Is your institute visible and digitally ready for the Knowledge Age?

Have a look and analyze it yourself

Inge Ignatia de Waard

Covered in these slides

Introduction on how to optimize your institutional visibility1. Into the Knowledge Age => competition rises2. Analyzing your organization/learning/training3. Options to embed TELearning

Learning is a natural phenomenon

• Learning is literally in the genes.• Technology can only enhance learning at best.• Technology can increase the zone of proximal development (Vygotsky a.o.) (social networking http://marybethhermans.synthasite.com/resources/SocialNetwrkingWeb2.0.pdf zone of proximal development)• Technology can make learning more authentic• It can make linking to prior experiences easier.

Learning lasts a lifetime: from the cradle to the grave

• Infant/Child learning: what it takes to be part of local/global society• Vocational and professional learning: obtaining mastery in a specific field• Personal interest learning (music, sports…)• Lifelong learning (staying in tune with current knowledge and changes)• Learning to accept new physical and mental realities (disability, sickness, getting older…

approaching death)

For approximately 40 years: staying on top of our field is a professional necessity (picture from Anne Mette Edeltoft)

New learning affordancesmLearning and MOOCs• Just-in-time learning: what you need, when you really need it• Authentic learning: in the field• Learning anywhere and anytime• Contextualized learning: in your setting• Personalized learning: taboo learning, private learning.• Multimedia carry-on (learner preference: visual, audio, text…)MOOC’s and social media• New pedagogies: building on peer knowledge exchange• Much more knowledge production• Open Educational Resources (OER). mLearning and social media:• Connected throughout the day• Connected in your field of preference/expertise

This means (almost) everyone can do it!And for sure: everyone must do it!

1 - times they are a chaaäänging!“We are living through one of the recurring periods in world history when far-reaching changes in economics, culture, and technology raise basic questions about the production, preservation, and transmission of knowledge” (McNeely and Wolverton, 2008, p. 7).

New technologies, new pedagogies

• Mobiles, ubiquity, social media, MOOCs …

All around the worldyour future learners/workers reside…

As (mobile) communication is taking over the planet, increasing masses of people are connected to the internet. The internet is the highway to new higher education.

But… is your institute visible? Do you have a strategy? Are there dedicated visionairs that bring the future to you?

Current global trends

The economic crisis persists:• Increasing gap between rich and poor • Mergers: increased power to the few• Middle level fades out (less collective educational funds?)• Anything that can be automated is and will be automated (teachers can

in part be replaced by the semantic web and intelligent agents)• Money for education shrinks• Education for all might be put into question?

Moving towards Knowledge Age

Moving from the Industrial Age (focus on production) to Knowledge Age (focus on Knowledge)

Knowledge becomes the new corner stone of professional society => BUT everyone can learn, the world learns?!

(mindmap from Adam Sicinski)

Stagnation = fatal in the knowledge eraParadigm shift Industrial age Knowledge age

Learning/training goal: production, repetition, one action specialists

Staying on top, just-in-time learning

Main target population Everyone, all levels, but only once for basic levels, and limited for others.

Everyone, all the time, all levels

Expected results from learner population

Getting a job

Training at long intervals

Personal career advancement

Profiling lifelong/continued learning

Entering networks (PLN)Online/in the cloud: what you need, wherever you find it (digital skills).Quality and status.

Personal career advancement

Standard delivery method Behaviorist, face-to-face Constructivist, problem based, connectivist, online

Content is everywhere: an expert finds it. Institutes want to attract potential experts => big pool, small top.

Focus on generic skills and competencies • Social skills• Knowledge skills• Digital skills• Networking skills• Expert skills• Critical finding (search the web)• Critical thinking (screen the web)

So is your institute capable to compete?

Will you last your professional lifetime?

Impending DOOM!

