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2016: ASCILITE 2016 Conference Proceedings: Show Me The Learning

The proceedings of the 2016 ASCILITE Conference: Show Me The Learning

S. Barker, S. Dawson, A. Pardo, & C. Colvin (Eds.), Show Me The Learning. Proceedings ASCILITE 2016 Adelaide

 

The University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia

November 28-30, 2016

ASCILITE2016 Conference Website https://2016conference.ascilite.org/

Published: 25 November 2016

ASCILITE Conference - Concise Papers

  • Social Media #MOOC Mentions: Lessons for MOOC Research from Analysis of Twitter Data

    Eamon Costello, Binesh Nair, Mark Brown, Jingjing Zhang, Mairéad Giolla-Mhichíl, Enda Donlon, Theo Lynn

    There is a relative dearth of research into what is being said about MOOCs by users in social media, particularly through analysis of large datasets. In this paper we contribute to addressing this gap through an exploratory analysis of a Twitter dataset. We present an analysis of a dataset of tweets that contain the hashtag #MOOC. A three month sample of tweets from the global Twitter stream was obtained using the GNIP API. Using techniques for analysis of large microblogging datasets we conducted descriptive analysis and content analysis of the data. Our findings suggest that the set of tweets containing the hashtag #MOOC has some strong characteristics of an information network. Course providers and platforms are prominent in the data but teachers and learners are also evident. We draw lessons for further research based on our findings.

    Read article: Social Media #MOOC Mentions: Lessons for MOOC Research from Analysis of Twitter Data

  • Piloting Mixed Reality in ICT Networking to Visualize Complex Theoretical Multi-Step Problems

    Michael Cowling, James Birt

    This paper presents insights from the implementation of a mixed reality intervention using 3d printed physical objects and a mobile augmented reality application in an ICT networking classroom. The intervention aims to assist student understanding of complex theoretical multi-step problems without a corresponding real world physical analog model. This is important because these concepts are difficult to conceptualise without a corresponding mental model. The simulation works by using physical models to represent networking equipment and allows learners to build a network that can then be simulated using a mobile app to observe underlying packet traversal and routing theory between the different devices as data travels from the source to the destination. Outcomes from usability testing show great student interest in the intervention and a feeling that it helped with clarity, but also demonstrated the need to scaffold the use of the intervention for students rather than providing a freeform experience in the classroom.

    Read article: Piloting Mixed Reality in ICT Networking to Visualize Complex Theoretical Multi-Step Problems

  • Digital learning: An important ingredient in equity of access to university

    Lorraine Delaney, Margaret Farren

    Many countries have policies to improve the equality of opportunities afforded by higher education; to enable people from a wider range of backgrounds to benefit. In recent decades, Ireland has experienced a dramatic expansion in higher education (HE) participation. However, research indicates that certain groups continue to be under-represented; namely those from lower socio-economic backgrounds. Additionally, when working class students do participate in higher education they don't necessarily complete honours degree programmes. The possibility of economic mobility provided by lower level courses is often slight as they tend to have a low value in the labour market. Furthermore, costs associated with travelling, or having to live away from home while studying, present a significant barrier to accessing full-time HE for many working class students. Based on a case study of 268 distance graduates from Dublin City University (DCU) Ireland, this paper argues that without digital higher education provision, significant progress in widening participation is improbable.

    Read article: Digital learning: An important ingredient in equity of access to university

  • Voice-to-Text Transcription of Lecture Recordings

    Stuart Dinmore, Jing Gao

    Educational institutions are increasingly recognising the potential value for students that samelanguage- subtitles can bring to lecture recordings and other digital content. During 2016 the University of South Australia's Teaching Innovation Unit and School of Information Technology and Mathematical Sciences collaborated on a project which aimed to test our ability transcribe every piece of digital video content hosted by the University in to same-language subtitles in a cost effective way. We believe this augmentation to our existing media content would have various benefits for our students. This paper discusses the benefits of same-language transcription of media content and goes on to outline the details of a technical feasibility study.

