Bridging the gap a review of e-learning research

at Southampton

Gráinne ConoleUniversity of Southampton

Email: g.c.conole@soton.ac.uk

ELRC conference, 2st November 2005

Review of tools for effective practice

Learning design

Lessons learnt from UKeU!

Snapshots of current work

Methodological issues

Theoretical frameworks

Manipulating dataWord, Excel

PresentationThe Web, PowerPoint

Finding informationSearch engines, portals

Types of tools and their uses

ManagingDatabases, Project Manager

Personal managementDiaries, calendars

CommunicationEmail, discussion forums

VisualisationMindmaps, visual tools

Guidance and supportWizards, tutorials

EvaluationCAA tools, Web tracking

Types of tools and their uses

AnalysisSPSS, NVIVO

Word - use and impact

Sharing

Creating and sharing resources

Presentations

Generating ideas

Changing roles

Used ubiquitously

Distributed cognition

Collaborative working

Changing the way we create knowledge

Quality

vs content

Potential versus reality

Plethora of tools and resourcesEnormous potential but underused

Wealth of knowledge about learningDidactic/behaviourists models predominate

Gap between thepotential of the technologies

(confusion over how they can be used)and

application of good pedagogical principles(confusion over which models to use)

Context

TasksPedagogy

Learning activity

Mediating artefacts

Mediating artefacts for learning design

Mediating artefacts

• Narratives• Case studies• Peer dialogue • Expert guidance• Knowledge

building• Networked

communication• Lesson plan

• Tips and tricks• Demonstration• Answer gardens• FAQs• Schema• Toolkits• Models

Mediating artefacts

• Mediate between user and learning activity

• Help inform decision making

• Support re: context, pedagogy or tasks or a combination

• Contextually rich to more abstract

• Range of formats – textual, dialogic, visual, structural

MA affordances

• Accessibility – ease of retrieval, simplicity• Speed of change - adaptability • Diversity - tailored to individual needs • Communication and collaboration -

‘peer dialogue’ MA better than a ‘lesson plan’ MA

• Reflection– toolkits designed to encourage the user to revisit and adapt

MA affordances

• Immediacy - degree of contextualisation • Multimodality – navigational routes,

toolkits more multimodal than lesson plans • Risk - a more tightly MA has less

unintended consequences• Monopolisation - ‘one-size-fits-all’ cf

bespoke, contextually located MAs• Surveillance - in-built tracking and

recording mechanisms

Corporate/academic clash

Profit driven

Little or no needs analysis or marketing

Lessons learnt from UKeU

Unrealistic timeframe/deadlines

Theoretical frameworks

Student centred and flexible

Built on concept of learning objects

Made HEIs critique & reflect on existing provision

Perceived benefits?

Constructivistlearning activities

An idea ahead of its time?

Feeder disciplinesWealth of methodsNo shared language

Tension between quantitative & qualitative

Lack of rigour, anecdotal & case based

Methodological issues

Methodological innovations

Theoretical frameworks

Bibliographic toolsEndnote

New discoursesChat, Wikis, access grid

Data collectionOnline, multiple sites

Data analysisNew powerful tools

Impact on research

PublishingJIME, e-Prints

CommunicationEmail, discussion forums, Chat, video conferencing

InteractivityWikis, Web logs

CollaborationGrid-technologies,

sharing tools

Data analysisSPSS, NVIVO

Research opportunities

Data miningPortals, databases

Discussion forums

Early researchInitially focused on analysis of contentAnalysis mainly via pre-defined codes

ProblemDidn’t capture the complexity of the event

Lack of contextualisationCodings too rigid

Current focusShift from analysis of content to

multimodal approachRicher interpretation

Use of grounded theory, critical recall events etc.

Theoretical perspectivesDistributed

cognition and Person-Plus

(Salomon, Pea, Perkins)Intelligence distributed between

mind and surroundings‘Effects with’ and ‘effects of’ technology

Dialogue

(Vygotsky, Mercer, Laurillard)Language as a tool,

Joint construction of knowledge“Inter-thinking”, Conversational framework

Systems

thinking,

metaphor

s

modellin

g

(Senge, Morgan)Capturing organisational

and cultural aspects

Activity Theory

(Engestrom, Wertsh, Scollon)Mediating artefacts,mediated discourse

Thanks!

ResearchersChris Bailey

Annamaria Carusi Jonathan DarbyMaarten de Laat

Karen FillAnn Jeffrey

PhD studentsPatrick Fullick

Zhen LiJulie Price

Cathy RichardGeorge RobertsBill Warburton

ColleaguesEducation

ECSGeography

NeonatologyNursing

Externally

References

Conole, Darby, Carusi, De Laat, Wilcox (Submitted), Lessons learnt from the UKeU experience, Continuing Education StudiesConole, G. (2005), Mediating artefacts, CALRG presentation, OUConole (2002), ‘The evolving landscape of learning technology research’, ALT-J, 10(3), 4-18Conole (2003), ‘Understanding your organisation’ in the ‘Creating a Managed Learning Environment (or MLE) infoKit’, available online at http://www.jiscinfonet.ac.ukConole, Dyke, Oliver, and Seale, (2004), ‘Mapping pedagogy and tools for effective learning design’, Computers and Education, Conole and Dyke, (2004), ‘What are the affordances of Information and Communication Technologies?’, ALT-J, 12.2Conole and Fill, (2005), ‘Specification for a learning design activities toolkit’, JIME special issue on learning design Conole (2004), ‘Report on the effectiveness of tools for e-learning’, report for the JISC commissioned ‘Research Study on the Effectiveness of Resources

Bridging the gap a review of e-learning research

at Southampton

Gráinne ConoleUniversity of Southampton

Email: g.c.conole@soton.ac.uk

ELRC conference, 2st November 2005