet.org

2

www.cardet.org

Overview

• Trends

• Designs for learning

• Case Studies

• Possibilities

• Challenges

INTRODUCTION

• 1986: Teachers and machines: the classroom use of technology since 1920

• 1993: Technology meets classroom: Classroom wins

• 2001: Oversold and Underused

• 2015: The rhetoric of Reform and Teachers use of ICT

Technology and Reform

"The No Significant Difference

Phenomenon"

A lot of research reports document no significant

differences in student outcomes between

different modes of education delivery.

Method – context – tools – teacher -

capabilities of technology…. Are more important

• Society more connected but conflict rife

• World changing, education must too

• New literacies needed for society of tomorrow

• Learning throughout life in a complex and changing world

Challenges

Engagement Interaction Authenticticy

NeedsKnowledge Information

21st Century Skills

ELEARNING POSSIBILITIES

http://thumbnails-visually.netdna-ssl.com/reaching-50-million-users_502917b399a44_w1500.jpg

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CEbKM5lUMAAPUv3.jpg:large

http://elearninginfographics.com/tag/moocs-infographic/

What does it mean for curricula design and delivery?

Characteristics of elearning

• Personalized

• Access

• Collaboration

• Immediacy

• Connections

• Communication

• Presence

• Support

What does it mean for the kinds of skills we need to help our students develop?

Life Skills

Collaboration Communication Empathy

Reflection ResilienceProblem

Solving

Global Citizenship

Critical

ThinkingCreativity

New Media Literacies (Jenkins)

Performance Play Simulation

Appropriation MultitaskingDistributed Cognition

Collective Intelligence

Judgment Networking

TransmediaNavigation

Negotiation

http://www.newmedialiteracies.org/

• “Literacy as I am using the term is definitely a skill. But solitary skills are not enough today. Literacy now means skill plus social competency in using that skill collaboratively” – (Rheingold, 2013, p. 4)

Play: The ability to capacity to experiment and explore various solutions to problems.

http://tinyurl.com/po9ry3v http://tinyurl.com/oh7p6ct

Performance: The capacity to embrace new identities and to explore and discover new worlds.

http://tinyurl.com/nay45jq

Multitasking: The ability to engage in multiple scans simultaneously.

http://tinyurl.com/owwgg3t

http://tinyurl.com/owyz8ar

Judgment: The ability to access, evaluate and decide on the use of various sources of information.

http://tinyurl.com/otgggjx

For the Love of Reading …

http://boysreading.org

LEARNING DESIGN

Characteristics of Design Practice

• Creative process

• Human centered

• Situated and contextualized

• Culture and people roles (not with ICT)

• A participatory system

Design thinking as a framework encourages us to act as

LEARNING ARCHITECTS

LEARNING DESIGNPedagogy and Assessment

Learners Learn Best When …

• They engage in active intentional learning

• Represent knowledge in multiple ways

• Participate in real-world authentic activities

• Receive frequent feedback

• Collaborate with others in solving problems.

• Have access to tools for meaningful learning

TEACHERS LEARN THE SAME WAY!

Professional Development Issues

• Holistic approach

• Authentic and situated

• Active and engaged

• Collaborative

• Continuous and long term

• Incentives

• Application and reflection

• Feedback

• Technology

www.cardet.org

Linking Theory & Praxis 1

THEORY PRAXIS

Promote ownership, commitment, and a shared vision among participants

Provide opportunities to participants to shape the structure, goals, and assessment components of the program

Promote interaction by structuring collaboration

Require participants to work in groups to prepare projects, moderate discussions, etc.

Quality Assurance: Constantly evaluate and revise

In addition to regular project evaluations, collect data from all stakeholders to ensure all voices are heard and reflected in future revisions.

Linking Theory & Praxis 2

THEORY PRAXIS

Choose the right technology tools

Make sure that the online communication tools you use are usable, reliable, and appropriate for your target audience

Design for cognitive apprenticeship

Pair expert learners with less experienced learners to work on collaborative projects

Choose authentic tasks and activities

Use real world, authentic tasks and activities which will help participants make the direct connection to their professional practice

Linking Theory & Praxis 3

THEORY PRAXIS

Provide regular feedback to participant’s work

Provide opportunities for feedback to participants work via a variety of mechanisms such as teacher feedback, automatic grading procedures, and peer reviews

Use a variety of assessment methods

Collect information from participants’ work, moderations of online discussions, postings in online conferences, and other artefacts developed and shared within the online community

Promote reflection Design activities that encourage participants to act as reflective practitioners and establish connections between the content of their studies and their professional practice

Quality Assurance

Management

Processes

Products

• Institutional policies, aims, strategy, resources

• Teaching &learning, student & teacher support

• Curricula, courses, learning activities

CASE STUDIES

UNic Online

http://education.cardet.org

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http://e-reflect.wix.com/e-reflect

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http://www.hiponproject.eu/

http://eathink2015.org/

http://www.seop-project.eu/

WAY FORWARD

Successful elearning initiatives

• Systemic Approach

• Participatory – Collective

• Quality course materials

• Local and Virtual support networks

• Balanced Blended mix tools

• Appropriate staff numbers

• QA, Monitoring & Evaluation

• Vibrant research activity

• A culture of life long learning communities »CARDET, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2009

Research

QA, Evaluation

ReflectionE-learning

Adoption

Teacher

practiceOngoing

support

Technology &

Infrastructure

Policy - sustainability

Systemic-systematic

Involve stakeholders

Curriculum

Pedagogy

Assessment

Linking Academia – Industry | Education Culture

Technology Integration Framework Adoption of e-Learning