    Read article: Voice-to-Text Transcription of Lecture Recordings

  • The Power of the Crowd: Promise and Potential of Crowdsourcing for Education

    Enda Donlon, Mark Brown, Eamon Costello

    Crowdsourcing is the term often used for processes of data collation and creation where individuals or groups of users who are not necessarily located centrally generate content that is then shared. While the term originates within the world of business, it has since gained traction within a number of academic and professional disciplines. Drawing upon two examples that have originated within the Republic of Ireland, this paper reflects on the educational potential of crowdsourcing. Firstly, it reports a unique one-year open crowdsourcing initiative which compiled a comprehensive A-Z directory of edtech tools for teaching and learning through collaborative contributions. Secondly, it describes an initiative to develop a crowdsourced repository of study tips and suggestions for adult, part-time, online and flexible learners embarking on further study. These two case studies provide a valuable context for considering the wider potential of crowdsourcing applications for teaching and learning purposes.

    Read article: The Power of the Crowd: Promise and Potential of Crowdsourcing for Education

  • A case study exploring video access by students: Wrangling and visualising data for measuring digital behaviour

    Timna Garnett, Didy Button

    Every click made by a student is being captured by our learning platforms and integrated web-based tools. This store of data acts as, in its simplest form, part of an individual's digital behaviour with measurable points of interest. But how can this data give teachers an indication that our energy, time and potentially money spent making educational videos is worth the investment? Do-It-Yourself (DIY) videos are more commonly being made by teachers to replace written or face-to-face spoken content, provide an alternative instruction format or provide assessment feedback, to name just a few. This paper explores how we can help answer the most common question asked by teachers who undertake DIY video creation: are DIY educational videos being accessed by students? To answer this question, usage data generated by Moodle (student access point) and YouTube (video host) was collected. Simple analysis tools were employed to make sense of the typical log points generated by each system. Using a first year nursing subject as a case study, this project compared student access behaviour of pre-recorded one hour weekly video lectures. The results indicated an overall declining trend in viewing the video content online throughout the semester yet an increased video access when videos are presented in small segments assembled in YouTube playlists. An additional important outcome of this study was learning and sharing how to wrangle Moodle logs and YouTube Analytics data by non-statistical experts to quickly visualise video access. This information may ultimately support video creators to evaluate their videos, spend their time more efficiently when initially making videos, support decisions to change content or update curriculum, and to ultimately re-evaluate the role videos play in learning and teaching online environments.

    Read article: A case study exploring video access by students: Wrangling and visualising data for measuring digital behaviour

  • It's what you do with IT that matters!

    Lincoln Gill

    'The reality is that technology is doing more harm than good in our schools' says education chief (Bagshaw, 2016, article title). This April 1st headline for a Sydney Morning Herald article was no April Fool's joke. It referenced comments made in an address by OECD education director Andreas Schleicher at a global education forum. The statement is quite poignant for the ASCILITE (2016) conference given its theme is 'Show me the learning' focussing upon 'demonstration of learning aided by the adoption of technology in the education space' (para 4). This paper will examine questions raised by these comments, vignettes from a doctoral study that offer some answers to them, and propose the need for holistic assessment of contexts to more fully understand what is happening within them. It is suggested that while this paper is particularly relevant to initial teacher education, the principles are applicable to tertiary education more broadly.

    Read article: It's what you do with IT that matters!

  • Harvesting the interface: Pokémon Go

    Brent Gregory, Sue Gregory, Boahdan Gregory

    What can we harvest from Pokémon Go? This is a conceptual paper about the use of Pokémon Go in Accounting and Education in higher education. The authors provide readers with an overview and context of Pokémon Go, then ways in which this disruptive technology can be used in educational settings. Outlined are ways in which the Pokémon Go app can be used as a tool to provide problem based learning, problem solving and a variety of other skills in the areas of accounting and education.

