Sabine Little, E-Learning in the Caribbean

Slide 1: Networked Learning in the Caribbean: A case study from a developing world Dr S a bine Little C e ntre for Inq uiry-b a s e d Le a rning in th e Arts a nd S oc ia l S c ie nc e s Unive rs ity of S h e ffie ld, UK IC E L 2006, Montré a l, C a na da 23 rd J une 2006

Slide 2: Overview • B a c kg round to th e s tudy • Inq uiry-b a s e d Le a rning • G ra dua l im ple m e nta tion • S tude nt F e e db a c k • Moving forwa rd • Que s tions

Slide 3: B ackground to the study • C a rib b e a n P ro g ra m m e a t S h e ffie ld Unive rs ity s ta rte d (s tu de n t-le d ) in 1 98 9 • C u rre ntly o ve r 2 00 s tu d e n ts in Trin id a d & To b a g o a nd S t. Luc ia (C e rt., ME d , E d D & P h D) • Two o n e -we e k s tud y s c h o ols pe r ye a r, s up po rte d b y ph on e / m a il e c on ta c t • Ne e d to inte g ra te o n lin e le a rning • To e xpa nd s tude nt-tutor c onta c t • To a llow for b e tte r tra ining for loc a l tutors • To b uild c om m unity of pra c tic e a m ong dis pe rs e d (is la nd) c om m unity • To fa c ilita te s tude nt-le d inq uiry-b a s e d le a rning • …in a c onte xt-s e ns itive wa y!!

Slide 4: Inquiry-based L earning (IB L ) on the Caribbean Programme • fa c ilita te s c o lla b ora tive inq u iry b y s tud e n ts into th e ir own p ra c tic e a nd th e ir c o nte xt; • c h a lle n g e s s tu de n ts to q u e s tio n th e S ta tu s Quo a nd th e ro le of e du c a tion a l re s e a rc h in th e C a rib b e a n ; • s up p orts s tud e n ts in ide n tifying a s h a re d la n g u a g e a nd jo int e nte rp ris e (C o m m u n ity o f P ra c tic e (We ng e r, 1 99 8)) fo r th e ir e nviron m e n t; • p rovide s s tud e nts with th e ne c e s s a ry in form a tion lite ra c y s kills to fin d a n d u s e re s ou rc e s ne c e s s a ry to a c h ie ve th e a b o ve ; • u s e s n e tworke d le a rn in g to c re a te th e lin ks b e twe e n g ro up s , in d ivid ua ls a nd re s o urc e s to e n c ou ra g e IB L, re c o g n is ing s oc ia l id e ntity (R o u rke e t a l, 19 9 9).

Slide 5: Gradual Implementation

Slide 6: S tudent Feedback • C o m p u te r/ te rne t a c c e s s n ot e a s y, b u t p o s s ib le - in itia tive In • Ac c e s s to o nlin e ‘a c a d e m ic ’ re s o u rc e s a nd d is c us s io n s c o n s ide re d c um b e rs o m e (la c k of inform a tio n lite ra c y s kills ) • As ync h ro no us o ve r s yn c h ro n ou s c om m un ic a tio n • More s truc tu re d a pp ro a c h n e e de d to e n c ou ra g e inte r-is la nd c om m u nic a tion • In o rde r to inte g ra te ne two rke d le a rnin g fully, tim e n e e d s to b e d e d ic a te d to tra in ing , a nd to o c c u r e a rly/ a rlie r in de g re e e • ‘Hoo ks ’ n e e de d to e n tic e s tu de n ts to c om e on line • Divide d op in io n s re : a s s e s s m e n t

Slide 7: M oving forward • F a c e -to-fa c e h a lf d a y wo rks h o p fo r in fo rm a tion lite ra c y/ e two rke d n le a rning s kills • C o lla b ora tive inq uiry (E d u c a tion a l R e s e a rc h Mo d ule ) s up po rte d e xp lic itly th rou g h We b C T (in s m a ll wo rkin g g rou ps a s we ll a s e n tire c oh o rt) • As s e s s m e n t introd u c e d on p ortfo lio b a s is • ‘Hoo ks ’ in fo rm o f s truc tu re d d is c u s s ion s lo ts , s te pp e d a pp ro a c h to in fo rm a tio n lite ra c y, a n d e xa m ple s o f g oo d pra c tic e (a s s ig nm e nts ) o nline • Dis c u s s ion s c e n tre d a rou nd c o m m u nity o f p ra c tic e , p o s itio n a lity, e tc . – no t s u b je c t-s p e c ific , e n c o u ra g ing s tu de nts ’ IB L • …le a d in g to d e m a n d for s u p po rtin g dis c us s io ns o n lin e fo r e a c h m od u le .

Slide 8: Questions?

Slide 9: References & Contact Details • R o urke , L.; And e rs on , T.; G a rris o n , D. R . a nd Arc h e r, W. (1 9 99 ) “As s e s s ing s oc ia l pre s e n c e in a s yn c h ro no u s te xt-b a s e d c om p ute r c on fe re n c in g ”, Canadian J ournal of D istance E ducation, Vo l 14 , No. 2, pp 5 0-7 1 • We n g e r, E . (1 9 98 ) Communities of P ractice: Learning, Meaning and I dentity, C a m b ridg e Un ive rs ity P re s s , C a m b ridg e . • P ic ture o f S h e ffie ld s h own u nd e r C re a tive C o m m o ns Lic e nc e : h ttp :/ www.flic kr.c om / h o to s / e u ro tic _c a m e l/ 95 41 16 / / p n 4 • Dr S a b in e Little , C ILAS S , Unive rs ity of S h e ffie ld • E m a il: s .little @s h e ffie ld.a c .u k