Revitalising Industrial Relations Law in Moodle...building sandcastles together!

Lisa KingBronwen Leroy

mattsunset sandcastle stroll, June 21 2008https://flic.kr/p/5GSRRN

Presentation outline

- The evolution of Industrial Law- Learning Design and Activities- Forming a Online Learning Community - Senior Management support- Educational Developer support- Peer Assessment- Implementation – benefits and disavantages- Student Feedback and adapting to the online environment- Final Reflections

Evolution of Industrial Law

• Trimester 3 online providing opportunity for innovation and learning materials required updating

• From traditional learning design to activity based• Change from lecturer focussed to student driven• Building critical engagement and communication skills• Constructivist learning theory – heavily scaffolded approach

and building on current experience of Industrial Law

Learning Design and Activities

• Adobe Connect Introductory session• Self Assessment Questions• Assignment 1 (Part A) Signup• Discussion Forums• Student online mindmapping activity• Peer Assessment (Assignment 1 Part A)• Assessment (Assignment 1 Part B)• Take-Home Exam

Planning - Summary

Sandcastle 1. Online Mindmaps

Sandcastle 2. Self – Assessment Questions

• Developed self assessment questions with LexisNexis

• Scorm packages in Moodle• Questions helped clarify

unit content

James WestSandcastlesTaken on April 11, 2011 https://flic.kr/p/9z8RRS

HOS support

• Encouraging• Financial Support• Confident in learning approach• Without support, project may not have gone ahead

Educational Developer Support

• ‘Bucket and spade’ to assist with building the ‘sandcastle’• Technical Moodle knowledge • Joining dots together, aligning learning goals with learning

theory and design• Valuable asset

Sandcastle 3. Peer Assessment Approach

• Workshop tool all automated

• Listed criteria clearly for students

• Ensured ease of navigation for students

• Easy to mark assessments• Encouraged rich student

feedback

KateSandcastlesTaken on June 20, 2012https://flic.kr/p/ck1aNj

Implementation – Advantages and Disadvantages

Advantages:•Created dynamic online learning community•Rewarding teaching experience•Scaffolded approach: increased student academic confidence and independence

Disadvantages:•Workload issues for unit coordinator

Student Feedback

• Online survey sent to students– Multiple Choice– Open ended questions

• Aimed to determine how students adapted to the use of technology and the online approach to learning design

• Overall viewed quite positively

Peer Assessment Survey Results

• 96% of respondents found the Moodle workshop tool easy to use in Moodle

• 56% identified the main benefit of a Peer Assessment model was it helped compare own understanding of the topic with other students

• 90% recommended the use of the Peer Assessment model in other law units

Evaluation - Positive comments relating to Peer Assessment

• “While the peer assessment was quite confronting with some pretty blunt comments, it was a very valuable process. This was one of the key positive aspects of this unit.” – LS332 Student

• “This was a new teaching style and while initially i honestly hated the unit assesment structure, this unit turned out to be the best unit i have ever studied at UNE. I enjoyed being able to read other peoples assignments and get an insight into different writing styles and methods of analysis. This made me enthusiastic and interested in the unit and as a result i received the best mark i ever have in a law unit.” - LS332 Student

• “Brilliant pedagogy, my success in the unit is definitely because of the peer assessment and guidance by the lecturer.” – LS332 Student

Evaluation - Constructive Comments relating to Peer

Assessment

• “Clearer explanation on the study guide before it is used by students. New students don't know what they're doing” – LS332 Student

• “I would prefer it to be anonymous as the fact they get to see exactly who is submitting could lead to issues (and also who is reviewing).” – LS332 Student

• “To not know the person you are assessing name” – LS332 Student

Other Student Comments on Learning Design Approach

“The quizzes helped to identify key issues, key cases and to analyse cases to identify the legal principles they represented” - LS332 Student

“Overall, I do like and support the use of new applications and methodologies for delivering learning; however, I wish that such methods could be fully tested and made fully operable before the Unit commences.” - LS332 Student

“Thank you for investing in a progressive and dynamic way of learning, greatly appreciate it and it certainly has enhanced my learning experience.” – LS332 Student

“For some distance students, the Adobe Connect sessions were the only source of real-time/live interaction, and the sessions are therefore very important to making an assessment of how students react and answer spontaneously during discussion or deliberation.” - LS332 Student

Final Reflections

• Benefits of peer assessment in building communication, critical thinking and analysis skills

• Not a beautiful looking sandcastle but one that achieved goals from planning stage.

• Continued the approach in another Law unit this trimester

• It was worth the effort!

stephenggSandcastle competition, BlankenbergeTaken on July 19, 2008https://flic.kr/p/5uJux9