trinity elearning strategy

7/21/2019 Trinity ELearning Strategy

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Trinity eLearning Strategy

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Trinity eLearning StrategyOur context

The future of higher education is uncertain and contested, spawning vigorous debateabout what higher education might become. Ernst and Young have argued recently thatthe current university model in Australia is unviable, and that universities must look todigital technologies as the way of the future:

Digital technologies have transformed media, retail, entertainment and many

other industries - higher education is next. Campuses will remain, but digital

technologies will transform the way education is delivered and accessed, and the

way value is created by higher education providers. (Ernst & Young, 2012, p

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As more institutions offer their services for free in formats like MOOCs (Massive OpenOnline Courses), it seems inevitable that technology will assume a much greater role in

both the ways students engage with learning, and the ways educators deliver learning. Butthis inevitability should not obscure the need to examine carefully the ways technologycan enhance the experiences of our particular students, in their particular contexts.

The University of Melbourne has recently developed an eLearning strategy. In thatdocument, infrastructure, pedagogy and student engagement are held in equal importance.As an affiliate of the University it is imperative that Trinity College aligns with theiroverall strategy as well as maps out our own unique and local plans.

For Trinity College, the challenge of this emerging and changing environment is toidentify and meet the developmental needs of our particular student groups, while also

judiciously investing in staff development and training, curriculum development, andtechnological infrastructure. While Trinity has been at the forefront of a Theology Online

program for over a decade, was one of the first institutions to embrace the iPad as alearning tool in 2010, and has recently invested significantly in ITS infrastructure, therapidly changing space of technology in teaching and learning makes a strategy evenmore important.

For a College like Trinity that so heavily emphasizes face-to-face interaction with

students, an online learning strategy might seem supplementary. However, this is not thecase at all. Our desire to deliver a transformative student experience drives us to enhancethe face-to-face learning experience with the best online tools available. As theUniversity of Melbournes eLearning strategy states,

online information and communications technologies have become essential inproviding students with efficient, flexible and convenient access to University-based

teaching, learning and assessment...technologies do not simply improve studentsaccess to information and learning interactions, they can expose students to

information, ideas, and knowledge in new waysthat make learning more effective,

engaging and individually relevant.


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Our commitment to students

The Trinity student experience has been defined in our strategy documents astransforming, relational and world-class. For our very diverse range of students in alleducational divisions, we commit to ensuring the provision of:

high quality face-to-face learning experiences

advanced mobile learning and support

flexible learning environments and

a deep learning of subject matter.

Thus the Trinity Experience will produce self-directed, reflective, independent learners;enable meaningful collaboration and cultural exchange both within Trinity and with otherinstitutions; build our students readiness for the next step beyond Trinity; and offernetworking opportunities in Australia and overseas that will enhance a Trinity graduates

career. While we believe that we already offer a high quality student experience, thisstrategy will aid integration of our unique ethos and culture with the demands of 21 stcentury learning.

Our desired outcomes

In summary, the eLearning strategy will ensure the following outcomes:

Trinity College is recognised as a leader in eLearning

Successful new pedagogical models for teaching and learning are achieved

Students obtain appropriate digital literacy skills to support their engagement with

the learning process New sustainable technological infrastructure models are developed

Our unique educational offerings to students are showcased in new interactiveways.

Each of these outcomes is unpacked in the following pages, and actioned by a number ofrecommendations at the end of the strategy document.

Trinity College has recently made a significant investment in its IT infrastructure with anew wireless network across the College, additional servers, iPads for all FoundationStudies teaching staff and students, and over forty professional development workshopsfor teachers utilizing technology in the classroom.

Recent data in Foundation Studies has demonstrated the outstanding contribution made tolearning through the use of iPads and other technologies in the classroom: studentnumbers are growing, and overall marks are up as compared to cohorts without the iPad

program. Further, the Trinity Online program, a development in 2000 in the TheologicalCollege, was one of the first of its kind. Originally designed as on online course, the

program has now been usurped by the MCD Universitys Theology Online program andutilized for on and off campus teaching.

Trinity College is recognized as a leader in eLearning


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In the next decade, it is impossible to imagine offering a world-class, transformativeeducational experience that does not, in some form, utilize and leverage technology.Weinberger (2011) argues that knowledge is networked and connected:

Knowledge now lives not just in libraries and museums and academic

journalsKnowledge is now a property of the network, and the network

embraces businesses, governments, media, museums, curated collections andminds in communicationknowledge is becoming inextricable fromliterally

unthinkable withoutthe network that enables itthe new way of knowing is

just now becoming apparent (xiii).

