Second Open Education Handbook BooksprintMarieke Guy
Slides for the second booksprint for the Open Education Handbook. It is being organised in collaboration with the LinkedUp Project, Wikimedia Deutschland and Creative Commons. Event held on Friday 22nd November 2013 at the Wikimedia Deutschland, Berlin.
Incorporating social media in the classroom to support self-determined (heuta...Lisa Marie Blaschke
Social media has become more ubiquitous within higher education and can play an important role in helping students become more self-determined in their learning and in building and sustaining a personal learning network (PLN) throughout their studies and beyond. This lecture will provide a framework for defining and choosing social media for use in the classroom, based on using a heutagogical (self-determined learning) approach to course design. The lecture will also demo a variety of ways for incorporating social media such as Twitter, e-portfolios, mind-mapping, GoogleDocs, and Diigo within the classroom.
Heutagogy: Changing the Playing Field (ICDE Pre-Conference Workshop)Lisa Marie Blaschke
Pre-Conference Workshop at the ICDE 2015 World Conference. How will heutagogy change the playing field? An introduction to heutagogy -- the study of self-determined learning -- and an exploration of the potential impact this learning and teaching approach has to influence our education systems.
Planning For And Supporting Productive Online InquiryJulie Coiro
How are online reading comprehension practices integrated into classroom instructional routines? In this session, Julie explains how curriculum-based information challenges and performance-based online reading comprehension measures can be used to capture the skills and practices of more and less skilled online readers. Then, she reviews practical examples of how to support elementary and secondary students as developing online readers using a model of Internet Reciprocal Teaching. She also shares research-based ideas for how to move readers through three phases of online inquiry while fostering higher-level thinking, critical evaluation, productive dialogue, and skillful argumentation practices across all grade levels.
Second Open Education Handbook BooksprintMarieke Guy
Slides for the second booksprint for the Open Education Handbook. It is being organised in collaboration with the LinkedUp Project, Wikimedia Deutschland and Creative Commons. Event held on Friday 22nd November 2013 at the Wikimedia Deutschland, Berlin.
Incorporating social media in the classroom to support self-determined (heuta...Lisa Marie Blaschke
Social media has become more ubiquitous within higher education and can play an important role in helping students become more self-determined in their learning and in building and sustaining a personal learning network (PLN) throughout their studies and beyond. This lecture will provide a framework for defining and choosing social media for use in the classroom, based on using a heutagogical (self-determined learning) approach to course design. The lecture will also demo a variety of ways for incorporating social media such as Twitter, e-portfolios, mind-mapping, GoogleDocs, and Diigo within the classroom.
Heutagogy: Changing the Playing Field (ICDE Pre-Conference Workshop)Lisa Marie Blaschke
Pre-Conference Workshop at the ICDE 2015 World Conference. How will heutagogy change the playing field? An introduction to heutagogy -- the study of self-determined learning -- and an exploration of the potential impact this learning and teaching approach has to influence our education systems.
Planning For And Supporting Productive Online InquiryJulie Coiro
How are online reading comprehension practices integrated into classroom instructional routines? In this session, Julie explains how curriculum-based information challenges and performance-based online reading comprehension measures can be used to capture the skills and practices of more and less skilled online readers. Then, she reviews practical examples of how to support elementary and secondary students as developing online readers using a model of Internet Reciprocal Teaching. She also shares research-based ideas for how to move readers through three phases of online inquiry while fostering higher-level thinking, critical evaluation, productive dialogue, and skillful argumentation practices across all grade levels.
This slideshow displays examination of the role of on-line Community of Practice (COP) in order to enhance professional development of ELT teachers. It argues the effectiveness of social virtual collaboration to meet the emerging educational challenges presented by new technologies. It was presented at IATEFL 2013 Liverpool
Peeragogy presentation for E3Tech Conference July 28 - July 29
The purpose of Peeragogy and how we can successfully use new platforms and technologies with peer learning strategies to impact the way students learn
Create Community With Web 2.0 Tools
Participants will learn to use Web 2.0 tools to build a sense of community; provide value to staff, faculty, students, and alumni; and reap benefits from communities and groups.
