The document discusses embracing e-learning tools and technologies in higher education. It describes the author's role as an e-learning developer at a School of Pharmacy. It outlines some of the e-learning and blended learning courses offered as well as e-learning support provided. It also shares the results of a lecturer survey on perceptions of online learning which found that increased preparation time and lack of face-to-face interaction were seen as barriers. The presentation encourages management support, technical support, and curriculum development to help embrace these tools and technologies.
Connect More with peers in practice - Northern Ireland
1.
2. Enhancing digital capabilities NRC
libraries and digital learning
Angela Dynes, Library manager, Northern Regional College
Shannon Boyce, Digital instructional designer, Northern Regional College
21. Thank you for listening
Enhancing digital capabilities NRC
libraries and digital learning
Angela Dynes, Library manager
Shannon Boyce, Digital learning
instructional designer
Angela.dynes@nrc.ac.uk
16/06/2017 Enhancing digital capabilities NRC libraries and digital learning 21
Shannon.boyce@nrc.ac.uk
@AngelaDynes17
@shannonboyciee
26. How can an
authentic
understanding of the
student learning
experience be
gained
&
can this in turn
inform future
pedagogies &
learning space
design
38. “Putting my ideas across
in a group is something I
find difficult as I am quite
a shy person, I sometimes
believe my ideas are silly
and not worth putting
forward I learnt how to
work well within a group;
teamwork and
organisation were two
skills that I had improved
on within the sessions. I
developed listening skills
which were vital to
working with a group of
people and also just to
learn from each session
and stay engaged.“
42. Thank you for listening
@louoboyle
lm.oboyle@ulster.ac.uk
43.
44. Embracing e-learning tools and
technologies in Higher Education
Aideen Gibson, E-learning developer,
School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
45. Pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences
Embracing e-learning tools and technologies in Higher Education16/06/2017 450 20
46. Models of learning in Higher Education
16/06/2017 Embracing e-learning tools and technologies in Higher Education 460 20
47. Why now? Where are we going?
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48. E-learning and blended learning courses
»Two part-time post
graduate courses
»One full-time post
graduate vourses
»One part-time higher
level apprenticeship
Embracing e-learning tools and technologies in Higher Education16/06/2017 480 20
49. E-learning support in pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences
»Hardware and software
provision
»Office for digital
learning
»Department level
Embracing e-learning tools and technologies in Higher Education16/06/2017 490 20
50. My role as e-learning developer
Embracing e-learning tools and technologies in Higher Education16/06/2017 500 20
51. How lecturers perceive online learning
» Lecturer survey (School of
Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical
Sciences)
› 10 Likert style questions
› E-learning versus face-to-face
› Factors influencing adoption
› Barriers to adoption
Embracing e-learning tools and technologies in Higher Education16/06/2017 510 20
53. General attitudes to online learning
»Which of the following factors would influence you to
teach online undergraduate degree courses?
Embracing e-learning tools and technologies in Higher Education16/06/2017 53
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
1
2
3
4
0 20
54. General attitudes to online learning
16/06/2017 Embracing e-learning tools and technologies in Higher Education 54
»Which of the following would you regard as a barrier
to teaching online undergraduate degree courses?
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Increased preparation time
Lack of student participation
Lack of face-to-face interactions
Asynchronous discussions (not taking place at the same time)
Slow internet
Increased time requirements (contact hours)
0 20
55. General attitudes to online learning
16/06/2017 Embracing e-learning tools and technologies in Higher Education 55
»Which of the following would you consider to be
a personal barrier to teaching online undergraduate
degree courses?
