2007: ASCILITE 2007 Conference Proceedings

Learner managed online resources have seen substantial growth in UK higher education in recent years. Online resources can maintain or improve the quality of the learning experience, and the availability of a range of support materials is

Learner managed online resources have seen substantial growth in UK higher education in recent years. Online resources can maintain or improve the quality of the learning experience, and the availability of a range of support materials is helpful to a growing and increasingly diverse student population. However, research evidence also indicates a level of dissatisfaction with self directed online learning resources, with issues relating to engagement and participation often coming to the fore. This paper takes the view that this is partly due to the ‘disconnect’ between teacher managed and learner managed activities, and describes a small scale research project which aims to bridge this gap. This approach links together learner managed e-learning resources and tutor feedback, constructed in such a way so as to minimise the time demands on academic colleagues whilst still providing critical aspects of formative assessment. This design seems to show promise, and the approach is discussed in terms of advantages, disadvantages and opportunities for further development.

This paper outlines the flexible student learning environment in the Faculty of Engineering and Surveying before concentrating on evaluating one online learning option. This Faculty provides a variety of high quality on-campus, distance

This paper outlines the flexible student learning environment in the Faculty of Engineering and Surveying before concentrating on evaluating one online learning option. This Faculty provides a variety of high quality on-campus, distance education and on-line academic programs and various learning strategies for the heterogeneous student cohort (national and international). By accessing appropriate flexible learning and different learning experiences, students are empowered to determine learning opportunities and methodologies to suit their personal needs. The off-campus mode study may disadvantage students since they don’t have the benefit of face-to-face instructions or to participate in formative assessments delivered informally in lectures. This may lead to feelings of remoteness and isolation leading to poorer learning, lower results in assessments, and may also contribute to drop-out rates, particularly in first year courses. To overcome this inequity, the usual training materials presented for a first year course in 2005 were supplemented with PowerPoint lectures, enhanced with synchronous audio, and a series of quizzes to be used as formative assessments. The lectures and quizzes were presented online via a course web site and were designed to become an integral part of the learning experience. An evaluation of the effectiveness of these strategy demonstrated improved students’ learning, a positive contribution to the learning experience, increased enjoyment of the course, and a strong learning motivator. Students reported feeling less disenfranchised with the university and having a greater affinity with the lecturer.

The Learning Federation (TLF) project employs emerging technologies to produce online curriculum content to encourage student learning and support teachers in Australian and New Zealand schools. Teachers and students in 20 schools

The Learning Federation (TLF) project employs emerging technologies to produce online curriculum content to encourage student learning and support teachers in Australian and New Zealand schools. Teachers and students in 20 schools participated in a field trial of a differentiated curriculum model that incorporated online curriculum content and associated assessment components. Teacher and student interviews were conducted to collect information in accordance with the study aims, which were to ascertain the extent to which the Differentiated Curriculum model resulted in increased knowledge by the teacher of individual student achievement; increased knowledge of the next appropriate activity for teaching and learning; increased knowledge by the student of their content understanding; and increased knowledge by the student of the next appropriate activity for learning. The Differentiated Curriculum model used a Learning Management System (LMS) for delivery. Upon commencement, each student completed a pre-test conducted as a diagnostic tool. On the basis of the pre-test results, the student progressed through an individualised learning pathway, culminating in the completion of a post-test. The data reported in this paper is qualitative in nature, reflecting teacher and student perceptions of the value of explicit and immediate feedback on student understanding against specified learning outcomes. This paper reports on initial findings and how they are being used to inform the technical and educational design principles for production of digital assessment resources.

