The reason for uploading each part of this assignment as it is written (draft) is to try and address a fear I have of sharing my work with others. As this is in contradiction to my belief that social networking is an excellent framework for professionals to work together, here it is.
Introduction
The rationale behind the title of this assignment has come from my personal conviction that the computer screen can be a barrier to learning. Not because of the physical transparent screen, but because there is often very little connection between the student and tutor. Anecdotal evidence suggests that learners refer to “getting the answer from the computer or the Internet” rather than from the person who has developed the on-line resource. In contrast, consider for a minute the advantage of being in the presence of your tutor (significant other?) discussing and any subject specific misunderstanding directly and your tutor explaining in person.
I have 20 years of teaching mainly Further Education (FE) and been actively exploring how technology can enhance learning and teaching for 16 years. My new role role as Curriculum Manager - Technology Enhanced Learning(TEL) has a cross college focus which includes a strong emphasis on Higher Education (HE) in FE. My teaching commitments during 2009/10 have been post 18 year old students in HNC Engineering and Cert.Ed/ PGCE courses as well a carrying out teaching observations for the Education department. I have the opportunity to help and advise all academic staff from all subject levels and levels (school link to Masters level) in TEL.
The term ‘Technology Enhanced Learning’ (TEL) focuses on pedagogical approach to utilizing technology in learning activities. TEL has two main aspirations. The first is incorporating social-technical solutions into learning and teaching outside the needs of location, date, duration and pace of learning. The second aspiration is to identify cost efficient methods of supporting learning and teaching. Stone, J. (2010 online) identifies that 'Technology revolution' is the way for education to withstand cuts
“Without a re-evaluation of the predominance of expensive, traditional face-to-face teaching, it is difficult to see how frontline institutions will come close to offering comparable outcomes for so much less. Technology needs to lie at the heart of this.”
I have recently forged a team of 12 Professional Development Advisors (PDA), one in each curriculum area. Each PDA is a member of the academic teaching staff. The outcomes from this essay will be shared via the PDAs and cascaded on to peers and presenting at the Research and Scholarly activity event in July 2011 as part of further research I am conducting.
This essay will explore the importance of the significant other (the subject specialist tutor?) to a student and how this may be replicated over distance by the use of video recordings. The scenario used is a tutorial focused on correcting errors/misunderstandings in referencing within assignments. This particular quiz could be offered by many tutors and therefore the second aspect will explore how to reduce the time taken to recreate for the video feedback for each particular tutor.
My own professional development will be enhanced by understanding the practical aspects of recording video as well as the technical aspects of video recording and editing. In addition I hope this progress will provide me with an insight into how to reduce the barriers (real and perceived) for tutors to consider utilising video recording.
I am hoping that the outcomes from this essay will help enthuse tutors to reflect and consider whether it is time to move on from solely using text and static images based learning content to exploring and producing video of themselves correcting a students misunderstanding as if in a one-to-one tutorial.
I do hope that over a period of time, tutors will produce their own video recording similar to how they now produce word documents that was once the domain of academic secretaries
