Online Tutorial Setting
– Creating opportunities for knowledge sharing - Presentation for SPARC by David Wood and Ana Loureiro

1. SPARC - Salford Postgraduate Annual Research Conference
10 & 11 June 2010
Online Tutorial Setting
– Creating opportunities for
knowledge sharing
© Copyright rests with authors. Please cite and use this presentation appropriately.
Loureiro, Ana (accloureiro@gmail.com) | CIDTFF – University of Aveiro | Polytechnics Institute of Santarém
Wood, David (davidwood2009@gmail.com)
Bettencourt, Teresa (tbett@ua.pt) | CIDTFF – University of Aveiro

2. Broad research objective
Knowledge Building in Virtual Environments –
Influence of Interpersonal Relationships
• focused on learning relationships that are
established in real life and then flow into a virtual
environment andBroad research objective real life again
then flow back into
Establish whether this flow is complementary
Develop best practices for immersive education
Enhance blended learning (Tertiary)
sparc > Online Tutorial Setting – Creating opportunities for knowledge sharing
2
loureiro, wood & bettencourt | salford, june’2010

3. Why virtual environments…
• In a Virtual World people seem to…
– feel more: confident, participative,
creative, and responsive
– attend training sessions because they
want to learn (engage with content)
– naturally learn (natural learning/self
directed learning)
• Principles of social constructivism and
connectivism apply
sparc > Online Tutorial Setting – Creating opportunities for knowledge sharing
3
loureiro, wood & bettencourt | salford, june’2010

4. Research methodology…
• observing (in-world) teachers and learners in a
formal, informal and natural context of learning
– Portugese student base
• qualitative study, with exploratory characteristics
• data collection
– questionnaires, observation, chats logs,
interviews
• data analysis
– categorisation, content/context analysis,
quantitative representation
sparc > Online Tutorial Setting – Creating opportunities for knowledge sharing
4
loureiro, wood & bettencourt | salford, june’2010

5. The pilot study
• We seek to learn:
– How students engage with Web 2.0 tools?
– How students engage with a virtual
environment?
– Whether the tools show improvement in
collaboration?
– How well the tools promote knowledge
building
sparc > Online Tutorial Setting – Creating opportunities for knowledge sharing
5
loureiro, wood & bettencourt | salford, june’2010

6. Blended Learning I
“learning which combines online and face to face approaches”*
•Heinze & Procter (2004) Reflections On The Use Of Blended Learning
Education in a Changing Environment 13th-14th September 2004 Conference Proceedings
Classroo
m
(Formal
teaching and
practical
work)
Second
Diigo Life
(information (discussion
sharing) & knowledge
building)
sparc > Online Tutorial Setting – Creating opportunities for knowledge sharing
6
loureiro, wood & bettencourt | salford, june’2010

7. Support for Pedagogy
Second Life Diigo
• immersive (walk through • Bookmarking (referencing)
contents and information / learn
by living) • Commenting (opinions,
analysis, feedback)
• 3D representation of “myself” –
avatar (learn subject matter in • Information sharing
1st person, which is (collaboration, building
experiential, nonsymbolic, common ground)
interactive and multisensorial)
• Brainstorming
• communication, cooperation,
interaction, information sharing • Student directed activity
in real time
• social network / community of
practice (Wenger, 2008)
sparc > Online Tutorial Setting – Creating opportunities for knowledge sharing
7
loureiro, wood & bettencourt | salford, june’2010

8. Blended Learning II
• Are you a digital native or a digital immigrant?
sparc > Online Tutorial Setting – Creating opportunities for knowledge sharing
8
loureiro, wood & bettencourt | salford, june’2010

9. Blended Learning III
Salmon, G., (2000) E-Moderating: The key to Teaching and Learning online. Kogan
sparc > Online Tutorial Setting – Creating opportunities for knowledge sharing
9
loureiro, wood & bettencourt | salford, june’2010

10. Preliminary observations…
• Mature students showing higher level of
participation
– 33% attendance in latest online meeting
– (no participation from day class)
• Students posting 2x more information than the
teacher
• Quality of information posted is high (relevant)
– Posts are moderated
• The tools support the work patterns of the
mature students in particular
sparc > Online Tutorial Setting – Creating opportunities for knowledge sharing
10
loureiro, wood & bettencourt | salford, june’2010

11. Initial Reflections
• The contrast of behaviour between day
and night students is a function of
– Maturity
– Level of independence as learners
– Intrinsic motivation
• Motivation needs further evaluation
– Where free will is involved
sparc > Online Tutorial Setting – Creating opportunities for knowledge sharing
11
loureiro, wood & bettencourt | salford, june’2010