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2010: ASCILITE 2010 Conference Proceedings: Curriculum, technology & transformation for an unknown future

 

The proceedings of the 2010 ASCILITE Conference

C.H. Steel, M.J. Keppell, P. Gerbic & S. Housego (Eds.), Curriculum, technology & transformation for an unknown future. Proceedings Ascilite Sydney 2010

Novotel Sydney Brighton Beach, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

December 5-8, 2010

ASCILITE2010 Conference Website - https://www.ascilite.org/conferences/sydney10/

Published: 1 December 2010

ASCILITE Conference - Concise Papers

  • Positive Partnerships website: Addressing disability and educational disadvantage in rural Australia

    Chris Kilham

    This paper addresses the question: How can we create better access to quality educational practices for those who live and work with students with disabilities and who are also disadvantaged geographically? To explore the notion of multiple disadvantage, a study was conducted to examine the experience of participants who were exposed to an Australian online learning package that has been developed to assist those living and working with students with autism. The government-funded package, called Positive Partnerships, is available nationwide, and includes interactive multi-media learning modules, information, links, discussions and feedback options. In view of the finding that rural and remote education was less available, less accessible, and less affordable than that provided to urban dwellers (Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, 2000), this study examined feedback from an online survey, with particular attention to comments made by those with disabilities and /or living in isolated areas. Feedback about the site was extremely positive. Participants valued the features that embodied universal design and maximised time efficiencies and convenience. To exploit the benefits of this form of online learning, four challenges were identified: promotion of the site; balancing multimedia against computer capacity; addressing local issues through a national site; and maintaining the site beyond the funding period. The study concludes that improving access to education by augmenting face-to-face training with online learning for those in isolated areas will not eliminate their hidden disability costs, but it will go some way to meeting their educational needs in a more equitable way.

    Read article: Positive Partnerships website: Addressing disability and educational disadvantage in rural Australia

  • Using online scenario-based learning modules to assist NESB students studying Corporations Law

    Brian Landrigan

    The focus of this paper is to highlight one aspect of a larger project seeking to identify and address the difficulties international students are experiencing in a core unit of the Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) at the University of New England. Academic developers at the Teaching and Learning Centre, in consultation with the unit coordinator, decided to incorporate into the unit a set of online scenario-based learning modules to assist students with the IRAC (Issues, Rule, Application and Conclusion) law methodology. The modules presented a workplace scenario that emphasised finding, understanding and using information. They were designed to help students acquire the skills that underpin success in the assessment tasks and develop strategies to deal with the subject-specific discourse. The first module was made available online and two compulsory workshops were given to familiarise the students with the content. The students were then able to revisit the online module in their own time. This module was designed to assist the students in identifying the issues that are relevant to a particular client of a local law firm. The second module continued the workplace scenario and supported students in developing their skills of identifying the rule, applying their findings and preparing a conclusion based on the evidence. Both these modules form part of a larger, ongoing project that has included focus group sessions and online surveys to determine what difficulties international students face in the unit and how support should be provided.

    Read article: Using online scenario-based learning modules to assist NESB students studying Corporations Law

  • Strategic leadership capacity development for ICT: Moving beyond learning on the job

    Geraldine Lefoe, Dominique Parrish

    Leadership for change is a key component for universities striving to find new ways to meet the needs of their future students. This paper discusses an innovative framework for leadership capacity development which has been implemented in a number of Australian universities. The framework, underpinned by a distributive approach to leadership, prepares a new generation of leaders for formal positions of leadership in all aspects of teaching and learning. Through the Faculty Scholars Program a number of teaching and learning innovations were implemented, including a number using innovative technologies, to establish strategic change within their faculties. The Scholars shared their outcomes annually through national forums focussed on improving assessment practice. The paper provides a brief overview of the program, the methodology used and the Leadership Capacity Development Framework which was developed. Critical factors for success are identified including the implementation of strategic faculty-based projects; formal leadership training and activities; reflective practice; opportunities for dialogue about leadership practice and experiences; and activities that expanded current professional networks. The model can be adapted to have a specific focus on leadership for eLearning.

    Read article: Strategic leadership capacity development for ICT: Moving beyond learning on the job

  • Transforming pre-service teacher curriculum: Observation through a TPACK lens

    Jennifer V. Lock, Petrea Redmond

    This paper will discuss an international online collaborative learning experience through the lens of the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework. The teacher knowledge required to effectively provide transformative learning experiences for 21st century learners in a digital world is complex, situated and changing. The discussion looks beyond the opportunity for knowledge development of content, pedagogy and technology as components of TPACK towards the interaction between those three components. Implications for practice are also discussed. In today's technology infused classrooms it is within the realms of teacher educators, practising teaching and pre-service teachers explore and address effective practices using technology to enhance learning.

