Making group-work ‘work’ online:
the ‘virtual agency’ case.
Brett Van Heekeren
School of Communication
Charles Sturt University

The Background
ADV205 Ad Creative...it’s all about ideas!
The Subject Story
Advertising ideas
Practice-based
Authentic environments
Team interaction
Team member interaction
Making group-work ‘work’ online: the ‘virtual agency’ case.

The Essential Tools
Creating environments for delivery and interaction
Instructor to student asynchronous communication
Instructor and student media archive and storage
Student ‘publication’ space: the Virtual Gallery
Podcast delivery of core content and workshop stimuli
Visual support for content and workshops
Making group-work ‘work’ online: the ‘virtual agency’ case.

The Stages of Learning
Scaffolding and supporting the learning
Stage 1: Delivering the content
Podcast &
Slides Readings
audio files
Lectures: topic by
topic content delivery
Prompting interaction in
more ‘authentic’
Workshops: ‘kick environments – the ‘VA’
(Project Worksite)
start’ group activities
Making group-work ‘work’ online: the ‘virtual agency’ case.

The Stages of Learning
Scaffolding and supporting the learning
Stage 2: Setting up the VA: introducing & navigating the authentic environments
Asynchronous group communication(formal)
Synchronous group communication(informal)
Media and file storage
Replicates the
hands-on group
interactivity of the
internal subject.
(Think & Do)
Ginger Bunnies Virtual Boardroom
Making group-work ‘work’ online: the ‘virtual agency’ case.

The Stages of Learning
Scaffolding and supporting the learning
Stage 3: ‘Putting it out there’: developing accountability among the cohort.
Using the subject wiki as a virtual gallery for general publication and comment.
VA 1 VA 5
VA 2
VA 4
VA 3
ADV205 virtual gallery
Ginger Bunnies Virtual Boardroom
Making group-work ‘work’ online: the ‘virtual agency’ case.

The Stages of Learning
Pushing for higher order learning
Stage 4: ‘Raising the stakes’: professional outcomes in intimate teams
Using the current learning to support a higher order challenge – portfolio construction
Creative Teams (CT) of two established
Project worksite allocation
Site mirrors their virtual agency (VA) environments
Teams work independently on authentic ‘briefs’
Design & construct professional creative portfolio
Making group-work ‘work’ online: the ‘virtual agency’ case.

The Stages of Learning
Pushing for higher order learning
Stage 4: ‘Raising the stakes’: professional outcomes in intimate teams
Using the current learning to support a higher order challenge – portfolio construction
The critical ‘construction zone’
Ginger Bunnies Portfolio
Making group-work ‘work’ online: the ‘virtual agency’ case.

The Evaluation
What made the group-work work?
Basic Accountable Higher level
VG Environment
CT Environment
VA Environment
professional & publication. professional
domain Views of skills.
knowledge ‘others’. Independent
Intro Content online
environment Feedback interaction
navigation
Transfer of learning Transfer of learning
Making group-work ‘work’ online: the ‘virtual agency’ case.

The Evaluation
What made the group-work work?
THE AUTHENTIC ENVIRONMENT ARGUEMENT
Authentic Assessment Tasks
Professional Socialisation (professional + social rhetoric)
Sense of ‘place’ & ‘identity’
Engagement of the human dimensions of...
‘Think’
‘Do ‘
‘Feel’ (the practice)
Intrinsic interest ... ‘fun’
Making group-work ‘work’ online: the ‘virtual agency’ case.

The Evaluation
What made the group-work work?
Making group-work ‘work’ online: the ‘virtual agency’ case.

Making group-work ‘work’ online:
the ‘virtual agency’ case.
Brett Van Heekeren
School of Communication
Charles Sturt University
The Q&A