Developing online materials

Stephen BostockAdvisor for Technology and LearningStaff Development and Training Centres.j.bostock@keele.ac.uk

eLearning

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Modes of engagement with e-learning

A. Minimum presence online

B. Web supported: (all) materials

C. Significant enhancement with technology: student activities of several types

D. Wholly / largely online course (all the above)

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B. Web support: Materials - and for most modes

Admin or teaching information: Existing content dropped in

Office documents, pictures … Other formats

Rich Text Format .rtf, Adobe .pdf Web pages .htm or web sites

Composer, FrontPage, DreamweaverBut not Word, Save As … Web PageAccessibility – keep it simple!

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Online teaching-learning activities Communication, discussion, support:

Email from and to students, course aliases,

Frequently Asked Question pagesReal time chat, whiteboard etc. (??)Asynchronous discussion boards: BSCW

Collaboration: student group work, PBL, projects – virtual project room

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Online teaching-learning activities 2 Feedback on performance:

quiz, test, assess, evaluation Student generated content, online

‘presentations’, peer review Virtual laboratories, simulations,

visualizations Support for reflection: Statements of

Reflection, online portfolios, Personal Development Portfolios, tutor comments on reflection by email

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Tracking student activity

By their messages, products By web hits, but not for individuals Discussion board activities Virtual Learning Environment VLE

Tracking individual accesses to everythingDiscussions reads/writes, chat transcriptsCustomized release of content based on

tests, etc.Integrated user interface for tutor/author

and student, customized, calendar, …

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Designing e-learning

Pedagogy-pull not technology-push: Analysis of learning needs and constraints,

opportunities and risks Learning outcomes defined The teaching-learning activities needed Every technology and teaching activity (TLA,

medium, scenario) has strengths and weaknesses, and costs

Evaluate each medium and then the mix On campus: blended with face-to-face

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Offline: technology support for face-to-face teaching Lectures :

Digital projectors, visualizersNetworked PC for using web etc.PowerPointInteractive Whiteboards includingDigital flipchartsVoting devices for staff-student interactionShared use of software

Seminars, small groups: some of the above

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Final thoughts: eLearningis it a ‘good thing’? Is chalk a good thing for learning? Are rooms a good thing for learning? Is technology a good thing for learning? Is eLearning about learning, or just ‘e’?

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Learn.keele menu

www.learn.keele automatic menu

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VLEs - WebCT

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WebCT designer view

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webCT manager

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BSCW folders

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BSCW discussion

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Digital flipchart

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Voting devices – Personal Response Systems Electronic handsets

Mechanical devices like cubes