What is Moodle - Explained with Lego (updated Mar 2010)Tomaz Lasic
Slight update of the original presentation. As the title says... Moodle explained as Lego.
Enjoy and feel free to use and share for non-commercial purposes.
Tomaz Lasic
http://tomazlasic.net
Twitter @lasic
This slideshow displays examination of the role of on-line Community of Practice (COP) in order to enhance professional development of ELT teachers. It argues the effectiveness of social virtual collaboration to meet the emerging educational challenges presented by new technologies. It was presented at IATEFL 2013 Liverpool
Peeragogy presentation for E3Tech Conference July 28 - July 29
The purpose of Peeragogy and how we can successfully use new platforms and technologies with peer learning strategies to impact the way students learn
Create Community With Web 2.0 Tools
Participants will learn to use Web 2.0 tools to build a sense of community; provide value to staff, faculty, students, and alumni; and reap benefits from communities and groups.
What is Moodle - Explained with Lego (updated Mar 2010)Tomaz Lasic
Slight update of the original presentation. As the title says... Moodle explained as Lego.
Enjoy and feel free to use and share for non-commercial purposes.
Tomaz Lasic
http://tomazlasic.net
Twitter @lasic
An attempt to explain Moodle to our staff or anyone else by using an analogy with modular Lego bricks.
Background details and accompanying video clip available at: http://tomazlasic.net
Free to use, translate and share for non-commercial purposes.
Enjoy
Tomaz Lasic
http://tomazlasic.net
Twitter @lasic
Personal learning environments brenton dass 201225820Brenton Dass
I was truly inspired by the works of many if the collaborators when we were asked to compile this presentation in one of the modules for first semester I didnt hesitate to make use of their excellent depictions of a personal learning network
Digital learning strategies to embed in the curriculumJune Wall
Using a digital literacy continuum, learn how to map an existing unit of work to identify learning skills and teaching strategies for students.Consideration as to how a unit can be developed using backward design to embed digital literacy
With our rapidly increasing and instantaneous access to information, it can be difficult to help people slice through the “data smog” and become fluent with information while critically assessing its value and purpose. This webinar introduces a variety of technical resources and research tools, and provides tips to help make learning more meaningful, engaging, and relevant, with the ultimate goal of providing learners with opportunities to create something new and exciting. The end goal is to help learners enrich their lives by constructing a personal learning environment, online or face-to-face, that is conducive to information discovery, sharing, and lifelong learning.
4. Social Constructionism
Argues that the authority of knowledge ultimately
derives from a "knowledge community" of people
who agree about the truth.
…people's ideas are ultimately given meaning by
their social context. (Warmoth, 2000)
5.
6. Easy, like an email
attachment. But
can your doc
stand on its own?
Yes. Only teachers
can upload files to
course site. So
definitely a push-
tool.
Maybe. Use to
give task. Collect
student files
through Forum or
Assignment.
No. It’s a
distribution tool.
No option for
interaction or
communication.
Maybe. Use to
give task. Collect
student files
through Forum or
Assignment.
None.
This is not a
learning activity,
but information
transfer.
Add Resource
Upload a file
(Word Document/
PowerPoint)
Ease of use
How easy can this
be set up by you?
Information
Transfer
Is it a tool for
disseminating
information from
you to your
students?
Assess learning
Will this tool
allow you to
assess your
students’
learning?
Communication
& interaction
Can it be used for
communication &
interaction
among
participants
(you & your
students)?
Co-create
content
Can you & your
students
collaborate &
create content
together?
Bloom’s
Allows what
thinking order?
•Remember
•Understand
•Apply
•Analyse
•Evaluate
•Create
Moodle Tool Guide for Teachers
Easy. It’s a
standard forum ,
already set up in
your course.
Yes. Include
course updates,
encouragement,
timely links, etc.
No. The News
Forum is limited.
Students cannot
post new topics.
You can start new
topics. Students
respond. Great for
establishing
course rhythm.
Limited because
students cannot
start new topics.
Tip: Set up
another Forum.
2/6
Not strictly
learning activity.
Test readiness for
next class? R & U
News Forum
Use to send out
course
announcements
Easy. Forum has
usable default
settings. A name
& description is
enough.
Share resources
as links or files.
