2009: ASCILITE 2009 Conference Proceedings

Existing implementation guidelines for ePortfolios frequently assert that a thorough long- term strategy is needed. However, the implications of such a demand are not entirely clear. Research on ePortfolios is primarily focused on

Existing implementation guidelines for ePortfolios frequently assert that a thorough long- term strategy is needed. However, the implications of such a demand are not entirely clear. Research on ePortfolios is primarily focused on promoting learning, accreditation or career development of individuals. This paper makes a point for broadening the scope of analysis and design, considering the roles of potential audiences of ePortfolios early on. It is suggested that looking at ePortfolios as community-driven practices provides a fresh approach to student buy-in and motivation. The argument is conceptual in nature, linking the literature on ePortfolio uptake with research on communities. A set of recommendations and caveats about how to get community-embedded ePortfolios started stands as conclusion.

Mobile and Web 2.0 technologies have the potential to support learning that is situated in “real-world” contexts, dissolving boundaries between formal learning and social spaces. We describe a case study in which first-year students in an

Mobile and Web 2.0 technologies have the potential to support learning that is situated in “real-world” contexts, dissolving boundaries between formal learning and social spaces. We describe a case study in which first-year students in an undergraduate chemistry course used digital cameras or camera phones to capture images that illustrated chemical processes in everyday life. They then shared these images with other students on the Flickr website. We present qualitative findings from the case study evaluation, identifying students’ perceptions of the activity and their reactions to using everyday technologies in this formal learning setting. While the evaluation identified positive aspects of the photo sharing activity, it also revealed that many students did not see the relevance of the activity to their formal learning. The paper raises a number of issues about the challenges of incorporating everyday technologies, such as mobile and Web 2.0 tools, into higher education.

Second Life is one of the social sharing spaces of Web 2.0 that is being employed for educational purposes around the globe. Over the past few years many conference presentations on Second Life have highlighted the potentials of its use in

Second Life is one of the social sharing spaces of Web 2.0 that is being employed for educational purposes around the globe. Over the past few years many conference presentations on Second Life have highlighted the potentials of its use in the formal education of neomillennials. This paper takes a different perspective. It documents the possibilities and the pitfalls of Second Life as a formal educational space, including the persistence of traditional teaching practices in the environment. The paper concludes that it is the quality of the learning design, and the fundamental philosophical underpinnings behind that design, that will lead to deep learning, irrespective of the technological space or place that is utilised.

Students who have grown up with digital technologies are said to respond best to multi-modal activities that involve multi-tasking in collaborative, networked environments. It is also argued that such students are interested in ‘things

Students who have grown up with digital technologies are said to respond best to multi-modal activities that involve multi-tasking in collaborative, networked environments. It is also argued that such students are interested in ‘things that matter’ (Oblinger, 2008) and have a desire for experiential learning that engages them in ‘real world’ issues. This paper describes the use of the 3D virtual world known as Second Life as a space for experiential learning for undergraduate students enrolled in a media arts program at the University of South Australia. Two first year students and seven final year students chose to undertake field placements in Second Life requiring them to collaborate with organisations and groups providing support services for people who identify as disabled in their actual lives. The issues identified from previous offerings of courses in Second Life (Wood and Hopkins, 2008) and the differences in student engagement in these subsequent courses are discussed. The comparisons between these different offerings of courses in Second Life provide the foundation for understanding the benefits and potential issues in conducting classes in 3D virtual worlds. It is argued that students will engage in activities within 3D virtual worlds providing they can see the connection between their virtual learning experiences and the impact that they can make on ‘real world’ lives. When students undertake ‘real’ placements in ‘virtual’ spaces the focus is on the interactions with their clients and the skills they can bring to improve the quality of services provided by their client groups. Such findings should come as no surprise if we accept the popular rhetoric that the technology is of secondary importance to our ‘generation-y’ students; the ‘virtual’ space is simply the medium that enables students to undertake experiential learning in ways not easily achieved in ‘real’ world places.

Social Work education has for some time laboured under the tag of being somewhat behind the times in relation to the use of elearning, and at the University of Western Australia (UWA) this idea rings true. One reason for this is that

Social Work education has for some time laboured under the tag of being somewhat behind the times in relation to the use of elearning, and at the University of Western Australia (UWA) this idea rings true. One reason for this is that pedagogies within Social Work tend to hold true to the people-oriented nature of the discipline, and it has been difficult to see how technology can replicate this aspect of the field. Nevertheless, the problem exists that Social Work students are very often lacking in some of the digital literacies that are increasingly becoming important in the workplace, and as in other discipline areas, it is incumbent upon educators in this area to provide their students with opportunities to develop such competencies. The challenge, then, was two-fold: find a way to introduce technologies that are of relevance to the discipline, and overcome the resistence Social Work students show toward such technologies in general. Blogging was trialled in an upper level Social Work unit at UWA which focussed on the development of communities and community practice and, despite uniformly negative feedback from the students on the perceived “difficulty” of the technology, the blog entries and comments themselves showed clear evidence of the students having developed as a community of learners. This paper describes the degree to which the students used the blogspace as it was intended - as a common, owned space for expressing, reflecting, sharing, collaborating and supporting – and shows the depth to which an online communication tool can have relevance to Social Work education beyond the attainment of generic skills.

This paper builds on the successful implementation of Web 2.0 technology in a first-year photography subject within a design education program. The success of the subject is now being expanded to create a dynamic, global classroom

This paper builds on the successful implementation of Web 2.0 technology in a first-year photography subject within a design education program. The success of the subject is now being expanded to create a dynamic, global classroom introducing students to international perspectives. This paper describes the setting up of a universal partnership and collaborative steps taken to design, develop and implement learning and assessment tasks. Logistical considerations of time zone, student numbers, year levels, existing curriculum and learning outcomes agreeable and paramount to all parties are explained. Setting the parameters to create a global classroom has demanded strict guidelines and planning to create an effective partnership. To achieve this, extensive communication and consensus between the teachers was required to establish a pedagogically sound learning environment.

