1. Achieving innovation for learning at Leicester Dr Alejandro Armellini Senior Learning Designer Beyond Distance Research Alliance University of Leicester, UK
2. Objectives To share the key learning innovation challenges we face at Leicester To describe our implementation choices regarding curriculum design and delivery approaches: Carpe Diem & e-moderating To illustrate innovations and results To identify lessons learned
3. Introduction and context Challenges Capacity building Curriculum design: Carpe Diem & e-tivities Curriculum delivery: E-moderation Summary: approaches that work Outline
6. Learning Innovation Challenges - students 21st-century competencies for employability Equivalent experiences for on-campus, distance and mixed-mode students Full access anytime, anywhere Flexibility & choice Exceeding technological expectations
7. Challenges - tutors Efficiency & effectiveness: low- cost, high-value Equal value to teaching and research Enabling evidence-based teaching Teaching innovation Doing more with less
8. Challenges - institution Elite without elitism Student centredness Global reach Optimising capabilities of staff Evidence for acceptable, successful and sustainable change processes
9. Our mantras Research to practice Innovation to mainstream Low-cost, high-value learning technologies Design for learning, e-moderate for participation …to inform, embed, disseminate and sustain change
12. The Alliance, University of Leicester Paste a series of pictures (groups, house, zoo etc) Beyond Distance Research Alliance
13. The Alliance… Is a research and innovation Unit Generates evidence collaboratively -evidence colleagues can relate to- through funded projects Promotes and disseminates evidence-based, incremental change and embedding Shapes and informs policy and strategy www.le.ac.uk/beyonddistance
15. Knowledge-based, e.g. academic disciplines Content is King: ‘dump stuff online and they’ll learn’ Design Task and pathways-based for active engagement and generation of learning outcomes Subject areas MSc in Finance Fire awareness course Skills-based, procedural, e.g. mandatory training, health & safety
16. I put my content online, therefore my students do e-learning Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bowena/
20. Seize the Day Invest two days of your time and get your course online http://www.flickr.com/photos/linksmanjd/ Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/curtisperry/
21. Carpe Diem addresses… ‘My use of e-learning is bad.’ ‘Help me redesign this.’ ‘The discussion forums are never used.’ ‘What is a wiki?’ ‘Can I run synchronous sessions? How?’ ‘What is Web 2.0 and how can my learners benefit from it?’ ‘Existing resources? What resources? Are they readily available? For free? Really?’ Focus: designing for learning
29. E-tivities are… Brief and clear (not ‘mini-projects’!) Motivating, engaging, purposeful Mappable against learning outcomes Designed to generate meaningful interaction Useful as an assessment scaffold Designed and led by an e-moderator Asynchronous Cheap to produce and easy to run: good design leads to easier e-moderation
33. Key features of e-tivities Stimulus or challenge (the ‘spark’) Online activity, which includes individual participants posting a contributionto a forum, wiki, voice board, etc An interactive element, such as responding to the postings of others Summary, feedback or critique from an e-moderator (the ‘plenary’)
42. Dissemination of evidence http://beyonddistance.wordpress.com/ http://twitter.com/#!/BDMediaZoo Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/48830217@N04/
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44. Capitalise on and design for opennessEvidence for change Enable small-scale pilots to inform policy and strategy incrementally: move from practice to policy Wordle of an edited book by veletsianos
45. Summary: approaches that work (2) Constantly evaluate and update staff skills Recognise, reward and celebrate innovative practice Work in teams, including learning technologists and subject librarians Encourage dipping toes in the water and support those who, based on the evidence, take the plunge Wordle of an edited book by veletsianos
46. University of Leicester http://www.flickr.com/photos/wwworks/ Dr Alejandro Armellini aa277@le.ac.uk February 2011 www.le.ac.uk