HE7003 – Using Learning Technologies in HE

Pete Bernard

Designing a website to accompany vocal workshops: The creation of Vocalcoacher.com

www.vocalcoacher.wordpress.com (v1.0)www.vocalcoacher.com (v2.0)

Contents

1. Introduction

2. Learning Technologies and My Practice

3. Learning Models and Theories

4. A brief word on disadvantages of Learning Technologies

5. Vocalcoacher.com v1.0

6. Vocalcoacher.com v1.0 in practice

7. Evaluation, and Vocalcoacher.com v2.0

1. Introduction

Many of the changes we have seen over the past several decades regarding the

use of learning technologies in education have been underpinned by one crucial

change in thinking. It is a change of emphasis from a system that favors

transmissive instruction and submissive learners (Choi, Jonassen, Hernandez-

Serrano, 2000 p103), to one that is being driven more by the learners

themselves. This has placed lecturers more as facilitators; as ‘guide on the side’

rather than ‘sage on the stage’ (King 1993). This model of education is based on

constructivism and a number of associated theories, including situated, socio-

cultural, ecological, everyday, and distributed conceptions of cognition (Jonassen

and Land, 2000). Advances in online learning technologies have enabled

students to direct their own learning in new ways, and facilitate a shift from a

‘behaviourist’ towards a ‘social constructivist’ model (Sara Dunn 2003). It also

frees up educators to become ever more effective masters of learning, without

always having to be masters of content.

It seems I use some form of technology in almost every activity I undertake at

Bath Spa University; using digital audio workstations in recording and

production; using Minerva virtual learning environment (VLE) for assessment

and course resources; using online resources such as youtube in workshops; and

importantly to bring students together in an online community through social

networks, thus extending, continuing and compounding traditional face-to-face

learning and teaching (Light, Cox & Calkins, 2001 p179). This wide use of

technology is of course inevitable on a Commercial Music programme, given that

it is such a technology heavy industry. We are preparing students for a varied

digital world of sound, production, image, design, collaboration and marketing.

The specific learning technologies I use are numerous and wide ranging; they

relate specifically to the world of Higher Education, as well as to the social and

professional world in a broader sense.

Learning technology is only valuable if used in the right way; to compliment

already well conceived teaching activities, intended learning outcomes and

assessment tasks. Effectiveness, then, is not a property of the naked technology,

but of the learning activity system that incorporates the technology (Roschelle,

2013). It will of course also only be a success if it is used in the correct way, and

understood by the users, which is where we have to consider matters of digital

literacy across what is now a broad spectrum of learner in HE.

I have designed a website to run alongside my weekly vocal workshop sessions

with the singers at Bath Spa. I have attempted to ascertain what the students

want and need, based on feedback from them, but also by using my expertise,

and some of the pedagogical theories I am researching here as part of my CPLHE.

The site is designed to act as a hub for information and practical guides, and for

linking to other useful resources and social networks. My hope for this project is

for it to become a genuinely useful example of ‘blended learning’, act as a tool to

increase student engagement, and aid in their development as singers.

“A blended learning design is really a way to reconceptualise everything you once

thought you had to do as a teacher, and it can be one of the most exciting times

that you’ll have,”

(Shibley, I. 2010)

2. Learning technologies and my practice

The wealth of existing and emerging technologies that facilitate learning are

seemingly endless, and we often have several good options open to us to perform

any given function. Below are the current technologies, many of which I use, plus

some emerging technologies that I hope to employ in the future.

Minerva VLE

I use Minerva extensively in my teaching. Most notably for electronic assignment

submission, feedback, analytics, and course content. It is also capable of creating

discussion areas, quizes, blogs, wiki’s and journals. Though I find Minerva simple

to use, there is a question for me whether other platforms may have an edge for

particular tasks, partly due to user experience and aesthetic design, but also as

students are already engaging with well designed platforms, particularly in social

media.

