The emergence and adoption of freely available digital curation tools has shown a public desire to locate, evaluate and organise web content into manageable, shareable collections. These tools occupy a unique niche, often overlapping with
The emergence and adoption of freely available digital curation tools has shown a public desire to locate, evaluate and organise web content into manageable, shareable collections. These tools occupy a unique niche, often overlapping with other web tools. This necessitates a clear definition of tools laying claim to this space and suggestion and direction for the use of digital curation to build student engagement. A definition is suggested, as well as a discussion on the emotional design principles and how they build sustained engagement with users.
More universities are providing online courses in response to demands for greater flexibility which consequently places pressure on learning support services, such as, academic skills centres, to follow suit. The increasing numbers of
More universities are providing online courses in response to demands for greater flexibility which consequently places pressure on learning support services, such as, academic skills centres, to follow suit. The increasing numbers of students are stretching the existing capacities of such centres to adequately address student learning needs in traditional ways, and therefore more flexible offerings through an e-learning environment are required. Nonetheless developing online resources and learning activities require significant development time, and it is not clear whether these resources are effective, since very little research examines what or how learning may be achieved. To explore this issue, this paper reviews the available literature on the topic with the aim of identifying ways to evaluate such resources, and considers the sustainability of pursuing static texts. The paper proposes combining knowledge of best practice with an evaluation research framework, and urges the design of more dynamic resources.
In this study we explored the nature and types of knowledge that university teachers draw upon when they are making decisions related to the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in their courses. The data were obtained
In this study we explored the nature and types of knowledge that university teachers draw upon when they are making decisions related to the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in their courses. The data were obtained using a 'think aloud' protocol. Shulman's (1987) and Mishra & Koehler's (2006) frameworks were used as an initial basis to classify teachers' knowledge. The mental resource perspective was adopted as a general lens to obtain an insight into the nature of teachers' knowledge. The results showed that teachers? decisions were based on different types of knowledge. When teachers planned to use ICT in their courses, they combined different knowledge types with context-specific experiences and projected situated actions. In this paper we illustrate three qualities of teachers' knowledge that underpinned core teachers' planning decisions: a) the linking role of pedagogical knowledge; b) relational nature of teachers' design thinking; and c) the experiential basis of teachers' anticipations.
A review of the teaching spaces at Charles Darwin University merged top-down directives with bottom-up requirements from user groups (students, academics and support staff). The space of tension between the three top-down drivers from
A review of the teaching spaces at Charles Darwin University merged top-down directives with bottom-up requirements from user groups (students, academics and support staff). The space of tension between the three top-down drivers from outside and within the walls of a regional Northern Australian university had to be managed and prioritised to ensure the needs of local stakeholders were met as far as economically and practicably possible. By going beyond blended learning the aim is to provide a deeper level of engagement and collaboration to create synergies designed to bring the distant external students into the classroom. This will be mediated by the use of web-conferencing within the teaching spaces. The change process is examined with respect to five issues identified as relevant for this teaching mode to improve the sustainability of our teaching practices.
Lecturers who move into the online learning environment often discover that the workload involved not only changes, but can be overwhelming as they cope with using digital technologies. Questions arise, given the dissatisfaction of
Lecturers who move into the online learning environment often discover that the workload involved not only changes, but can be overwhelming as they cope with using digital technologies. Questions arise, given the dissatisfaction of lecturers with lowering morale and increasing workload, whether future expansion of this teaching component in tertiary institutions is sustainable. The challenge facing lecturers now, and in the future, is about learning workload management strategies which effectively manage the workload they encounter in the online learning environment. This paper describes a case study (which is a work-in-progress) examining the perceptions of online workload cf. face-to-face teaching of lecturers who are experienced in e- teaching. As well, it identifies strategies the lecturers have developed or adopted to manage this element of their workload. Keywords: lecturer workload, workload strategies, workload management , e-teaching, elearning
Australian education is undergoing national reform at many levels. The school sector, where pre- service teachers will be employed, are adjusting to the demands of the National Curriculum and improving teacher quality through the National
Australian education is undergoing national reform at many levels. The school sector, where pre- service teachers will be employed, are adjusting to the demands of the National Curriculum and improving teacher quality through the National Professional Standards for Teachers. In addition, the university sector, where pre-service teachers are prepared, is undergoing its own education reform through the introduction of a demand-driven system and ensuring quality for tertiary education interns through the Higher Education Standards Framework. In moving to prepare pre- service teachers for the school system; universities are grappling with the double-barreled approach to teacher quality; quality within the university course and quality within the student teachers being prepared. Through a collaborative partnership including university lecturers, Department of Education central administration staff, school principals, school coordinators, practicum supervisors, mentor teachers and pre-service teachers; the stakeholders have formed an online community of learners engaging in reflective practice who are committed to improving teacher quality. This online community not only links the key stakeholders within the project, it facilitates the nexus between theory and practice often missing in our pre-service teacher placements. This paper reports preliminary data about an initiative to ensure final year pre-service teachers are aspiring to meet the graduate professional standards through the use of an innovative online community.
