Identifying and following good practice in e-learning

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Identifying and following good practice in
e-learning

• Jonathan Darby
• Visiting Fellow, e-Learning Research Centre,
  University of Southampton

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Overview

• The rationale for e-learning
• A generational analysis
• Where it mostly goes wrong
• Theories of e-learning
• Logic of control versus logic of affordances
• The UKeU experience
• Lessons learnt and conclusions

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My background

• First used computers in teaching 1975
• Joined Oxford University 1980
• Computers in Teaching Initiative 1988 to 1996
• Director of Technology-Assisted Lifelong Learning
  (TALL) 1996 to 2002
• Chief Architect, UK eUniversities 2002 to 2004
• Visiting Fellow, e-Learning Research Centre,
  University of Southampton from May 2004

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Neil Postman, media ecologist

• What is the problem to which headlamp
  washer-wipers are the solution?
• Educom Conference 1992

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Neil Postman, media ecologist

• What is the problem to which headlamp
  washer-wipers are the solution?
• Educom Conference 1992
• What is the problem to which e-learning is the
  solution?

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What is e-learning for?

• What problems are you seeking to address?
• What opportunities are you seeking to realise?

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What is e-learning for?

• For me
• To meet unmet educational needs

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First Generation e-learning

• Online courses as direct analogues of
  conventionally-delivered courses
• replicating course structure, elements and
  delivery mode
• incorporate existing support materials (though
  may be modified or augmented)
• delivery dependent on course originator
• not scalable
• always inferior to original course
• horseless carriages

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Second Generation e-learning

• Online courses equivalent to conventionally-delive
  red courses but purpose designed for medium
• same top-level learning outcomes
• educationally derived, precept-driven design
  methodology
• team developed not faculty led
• course requires mentoring not teaching when
  delivered
• fully scalable

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Third Generation e-learning

• Online education that does not adhere to course
  conventions
• the course is an artificial construct born of
  practicality old constraints no longer apply
• Examples
• learning pathways through knowledge management
  systems
• personalised curricula
• just-in-time education

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What is education?
Knowledge transfer?
eLearning demands new models. The classroom does
not translate.
With thanks to Derek Morrison
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Top 3 e-learning mistakes

• Blindly implementing old models
• the classroom
• the textbook
• Seeking to control the student
• adaptive sequencing
• use of next
• Undue focus on content

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Learning theories

• Programmed learning (Skinner)
• Epistemological relativism (Piaget)
• Constructivism (Vygotsky)
• Students "construct" their own knowledge by
  testing ideas and approaches based on their prior
  knowledge and experience, applying these to a new
  situation, and integrating the new knowledge
  gained with pre-existing intellectual constructs.
  

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Aspects of learning Gilly
Salmons five stage model

• Access and Motivation
• Online Socialization
• Information Exchange
• Knowledge Construction
• Development

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Aspects of learning Noel
Entwhistle

• Orientation
• Motivation
• Information acquisition
• Elaboration
• Clarification
• Consolidation
• Confirmation

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Aspects of learning Noel
Entwhistle

• Orientation ? face to face
• Motivation ? face to face
• Information acquisition ? online
• Elaboration ? online
• Clarification ? online
• Consolidation ? online
• Confirmation ? online
• face to face online 1 9

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Student e-learning strategies

• Linear (following default sequence) 30
• Text-led (printed all texts and used as course
  framework) 30
• Aural (played all audiographics before referring
  to texts) 20
• Assignment-orientated (prioritised all course
  elements based on relevance to assignment) 20
• (Oxford University online course students 1998)

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The seduction of control

• Feeds the belief If we can only control the
  environment for learning we will enable students
  to learn all that is required of them
• Many technology-based environments permit greater
  control of students behaviour than conventional
  teaching
• With acknowledgement to David Boud, University of
  Technology, Sydney

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Logic of control versus logic of affordances
Logic of affordances
Logic of control
V
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What are affordances?

