2017: ASCILITE 2017 Conference Proceedings: Me, Us, IT!

ASCILITE Conference - Concise Papers

• Facilitating social learning through learning design: A perspective of collaborative academic development

  Chie Adachi, Julia Savage, Marcus O'Donnell

  In the field of technology-enhanced learning design, the rise of Web 2.0 has been the filip needed to accelerate the emergence of socially-connected global learners. These highly social learners now use the web to engage with knowledge and skill development and as such, online education has moved irrevocably beyond simply the finding and sharing of information among learners. The higher education sector is responding to this learning landscape. This is particularly relevant to the massive open online courses (MOOCs) environment where there is the potential for thousands of participants to learn through multiple open source tools with minimum intervention from educators. This social learning perspective can present a challenge for some educators. In this paper we present a work-in-progress collaborative project designed to respond to the professional development of teaching academics newly engaged in designing and teaching from a social learning perspective. We, in a central learning and teaching unit, designed and developed a professional development (PD) course that sought to build the capacity of academics going through this change: they were about to teach on a MOOC platform. Our purpose was to model the social learning framework as a method of capacity-building, but we also aimed to distil authentic social learning for the academics themselves. This resulted in creating a community of practice among educators. Further research is required to measure the impact of this capacity-building course in order to further enhance the learning experiences of academics preparing to teach on a MOOC platform.

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• Developing a technology enhanced learning framework to gain a snapshot of institutional successes and challenges

  Mark Bailye, Caroline Steel, Michael Sankey

  Across higher education, institutions continue to invest in technology enhanced learning (TEL) as it has the potential to transform and improve the quality of learning, teaching and the student experience. Despite the investment, many still struggle to identify and address the elements that are essential to enabling institutional success. This paper focuses on the iterative development of a TEL Framework that aims to provide a fast and efficient snapshot of institutional challenges and successes in TEL, alongside a set of actionable recommendations to move the institution forward. The Framework is based on a set of 8 themes the authors have identified as critical to the success of TEL. The themes are used as part of dialogic process, designed to gather perspectives on how TEL is being used across an institution. By June 2017, the TEL Framework was trialled in 6 institutions. Using a workshop format, participants engaged in a three-step guided process known as DIP – Discover, Interpret and Pitch. At the core of this process were cards that represented the 8 TEL theme. These were used to surface participant’s perceptions. Overall, most participants agreed, that the TEL Framework was a valuable process to use to uncover institutional successes and challenges in TEL and that the theme cards were useful in stimulating these insights. The TEL Framework is still a work in progress and so its effectiveness is still being determined. However, early indications are that it is a useful instrument for gathering perceptions, and in identifying TEL challenges and successes.

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• Using virtual and augmented reality to study architectural lighting

  James Birt, Patricia Manyuru, Jonathan Nelson

  This paper presents industry stakeholder insights from the implementation of a dual modality intervention using virtual and augmented reality simulation to study complex lighting theory in architecture design. Using a design based research method the aim is to evaluate these insights and inform a pilot study to educate first year architectural design students on the complexities of lighting the built environment and methods to improve architectural workflow. The aim is to enable learners to experience natural and artificial lighting methods comparatively in real-time through multiple comparative visualisation methods. This is important to make informed evaluations regarding architectural designs in terms of spatial quality, character, performance, and user-comfort levels. This in turn allows architects to rapidly modify their designs to accommodate or mitigate the environmental effects. Outcomes from the initial usability test highlight the ability to switch back and forth between the virtual and augmented reality simulation technology, and between lighting visualisation modes as a huge step forward by the industry stakeholders. Additionally, the idea of representing the physical building where the simulation took place virtually using a detailed mapping gave a real-world anchor that made the simulations easy to navigate, leading to improved satisfaction and engagement. However, the study also highlighted improvements in the delivery of the simulation is required to improve simulation learnability and efficiency.

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• OER based capacity building to overcome staff equity and access issues in higher education

  Carina Bossu, Julie Willems

  Open educational resources (OER) have already impacted educational systems around the world. In higher education more specifically, it has benefited learners, and has influenced institutional strategic plans and policies. Additionally, the benefits of OER also extend to staff in higher education, such as academic staff. For this group, OER can provide opportunities for collaboration, promote curriculum innovation and student led content development, as well as contribute to university teachers’ much needed continuing professional development. In this paper, we examine the potential of OER to build capacity of academic staff in higher education, in particular to overcome some equity and access issues that they may face. It also examines some existing activities and strategies for professional development in higher educational institutions and provides some recommendations for academics, academic developers, institutions, and the sector in general.