    Read article: Harvesting the interface: Pokémon Go

  • The missing link for learning from analytics

    Cathy Gunn, Jenny McDonald, Claire Donald, Marion Blumenstein, John Milne

    Learning analytics is an area of growing importance in higher education. Lead practitioners acknowledge this development as a convergence of many fields, including educational data mining, technology systems development, learning design and SoTL, and encourage synergistic connections. Past experience of learning technology innovations shows that incentives and professional development for teachers are keys to successful adoption, along with easy to use tools, evidence of benefits and institutional support. However, current literature shows little evidence of initiatives designed to forge connections between these fields of practice, and a review of papers from a leading learning analytics conference does not identify professional development as a priority. This paper outlines a professional development initiative designed to address this gap and make learning analytics practice accessible to tertiary teachers. The area needs urgent attention if the potential of learning analytics to increase knowledge about learning and inform learning design is to be realized.

    Read article: The missing link for learning from analytics

  • Designing a Review of the Learning Management System

    Liz Heathcote, Edward Palmer

    This paper outlines the design of a review of the Learning Management System (LMS) at an Australian Go8 University. From the experience of other universities undergoing this process, a series of evaluation activities were designed to ensure stakeholder engagement and user quality of experience rather than the traditional functionality comparison. The focus of the paper is to describe the methodology used with a focus on potentially transferrable learnings that other higher education institutions can use in their approach to evaluating their learning management systems.

    Read article: Designing a Review of the Learning Management System

  • A review of the literature on flipping the STEM classroom: Preliminary findings

    Elaine Huber, Ashleigh Werner

    This study analyses fifty-eight peer reviewed research studies on flipped learning in the higher education STEM disciplines. The review aims to continue on from other meta-analyses and identify themes from the literature, both positive and negative, in terms of perception, engagement and achievement. Two other themes are discussed, the self-efficacy of students and the development of graduate attributes beyond discipline knowledge. The review concludes that there has been a large increase in empirical research on flipped approaches to teaching and learning in the STEM disciplines and the findings are overwhelmingly positive.

    Read article: A review of the literature on flipping the STEM classroom: Preliminary findings

  • Refocusing institutional TEL provision on the learner: Drivers for change in UK higher education

    Martin Jenkins, Richard Walker, Julie Voce, Jebar Ahmed, Elaine Swift, Phil Vincent

    UK higher education institutions have invested significantly in technology-enhanced learning (TEL) services over the last 15 years. The UCISA TEL surveys have shown how this investment has focused on establishing core infrastructure and services to students to satisfy consumer expectations, supporting greater efficiencies in the management and control of learning processes. However, new developments in UK government policy may encourage UK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to refocus their attention on the impact of TEL on student learning, with a greater emphasis on evidence-based practice in the use of TEL tools. This paper discusses the prospects for change in the use of TEL tools and services to support this new agenda.

    Read article: Refocusing institutional TEL provision on the learner: Drivers for change in UK higher education

  • Using digital tools in WIL to enable student journalists' real world learning

    Dianne Jones

    This paper explores how student journalists' adoption of digital technology during real world work-integrated learning (WIL) reporting projects, enabled authentic learning. Student journalists at a regional Queensland university interviewed the candidates for each of the four-yearly local government area elections, from 2008 to 2016, in Australia's second largest inland city and its surrounds. They published their multimedia stories on the Radio Journalism Online blog. This study considers the importance, when framing WIL projects for student journalists, of embracing the traditional and new technical skills and digital literacies that graduates will need to be job ready for multimedia newsrooms. It also considers the impact of recording and telling stories in the talents' or actors' own words on the students' perceptions of the accurcay and reliability of their election reports.

    Read article: Using digital tools in WIL to enable student journalists' real world learning

Showing 40–52 of 107 articles