If knowledge is networked and connected, and this will be so exponentially, thenTrinity College must position itself at the forefront of eLearning while maintainingits personal presence, accessibility and engagement with students. However, wemust continue to develop staff and students in accessing the networks ofknowledgeour approach to what an education at Trinity looks like must alsodevelop and change. In order to establish Trinitys reputation as a leader in

eLearning, investment in releasing key staff leaders to write peer-reviewed articlesabout Trinitys innovation, research new trends and tools and pilot new ideas, and

provide training to others is imperative.

New pedagogical models for teaching

Effective learning in any environment requires good design, management and pedagogy.In order to integrate technology for transformational learning, we must explore anddevelop new pedagogical models. As the changing worlds of work demand new, and

ever-developing skills from graduates, educational institutions also need to reflect andrevise their teaching approaches to support learners to become life-long learners.

Technology is often used to support traditional modes of teaching, by substituting oraugmenting existing frameworks, making incremental changes, yet transformation ismore about the human and organizational aspects of teaching and learning than it is aboutthe use of technology (Laurillard, 2013). Laurillard advocates that successfultransformation needs both fully engaged leadership, and engaged and empowered

practitioners.

The University of Melbourne has chosen what they name as a top-down management

and delivery using technology, rather than a bottom-up technological innovation.Trinity College needs botha sophisticated and coordinated management approach toanticipating what our technological infrastructure might look like, while also maintainingthat innovation emerges from the teaching encounter. For learning to betransformational, academics and teachers need to be leading the technology, not thetechnology leading the teachers (Laurillard, 2013, xx).

One model of how academics can conceive of transformation is the SAMR model,developed by Dr Ruben Puentedura1. SAMR aims to support teachers to design, developand integrate learning technologies to support high levels of learning achievement among

students.

1Puentedura, R R 2009, As We May Teach: Educational Technology, From Theory Into Practice (online).https://itunes.apple.com/itunes-u/as-we-may-teach-educational/id380294705?mt=10 [accessed 20 February 2013]


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The SAMR model describes four levels of technology integration that increase incomplexity and effect, from simplesubstitution which barely changes the function, to amore complex redefinition where the technology use can provide opportunities to createwhat would not be possible without that technology.

Substitution Augmentation Modification Redefinition

Technology acts as a

direct tool substitute,with no functionalchange.

A PDF version of a

formerly printed page.

Technology acts as a

direct tool substitute,with functionalimprovement.

A PDF that can be

annotated on a mobile

device.

Technology allows for

significant task redesign.

Peer review and critical

feedback in an online

forum becomes an

assessable component of

an assessment.

Technology allows for

the creation of newtasks, previouslyinconceivable.

A shared digital, mobile

whiteboard enables a

student team, from

around Victoria, to plan

and design a project.

An example of modificationwould be redesigning the traditional essay writing

assignment to incorporate an online collaborative space for the students to write in smallgroups, conduct peer editing and feedback and to comment on final products.

Redefinition(or transformation) might involve collaboration with other classes locally orglobally on a common issue or problem, using web conferencing. Students couldresearch and share their findings within a virtual classroom in order to find a commonsolution. Students use a range of multimedia to collect, communicate and distribute theirfindings, which are in turn, seamlessly used to communicate and share information

between groups. Without technology this new task would be unimaginable.

Entwistle (2009) maintains that educators must create 'powerful learning environments'

by providing authentic, open problems with learning materials in a variety of formatsdesigned to make connections with students' previous knowledge and interests. Further,he contends that teachers must employ teaching methods which arouse interest, activate

prior knowledge, clarify meanings and model appropriate thinking strategies andreflective processes. New pedagogies are requiredour teaching approaches mustchange in order to integrate digital eLearning tools into the existing face-to-face teachingcontext. Teachers need to be actively supported to achieve this ambition, and acommunity of practice and support should evolve to maintain innovation.

New opportunities for students to engage with and transform their learning

In the 21stcentury, students are connected to other learners and resources from around theworld. This fact necessitates students become able to construct their learning, collaboratewith others, take initiative and use multiple technology resources.2 Harnessing the bestuses of video, audio, film, high quality graphics, 3D imagery and interactive technologieswill only enhance the student learning experience. Online peer learning and peerfeedback, collaboration, use of social media, eportfolios, 3D printing, virtual worlds,gamification, simulation and other emerging technologies can all provide an engagingand new learning experience for students.

2 http://www.edudemic.com/2013/04/what-21st-century-learning-means-to-me/


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However, in order for students to fully experience transformational learning, the face-to-face contact with academics and tutors needs to become a place where students learn to

be better learners. Face-to-face time then becomes a space for students to develop

critical thinking within and deep understanding of subject matter

skills in collaborative learning, communication and teamwork

self-directed, independent learning and reflection skills

appropriate digital literacy skills to support university and work success.