    Read article: Transforming pre-service teacher curriculum: Observation through a TPACK lens

  • Lessons in designing sustainable mobile learning environments

    Swee-Kin Loke, Mark Lokman, Michael Winikoff, Jenny McDonald, Rob Wass, Maryam Purvis, Richard Zeng, Christoph Matthaei, Peter Vlugter

    There has been an increase in mobile learning projects reported in scholarly conferences and publications. Our project consists of investigating the integration of mobile learning into an undergraduate Zoology module in which students undertook research projects in groups. In this paper, we report on students' adoption rate of the mobile learning option and their perceptions of its utility, with the aim of informing the design of sustainable mobile learning environments. Few students made use of the mobile learning infrastructure because existing means were preferred and mobile learning was perceived to be irrelevant for the learning task.

    Read article: Lessons in designing sustainable mobile learning environments

  • Learning in the first-person: An initial investigation

    Kathy Lynch, Tereasa Downer, Deborah Hitchen-Holmes

    In Australia, as in most other developed countries, the days of the didactic teaching practices of yesteryear are disappearing, being replaced by immersive and engaging pedagogies. Underpinning these pedagogies is a shift towards the acceptance that learning in an authentic manner results in a positive learning experience resulting in deeper learning. Together with the ever-changing digital technologies is the interplay they have with pedagogy. This paper reports on a work-in-progress study investigating the hypothesis that learning in the first-person, in an experiential learning context, results in deep learning. The first stage of the study investigates the development of learning content presented in a first-person view on mobile phone. Nurse educators participated in the development of a prototype learning object of an intricate task that is best learnt if the learner sees what the nurse sees, and is available when they need it. Preliminary findings show that content choice, situation and environment for the creation of the task are critical to the using a first-person view in the development of content to be viewed in the first-person.

    Read article: Learning in the first-person: An initial investigation

  • Enhancing student learning in the workplace through developing the leadership capabilities of clinical supervisors in the nursing discipline

    Robyn Nash, Sandra Sacre, Pauline Calleja, Jennifer Lock

    Clinical experience is a core element of undergraduate nursing education and students consistently report that clinical placement plays a large part in their decisions to pursue careers in nursing beyond graduation (Shih & Chuang, 2008). Despite this, real-world experiences do not automatically translate to positive learning experiences, or to the development of well-rounded neophyte professionals. This paper describes the planning, implementation and evaluation of an Australian Learning and Teaching Council funded project that was designed to strengthen the leadership capacity of staff involved in the clinical supervision of undergraduate nursing students in the workplace. The university worked in partnership with three major metropolitan hospitals in Queensland to develop a framework and professional development program incorporating leadership and clinical supervision. The program consists of two structured workshops complemented by individual personal development projects undertaken by participants. Participants are supported in these activities with a purpose-built website that provides access to a wide variety of information and other learning resources. Initial evaluations indicate that the approach is highly valued by participants, promotes useful peer dialogue and sharing of experiences and personal development in relation to assisting student learning in the workplace.

    Read article: Enhancing student learning in the workplace through developing the leadership capabilities of clinical supervisors in the nursing discipline

  • Lighting up and transforming online courses: Letting the teacher’s personality shine

    Maria Northcote

    Affective aspects of learning have been shown to influence cognitive aspects of learning (Russo & Benson, 2005; Salmon, 2004) and online educators are increasingly aware of the role played by emotions in online learning. To encourage a well-rounded online learning experience for students, online course designers have long been encouraged to provide students with opportunities to express their own personality and identity (Palloff & Pratt, 1999). Such design features have been linked with improved learning outcomes and decreased attrition rates (McInnerney & Roberts, 2004). However, a comparable discussion about the value of teacher personality in online courses has yet to be comprehensively considered beyond definitions and discussions of teacher presence. Although the development of teacher presence in online learning contexts can contribute in some way to the development of an online atmosphere where the teacher’s role extends beyond the cognitive coach or resource provider, the role of teacher personality is yet to be fully acknowledged as an aspect of the virtual classroom that could further enhance and transform students’ learning experiences. Rather than suggesting which offline personality type would best suit an online teaching role, this paper suggests that teachers should have the opportunity to express their personality in online learning contexts. By acknowledging this nexus between online and offline identities, the paper provides the grounding from which to frame and launch future investigations into how diverse teacher personalities can be allowed to shine in the online environment and, consequently, transform and enhance online experiences for future students and online teachers.

