2022: ASCILITE 2022 Conference Companion Materials

In recent years the importance of designing learning that integrates both the physical and digital learning environments has increased. Educators often seek approaches that engage students with the thought that the incorporation of

In recent years the importance of designing learning that integrates both the physical and digital learning environments has increased. Educators often seek approaches that engage students with the thought that the incorporation of learning technologies could enhance students’ learning experience (Bruggeman et al., 2021; Dahmash, 2020) In reality, it is challenging to determine how and when learning technology should be used to the benefit of both educators and students. This lack of awareness creates a need for educational institutions to develop support to facilitate capabilities in designing learning through the use of technologies (Rasheed et al., 2020). Apart from these challenges, educators’ understanding of the tenets and affordances of blended learning also varies (Moore et al., 2011). Alammary, Sheard and Carbone (2014) state that it is a challenge for higher education educators to select the design approach for blended learning that is most suited to their needs. Additionally, Cronje (2020) suggests optimising learning by reconceptualising blended learning from a pedagogical perspective with a mix of theories, methods and technologies may be a better way forward. In transitioning to online and blended learning, Queensland University of Technology (QUT) developed a Digital Learning Framework (DLF) to support the learning design process. This framework is designed to provide QUT learning and teaching community with design principles and practical quality guidelines to support the design of digital learning. This thus is an attempt to solve the challenges outlined about educators knowledge, skills and abilities in the blended learning space (Alammary et al., 2014; Cronje, 2020; Dahmash, 2020; Moore et al., 2011). Whilst this purpose of the framework is in place it is still unclear whether the DLF is used as proposed. Therefore this research investigated “What are user’s experiences of applying the DLF in their own design and delivery context? To do this fourteen QUT learning designers were interviewed and their experiences thematically analysed against the DLF framework to create design cases (Boling & Smith, 2009). The cases captured the complexity of the context and the decisions associated within this space. As part of outlining the complexity, the cases were categorised from the designer’s positionality towards the use of the DLF. Based on the use of the DLF three categories of users were identified thus presenting a way to interpret the framework as a foundational guide for QUT: Translators apply DLF to facilitate their learning design works in all the suitable contexts. Designers may design DLF into workshop style and actively promote DLF in their practice. Embedders are aware and seemingly understand DLF. They actively look for resources that support their work and use external resources to enhance their current practice. The DLF methodology is embedded into their epistemological framework of activities hence the name “Embedders”. Onlookers do not participate in the use or promotion of DLF as they challenge and criticise the usability and relevancy of the current version of DLF. They are aware of DLF; however, in reality, their learning design are not guided by DLF. They neither see the need to advocate for the framework, nor they believe DLF facilitate their work. Discussions show how users travel from each of these roles based on the context and associated factors with considerations on how these roles influence how the DLF is used and whether its purpose is solidified through its position as a foundational guide for QUT.

The recommended readings of many formal programs in higher education studies (for example, graduate certificates in teaching and learning) share a common core: Vygotsky, Rogers, Sadler, Schön, Knowles, Biggs and Tang, to mention a few