The effective teacher is a reflective teacher who seeks to learn from a range of sources (literature, formal theory, evidence) in order to continually improve student learning. This project seeks to capture the impact on practice inherent

The effective teacher is a reflective teacher who seeks to learn from a range of sources (literature, formal theory, evidence) in order to continually improve student learning. This project seeks to capture the impact on practice inherent in the collegial development of a theoretically informed framework which enables lecturers to monitor and analyse what they do to create an effective online teacher presence and thereby facilitate a productive online learning environment for their students. Initially, the project involves a pilot group of tertiary e-teachers interacting with the seven principles for good practice in undergraduate education (Chickering and Gamson, 1987) to develop a framework to monitor and analyse online interactions for evidence of their teacher presence. Secondly, lecturers will be invited to submit an electronic portfolio which contains samples of online interaction which are evidence of their teacher presence online. Thirdly, working with an experienced online lecturer as a mentor, lecturers can develop a process which helps them analyse and review this data to identify both strengths and areas for further professional learning. Finally, through a reflective process lecturers will identify factors which contribute to effective online teacher presence. This is a work-in-progress report on this research project which received the 2006 ASCILITE research grant. This concise paper outlines the research proposal, rationale and methodology, and gives an update on progress with the project.

Second language (L2) learners experiencing breakdowns in the comprehension of instructional aural materials when working with computers are enabled to overcome such difficulties by interacting with different forms of enhanced input (i.e

Second language (L2) learners experiencing breakdowns in the comprehension of instructional aural materials when working with computers are enabled to overcome such difficulties by interacting with different forms of enhanced input (i.e. enriched, salient, and modified) provided through help options. Despite of the perceived advantages of using help options, Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) researchers caution their use, arguing that if not used properly, they can hinder learning instead of enhancing it (i.e. Hubbard, 2000; Pujolà, 2002). This paper describes the initial stages of an on-going study aimed to construct a principled framework for the understanding, development & evaluation of help options in computer-based listening materials by drawing information from previous studies and by inquiring into the L2 learners’ perceptions on the effectiveness of help option use.

This paper describes an e-portfolio project at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, designed to provide university students with an e-learning tool to showcase their cumulative, multi-modal evidence of linguistic accomplishments over

This paper describes an e-portfolio project at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, designed to provide university students with an e-learning tool to showcase their cumulative, multi-modal evidence of linguistic accomplishments over time. It charts the initial phase of a portfolio journey from paper to electronic format, bringing to the fore some of the challenges a developer confronts when introducing and implementing an e- portfolio for English language learning. Such challenges range from practical issues (e.g. selection of an appropriate open-source platform) to higher-order concerns (e.g. sustainability; equity; benchmarkability). Despite the challenges, the paper concludes that the e-portfolio represents a powerful learning mechanism for addressing, among others, learner diversity rendered possible by information and communications technology (ICT).

The University of Adelaide is currently undertaking a Situational Learning Initiative in order to make learning more engaging, relevant, interactive and collaborative, and to meet the learning styles of its increasing numbers of digitally

The University of Adelaide is currently undertaking a Situational Learning Initiative in order to make learning more engaging, relevant, interactive and collaborative, and to meet the learning styles of its increasing numbers of digitally literate learners. This paper outlines the rationale for this initiative and its goals and strategies. It reports on progress to date and future directions from a learning and teaching support perspective.

Within higher education settings the peer review of research as well as face-to-face teaching has been an established practice for a number of years. Yet there has been little attention placed on the peer review of online learning designs

Within higher education settings the peer review of research as well as face-to-face teaching has been an established practice for a number of years. Yet there has been little attention placed on the peer review of online learning designs, in spite of the widespread adoption of ICTs in universities over the last few decades. To date, the most notable strategies aimed at redressing this gap are review mechanisms embedded within learning repositories (such as MERLOT, CLOE, LAMS), and nationally funded projects directed at establishing methods for validating scholarship in university teaching (Taylor & Richardson, 2001; see also Carrick Institute: Priority Projects 2006). This paper reports on the initial stages of the development of a peer review framework for Project EnRoLE: a Carrick funded initiative aimed at encouraging a community of like- minded teachers interested in developing and sharing role-based learning environments. It commences with a brief snapshot of the debate surrounding peer review and teaching scholarship, as well as the scope and aims of the project. Then, it outlines proposed elements of the review framework, highlighting its potential for encouraging other academics to EnRoLE in the (re)use of role play learning designs.