High message
volume? Risk of
losing info.
Forum is versatile
& allows this, e.g.
design a formative
assessment
activity.
Yes. Students
communicate with
you & peers.
Interact as a class
or in groups.
Yes. Students can
collaborate &
explore topics,
discuss them &
write together.
5/6
Understand,
Apply, Analyse,
Evaluate, Create
Discussion Forum
Use for many
types of learning
activities *
Tricky. Decide on
individual & group
settings. Has
some quirks. Get
some training.
Yes. Use as
information site.
Allow editing only
by teachers or by
any participant.
Wiki is versatile &
allows this, e.g.
design a formative
assessment
activity.
Not suited for
discussions. Use in
brainstorming,
planning, collabo-
rative writing,…
Yes. Students can
collaborate &
explore topics,
discuss them &
write together.
5/6
Understand,
Apply, Analyse,
Evaluate, Create
Wiki
Use for many
types of learning
activities
Joyce Seitzinger (@catspyjamasnz / www.cats-pyjamas.net) - May 2010 www.eit.ac.nz
How to use this guide
Are you a teacher new to Moodle? Use this
guide to pick the right tool for the job.
•Know which tool you want to use? Follow
its row across to see its strengths &
weaknesses.
•Know what you want to achieve? Pick a
column and follow it to see which tool will
help you do it.
*Be creative with Discussion Forums
It doesn’t always have to be an in-depth
class discussion. Other activity ideas: class
debate, team discussions, report weekly
project findings, web quests, role play &
feedback, gather resources & reviews,
assessment support, Helpline, NZ’s Got
Talent (use the rating), rotated student-led
discussions, weekly magazine,…
Need more Moodle help?
•Moodle community at www.moodle.org
•Download Using Moodle book (it’s free!)
•@lasic’s 2 Minute Moodles videos
•@moodleman blog: www.moodleman.com
•Go meet your friendly e-learning, flexible
learning or educational technology team.
Buy them a coffee!
Great fit
Can work w/ some
learning design
Not best tool for
the job
Default settings
are good. Try to
set it so the
author’s name is
shown.
Use glossary to
define terms or
present info.
Better yet, let the
students add to it.
Glossary is
versatile & allows
this. But you need
to design the right
learning activity.
Not suited for
discussions.
Students can read
other entries &
comment or rate.
Only original
author can edit an
entry. Class can
collect reviews,
resources, etc
5/6
Understand,
Apply, Analyse,
Evaluate, Create
Glossary
Use for learning
activities that
gather resources
or present info
What you want to
achieve (pedagogy)
Whatyouwantto
use(technology)
Tricky & takes
time. Set up quiz,
then questions.
Consider your
categories.
The quiz is aimed
at assessment,
not as distribution
channel. Tip: use
as self-test.
Quiz can be timed
& secure. Has
essay, mc, true/
false, matching, &
other questions.
No. Tip: Use
forums instead.
No. Tip: Use
forums or wikis
instead.
6/6
Can test all 6 but
this requires you
to be creative in
your assessment.
Quiz
Use to assess
learning,
formative or
summative.
It can be tricky to
set up, make sure
you plan the
lesson first. Worth
the effort.
Great for
presenting
information in a
branched, guided
way.
Yes, allows
grading. Use as
branched quiz,
scenario, case
study, role play.
No this is an
individual activity,
not a group
activity.
No this is an
individual activity,
not a group
activity.
6/6
Can test all 6 but
this requires you
to be creative in
your assessment.
Lesson
Use for presenting
branched info or
testing
Tricky to set up.
Know what you
want before you
build. Get some
training.
Can be used for
teacher to present
info, but better to
let the students
add to it.
Database is
versatile & allows
this. But you need
to design the right
learning activity.
Not suited for
discussions.
Students can read
other entries &
comment or rate.
Students can
share info & files
in searchable way.
Create joint
collections.
5/6
Understand,
Apply, Analyse,
Evaluate, Create
Database
Allow students to
collect, share &
search created
artifacts
Easy, find the web
address (aka url –
the bit that starts
with http://), copy
it, paste it.
Very easy way of
leading students
to information.
Can link directly to
database articles.
Not directly.
Option is to link to
external student
e-portfolios or
blogs.
