ASCILITE Publications

Over a decade of promising pedagogical models and technology for music teaching

Alan Anderson — 2012-11-22

Research papers reporting the potential of new technologies and pedagogical models have a tendency to mushroom as educators disseminate the results of promising pilot studies. Some ideas and technologies gain traction and prove sustainable while others are superseded or fall by the way side in search of the next best thing. As a first step towards examining the sustainability of new models and technology for music teaching, this concise paper compares relevant themes in a selection of current publications with those in past publications around the turn of the millennium. In so doing, this paper also considers the ASCILITE 2012 “premise that what happened in the past is no longer a reliable guide to the future.”

Creativity in practice

Belinda Allen — 2012-11-22

Creativity, both as a professional capability and as a personal attribute, is acknowledged as an important dimension of education for a fast-changing world, relevant to future practice in the professions and for learners and teachers. New social media tools, which place creation, publication and critique in the hands of web users, have been recognised as having a role in democratising creativity, making the means of production and distribution accessible to most of the developed world. Using these tools to facilitate learning activities in higher education can promote creativity and many other related capabilities: digital literacy, independent learning, collaboration and communication skills, and critical thinking. It requires creativity on the part of teachers to develop and manage learning environments and tasks that are not traditional and may be quite experimental. This paper asks some university teachers who are innovating their teaching by using social media to reflect on how creativity informs their practice and the learning of their students.

Distance learners’ use of non-institutional social media to augment and enhance their learning experience

Trish Andrews — 2012-11-22

This paper reports on initial data elicited from two related studies which draw on the learner voice in relation to experiences of distance learners in their use of social media in higher education contexts across four universities. Data from these studies suggest that the wide availability, accessibility and affordances of social media create alternative learning options for some distance learners. The studies reported here draw upon affordance theory and identify that some distant learners are actively and deliberately using popular, non-institutional social media tools to augment and extend their learning experiences. This brief paper discusses emerging findings and the possible implications of these findings for the sector.

Engaging higher education students via digital curation

Amy Antonio — 2012-11-22

The emergence and adoption of freely available digital curation tools has shown a public desire to locate, evaluate and organise web content into manageable, shareable collections. These tools occupy a unique niche, often overlapping with other web tools. This necessitates a clear definition of tools laying claim to this space and suggestion and direction for the use of digital curation to build student engagement. A definition is suggested, as well as a discussion on the emotional design principles and how they build sustained engagement with users.

The challenge for static online resources

Lynn Berry — 2012-11-22

More universities are providing online courses in response to demands for greater flexibility which consequently places pressure on learning support services, such as, academic skills centres, to follow suit. The increasing numbers of students are stretching the existing capacities of such centres to adequately address student learning needs in traditional ways, and therefore more flexible offerings through an e-learning environment are required. Nonetheless developing online resources and learning activities require significant development time, and it is not clear whether these resources are effective, since very little research examines what or how learning may be achieved. To explore this issue, this paper reviews the available literature on the topic with the aim of identifying ways to evaluate such resources, and considers the sustainability of pursuing static texts. The paper proposes combining knowledge of best practice with an evaluation research framework, and urges the design of more dynamic resources.

Planning to teach with ICT

Shaista Bibi — 2012-11-22

In this study we explored the nature and types of knowledge that university teachers draw upon when they are making decisions related to the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in their courses. The data were obtained using a 'think aloud' protocol. Shulman's (1987) and Mishra & Koehler's (2006) frameworks were used as an initial basis to classify teachers' knowledge. The mental resource perspective was adopted as a general lens to obtain an insight into the nature of teachers' knowledge. The results showed that teachers? decisions were based on different types of knowledge. When teachers planned to use ICT in their courses, they combined different knowledge types with context-specific experiences and projected situated actions. In this paper we illustrate three qualities of teachers' knowledge that underpinned core teachers' planning decisions: a) the linking role of pedagogical knowledge; b) relational nature of teachers' design thinking; and c) the experiential basis of teachers' anticipations.

