The document discusses using new technologies to improve teaching and learning practices at Wellington Institute of Technology (WelTec). It describes the current situation of poor pedagogical practices and lack of engagement. The vision is for a more student-centered, blended learning approach. An action research model is proposed to evaluate technology use, improve reflective practice, and address deeper issues through small projects like creating lecture recordings ("pencasts") with smartpens, integrating iPads, and using document cameras. Early pilots show potential but more student involvement is needed in the following year.

1. 26 October 2011
Using new Technology as a vehicle to
effect changes in teaching and learning
practice
Colleen Hurley, James Mackay and Shane Taplin
Wellington Institute of Technology
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2. Changing Teaching and
Learning Practice
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3. The Current Situation at WelTec
• Poor pedagogical practice - different Learning
Styles - not interactive enough
• Student centred blended learning
• Lack of engagement with our Learning
Management System
• Lack of self confidence in using new technology
• Lack of self confidence in using new technology
• Poor reflective practice
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4. Our vision of Teaching and Learning
at WelTec
 Student Centred
 Classroom activity and/or problem based
 Blended learning environment
 Self paced mastery of material
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5. Our Model for Effecting Change
Using Action Research
 Evaluating the use of technology
 Improve reflective practice
– Learn to use diagnostic tests to understand student
problems
– Learn to initiate and become comfortable with change
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6. Why New Technology?
• Shifts the focus of the problem from deeper
issues of poor pedagogical practice to a surface
issue of mode of delivery
• Can then address deeper issues as part of a
wider project
• Will help tutors think about the real problems in
teaching and learning
• Small scale lead into much larger change
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7. Making Pencasts with Smartpens
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8. What are Smartpens and what do
they do?
 A way of recording handwriting and audio
 Then allow digital playback of both
 Saved as a Pencast
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9. What are Pencasts and how do we
make them?
 Pencasts allow you to hear, see and relive notes
exactly as they were captured
 Saved in PDF format for use by students
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10. How do we use Pencasts to improve
learning?
• Help students learn trade calculations
• Help engineering students learn how to solve
physics problems
• Outline simple ideas for students
• Collect data about how students think when they
solve mathematical problems
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11. Integrating iPads into our Teaching
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12. Creating blended learning courses
• Used in Automotive Electronics
• Apps integrated with eBooks
• So far variable response
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13. Managing Teaching
• Organising their teaching resources
• Tutor can access documents at any time
• Students access information in class
• Flexibility
• Create videos in class
• Apps available for use in class
• “Teachable moment is always with us”
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14. Assessments
• Recording assessments in workshop
• Take photos or video for evidence
• Show good and bad workmanship to improve
standards
• Peer assessment
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15. Using Visualisers to enhance
our teaching
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16. What we are doing with the
Visualiser
• Horticulture using it to record video for botany
and take still images of various aspects of
demonstrations
• IT using it to record video for demonstrating
hardware components and hard disk recovery
• Automotive using it to record video for
demonstrating components and how they work

17. Progress to date
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18. Progress to date
• Just finished a pilot with the Pencasts
• Considering expanding in 2012
• iPads in middle of pilot
• Want more student use in 2012
• Visualisers hardly started
• Not a great uptake so far
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19. 26 October 2011
Using new Technology as a vehicle to
effect changes in teaching and learning
practice
Colleen Hurley, James Mackay and Shane Taplin
Wellington Institute of Technology
19