The recommended readings of many formal programs in higher education studies (for example, graduate certificates in teaching and learning) share a common core: Vygotsky, Rogers, Sadler, Schön, Knowles, Biggs and Tang, to mention a few. These readings are intended to ground educators in the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL), although secondary sources are also helpful (Kandlbinder & Peseta, 2009, p. 24). Geertsma (2016) summarises the intention thus: by “engaging with the literature and reflectively relating it to their own practice teachers can build an expertise in teaching that complements their disciplinary expertise, which then can transform approaches to teaching” (p. 124). What happens when these educator-students venture into a different literature, that of SoTEL (“scholarship of technology-enhanced learning”: Wickens, 2006), and are encouraged to locate readings to apply directly to their practice? For the last seven years, educator-students in the later part of Australian Catholic University's Graduate Certificate in Higher Education (GCHE) have undertaken studies in technology-enabled learning. Their first assessment task is to find and summarise a published SoTEL case study of interest. The class shares these summaries through a Moodle database, allowing colleagues to browse and access relevant articles for their next assignment (creating a technology-enabled learning sequence for their teaching). Recently, the assignment has included an analysis of the case situation using the activity-centred analysis and design framework (Carvalho & Goodyear, 2014; Yeoman & Carvalho, 2019), so that colleagues can compare social configurations as well as tasks and technologies and settings across cases. The cumulative list of articles is shared with each new class to ensure no article is chosen twice. This poster reviews 170 articles chosen by educator-students in the TEL subject to identify any clusters in areas of interest and understand what sources are valued by these students. A variety of visualisations depict how academics new to the field experience SoTEL. For example, although sector-leading generalist journals such as BJET and AJET are highlighted in the study materials and instructions, nearly 50% of the total articles selected were sourced from disciplinary journals (for example, the BMC [BioMed Central] Medical Education or Journal of Geography in Higher Education). More analysis is being undertaken, but it seems that institutional and wider concerns may influence selections. For example, from the semester timeline, it appears some teachers in the thick of the first pandemic year selected articles on affective elements (e.g. student perceptions and preferences: see Lai and Bower’s eight-part classification of constructs for evaluating learning technologies [2019, p. 33]). This year, with the pandemic well-entrenched, articles on teaching with simulations in health have been evident. This assignment serves to not only introduce SoTEL, but also to connect technology with design and context for these educator-students. The area of interest identified for this assignment can become the ‘animating force’ (Fenton & Szala-Meneok, 2010, p. 12) of inquiry that an individual pursues for the rest of the GCHE.

The Design for Transformative Mobile Learning Framework utilises eight dimensions drawing upon the key affordances of mobile learning that enable learner agency. In this poster we briefly explore the potential alignment of a ninth

The Design for Transformative Mobile Learning Framework utilises eight dimensions drawing upon the key affordances of mobile learning that enable learner agency. In this poster we briefly explore the potential alignment of a ninth dimension to the DTML framework to illustrate a cultural mapping of the DTML. We map the DTML framework to the Whakapiri (Engagement), Whakam?rama (Enlightenment), Whakamana (Empowerment) model for indigenous M?ori knowledge introduced by Durie who argues for “the interface between indigenous knowledge and other knowledge systems” (2005, p. 301). Shortened to WWW by Hurst (2017) the model has been utilised as a framework for reflection and practice in education. “Engagement, enlightenment and empowerment neatly describe the immediate, intermediate and ultimate concerns of education and are important markers for how effective education is practised. The concepts of transformation over information and learning as an all- of-person experience can be discerned across these three key terms” (Nichols, 2020, p. 28). Transformative mobile learning designs implement strategies to facilitate a move from a focus upon teacher-directed content (Pedagogy) towards student-determined learning or Heutagogy (Moore, 2020; Blaschke & Hase, 2019; Hase & Kenyon, 2007). This involves applying the Pedagogy-Andragogy-Heutagogy (PAH) continuum to mobile learning design (Cochrane et al., 2022) to facilitate learner agency. When put into a matrix, with DTML, PAH and WWW provides a mapping of how learners may transition into increasing self-regulation and learner-agency across the eight mobile learning relevant areas or dimensions.

Teacher presence is of particular importance in the online learning environment, as the learning space lacks the inherent physical presence that a teacher in a physical classroom delivers. As a result, those who teach online, need to

