BUILDING AN ONLINE LEARNING COMMUNITY What does it take to make it work

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BUILDING AN ONLINE LEARNING COMMUNITY What
does it take to make it work?

• Hazel Knox and Cathy Gerrard
• University of Paisley
• Scotland

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SCOTTISH CREDIT AND QUALIFICATIONS FRAMEWORK
SCQF level
HE f/t year
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EXERCISE 1MAKING THE FE/HE TRANSITION

• What are the issues students face in making the
  transition from FE to HE?
• What are the benefits for students who enter HE
  at an advanced level with credit from FE
  qualifications?
• What strategies have been adopted at your
  institution to facilitate the FE/HE transition?

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SOME OF THE FE/HE TRANSITION ISSUES

• No common educational background
• Often join established cohorts of students
• Unfamiliar with delivery and assessment regimes
• Unfamiliar with Universitys VLE - Blackboard
• Unfamiliar with social, physical environment
• Miss out in induction / welcome programme
• Culture shock of university life
• No time to waste
• and more

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ADDRESSING THE ISSUES IN A STRUCTURED MODULE
NEXT STEPS AT UNIVERSITY FOR FE STUDENTS

• Designed to facilitate FE/HE transition
• Credit-rated SCQF level 8, 15 credits
• Summer delivery, 3 hours/week, 12 weeks
• Generic (any HNC/D programme, any degree
  programme, any institution)
• Embeds study skills
• Teaching strategies Lectures, Seminars,
  Workshops
• Assessments Essay, Project, Oral presentation
  and Formal examination
• Encourages reflection Skills Journal and
  Learning Log
• Lecturers, Student Tutors and Guest Lecturers
• Module for real
• Students self-selecting

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BSc COMPUTER NETWORKING YEAR 3, 2003/04

• NEXT STEPS EMBEDDED IN FULL-TIME PROGRAMME
• Core module in full-time degree programme
• Replaced Website Development
• Use of VLE (Blackboard) introduced
• STUDENTS
• 75 students
• 3 females, 72 males
• Average age 26.5 years
• 11 LOCAL FE COLLEGES AND ONE OF FIVE HND
  PROGRAMMES
• Computer and Network Support
• Computing Support
• Internetworking
• Computing Software Development
• Computing Technical Support

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EXERCISE 2 INTRODUCING THE VLE (BLACKBOARD)

• What are the potential advantages of transferring
  aspects of this module to an online environment?
• What are the potential disadvantages of
  transferring aspects of this module to an online
  environment?
• What is the future potential of using an online
  environment for such a module?

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STRUCTURE BUILDING IN THE VLE (BLACKBOARD)

• INTRODUCTION set up in class time, responses
  weeks 1-2
• TUTORIAL 1 Learning Styles introduced in week 3,
  responses weeks 3-7, email to non-participants in
  week 4, reminder in class week 5, discussed in
  tutorial week 7
• CHAT 1 set up week 4 via announcement on BB
• PRESENTATION 16 groups set up in week 5,
  suggested use to exchange contributions / arrange
  meetings / negotiate roles
• TUTORIAL 2 Management Styles introduced in week
  7, letter to non-participants in week 8,
  responses weeks 7-9, discussed in tutorial week 9
• CHAT 2 set up start Semester 2 via announcement
  on BB, after module completed

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FIVE-STAGE HIERARCHICAL MODEL (SALMON 2001)
L E A R N I N G
A M O U N T O F I N T E R A C T I V I T Y
LEVEL 5 DEVELOPMENT Providing links outside
Facilitating closed conferences
responding
LEVEL 4 KNOWLDEGE CONSTRUCTION Conferencing
Facilitating process
LEVEL 3 INFORMATION EXCHANGE Searching and
Facilitating links supporting personalising
software use of learning materials
LEVEL 2 OUTLINE SOCIALISATION Sending
and Familiarising providing
bridges receiving messages between social
learning environments
LEVEL 1 ACCESS MOTIVATION Setting up system
Welcoming and encouraging and accessing

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USAGE CONTRIBUTIONS TO TOPIC

• Contributions Individuals
• INTRODUCTION 81 55
• TUTORIAL 1 60 30
• CHAT 1 229 37
• TUTORIAL 2 59 43
• PRESENTATION 262 52
• CHAT 2 91 21

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USAGE PROFILE OF ENGAGEMENT
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USAGE AND EXAMPLES

• INTRODUCTION
• TUTORIAL 1
• CHAT 1
• TUTORIAL 2
• PRESENTATION
• CHAT 2

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PRESENTATION USAGE OF BB
Group mark () Range 57-75
Number of postings Range 177
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EXERCISE 3 PARTICIPATING IN VLE ACTIVITES

• What methods have you used to encourage students
  to participate in VLE activities?
• What works?
• What doesnt work?
• What new ideas might work?

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THE WAY FORWARD - A NEW MODULEPROFESSIONALISM
AND PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY

• Learning outcomes
• Communicate ideas verbally and in writing
  effectively utilise appropriate electronic
  resources
• Construct a reflective learning portfolio
  demonstrating personal development awareness of
  professional issues
• Illustrate knowledge of professional ethical
  issues in computing
• Research appropriately evaluate a professional
  /or ethical issue on an IT-based topic
• Assessment
• Written assignment
• Oral presentation
• Reflective Learning Portfolio
• Contributions to VLE Discussion Forums