2019: ASCILITE 2019 Conference Proceedings: Personalised Learning. Diverse Goals. One Heart

Research demonstrates that students generally find digitally recorded assessment feedback comments to be more satisfying than text-based feedback comments. However, positive perceptions of digitally recorded feedback may be impacted by the

Research demonstrates that students generally find digitally recorded assessment feedback comments to be more satisfying than text-based feedback comments. However, positive perceptions of digitally recorded feedback may be impacted by the confidence and experience of the educator who is providing the comments. As such, this paper reports on an exploratory study in which we compare students’ perceptions of the text-based and digitally recorded feedback created by five tutors in the same subject. Survey data were collected from 81 students, of which 58 received text-based and 23 received digitally recorded feedback comments. Students who received digitally recorded feedback comments provided consistently higher ratings for feedback clarity, usefulness, and satisfaction than students who received text- based feedback comments. It is proposed that the media enables these effects, but the structure of the feedback design is also important.

Universities require learning designers with creative digital experience and significant knowledge of educational theory and practice to meet institutional teaching and learning strategic priorities. Little is known about how best to

Universities require learning designers with creative digital experience and significant knowledge of educational theory and practice to meet institutional teaching and learning strategic priorities. Little is known about how best to attract and retain learning designers or alternatively, to assist learning designers navigate their career pathways in higher education. In response to these needs, this study aimed to provide a snapshot of current learning design practices across Australian universities; to document relevant skills, knowledge, education and professional background, role types and employment conditions, challenges for directors, and to identify areas for future attention. The researchers used two separate online surveys to target 1) directors of central teaching and learning units and 2) learning designers employed in universities. The results are useful as a means to sustain and improve practice through evidence-based decision-making in the conceptualisation of learning designer positions, the management and retention of learning design staff, and to assist learning designers in their career choices.

Same task, same instructions, same tools, different outcomes. What students bring to a group assessment task, their disposition, and how they make sense of what is being asked of them, their framing, will influence how they explicitly and

Same task, same instructions, same tools, different outcomes. What students bring to a group assessment task, their disposition, and how they make sense of what is being asked of them, their framing, will influence how they explicitly and tacitly construct and use a collaborative infrastructure. Learning design can nudge towards a particular path, but a project and its supporting infrastructure is ultimately the epistemic work of the student group. In findings from case studies of seven group projects at an Australian university I compare framing and disposition of the groups with the infrastructure that they created around assessment tasks. I place the cases under three loose categories of shared knowledge creation and proffer suggestions for learning design, including individually-produced artefacts as part of group knowledge creation.

Change in Australian engineering industry has caused difficulty for engineering students to secure placements and engage with engineering practice. Consequently, universities are developing learning modules using digital simulations to

Change in Australian engineering industry has caused difficulty for engineering students to secure placements and engage with engineering practice. Consequently, universities are developing learning modules using digital simulations to expose engineering students to authentic engineering practice as part of their curricula. Many simulations use technology such as virtual reality that is not accessible to students off campus without significant resource investment. One of the important elements of engagement with practice is learning about safety in engineering. With the use of work integrated learning and distance education frameworks, this study developed and evaluated the effectiveness of an online desktop-based learning environment that students could access off-campus, in delivering safety education and awareness, and the benefits of online learning. Fifteen engineering university students (6 female) participated in an optional module using a desktop-based industrial site simulation. Pre and post testing were used to evaluate effectiveness of the module. Results indicated that the module significantly improved understanding and application of the job safety analysis technique and improved on-site safety awareness. The use of flexible online education is versatile and effective. Students benefitted from desktop-based simulation experiences incorporating authentic engineering scenarios and tasks that could be accessed online.

Although multimodality is increasingly used in teaching, learning and assessment, there is little in the literature that speaks to how VoiceThread (VT) is used for assessment purposes in higher education. This study contributes to this

Although multimodality is increasingly used in teaching, learning and assessment, there is little in the literature that speaks to how VoiceThread (VT) is used for assessment purposes in higher education. This study contributes to this knowledge by evaluating how VT was used for assessment purposes at one Australian university and exploring how lecturers and students experience the use of VT in assessment tasks. Data were collected through interviews with lecturers, surveys and a focus group with students and review of the use of the VT tool itself. A five-part VT assessment process was identified and support structures for staff and students were mapped. The study found that despite the multimedia capability of VT, text only slides and text with visual slides were the most common design of student created media, while text, audio and video commenting were used across the six units in the study. Lecturers primarily used audio comments and grades in the feedback process. While assessment submission was not always straight forward, and students required extra support with this unfamiliar tool, the opportunity to engage in multimodal assessment tasks was received positively by students and staff as an opportunity to enhance the diversity of assessment and feedback.

