Reflection Logs as a Dashboard

John GordonKen Currie

Opus Learning22nd November 2012

The problem

• Opus Learning provides online education, so the usual problems– Tracking learning– Authentication– Identifying problems in learning– Recognising need for intervention

The Solution

Learner interacting with content, leaving traces

Student interacts with content

Makes notes, responds to quiz, send messages, etc

Capture notesStore in MLE

Print off record of learning

Digital Work Book: Challenge

• To develop tools for:– Teachers as authors– Audit trails from the learning process– Identify and understand behaviours– Authenticate candidates– Identify intervention requirements– Develop scalable assessment

What we wanted

• Interactive content• Student to Content Interaction• Recording interactions, and reflection• Embedded activity and Assessment• Multi-user activity• Logging and monitoring of learning

What we made

• A portfolio embedded in the content• A dashboard for learning, from all user points

of view• Recording of legacy from learning• Rich seam of data and behaviours for mining• Ongoing formative assessment, and potential

summative assessment

Digital Workbook

Digital Work Book: Features

– Content based, an integral part of the learning materials

– Context based, a support mechanism for testing concept understanding

– Supporting Reflective Thinking– A longitudinal form of assessment

The Digital Workbook

Learners interactions

• Classical view - four types of interaction– learner-content – learner-learner – learner-tutor– learner-interface

• The Opus view– there’s more!– the sum of interactions leads to meaningful

learning

∑ Interactions = Meaningful Learning

Student

Environment

Content Tutor

Student/Student

Content/ContentTutor/Tutor

Environment/Environment

Student/Tutor

Tutor/Environment

Student/Environment

Student/Content

Content/Environment

Tutor/Content

Based on diagram inAnderson 2003

Interaction TableInteraction Methodology

Student/Content Digital Work Book

Student/Tutor Environment + Digital Work Book

Student/Student Environment + Multiuser Digital Workbook

Student/Environment Standard VLE such as Moodle 2.3 ( or others)

Content/Content Rich Single Source Publishing + high level of linkage/integration + objects

Tutor/Tutor VLE Features+ SQA QA Processes

Tutor/Environment VLE Features+ Digital Work Book Dashboard

Content /Environment VLE Features+ CAPDM Enhancements

Environment/Environment VLE Audit trail.

Tutor/Content CAPDM Single Source Publishing System

DWB Examples – Source Page

DWB Example workbook

The DigitalWork Book: Benefits

– Learner reflections form a legacy• A physical recorded book for the learner• A set of behaviour records for the learning provider

– Learning content feedback – improvement of content

– A behaviour trail– A rich source for data mining– Holistic assessment, across courses and

programmes– Authentication Support

DWB Dashboard

Digital Work Book: Assessment Strategy

– Provides ‘longitudinal’ assessment to augment assignments, exams, quizzes, etc.

– Integrates assessment across courses and programmes

– Is part of the ‘dashboard’ for Opus assessment

Example of Assessment screen

21

Standard Templates

Standardised programme design – all modules have the same feature set

Concept Maps & Gateways

• The DWB can be used anywhere, but it is effective when contextually relevant– Study Guides can be useful Concept Maps– Key concepts can be thought of a ‘gateways’

through which a student must pass successfully– The DWB can be used to assess understanding of

these concepts• Contextually aware student input

Digital Work Book: Applications

• Audit Trail– Very useful to check on student progress– Relevant in compliance related training

• Personal portfolio– A reflective log– Augments and provides alternative to file stores

• Student support– Intervention assessment– Authentication – A navigational aid

Creating the Social Learner

• DWB is part of a social learner strategy– Rich interaction spaces– Personal interaction with the content (DWB)– Interaction on specific issues (traversing the web)– Social learner (Forums, Facebook, etc.)

• The DWB is interaction

The Future

• The DWB is sharable, including – with the Tutor – with other students,

• In the future it will– support groups– support many content types– integrate with other portfolio components

• The DWB will be our main assessment toolset• The DWB will be our main behaviour manager

References

• Veronica Thurmond, Karen Wambach “Understanding Interactions in Distance Education: A Review of the Literature”, International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning, 2004, http://www.itdl.org/journal/jan_04/article02.htm

• Su, Bonk, Magjuka, Liu and Lee; The Importance of Interaction in Web-Based Education: A Program-level Case Study of Online MBA Courses; Journal of Interactive Online Learning, Volume 4, Number 1 Summer 2005. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/issues/pdf/4.1.1.pdf

• Terry Anderson, Getting the Mix Right Again: An updated and theoretical rationale for interaction, The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, Vol 4, No 2 (2003). http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/149/230

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