Outside in

Trevor Billany — 2012-11-22

A review of the teaching spaces at Charles Darwin University merged top-down directives with bottom-up requirements from user groups (students, academics and support staff). The space of tension between the three top-down drivers from outside and within the walls of a regional Northern Australian university had to be managed and prioritised to ensure the needs of local stakeholders were met as far as economically and practicably possible. By going beyond blended learning the aim is to provide a deeper level of engagement and collaboration to create synergies designed to bring the distant external students into the classroom. This will be mediated by the use of web-conferencing within the teaching spaces. The change process is examined with respect to five issues identified as relevant for this teaching mode to improve the sustainability of our teaching practices.

eLearning lecturer workload

Stephen Bright — 2012-11-22

Lecturers who move into the online learning environment often discover that the workload involved not only changes, but can be overwhelming as they cope with using digital technologies. Questions arise, given the dissatisfaction of lecturers with lowering morale and increasing workload, whether future expansion of this teaching component in tertiary institutions is sustainable. The challenge facing lecturers now, and in the future, is about learning workload management strategies which effectively manage the workload they encounter in the online learning environment. This paper describes a case study (which is a work-in-progress) examining the perceptions of online workload cf. face-to-face teaching of lecturers who are experienced in e- teaching. As well, it identifies strategies the lecturers have developed or adopted to manage this element of their workload.

Keywords: lecturer workload, workload strategies, workload management , e-teaching, elearning

An online community designed to support future makers in educational reform

Tania Broadley — 2012-11-22

Australian education is undergoing national reform at many levels. The school sector, where pre- service teachers will be employed, are adjusting to the demands of the National Curriculum and improving teacher quality through the National Professional Standards for Teachers. In addition, the university sector, where pre-service teachers are prepared, is undergoing its own education reform through the introduction of a demand-driven system and ensuring quality for tertiary education interns through the Higher Education Standards Framework. In moving to prepare pre- service teachers for the school system; universities are grappling with the double-barreled approach to teacher quality; quality within the university course and quality within the student teachers being prepared. Through a collaborative partnership including university lecturers, Department of Education central administration staff, school principals, school coordinators, practicum supervisors, mentor teachers and pre-service teachers; the stakeholders have formed an online community of learners engaging in reflective practice who are committed to improving teacher quality. This online community not only links the key stakeholders within the project, it facilitates the nexus between theory and practice often missing in our pre-service teacher placements. This paper reports preliminary data about an initiative to ensure final year pre-service teachers are aspiring to meet the graduate professional standards through the use of an innovative online community.

Living the new normal

Mark Brown — 2012-11-22

Significant challenges face traditional distance education. The conventional ‘pack and post’ model of distance education is under serious threat along with the performance of distance education providers as governments and funding bodies increasingly scrutinize retention, progression and completion rates. The objective of the current study was to contribute to the enhancement of services and resources available for first-time distance learners in the future. The study was framed around Design-based Research involving a mixed method approach over three phases. The third phase was the major component of the study, which involved gathering the lived experiences of 20 first-time distance learners, in their own words, using weekly video diaries for data collection. The research proposed seven key takeaways, alongside seven guiding principles aimed at distance education providers wanting to enhance the success of distance learners in the future.

The Sapphire Vortex

Des Butler — 2012-11-22

Traditional approaches to teaching criminal law in Australian law schools include lectures that focus on the transmission of abstracted and decontextualised knowledge, with content often prioritised at the expense of depth. This paper discusses The Sapphire Vortex, a blended learning environment that combines a suite of on-line modules using Second Life machinima to depict a narrative involving a series of criminal offences and the ensuing courtroom proceedings, expert commentary by practising lawyers and class discussions.

Implementing a learner response system in one university

Chris Campbell — 2012-11-22

Although students expect to be engaged in lectures, it has been acknowledged that this can be challenging at universities across the world. When students lack engagement, attendance at lectures can be affected and students can become disengaged from the course. For these reasons and more it was decided by academics who lecture at one Australian university to implement a learner response system (LRS) for their large first year Education cohort. This paper investigates the literature and focuses on this implementation as well as initial data obtained by a group of first year students.

Evolution of a higher ed curriculum based ecosystem

Christopher James Cheers — 2012-11-22

In a Higher Education context learning is an individual experience within a learning community. Such a community no longer needs to be bound by temporal or spatial limitations. Drawing on concepts found in Complexity Science, Ecological Psychology and Distributed Cognition this paper argues that educational design needs to focus on supporting the dynamics and flow of interaction, the exchange of ideas and negotiation of meaning within a curriculum based ecosystem.

