Variety and innovation in teaching

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Variety and innovation in teaching learning
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Departmental aims?

• Variety and innovation in TL might address
• Widening participation and student diversity
• Meeting student needs for flexibility
• Improving learning outcomes for more students
• Understanding, degree class
• Critical thinking, employability skills
• Reducing the load on staff
• Institutional requirements
• Requirements for QAA academic review
• Accreditation requirements (GBR)

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Aligning aims to methods

• Some (inter-related) trends
• More independent learning
• Use of resources student groups
• Activity-based learning (group or solo)
• Problem-based learning scenario-based
• Experiential
• Work placements, learning from work experience
• Technology-mediated
• VLEs and communication web resources
  simulations and demos

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Thinking about web use

• The Learning Cycle (adapted from Mayes, 1995)

Reception Read, explore
Dialogue Discuss, reflect
Construction Select, analyse
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Phases of web support for

• Reception
• acquisition, exploring factual information
• Construction
• building personal meanings
• Dialogue
• reflect, share, discuss, refine ideas
• Community of practice
• supporting culture, administration

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Survey What do depts use Web for?
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Survey Most beneficial use of web

• Search engines finding varied resources
• Students can work in own time and place
• Single point of access to materials
• Materials in advance of classes
• Better staff-student communication
• Online demonstrations
• Streamlines administration

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Survey Least beneficial use of web

• Patchy uptake by lecturers, so hard to create
  the norm in a department
• Maybe some students are missing out
• Effort in evaluating and maintaining links and
  web sites
• Lecture notes might encourage non-attendance -
  but popular with students
• Discussion boards and chat rooms - but there are
  exceptions

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Integrating use of web into TL

• Challenges
• Developing skills generic subject-specific
• Technical search strategies specific resources
  portals critical evaluation communication
• Find/develop web resources to support the course
• DIY or existing? Most effective approach? How
  best integrated? Required or optional use?
• Resources for independent study
• How much guidance for students? Teaching
  evaluation skills?
• Use of VLEs (and similar)
• Whats effective why? Integrating real
  virtual environments
• Providing a one-stop shop for students
• Deptl course information communication
  facilities external resources

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Example sites

• Skills training
• Internet detective www.sosig.ac.uk/vts/psychologi
  st/index.htm
• Teaching learning resources
• LTSN Psychology www.psychology.ltsn.ac.uk
  (Resources and Teaching practice sections)
• SOSIG www.sosig.ac.uk/psychology/
• Development use of materials
• Paul Kenyon salmon.psy.plym.ac.uk/LTSNPsychology/
  LTSN_workshops.htm
• Netskills www.netskills.co.uk/
• Case studies on use of CIT
• Case studies http//www.psychology.ltsn.ac.uk/cas
  e_studies.html
• Various reports on Virtual Learning Environments
• JISC reports http//www.jisc.ac.uk/techwatch/reso
  urces/specific.htmlVLE
• LTSN specialist http//ltsnpsy.york.ac.uk/LTSNPsy
  ch/Specialist/sp007.htm