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• Defining “data” in conversations with students about the ethical use of learning analytics

  Abi Brooker, Linda Corrin, Josie Fisher, Negin Mirriahi

  In any conversation about the development of ethical standards for practice, it is vital that all stakeholders have a shared understanding of the main concepts in order to reach agreement. In the context of higher education and learning analytics, while many conversations are underway, it is less clear that such a shared understanding exists around the concept of “data”. In order to understand this situation more fully we conducted a study to investigate students’ perceptions of the ethical and privacy considerations related to the data that universities collect and use about them for the purposes of learning analytics. In this paper, we focus specifically on the understandings students have of the types of data that can be collected about them within the educational environment. The outcomes showed that there was a diversity of understandings, but that five main data types emerged. In developing a better understanding of the ways students understand data, it can assist institutions to have more effective conversations with students about the ethical use of learning analytics.

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• Us and IT: Capacity-building for blended learning: An intersection between educator, pedagogy, and technology

  Kaye Cleary, Gayani Samarawickrema, Sally Gauci

  When Victoria University (VU) Australia, adopted a new learning management system (LMS) as part of its Blended Learning Strategy and Operational Plan in 2014, it introduced a range of support structures including a staff support and training program. Complementing this, the Graduate Certificate in Higher Education (the course providing professional development for early career academic staff) offered an elective AET4010 Blended Learning Design and Development fusing the pedagogical and theoretical aspects of blended learning to foster teaching as a design science. In this study we investigate the effectiveness of AET4010 in developing participants’ capacity to design and, develop blended learning. In this paper we report on the data from the first stage of this investigation. Data is derived from assessment rubrics. Complementary qualitative data will be collected in the second stage via interviews conducted after the participants complete the unit. We analyse our findings against the JISC Building Digital Capability Framework mapped to the UK Professional Standards Framework. This Framework identifies early career academics’ capabilities (Associate Fellows). The emerging findings indicated the value of capacity building through a structured unit of study enabling participants to experience learning from their own learner’s standpoint while reflecting on pedagogical perspectives and ‘teaching as design’.

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• Developing virtual collaborative health team educational environments

  Thomas Cochrane, Todd Stretton, Stephen Aiello, Sally Britnell, Duncan Christie, Stuart Cook, Vickel Narayan

  In this short paper we introduce a conceptual framework that is under development to create virtual educational environments to simulate collaborative health team experiences. Building on our work of developing virtual environments for authentic Paramedicine education scenarios, we are extending the concept across the seven health disciplines at the university, beginning initially with a prototype involving three health discipline teams: Paramedicine, Nursing, and Physiotherapy. Using a design based research methodology we are developing prototypes of immersive simulated environments to simulate the real - world interaction between these three health teams for our students. We leverage a low cost mobile BYOD approach enabling rapid prototyping and development of these scenarios.

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• Enhancing the role of pedagogical beliefs in TPACK-based professional development

  Lis Conde, Linda Corrin, Kristine Elliott, Gregor Kennedy

  Professional development programs that aim to enhance the use of educational technology in higher education have become a priority in many countries. However, educators’ pedagogical beliefs may present a barrier to the successful outcomes of these programs and are often overlooked. This paper presents a professional development approach designed to make explicit educators’ pedagogical beliefs in regards to educational technology. The outcomes of the study will provide insights into strategies to address educators’ beliefs about teaching, learning and students in general, as a launching pad for improvements in practice to occur.

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• Understanding students’ views on feedback to inform the development of technology-supported feedback systems

  Linda Corrin, Paula de Barba

  In an increasingly expanding higher education system, students have routinely said that they don’t get enough access to feedback to support their learning. While this feedback loop is recognised as a critical issue, the growing use of technology as part of teaching and learning could provide some solutions to this problem. The emergence of the field of learning analytics has the potential to provide mechanisms for reducing some of the concerns students have about receiving feedback. However, a greater understanding of how learning analytics can be used to provide meaningful assessment feedback to students is needed. This paper presents the initial findings from a study that investigated students’ preferences for the delivery of assessment feedback to improve their learning. The findings show that there is a diversity of student perspectives on what feedback is most useful for their learning which is influenced by the type of assessment, the discipline in which the assessment takes place, the year level of the student and the ability to compare performance to others. The outcomes of this study provide evidence of what students want when it comes to analytics-based feedback which can be used to inform the development of guidelines for how such feedback can be designed and delivered in higher education.