Wikis have originally emerged and are most commonly known as social software, but there is also a growing trend to use wikis as a learning and assessment tool in Higher Education. The latter is the focus of the present paper. The effects

Wikis have originally emerged and are most commonly known as social software, but there is also a growing trend to use wikis as a learning and assessment tool in Higher Education. The latter is the focus of the present paper. The effects of task type and instructions on students’ decisions about wiki structure and navigation are considered by examining group wikis created by students of two postgraduate courses as part of their assessed course work. More general issues with wiki-based learning are also considered.

This paper reports the findings of one case study from a larger project, which aims to quantify the claimed efficiencies of reusing learning objects to develop e-learning resources. The case study describes how an online inquiry project

This paper reports the findings of one case study from a larger project, which aims to quantify the claimed efficiencies of reusing learning objects to develop e-learning resources. The case study describes how an online inquiry project Diabetes: A waste of energy was developed by searching for, evaluating, modifying and then integrating as many pre-existing learning objects as possible into a learning design. Development times for the reuse approach were recorded and compared to estimates for the de novo development of an equivalent project. Outcomes suggest that considerable savings can be made using the reuse approach; we estimate that it would take up to three times more time to develop the Diabetes project by creating new objects. In this case study, gaining permission from owners to reuse objects was not a barrier to reuse. However, in some circumstances, being unable to source pre-existing objects to meet specific requirements, or having to modify objects for reuse, could be problematic.

Recent research in the New Zealand tertiary education sector, indicated more information was required to identify the observable trends and drivers of change that were likely to have significant impact on the future of “e-learning” in

Recent research in the New Zealand tertiary education sector, indicated more information was required to identify the observable trends and drivers of change that were likely to have significant impact on the future of “e-learning” in Industry Training Organisations (ITOs). A three-phase research project was undertaken to ascertain the current status of the use of e- learning technologies by New Zealand ITOs. The data reported here, from the second phase, was derived from a multi-part survey of the perceived benefits and barriers to e- learning activity in New Zealand ITOs. Key findings include a pan-sector awareness of the benefits of e-learning for increasing flexibility in training, while at the same time seeing costs and lack of technical infrastructure as real barriers to implementation.

The learning of software development is difficult for many students. Often students start writing programming code as soon as they receive a problem statement without paying sufficient attention to program design. One of the most common

The learning of software development is difficult for many students. Often students start writing programming code as soon as they receive a problem statement without paying sufficient attention to program design. One of the most common ways to design the logic of a program is to use pseudocode, and yet many students do not like to do this. Reasons for this include: it is another language to learn; they do not think that they are actually programming; they cannot test their designs as the designs are not executable; there is not a rigid syntax and so students are unsure whether their pseudocode meets an instructor's expectations. This paper concerns the development of a simple tool that helps students create pseudocode. The tool has been used and evaluated in an introductory programming unit of study. The results suggest that the tool was easy for students to learn and that it helped support their learning.

This paper presents preliminary outcomes of a phenomenographic research on lecturers’ experiences of teaching undergraduate on-campus courses using the web. Eighteen lecturers from different disciplines were interviewed from two

This paper presents preliminary outcomes of a phenomenographic research on lecturers’ experiences of teaching undergraduate on-campus courses using the web. Eighteen lecturers from different disciplines were interviewed from two research-intensive Australian Universities. Interviews were analysed with the aim of describing lecturers’ experiences as they emerge from the transcripts. Three different experiences were identified: ‘the web for providing academic and administrative information related to the course’, in which lecturers understand the web to provide information or contents; ‘the web for communicating with other people involved in the course’, in which lecturers conceive it as a space for engaging in online discussions; and ‘the web as a space to create, build and share knowledge’, in which lecturers see it as a valuable tool which allows sharing and knowledge building. These dimensions represent an increasingly sophisticated way of understanding teaching with the web. Findings are coherent with previous research (Gonzalez, 2006; McConnell & Zhao, 2006; Roberts, 2003) which has identified ways of conceiving the web for teaching ranging from ‘informative’ to ‘knowledge building – sharing’ conceptions.