Slow accident?

One of my students made a very interesting comment while we were discussing quality management... "I don't think many people recognise the importance of the slow accident". He went on to describe that he perceives that many companies appear to be focused on health and safety for physical accidents (quick accidents) but not for the excessive stress that can be experienced at work". The comparison he made was... "there is little difference to the company if the employee has six months off for two broken legs or depression caused by excessive stress at work.

Food for thought?

Enhancing Feedback to Learners by Providing Video Produced by the Tutor

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

paulfloss's webcam video July 14, 2010, 01:50 PM

Critical Evaluation of the Barriers to Using FOSS (Free & Open Source Software) in One College


This is the beginning of series of blogs where I reflect on how the LSIS Professional Development Advisor (PDA) model has started to reduce barriers to utilising Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL).

I start the series by revisiting the Abstract from my dissertation (18 months old)

Abstract

Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) has been highlighted by papers produced by several British and international government agencies which suggest that FOSS can provide an alternative to propriety software such as provided by Microsoft and Apple while still providing comparable or improved technology enhanced teaching and learning at a reduced financial cost.

The key question that this research explores is: “Can FOSS successfully replace any current software application used by teachers”? This paper agrees that FOSS is an alternative to some aspects of propriety software. However, it is 'fitness for purpose' that must prevail as pure FOSS can produce its own restrictions by insisting on using relatively unknown file formats such as Ogg Vorbis instead of the commonly available MP3.

The research includes two learning journals and the analysis of formal interviews of two cohorts; ‘technical’ which consists of personnel that support the computer infrastructure and the ‘education’ cohort which consists of teachers that use the computer infrastructure for teaching and learning.

Both journals support the finding from the literature review that FOSS can adequately replace Microsoft Windows operating system, Microsoft Office Suite and many other Microsoft Windows based applications. However, it is the discovery that the technical and education cohorts of the institution where the research was carried out have a vastly different experience in the use of the ‘computer’ at their place of work which has highlighted a major barrier to the adoption of appropriate FOSS. Although the technical cohort express enjoyment in using their networked computers, the education cohorts expressed frustration and consider that the networked computers are too
restrictive to be effective teaching and learning tools.

The recommendation presents a communication model that can be used as a basis for discussion by schools and colleges to assess the current communication routes used.

This research suggests that by actively examining the current communication
frameworks between teachers, learners and support staff will encourage the whole school or college to think collegiately and enable progress along the E-Maturity model to the category ‘e-enabled’. (BECTA, 2008)

The following blog entries will start to reflect on the communication model I produced and identify where the LSIS PDA model has been incorporated to produce the beginnings of what appears to be a sustainable change.


Reference:
BECTA, (2008). MEASURING E-MATURITY IN THE FE SECTOR – FINAL REPORT. [Online]. Available from http://partners.BECTA.org.uk [accessed 11th August 2009]

Putting pedagogy into Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL)

I am expanding my focus from removing the infrastructure barrier(s) (real and perceived) to TEL onto exploring how pedagogy can be used in this digital age. The title of the essay I am writing is: Beyond the computer screen:Enhancing differentiation through the merging of electronic and human interfaces

The essay focus on how a tutor working face-to-face with a learner in an individual tutorial in the 'real' world can be replicated at a distance through the use of Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL). The 'quiz' is the vehicle used to identify the learners' understanding of a particular topic and the one-to-one tutorial is the methodology used to ensure all feedback from the quiz is understood and that misunderstanding are rectified to enable the learner to succeed.

Our Community of Practice - TEL Is Already Working Well!

The Community of Practice has only been launched today and our college has already seen the benefits. One PGCE student requested staff (via our CoP located on our Moodle) to view a short video and answer a questionnaire. The topic of the research was Makaton and through this simple communication conduit we were able to bring together a fully qualified Makaton staff member and the PGCE student together. This would not had happened without the CoP. Makaton will now be highlighted at our college which will help support Equality and Diversity. AND THIS IS ONLY THE FIRST DAY OF THE LAUNCH OF THE COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE! :-)

Our Cascade Model using PDAs and TLCs.

National and in-house research has identified barriers to using technology in learning and teaching include a lack of information and a lack of clarity about what teachers can and cannot use. From September 2010 we will be using a cascade model to improve communication both up, down and across the organisational structure to develop a Community of Practice.

The Professional Development Advisor (PDA) and Technology Learning Coach (TLC) roles are the building blocks of a framework to monitor and have influence on the decision process to utilise Technology Enhanced Learning (aka e-Learning, ICT and ILT). The decision process will be lead by pedagogy.There will be two main roles in each Centre:-

1. PDA
a) One for each curriculum centre (more if curriculum is offered in other campuses).
b) Trained by Advanced PDA with continuous updating (weekly)
c) Key driver is the use of e-learning/technology in Curriculum Centre
d) Ensures communication within Centre, with TLCs (see below) and with Advanced PDA, PDAs and national Communities of Practice
e) Evaluate perception of technology/e-learning in Curriculum Centre (using government supplied on-line survey (Generator) which will enable comparison of trend across curriculum areas and across colleges)
f) Audit what resources are available in the Curriculum Centre and where they are
g) Identify areas of need from all Curriculum Centres
h) Ensure resources are where they are needed
i) Identify good practice to share
j) Meet with Advanced PDA once a week – cascade of information (including demonstrations of TEL) to and from Advanced PDA including the sharing of good practice by PDAs (beginning of a Community of Practice)
k) Makes sure TLCs have training and resources they need
l) Each PDA have three TLCs at a time
m) Take realistic steps – the most important tasks will be identified and clear SMART goals set for completing them
n) Hopefully, the role will attract time (remission) next year, but this is nowhere near definite.

2. TLC
a) Someone who wants to use technology in teaching
b) Someone other teachers come to for help (peer support)
c) 2-way communication with PDA
d) Identify a project that they wish to develop and complete (could be as simple as a set of interactive PowerPoints)
e) Receive training in technology they want to start using
f) Advanced PDA has small funds to help buy some of their time to release them to complete agreed projects. Other possible sources of funding could be the Research and Scholarly activity fund.


The PDA training has been contextualised to the needs of our college and will be delivered by the Advanced PDA, with support from members of the TEL- Community of Practice

We currently have seven PDAs and twenty one TLCs I am hoping to have at least five more PDAs for the second wave of PDA training (July) with all Curriculum Centres and Campuses represented with PDAs and TLCs in the third and final PDA training sessions in the new term.