Transformation and distance education today

Transformation and distance education today

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  Education is the mostpowerful weapon which you can use to change the world. Nelson Mandela (1918 – 2013) Nobel Laureate, 1993
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  Overview 1. What istransformation? 2. Transforming what we teach 3. Transforming how we teach 4. Transforming how we assess
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  Theoretical framework Constructivism Situated learning ina community or practice Education design theory Baskerville & Pries-Heje (2010), Spagnoletti, Resca & Lee (2015) Anderson (2017) Lave & Wenger (1991)
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  1.0 What istransformation? Transformation and distance education today
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  Fitness of purpose Fitnessfor purpose Value for money Transformation: Individual Institutional systemic
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  2.0 Transforming whatwe teach Transformation and distance education today
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  “Epistemicide” Lebakeng, Phalane& Dalindjebo, 2006.
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  Redefining role I teach accounting Iteach people I help people learn about accounting See also: https://www.saica.co.za/LearnersStudents/Thuthuka.aspx
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  But… … Altbach etal. (2009) note: • the growing dominance of English as the language of scientific communication; • increasing moves towards the development of regional qualifications frameworks to facilitate portability; • the growing dominance of a few mostly wealthy, English-medium universities in the developed world in setting higher education agendas • a continued marginalisation of non- English medium universities generally, and of those in developing countries in particular. • A view of Cambridge ...
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  Assumptions People don’t leanto do new things by being told about them Rather, they must be actively experienced through authentic tasks; and Continuously reflected upon Therefore a series of resource- and activity-based workshops based on socio-constructivist principles Practising what we preach Spot the teacher! Focus on co-creation of knowledge rather than dissemination and regurgitation
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  Therese Tchombe, 2017 Weneed to accompany our teachers on their continuing professional learning journeys … to develop the knowledge, skills and values to question, change, adapt and transform … in collaborative and connected professional learning communities, networks and systems …
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  3.0 Transforming howwe teach Transformation and distance education today
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  A D C B Fully Offline Internet Supported InternetDependent Fully Online Campus-based Hybrid / Blended Remote E Digitally Supported 3.1 Mode of Delivery in a changing context (Saide, 2013)Off-line--><-----------Online-----------> B
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  3.2 … it’sabout pedagogy Amory, Bialobrzeska & Welch, 2018
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  3.3 Engagement: Authentictasks Biodiversity data collection activity • Use detailed field notes on a sample of birds, dragonflies and woodlice. Students observe their area, noting what species they find • Complete field notes and upload to the U316 Biodiversity database • This creates a geographically referenced map of all the students’ data, enabling students to see where there are species ‘hot spots’ and to work out what might be good strategies for nature reserves • Submit an assignment based on this activity, for credit • The OU data is submitted to the national biodiversity database and so adds to ‘real’ knowledge. (Thorpe, 2006) The Open University's Institute for Educational Technology
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  3.4 Equivalence ofprovision Contact Distance 16 credits =160h/module 64 hours reading, thinking and making notes 32 hours completing and uploading assignments (2/module) 16 hours preparing for summative assessment 10,5 hours contact tutorials (7 x 1,5) 37,5 campus-based, structured peer cooperation and collaboration 16 credits =160h/module 64 hours reading, thinking and making notes 32 hours completing and uploading assignments (2/module) 16 hours preparing for summative assessment 48 hours online self-assessment, peer cooperation and collaboration (16w x <3h) e.g. <0,5 hours intro activity <1 hour quiz on new content <1,5 hour consolidation discussion/feedback
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  4.0 Transforming howwe assess Transformation and distance education today
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  4.1 Scaffolding towardsachievement Introductory activities Developmental activities Consolidating, applying and creating activities
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  Scaffolded and meaningfuland transformative curricula • Banks’ Four Levels of Integration of Multicultural Education (Banks, 1999, p. 246) Level 4: The social action approach Students make decisions on important social issues and take actions to help solve them. Level 3: The transformation approach The structure of the curriculum is changed to enable students to view concepts, issues, events, and themes from the perspectives of diverse ethnic and cultural groups. Level 2: The additive approach Content, concepts, themes, and perspectives are added to the curriculum without changing its structure. Level 1: The contributions approach Focuses on heroes, holidays, and discrete cultural elements.
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  Bringing it alltogether: AgShare “… the South African higher education curriculum should offer students subject positions that transcend and subsume the old Western or African identities.” Luckett (2010, p.4) “… Modern western universities have badly neglected their social mission.” Horton (2010, p. 1876) This includes questioning, investigating and accommodating issues and voices that might otherwise be ignored. Ubuntugogy (Bangura, 2005) Seven pillars of wisdom: 1. Tolerance 2. Economic well-being 3. Social justice 4. Gender equality 5. Environmental sustainability 6. Inter-faith dialogue and cooperation 7. Relentless quest for greater wisdom van Wyk & Higgs (2011) Interdependence (Khoza, 2017) African ethic/worldview (Letseka, 2016)
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  From theory into practice: Technologyprofile of “typical” UP DE students • Challenge: MRTEQs (DHET 2015) and UP’s hybrid learning agenda require ICT access and skills • How ready are students? 1275 respondents (Aluko, 2015). • Tony’s takeaways: • All students had a cell phone; about 2/3 a smart phone but not necessarily optimally used: so can use SMS but probably not mobile learning • About 40% no access to a device and/or no ICT skills: students who will likely be excluded by moving online • About 30% regular access to device and basic ICT skills but limited connectivity: students who will need additional scaffolded support • About 30% regular access to device and basic ICT skills and regular connectivity: students who should be able to cope
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  Blending old andnew Continuous enrolment, Eduloan [Fundi] for fees and ICT Structured fortnightly support online: student-content, student-student, student-tutor engagement; plus online access to elibrary resources Printed LGs/ readers / textbooks for offline work Contact sessions: 3 short f2f : clickUP and elibrary training before being enrolled for block, orientation at start of block, consolidation and support for summative assessment towards end of block Call centre support at peak times incl ICT issues related to clickUP SMS/email/phone communications
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  More of: Student engagement withcontent: Individual and group activities Student engagement with peers: group activities Less of: Student engagement with staff Summative assessment or roll over Block X LMS access ICT/elibrary training and access to sandpit/OER Block X print package Optional f2f orientation Semi-structured to open engagement Units 1-2 Introductory Developmental Consolidating Assignment 1 Units 3-6/7 Introductory Developmental Consolidating Assignment 2 Optional f2f consolidation Continuous enrolment Learning analytics Week 2 email etutor Week 4 sms Week 6 Call centre Programme outcomes Module outcomes Hattie 2009: Formative evaluation feedback key for student success Bernard et al. 2009; SAQA 2012 Adapted from Mays (2016)
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  Questions? Comments?