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Limited professional development accreditation
Lack of familiarity
Lack of continuity
Lack of confidence
no answer
0 20
56. Encouraging engagement and improving digital capabilities
16/06/2017 Embracing e-learning tools and technologies in Higher Education 56
Staff
Engagement
with
E-Learning
Appreciation
– Awareness
of being
valued
Commitment
– Goes above
and beyond
Alignment –
Values and
goals aligned
with
organisation
Contribution
– Actively
embracing
tools and
technologies
0 20
58. Technical support
16/06/2017 Embracing e-learning tools and technologies in Higher Education 58
Digital office
E-learning
developer
Information
services
0 20
62. Embracing e-learning tools and technologies in Higher Education16/06/2017 62
It isn’t easy but it’s worth it!
0 20
63. jisc.ac.uk
Contact me
Aideen Gibson
E-Learning Developer, School of
Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
a.gibson@ulster.ac.uk
@aideengibson
16/06/2017 Embracing e-learning tools and technologies in Higher Education 63
Angela (manages the library service for NRC) and Shannon who is one of our digital instructional designers.
This presentation focuses on collaboration between the library and digital team and how their thoughts and ideas came together to enhance digital capabilities. – 5 secs left/20
We came together last summer to work on this project. This was to improve upon the e-
Learning software that we had previously used to deliver our library inductions. The old library induction was out of date and we had been using it for a number of years.
We wanted to enhance our learner’s digital literacy skills through this new e-learning tool. - 3 secs left /20
The previous library induction was e-learning based with limited functionality e.g. learners where able to move onto different sections of questions without completing the previous set of questions. To answer the activities within the e-learning object learners had to watch a Prezi presentation. This seemed to be too much information for the users to remember.
To overcome the problem of switching between 2 software packages and to avoid user attention span being lost, we had to come up with a solution. Shannon suggested creating an e-learning object via Adobe Captivate. This would enable us to include all of the features that we desired within the one package as well as additional functionality.
We needed to break the information down to make content more manageable for our learners. New digital software became available that would provide us with the solution. As well as this a new team was brought together within the College called the Digital Learning Management team. This allowed the collaboration of information management and digital content skills to be brought together.
The libraries induction e-learning tool provides students with the chance to interact in a variety of ways while at the same time learning about the services the library has to offer. The user can learn by completing quizzes and games and the learning object caters for all learning styles e.g. there is voice over for auditory learners, interaction for kinaesthetic learners etc. – exactly 20sec
The library induction is module based. When the user enters the induction they have to complete each section before moving on to the next. There are 4 modules that provide information. To ensure the users are understanding the information provided, there is a knowledge test of 4 to 5 questions at the end of each section. As the students complete each section a green tick will appear.
The key features include:
Modular sections that must be completed before moving to the next module
Games to encourage students to interact
Quiz questions at the end of every section – all questions must be passed before moving on to the next topic
Overview of quiz results at the end of induction
Voice over throughout the induction to minimise accessibility barriers
As Angela already mentioned the library induction was created with software called Adobe Captivate. I had experience using this from projects that I had previously worked on. When Angela met with the digital learning team, we showed her a few sample projects created on different software packages and she felt that Adobe Captivate would be the most effective solution.
We used a range of communication techniques such as: Lync, face-to-face meetings and constant email updates.
Parallel development was used to allow us to work on the induction at the same time enabling us to meet our target deadlines.
Angela designed the content, wrote the script, performed voiceover and I developed the images, edited the voice narration and created the SCORM package.
Audacity audio software was used to create and edit the induction voiceover. We used this software by recording the voice over into a microphone which was linked to the software. The recording was then edited by removing unwanted narration, noise interference, and to amplify sound when necessary. The sound file was then exported and added to the library induction captivate file.
When testing the software and during the launch we encountered the following issues:
There were compatibility issues with the browser Internet Explorer as it would not display the induction correctly and users could not play the games included within the induction. Some staff members were reluctant to try new software but with the help and support of Angela and the Digital Learning Team they came around.
As Internet Explorer would not display the induction correctly, we were able to temporarily change the default browser to Google Chrome, this enabled full functionality. We were also able to use online rooms for users to complete the induction and to cater for different accessibility needs. This will be revised for the next academic year to ensure a permanent solution is reached.