Maybe. Link to
external tools eg
Google Calendar,
groups, blogs or
wikis.
Maybe. You can
link to external
collaborative sites
e.g. Google Docs,
wikis or blogs.
6/6
Can do all of the
above, depending
on where you link
to.
Add Resource
Link to a web page
Easy. Choose from
4 types. Both
online & offline
assignments are
possible.
No. The
assignment tool is
not a distribution
channel.
Yes. Set due dates
& maximum
grades. Collect
assignments and
provide feedback.
No. Only allows
very limited
interaction
between teacher
& student.
No. Currently it
does not allow
group
assignments. Use
forum or wiki .
6/6
Indirectly.
Depends on your
assessment
design.
Assignment
Use to collect,
assess & provide
feedback on
assignments
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19. Why e-portfolios?
“E-portfolios are supposed to serve three purposes:
assessment, showcase, and learning” (Greenburg,
2004, p. 1).
“e-portfolio-based learning as a complex process of
planning, synthesising, sharing, discussing,
reflecting, giving, receiving and responding to
feedback” (Gray, 2008, p. 8).
31. “The TEC‐VARIETY framework purposely takes
into account current trends at the intersection of
motivation‐related theories, new educational
affordances brought about by emerging
technologies such as the Web 2.0, and shifting
perspectives on teaching and learning” (Bonk &
Khoo, 2012, p. 6).
32. What is Web 2.0?
Transforms the web from static information transfer to
interactive, collaborative, social, and creative.
“the internet viewed as a medium in which interactive
experience, in the form of blogs, wikis, forums, etc, plays a
more important role than simply accessing information” The
World English Dictionary
45. Conclusion
Use instructional design models and newer models like the TEC-
VARIETY model to make intentional choices about technologies used
Be creative and push the boundaries of what a technology can do, don’t
settle for core but extend what is offered both technically and
pedagogically
Provide a personal learning experience for students that gives them
more take aways than just completed assessment tasks
Help students develop lifelong learning skills and a passion for
continuing learning
46. Conclusion
Be clear on your purpose for implementing something and how
Engage your students and motivate them, learning can be fun
Be willing to explore what is available on the web, what applications
could extend the e-learning experiences you design
47. Anderson, J. and McCormick, R. (2005). Ten Pedagogic Principals of E-learning, Observatory for
New Technologies and Education. Retrieved October, 2012, from
http://www.xplora.org/ww/en/pub/insight/thematic_dossiers/a
rticles/quality_criteria/equality2.htm
Warmoth, A. (2000). Social Constructionist Epistemology. Retrieved November, 2012, from
http://www.sonoma.edu/users/w/warmotha/epistemology.html
Bruner, J. S. (1966). Toward a theory of instruction (Vol. 59). Belknap Press.
Smith & Ragan (1993) cited in Khan, B. H. (Ed.). (1997). Web-based instruction. Prentice Hall.
Driscoll, M. P., & Driscoll, M. P. (2005). Psychology of learning for instruction. Retrieved
November, 2012, from http://courses.ceit.metu.edu.tr/ceit627/week2/driscoll-ch10.pdf
Ary, D., Jacobs, L. C., Razavieh, A., & Sorensen, C. (2009). Introduction to research in education.
Wadsworth Publishing Company. Retrieved November, 2012, from
http://www.unconline.edu/current/grad/GradDocs/Spring%202012/SCED_600_Sexton_3.12.pdf
48. Image References
Portfolio images from Gray, L. (2008). Effective Practice with e-Portfolios.
Supporting 21st century learning, (p.38-39). JISC Innovation Group.
Retrieved October, 2012, from http://www.eife-
l.org/publications/eportfolio/proceedings2/ep2008/presentations/Linda_GR
AY.pdf
Web 2.0 images License Some rights reserved by suzievesper
Editor's Notes
A framework for designing optimum elearning experiences, embedded in a sold foundation that is Moodle, enhanced with the personalisation of an e-portfolio, guided by the TEC-VARIETY model and extended with applications.
