E-Learning in Higher Education

Gráinne ConoleUniversity of Leicester

19th October 2012New technologies and education for multilingualism

European Parliament, Brussels

National Teaching Fellow 2012

Outline

• E-Learning timeline• Technologies trends• Learning Management Systems• Teacher practice and paradoxes• Learning Design• Some examples• Conclusion

E-learning – a definition

The development and research of the application of technologies in education

Conole and Oliver, 2007, Contemporary perspectives in e-learning

E-Learning timelineM

ultim

edia

reso

urce

s

80s

The

Inte

rnet

and

the

Web

93

Lear

ning

Man

agem

ent S

yste

ms

95

Ope

n Ed

ucati

onal

Res

ourc

es

01

Mob

ile d

evic

es

98

Gam

ing

tech

nolo

gies

00So

cial

and

par

ticip

ator

y m

edia

04

Virt

ual w

orld

s

05

E-bo

oks

and

smar

t dev

ices

Mas

sive

Ope

n O

nlin

e Co

urse

s

07 08

Technological trends

• Mobiles and e-books• Personalised learning• Cloud computing• Ubiquitous learning• BYOD (Bring your own device)• Learning analytics

Google glasses project

• Can ‘see’ the Internet on glasses

• Context sensitive information

• Context lenses planned

Learning Management Systems

Content Communication tools

Collaborationtools

Assessment tools

Upload tools

Trackingtools

Library

Finance

Student records

Registration

Timetabling

Conole, forthcoming, UNESCO briefing paper

Forums

• Provides a space for structured asynchronous and moderated discussion

• Forum for question and answer sessions

• Can be used as an informal social space

http://edublogs.org/2010/07/07/using-forums-for-learning/

Blogs• An online, chronological

collection of personal commentary and links

• Sequential posts of content and multimedia

• Facility to add comments• Can be used to foster

reflection• Group blogs to aggregate

resourceshttp://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/eli7006.pdf

http://www.flickr.com/photos/acroamatic/310140834/

Wikis• Web space that can be viewed

and modified by a group • Promotes asynchronous

communication and collaboration

• A shared space for group activities

• A record of who has contributed

http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/eli7004.pdfhttp://shtmteacherswiki.pbworks.com/f/1158829114/wiki%20in%20classes-1.jpg

Comparison

Discussion Forums Blogs Wikis

• Structured and moderated discussion

• Problem Solving• Brainstorming• Quick response to

questions• FAQs at start of a

module/course• Promotion of new

ideas and concepts

• Reflective space• Aggregation of

resources• Portfolio of

learning achievements

• Share ideas with the wider community

• Relating theory to practice in a work-based context

• Knowledge gathering and sharing

• Collaboration and group work

• Aggregation of resources

• Record of contributions

Promise and reality

Social and participatory media offer new ways to communicate and collaborate

Wealth of free resources and tools

Not fully exploited

Replicating bad pedagogy

Lack of time and skills

Learning Design

Shift from belief-based, implicit approaches to design-based,

explicit approaches

Encourages reflective, scholarly practices

Promotes sharing and discussion

Learning DesignA design-based approach to creation and support of

courses

Guidance

Visualisation Sharing

Learning Design of a Learning Activity

Institutional context

External context

Technology affordances

Pedagogies

Teacherpractice

Learner characteristics

http://openclipart.org/

Course Featureshttp://linoit.com

Course Map

Guidance and support Content and experienceTools & resources Responsibilities & relationships Tools & resources Responsibilities & relationships1. 2. 3.4.5.6.7.

1. 2. 3.4.5.6.7.

Reflection and demonstration Communication and collaborationTools & resources Responsibilities & relationships Tools & resources Responsibilities & relationships1. 2. 3.4.5.6.7.

1. 2. 3.4.5.6.7.

Course/module summary: Key words:

http://tinyurl.com/ActivityProfileFlash

Activity Profile

• Assimilative (Read, view, listen)• Information Handling• Communicative• Productive• Experiential• Adaptive• Assessment

Storyboardhttp://linoit.com

EvaluationWe made a big breakthrough. We have achieved the insight about the need to structure it as a course, an online course, and not just simply as a set of learning activities plus integrated resources.

The visual nature of the tools and the quick and easy way that one could use it without too much elaborative training. They help stimulate us to look at the course in a different way, in a natural and creative way even if we didn’t see all the little links right upfront.

I wanted to have my thinking

challenged with regard to course

design and development and I

definitely left reflecting and

questioning our unit's current

approach and have some good

tools and approaches to pilot with

course design teams.

It’s a way of freeing your mind and putting all the

ideas of all the people in the course team down

somewhere, not having to be so prescriptive. It

was just a much freer and [more] creative

experience than getting the learning outcomes and

writing them as active verbs, and getting in at a

granular level. It was quite sort of a liberating

thing to just have everybody move components

around and say, ‘Do you know I really like all these

features. I’d like to do some problem-based

learning. I’d like to do peer-review.’

Ming Nie

E-Assessment, drill and practice

Study calendarsE-booksLearning resourcesOnline modulesAnnotation toolsMind mapping toolsCommunication mechanisms

Mobile learning

Collective intelligence

Situated learning and role play

Archeological digsMedical wardsArt exhibitionsCyber-lawVirtual language exchangeBeyond formal schooling

Immersive learning

Image by James Cridland

100 million adults can’t afford university (UNESCO)

Resource-based learning

• Over ten years of the Open Educational Resource (OER) movement

• Hundreds of OER repositories worldwide

• Presence on iTunesU Podcasts - iTunes U

The OPAL metromap

http://www.oer-quality.org/

Evaluation shows lack of uptake by teachers and learnersShift from development to community building and articulation of OER practice

Outputs• Inventory of more than 100 OER initiatives• 11 country reports and 13 mini-reports• 7 in-depth case studies• 3 EU-wide policy papers• 7 options brief packs for EU nations/regions

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eW3gMGqcZQc

MassiveOpen Online Course

http://www.olds.ac.uk/

Resources Learning pathways

Support Accreditation

Disaggregation of education

http://www.flickr.com/photos/emclibrary/2459359483/

Open accreditation

www.p2pu.org/en/

Peer to Peer University

wikieducator.org/OER_university/

OER University

Implications for institutions

• Disaggregation: resources, learning pathways, support and accreditation

• What is the role of traditional institutions?

• Tension of institutionally support systems and Cloud services

• More open approaches to learning, teaching and research

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ssoosay/6738302627/

http://www.slideshare.net/GrainneConolehttp://www2.le.ac.uk/departments/beyond-distance-research-alliance

grainne.conole@le.ac.ukhttp://e4innovation.com