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

The 2019 ASCILITE annual conference was hosted by Singapore University of Social Sciences, 2nd to 5th December.

Editors: Y. W. Chew, K. M. Chan, and A. Alphonso

Published: 2 December 2019

Full Issue

ASCILITE Conference - Concise Papers

  • Study Progression, Success and Program Component Selection

    Eric Parkin, Simon Huband, Dirk Ifenthaler, David C. Gibson

    This article evaluates some of the underlying assumptions of a data analytics initiative being undertaken at an Australian university, which provide student support staff with lists of students who have enrolled in program components (classes) different from the plan prescribed in the curriculum (e.g., out of sequence, not on the plan). This study was undertaken with the assumption that these ‘inappropriate’ enrolments might negatively impact student progression and success. The analysis suggests that student progression is significant negatively affected; in particular, students can be prevented from studying full-time, extending the time needed to complete their program. However, the impact on student success was found to be minimal. The findings help to demonstrate the impact of the data initiative, and the value of continuing and expanding its use into the future.

    Read article: Study Progression, Success and Program Component Selection

  • Personalising medical education: ePortfolios for workplace- based assessment

    Robyn Philip, Helen Wozniak, Shari Bowker, Chantal Bailey, Alison Green

    There is much literature on the challenges of designing for and implementing ePortfolios. Issues include technology management and overcoming barriers to acceptance and usability. Yet as higher education practitioners we find ourselves continually stumbling over these issues. Through discussion of a work-in progress case study at a large Australian medical school, we raise some of the design and implementation issues that impacted integration and facilitation of an ePortfolio system. The system was created to support students’ personal learning, and evidencing and assessment of clinical competence. Recognising the importance of context, we focus on a Workplace Learning Portfolio (WLP) course, in which an ePortfolio system was adopted to support and deliver workplace-based assessments for students in Years 3 and 4 of a Doctor of Medicine (MD) program. Discussion centres around the promise and reality of concurrently implementing curriculum and technological change with a large cohort of domestic and international students. The complexity of using an ePortfolio system to identify students at risk of academic failure is raised, as is an example of unexpected student engagement with personalised learning.

    Read article: Personalising medical education: ePortfolios for workplace- based assessment

  • The Active Learning Platform a year after implementation: Lessons from the lake of hope

    Simone Poulsen, Chris Campbell, Michael Sankey

    This study investigated the uptake of the Echo360 Active Learning Platform (ALP) by academic staff at Griffith University. This research will inform future deployment prospects of this platform and seeks to discover the best ways to support staff in utilising its newer features to help students engage with their educational content. The study reports on the uptake one year after the implementation of the new features. It reports on data at two levels, firstly from the overall uptake of the new features in the tool and, more particularly, it reports on how a smaller number of staff have engaged with the tool over the last six months. Results suggest although the many new features in this tool have been welcomed by staff, the uptake is slower than had been predicted. Those who used the new features have reported student engagement with the tool in face to face classes and increased lecture attendance. However, some academics found the platform difficult to use and that it takes more time than expected to understand features. The paper reports reasons for this and provides some insights as to what can be done next to see a further increase in the level of engagement.

    Read article: The Active Learning Platform a year after implementation: Lessons from the lake of hope

  • Understanding pre-service teachers' experiences of a mixed reality simulation environment: An analysis of pre-service teachers’ perspectives on communicating with a simulated parent avatar

    Natasha Rappa

    The integration of simulation platforms in the Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programs enables pre-service teachers (PSTs) to experience a range of teaching scenarios that they might not otherwise encounter in real-world practicum contexts. Understanding PSTs’ perspectives of their experiences of these new learning spaces is critical in determining the role played by simulation platforms in the preparation for placements, their specific affordances for learning and how these platforms can be effectively integrated to support PSTs’ practices. This paper reports on a pilot study of PSTs’ participation in a simulated parent conference session with a parent avatar in SIMLabTM, a mixed reality simulation environment. SIMLabTM allows the facilitation of synchronous responses by a human interactor playing a virtual reality avatar to enhance the authenticity of the experience for PSTs. Based on data drawn from a cross- sectional survey design, the paper provides an analysis of PSTs’ perspectives on six possible affordances of SIMLabTM and describes emergent themes gleaned from PSTs’ comments on their learning experiences within and in relation to SIMLabTM. The findings inform the design and implementation of the simulation experience in ITE programs.