Moodle as the foundation of this framework provides a toolbox of resources and activities to set up elearning. Moodle is the only specific element of this framework because as an LMS it is open source, flexible and customisable in many ways. No one instance of Moodle is the same as institutions can customise it to suit there own individual needs. Moodle comes with a core setup and inclusion of certain resources and activities but each Moodle client can decide on the extra plugins and modules that can be used to extend the configuration. The potential goes beyond that in Moodle with the ability for Moodle users to write plugins that can continue extending the teaching and learning opportunities in Moodle. Unfortunately, many institutions and schools do not harness the potential of Moodle and use it at its very basic level and use it as nothing more than a content management system and not as it is intended, as a learning management system. The community of professionals who work with Moodle are one of the most influential and insightful that I’ve been a part of and sharing amongst the community is how many ppl learn to use Moodle to its full potential so get engaged more with the Moodle community, attend a MoodleMoot and make use of the forums on Moodle.org
This image illustrates the difference between Moodle and other open source platform which are fragmented modules for different teaching and learning purposes, whereas Moodle is made up of a core configuration and additional plugins and modules, as well as modifications made to settings, and then developed contiungly and shaped by course design and the contributions of the community.
Moodle offers much collaborative opportunity for both the instructor and the learner to build new knowledge and skills together. The nature of the Moodle resources and activities developed as core parts of Moodle, allow instructors to facilitate the building of new knowledge within a community of practice. The perspective of each individual within the learning context enhances the knowledge taken away by each member of the community because the meaning and significance of that information to one person may be completely different to another. Social constructionism is simply constructing new knowledge alongside others within a community.
In 2010, the Moodle Tool Guide for Teachers was developed by educational technologist Joyce Seitzinger to “compare the functionality and pedagogical advantages of some standard Moodle tools” (Seitzinger, 2010). The tool guide has been utilised by educational institutions all over the world, redesigned and redeveloped and even translated into other languages. It also shows that these Moodle modules help extend e-learning beyond simply using technology for information transfer to assessing student learning, facilitating communication, collaboration and the creation of content. Additionally, the Moodle Tool Guide for Teachers also details how Moodle facilitates higher order thinking, according to Bloom’s taxonomy providing more articulate explanation of how to extend an e- learning experience with Moodle.
When I worked at MQ, I discovered this tool and sort to customise it to suit the configuration that we had installed and how we wanted to use it. As a team, we decided on the key pedagogical areas of information transfer or providing information, feedback, assessment for learning, communication and collaboration and creation and it was hoped that this matrix would be a tool that training and support officers as well as online educational designers could use in design meetings with academics to help inform the choices they made about resources and activities used in their courses.
We slightly changed the key and colours and also provided links to our quick guides and workshop schedule as well.
When I worked at MQ, we went through many months of team discussions and planning to decide on the configuration we would install and run with. It involved discussions on the three Ss. The skin, structure and stuff. We had to make decisions about the overall design on our Moodle configuration which was the skin or template. The structure of Moodle concerned the blocks we fixed to the page and the course format, which was the collapsed topic format. The stuff in our three Ss was the resources and activities we would put into the drop-down menus for academics to use.These are some of the activities integrated into Moodle at Macquarie University and whilst I will not go into detail of each, they are key parts of how Moodle has extended the e-learning experience provided to students at MQ. Students were using Blackboard in the past and the most interaction they had with their learning online were some online quizzes. However, with the implementation of Moodle, academics started including more adventurous activities that provided a great deal more interactive opportunities.
In PLANE, we design our learning experiences a little differently. We do not utilise all of the resources and activities in Moodle but have utilised the flexibility of the HTML editor in Moodle to implement our own set of icons and learning design. In this example, the icons are linked to a learning/content page or to the Mahara group or a feedback activity.
In this example, PLANE is using a different course format and embedding a YouTube video. One of the great things about Moodle is the easy way in which videos and other multimedia can be embedded within labels and pages using the HTML editor. This allows instructors the opportunity to extend the variety of ways that information is presented in. Learners can even embed videos and other multimedia within their own spaces and activities such as forums, wikis and databases thanks to the HTML editor. This kind of opportunity for learners to share resources they may have found is what Moodle is all about and it allows learners to go beyond simply learning to sharing, collaborating and giving back to the community.