Teacher presence is of particular importance in the online learning environment, as the learning space lacks the inherent physical presence that a teacher in a physical classroom delivers. As a result, those who teach online, need to manufacture and foster teacher presence in the online learning environment. This requires caring online teachers who have refined online interpersonal skills and well-developed instructional design, who are driven to fully engage and support their online students (Martin et al., 2018). Without this strong teacher-student relationship that high quality teacher presence delivers, online students can feel isolated and disconnected from their teacher, resulting in student disengagement and dissatisfaction (Bolliger & Halupa, 2018; Sugden et al., 2021; Weidlich & Bastiaens, 2018). This study interviewed female postgraduate students studying online at an Australian regional university, a cohort with whom online education is highly prevalent (Latchem, 2018). The degrees students were studying, were designed before COVID-19 as full online offerings. Student interviews provided in-depth descriptions of which teacher presence strategies were most important to the participant sample, why these strategies were important and how participants engaged with the strategies. This study used the five elements of engagement from the Online Engagement Framework for Higher Education (Redmond et al., 2018), to inform the data analysis. Most online postgraduate students in the sample preferred synchronous teacher presence strategies that mirrored the on-campus university experience. These synchronous strategies had a lower level of transactional distance and used several of the five elements of engagement to engage and support students. However, some of the asynchronous teacher presence strategies did not produce enough elements of engagement to allow students to feel adequately engaged and supported. Subjects facilitated by purely asynchronous strategies had a higher level of transactional distance, creating a greater potential for students to feel markedly less supported without skilled teacher presence strategies applied in well-designed asynchronous subjects. Implications for policy and practice Online educators need to develop more frequent and well-designed synchronous teacher presence strategies for online subjects, such as regular interactive online meetings. Asynchronous online teachers need to actively, directly and regularly engage their online students using a variety of specialist online teacher presence strategies and skills that target as many of the engagement elements as possible. Online education institutions need to ensure online educators teaching in asynchronous subjects, have a high level of online teacher presence skills and a caring approach towards their online asynchronous students to ensure they are adequately engaged and supported. Keywords: online learning, teacher presence, transactional distance, and student engagement.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, governments worldwide attempted to stem the spread of the virus through measures including social distancing (Onyeaka et al., 2021). At the National University of Singapore, classes were moved online where

During the COVID-19 pandemic, governments worldwide attempted to stem the spread of the virus through measures including social distancing (Onyeaka et al., 2021). At the National University of Singapore, classes were moved online where students could continue with their education remotely (Adedoyin & Soykan, 2020). In the past two years, in our Cell Biology course with more than 200 students, we re-designed the course online based on the Community of Inquiry (CoI) model (Garrison et al., 2000) and created social presence through small-group tutorials mediated on MS Teams. Based on Vygotsky’s idea of zone of proximal development (Vygotsky, 1978), we incorporated guided group annotations of research articles, and facilitated discussion sessions on short answer questions (SAQ) related to the lecture topics to foster collaborative-learning. During each 90-minute tutorial, the course coordinator (YFM) and two tutors (LSC and LZW) visited each virtual tutorial group for about 10 minutes per group to facilitate discussions and address students’ questions. With only three instructors in a large class, there was limited time each could spend facilitating discussions within each group. As such, not all groups met with an instructor during some of the tutorials. Nonetheless, the students would have met us in at least two tutorials by the end of the year. During the first year, we noted discussions among students and interactions between students and ourselves. However, not all groups were actively discussing the tutorial activities. We also observed that only a few students in each group were actively engaged in the tutorials. Furthering improvement in the second year, we had students take turns acting as group leaders during the tutorials to take attendance and facilitate their peers to be on-task for group discussions. For the SAQ activities, students were tasked to answer the questions individually prior to online discussion sessions. During virtual tutorials, they then shared and discussed viewpoints with their peers. Post tutorials, students submitted their refined answers and reflected on whether the tutorials had enhanced their understanding or if they had contributed to the group discussions. Participation marks were awarded for these submissions. Consequently, there was increased student engagement during the tutorials, based on instructors’ observations during the tutorials. Prior to this, we were not able to interact with students and only noted limited student engagement with the module content during large-class lectures. However, there were several aspects that can be improved. We could: set clearer expectations by explaining the rationale of organising small-group tutorials to students. explore designing more challenging group tasks where students will need to produce group artefacts (to encourage more discussion). provide better scaffolds targeted at guiding focused discussions amongst students Overall, the virtual, small-group tutorials afforded opportunities for student interactions and overcame the need of physical venues to house many groups of students in face-to-face classes. We intend to incorporate such online tutorials into our subsequent blended learning design for large-class modules. However, teaching and learning activities need to be specifically designed to foster social presence. Ample time should be provided for individual attempts prior to group discussions and submission of group assignments would encourage better student interactions and peer learning.