    Read article: Understanding pre-service teachers' experiences of a mixed reality simulation environment: An analysis of pre-service teachers’ perspectives on communicating with a simulated parent avatar

  • Fostering interdisciplinarity through blended learning

    Rafi Rashid, Mingxun Lim

    Many of the complex problems we face in the 21st century necessitate an interdisciplinary approach. However, most university curricula still prioritize discipline-focused education. There is, therefore, an urgent need to train students to deal effectively with such real-world problems. To foster interdisciplinarity, we implemented blended learning in a mandatory PhD course which has so far relied on didactic modes of instruction. For one of the topics in the course, we included various online activities, e.g. micro-lectures, asynchronous forum discussions, instructor and peer feedback, which were designed to help prepare students for summative group presentations. When we analyzed their presentation scores, we found that they had performed better on the topic supported by blended learning than the one that followed the traditional didactic format. The survey and interview responses suggested that the instructor feedback, peer feedback and micro-lectures promoted interdisciplinary thinking. Even though students did not like using the forum to discuss their projects, they agreed that the instructor’s contributions to the forum discussions were helpful in guiding the interdisciplinary conversation. Overall, our findings suggest that blended learning helps to promote interdisciplinarity in the postgraduate classroom.

    Read article: Fostering interdisciplinarity through blended learning

  • The semi-formal benchmarking of TEL practice: Helping the TEL community get its act together

    Michael D Sankey, Chris Campbell, Simone Poulsen

    Over the last year, two major sector-wide events were held that have brought together technology enhanced learning (TEL) professionals from across the country to semi-formally benchmark their practices in the use of new and emerging technologies. These events have focused on major trends with technologies such as virtual and augmented reality and the use of the Office O365 suite of tools with a special focus on the use of the Teams application. This paper reports on the findings of these two national Summits hosted and facilitated by Griffith University. The motivating force for these free Summits was to provide an open forum for the sharing of practice across Australian and New Zealand universities. The data gained through the formal evaluations of these activities indicated that the collegial nature of these events has assisted in stimulating an openness and willingness to share examples of good practice seen across the sector. This form of semi-formal benchmarking is both appreciated and highly valued as TEL professionals seek to push in to new territories and provide opportunities for this community to further share their practices.

    Read article: The semi-formal benchmarking of TEL practice: Helping the TEL community get its act together

  • The evolution of a micro-credential

    Frank Ponte, Vicki Saray

    In 2017, key representatives from the University microcredentials team and the Library collaborated to develop, deliver and embed into curriculum, digital literacy micro-credentials in multiple course shells via the University’s new learning management system. The first microcredential delivered was Information Literacy. This credential aimed to address student needs to recognize when information was needed and strengthen their ability to locate, evaluate, and use information effectively (ALA Clearing House, 2017). Students who earned the microcredential were rewarded with a digital badge that outlined the achieved learning outcomes and recognition of this award was reflected on their official academic transcript. In addition, the badges were shared on social media platforms like LinkedIn as a way to demonstrate new skills and engage prospective employers. In 2019, the original credential was reviewed to ensure relevancy. A subsequent eight-week sprint process was initiated. The review process sought feedback from various stakeholders that included the RMIT Creds team learning designer, the subject matter experts (SMEs) from the Library and student reviewers. Results from the review process for the Information Literacy credential highlighted key changes to content and learning outcomes to reduce confusion for students and ensure learning outcomes addressed the module content directly. In addition, a shift away from a traditional educational context of information literacy to a broader professional context was also recommended to ensure relevancy to industry.

    Read article: The evolution of a micro-credential

  • Integrating digital literacies through blended learning in a first-year undergraduate course

    Bettina Schwenger

    The use of digital learning in New Zealand’s tertiary and higher education opens up new opportunities but simultaneously raises concerns about students’ digital literacies. In collaboration with two teachers, the researcher responded to digital information literacy demands in relation to the students’ capabilities. The paper considers how integrated online resources were used to develop students’ digital information literacy (DIL) in a first-year undergraduate course in Education and to enhance the blended learning in the course. Educational Design Research with three research phases as methodological approach supported the collaboration. Research instruments with students included questionnaires and focus groups; staff shared their experiences through interviews, meetings, emails and reflections.