Web 2.0 and Social Media

The generation of 18-29 year old users has been referred to by many names –

millennials, avant- garde, and most simply, generation Y, many of who are now

traditional college-aged adults. (Jones et al. 2010; Palfrey & Gasser, 2008; Prensky,

2001; Prensky, 2005; Small & Vorgan, 2009). Young media consumers are more

connected than any previous generation, and they have an expectation to remain

that way in all aspects of their lives (Prensky, 2005).

The social media revolution has now become ingrained in our very psyche, and

associated platforms are now a dominant form of communication for what some

people call generation Y. It includes Facebook and Twitter as the largest social

networks, and numerous other forms that allow everything from long distance

video and phone calling, to image sharing, to music and video streaming, and

information networks. Youtube, Skype, Instagram, Wikipedia, Spotify, Linkedin,

Pinterest and Snapchat have completely transformed the way we find, use and

share content, and the manner and frequency by which we communicate.

Though we have to consider keeping an appropriate amount of distance with

students and our personal lives, I am considering next year engaging more using

Facebook and Twitter, as there are so many benefits; to build online community,

show campus culture, promote upcoming events, and keeping students informed

with news via platforms they naturally engage with.

This category includes other forms of user generated and editable content such

as Google Docs and Wordpress; Web 2.0 allows people to freely participate in

content creation (Tan, 2012). I frequently use Google docs for brainstorming

sessions with colleagues, and have in the past used it to great success for

implementing dual ‘live’ feedback as a second marker during performances.

The Cloud

Storing files in ‘The Cloud’ is a big feature of Web 2.0, as it provides use of

personal content at different access locations, and means many of us no longer

have to buy or carry storage devices. Though there are questions about the

future direction of online storage and distribution, due to the potential risks, the

freedom and versatility of these services are causing them to grow still. We can

store various file types in any number of cloud services, and we now have the

capability to set access levels for different users. I use this a lot in my

professional musical world for sending audio files, but I am also now sharing

files in this way with students where I want to limit access with password

protection. There are also now a wealth of online file sending apps like Copy,

Hightail and Google Drive that can send much larger files than before, and they

can be accessed and managed on mobile devices.

Online Audio Distribution

Apple made music ubiquitous in a way it never was before..(that) has driven a

consumption of music that is unparalleled in the history of the world (Price, 2013).

Though services like iTunes can be included in the general category of social

media, they deserve special mention in my own field as they have changed the

way we acquire and use music. The instant nature of downloading, and the

access to major distribution platforms musicians enjoy now has connected artist,

industry and listeners in a whole new way. As a lecturer of music I can call up

any song, or music video for that matter using iTunes, Spotify, Soundcloud or

Youtube. It has now become an indispensible resource in referencing, and I

encourage students to learn from this available content. I also use services like

Soundcloud and Bandcamp to piece together a picture of a students online

musical profile, particularly when assessing a candidates eligibility for the

course.

Online Polling and Analytics

A major aspect (and a great challenge at the same time!) of instructional design

and eLearning development is to know the behaviour of your learners

(Pappas, 2014)

Analytics have become a crucial part of what we do as educators, in order that

we can understand our students and tailor our teaching to their needs. They

help to inform us about learner’s performance, they provide learners with a

personalized experience, they help students understand and fill in gaps in their

own learning (thus keeping them engaged), and they help to improve courses for

the future. All of these factors can also lead to cost efficiencies, as you can obtain

better results with less resources as you focus down on the elements of design

that are getting results. Minerva VLE has a certain amount of analytics built in,

but there is now 3rd party software like Survey Monkey and Smart Survey that

have a wealth of sophisticated tools for polls and questionnaires, and they can be

embedded and delivered in various ways, especially if you are willing to pay for

premium service.

Web 3.0; The Semantic Way

Web 3.0 is in many ways the next stage of the analytics movement, and is about

personalizing a users experience to tailor results to them. Imagine being able to

surf a Web where the content is tailored according to your profile, surfing

history, likes and dislikes..it’s like having the Internet as an extension of your

thought and decision making process (Tan, 2012). We are now seeing our feeds

on facebook, amazon, ebay and other sites flashing up with content that relates

to previously searched, view and purchased items. Companies like these want to

know everything them can about us and our habits in order to sell their products

and services to us. The most recent example in the musical world is Apple Music.