Technology-enhanced learning strategies have proliferated and/or re-purposed since the COVID-19 pandemic as education around the world transitioned to online learning. A review of existing literature has identified that many technologies

Technology-enhanced learning strategies have proliferated and/or re-purposed since the COVID-19 pandemic as education around the world transitioned to online learning. A review of existing literature has identified that many technologies used during the pandemic for remote emergency education were developed or utilised as a crisis management tool, without an emphasis on the student’s engagement or learning experience. Hence, it is worthwhile studying the effects of technology-enhanced learning strategies on students’ engagement to guide educators’ decisions in retaining or utilising certain technologies as the world returns to face-to-face teaching and hybrid learning. There is little attention within the literature on the effects of technology on student engagement post pandemic, and highly limited research that is supported by theoretical frameworks. As such, this study uses constructivism and connectivism to unpack and understand student engagement in this transforming education space. These frameworks are two of many learning theories that have been central to understanding how students learn. Connectivism and constructivism have been selected here for their relevance in the digital age where technological change is fast and ubiquitous, and for their emphasis on student autonomy and ability to connect information. This critical research is aiming at identifying successfully engaging technologies for healthcare and biomedical students at the University of Sydney and diagnose areas for improvement in the digital learning space. This study will look at all technologies, including those used prior to COVID-19 as well as crisis management tools. A hybrid student engagement scale, customised from existing scales in the literature, namely the Student Engagement in e-Learning Environment Scale (SELES) and Distance Education Learning Environment Scale (DELES), is used to measure student engagement across varying technologies in different class delivery modalities. A mixed quantitative and qualitative methods survey for healthcare and biomedical students is conducted utilising this customized hybrid scale to investigate how different technological strategies have enhanced their engagement during and post COVID-19 restrictions. Furthermore, interviews with both students and educators are conducted to understand in greater depth the factors behind student engagement with technologies. The quantitative data are analysed using SPSS for statistical interpretations while the qualitative outcomes are thematically analysed using NVivo. The presented findings of this study will inform future practices in using technology-enhanced strategies for better student engagement and their wider learning experience. Preliminary findings of the study indicate that whilst students are engaged in online learning using various technological tools, they prefer to experience face-to-face teaching supplemented by technologies that are used in an effective manner. Both students and educators have identified the need for learning to be focused on acquiring skills and graduate qualities, as opposed to traditional knowledge focused teaching methods, which is consistent with connectivism and constructivism frameworks. A full set of study results and their interpretations, as well as consolidated recommendations of a range of effective technologies and their practical features will be presented in the conference.

Healthcare management continues to worsen, with process inefficiencies, wastage, unsafe practices and accordingly, non-optimal patient care. The concept of the Learning Health Systems (LHS) demonstrates the potential for the utilisation of

Healthcare management continues to worsen, with process inefficiencies, wastage, unsafe practices and accordingly, non-optimal patient care. The concept of the Learning Health Systems (LHS) demonstrates the potential for the utilisation of health data in real time, through rapid and continuous cycles of data interrogation, implementation of insights into practice, and eventually practice change (Friedman & Flynn, 2019). Yet, the lack of appropriately skilled workforce results in an inability to leverage existing data to design innovative solutions. We identified a need to develop tailored professional development programs to foster skilled interdisciplinary learning communities in the healthcare workforce, as well as digital health champions that understand each other’s roles and capabilities, to collaboratively solve these complex problems. Thus, we have developed multiple educational programs of work, including a professional development short course and a year-long Academy Fellowship program, to teach LHS principles. The short course is wholly online, open to interdisciplinary professionals working in the digital health arena. To foster interprofessional learning, we assigned participants into working groups of five interprofessional members, who worked together and shared knowledge, perspectives and experiences in workshop activities throughout the 13-week course. We employed a flipped classroom approach, utilising various eLearning tools such as crowdsourced evidence synthesis Mind Maps; Jupyter Notebooks for hands on data interrogation, data visualisation and interpretation of machine learning models; clinical process modelling software (LucidChart); and virtual care platform for prototype testing digital health solutions (Datos), which showcasing the potential of technology. We undertook a mixed methods evaluation, to determine the utility and success of our programming. This framework consisted of pre and post-surveys with identical measures of self-efficacy, ratings scales for engagement, usefulness, applicability and value for various aspects of the course. Participants were also invited to participate in a semi-structured interview post course. This allowed a deeper dive into themes relating to utility, barriers, recommendations for future applicability, and evolving digital health identity. The evaluation results demonstrated that participants found the teaching model useful, engaging, applicable and valuable to their daily tasks and workplace LHS projects. Self-efficacy scales revealed a significant increase in perceive confidence. From interviews and analysis of free text responses, we discovered that the program gave participants a shared language and common understanding to converse with other interprofessional peers; transformed their perceptions of their role and the potential of data and technologies; provided a framework to organise their transformation plans; and finally provided a toolkit to refer to and operate from. The most notable observation from the LHS Academy Fellows, was a significant increase in the number of fellows identifying themselves as leaders at the end of their foundational coursework compared to at the start of the program. It is clear that in order to transform healthcare systems to their full potential, it requires a workforce with an understanding of LHS and the potential of data driven approaches, as well as an appreciation for the need for diversly skilled learning communities to tackle these problems together.

