Collaboration: A pathway to empowerment through the PG Cert Blended and Online Education - Julia Fotheringham, Keith Smyth (Edinburgh Napier University) Presented at Moodlemoot Edinburgh 2014

1. Collaboration: A pathway to empowerment
through the PG Cert Blended and Online
Education
Julia Fotheringham and Keith Smyth
Edinburgh Napier University
MoodleMoot14

2. Outline of session
• Provide an overview of the PG Cert Blended and Online
Education, focussing on the different assessed
collaborative activities
• Explore the progression from basic use of Moodle
discussion boards to student-led seminars, and ultimately
to the development of a shared open-access professional
communities wiki
• Describe strategies for securing shared focus and active
participation from all group members

3. • The MSc BOE is a teaching and learning qualification for
educators seeking to develop their knowledge,
understanding and skills within their discipline in technology
enhanced environments
• As participants can exit after the Pg Cert, this development
has to be achieved within the three core modules of the
programme
• Work based qualification, delivered fully online
• Choice formative and peer assessment, reflection and feed
forward are essential components of the students’
experience
MSc Blended and Online Education (BOE)

4. http://staff.napier.ac.uk/services/academicdevelopment/TechBenchmark/Pages/home.aspx
Curriculum design underpinned
by 3E framework

5. The 3E Framework within the Pg Cert BOE

6. Enhance: Thought Discussions
We provide:
Links to journal articles and e-books
Clear guidance on participation
Assessment criteria

7. Assessment
• Based on participants submitting their choice of six
discussion posts (from across the Thought Discussions) to
be tutor-assessed against a set of criteria (summarised
below) that emphasise quality of contributions:
Criteria A Well written and made in a timely fashion
Criteria B Relevant to general themes of Thought Questions
Criteria C Draw on other participants' responses in a constructive way
Criteria D Demonstrate evidence of critical analysis and exploration of
concepts and ideas relevant to the general themes of the Thought Questions
Criteria E Supported where relevant by good use of current literature
• A reflective piece on their participation that also involves
identifying areas for their own further learning

8. We provide each seminar
group with:
Private group work discussion
space
Link to Blackboard Collaborate
Moodle Community server
seminar space
Extend: Student-led Seminars

9. This year’s Seminar topics:
• Feedback
• Retention of Online
Learners
• MOOCs and Badges
• Gamification
Use of Moodle tools:
• Debates and polls
• Discussion
• Wiki
• Badges
• Mobile

10. Debate and polling

11. Extend: Student-led online seminars
Open access
tools
embedded in
Moodle
Cartoon strip
generator
Avatars: Voki
Padlet,
Animoto for
summary
Screencast:
Screenomatic

12. Assessment
Self and peer evaluation and assessment
Peer evaluation pro forma:
https://survey.napier.ac.uk/n/zzzca.aspx
Seminar design (including criteria relating to claritand
purpose of seminar objectives, quality of resources)
Moderation skills (e.g. tutor visibility and responsiveness,
peer interaction opportunities, encouraging critical thought)
Working together pro forma:
https://survey.napier.ac.uk/n/zzzcb.aspx

13. Moodle wiki for Professional
Communities activity

14. External wiki tool -
professional communities
Plus audio of reflective evaluation of relevance to
own practice and professional development

15. Strategies to enable and
ensure collaboration
Groups form around shared
interests
Opportunities for participant
choice around project focus
Learning contracts
Peer evaluation and peer
assessment of group working
Withholding of peer marks,
where peer evaluation is not
submitted

16. Learning contracts
• Chosen issues or topic
• How progress will be recorded
• Roles and responsibilities within the group
• Communication protocols amongst the group
and with the tutor
• Media
• Timescales

17. Lessons Learned?
• Clear written instructions for any activity
• Learning contracts for group activities
• For complex activities, break the assessment
down into bite size pieces
• Incorporate an element of peer assessment
• Tutors need to clarify and constantly review their
role in collaborative activities

18. Thank you
Keith Smyth
k.smyth@napier.ac.uk
Julia Fotheringham
j.fotheringham@napier.ac.uk