Active Learning

Active Learning

Or

from e-learning to c-learning

(ref: www.futurelab.org.uk 2006 . “social software and learning”)

Shrewsbury College of Arts and Technology. September 2008

Kevin Brace. HE Co-ordinator.

West Midlands RSC

Key E = enhanced C = collaborative

What we will cover

PART 1.0

Back to basics

Define: Active learning

Research - pros & cons

Active learning ideas

Break from me

Over 2 U: active learning in practice

PART 2.0

Active learning tools

Where next?

Pedagogy – shift_required

Where we are! / where are we? Edited using http://www.picnik.com/

e-learning learning

e-learning can provide :

opportunities for student-centred and collaborative working

change from power over learners to “power of the learners”

Back 2 basics But does student centred just mean cut & paste? It should mean deeper , reflective learning. Ref : Oleg Liber & J. Judges. 2007 Technology supported learning

REF: Choosing and using a learning platform . Geoff Minshull & Bob Powell Back 2 basics Three main functions of a VLE Resources .e.g. NLN materials Tracking, assessment, links with registry data Email, forum, IM, chat, wiki, glossary These two are more complex to set up & manage and therefore rarely used, sadly :O( SIMPLE COMPLEX MOODLE Mostly communications Mostly management Mostly content

Active learning is an umbrella term that refers to several models of instruction that focus the responsibility of learning on learners. REF: calstatela.edu/dept/chem/chem2/active DEFINE : Active learning Active learning is anything other than passive listening to the lecturer. REF: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Active_learning

DEFINE : Active learning active creative engage social network Communities (of practice) Web 2.0 motivate communicate constructivism connected reflect learner Learner centred autonomous pedagogy Shift – learning 2.0 collaborate Build / construct/ knowledge expectations environment share facilitate enable Peer teach/review enjoy positive Deeper / critical participate doing

learners work in pairs,

discuss materials while playing , debate ,

engage in case study ,

take part in cooperative learning ,

or produce short written exercises, etc.

As review methods for checking learning or to contextualise new ideas.

A class discussion may be held in person or in an online environment.

A think-pair-share activity is when learners take a minute to ponder the previous lesson, later to discuss it with one or more of their peers, finally to share it with the class as part of a formal discussion. It is during this formal discussion that the instructor should clarify misconceptions.

A short written exercise that is often used is the "one minute paper." This is a good way to review materials.

Active learning exercises REF: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Active_learning One university is using Wikipedia to assess 1 piece of student work. Undergrad’s are tasked to compose a peer reviewed Wikipedia entry. They are assessed on it’s composition , accuracy, and scope of references. Students can peer review other entries.

Motivational & web exemplars http://www1.umn.edu/ohr/teachlearn/tutorials/active/resources/index.html

Research pros & cons http://tallblog.conted.ox.ac.uk/index.php/2007/03/16/some-real-data-on-web-20-use/ 1369 respondents – Oxford 2007 – were aware of online learning Collaborative work? Collaborative ? Collaborative ?

Research pros & cons David White, JISC funded ‘SPIRE’ project 2007 No idea!! – a bit like the myth of digital natives!

Motivational learning DVD from the academy HE in FE advisors

Crosswords to recap/revise

Speed-dating – face to face asking questions from sheet in quick succession

Dancing to remember important facts

Karaoke to recap on precious lessons

Making a yearbook (using publisher)

Recording achievement using Photostory

Sharing ideas in pairs / groups

Promoting best practice form student work

Role play / discuss case studies for recap of difficult concepts

BREAK FROM ME

Over 2 U – active learning in practice

5 min’s in small groups collating ideas.

You are the experts, not me. You are doing it already?

Discuss how could your current practice be moved to the online domain? Wiki, blog, Moodle, Web 2.0, etc.

PART 2.0 http://teachweb2.wikispaces.com/GoogleDocs Active learning tools

Moodle

Wikis

This video will help explain the concept:

MOODLE MOODLE VLE. based on the pedagogy of social / collaborative learning. Online communities of practice. REF: http://edutechwiki.unige.ch/en/Socio-constructivism A Wiki that can automatically create images from the subheadings! Useful for visual learners or improving accessibility?

MOODLE You already have a suite of active learning tools at your disposal

MOODLE

Look at all of these “activities “ you can add to a module

Experiment with them all. You can’t break Moodle :oP

The Glossary works well.

The quizzes & surveys are fun

The new database tool allows ease of adding images

Get the students to create the resources and review them

The group tool allows peer review.

Possibilities are endless, but you must keep control and keep it live, focussed and fun.

Moodle was created to promote creative and collaborative learning.

wiki

http://wiki.rscwmsystems.org.uk/index.php/RSS

http://docs.google.com/#documents

http://staffordshireuniversity.pbwiki.com/Collaborative+working+online

http://www.library.ohiou.edu/subjects/bizwiki/index.php/Main_Page

http://rsc-elearn.pbwiki.com

http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Main_Page

http://tinyurl.com/3aeasw basic principles of making a wiki work in education, or some recent pointers

http://he.rscwmsystems.org.uk/wordpress/?p=232

Wikis : what & how

Ideas for Using Wikis to Support Learning

A teacher could post some key revision words for students to expand into definitions / pages.

Students could work in groups on collaborative documents such as a group report.

Course notes could be refined over the duration of the course by both students and teachers.

Students could research new topics and contribute their findings , thereby adding to course resources.

Teacher can start a writing prompt and have students add parts to create a comprehensive class writing activity.

A teacher could start a story and students could create links off it which would allow the story to follow different, interactive paths.

A wiki could be a great tool for collaboratively constructing answers to exam questions.

Creating a subject specific FAQ page for each cohort.

Wikis to Support Learning NoteMesh is a free service that allows college students in the same classes to share notes with each other. It works by creating a wiki for individual classes that users can edit. http://pbwiki.com/ http://www.backtoschoolchallenge.com/ http://www.dexmo.com/ Dexmo allows everyone to index and share knowledge on any academic subject, at any level and across countries. Members can vote content up or down, so the good content and members rise to the top. (in beta test stage) http://www.notemesh.com/

What’s hot?

Mike Wesch (Professor who uses Web 2.0) : the possibilities are endless. Mix and match the tools you want to use (most are free):

http://kev-brace.blogspot.com/2008/07/knowledge-able.html

JISC funded transformation project (one of the best I’ve EVER seen): TESEP – transforming teaching & learning by moving to a student centred pedagogy. Then choose the tools to suit.

http://www2.napier.ac.uk/transform/transformation_ie.htm

The JISC funded SPLICE project implemented social networking and collaborative wiki tools at Coleg Harlech

http://www.jisc.ac.uk/whatwedo/programmes/programme_elearning_capital/el_xinstit2/splice.aspx

Where next for us?

Models of best practice in collaboration for you to use

http://crusldi1.staffs.ac.uk/

Access the JISC pedagogic planner to help you adapt your current best practice in to the online domain:

http://phoebe-app.conted.ox.ac.uk

Want to use web 2.0 type tools? My recent ESCalate report + my shared web links :

http://escalate.ac.uk/4444

http://delicious.com/deliboy/web2.0

Where next for UK education? “ The starting point is therefore changes in pedagogy at module and programme level and in organisational process [in HE], NOT changes in tool use.” ...small incremental change s, i.e. reduce face to face time by 15 mins, replace this with the use of VLE. Ref: Richard Trigg : Warwickshire Colleges. Ref: Learning from digital natives: bridging formal and informal learning Trinder et al, 2008 . The Academy. + + + = student centred e-pedagogy