Educational institutions have experienced a rapid pivot to online learning over the last two years due to global COVID-19 pandemic conditions. Historically, in moving to online teaching, research has found that educators experience varying

Educational institutions have experienced a rapid pivot to online learning over the last two years due to global COVID-19 pandemic conditions. Historically, in moving to online teaching, research has found that educators experience varying degrees of success with key challenges being: time pressure; staff shortages; insufficient technical ability; technical difficulties; and lack of faculty development (FD) opportunities (Aghakhani & Shalbafan, 2020; McQuiggan, 2007; Nimrod, 2018; Rajab et al., 2020). These challenges are exacerbated in the current climate and, despite being in our third year of teaching and learning under ongoing pandemic constraints, there is still a paucity of literature around how faculty have been supported in their provision of online teaching initiatives (Daniel et al., 2021). Our research aimed to identify features and enablers that staff value to strengthen their online teaching capability. Additionally, we intended to determine gaps in and future directions for strengthening staff online teaching capability, with a view to affecting change at an institutional level in addition to improving outcomes for students. To do this we used The Kirkpatrick Model as modified by Steinert et al. (2006) to evaluate FD initiatives and outcomes at the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences at New Zealand’s leading university, The University of Auckland. We conducted a mixed methods study comprising five datasets: interactive learning (in H5P) FD workshop surveys (1); teaching staff surveys (2) and interviews (3); student Summative Evaluation Tool (SET) surveys (4); and assignment grades (5). The FD workshop exit surveys (1) found that staff (n=105) valued personalised support and active learning. Teaching staff (n=86) surveys (2) showed that staff place high value on their Community of Practice (CoP) (Lave & Wenger, 1991), which were seen to provide personalised, technical, and emotional support. Similarly, findings from interviews (3) indicated that staff (n=20) appreciated FD that was personalised, interactive, timely, and they were overwhelmingly grateful for support from colleagues. Some key areas were identified as needing further FD by staff: fostering online relationships and engagement, and teaching in culturally sustaining and universally accessible ways. There was also a strong belief that university management should support professional development by allocating time and resources to FD in online teaching. Using SET data (4) from 2018 to 2021, we determined that providing students (n=809) with online interactive resources was a key support for their learning. During this time, the grade mean for a student assignment, that was purposely redeveloped for online learning using H5P to facilitate interaction and engagement, increased significantly from 2018 to 2019 (9%, p<.001). FD in interactive learning using H5P, driven by early adopter teaching staff, resulted in creating content associated with a mean increase in assignment grades (level 4B - Change among the participants’ students or colleagues [Steinert et al., 2006]), and the provision of an institutional licence (level 4A - Change in the system/organisational practice [Steinert et al., 2006]). The CoP approach ensured that personal connections were at the fore of FD and enabled effective modelling of pedagogical choices for interactive online learning. Providing personalized, just-in-time support through a CoP approach, interactive online teaching capability was improved, and institutional change was affected.

23 Things International (https://www.23thingsinternational.com/) is a 14-week, online, self-paced course for doctoral students, early-career researchers and doctoral supervisors, providing the basis of engagement with 23 tools/techniques