In future technology-enhanced learning experiences and environments, a personalisedstudent-centred approach that has been a Trinity trademark is maintained. The onlinetrend in education need not translate into a distancing between students and educators,

but can, if designed well, enable students to participate more actively. Personalisedfeedback from teaching staff, and opportunities for discussion and reflection fromstudents will be key to the design of eLearning strategies. Such developments would be,in the short to medium term, adjunct to the current face-to-face program.

Attwell and Hughes (2010) contend that being digitally literate', cannot be compared totraditional forms of print-based literacy but to the competencies required to effectivelyexploit the tools, practices and symbol systems made available by digital technologies.(13). Digital literacy skills must be encouraged in our educational offerings. However, inorder to help students develop critical thinking, collaborative learning and teamwork, andself-reflection and direction in their learning, much more work needs to be done toexplore the best teaching tools available. Ensuring that Trinity College is at the cuttingedge of transformative teaching requires us to build specific time and structure around theincubation and experimentation with new technologies in order to maximize the learningand teaching experience.

New technological infrastructure models

Free, open and fee-for-use quality online educational content will drive changes in ourtechnological infrastructure models. Open education resources (OER), third party createdcontent, the web/cloud resources and massive open online courses (MOOCs) are hostedin centralised data stores rather than being maintained by any particular educationalinstitution. The advantage of utilizing cloud technologies is that it substantially reducesthe infrastructure and human resources load on the institution. This will be important inthe early stages of testing the utility of particular platforms we might choose to explore.There are also hybrids of open source resources and institutional infrastructure, such as

Trinitys Learning Management System built on open source software, Moodle, butmaintained on site. Further, the College employs some proprietary resources, such asTurnItIn, used widely by the University of Melbourne.

With the rapid development of high-speed broadband, collaboration tools, socialtechnologies, we must establish a working group of both educators willing to experimentwith new technologies and IT specialists who can advise on the implications of suchtechnologies. While there is tremendous goodwill and healthy relationships, a more agileand nimble group could ensure that ideas, development, testing and implementation arenot slow processes. Priorities include building IT infrastructure to facilitate production ofhigh-quality learning materials, lecture capture, as well as a goal of creating face-to-face

learning spaces suited to discussion and collaboration. Further, a suite of software andhardware tools to capture delivery, enable remote participation, and enhance interactionand engagement during face-to-face learning need to be evaluated as soon as possible.


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New ways of showcasing our educational offering to students

One of the benefits of developing an eLearning strategy is the opportunity to promotecurrent and future programs to prospective students by showcasing the high quality of ourface-to-face and online experiences. Prospective students would be able to see, throughrecordings of or live participation in a lecture or seminar, the environs and teaching staff

in action. Using software platforms that facilitate live participation by distance students ina digital lecture, such as Elluminate and Lecture Tools, would be one exciting way tooffer prospective students a Trinity Experience. Recordings of these lectures can also bemade available on a website. Sample or preparatory courses could be created especiallyfor prospective students in any of the programs offered by the college. This would enablestudents to experience Trinity before they arrive.

The potential for this ambition is endless. Some possibilities include orientation videos,ESL support and delivery, scaffolding and bridging short courses, pre-YLSS activitiesand graduate skills preparation for Residential College students. At present, a public siteon the Trinity website is in development in Foundation Studies, showcasing current and

past student work, including short films, artwork, creative writing, eBooks and worksubmitted for assessment. The Library is an obvious place where collections of eLearningmaterials produced across the college could be housed and showcased.

With our current TCFS students, there is potential to establish links with local schools toenable online, and also face-to-face cross- cultural experience and language skillsdevelopment, as recommended in theAustralia in the Asian Century White paper,

National Objective 10: All schools will engage with at least one other school in Asia tosupport the teaching of a priority Asian language, including through increased use of the

National Broadband Network (p170). Such links would have substantial benefits for ourFoundation Studies students, making opportunities for them to develop connections withlocal Australian students, something that has long been expressed as desirable.

Recommendations

This strategy document has paid tribute to the innovations in eLearning at Trinity Collegethat already exist. However, in order to position Trinity as a premier leader in education,eLearning strategy for the next decade must be a priority. We make the followingrecommendations:

1.

We recommend that each of these outcomes, then, becomes a key priority of the

strategy, with goals and next steps towards implementation. Each priority areawill cascade into the goals of each educational division, who will establish clearand measurable goals to achieve the strategy.

2. We recommend that an eLearning incubator be established as soon as possiblewith at least 3 educators, one IT specialist and the Head, Education Strategy, tocreate a central, future-thinking design team who will regularly explore emergingtrends and eLearning tools in higher education, test them for suitability for ourcohorts, and be able to pilot and implement the best of class into our educationalofferings in order to ensure that our students have a transformative educationalexperience. This team will also build Trinitys external profile as a leader in

teaching and learning practices through regular publications.

3.