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• Visualising mixed reality simulation for multiple users

  Michael Cowling, James Birt

  Blended reality seeks to encourage co-presence in the classroom, blending student experience across virtual and physical worlds. In a similar way, Mixed Reality, a continuum between virtual and real environments, is now allowing learners to work in both the physical and the digital world simultaneously, especially when combined with an immersive headset experience. This experience provides innovative new experiences for learning, but faces the challenge that most of these experiences are single user, leaving others outside the new environment. The question therefore becomes, how can a mixed reality simulation be experienced by multiple users, and how can we present that simulation effectively to users to create a true blended reality environment? This paper proposes a study that uses existing screen production research into the user and spectator to produce a mixed reality simulation suitable for multiple users. A research method using Design Based Research is also presented to assess the usability of the approach.

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• Improving the undergraduate Science experience through an evidence-based framework for design, implementation and evaluation of flipped learning

  Yvonne Davila, Elaine Huber, Jorge Reyna, Peter Meier

  Flipped Learning (FL) is a student-centred pedagogical approach where new content is introduced prior to class which permits more time during class for active learning. Despite the growing body of evidence of the effectiveness of FL, many educators are reluctant to adopt this approach to teaching or are unsure of how to implement FL in their classes. Many students are uncertain of how to adapt their approaches to learning to a FL curriculum. In response to these challenges and calls for a robust framework to guide the design and implementation of FL, we developed the Flipped Teacher and Flipped Learner (FTFL) Framework based on the pedagogical literature. This paper reports on the use of our FTFL framework in the redesign of a large first year science subject from a traditional delivery to a FL delivery. We evaluated the efficacy of the redesign using a mixed methods approach with data on students’ interactions with FL activities, and student and educator experiences. Findings from two iterations of the redesign indicate successful implementation of FL through high student engagement with online and class materials, and positive feedback from students and academics. Using the FTFL framework to guide the design and integration of FL, with an emphasis on clear communication, is key to our successful FL intervention and support of student learning.

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• Key success factors to implementing an active learning platform

  Megan Duffy, Jenny James, Chris Campbell, Jude Williams

  This study reports on the key success factors when introducing a new lecture capture platform, Echo360 Active Learning Platform (ALP), at an Australian University. This is an interactive platform, designed to actively engage students in their courses including in lectures (online and/or face to face) through a range of interactive tools. A trial of ALP, which is known within the University as the Echo360 ALP Early Adopter Program, was conducted in Semester 2, 2016. The purpose of the Echo360 ALP Early Adopter Program was to identify the key success factors required for implementation of Echo360 ALP at the enterprise level. The study reports data on students’ experience of the interactive tools in Echo360 ALP. In total, over 1250 students, seven academics from across seven courses, Blended Learning Advisors from within each of the University’s four academic groups, and support staff participated in the Echo360 ALP Early Adopter Program. The results of the study show that students were engaged when using Echo360 ALP and with support from professional staff this program can be successfully implemented by academics. Thus, the key success factors to this implementation include the academics themselves and the support staff involved in the implementation. A further success factor was the vendor themselves.

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• Digital equity: Diversity, inclusion and access for incarcerated students in a digital age

  Helen Farley, Julie Willem

  ELearning has been touted as the way in which universities can enable participation by large numbers of students from non-traditional cohorts. There is no doubt that the flexibility of access that eLearning allows makes study accessible for a number of cohorts, including those engaged in full-time work or caring duties. However, cohorts such as incarcerated students and other students without Internet access, are sitting on the wrong side of the digital divide and are increasingly marginalised by the very technology anticipated to overcome their exclusion from study. This paper examines the fundamental issues of equity involved with eLearning, and particularly for incarcerated students. The very issue of access to the Internet is fraught with rates of access varying widely between different sectors of society. This discussion prompts higher education providers to think beyond business-as-usual when speaking of increasing participation in higher education.

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