A large selling point of this service is based around curating a world of new

musical discoveries for the listener by analyzing their own music collection and

listening habits. Albeit with a different agenda (that of providing information to

our students), there is the potential to do this in education too, by employing

analytics technology to populate our students ‘feeds’ with relevant current and

future material based on their own pace and depth of learning. I already find

Youtube valuable in this way when searching vocal warm up videos for the

students as it is recognizing my previous searches and will bring up useful

related content.

Skype and Remote Desktop

The world of distance learning is becoming increasingly important in allowing

students access to courses where they wouldn’t otherwise have been able to

study. I use Skype now regularly for tutorials where students can’t make it in or

they need some guidance out of my scheduled University hours. I am now also

teaching on the MMus Songwriting course, where students’ learning is more

autonomous and we have a high number of international students. The potential

to streamline Skype alongside remote desktop services has also allowed me to

listen to, and even edit student’s work in high quality whilst in conversation.

This makes me available for more practical style tutorials at a distance.

Platforms like Source Elements even allow for remote recording, which is an

exciting possibility for students looking to utilise musicians farther afield.

Organisational Tools

Tools like Doodle polls, where you can deliver an email tick box survey of

availability to multiple students are invaluable tools for setting schedules in my

practice. Providing flexibility for students is important to me, as is clarity for

them with timetables. Google calendar can now be fully integrated with other

calendars (such as iCal), and has a useful event invitation function. This is fast

becoming a hub for all my organisational admin, and it is a platform students

seem to know and use efficiently.

3. Learning models and theories

Much of the above technology can be use to implement sound practice, based on

a combination of the following ideas.

Experiential learning: Constructivism, Kolb and Mayes

Just as the idea of ‘play’ has become a focus in early development and education,

the idea that people learn by doing in Higher Education (rather than simply

receiving information), is now a commonly accepted idea. It comes from the

philosophies of some eminent thinkers in education, from John Dewey and Jean

Piaget, to the more recent ideas of David Kolb. Kolb (1984) describes learning as

the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of

experience. His model proposes 6 assumptions (Kolb, 1984; p.25-38):

- Learning is a process not an outcome.

- Learning is driven from experience.

- Learning requires the learner to resolve conflicts through dialect.

- Learning carries a more holistic and an integrative view.

- Learning requires the individual to interact with their environment.

- Learning creates knowledge.

Kolb’s cycle of experiential learning (below) is of key importance when designing

practical sessions in particular, and demonstrates that for learning to take place

and knowledge to accumulate, there needs to be a stage of reflection:

Concrete Experience

Active Experimentation Reflective Observation

Abstract ConceptualisationSource: Kolb (1984), “Experiential Learning: Experience as the Source of Learning and Development”

As at least 2 of Kolb’s six assumptions suggest that this experiential learning is

more effective when carried out in groups, creating ‘social constructivist’

learners; “A second shift has been away from a focus on the individual, towards a

new emphasis on social contexts for learning.” (Mayes 2001, p.17).

Mayes Conceptualisation Cycle and Courseware

Mayes (1999) describes how different learning activities support students’

understanding of new concepts and the revision of erroneous concepts.

Mayes Conceptualisation Cycle

(Originally from Maier, P. Barnett, L. Warren, A. and Brunner, D. 1996)

Mayes suggests that knowledge and understanding aren’t simply the result of

being taught information, but that these three stages in a cycle are the basis of

students forming their own knowledge. He states that concepts need to be

taught, but that students need to then construct their own ideas through active

learning, and that afterwards dialogue is needed in order for them to extract

meaning, and therefore complete the circle in forming their own, well informed

concepts.

Courseware can be considered the packaged teaching resources used to deliver

course material, and can be split into three areas.

Primary courseware is used to introduce concepts, and includes lectures, books

and multimedia. It now typically includes a combination of all of the above

delivered online.