• Characteristics
• Not just attributes of an environment
• Link objects and events with behaviour of
  individuals
• Not causes but opportunities
• Need to be perceived

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Comparisons

• Logic of control
• Activities determined
• Behaviour is all
• Outcomes always determinable
• Emphasis on achievement
• What is permitted is required
• Learner values may be tolerated

• Logic of affordances
• Activities facilitated
• Behaviour is important
• Outcomes may not be determinable
• Emphasis on development
• What is permitted is not required
• Learner values and priorities respected

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Logic of control not sustainable

• Learners experience, inherently, cannot be
  controlled
• We can set up the environment fully, but how
  learners respond depends on what they bring and
  what they desire

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Logic of affordances links
Design for learning
Experience of learning
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Importance of social e-learning

• Students are a hidden free resource
• always up to date case studies
• Course surveys show interaction with other
  students number one on list of most valued
  learning experiences

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Why content is not king

• Online award-bearing course 1000
• Textbook 25
• ---------
• 975
• Market research by McKinsey shows students
  prepared to pay twice as much for courses with
  certification

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UK eUniversities Worldwide

• A case study in e-learning as change agent

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Why was UKeU set up?

• To stake our claim in online borderless HE
• To develop best practice models for online
  distance learning
• To develop and deliver courses through a learning
  environment optimised for large scale courses for
  remote adult learners
• To enhance elearning know-how and capacity in UK
  HE
• To be a profitable business making money for its
  shareholders

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Ingredients for success
HEIs keen to work with UKeU
High quality courses optimised for remote
delivery to international students
Individuals wishing to take courses (paying full
cost)
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The elearning challenge

• Just how do you deliver high quality HE courses
  worldwide?
• support all aspects of learning
• recognise diversity of experience and expectation
• What design and production methodology works
  best?
• What sort of learning environment is required?
• enhance affordances
• support collaborative learning
• support collaborative development

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What's been achieved?

• 17 courses running 18 in production
• Activity-based learning object course model
• Almost complete Learning Environment
• Worldwide marketing network
• Various public good projects
• eChina
• eLearning Research Centre
• eLearning boost to HEIs
• beyond the 1st Generation VLE mindset

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eLearning methodology

• Construction kit approach with elements defined
  by educational purpose
• Courses built from components defining activities
  not content
• Collaborative course building with integral peer
  review
• Access to course elements determined by student
  alone
• multiple uses according to stage in learning
  journey
• Design for adaptation and reuse

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UKeU Learning Environment

• Supports development teams
• Learning navigator integrates all elements of a
  course in a single view
• Sophisticated assignment handling
• marking groups
• group assignments
• Website assessments
• Linking of content and discussion
• Cohort size scalable
• Views support multiple user types

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So whats the problem?

• Undershot recruitment targets
• Target 5000 Actual 1000

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Ingredients for success
?
?
HEIs keen to work with UKeU
High quality courses optimised for remote
delivery to international students
?
Individuals wishing to take courses (paying full
cost)
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So whats the problem?

• Undershot recruitment targets
• Target 5000 Actual 1000
• market damaged by poor quality online courses
• Learning Environment very late
• Programmes not closely matched to market demand
• Tension between academic (public good) and
  commercial objectives
• Failed commercial model

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Lessons learnt

• Timescales for systemic change enabled by
  elearning must be realistic
• High quality largely online courses are
  achievable blended is not the only future
• HEIs still need strong inducement to move away
  from classroom-based content-driven course models
• International marketing of UK online degree
  programmes still problematic - international HEI
  collaboration models need to be developed further

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Conclusions

• Make sure that you have a good reason for using
  e-learning and select your learning technologies
  accordingly
• Use activities as building blocks not content
• Follow the logic of affordances and not the logic
  of control
• Be prepared to take risks this will maximise
  your learning even when not successful!

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Further information

• References
• e-Learning Research Centre www.elrc.ac.uk
• Joint Information Systems Committee www.jisc.ac.uk
  
• Higher Education Academy www.heacademy.ac.uk
• CETIS www.cetis.ac.uk
• Email
• Jonathan Darby jdarby_at_soton.ac.uk