E-portfolios are personal opportunities to do something more with what is learned. It extends the output developed by the learner, giving them more to show for their e-learning experiences. In my own learning experiences online, I love to go back to my blog as soon as I can and reflect on what I have learned and how I can use it in the future. Whenever I’ve done an online course such as Dr Bonk’s MOOC on Instructional Ideas and Technology Tools for Online Success, I will write about the key things I take away from the course and it helps me cement those ideas in my working memory and make sense of it more. My blog is a showcase of my learning by it is also sharing of knowledge and experiences I’ve had with others who may happen to read my blog. “E-portfolios are supposed to serve three purposes: assessment, showcase, and learning” (Greenburg, 2004, p. 1). E-portfolios are also designed to facilitate the collection of learning evidence, create a learner-centric experience and help students develop lifelong learning skills like critical thinking and problem solving (Jones, 2010; Tosh & Werdmuller, 2004; Lorenzo & Ittelson, 2005). E-portfolios facilitate a learning experience beyond knowledge and skill acquisition, in that they assist students in “career planning and CV building” (Tosh & Werdmuller, 2004, p. 1) and provide opportunities for students to conduct their own learning assessments. The integration of e-portfolios allows educational institutions to capture information about students that can be utilised in accreditation and assessment processes and procedures (Reese and Levy, 2009). E-portfolios also provide increased opportunity for reflection on learning, thus facilitating greater learner reflection on personal achievement.
The blind men and the elephant parable is an interesting metaphor that illuminates why confusion can occur for those new to e-portfolios. In various versions of the tale, a group of blind men (or men in the dark) touch an elephant to learn what it is like. Each one feels a different part, but only one part, such as the side or the tusk. They then compare notes and learn that they are in complete disagreement. This is similar to the different experiences different ‘users’ will have with e-portfolios – there is a need to gain an overview of these purposes in order to fully understand the potential of e-portfolios. Academics and instructors need this perspective to see how this can be applied across a range of contexts within the institution. Practitioners need to focus on the purpose or purposes for which they intend the e-portfolio to be used within their courses.
Whilst this image is very busy and full it is a great summary of how an e-portfolio might be integrated and used in e-learning, extending the experience offered to students. E-portfolios allow learners to collect digital artifacts to represent their e-learning experiences, resource they may have collected but also those they have created out of their new knowledge and skills. The e-portfolio can be carried on throughout different e-learning contexts and built on as new knowledge builds on background knowledge. E-portfolios are very personal experiences, with both great personal and professional rewards. Evidencing your learning in such a way will go towards career planning and the development of a comprehensive CV.
In Helen Barrett’s work entitled Balancing the Two Faces of e-portfolios she sums up two particular purpose in using an e-portfolio and how that impacts learners, how it is organised, what it looks like as a product and the results of this approach. Karen Barnstable (2010) has produced a great series of blog posts that outline different elements of creating e-portfolios. Her post entitled, “41 Benefits of an ePortfolio,” describes the benefits of e-portfolios from both a process and product perspective for Students, Educators, Employers or Corporate Companies. Some examples of benefits for students:…from the PROCESS:They will discover a valuable exercise in self assessment through the reflection processLearning will take on a new depth through the reflection processTheir self esteem and self-confidence will be enhanced as they take control of their learning. They may develop their own goals for their learning. Assessment of their learning may become more student centered; the learner is involved and authorized to make decisions about will be evaluated. They will receive more recognition for individual learning abilities and preferences.They will learn and begin to practice a process that will be used in life long and life wide learning pursuits.…from the PRODUCT:They will have a tool for personal development.They will have a personal learning record.They may receive credit for informal and non-formal learning as well as formal learning.They will have direction for career planning.They will have a tool for feedback from teachers and peers; feedback in the form of comments, as opposed to marks.They will have a concrete way of showcasing strengths to teachers or future employers.They may have needed documentation for prior learning assessment or program credits.They may receive credit towards a course completion or towards graduationThey will have an extremely portable tool to use no matter where they are in the world.The combination of both when implementing e-portfolios would certainly provide an e-learning experience extended beyond the traditional information transfer, activity and assessment model so widely used by institutions.
PLANE integratesMahara’s e-portfolio system with Moodle in a configuration unlike any other being implemented elsewhere. This video is a quick intro into how we use e-portfolios.