Secondary courseware refers to the students performing related tasks. Labs,

workshops, individual and group enquiry are all common activities, and can also

include image, sound and video rich online frameworks, such as simulation

programs and modeling tools.

The main aim of tertiary courseware is not to present new ideas, but to clarify

and facilitate exploration of concepts and assist students when they have

misconceptions on a topic (Monthienvichienchai and Melis, 2006). It uses

secondary courseware as a learning resource and takes place in one-to-one or

group tutorials, large group discussions and email conferences (google

hangouts).

Gibson and Affordances

To Gibson (1977, 1979), affordances are a relationship. They are a part of

nature: they do not have to be visible, known, or desirable (Norman, 2004).

Affordances in product design, as put forward by Norman (2004), describe the

real or perceived interaction between a user and the technology they are using.

He talks of cultural constraints and cultural conventions, for example the fact

that it is commonly accepted that the scroll bar on the right hand side is used to

move the page up and down. When designing eLearning, these affordances have

to be considered in order that the user can interface effectively with the

technology. Another example relevant to me is the layout and functionality of

menu bars.

Learning Modalities

One consideration when employing LT is that of learning styles or modalities.

There are three Learning Modalities adapted from Barbe, Swassing, and Milone

(1979). They are visual, auditory and tactile (or Kinesthetic) styles. When

selecting which technologies to use, it is important to consider whether a student

or cohort favours reading documents for information and instruction, listening

to speech or sound, or practically learning by doing with their hands. Some

courses or activities naturally favour different forms. A development of this is

the VARK model put forward by Neil Flemming, which also includes reading-

writing preference learners (Leite, Svinicki and Shi, 2009).

Chickerings and Ehrmanns 7 principles

I have found Chickering and Ehrmanns 7 principles for good practice in

undergraduate education to be particularly useful in designing LT in HE. It states

that good practice in undergraduate education does the following (Chickering

and Ehrmann 1996):

1. Encourages contact between students and faculty,

2. Develops reciprocity and cooperation among students,

3. Encourages active learning,

4. Gives prompt feedback,

5. Emphasizes time on task,

6. Communicates high expectations, and

7. Respects diverse talents and ways of learning.

It is suggested that while each practice can stand on its own, when all are

present, their effects multiply. Together, they employ six powerful forces in

education: activity, diversity, interaction, cooperation, expectations, and

responsibility (Chickering and Gamson, 1987).

4. A Brief word on disadvantages of Learning technologies

A barrier to the use of learning technology has been cost. Equipping HE

establishments with computers and software alone can be expensive. However,

as costs have fallen and technologies have developed, this is becoming less of an

issue. In fact, financial and operational pressures in HE have led to institutions

turning to new technologies to make savings. Alternatives to traditional teaching

methods incorporate technology and include access to distance-delivered

education and services, a focus on learners' outcomes rather than inputs, and

technologically sophisticated buildings and classrooms (Kirshstein and Wellman,

2012).

Another traditional disadvantage has been that specialist services such as web

design can be costly. This is also now moving in the right direction, as once

expensive setup fees are coming down due to the wealth of free, open source

software developments to perform almost any task. Design of materials can be

time-consuming to setup, but once an infrastructure is built, it presents

unparalleled access in education.

A further hurdle is that of digital literacy, particularly with older learners and

staff. Training is required here, but as a reflection of the real-world digital age

we live in, it is often not an unreasonable expectation and generally moves

towards empowering teachers and learners alike.

Technology does also move quickly, with new hardware and software, and new

versions of existing software requiring significant adaptability from users.

5. Vocalcoacher.com v1.0 (www.vocalcoacher.wordpress.com)

What do the singers need?

The first question I asked when designing my site was what do the students need

from it? Chirckering and Ehrmann’s 7 principles are helpful here, and I have

tried to tick off all 7 points to a greater or lesser extent. Also of crucial

importance is Gibson’s affordances, as I wanted the site to be easy to navigate,

familiar in its cultural conventions, and to be a pleasant online environment to

work in. The other crucial concept was that of courseware, and I wanted to be

clear about where each stage of Mayes conceptualization cycle would be taking

place.

