1.5 Practical lessons from a virtual environment: the use of Adobe Connect for international and professional learning

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Practical Lessons from a virtual environment – The use of Adobe Connect for International and Professional learningRebecca Page-TickellSchool of Business and Law


Scenario

• Webinars are lessons / seminars / lectures conducted synchronously via the internet.

• Typically one or two lecturers to many students• Numbers can vary up to 90 + students• Interactive – use of voice, video, polls, powerpoint,

whiteboard, videoclips, breakout rooms, discussion charts, upload & download of articles, student contributions etc

• Part of blended learning – supported by a range of asynchronous materials e.g. VLE, facebook page, forums, library, e-mail as well as some face to face input.


Student Groups

International foundation students preparing to start a

law degree

Professional HR students studying CIPD intermediate qualification

Higher Apprentices studying work based CIPD intermediate qualification


Providers of on-line learning tools



Research activity

1. Literature review to identify generic lessons2. Questionnaire via e-mail and follow up interviews

with lecturers experienced in the use of webinars for each of these groups• n=14

3. Feedback data plus interviews with students• Feedback review n=c50• Interviews n=6


Relationship between Lecturer and Student “Distance education requires a qualitatively new pedagogy built on a unique relationship between the instructor and the learners” (Huang, 202, pg. 27).- Relationship building needs to be more deliberate

planned for, supported using a range of tools e.g. facebook, skype, plus face to face meetings- Engagement during sessions must be tenaciously

fought for with polls, rich questions, occasional silence etc.


Lecturer - Student Relationship

Can seem more equal to the lecturer,

particularly if they can see the lecturer

but not the other way around.

Can seem more distant when there are no comments.

I found it hard to establish a relationship with

students – I don’t think you really get the

closeness that you get face to face

If I had a question I had to text – I

didn’t have direct access to the

lecturer

You can’t see everything that is happening in the classroom so it’s difficult to get a

general feeling of what’s going on – no

sense of the vibe.

Before teaching webinars I was

worried there would be no connection –

but I felt a good bond with the class

very early on

With everyone typing I finally think of something to say and

then the conversation has moved on – a number of times I’ve said sod it and deleted the

comments I was about to submit.


Constructivism in Webinars• Social context created through the ‘vibe’ of the

webinar is critical in building the confidence to analyse, infer, deduce, justfy etc.

A good lecturer brought herself down to the level of the student – In class you do not need to assert

your knowledge – you need to recognise your audience. Some of

the lecturers made me think

if I’m in a webinar then I am restricted as the

conversation is really only with one person – in the class I can have a really good debate, but I am learning less as there is

no chance to discuss properly


Constructivism in WebinarsKnowledge is created and explored through collaboration

I find them more useful to watch the

recorded lesson back rather than

participate in the online classroom live.

Students use it to clarify

and ask questions


Constructivism in WebinarsPre-authentication – making the materials as relevant and like the real world as possible

• Much adaptation of materials to cultural values e.g. discussing families within the paradigm of polygamy

• Professional materials authenticated by use of CIPD resources

we now have specialists in the subject which

has made an incredible difference!

online courses should be more 'teaching'. How to handle this type of situation, options to

deal with this issue in the business


Andragogy Perspectives (Knowles 1998)

Self-directed learning

Prior experience of the learner Motivation to learn

Orientation to Learning

Readiness to Learn

Learners need to know


Lessons learned• Webinars can be BORING! Engagement must be

fought for• The social side of the classroom is easy to

underestimate• Students on webinars are usually in their own

homes – with the temptation of TV, radio, food, drink, chat, books, magazines, even housework etc………..• Technology is DIFFICULT and SCARY – but can be

used for flexibility and individualising materials• To engage students a range of pace, depth and

activities needs to be used e.g.• Polls, in the news..,


Lessons Learned• It is essential in the early stages to go slowly and

carefully demonstrate the features• Plan more carefully for threshold concepts / e.g.

have a range of layouts available to address potential points of • Provide a scaffolding so that features are used

sparsely initially with a slow build-up• Then at the beginning of every session – check that

all students are OK, can hear and see you• Expect the technology to be disrupted e.g. in high

winds / storms, when the system is overloaded etc.


Overall Conclusion…

It’s all about the blend!


References

• Bliuc,A., Ellis,E., Goodyear,P. and Piggott, L. (2010) Learning through face-to-face and online discussions: Associations between students’ conceptions, approaches and academic performance in political science British Journal of Educational Technology Vol41 (3): 512-524

• Huang,H-M (2002) Toward constructivism for adult learners in online learning environments. British Journal of Educational Technology Vol33 (1): 27-37

• Knowles M S, Holton III E F and Swanson R A (1998) The adult learner (5th ed) Gulf, Texas.

• McBrien J.L. & Jones, P. (2009) Virtual spaces: employing a synchronous online classroom to facilitate student engagement in online learning The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, Vol10 (3)

• Vygotsky L S (1978) Mind in society Harvard University Press, Cambridge.• Wang,S and Hsu,H (2008) Use of the webinar (Elluminate) to support training: The

effects of Webinar-learning implementation from Student-trainers perspective Journal of Interactive Online Learning Vol 7 (3):175-194