Encouraging Active Learning in FacetoFace and Online Environments

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Encouraging Active Learning in Face-to-Face and
Online Environments

• Martin Jenkins Mick Healey
• University of Gloucestershire

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Aims

• To encourage discussion, based on
• Introduction to the Centre for Active Learning
• Structure and processes
• Use of physical learning space
• Examples of e-learning support at UoG and
  elsewhere

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The Centre for Active Learning

• Tell me and I will forget. Show me, and I may
  remember. Involve me, and I will understand
• Confucius 450BC
• Aim
• The Centre for Active Learning (CeAL) aims to be
  an international centre of excellence to review,
  develop, promote and embed inclusive and
  exemplary active learning for students in
  geography, environment and related disciplines
  such as landscape architecture, community
  development and heritage management.

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The Gloucestershire Approach to Active Learning

• Active learning involves learning by thinking,
  doing and reflecting.
• The distinctive feature of the University of
  Gloucestershire (UoG) definition of active
  learning is that it centres on the mastery of
  theory within a learning by doing approach
  involving working in real places with actual
  people and live projects.
• Geography and environment students engage in
  active learning through inquiry-based
  exploration in the field and classroom, field and
  laboratory experimentation, studio-based work
  using real sites, and work-based,
  community-related, and employer-linked
  activities.

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The Centre for Active Learning (CeAL)
Organisation

• Directors
• Carolyn Roberts and Mick Healey
• Centre Academic Manager
• Martin Jenkins
• Centre Administrator
• Barbara Rainbow
• Learning Technologist
• Claire Hanson
• Five Postgraduate Assistants
• Russell Goodwin, Brendan Hall, Jo Lonsdale,
  Martha Quinn and Sue Swansborough

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The Centre for Active Learning (CeAL)
Organisation

• Three new lecturing staff appointed to Department
  of Natural and Social Sciences to increase
  capacity and free time for CeAL activities
• c65 academic support staff (c26 fte) organised
  into five Professional Development Groups (PDGs)
  a distance learning tutors group core team of
  15 staff
• UoG Management Panel
• International Advisory Panel
• Stakeholders students, professional bodies,
  Academy

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Gloucestershire Approach to Active Learning
Pedagogic Research
Generalise
Reflect
Performances of understanding
Test
Experience
Development Projects
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The Centre for Active Learning (CeAL) Current
activity

• Develop and embed active learning strategically
  in Environment programmes
• Active Learning induction event
• Forest of Dean Induction event 21st-23rd
  September 2005
• Five PDGs, each supported by a PGA now developing
  active learning in modules each will target
  equivalent of two modules per semester c100
  over 5 years
• Have initiated a review of active learning theory
  and practices in geography, environment and
  related disciplines in UK and internationally
• Collaborative projects with related UoG Schools,
  12 HEIs in England and 10 overseas
• PGAs have registered for pedagogic research
  degrees

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The Centre for Active Learning (CeAL) Plans

• Beyond geography, environment and related
  disciplines
• CeAL is conceptualised as the test-bed for
  innovation in active learning
• Joint student projects with cognate areas
  leisure and tourism, education, art and design
• Working with other subjects to develop active
  learning for their students mission of UoG that
  every student will have opportunity to explore
  sustainable development concepts within the
  curriculum
• By end of five year period all 9,200
  undergraduate and taught postgraduate students in
  the university should have active learning
  opportunities

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Design of Physical Learning Space

• CeAL Building
• Test bed for physical learning space
• Space designed to facilitate active learning
• Group work
• Collaboration
• Bringing the outside in

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Local/national/international
Accessible
Community engagement
People
Groups
Bringing the outside in
Engagement
Active Learning
Effective
Creative
Doing
Lively
Reflective
Biosystems
Quality
Magnet
Student achievement
Shared space
Kolb
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Second
External
Reflective
(more) Formal
Structured
Flexible
Shared
Targeted
First
Interactive
Focus
Dynamic
Crisp
Informal
Buzzy
Lively
Ground
Food drink
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Supporting E-learning
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Why e-learning?

• Technology provides solutions but what are the
  questions/problems?
• flexibility (and distance)
• formative assessment (demand for more immediate
  feedback and opportunity to provide feedback)
• increased collaboration
• active learning/authentic tasks
• reflection
• access to resources
• structure to non-contact time
• extend the contact time reduce the pedagogical
  distance
• accessibility

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Institutional vision

• Requires a common language and understanding of
  e-learning and its potential
• A university is a mix of a variety of different
  sub-cultures that need to be recognised and will
  bring their own interpretations
• University position on e-learning needs to be
  able to be identified within the local culture
• Targets can lead to a variety of interpretations
• learning quality might be better encouraged by
  encouraging a diversity of innovations.

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A disruptive technology

• E-learning is a disruptive technology in
  traditional HEIs
• Threatens the sustaining technology the lecture
• Challenge change
• Low risk areas to incubate developments
• Not put existing practice at risk
• Staff attitudes
• critical to success in terms of engaging staff
  and enabling institutions to change cultures
• Shared ownership - ensuring that individual staff
  feel empowered to develop e-learning

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Managing change Staff development

• Change related to a number of factors
• Teachers beliefs
• Change can be contentious at level of individual
  teachers beliefs
• Infrastructure
• Quality of support
• Staff development
• Policies and strategies

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Changing staff

• Relative advantage
• degree of perceived benefit of the innovation
• Compatability
• degree to which an innovation is consistent with
  existing values, beliefs, experiences and norms,
  including teaching styles and beliefs.
• Complexity
• degree to which an innovation is perceived as
  difficult to understand and use.
• Trialability
• degree to which an innovation can be experimented
  with.
• Observability
• degree to which the results of an innovation are
  visible to others with visible benefits
• (Rogers, 1995)

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UoG - Social and pragmatic

• Networked learning
• Learning is a social process
• Pragmatic
• E-learning developments should be sustainable
• Use tried and tested applications
• WebCT
• Questionmark Perception
• PebblePad (e-portfolio new development)

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UoG Support

• Learning Technology Support Team
• Development Pack
• One to one support
• E-moderation course
• Based on Salmon 5 Stage Model
• Support for local developments (PDGs, Departments)

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Teachers beliefs, support

• University of Twente
• Central unit provides comprehensive staff
  development
• Some faculties prefer laissez-faire development
• Ownership
• Evolution

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Infrastructure, strategy

• Deakin University
• Long history of distance and e-learning provision
• Consolidation
• Deakin Online
• Teaching, Learning Management Plan
• Strategic
• Institutional framework local development

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Strategy, support

• Hanzehogeschool
• HELO flexible learning environment
• Strategic commitment
• HELO Managers
• Locally based champions
• Work in conjunction with central unit