Getting students digitally engaged – as e-Pioneers!

Getting students digitally engaged – as e-Pioneers!

Nitin Parmar

15 May 2014@nrparmar | #sedaconf

SEDA SPRING TEACHING LEARNING & ASSESSMENT CONFERENCE 2014 – ENGAGING STUDENTS: ENGAGING STAFF

Overview

Gain an overview of the Digital Literacies agenda at the University of Bath and how this has been shaped by a wider national agenda.

Have an insight into an innovative institution-wide and cross-faculty programme which sought to embrace student contributions to shape their learning experience.

Showcase practical examples where digital literacies development can be used as a catalyst for transformational change.

Where we were [pre 2011]

The digital environment was defined as the totality of systems, infrastructure, policy, process and online/physical spaces.

Institutionally established the need to develop student and staff digital literacies as a critical strand of work for an initial two year period.

Internal and external drivers acted as a catalyst for a significant shift in thinking across the institution.

Where we went [2011-13]

Drew upon a existing and strong administrative institutional infrastructure to build the digital literacies programme upon.

Conducted a baselining exercise to identify both areas of strengths and gaps in provision.

Where we went [2011-13]

Drew upon a existing and strong administrative institutional infrastructure to build the digital literacies programme upon.

Conducted a baselining exercise to identify both areas of strengths and gaps in provision.

Established a robust three-fold evaluation strategy: internal evaluation, evaluation of mini-projects, external evaluation.

Where we are going

The outcomes of the digital literacies programme are helping to inform the University’s work in the area.

For example and at a strategic level, this work is impacting on the current development of the University’s Education Strategy.

On an operational level, there has been the continuation of existing mini-projects and the development of new areas of work.

The Bath Award

To recognise the achievements of students engaged in extra-curricular activities.

To accredit the skills that students develop from their extra-curricular experiences.

To enable students to articulate and self reflect on their skills development in preparation for employment.

Introducing Digital Practice

Skills Competency Framework (SCF) examines and encourages reflection key employability skills

Introduced an SCF element to cover core competencies and skills linked to digital literacies.

Drew upon Digital Literacy Statements as well as terms associated with Blooms Taxonomy of Learning to inform criteria.

Level 1Functional Access; I have access to... Bloom: Remembering; self

Level 2Skills, Personal Capabilities; I can...Bloom: Understanding; self

Level 3Practices, Ways of thinking and acting; I am able...)Bloom: Analysing, Applying; working with people

Level 4 Attributes, Identities; I amBloom: Evaluating, Creating; working with people

Emerging Trends

NMC Horizon Report 2014

1. Growing ubiquity of social media

2. Integration of online, hybrid and collaborative learning

3. Data-driven learning and assessment

4. Agile approaches to change

5. Evolution of online learning

6. Shift from students as consumers to students as creators

Adapted from Prior J., Kitanova M. (2014) Students as Producers and Change Agents: A radical model for Solent student engagement? In the proceedings of: Solent Teaching and Learning Conference April 2014. Southampton: Southampton Solent University.

Horizon Scanning

Horizon Scanning

Oxford Brookes – InStePP project

Aiming to join up provision for digital literacies for staff and students across the institution by establishing, supporting and building recognition for student e-pioneers.

University of Exeter – INTEGRATE project

Developed an institutional framework for considering the role students should have in change management

Birmingham City University – Students as Academic Partners

Students engaged in curriculum design and delivery

Further examples at JISC Quick Guide and JISC Design Studio

Students as e-Pioneers

Keen to attract academic staff who were interested in supporting a small group of their students to take the lead role in facilitating the delivery of part, or all of a unit.

This could have been through using Moodle, or other technologies thereby enabling their students to develop their understanding and use of technology.

Students asked to keep a learning log through their experiences and paid via Amazon vouchers for their contributions.

Projects

Department of Mechanical Engineering

Integration of formative e-assessment activities within a flipped unit to develop and reinforce deeper understanding of threshold concepts

Department of Politics, Languages and International Development

Initiation of debates via social media prior to seminars

Projects

School of Management

Evaluate different dissemination strategies in the effective sharing of information

Department of Biology & Biochemistry

Facilitating student dialogue online and encouraging the creation of student authored resources

Department of Pharmacy & Pharmacology

Student-led evaluation and design of online teaching resources on a flipped module

Projects

Department of Pharmacy & Pharmacology

Creation of microbiology based resources to pinpoint how one subject area relates to others within the MPharm programme.

Further information and examples [Link]

Staff Feedback

“Understanding of the topics in the exams seemed clearer although there wasn’t any change in the overall mean average”

“The e-pioneer students gave feedback on Panopto recordings… I used these to design summary sheets of key points/FAQs which were posted on Moodle”

“Despite recruiting four students, most of the work was done by one”

Student Feedback

+ “The level of autonomy through the programme was especially beneficial as forms of group work at university do not allow for this level of self-rule. These skills will be essential for any future careers.”

- “Nothing from your [the lecturers] side [but] I feel that it is entirely the problem of the lack of student input on the Moodle page.”

Where next

This programme has been included Operational Plan for the new Education Strategy 2013-15. This has yet to be finalised however.

More formalised feedback mechanisms for both academics and students during the programme.

Develop closer alignment with the Digital Practice component of The Bath Award.

Key Messages

Establish institutional vocabulary around digital literacies and build these into strategic and operational objectives.

Harness existing physical infrastructure and engage with students to drive forward new initiatives.

Identify where other internal and external initiatives can be utilised to build further capacity with projects.

Nitin Parmar FHEA CMALT MBCS

Learning Technologist

N.R.Parmar@bath.ac.uk | +44 (0)1225 384 392

go.bath.ac.uk/nitin

@nrparmar

linkedin.com/in/nrparmar

slideshare.net/nrparmar

Banff, AB, CanadaImage © 2012 Nitin Parmar