Thanks, in part, to the rapid development and widespread adoption of the Internet and other online technologies, academic institutions are increasingly using analytics to enhance learning and teaching. Through the use of data mining

Thanks, in part, to the rapid development and widespread adoption of the Internet and other online technologies, academic institutions are increasingly using analytics to enhance learning and teaching. Through the use of data mining techniques, this study examines some of the determinants at a course level that affect the academic performance of adult learners (which we will refer to as students in this paper) in the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS). Formerly known as SIM University, SUSS is an institution that caters mainly to the learning needs of working adults although it offers a number of full-time undergraduate degree programmes to fresh school leavers. The data analysis found that students taking introductory blended courses performed better than those who took face-to-face courses of the same level. Furthermore, students of similar age taking level-2 courses outperformed students taking similar courses where the age difference was more significant. The findings indicate that no single optimal course design will lead to improved academic performance across all courses. Instead, educators should be ready to consider the nature, level, discipline and coursework component of each course to cater to the various students’ needs.

Dashboards are used as a graphical user interface that provides at-a-glance views into key measures and trends to assist decision makers in the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) to enhance learning support for students. A

Dashboards are used as a graphical user interface that provides at-a-glance views into key measures and trends to assist decision makers in the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) to enhance learning support for students. A student’s first contact with SUSS often starts at the point of application (i.e., applying for places in the University). Hence, the process of application, selection and offer has been identified as the business problem in this project. An effective dashboard will empower users to make more informed decisions with a visibility to data and ease in generating insights, ultimately streamlining the selection and offer process. The users in this project are the stakeholders who deploy the dashboard in the process of and decision making related to selection and offer. Quality of information on the dashboard is highly dependent on the state of data, including their completeness and accuracy. Quality of a dashboard can be measured by how much impact it can make, which is directly related to actions taken by users with information extracted from the dashboard. With the right knowledge and skills in developing an effective dashboard, business objectives can be met and user requirements can be catered for. If every decision maker is able to customise his/her own dashboards that meet business objectives and user requirements, the University will be empowered at a functional level, with various departments supporting students through their respective roles and functions. Challenges in data and people issues will be discussed in this paper alongside the future directions in overcoming these issues.

Many institutions are making significant investments to build their learning analytics capability. However, creating a successful platform for large scale adoption of learning analytics (LA) is not simple. In this case study we describe

Many institutions are making significant investments to build their learning analytics capability. However, creating a successful platform for large scale adoption of learning analytics (LA) is not simple. In this case study we describe the adoption of a three tier model designed for cross institutional engagement and implementation of LA at a medium sized tertiary education institution. We outline the actions taken at the three differentiated but interconnected levels of governance, projects and community. We analyse the results from activity in each of these three areas and, mark out a set of recommendations for future action that we anticipate will continue to drive and gain value from LA deployment across the institution.

For online learning in the January 2019 semester, students at the Singapore University of Social Sciences were able to choose whether they want to study in virtual or face-to-face mode in two courses. Virtual refers to full online learning

For online learning in the January 2019 semester, students at the Singapore University of Social Sciences were able to choose whether they want to study in virtual or face-to-face mode in two courses. Virtual refers to full online learning whereby students study, in a six-week term, without the need to meet face-to-face with the instructor while face-to-face refers to blended e-learning whereby students received either six or three face-to-face lessons with e-learning resources. In full online mode, students will meet the instructor virtually via video conferencing on a weekly basis. Data were obtained to find out which variables actually had an effect of students’ choice of learning mode. 370 students were analysed and the variablesincluding gender, marital status, race, nationality, course, qualification, school, programme, intake, age (now), age (joint) and cumulative grade point average (CGPA) were examined. Each variable was compared with the students’ mode of study in order to identify if they are dependent (e.g. gender versus study mode, race versus study mode, etc.) based on a chi-square test. The significant variables were further investigated using a binary logistic regression model. It was found that qualification, intake and CGPA were found to be significant for students’ choice of learning.