23 Things International (https://www.23thingsinternational.com/) is a 14-week, online, self-paced course for doctoral students, early-career researchers and doctoral supervisors, providing the basis of engagement with 23 tools/techniques to build academic and research networks, increase familiarity with resources to underpin research, and establish professional profiles. The course was launched in 2020 as a collaboration among a UK and two NZ universities. It attracted 250 participants. In 2021, the collaboration expanded to include six universities (two in the UK, two in NZ, and one in each of Australia and the USA) and 400 participants enrolled. An attraction for participants is the opportunity for them to network, especially across institutions. To facilitate that networking, each participant is allocated to a ‘pod’. Pods are small groups of participants from across institutions and with similar research/discipline interests. Each pod is allocated a volunteer ‘chair’ from its membership; the chair has the role of coordinating pod interaction. Evaluation data from 2020-2021 showed that engagement among pod participants was generally limited and did not meet participant expectations. The experience was a reminder to the course organisers that networking does not happen simply because participants are grouped into pods. To increase the likelihood of useful and meaningful networking, supporting structures need to be built into the fabric of the course. In 2022, 23 Things International’s cross-institutional collaboration was extended to include doctoral networks and additional partners: two more UK universities and one in Ireland, the Techné doctoral training partnership for 10 UK Universities, and the Africa Research Excellence Fund, a network for researchers across Africa. The course attracted 550 participants. To address the limitations of the networking aspect highlighted through the 2020-2021 evaluations, an engagement mentor role was introduced into the 2022 course. The engagement mentor role was to facilitate greater interaction among participants within pods, largely via the chairs of each pod, while remaining removed enough so as not to interfere with the ‘natural’ development of each pod network. The 2022 evaluation data indicated that many participants found the engagement mentor to be beneficial in supporting ongoing interaction among pod members and being useful for helping them to understand how to navigate the course. Positive experiences were not universal however, with some individuals saying that they were not even aware of the engagement mentor and that little to no interaction occurred within their pod. Within the context of 23 Things International, while building on a theoretical framework describing relationships between humans and technologies in doctoral education contexts (Sim & Stein, 2019), these reflections highlight that participants’ sense of connection and reconnection can happen efficiently and effectively when the process is ‘humanised’. The course is self-driven and paced, and largely asynchronous, but the human relationships that were intended to be generated through the pod structure and the added facilitation of the engagement mentor seemed to be factors that had an impact on the overall quality of experience. More interestingly is that in 2022, the nature of relationship connections, positive and negative, appear to be different from previous years.

Empirical studies have revealed the learning design processes employed by teachers in higher education institutions in developed countries (Bennett et al., 2017; Kali et al., 2011; Markauskaite & Goodyear, 2009). However, there has been

Empirical studies have revealed the learning design processes employed by teachers in higher education institutions in developed countries (Bennett et al., 2017; Kali et al., 2011; Markauskaite & Goodyear, 2009). However, there has been limited research into the way that university teachers in developing countries design for learning and whether they adopt similar design routines – and indeed, whether there are similarities to the work of learning designers in these settings. A multiple-case study design was developed to investigate the design processes of eight Indonesian English University Teachers (IEUTs) working in a variety of Indonesian universities in implementing blended (pre-COVID) and online (during COVID) learning in their classes. Due to the Australian travel restrictions to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 in 2020, data gathered remotely included digital document analyses, online interviews and online class observations. This data was analysed and a cross-case analysis was undertaken in order to identify common themes. It was possible to identify design processes that the IEUTs had in common with those described by Bennet et al. (2017). However, this model did not anticipate design issues caused by socio-economic and cultural context in which the IEUTs were teaching. Specifically, factors such as the technological affordances and the costs related to online or blended learning were not described. However, this study noted that these factors had a significant effect upon teachers’ design work, often requiring them to redesign learning experiences – sometimes while a subject was ongoing. This challenge was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which also meant that teachers were required to work with technologies with which they were not familiar. This, in turn, led to further challenges, at an institutional level, as some universities were not well prepared for online learning. Teachers who received institutional support services such as a set of curricula, teacher training, support technologies, financial support (i.e., competitive grants to develop online modules in the university’s e-learning platform) and hands-on support from IT Centre’s staff experienced fewer challenges compared to teachers who were less supported. However, all participating teachers’ design practices were constructed from “accidental pedagogies” (McGee & Carmean, 2012) caused by the trial-and-error approach adopted during COVID-19. These teachers faced significant obstacles including ensuring academic integrity, retaining control over the classroom, and ensuring equitable access to course content. Although these design processes might not demonstrate an effective learning design in an ongoing setting, these design practices should be “forgiven” (Dickson-Deane, 2020) as they were a response to an emergency setting. The IEUTs experienced similar design routines to those of instructional designers (Dickson-Deane, 2020) in that they were required to comprehend how an unknown or unexpected event may become known or take place, which can necessitate trial-and-error during the design process and into development and implementation. A new model of teacher professional development for language teachers was proposed to better prepare teachers for such events and challenges (i.e., other pandemics and catastrophic weather events) by conceiving of them as designers. This model adapted the 6 C’s framework for learning designers (Heggart, 2021).