    Read article: Integrating digital literacies through blended learning in a first-year undergraduate course

  • Developing a DBR Model for Designing Authentic Healthcare Solutions: Mobile and Wearable Technologies

    David Sinfield, Thomas Cochrane

    This concise paper outlines the initial stages of a project involving a transdisciplinary team of educational researchers, practitioners, student designers, and the Auckland Hospital Design Lab in the design of innovative technology enhanced solutions to enhance patient and health care practitioner experiences. We outline the methodological design of the collaborative Design Based Research (DBR) approach. Using DBR, the project explores real world problems in health care with a team of student designers evaluating the application of mobile and wearable technologies to these problems. The goal of the project is the development of design principles for innovative learning environments that facilitate student-determined learning in real world scenarios.

    Read article: Developing a DBR Model for Designing Authentic Healthcare Solutions: Mobile and Wearable Technologies

  • The potential of Augmented Reality to amplify learning and achieve high performance in the flow of work

    Caroline Steel

    The longevity of work skills and knowledge is constantly diminishing. This phenomenon provokes significant challenges for both employees and industries. There is a growing realization that we must all continue to ‘learn to earn’ (Bersin, 2015) in order to maintain employability to sustain the economic means to live life. This short conceptual paper proposes that there are increasing opportunities to learn new capabilities and practices and achieve high performance through learning in the flow of work. It explores the potential and constraints of Augmented Reality, as an emerging technology, to amplify workplace learning.

    Read article: The potential of Augmented Reality to amplify learning and achieve high performance in the flow of work

  • The Power of Podcasts – sharing stories to transform teaching practices, learning experiences and academic cultures

    Natasha Taylor, Lisa Curran

    The presenters will tell the story of Open Classrooms, drawing on audio-visual resources to give the audience a multi-perspective understanding of the project and its impact. We will include a description of the practical approaches we have taken to recruiting interviewees, preparing them for the conversation, recording, publishing and marketing/advertising. Data from our on-going evaluation work will be used to tell our emergent impact story, including formal intended outcomes as well as some of the more surprising benefits to individuals and school cultures. Finally, we will reflect on the experience from our own perspective as academic developers with no previous experience of podcasting.

    Read article: The Power of Podcasts – sharing stories to transform teaching practices, learning experiences and academic cultures

  • Client’s digital stories: Using the lived experience to personalise online learning

    Darci Taylor, Virginia Hagger, Cath McNamara, Tim Crawford, Peter Lane

    Clients’ stories of their lived experience of disease and illness are an important part of the nursing curriculum that fosters the development of a client-centered approach to healthcare. While opportunities for these types of learning experiences have historically been possible via placements or simulations, opportunities for such personalised interactions in the online context is more difficult. Digital stories offer a way to bring the lived experience to online learning. Digital stories are short multi-media clips that bring a character’s experiences to life, yet research into the impact of these stories on student learning is sparse. This paper presents a work in progress and preliminary findings from 20 students’ responses to client’s digital stories in a fully online course using the construct of empathy to identify themes in the students’ comments. Themes indicated that the digital stories helped student learning, assisted with the development of empathy, and stimulated engagement by tapping into the emotional dimension of learning. The study suggests that learning design incorporating client digital stories assists with the development of empathy, aids in understanding and stimulates engagement by inspiring students through personal connections with clients.

    Read article: Client’s digital stories: Using the lived experience to personalise online learning

  • Conversational Bots as Electronic Performance Support System for the Professional Development of Teacher Educators

    Shamini Thilarajah, Shanti Divaharan

    With the increased demand and interest in designing technology-enhanced lessons for 21st Century learners, ways to empower and enable teacher educators to use educational technologies effectively underpinning sound instructional strategies had to be reinvented. Teacher educators may require on-demand support in order to have the necessary knowledge and skills to meet the needs of the rapidly changing learning landscape. A learning intervention or a job aid had to be developed to provide just-in-time bite-sized knowledge in time of need. This conceptual paper elaborates the design and development of a next generation electronic performance support system for teacher educators and outlines a possible approach of using a rules-based chatbot as a means of empowering teacher educators to become active designers of meaningful technology-enhanced lessons.

    Read article: Conversational Bots as Electronic Performance Support System for the Professional Development of Teacher Educators

Showing 66–78 of 86 articles