2018: ASCILITE 2018 Conference Proceedings

Although self-regulated learning (SRL) is essential part of learning, students often commence studies with poor SRL skills. This places much emphasis on course design to foster SRL. In online education, this is a complex undertaking. The

Although self-regulated learning (SRL) is essential part of learning, students often commence studies with poor SRL skills. This places much emphasis on course design to foster SRL. In online education, this is a complex undertaking. The present study examines how online technologies can be harnessed to promote SRL. This study of an online first year course (N=138) investigates how student use of a video annotation tool incorporating in-video quizzes can predict learning outcomes and foster SRL. The study found that students were more likely to complete the in-quiz self-assessment questions than contribute to socially-shared resources such as annotations or summaries. This finding may be a result of the higher cognitive load associated with writing tasks versus responses to in-video questions. The findings also revealed a strong positive association (R2=0.45) between student completion of the in-video quizzes and course grade. It is not surprising that quiz attempts reflect performance. However, it is important to consider the interaction between the correct and incorrect responses. Above a certain threshold of positive answers, the association between incorrect in-video quiz submissions and final grade becomes negative. The study has implications on how analytics are interpreted and how instructors can frame feedback to foster SRL skills.

Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing the way in which technology is conceived in society. While previously, its purpose was to simplify rule-based activities, it is nowadays a mean to aid humans in complex and unstructured data

Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing the way in which technology is conceived in society. While previously, its purpose was to simplify rule-based activities, it is nowadays a mean to aid humans in complex and unstructured data intensive decisions. The process of assessment in higher education, for instance, is an activity that can be improved through artificial intelligence as it consists of data intensive decisions, and at the same time, requires the teacher to focus on the performance of each student’s writing, thinking and knowledge of a topic. This research uses a case study approach to look at the opportunity for Automated Essay Scoring (AES). As the current literature on AES has focused on primary and secondary education, the paper aims to expand the topic to higher education. The paper draws on a case study from Copenhagen Business School which analyses current resources and the experience of stakeholders (teaching staff, students and university management). The theoretical framework adopts a Service Dominant Logic and a human centred design approach to investigate the jobs, gains and pains of introducing AES. The research identifies a clear need from teachers and students for improvements in assessment feedback and the benefits and drawbacks of AES are outlined.

Traditionally difficult subjects, such as statistics, offer a substantial learning challenge for students in their first year of university. Supplemental instruction or Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PASS) can provide students with benefits

Traditionally difficult subjects, such as statistics, offer a substantial learning challenge for students in their first year of university. Supplemental instruction or Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PASS) can provide students with benefits including increased confidence and grades. This project sought to compare face-to-face (F2F) sessions of PASS for the first-year psychology statistics subject PSYC123 with an online version. Employing a mixed-methods approach, including feedback from both students and PASS leaders, results indicated that online students found the platform easy to use and navigate, believing they had benefited from the sessions. All PASS students achieved higher mean grades compared to students who did not attend. PASS Online students also saw increased grades compared to F2F, although this difference was not statistically significant. PASS Leaders found that more time was needed in the online version compared with F2F, but felt that the online sessions allowed for similar interactions as those in F2F. Results indicated that online SI can be successful, however traditional activities need to be adapted and specific training is required for PASS Leaders. Time allocations, and skills development in students and leaders are required for a successful online PASS.

This paper explores the notion of digital literacy as a learning outcome in the context of higher education. As the world becomes increasingly digital and technologically connected, the ways in which universities support the development of

This paper explores the notion of digital literacy as a learning outcome in the context of higher education. As the world becomes increasingly digital and technologically connected, the ways in which universities support the development of student digital literacy are critical in order to equip graduates with the knowledge and skills to engage in society meaningfully and productively. Regardless of its importance, given the current landscape where numerous digital literacy frameworks can be found in the literature, the task of effectively teaching and assessing digital literacy within higher education becomes rather complex and challenging. As such, through the preliminary analysis of an online survey conducted at a large Australian university, we investigate academics’ perceptions of digital literacy as one of the graduate learning outcomes. With a successful application to the university’s Central Research Grant scheme, the year-long research was conducted in 2017. This project integrated the online survey as well as Change Laboratory as part of the activity theory framework informing this research. Findings discussed in this paper include understandings about the perceived enablers that potentially allow academics to better teach and assess digital literacy in the future.