This paper describes an approach to conceptualising Web 2.0 enabled learning design based on the TPACK model of educational practice. Anderson and Krathwohl’s Taxonomy of Learning, Teaching and Assessing, along with different types of

This paper describes an approach to conceptualising Web 2.0 enabled learning design based on the TPACK model of educational practice. Anderson and Krathwohl’s Taxonomy of Learning, Teaching and Assessing, along with different types of constructive and negotiated pedagogies are related to a range of contemporary Web 2.0 based learning tools. The model is resilient to the emergence of new Web2.0 tools in so far as it views technology as only a mediator of pedagogy and content. A framework of typical use cases is offered to illustrate the range of learning designs that may be applied for different purposes, in order to promote more expedient application of Web2.0 technologies in teaching and learning.

Several agencies in the UK are funding a national programme to develop an infrastructure to support Open Educational Resources (OER). Policies and procedures are being defined and repositories and metadata are being established. Much of

Several agencies in the UK are funding a national programme to develop an infrastructure to support Open Educational Resources (OER). Policies and procedures are being defined and repositories and metadata are being established. Much of the graft involves Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) clearance. But the greatest challenges are with the educational value of the material that is deposited and how they can facilitate and enhance learning. The ambition is for OER to contribute to the teaching-research nexus, where staff and students can meet in a creative space, co-creating resources within an active, co-dependent and interactive curriculum. This paper describes how one University in the UK is currently developing an OER at the institutional level and the challenges that are being encountered.

If an effective learning design could be transferred from lecturer to lecturer, from discipline to discipline and/or from university to university, then good teaching and learning practice could be shared. Effective learning designs

If an effective learning design could be transferred from lecturer to lecturer, from discipline to discipline and/or from university to university, then good teaching and learning practice could be shared. Effective learning designs promote student engagement, productive learning and optimise student retention (Scott, 2005). The aim of this study was to establish whether academics and educational designers considered effective learning designs could be used to introduce different teaching and learning approaches. The results from this pilot indicate that this is not only feasible but it will also facilitate the promotion of quality teaching and learning throughout the higher education sector. This study is the initial phase of a broader ALTC project, details of which are also outlined in this paper.

Health informatics is an applied hybrid discipline of health and life sciences, computer science and business. Teaching this subject to undergraduate students, presents the challenge of learning without the assistance of internship or work

Health informatics is an applied hybrid discipline of health and life sciences, computer science and business. Teaching this subject to undergraduate students, presents the challenge of learning without the assistance of internship or work experience that enable placing the learning in context. We used the university’s learning management software as a form of social medium to stimulate discussions in preparation for two assignments, while creating an environment in which scaffolding could occur for both students and teachers. An iterative action research process was used, which included an assessment of student digital mindedness, scaffolded online discussions that were assessed as part of each of the two assignments, and a questionnaire at the end of the semester. We found that the online discussions were valued by the students and added value to their learning, because they could use their social presence in a format familiar to them, and also use a process of collaborative knowledge creation about health informatics.

This paper discusses the idea of blogs as protected spaces for language learners. Gumbrecht (2004) suggested that blogging provides the writer with more control over the communication episode and is therefore the preferred mode of

This paper discusses the idea of blogs as protected spaces for language learners. Gumbrecht (2004) suggested that blogging provides the writer with more control over the communication episode and is therefore the preferred mode of interaction for some people. This study investigates the suitability of this concept for language learning. The discussion is based on the experience of 15 language learners who used a blog for self-reflection and peer-to-peer interaction as part of a tertiary German language course. The experience of these learners shows that blogging can provide language learners with a personal space in which they feel safe to express themselves and to interact with other learners. Blogging can therefore have a positive effect on their willingness to communicate, which is one of the main objectives in second language education.

This paper outlines the professional development program used to introduce a learning repository at Deakin University. Providing appropriate, timely and effective professional development programs to support academic and other staff is one

This paper outlines the professional development program used to introduce a learning repository at Deakin University. Providing appropriate, timely and effective professional development programs to support academic and other staff is one of the objectives of the Deakin University Teaching and Learning Functional Plan 2008. Our blended program combines web-based and face-to-face training with a wide variety of resources to support staff. Issues noted in the literature relating to the introduction and use of learning repositories informed the planning and development of our program. Challenges and issues we experienced at Deakin are also outlined.

To date virtual reality simulations of operative procedures have been extensively tested and utilised by advanced surgical trainees. The increasing number of medical students has meant that the amount of exposure to surgical procedures is

To date virtual reality simulations of operative procedures have been extensively tested and utilised by advanced surgical trainees. The increasing number of medical students has meant that the amount of exposure to surgical procedures is reducing, and direct involvement of the medical student within those procedures is decreasing. The Bonedoc DHS Simulator for fixing hip fractures was trialled within the orthopaedic attachment. An online questionnaire was completed by 31 fifth year medical students, the control group of 17 students had no exposure to the simulator, and 14 students had access to the simulator. Despite similar operative exposure, the intervention group scored significantly higher on understanding key aspects of hip fracture. The simulator did not in itself stimulate interest in orthopaedics (3 of 14 students). Unfortunately tight security on hospital computers restricted students’ use of the simulator. Twenty-four hour access to the simulator was deemed important (9 students agreed, 0 disagreed, 5 unanswered).