    Read article: Lighting up and transforming online courses: Letting the teacher’s personality shine

  • OT’s Collaborating in IT: A team approach to improving learning and teaching using a staged implementation of technology

    Ian Olney, Rosalind Bye, Kristy Coxon, Rachelle Coe, Michelle Bissett

    Staff development is often conducted away from the workplace and in a hit and miss way where academic staff are given a „dose of development? and then required to go back to their School or Faculty and be confident and comfortable in being able to enhance their learning and teaching activities with the new 'medicine. Often these are 'one off sessions and upon returning to the workplace the academic feels isolated and swamped by the pressures of day-to-day activities. This paper describes a team approach at a university between the occupational therapy (OT) academic staff and an e-learning educational specialist whose role it was to provide ongoing support to academic staff for the gradual implementation of an institution wide initiative to improve basic standards of online environments. This specialist worked one day per week in the School in which the occupational therapy program was taught. The process of working side-by-side overtime sparked a willingness by the occupational therapy team to explore and trial other technological components that would engage their students. This paper highlights the collaborative process and staged implementation of this initiative, outlines key examples of e-learning initiatives trialled by the OT team, and presents the outcomes of the project as perceived by all parties.

    Read article: OT’s Collaborating in IT: A team approach to improving learning and teaching using a staged implementation of technology

  • University teachers’ conceptions of learning through online discussion: Preliminary findings

    Martin L. Parisio

    This paper reports work-in-progress phenomenographic research investigating university teachers’ conceptions of learning through online discussion. The study is being carried out at a large research-intensive University in Australia with fifteen teachers. Semi- structured interviews are complete and several transcripts have been analysed to reveal emerging categories of conception. Preliminary findings suggest that teachers consider learning through online discussion in four qualitatively different ways: (A) Learning through online discussion as a way to provide think-time; (B) Learning through online discussion as a way to enable accessibility; (C) Learning through online discussion as a way to foster a learning community; and (D) Learning through online discussion as a way to foster collaborative knowledge building. The outcomes of this study may have implications for university teachers, educational designers, academic developers and all those involved with the enhancement of student engagement, learning experiences and outcomes.

    Read article: University teachers’ conceptions of learning through online discussion: Preliminary findings

  • Supporting beginning teachers’ case–based learning in a technology-mediated learning environment

    Gwendoline Quek Choon Lang, Qiyun Wang

    The current challenge faced by most beginning teachers is the disparity between the theories of classroom management exposed to in pre-service, and the practices in complex and ill-structured classroom situations. Such a theory-practice gap has led to the need to re-examine the existing instructional approach used in teacher learning and helping them develop deep understanding and meaningful learning for teachers. This proposed study explores case-based learning and related areas, beginning teachers’ case- based learning for self-analysis, discussion and reflection. It also explores how technology can be used to support teachers’ case-based learning. The affordances of technology and design of technology-mediated learning environment will also be presented.

    Read article: Supporting beginning teachers’ case–based learning in a technology-mediated learning environment

  • Preparing for the future: Meeting the needs of tertiary education through the edgeless university

    Shirley Reushle

    The university is becoming defined by its function – provider and facilitator of learning and research – not its form. The function the university performs is no longer contained within the campus, or within the physically defined space of a particular institution, nor, sometimes, even in higher education institutions at all. The term “edgeless” has been used to describe this phenomenon. Rapid changes in the nature of the workplace, work, the structure of organisations, and the pervasive presence of networked technologies are requiring a shift in focus in the world of education and training. The internet, social networks, and collaborative online tools allow people to work together more easily and the provision of open access to content can be both the cause of change for universities, and a tool with which they can respond. The key to organisational change and sustainability is to embrace these “disruptions”, exploit the energies created, accepting that this may require significant change in the cultural orientation and behaviour of stakeholders. This paper promotes a need for shared vision and an institution-wide response, consultation and collaboration, a commitment to a “futures” perspective, a culture of “openness” and a willingness to embrace elements of risk as being significant to an institution in shaping its future direction. As an example, the paper refers to the establishment of a Digital Futures Institute at an Australian regional university.

    Read article: Preparing for the future: Meeting the needs of tertiary education through the edgeless university

  • The emergence of social networking through the communal annotations of an e-book system

    Joan Richardson, Ross Smith, John Lenarcic, Rod McCrohan, Ryan O’Hare

    Work-in-progress is reported, taking a case study approach to investigate the delivery of an e-book which is constructed based upon the customisation of an existing Pearson Education text. Of particular interest is that the customisation will include a capability for dynamic highlighting and annotating of the e-book text to reflect activities stipulated in the course guide, and to facilitate interchange between students and the lecturer and between students and their student colleagues - a form of social networking. The data collection and evaluation of the impact of the e-book will provide insights into a number of aspects including: learning resource uptake; effectiveness of the resource suite components; and the means of staff instruction to students as facilitated using e-book resources.

    Read article: The emergence of social networking through the communal annotations of an e-book system

Showing 92–104 of 160 articles