This paper proposes a new conceptual framework for curriculum design that incorporates the principles of both educational and service design. Traditionally efforts in designing high quality online learning have relied on learning design

This paper proposes a new conceptual framework for curriculum design that incorporates the principles of both educational and service design. Traditionally efforts in designing high quality online learning have relied on learning design and not on broader principles drawn from other fields of studies such as service design. This paper presents a case study of creating a quality online course on digital learning leadership to argue for the importance of an integrated approach to educational design. This new postgraduate degree in Digital Learning Leadership was aimed at the community of professionals working in the field of digital learning. The case study presents an integrated approach that combines design thinking and a Community of Inquiry framework as a way of cultivating a sense of belonging online for a network of digital learning professionals.

The Malay community in Singapore has made significant social and economic progress over the years. In 2018, Singapore’s Ministry of Education released figures reflecting educational achievements over a 10-year period between 2008 and 2017

The Malay community in Singapore has made significant social and economic progress over the years. In 2018, Singapore’s Ministry of Education released figures reflecting educational achievements over a 10-year period between 2008 and 2017. Indicators such as progress in national examinations and increased representation of Malay students in post-secondary institutions over the last decade are encouraging milestones of educational mobility. The community’s educational performance for key national examinations however is generally lower than that of other ethnic groups. Several researchers have highlighted the “under- attainment” of Singapore Malays. The MENDAKI Tuition Scheme (MTS), MENDAKI’sflagship programme, provides highly subsidised tuition to support socioeconomically disadvantaged students in their learning. This paper reports the pilot phase of a collaboration between a university in Singapore and MENDAKI. The primary aim of the collaboration is to leverage on the use analytics to enhance the teaching and learning of disadvantaged Malay students in the MTS. Other secondary aims of the collaboration are to establish structures and to build capability of MENDAKI in the use of data for evidence-based decision making.

Learning Designers are increasingly employed in universities to support institutional digital and pedagogical transformation agendas, which are posited to better meet the diverse and changing needs of a heterogeneous student body. Despite

Learning Designers are increasingly employed in universities to support institutional digital and pedagogical transformation agendas, which are posited to better meet the diverse and changing needs of a heterogeneous student body. Despite broad commitment to investing in these roles, surprisingly little is known about what learning designers in higher education actually do in practice. This paper reports on the preliminary findings of a scoping review that thematically analysed pertinent literature, to explore what is currently espoused about the professional identity of learning designers in higher education. The review identified 40 indicators of the knowledge, skills and attributes required of learning designers in the higher education sector. This research provides valuable insights for both individuals and institutions. The findings provide universities with an evidence-informed perspective of the learning designer, including an account of the unique capabilities of learning designers as transformative change agents to student learning. For individual learning designers the findings provide a comprehensive list of indicators to benchmark role responsibilities against, and a framework through which professional identity can be comprehended.

With new building information modelling (BIM) workflows becoming required within the architecture, engineering and construction industry, more research is required to understand the best pedagogical delivery methods of this new spatial

With new building information modelling (BIM) workflows becoming required within the architecture, engineering and construction industry, more research is required to understand the best pedagogical delivery methods of this new spatial technology workflow. Mixed reality (MR) and mobile visualisation methods are identified as important technology drivers for rethinking higher education, practice driving learner engagement and spatial information delivery. This paper outlines qualitative results derived through thematic analysis of learner observation and reflections from a technology-enhanced lecture, and hands-on workshop focused on MR-BIM innovation within the construction industry. Forty-five (45) participants from a postgraduate construction course at an Australian University participated in answering the research question: “How do learners perceive the interactive visualisation mode of a presentation delivered through MR-BIM and mobile pedagogy?”. The results of the analysis identified two general themes (learning and technology) and five sub-themes (learning engagement, learning experience, technology experience, technology readiness and technology future). Students felt engaged during the session with observation supporting the reflective analysis evidenced by learners asking questions, commenting on technology possibilities and sharing of their experiences between peers, lecturers and social networks. More work is required on the delivery method, with only one-third of the reflections discussing the learning.