Over several years, the authors have pursued technology solutions to the difficult arena of moving geology practicum work into the online space (e.g., Tetley and Daczko, 2014). Through a partnership of teaching academics with professional

Over several years, the authors have pursued technology solutions to the difficult arena of moving geology practicum work into the online space (e.g., Tetley and Daczko, 2014). Through a partnership of teaching academics with professional staff trained in digitisation and software development, the authors have now solved the problem of verisimilitude and utility and opened a raft of future opportunities including a smooth and seamless transition to online teaching when presented with recent pandemic lockdowns. “Teaching geology with digital tools advances students’ learning experience by providing access to high-quality outcrops, enhancing visualization of 3D geological structures and improving data integration.” (Senger et al., 2021) Our solution required innovation on several fronts. Firstly, 3D digitisation and gigapixel imaging processes and methods were tried, evaluated, abandoned and refined until an ideal solution was developed that could actually replace the physical rock hand samples. Secondly, software platform development and integration was required. We utilised a custom developed 3D platform (Pedestal 3D) and also developed a bespoke platform for virtual petrographic microscopy (ImageMatrix). Finally, as “the organisation, logistics and relevance of an OBL session is critical to its efficacy” (Chatterjee and Hannan, 2016), all of this needed significant pedagogical underpinning and integration to ensure learning and outcomes were not impacted by the technology shift. We found that generally, digital resources allow for and encourage much more practice of the professional skills required for identification of minerals. “Most professional geoscientists spend much of their day in front of work-stations, interpreting or modelling digital data, in two or three dimensions.” (Bond and Wightman, 2012) so this mode of delivery is a naturally suited authentic task. On top of that, digital pre-lab work prepares students for being confronted with actual samples. Being able to digitally annotate the samples allowed for a virtual “guide on the side” pedagogy to allow for clarity of tasks and identification of specific object traits that are difficult in the traditional practical setting. The three main areas of impact were in Workshops, Field Trips and general Practicum. The specific mineral identification workshops were extended in a blended sense pre-COVID-19 and then seamlessly moved to online when required during the pandemic without any further development. Geological fieldwork traditionally has several core functions. “These include the determination of the geographical location of observation points, the description of outcrops, the macroscopic description of rocks, the detection of lithological boundaries, the spatial fixation of planar and linear objects (folds, joints, faults, linear position of minerals, etc.).” (Bubaniak et al., 2020) To respond to this digitally, a landmark yearly field trip in the program was developed into a fully online virtual field trip. The general practicum across the course was enabled to be taught in an online only mode which had never been possible before. We found that grade distribution did not suffer during the COVID-19 period which demonstrates that this mode of Digital Object-Based Learning is as good as traditional approaches to teaching. Although not originally intended, coursework could now also be offered fully online which opens a range of possibilities moving forward.

As educators we have grappled with strategies to teach referencing, a fundamental of digital information fluency. Despite a myriad of resources, errors are common and recurring (Jorgensen & Marek, 2013). Students frequently receive static