With an unprecedent use of videos in education, several video playing interfaces have been proposed to enhance video learning. However, little research to date has explored how video playing interfaces should be designed for the need of

With an unprecedent use of videos in education, several video playing interfaces have been proposed to enhance video learning. However, little research to date has explored how video playing interfaces should be designed for the need of language learners. In this pilot study, we explored how language learners utilize and interact with different types of macro- and micro-scaffolding features while they watch academic lectures and government advertisements. We elicited the learners’ thought processes and tracked their interactions with the scaffolding features in several prototypes of video playing interface. The analyses revealed some important findings concerning scaffolding in video learning, most notably being the video type and the difficulty of its content seem to effect how language learners use micro-and macro-scaffolding. Based on the findings, we propose a new video playing interface.

Evidence-based educational practice and policy relies on educational research to be accessible and reliable. For educators, creating the next generation of critical thinkers, collaborators, and effective communicators, is a complex

Evidence-based educational practice and policy relies on educational research to be accessible and reliable. For educators, creating the next generation of critical thinkers, collaborators, and effective communicators, is a complex educational problem, requiring a delicate marriage of methods and approaches for understanding the mind, behaviour, and social context of the learner in the digital age. As such, educational technology research plays an important role for informing practice and policy. However, reaching across the boundaries of research, policy, and practice, is inherently challenging, and can invoke unintended consequences. Miscommunications, and mistakes, are inevitable in interdisciplinary and applied science, but advances in technology now make it possible to openly share and translate educational technology research for policy and practice. Our aim in this paper is to describe how the emerging set of practices and philosophies within the Open Science movement can make educational technology research more transparent and aid translating it into practice.

Contemporary higher education providers require students to choose between on-campus, online, or hybrid ‘blended’ study modes. Education providers predetermine which study mode/s are available for each course. Even in ‘blended’ offerings

Contemporary higher education providers require students to choose between on-campus, online, or hybrid ‘blended’ study modes. Education providers predetermine which study mode/s are available for each course. Even in ‘blended’ offerings, education providers pre-determine the mix of on-campus and online study activities all students must complete. This paper focusses on the multi-faceted challenges of defining, designing and trialling a new student-centric ‘StudyFlex’ mode of study at La Trobe University and the genesis and rationale behind that initiative. StudyFlex does away with predetermined bright line distinctions between online, blended and on-campus offerings and empowers students, within the context of a single course or subject offering, to self-select and adjust their preferred study mode pathway throughout their studies. Specifically, in this paper, the focus is on the curriculum design and development challenges of ensuring equivalent learning quality experiences for all students, whilst at the same time accommodating a multitude of bespoke student-selected study mode pathways within a single course or subject offering. As a primer for further research, the authors also flag the additional polycentric regulatory and administrative challenges posed by innovations such as the StudyFlex trial and the attempts to reach new student-centric shores which such initiatives represent.

Short videos are now a standard feature of online content delivery and a wealth of literature has emerged regarding best practice in designing for student engagement. In this concise paper we argue that lessons from research on engaging

Short videos are now a standard feature of online content delivery and a wealth of literature has emerged regarding best practice in designing for student engagement. In this concise paper we argue that lessons from research on engaging with ‘millennial’ students in general can also be applied constructively to video design. In particular this generation of students has been shown to desire a personal connection with their teachers, they expect educators to be ‘passionate’ or ‘enthusiastic’ about the topic, and they demand a line-of-sight connection between the immediate learning activity and the end-goal. Furthermore, we argue that an understanding of transition to university studies which conceives of disciplines as discourse communities provides an integrative understanding of student engagement that further informs the design of effective video vignettes. We describe a set of videos, in which teaching academics describe their research to students in a core first-year Bachelor of Science subject, which have been produced according to the principles derived from the above research and approach, with the aim of attaining a high level of student engagement. These videos have recently been trialled and are soon to be evaluated.

