E-Learning Research in Action Mark Bullen, Nargis Abraham, Glenn Pellegrin

TEK Initiative Technology-enabled Knowledge $25 million project to enhance teaching and learning Use e-learning to change and improve teaching Includes an applied educational research program Supports institutional strategy to stimulate applied research

Technology-enabled Knowledge

$25 million project to enhance teaching and learning

Use e-learning to change and improve teaching

Includes an applied educational research program

Supports institutional strategy to stimulate applied research

Applied Educational Research Goals of the program: To encourage faculty to reflect on their teaching and thus engage in continuous improvement by researching their own practice and the implementation of e-learning technologies and innovative teaching approaches. To sow the seeds of an e-learning research culture in an institution that does not have a tradition of educational research.

Goals of the program:

To encourage faculty to reflect on their teaching and thus engage in continuous improvement by researching their own practice and the implementation of e-learning technologies and innovative teaching approaches.

To sow the seeds of an e-learning research culture in an institution that does not have a tradition of educational research.

Challenges Getting buy-in and institutional support for applied educational research Creating a research culture Establishing and maintaining support systems to enable research

Getting buy-in and institutional support for applied educational research

Creating a research culture

Establishing and maintaining support systems to enable research

Action Research Examples Community of Practice Action Research Project Nargis Abraham “ Clickers” Action Research Project Glenn Pellegrin

Community of Practice Action Research Project

Nargis Abraham

“ Clickers” Action Research Project

Glenn Pellegrin

Community of Practice (CoP) Action Research Project CoP website to provide collaboration opportunities for English teachers in BCIT's pipeline programs in China and English teachers in Chile Action research objective: to explore Wenger's "communities of practice" concept using e-technologies Technology used - Quickplace

CoP website to provide collaboration opportunities for English teachers in BCIT's pipeline programs in China and English teachers in Chile

Action research objective: to explore Wenger's "communities of practice" concept using e-technologies

Technology used - Quickplace

Developing the Materials Building the website Deciding on content – subjects of interest to participants where find materials Creating Video materials Video to enable participants to observe a ‘typical’ BCIT class Created and posted on the CoP site Initial problems with access.

Building the website

Deciding on content –

subjects of interest to participants

where find materials

Creating Video materials

Video to enable participants to observe a ‘typical’ BCIT class

Created and posted on the CoP site

Initial problems with access.

Inviting Participants English teachers from China Email addresses were entered in the CoP members’ list Invitations to participate were sent via the CoP; no response was received Follow up via regular e-mail prompted some teachers to access the CoP English teachers from Chile 20 English teachers from Chile were included, to expand the membership and widen the discussion on English teaching Two teachers responded BCIT PELD instructors BCIT instructors were invited to serve as ‘experts’ Two instructors posted their introductions on the CoP.

English teachers from China

Email addresses were entered in the CoP members’ list

Invitations to participate were sent via the CoP; no response was received

Follow up via regular e-mail prompted some teachers to access the CoP

English teachers from Chile

20 English teachers from Chile were included, to expand the membership and widen the discussion on English teaching

Two teachers responded

BCIT PELD instructors

BCIT instructors were invited to serve as ‘experts’

Two instructors posted their introductions on the CoP.

Lessons Learned Individual Needs Motivation to participate Time available Directed discussion Technological challenges Access to participants creating user names and passwords for the CoP identifying e-mail alerts from junk mail Navigating the CoP – need for familiarity and expertise.

Individual Needs

Motivation to participate

Time available

Directed discussion

Technological challenges

Access to participants

creating user names and passwords for the CoP

identifying e-mail alerts from junk mail

Navigating the CoP – need for familiarity and expertise.

“Clicker” Action Research Project Peer Instruction … what and why? interactive instructional strategy large class sizes

Peer Instruction … what and why?

interactive instructional strategy

large class sizes

“Clicker” Action Research Project Clickers … what and why? Technology supports instructional strategy

Clickers … what and why?

Technology supports instructional strategy

“Clicker” Action Research Project “Concept Questions” … what and why? Questions that challenge student understanding

“Concept Questions” … what and why?

Questions that challenge student understanding

Challenges to Constructivist Method paradigm shift in learning / teaching efficiency encourage engagement / participation quality and effectiveness of questions Problem – quality of concept questions Investigation methodology Multiple sessions Variations / Reflection Item Response Theory

paradigm shift in learning / teaching

efficiency

encourage engagement / participation

quality and effectiveness of questions

Problem – quality of concept questions

Investigation methodology

Multiple sessions

Variations / Reflection

Item Response Theory

What’s to learn… study quality / effectiveness of questions identify student weaknesses identify question weaknesses reflect on minor variations of implementations identify most useful “engagement” questions based on IRT characteristic(s) of challenging questions  what makes a discussion question “good”?

study quality / effectiveness of questions

identify student weaknesses

identify question weaknesses

reflect on minor variations of implementations

identify most useful “engagement” questions based on IRT

characteristic(s) of challenging questions  what makes a discussion question “good”?

Initial Findings Participation / engagement Feedback to student / instructor Keep it simple Technology should be transparent Minimize load on student re: learning the technology Instructional reflection

Participation / engagement

Feedback to student / instructor

Keep it simple

Technology should be transparent

Minimize load on student re: learning the technology

Instructional reflection

Lessons Learned Engagement Motivation to participate Value of anonymity – back of class Difficulty of questions  ordering Repeating questions Ready to adapt Feedback provides valuable information on when students need additional guidance IRT provides view of question quality in terms of discrimination, difficulty and guessing

Engagement

Motivation to participate

Value of anonymity – back of class

Difficulty of questions  ordering

Repeating questions

Ready to adapt

Feedback provides valuable information on when students need additional guidance

IRT provides view of question quality in terms of discrimination, difficulty and guessing