2011: ASCILITE 2011 Conference Companion Materials

ASCILITE Conference - Symposia / Panels

• Changing worlds: Virtual worlds for higher degree research, supervision and networking

  Lisa Jacka, Sue Gregory, Frederick Stokes-Thompson, Lindy McKeown Orwin, Helen Farley, Allan Ellis, Scott Grant, Merle Hearns

  The DEHub Virtual Worlds Working Group (VWWG) consists of Australian and New Zealand higher education academics investigating the role that virtual worlds (VWs) play in the future of education. A sub group of the VWWG that includes Higher Degree Research (HDR) students and supervisors have been meeting regularly in the VW of second life. Many of these HDR students are the only student within their institution researching VWs. In many ways they lack the peer support that is so important to facilitate an expedient and successful completion of PhD candidates' dissertations. Through the regular VW meetings the HDR VW group have overcome the isolation of working alone and have developed a strong collegial network that extends beyond their individual institutions. These students and supervisors represent a cross section of researchers who are using VWs as a vital resource for their investigations, collegial networking and student-supervisor communication. Meeting with like-minded HDR students has facilitated a range of opinions and debate in relation to supervisor roles, methodologies, VW skills and research techniques.

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• ICT as learning media and research instrument: What eResearch can offer for those who research eLearning?

  Lina Markauskaite, Rob Philips, Jan Herrington, Peter Reimann, Shannon Kennedy-Clark, Kate Thompson, Vilaythong Southavilay

  Students' interactions in digital learning environments are distributed over time and space, and many aspects of eLearning phenomenon cannot be investigated using traditional research approaches. At the same time, the possibility to collect digital data about students' online interactions and learning opens a range of new opportunities to use ICT as research tool and apply new research approaches. This symposium brings together some of the recent advancements in the area of ICT-enhanced research and aims to discuss future directions for methodological innovation in this area. The session will include four presentations that will explore different directions of ICT use for eLearning research.

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• Ascilite community mentoring program and collaborative community mentoring program : When I succeed, we succeed!

  Shirley Reushle

  This symposium is an opportunity to hear from a group of mentees and mentors about their 2011 projects. It is also a great opportunity to find out about the programs and how you can be involved in 2012 as either a mentor or mentee. The Community Mentoring Program (CMP) involves a collaboration between two ascilite members for the purpose of achieving an agreed goal through dialogue, action and reflection. Mentoring can play a beneficial role in enabling participants to increase their knowledge and experience, enhance career prospects and improve job satisfaction. There are few experiences as powerful as connecting with other people who are united by the need to work collegially and to resolve mutually shared problems. ascilite initiated the Community Mentoring Program in 2003 and approximately 40 members have taken part over the 8 years. The Program has proved to be a valuable addition to the ascilite suite of activities to support its members. The CMP provides wonderful opportunities for a participant to expand a career portfolio and establish support networks that are so important for creating a better working environment and realise aspirations for the future.

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• The impact of learning technologies on workload

  Yoni Ryan, Leone Hinton, Andrea Lamont Mills

  Over the past decade, most Australian universities have moved increasingly towards online course delivery for both undergraduate and graduate programs. In many cases, online teaching is becoming part of routine teaching loads. Yet detailed and accurate workload data are not readily available. This symposium is timely as it addresses an issue of immediate National and International concern relevant to all education sectors as many struggle with how to allocate workload associated with the use of learning technologies. This symposium intends to explore workload based on data collected from across four institutions and seek input from the audience as to whether it 'rings true'. This Symposium will present some of the findings and conclusions of an Australian Learning and Teaching Council project which has undertaken a robust investigation of workload in relation to the use of learning technologies. The project used a Grounded theory approach and appropriate supporting methods. Drawing on the 88 interviews undertaken across the partner institutions and consequent analysis the four team members will discuss four case studies in regards to issues, barriers and concerns; the grounded methodology, findings from the NVivo analysis and focus on the various teaching demands of online programs, and whether workload demands are lighter, heavier or the same for online teaching compared with face-to-face teaching. The group will highlight recommendations for future practice for key stakeholders from the various perspectives of the presenters. Several questions from the interview schedule and the proposed survey tool will be drawn upon to engage the audience. In particular the survey tool, newly developed, will be tested using a 'cognitive' interview technique whereby audience members will be asked for their 'understanding' of the questions. This feedback will then be incorporated into the survey.

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• Do the ACODE benchmarks still cut the mustard or is eLearning maturity just a dream? There is light at the end of the tunnel

  Michael Sankey, Mark Brown, Philip Uys

  The symposium will first review a series of benchmarking activities that have been undertaken over recent years using the ADODE Benchmarks. It will provide a number of options for participants as to the different ways in which these benchmarks can be used and it will seek to work with participants to help them establish a plan of action for their own institution. As these benchmarks can be used at different levels and in different ways, in their entirety or in part, this activity will provide participant, with keys for using these benchmarks at whatever level they might find most appropriate in their institution. Different perspectives on the usefulness of these benchmarks will be canvassed with a view to establishing the best way forward for participant. But more importantly, this session will seek to empower individuals to provide contextualized leadership in this area eLearning quality once returning to their institutions. Participants in this symposium would be those who are interested in conducting future benchmarking activities in the area of e-learning, potentially using these benchmarks to conduct either an internal audit of what their institution has in place, or for those looking to plan for an inter-institutional activity, for more broad-ranging quality purposes. Each panel members has considerable experience using the ACODE benchmarks and other quality instruments to help their institutions navigate their future in eLearning. Each also have responsibility, in varying degrees, for their own institutions response to current trends and can provide participant with an inter- institutional perspective of the importance of benchmarking to help establish strategic direction in the area of e- learning.

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