This document discusses engaging learning experiences and eLearning. It outlines challenges with traditional lectures being disengaging and how eLearning aims to provide more interactive learning. Examples discussed include flipped classrooms, MOOCs, Khan Academy videos, adaptive learning, and using tools like mind maps, badges, and microlearning. The document also discusses using technology like conferencing software to enable interaction for distance learners and testing engaging learning techniques with diverse audiences.

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Engaging Learning experiences
For the ELIXIR eLearning Workshop
Pedro L. Fernandes
Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência

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Engaging Learning experiences
Outline
The need for engagement
Past and present experience:
●How they were inspired
●Examples

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For the individual learner
Learning is a
navigation experience
Instruction is
essentially
guidance to allow
for exploration

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Bioinformatics
The navigation
experience is a
hard challenge
for both
learners and
providers
Can we do it in a
formal class
environment?

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Learning in Lectures
A class at the University of Bologna, by Laurentius de Voltolina)
No guidance
No navigation
Total disengagement

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Formal Lectures
Low efficiency
No interaction
No engagement

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Training requires proximity to
ensure engagement
Proximity is relatively
easy to happen in small
learning environments
It is difficult to induce it in
distributed environments
- Geographical
- Time deferred

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Is eLearning the way out?
Quality eLearning is an option that requires area-specific design and
production methods.
Some are difficult, most are labour-intensive
It must be worth-while to opt for it
Underestimating the effort in choosing the design methods and
refining the production may easily result in bad quality products

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Is eLearning the way out?
The ongoing movement to transform learning encompasses
eLearning provision, but also distance learning, blended learning, etc.
Learner-centered provision is the target
Open Educational Resources are the modus faciendi
This transformation has most of its roots in the Connectivist learning
model started in the 1990's by George Siemens and Stephen
Downes, who were the creators of the first MOOC

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Connectivism
Connectivism is the integration of principles
explored by chaos, network, and complexity and self-
organization theories. Learning is a process that
occurs within nebulous environments of shifting core
elements – not entirely under the control of the
individual.
Learning (defined as actionable knowledge) can
reside outside of ourselves (within an organization or
a database), is focused on connecting specialized
information sets, and the connections that enable us
to learn more are more important than our current
state of knowing.
“Knowing Knowledge”, George Siemens 2006
http:www.elearnspace.org/KnowingKnowledge_LowRes.pdf
George Siemens
Stephen Downes

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Flipped Class
(Aaron Sams e Jonathan Bergman)
Flipped-Class, a model initially created in a high school, based
on integrally replacing lectures by videos and bringing home
assignments to the class for group problem solving under
supervision

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Flipped Class has spreaded
Aaron Sams in a class
The same techniques are applicable at all levels

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Peer Instruction
(Eric Mazur)
The MOOCs have also been inspired by the pioneering
work of Eric Mazur from Harvard , who noted that lectures
were very ineffective “one way” vehicles for information
delivery while education is (requires) a lot more

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Peer Instruction (Eric Mazur)
Education is knowledge provision, not information
transfer. It is much more about making good use
of the information out there (everywhere).
Successful teaching activity consist of facilitating
the sedimentation of connected concepts in the
brains of learners.
Traditional student performace indicators are
misleading. They measure the capacity to solve
problems by patter matching. They cannot
measure the understanding of concepts and the
capacity to make use of them.
In a good learning environment, learners become
optimally placed to provide learning to their peers.
“Peer Instruction: A User's Manual”, E.Mazur 1997
“Confessions of a Converted Lecturer" , video http://youtu.be/85m0n3fQHRc

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MOOCs
MOOC poster April 4, 2013 by Mathieu Plourde licensed CC-BY on Flickr

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MOOCs

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MOOC engagement patterns

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Distance Learning (Salman Khan )
● Salman Khan, started to share content freely in
short videos and created the Khan Academy

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Distance Learning (Salman Khan )
More than 7000 short videos; wide range of subjects;
assisted learning paths.

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Adaptive Learning
Knewton has started an innovative way of delivering learning content that is
adaptive
José Ferreira

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When is eLearning provision
worth the effort?
Large geographical dispersion of learners?
Modularization of content?
Asynchronous needs?
Seeking the benefits of interactivity?
Adaptable learning paths?
Recognition of learning achivements?

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eLearning in Bioinformatics
Training?
Highly diverse audiences, difficult to tailor
Most of the content is fast evolving
- complex planning
- high maintenance cost

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What can be done to set ELIXIR off
in the eLearning direction(s)
One may start gaining experience by using
engaging techniques and testing them with a
variety of audiences.
Some examples:
● Discussion rooms in distance learning
● Gamification / Interactive content
● Active instant feedback
● Dual audiences, remote training rooms

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Distance Learning with interaction
Medical School, University of
Porto
250 students, >200 distant
Challenge: keep the same level of
interaction for all students
regardless of location.
Challenge: production of
eLearning materials, interactive
quizzes, SCORM for LMS
Highlighted Achievement: ONLINE
discussion of clinical cases

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Distance Learning with interaction
Teach ECG interpretation
Small tutorials recorded in an
improvised studio
Learning path defined by an
overarching quizz

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Distance Learning with interaction
Teach auscultation
Learning tool with a graphical
torso and library of real sounds
Training achieved by memorising
sound patterns and locations,as
well as associated pathologies
Listening repeatedly as much as
needed

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Training with distant audiences
Traininrg Room in ??? Training Room in Oeiras, PT
Sound
Slides
White board
File sharing
Q&A + chat
Voting
Sound
Slides
White board
File sharing
Q&A + chat
Voting
Conferencing software
Bidirectional
Video Call
(Skype?)
<=><=>
<=>
Training
Assistant

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Software supported learning tools
Mind maps are being used to summarise recently
acquired knowledge and to provide inquiry tools

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Software supported learning tools
Mind maps, also to provide inquiry tools

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Software supported learning tools
Mind maps, also to provide inquiry tools

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Web-based feedback tools
On fixed or mobile platforms, indifferently

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Badges for recognition
Recording learner and
instructor achevements in the
form of an electronic token
Can be easily attached to Cvs
or job applications
Can be displayed publicly and
endorsed
Good experiences with Mozilla
Open Badges

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Microlearning
Breakdown of learning content so that it may fit
short videos with narration.
This is being experimented by modifying existing
training exercises
Tests with the new material will begin in early
2016.

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Distance and eLearning WS
For the last 5 years,a workshop to discuss the use
of technology in adult education and training has
been held in Oeiras, PT.
An informal research group has been created

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Bibliography

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Bibliography
E-LEARNING Provocateur
https://ryan2point0.wordpress.com/

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Thanks