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  “Education is ahuman right with immense power to transform. On its foundation rest the cornerstones of freedom, democracy and sustainable human development.” Kofi Anan Nobel Laureate, 2001
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  Bibliography and references •Altbach, P. G., Reisberg, L., & Rumbley, L. E. (2009). Trends in global higher education: Tracking an academic revolution. A report prepared for the UNESCO 2009 World Conference on Higher Education. Paris: UNESCO. • Aluko, R. (2015). Initial Report on Technology Profile Survey. Pretoria: Unit for Distance Education, University of Pretoria. • Anderson, T. (2017). Critical Review of Research and Research Methods. Paper presented at the ICDE Doctoral Seminar, March 2017, Athabasca University. • Anderson, T., & Dron, J. (2011). Three generations of distance education pedagogy. IRRODL, 12(3),80-97. • Anderson, T., & Elloumi, F. (Eds.). (2004). Theory and practice of online learning. Athabasca: Athabasca University. • Bangura, A. K. (2005). Ubuntugogy: An Africa educational paradigm that transcends pedagogy, andragogy, ergonagy and heautagogy. Journal of Third World Studies, xx11 (2), 13-54. • Banks, J. A. (1999). An Introduction to Multicultural Education (2nd edition). Boston: Allyn and Bacon. • Beetham, H., & Sharpe, R. (Eds.). (2013). Rethinking pedagogy for a digital age: Designing for 21st century learning (2nd ed.). New York: Routledge. • Baskerville, R., & Pries-Heje, J. (2010). Explanatory design theory. Business and Information Systems Engineering, 2(5), 271-282. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s12599-010-0118-4 • Beets, P. (2014). Curriculum and assessment. In P. Du Preez, & C. Reddy (Eds.), Curriculum studies: Visions and imaginings (pp. 134-156). Pinelands: Pearson. • Beets, P., & le Grange, L. (2005). ‘Africanising’ assessment practices: Does the notion of Ubuntu hold any promise? South African Journal of Higher Education (SAJHE), 19(special issue), 1197-1207. • Bernard, Robert M,., & Philip C. Abrami and Eugene Borokhovski. (2009). Three Classes of Interaction Treatments in Distance Education: A Within-DE Meta-Analysis. Concordia University. http://www.campbellcollaboration.org/artman2/uploads/1/Education_Bernard.pdf • Bright, K. (2011). Providing individual written feedback on formative and summative assessments. Accessed from http://www.ukcle.ac.uk/resources/assessment/effectivefeedback.html on 30 August 2012. • Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET RSA). (2014). Policy for the provision of distance education in South African universities in the context of an integrated post-school system. Government Gazette, No. 37811, 7 July 2014. Pretoria: Government Printer. • Fullan, M., & Langworthy, M. (2014). A rich seam: How new pedagogies find deep learning. London: Pearson.. • Glennie, J., & Mays, T. (2013). Rethinking distance in an era of online learning. Policy Studies Organization, 2(2), 126-143. • Hattie, J. A. C. (2009). Visible learning: A synthesis of over 800 meta-analyses relating to achievement. Oxon & New York: Routledge. • Horton, R. (2010). 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Knowledge claims and codes of legitimation: Implications for curriculum recontextualisation in South African higher education. Africanus 40(1), 4-18. • Mays, T. (2016). Designing and developing programmes in open, distance and e-learning. Progressio: South African Journal for Open and Distance Learning Practice, 38(2), 132-150. • Mays, T. J. (2017). Utilising Open Educational Resources in Support of Curriculum Transformation at Africa Nazarene University: a participatory action research approach. Doctoral thesis, Pretoria: Unisa. • Moore, M. G. (1993). Theory of transactional distance. In D. Keegan (Ed.), Theoretical principles of distance education (pp. 22-38). London: Routledge. • Ossiannilsson, E., Williams, K., Camilleri, A. F., & Brown, M. (2015). Quality models on online and open education around the globe: State of the art and recommendations. Oslo: International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE). • Siemens, G., Gašević, D., & Dawson, S. (2015). 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  © University ofPretoria This work is licensed under a creative commons licence 4.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ tony.mays@up.ac.za Citation: Mays, TJ. (2018). Transformation and distance education today, NWU Teaching and Learning Festival, 2018: Pretoria: University of Pretoria. 28