I begun by listing the core requirements of the site, based on my own findings

and sound practice, and also from informal feedback from the students. I found

that the students need:

1. An online hub for all primary courseware.

2. An online community, so students can engage with each other and myself

about vocal issues, breakthroughs, and spark stimulating conversation.

3. Bath Spa module guides to clearly relate taught material to assessment

tasks (these workshops are not part of an official module).

4. Scheduling information, including a full termly schedule of sessions.

5. Time (with online guidance) to explore the ideas covered in sessions in

their own individual practice (secondary courseware).

6. Reflective write-ups from me about what has happened in sessions, to be

followed up in turn by discussion in sessions, and which could in turn

build dialogue in the comments section. These include descriptions of

one-to-one work within the group.

The next step would be to plan defined section and page titles in the menu bar

and start organizing content.

Design

When choosing a platform, design, functionality and versatility were of

paramount importance for me. Though Minerva has the capability of creating

sites like this, it doesn’t allow as much control over design variables like layout,

logo’s, tables and colour schemes as other 3rd party web creation sites. I looked

at Google Sites, Wix and Blogspot, but the one that seemed most versatile was

Wordpress. Wordpress has a plethora of very useable standard themes with

editable design variables, a very intuitive admin interface, good statistics tools as

standard, and with additional assistance from a web designer further down the

line, or by using several optional paid services, you can easily make your site

look professional. I had been recommended Wordpress by several trusted

sources at the University and friends outside. In Vocalcoacher v1.0, I wanted

clean lines, simple and soft monochrome and red colour scheme, and a basic

menu bar down the left hand side. I wanted the site to look serious but light and

welcoming. This phase was all about simplicity and functionality, so I could get

the students interacting easily with a familiar platform, and I could edit content

each week without issue.

Content

It is no easy task to represent a whole philosophy on singing in a website, with all

of it’s component parts. What this has forced me to do is to appraise and edit my

approach with these workshops to create a more structured online course,

focusing on engagement and collaboration. The content, or courseware comes in

several different forms;

- Primary written material from me, explaining about ideas, approaches,

techniques (online docs).

- Primary visual material, such as anatomical diagrams to show breathing

apparatus (embedded JPG picture files).

- Primary audio and video material where I have recorded or video’d backing

tracks to songs, or guided warm up routines (links to my Soundcloud and

Youtube).

- Links to content from other artists or practitioners, for example excerpts to

demonstrate certain techniques, or warm up routines (Soundcloud, Youtube).

Secondary courseware takes place in the workshops themselves, and in

individuals own practice regime.

Tertiary content would also take place in lessons, but I have attempted to engage

the students with this crucial phase of dialogue online too, in order that

discussions can take place outside of class. It was my hope that this element of

the site, which would take place in comments on several pages, but mainly on a

‘share’ page, would serve as a social network in a familiar format, so that the

students and I could follow up sessions with ideas. One benefit of this online

feedback is that students who find it difficult to talk in large groups can

contribute in a less risky environment online.

My blended learning process can be related to Kolb’s cycle in the following way:

Abstract Conceptualisation: Online info, in-workshop taught material, students

own ideas, both online and in workshops.

Active Experimentation: During their own personal practice regime, aided by

online guides, and during workshop sessions in groups.

Concrete Experience: During practical tasks in workshops, and live on stage.

Reflective Observation: Discussion in workshops, sharing ideas online in

comments and on the share page.

Vocalcoacher v1.0 In practice

Engagement

I have been able to see very clearly how students have engaged and to what

extent through 3 main means. Firstly I can tell from the number and nature of

comments left, secondly I can tell through Wordpress stats, and lastly through

my own Survey Monkey Questionnaires.

Analytics

The analytics tell me that I am getting a good amount of visits and views to the

site during term times. In October 2014, at the start of the new academic year I

had 398 views and 76 visits. This dropped off a little throughout the year, but

engagement still remained high (see fig 4 below). The most views I have had in a

day were 130.