4 ways educational technology increases professional development

Organizing TELearning Within institute/organization

Creating a Personal Learning Network (PLN)

Increasing Digital Skills

Constructing a Personal Learning Environment (PLE)

Organization Organization / Personal

Organizational / Personal

Personal

2 – Analyzing your online visibility

• Overview• Listing current TELearning situation• Screening professors/teachers/trainers• Looking into current in house TELearning• Looking at which contemporary TELearning that is lacking

Step 1: listing your situation How are you attracting global learners? … Which institutes cater to similar content needs / learners? … What do they have that you do not have? (free online classes, online

modules, ubiquitous expertise, course marketing, social media presence, online proof of academic excellence …)

What financial factor(s) make you vulnerable? (scholarship based structure, learner reach, infrastructure….)

Which type of learners do you reach? Is this a learner profile that is unique or a standard profile?

What Technology Enhanced Learning expertise do you have in house? Is there an in-house innovation HR / development strategy? Do you feature trainings for creating PLE and/or PLN? Is there a training strategy for staff to be in synch with contemporary

media and communication options? What do you feel are your strengths as an educational/training

provider? How does this compare to similar institutes and organizations?

Step 2: which profiles do your trainers/professors have?

Respected experts in their field (of course!) What are their digital skills? Did/do they create a Personal Learning Environment? How are they connected to peers? (Personal Learning Network, Communities of

Practice…) How do they keep on top of their field of expertise? Are their online identities visible? Do they have a digital presence? What is their demographic spread? (Age, nationality, gender)

Forget the myth digital natives digital immigrants ! Online presence is essential on multiple levels.

Step 3: which type of contemporary learning/training is offered?

Face-to-face / blended / online learning? Problem based learning? Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) formats open to all? Virtual classrooms with international experts? Authentic, technology enhanced learning? Mentored 1-on-1 options?

Step 4: what might be lacking? A visible alumni network that strengthens all in it Alumni strategy: continuous education options / optimizing networks / teaching iteration

strategy (personnel, scientists, teachers, students, PhD, alumni) Current course showcases that entice learners to enter a course Learning bates (MOOCs, free modules, mobile apps for specific learning…) Online modules for free Ubiquitous accessible learning (all device access on and off campus) Variety of TELearning options (computer aided material, content snacks for learners on

the move) A social media awareness strategy Open webinars or discussion gatherings Digital skill training for all stakeholders Expert teachers: in-house teacher training to get all of the teachers into contemporary

learning/teaching TELearning laboratory for exploration and optimizing lessons learned …

Momentum to build institutional strategic approach

Individual initiatives are happening everywhere, but sometimes institutional options lag behind.

Strategic vision is needed to increase global competitiveness and structured, transparent approach.

Institutional social media presence

Online courses and/or modules

TELearning projects

Online alumni network (visible)

Online presence of professors

Clear staff development in digital skills

Active online learner network

Online news and knowledge sharing

Institute A Yes Yes yes yes Yes yes no Yes (blog)

Institute B Yes Yes yes no Yes yes limited picture and quotes

yes

Institute C Yes yes yes yes Yes limited no yes

Institute D Yes yes yes yes limited yes no No

Institute E Yes yes yes Limited limited no no yes

Institute F Yes yes yes yes No no yes no

Institute G Limited One veterinary master course, one short course

Yes (clinical project, veterinary project)

No No no no Limited

Institute H Yes no no no Yes no no yes

Institute I Not immediately visible

Yes yes no No no Yes, limited to text

no

Institute J Yes Yes yes no No no no No

Benchmark your competitors and partners for online presence

What are possible options for TELearning & digital presence integration

3 - Organizing TELearning in house

• Optimizing innovative educational technology in all training/learning areas and curricula

• Filtering educational value from innovative technologies• Institutional change for continued and future strength (ubiquitous access = IT

support, dedicating time for change …)• Sharing what is known in-house and to outside interested parties• Strengthening the internal and external network

Pre-requisites and pre-course

Before courses/training start– Online interviews for screening purposes (Skype, virtual classroom

software, free recording options)– Clear insight on what to expect as a learner (online presence of

course offerings, campus happenings…)Once learner is accepted– Online self-assessments (same level start,

web-based, open example)– Byte size content for easy start (any learning activity helping the

course start, example)– Getting to know the campus (movies, interviews from

alumni/professors)– Involving all in learner communities

TELearning for courses• Attracting international speakers at low cost: virtual classroom software (e.g. Big Blue Button,