After completion of the learning object we invited students to take part in a short online survey to gain feedback. We received a significant number of responses however, some of the initial sessions ran over time which meant that in some cases feedback could not be completed. The feedback that we did receive was very beneficial and effective for future developments.
These screenshots are examples of the type of questions we asked along with the statistics. On the whole the responses were generally positive. Most students thought the induction was fun, easy to understand, and useful. However, some responses indicated a need for improvements for example…One response we received was quite worrying as it suggested we were not actually catering for all accessibility needs.
This screen indicates that the learner could not read the red writing causing them difficulty when completing the induction. To overcome this we met with our Educational Support Team and they suggested installing a program called Coloured screen overlay which is part of my study apps – This application caters for individuality and enables T-bar screen masking.
We are currently using the feedback from the survey for the forthcoming academic year
New features will include: Short video clips, LibGuides, and new interactive features.
Changes will be made to increase engagement with the services and resources the library offers as well as supporting the blended learning process as the college moves towards a more digital based curriculum.
As a way of increasing engagement with our digital resources we have developed a page on the college’s Digital Learning Environment called NRC LibGuides. This has recently been piloted to selected staff and students across a range of curriculum areas. It will be launched this September and incorporated into our library webpage as well as our new and improved library induction.
NRC LibGuides provides students and staff with everything they need to know about the library. It is an easier way for students to search the library catalogue and find useful help guides. For example on e-books, e-databases as well as any library workshops or events taking place. The inter-library loan service feature allows users to request items online when convenient.
Thank you for taking the time to listen to us we hope you have enjoyed this presentation. If you have any questions or require further information please feel free to contact either one of us by email or Twitter. Details are on screen now.
This presentation has been pre-recorded and uploaded to YouTube.
a case study examining the pressures to adopt elearning tools and technologies and apply them to a subject area which is traditionally reknowned for long hours spent learning in lecture theatres, labs and other practical spaces with a lot of face-to-face interaction with lecturers and fellow learners.
For the last 2 decades the face of education has been changing in schools, FE, HE. We all know the reasons for this change but what I would like to focus on today is the particular pressures to change and the direction that these changes are going in the school that I work in – why is it so important that they change at this particular time and the direction that they are moving in with these changes.
pressures to change and the direction that these changes are going in the school that I work in – why is it so important that they change at this particular time and the direction that they are moving in with these changes. Mostly financial – need more students, funding opportunities are changing – grants with other educational partners, Apprenticeships, possible students abroad
pressures to change and the direction that these changes are going in the school that I work in – why is it so important that they change at this particular time and the direction that they are moving in with these changes. Mostly financial – need more students, funding opportunities are changing – grants with other educational partners, Apprenticeships, possible students abroad
Their efforts appreciated and valued – peer to peer learning
They see the point and go above and beyond – for students
They understand the goals – curriculum dev and campus talks
Uptake of tech and general usage
Intro
What is ALT
Aim 1 – from Strategy
Aim #2
Aim #3 –bring attention to the professional recog bit (remind them that Clare will talk about that later) – and then on to the local members group
Our group, has been established, but it is small –
Our aim is to - support the activities of ALT Members in Northern Ireland in line with ALT’s strategic aims;
share ALT’s values of being participative, open, collaborative, innovative, inclusive and transparent;
run activities including, for example, events, discussions or social activities to help collaboration and networking in Northern Ireland;
actively and regularly share information about its activities;
welcome and encourage new members from across Northern Ireland;
where possible to support each other in relation to CMALT;
with participation from ALT Trustees and staff represent ALT Members in policy matters in Northern Ireland.
So how can you get involved:
ALT membership – discounts for conferences, access to forums and mailing lists – can apply for CMALT
If you're a member, you can join the ALT NI Members group. Network with other LT professionals, share good practice, create a support for CMALT,
What's in it for you –create a network of people involved in learning technology across NI – learn from each other and support each other – so thatwe are greater thanthe sum of our parts.