When looking in more detail into the stats it is apparent that by far the highest

engagement is with the warm-ups page. The stats also tell me that the most

popular time is Monday at 12pm. This would indicate that engagement goes up

when I post my weekly email on a Monday morning, prompting students to go to

the site.

The comments tell me that though the students have spoken in class and

demonstrated that they have been engaged with topics, and that they have often

followed up online, they are not engaging online in the manner I had hoped. At

present students are using the site for information rather than seeking to use it

as a 2-way or 3-way network, to include other students and myself.

Digital literacy and special educational needs

One crucial factor for students is their own personal desire, and sometimes their

ability to engage with sites like vocalcoacher.com. This relates strongly to

learning modalities and preferences, but also specifically to students who have

special educational needs. I have made content available in several forms;

written, picture, audio and video, but it is also possible for students with dyslexia

or visual impairment to change font sizes simply by clicking command +. I do

inform students of this in class.

Survey Monkey

Many of the questions in my surveys relate to the taught material, but I have

been including several questions specifically about the website. These were the

following:

1. Have you found www.vocalcoacher.com to be a valuable

accompaniment to our sessions?

2. Would you like to have an additional online community, for

example a facebook group?

3. What would you like to see change on the website?

The answers to questions 1 and 2 were unanimously yes, which gives me clear

direction and a mandate moving forward. On the 3rd question I had a range of

answers, but the two that came up several times were the following:

1. To include quick links to the soundcloud and youtube pages

containing content, rather than having to navigate through other pages to

find warm-ups and recordings of songs sung in sessions.

2. To have more videos of myself or others talking about techniques

and ideas, rather than text based information.

Evaluation of Vocalcoacher v1.0, and Vocalcoacher v2.0

This first phase of my project has given me some very clear outcomes on which

to act. I have sought at this point to relate my practice here back to the theories

of Kolb, Mayes, Gibson, and Chickering and Ehrmann. I believe the website has

unanimously contributed to sound practice here, but particularly with the

students conceptualization, and experiential learning through online stimulus

and guidance. Where the website seems to have had minimal impact is in the

pro-active dialogue and reflective evaluation from a student perspective.

Though I have helped here by reflecting back students ideas myself in session

notes, I would like to find a way to engage the students more here. This feeds

into Gibsons theory of affordances again, as it is all to do with the relationship

between the student and the website.

I may be unlikely to change students habits here, but its seems logical to choose

to engage with students through the most used and popular social networks like

facebook and youtube, or in other words ‘to anticipate their needs and create

compelling messages in the places they reside’ (Smith, 2015). To develop this

side of the site would mean to positively impact on practically all 7 of Chickering

and Ehrmann’s principles of good practice, plus I believe it will tap into the

already present habits students have of interacting each day with such platforms.

Students say they want less text, clearer pathways to content, and more familiar

social platforms. To that end I have begun redesigning the site with the help of a

web designer. Vocalcoacher v2.0, work-in-progress can be found at

www.vocalcoacher.com. As is popular now, I have created simple tabs at the

bottom of the page to go straight to Facebook, Soundcloud and Youtube, where

most social interaction, and audio and video content will be kept. I will be

editing the colour scheme, and plan eventually to make the background a softer

cream to cater for dyslexic students. Session notes will still be posted on the site,

but links to these will now be posted direct to a new Vocalcoacher Facebook

group, and all reminders and discussion will take place there. I will be creating a

‘Performance Strategies’ section to link more with live performance issues. It is

my plan to make more video and audio content to accompany the existing text

and picture based material, but these will be an addition rather than instead of.

I do feel strongly that my enquiry into new versions of the site should continue,

and that it is useful to delve deeper into student’s habits, what they want, and

what I can supply. I could, for example employ a digital literacy test such as iTest

from Exeter University for future years to learn more about the general

capability (http://interactiveachievement.com/assessment/test-delivery/).

I cannot underestimate the impact the development of this project has had on my

vocal workshops from the bottom up. As a platform from which to build next

year, it fills me with confidence to have this solid and growing resource to

compliment my class teaching.

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