As educators we have grappled with strategies to teach referencing, a fundamental of digital information fluency. Despite a myriad of resources, errors are common and recurring (Jorgensen & Marek, 2013). Students frequently receive static information on referencing and no immediate feedback. This paper reflects on the development and evaluation of online resources for explicitly teaching APA referencing in the Faculties of Arts, Business and Science. We designed H5P resources that integrate into individual courses to encourage interactivity (Singleton & Charlton, 2019) and provide feedback for self-assessment (Nicol & Mcfarlane-Dick, 2006). According to Nicol and Macfarlane-Dick’s seven principles of good feedback practice, good referencing practices were first explained, before students were given an opportunity to practice those skills. This was followed by detailed automated feedback. Student performance is recorded so that teachers can begin dialogues and use feedback to improve teaching. The methodological approach taken aligns with Educational Design Research that aims to address real-life-learning issues through various cycles. Pre-interviews with teaching staff gave a better understanding of the expectations, support and students’ issues in referencing. Following these, students could access the tool and complete a questionnaire about their experiences. LMS and H5P analytics data added another dimension to quantitatively gauge engagement. Focus groups and interviews were conducted to ascertain the effectiveness and identify suggestions. The qualitative data results in rich descriptions. The data was analysed in an open-coding approach (Saldana, 2013) for themes that emerged in response to the main questions asked. Student voices provided evidence of identified themes and were indicators of the overall results. Staff insights about the challenges aligned with preliminary results that tertiary students’ previous APA referencing experiences are variable. LMS analytics showed good engagement and students completed the module in about 27 minutes. Feedback from the trial highlighted the benefits of interactivity and immediate feedback and led to amendments of the online resources. Participants commented, for example, “more practical activities”, and liked the final quiz for its instant feedback. As a result, additional activities were integrated. Some emerging themes from the trial were the relevance, consistency and practicality of the resources and indicated students’ willingness to use them for self-study. Feedback in Semester 1 confirmed those themes. From this round of feedback, the usefulness of the resources was highlighted. The evidence of effectiveness is summed up in that all participants would recommend the tool to peers. As tool development continues, we will present up-to-date data. Further, we consider how these tools might support more faculties and institutions, extending this research to include a suite of referencing resources.

The Commencing Student Success Program (CSSP) comprises 13 evidence-based strategies for online engagement underpinned by the Universal Design for Learning principles of inclusive access to improve learner retention and engagement (Sasson

The Commencing Student Success Program (CSSP) comprises 13 evidence-based strategies for online engagement underpinned by the Universal Design for Learning principles of inclusive access to improve learner retention and engagement (Sasson et al., 2021), promoting first year student engagement and retention at the tertiary level. The program’s impact has led to it being adopted across the University’s School of Education as its signature pedagogy. The University’s unique regional context provides education to a high number of students studying by distance; often rural, mature-age, or first-in-family. Applying these strategic elements into online course design ensure a sense of support and connection is embedded, and reducing sense of isolation, throughout their studies. This presentation explores three of the core design themes underpinning the project’s ‘Basic Elements’ that support and enhance meaningful student-educator connections: 1. Social presence: For students, especially those studying purely online, feeling a sense of belonging and connection within the learning environment is imperative for positive learning experience and development of relationship-rich education philosophies (Felten & Lambert, 2020). High quality use of asynchronous Moodle videos produced by the Unit Coordinator welcome students; and walk-through assessment screencasts provide deeper explanation of task expectations, in addition to synchronous engagement via Zoom, assists student educator connections. Teacher presence, through ‘putting a face to the name’, builds positive relationships and presents Unit Coordinators in a human light (Stone & Springer, 2019). 2. Student voice: In addition to multimodal materials, student presence with others also plays an important role in building their engagement in online spaces (Reilly et al., 2012). Opportunities for learners to provide real-time feedback on each assessment task allows them to have an impact on unit design during their own studies. Utilising feedback functionality directly within the LMS embeds this feedback capture in situ, not as a separate, disconnected process. Academic staff can adjust and tailor content to meet the needs of current students. This in-unit opportunity promoting student voice, also provides ongoing de-identified student testimonials about their experiences with the task, which can highlight their value in a way that is authentic and formative for other learners. 3. Cognitive load: Meaningful and consistent design enabled clear navigational paths and sources of information. This allows students to prioritise focus on deep engagement with learning tasks, rather than problem-solving navigation of the online environment. This is critical for all students, especially those who are time-poor, mature-aged, and managing multiple responsibilities beyond study (Hoi & Le Hang, 2021). Students can access a ‘Flexible Portal’ to self-manage their assessment due dates by choosing a one-to-three-week automatic extension that suits their circumstances, providing them with agency in their learning by reducing pressure in typically heavily loaded trimester schedules. Freeing up both staff and student time on lower-order requests, allows space for richer interaction. Since the CSSP’s 2019 conception, the project team has been able to ideate and iterate the nature of the Basic Elements and their underpinning learning strategies via feedback from academic staff and students across the more than 65 teaching units the CSSP has been applied to so far. A central focus on reconnecting relationships through technology guides this process and is transferable in part or full to other institutions.