We recommend that staff professional development to utilize eLearning tools inthe classroom be a priority in the 2014 HR budget with an additional amount of at


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least $50,000 set aside to help staff develop new pedagogies, skills and innovatecurriculum to ensure all teaching staff are offering world-class education. Stafftraining, including both on-site and off-site professional development will befunded for teachers to acquire skills in course design and online delivery. Onceteachers have acquired skills in particular areas, they can potentially becometrainers. Timely, enthusiastic support from managers, subject leaders and ITS is

essential to maximize success in this area.

4. We recommend that all teaching staff fulfill a required minimum of 5 daysprofessional development per annum to build skills and innovate curriculum ,utilizing the best tools for 21stcentury learning available.

5.

We recommend that Trinity College develop at least 3 new online courses for2014, and collaboration across schools and departments to share expertise andexperiences will be a priority. Priority areas are ESL support and delivery; pre-orientation activities and engagement; and graduate skills preparation (includingdigital literacy and scholarly literacy).

6. We recommend that investment in new IT tools should include a key softwareprogram for hosting interactive lectures, and facilitating online interactivity; arecording studio and associated equipment made available to produce video andaudio materials for students. We see this studio as a minimum requirement forassurance of production quality. Ultimately, to maximize positive outcomes for aface-to-face model incorporating eLearning strategies, new custom-designedlearning spaces and buildings should be planned for the new Education Buildingin order to enhance student interactivity and collaboration. We also recommendfurther developing mobile technology in the TCFS iPad Program; moreinnovative use of TurnItIn and the Moodle LMS; investment in training for

creating custom resources, and exploring free distribution platforms such asApples iTunes U. The potential of free web tools as curating managers andonline discussion platforms needs experimentation and evaluation in our uniquecontext.

7. We recommend that the mission of the Leeper Library and the library staff is toenable learning through facilitating knowledge creation within our communities.This will be achieved through

Improving and providing appropriate learning spaces for collaborative work.

Providing materials in keeping with and in support of the learning strategy of thecollege.

Improving the digital literacy of the students through training and onlineresources.

Incorporating necessary technologies to support these goals.

Increased communication with FS teaching staff, tutors etc., where necessary, toknow what their programs are providing and how they are doing this. (Engaging a

broader cross section of staff in issues associated with eLearning)

Appropriate training and support for library staff to enable them in turn to supportinstitutional eLearning goals.

Marketing our support role better; impression is that people see us as the

caretakers of books only.Upgrading of IT infrastructure to include library.


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References

Attwell, Graham, and Jenny Hughes (Pontydysgu) 2010.Pedagogic Approaches to UsingTechnology for Learning, Literature Review. For Lifelong Learning, UK.

Balcaen, Philip., Lindsay Gibson and Armelle Moran, 2012. Embedding Critical

Thinking Pedagogy into Distributed Problem Based Learning Course Design - the Casesof Advanced Placement Physics and Personal Planning.Proceedings of the 7th

International Conference on eLearning, Edited by Lam, Paul. The Chinese University ofHong Kong 21- 22 June 2012, p18-26.

Budge, K., 2011. A Desire for the Personal : Student Perceptions of Electronic Feedback.International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 23(3), p.342-349.Available at: http://www.isetl.org/ijtlhe/current.cfm.

Chappell, Valentina, 2012. Building Effective Virtual Learning Communities in MBAOnline ProgramsProceedings of the 7th International Conference on eLearning, Edited

by Lam, Paul. The Chinese University of Hong Kong 21-22 June 2012, p. 11-17.

Charbonneau-Gowdy, Paula, et al. 2012. Web 2.0 Technologies for 21st CenturyLearning: Creating Conditions for Sustaining Change in Institutions of Higher Education.

Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on eLearning, Edited by Lam, Paul. TheChinese University of Hong Kong 21-22 June 2012, p18-26.

Entwistle, Noel. 2009. Teaching for Understanding at University. Deep Approaches andDistinctive Ways of Thinking. London, New York: Palgrave Macmillan .

Ernst & Young. 2012. University of the future. A thousand year old industry on the cusp

of change. Ernst & Young Australia.

Henry, Ken. 2012.Australia in the Asian Century. White Paper, October 2012.Commonwealth Government of Australia.

Lalonde, Catherine. 2011. Courses that Deliver: Reflecting on Constructivist CriticalPedagogical Approaches to Teaching Online and On-site Foundations Courses.

International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 23(3), p.408-423.

Laurillard, Diane. 2013. Forward to the First Edition, inRethinking Pedagogy for theDigital Age. Designing for 21stCentury Learning. Second Edition. Edited by Helen

Beetham and Rhona Sharpe. London and New York: Routledge.

Weinberger, David. 2011. Too big to know: rethinking knowledge now that the factsarent the facts, experts are everywhere, and the smartest person in the room is the room.Basic Books.

Websites

The Conversation https://theconversation.edu.au/pages/future-of-higher-education


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