Webex, Blackboard collaborate)• Create open dialogue and discussion areas, nurturing knowledge exchange and communities

of practice.• Offering online (interactive) webinars (record the face to face, allow online attendance with

chat for interactions)• Creating Open Educational Resources (OER) e.g. Illustrated Lecure Notes on Tropical Diseases • Self-assessments • Allowing leveled learning (beginner, intermediate, advanced exercises)• Online exams (time saving grading, database of questions over the years, enables leveled

categories )• Differentiate grading (e.g. peer-to-peer grading – offer CLEAR rubrics!)• Enhancing learner’s digital skills (repeated experiences)• Enhancing critical thinking (repeated experiences)• Stimulating self-regulated learning (for lifelong learning)• Teaching learners/staff to create/enhance a Personal Learning Environment (PLE)• Creating Institutional content resources (YouTube channel, slideshare, iTunesU, … example) to

get other people’s attention. • …

Authentic learning optionsContent reflection or processing • On-site or in the field (mp3 recorders, camera’s…) • Use BYOD - mobile devices (just in time,

ubiquitous) • Blogging / sharing • Augmented reality (example for upcoming app for

teachers – Ariane - developed by Victor Alvarez and team)

• Team content spots (see nice wiki on authentic environments here)

Authentic learning adds relevance to personal professional experiences, linking to prior knowledge.

Enabling just-in-time learning

Offering clear and structured course architecture that is ubiquitous in access:• Content is accessible when needed (and mobile friendly options)• Content structure is logical (in max 3 clicks needed content is reached)• Offer RSS threads (publication of new content is pushed to the learner)

Enhancing classroom content through media creation

• Provide PowerPoints through slideshare• Provide seminars via YouTube/Vimeo• Add mp3 podcasts to a central learner location (online institute

broadcast platform)• … or more elaborate and specialized options (any media will do!)

Increase digital skills

• Benefits of social media for learning (overview can be found here – will be published in peer journal 2013)

• Offering insight into contemporary learning updates: RSS feeds, listserv’s, newsletters, creating a Personal Learning Environment – PLE, ...

• Stressing the importance of Personal Learning Network – PLN (and as such having an institutional one)

Use learner analytics to increase content and course quality

Only useful when learning happens online: time spend on content, returning visitors, downloads, type of devices, ...Getting an understanding of the learning path and duration of all the learning options

Integrate social media for team/group work

• Wiki’s (ideal! Keeps track of additions, changes)• Team blog (promoting departmental breakthroughs, research center publications…)• Collaborative documents (e.g. google docs)• When dispersed: twitter + hashtag (#) to keep in touch with group members

Build an active, online alumni network

Good start for Institutional and Personal Learning Network (PLN), a central space where • alumni can connect• people find new job offers• Learners/trainers can share/swap expertise• updates on content viewed is shared (organized continued medical education)• digital newsletters are send out• news of the organization is shared• Employees share latest news…

Create online momentum/promotion

• Content can be viewed, Open Educational Resources or OER (e.g. OER university)

• Parts of the courses are free for all (e.g. MOOC)• Communication on all of these is promoted (social

media enabled, RSS feeds)

Filtering educational value from innovative technologies

• As technology is changing rapidly, so do the options for educational implementation.

• This requires a constant screening of new technologies for their affordances (part of the knowledge era).

• Exploring and translating this requires a TELearning expert. TELearning is now an integral part of overall education.

Any TELearning implementation follows 2 simple rules:

• KISS: keep it short and simple• Start small, trial and error, grow BIG!

Connect and trust

• Use social media to connect with like minded peers or experts (twitter, LinkedIn,…)

• Build trust by sharing (in the open => digitally) your expertise (your blog, website)

• Help others to find others• Set up knowledge gatherings/open courses

A lifetime is not 1 job

• Be visible online (blog, articles, subject matter presence…)• Connect with peers (social media, communicate, help out, ask…)

So … technological change pushes educational disciplines: are you in?

Technology adds contemporary learning characteristics:• Ubiquitous mobile learning (mLearning)• Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC)• Social media or Web2.0

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