1. Designing for effective e-learning reviewing and reflecting on current e-learning research Professor Grinne Conole University of Southampton Email: g.c.conole@soton.ac.uk Inaugural lecture, 28 thApril 2005

2. Early years In training fore-learning Conferences! 3. Life as a Chemist What is a learningoutcome? Shift from Chemistry toeducational innovation Innovations Multimediatutorials Portfolios Online evaluation Chemistry website Real blackboards! 4. Impact of e-learning Organisationallevel Tutor skills &changing roles Virtual learningenvironments Interactive & engaging materials Unintended consequences 5. Growth of e-learning tools Communication tools Email, discussion boards, chat Assessment tools TOIA, QuestionMark Integrated learning environments Blackboard, WebCT Online information tools Gateways and portals 6. Increasing impact of ICT ICT as mission critical Drivers National initiatives ICT catalysts - VLEs Funding drivers Organisational structures Roles, skills and practice Teaching, learning and assessment Impact 7. The holy grail of e-learning New formsof learning Pedagogicalre-engineering A global connectedsociety Learninganywhere anytime Rich multimediarepresentation Smart, adaptable,personalised To what extent is this true? What is the link between the pedagogy and the technology? 8. Negative aspects Patch use ofcommunication tools Stilted collaborations VLEs for adminand as contentrepositories Information overload Not pedagogically informed -ve 9. Positive aspects Critical mass ofmediatingtools and resources Shift from individualto socially situated Learning in context orthrough problem solving New innovative usesof e-learning +ve 10. Pros and cons Accessto wealth of resources Informationoverload , quality issues New forms ofdialogue Literacyskills issues New forms ofcommunity Learner identity andconfusion Speedof access, immediacy Lack of permanency,surface Virtualrepresentations Lack of reality, real isfake 11. Research philosophy & impact Research consolidating Professionalpractice informing Practice improving Resources developing Theory enhancing Learning shaping Policy guiding Strategy building Networks 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. Snapshots of current work Review of toolsfor effective practice Learningdesign

• Lessons learnt

• from UKeU!

Methodologicalissues

• Theoretical

• frameworks

17. Types of tools and their uses Manipulating data Word, ExcelPresentation The Web, PowerPoint Finding information Search engines, portals Managing Databases, Project Manager Personal management Diaries, calendars 18. Types of tools and their uses Communication Email, discussion forums Visualisation Mindmaps, visual tools Guidance and support Wizards, tutorials Evaluation CAA tools, Web tracking Analysis SPSS, NVIVO 19. Word - use and impact Sharing Creating andsharing resources Presentations Generatingideas Changingroles Used ubiquitously Distributedcognition Collaborative working Changing the waywe create knowledge

• Quality

• vs content

20. Learning activity toolkit

Gap between the

potential of the technologies

(confusion over how they can be used)

and

application of good pedagogical principles

• (confusion over which models to use)

Plethora of tools and resources Enormous potential but underused Wealth of knowledge about learning Didactic/behaviourists models predominate 21. 22. 23. Lessons learnt from UKeU Corporate/ academic clash Profit driven Little or no needsanalysis or marketing

• Unrealistic timeframe

• /deadlines

• Theoretical

• frameworks

24. Perceived benefits? Student centredand flexible Built on conceptof learning objects Made HEIs critique &reflect on existing provision

• Constructivist

• learning activities

• An idea ahead

• of its time?

25. Methodological issues Feeder disciplines Wealth of methods No shared language Tension betweenquantitative & qualitative

• Lack of rigour,

• anecdotal & case based

Methodologicalinnovations

• Theoretical

• frameworks

26. Impact on research Bibliographic tools Endnote New discourses Chat, Wikis, access grid Data collection Online, multiple sites Data analysis New powerful tools Publishing JIME, e-Prints 27. Research opportunities Communication Email, discussion forums,Chat, video conferencing Interactivity Wikis, Web logs Collaboration Grid-technologies,sharing tools Data analysis SPSS, NVIVO Data mining Portals, databases 28. Discussion forums

Current focus

Shift from analysis of content to

• multimodal approach

• Richer interpretation

• Use of grounded theory,

• critical recall events etc.

Early research Initially focused on analysis of content Analysis mainly via pre-defined codes

• Problem

• Didnt capture the complexity of the event

• Lack of contextualisation

• Codings too rigid

29. Theoretical frameworks Communities of Practice Activity theory Dialogue Systems thinking,modelling, metaphor Distributed cognition 30. Wengers Community of Practice Learning Community Practice Identity Meaning Learning as experiences Learning asdoing Learning asbecoming Learning asbelonging Social theory of learning Learning associal participation Legitimate participation Rarification 31. Activity theory Mediating artefacts Literature Subject Me Object Central issues of activity theory Outcome Text Focus on individualsnegates social aspects Idea of activity as an object-orientatedand culture formation that has its own structure Mediation bytools and signs 32. Mediating artefacts Relevant literature Conference material Subject Group ofacademics Object Central issues ofactivity theory Rules Conventions ofconference Community Academics interested in activity theory Division of labour Compartments based ondisciplines etc Outcome New intellectualtools and patternsof collaboration 33. Other theoretical perspectives Distributed cognition and Person-Plus(Salomon, Pea, Perkins) Intelligence distributed betweenmind and surroundings Effects with and effects of technology Dialogue (Vygotsky, Mercer, Laurillard ) Language as a tool,Joint construction of knowledge Inter-thinking, Conversational framework Systems thinking, metaphors modelling (Senge, Beer, Morgan) Capturing organisationaland cultural aspects Offer different perspectives 34. Future gazing. New formsof mediaIncreasingly mobileand ubiquitous More sophisticatedtools and resources Increasingly globaland interconnected 35. Thanks! Researchers Chris Bailey Annamaria CarusiJonathan Darby Maarten de LaatKaren Fill Ann Jeffrey PhD students Patrick Fullick Zhen Li Julie Price Cathy Richard George Roberts Bill Warburton Colleagues Education ECS Geography Neonatology Nursing Externally 36. Designing for effective e-learning reviewing and reflecting on current e-learning research Professor Grinne Conole University of Southampton Email: g.c.conole@soton.ac.uk Inaugural lecture, 28 thApril 2005 37. References

Conole (2002), The evolving landscape of learning technology research,ALT-J ,10(3), 4-18

Conole (2003), Understanding your organisation in the Creating a Managed Learning Environment (or MLE) infoKit, available online athttp://www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk

Conole, Dyke, Oliver, andSeale, (2004), Mapping pedagogy and tools for effective learning design,Computers and Education , June 2004

Conole and Dyke, (2004), What are the affordances of Information and Communication Technologies?,ALT-J , 12.2

Conole and Fill, (Submitted), Specification for a learning design activities toolkit,draft paper

Conole (2004), Report on the effectiveness of tools for e-learning,report for theJISC commissioned Research Study on the Effectiveness of Resources ,Tools and Support Services used by Practitioners in Designing and Delivering E-Learning Activities

Conole and Warburton (2005), A review of computer-assisted assessment,ALT-J,13(2), 19-33