PLANE has taken advantage of the integration being utilised by many institutions, which enables Mahara e-portfolios to be linked directly with Moodle courses. PLANE makes extensive use of this integration by making it a mandatory requirement that teachers completing learning experiences within PLANE populate and reflect on an evidence page, which is a Mahara e-portfolio page. The purpose of this evidence page is to evaluate their learning outcomes against teaching standards to gain accredited hours of professional development. New Scheme Teachers with the NSW Institute of Teachers must complete 50 hours of accredited professional learning in the five years following their accreditation at professional competence (NSW IT, 2005) and PLANE has become the only Australian provider of broadly endorsed professional learning (PLANE, 2012), facilitated by the use of e-portfolios. This is a significant extension on e-learning. This is a group page made in PLANE using Mahara and it provides the necessary information for users to know what they must do in their portfolio and on their evidence pages in order to gain accredited professional learning hours for their learning within PLANE. Users can share their portfolio pages with the group for feedback as well as to collaborate and learn from each other. The e-learning experience that PLANE users have is extended through the self-reflection encouraged and through the steps taken to gain formal acknowledgement of the learning but even more so, it is extended when it is shared with the community and contributes to the overall learning achievements of the group.
The group forums are also a lively part of the e-portfolio system integrated into PLANE through Mahara and this continues to provide further collaborative opportunties for users to share their newly developed knowledge and skills.
Here you can see many of the ways users are guided to make use of the e-portfolio within PLANE learning experiences. Users are guided to reflect often and to add to their evidence page at key stages throughout their learning.
A colleague of mine who was played a key part in the development of PLANE’s Moodle and Mahara integration also designed and developed this course that takes a PLANE user step by step through the e-portfolio system and how to use it in their learning.
I first discovered this model in May of this year when I completed the MOOC run by Dr Curtis Bonk from Indiana State University called Instructional Ideas and Technology Tools for Online Success. This MOOC had a great impact on me and what I learned from it was significant. Dr Bonk shared a lot of his research including the R2D2 model and the TEC-VARIETY model. I found both of these models to be very practical and ways of designing instruction in the 21st century, designing e-learning experiences that cater for all learning types but that are focused on engagement and motivation as well. I am going to talk about both the TEC-VARIETY and applications elements of the META e-learning framework together as the TEC-VARIETY framework closely informs how an instructor might effectively integrate web 2.0 and mobile applications within e-learning experiences.Bonk was still in the progress of writing his book about the TEC-VARIETY model when I did the MOOC but kindly emailed me all complete chapters. In his book he details and explains 100+ activities for implementing the TEC-VARIETY model which he says “compartmentalises the Web into a few principles or ideas, that when combined, can powerfully boost the chances for online success”. The TEC-VARIETY model is concerned with engaging learners and keeping them motivated in the e-learning experiences. In writing the model, Bonk, and his colleague and co-author of the model Elaine Khoo, conducted research into how to motivate studnets online and raise their engagement levels and how to move away from the more traditional models to do so, providing more collaborative and reflective experiences
Tim O’Reilly of O’Reilly media coined the term web 2.0 in 2004 when the shift was being made in the development of applications that were provided information to applications that were provided opportunities for interactivity, collaboration and the higher order creation of new resources using knowledge developed.
The TEC-VARIETY model has 10 main principles, and it is based on a number of prominent psychological principles embedded in this model. The research conducted in corporate and military training as well as K-12 schools and higher education environments, by the authors of the model, indicates that each of these principles plays a key role in online learning success. Success occurs when learners feel that they know each other well. It also occurs when there is choice and flexibility in learning, when students take ownership over their learning, and when galleries of learner projects and products are on display for others to discuss and debate. Such environments are more hands-on, collaborative, and active (Kim & Bonk, 2006). TEC-VARIETY can guide and facilitate such educational transformations.
I’m going to go through each of the principles or elements that make up the TEC-VARIETY modeland share some of the technologies that can be utilised to implement the model. Many of the technologies are web 2.0 tools and are certainly not the only technologies and tools that can be used as the model is one open to interpretation and adaptation, with the expressed wish for this to happen shared in the book.