In this paper we report on our research exploring undergraduate distance students’ experiences of engagement in a context that is blended with on-campus peers and incorporates work-based learning. Drawing on interviews of educators, a

In this paper we report on our research exploring undergraduate distance students’ experiences of engagement in a context that is blended with on-campus peers and incorporates work-based learning. Drawing on interviews of educators, a survey and focus groups with students we seek to build a picture of what engagement in learning means in the current Aotearoa New Zealand context and unravel some of the contradictions and complexities in what constitutes effective learning and teaching. This paper provides an overview of the study including a review of the way engagement has been conceptualised in online and blended learning contexts over the past decade. Findings suggest that for students, flexibility is paramount and that digital tools did support this along with helping in understanding, independence of learning and enjoyment. Students also foregrounded other less visible learning strategies and the importance of peer support outside of the classroom. There was also a link between students sense of wellbeing, inclusion and/or belonging (related to their feelings and emotions) and digital tools.

Constructivist and social constructivist processes have long been promoted to foster deep learning opportunities for students as active contributors to their learning. A separate but related focus reminds tertiary educators to promote

Constructivist and social constructivist processes have long been promoted to foster deep learning opportunities for students as active contributors to their learning. A separate but related focus reminds tertiary educators to promote authentic learning in the age of virtual experiences. However, such learning experiences are not always easy to design in online settings. This paper brings these learning concepts together through sharing examples of authentic social constructivist learning designs in the online space, with subjects from the disciplines of Law and Humanities and taught into an interdisciplinary Master of Cybersecurity degree. The learning design examples of the respective subjects are presented and discussed in an authentic social constructivist context.

This paper presents an approach to using mixed reality (MR) technologies in supervised summative electronic exams. The student learning experience is increasingly replete with a rich range of digital tools, but we rarely see these same

This paper presents an approach to using mixed reality (MR) technologies in supervised summative electronic exams. The student learning experience is increasingly replete with a rich range of digital tools, but we rarely see these same e-tools deployed for higher stakes supervised assessment, despite the increasing maturity of technologies that afford authentic learning experiences. MR, including augmented and virtual reality, enables educators to provide rich, immersive learner centred experiences that have unique affordances for collecting a range of learning analytics on student performance. This is especially so in disciplines such as health, engineering, and physical education requiring a spatial dimension. Yet, in many institutions, paper-based exams still dominate, in some measure due to concerns over security, integrity and scalability. This is despite a key concern for educators and institutions in producing employment ready 21st century graduates being the authenticity of assessments used for high stakes judgements. We therefore present a proposal for how MR pedagogies can be deployed for use in supervised examination contexts in a manner that is secure, reliable, and scalable.

This paper reports on an early-stage educational design research project to develop scalable online delivery at a higher education institution with relatively low maturity with digital learning. This involves not only an intervention aimed

This paper reports on an early-stage educational design research project to develop scalable online delivery at a higher education institution with relatively low maturity with digital learning. This involves not only an intervention aimed at transforming the curriculum and teaching practices, but also considers the broader set of institutional services that support students and faculty. The paper introduces the substantive problem in context, reviews existing design principles in the literature on high-quality online delivery and provides an overview of the emerging intervention design. This ‘whole-of- institution’ scope is fairly novel for educational design research, and the paper closes with a reflective analysis of using educational design research for this type of project.

Confusion has been found beneficial to learning in specific conditions. However, the roles of procedural and conceptual confusion in such conditions are still unknown. This paper presents a preliminary study investigating the relationship

Confusion has been found beneficial to learning in specific conditions. However, the roles of procedural and conceptual confusion in such conditions are still unknown. This paper presents a preliminary study investigating the relationship between procedural and conceptual confusion and their impact on learning processes and outcomes in a non-challenging online task. Participants completed an online predict- observe-explain task on star lifecycles, which included a star simulation. One group watched a video tutorial on how to use the simulation prior to the task (n=22), while the control group did not (n=22). The tutorial group reported higher confidence and lower challenge in using the simulation compared to the control group. The tutorial group also reported higher confidence towards the concept being learnt than the control group, although no differences were found on concept challenge. However, these differences on conceptual and procedural confidence and challenge did not impact time spent on the simulation, use of self-regulatory skills or learning outcomes. Implications for future studies are discussed.