Mark Brown, Mike Keppell, Helen Hughes, Natasha Hard, Sandi Shillington, Liz Smith
Significant challenges face traditional distance education. The conventional ‘pack and post’ model of distance education is under serious threat along with the performance of distance education providers as governments and funding bodies
Significant challenges face traditional distance education. The conventional ‘pack and post’ model of distance education is under serious threat along with the performance of distance education providers as governments and funding bodies increasingly scrutinize retention, progression and completion rates. The objective of the current study was to contribute to the enhancement of services and resources available for first-time distance learners in the future. The study was framed around Design-based Research involving a mixed method approach over three phases. The third phase was the major component of the study, which involved gathering the lived experiences of 20 first-time distance learners, in their own words, using weekly video diaries for data collection. The research proposed seven key takeaways, alongside seven guiding principles aimed at distance education providers wanting to enhance the success of distance learners in the future.
Traditional approaches to teaching criminal law in Australian law schools include lectures that focus on the transmission of abstracted and decontextualised knowledge, with content often prioritised at the expense of depth. This paper
Traditional approaches to teaching criminal law in Australian law schools include lectures that focus on the transmission of abstracted and decontextualised knowledge, with content often prioritised at the expense of depth. This paper discusses The Sapphire Vortex, a blended learning environment that combines a suite of on-line modules using Second Life machinima to depict a narrative involving a series of criminal offences and the ensuing courtroom proceedings, expert commentary by practising lawyers and class discussions.
Although students expect to be engaged in lectures, it has been acknowledged that this can be challenging at universities across the world. When students lack engagement, attendance at lectures can be affected and students can become
Although students expect to be engaged in lectures, it has been acknowledged that this can be challenging at universities across the world. When students lack engagement, attendance at lectures can be affected and students can become disengaged from the course. For these reasons and more it was decided by academics who lecture at one Australian university to implement a learner response system (LRS) for their large first year Education cohort. This paper investigates the literature and focuses on this implementation as well as initial data obtained by a group of first year students.
In a Higher Education context learning is an individual experience within a learning community. Such a community no longer needs to be bound by temporal or spatial limitations. Drawing on concepts found in Complexity Science, Ecological
In a Higher Education context learning is an individual experience within a learning community. Such a community no longer needs to be bound by temporal or spatial limitations. Drawing on concepts found in Complexity Science, Ecological Psychology and Distributed Cognition this paper argues that educational design needs to focus on supporting the dynamics and flow of interaction, the exchange of ideas and negotiation of meaning within a curriculum based ecosystem.
ePortfolios are being used in teacher education across Australia as a technology and as a process. They allow pre -and in-service teachers to showcase teaching practice against teaching standards and reflect on their practice throughout
ePortfolios are being used in teacher education across Australia as a technology and as a process. They allow pre -and in-service teachers to showcase teaching practice against teaching standards and reflect on their practice throughout and after study. The University of Tasmania is implementing an eportfolio as an integral part of its Master of Teaching and Bachelor of Education programs to help with this process. This paper uses document analysis to describe the support strategies used in the previous two years of implementation of eportfolios at the university and outlines future plans for progressive implementation (including plans to change eportfolio technology and support implications). Some of the strategies used to implement eportfolios include: the use of a community of practice, the use of templates and scaffolds, support from L&T and IT infrastructure, embedding assessments in units; and modelling/building exemplars of effective portfolio practice.
Compulsory Science Faculty (SCIF) courses in various programs of study serve to provide students with a sense of belonging within their own cohort and with their professional future, as well as developing a range of skills relevant to that
Compulsory Science Faculty (SCIF) courses in various programs of study serve to provide students with a sense of belonging within their own cohort and with their professional future, as well as developing a range of skills relevant to that future. These aims are supported through completion of assessment tasks, which in turn are supported through the use of the Moodle learning management system. Specifically, the Workshop tool facilitates the practice of peer review, one of the processes in the course not only relevant to professional practice in the sciences but supporting active learning among students through noticing aspects of a range of tasks in which they can improve. This paper describes the use of the Workshop tool in its original form as well as modifications developed at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) to support the use of peer review and assessment processes associated with a range of assessment tasks.
This paper presents the use of an online learning management system to establish a system of reward contingencies to facilitate student engagement in a statistics class. Based on a behaviourist framework, the proposed system uses immediate
This paper presents the use of an online learning management system to establish a system of reward contingencies to facilitate student engagement in a statistics class. Based on a behaviourist framework, the proposed system uses immediate rewards for weekly studying. It also incorporates punishment to discourage breaking patterns of consistent weekly study. Student evaluations at the end of the semester showed students’ acknowledgement that the system led them to study more frequently and consistently than they otherwise would have, and that the feedback made the study more effective. However, some students reported feeling that the punishment system was unfair. An alternative system is suggested in response to this criticism.