Embedding eportfolios in teacher education

Christopher Allan — 2012-11-22

ePortfolios are being used in teacher education across Australia as a technology and as a process. They allow pre -and in-service teachers to showcase teaching practice against teaching standards and reflect on their practice throughout and after study. The University of Tasmania is implementing an eportfolio as an integral part of its Master of Teaching and Bachelor of Education programs to help with this process. This paper uses document analysis to describe the support strategies used in the previous two years of implementation of eportfolios at the university and outlines future plans for progressive implementation (including plans to change eportfolio technology and support implications). Some of the strategies used to implement eportfolios include: the use of a community of practice, the use of templates and scaffolds, support from L&T and IT infrastructure, embedding assessments in units; and modelling/building exemplars of effective portfolio practice.

Moodle Workshop activities support peer review in Year 1 Science

Julian M. Cox — 2012-11-22

Compulsory Science Faculty (SCIF) courses in various programs of study serve to provide students with a sense of belonging within their own cohort and with their professional future, as well as developing a range of skills relevant to that future. These aims are supported through completion of assessment tasks, which in turn are supported through the use of the Moodle learning management system. Specifically, the Workshop tool facilitates the practice of peer review, one of the processes in the course not only relevant to professional practice in the sciences but supporting active learning among students through noticing aspects of a range of tasks in which they can improve. This paper describes the use of the Workshop tool in its original form as well as modifications developed at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) to support the use of peer review and assessment processes associated with a range of assessment tasks.

Using reward contingencies in online activities to facilitate engagement in a statistics class

Xochitl de la Piedad Garcia — 2012-11-22

This paper presents the use of an online learning management system to establish a system of reward contingencies to facilitate student engagement in a statistics class. Based on a behaviourist framework, the proposed system uses immediate rewards for weekly studying. It also incorporates punishment to discourage breaking patterns of consistent weekly study. Student evaluations at the end of the semester showed students’ acknowledgement that the system led them to study more frequently and consistently than they otherwise would have, and that the feedback made the study more effective. However, some students reported feeling that the punishment system was unfair. An alternative system is suggested in response to this criticism.

Applying a Reverse Induction Process for Improved Definition of Higher Education Technology-Supported Research Projects

Joanne Doyle — 2012-11-22

Scoping out the detail of a Higher Education research project can be a time-consuming and frustrating experience. The excitement of a research project is frequently stifled by the tedious process of mapping out project activities, estimating required resources and developing project schedules. Reverse induction provides a fresh approach to defining technology-supported research projects. In much the same way as new product development must be guided by an understanding of customer needs, reverse induction focuses on research outcomes before formulating research aims. Using a systematic process of backward reasoning, researchers can define a project concept in a structured and efficient manner. There is significant potential for reverse induction to deliver time and cost savings in a complex and challenging Higher Education environment.

Using a blogging tool to assess online discussions

Xinni Du — 2012-11-22

This paper presents a summary of an experimental assessment design in a fully online undergraduate course. It details a task design relating to assessing discussion forum contributions and how lessons learnt from the original design have impacted on the current course design. From a task that often resulted in 2500 posts across a semester – impossible to read and assess in a fair and equitable manner to the combined design offered today. The task is equitable and manageable with the aim of building students’ capability as active learners.

Beyond the afterglow

John P. Egan — 2012-11-22

This exploratory study examines aspects of student experiences both during an online applications course in the University of British Columbia’s Master of Educational Technology (MET) programme, and subsequent to having completed the course in the realm of professional educational practice. Transfer of learning (Caffarella, 2002) related to specific learning activities, a learning community-centered/community of practice course structure, and the overall course design were examined. Broadly speaking, transfer of learning was significant for nearly all study participants; specific learning activities designed to foment this did so successfully for most participants. However, the community of practice aspect during the course (Lave and Wenger, 1991), whilst strong, was not as evident after the course ended. This paper represents a preliminary analysis of the findings from the quantitative (questionnaire) portion of a larger, mixed methods study.

Google Analytics as a tool in the development of e-learning artefacts

Damon Ellis — 2012-11-22

The design, development, and evaluation of e-learning artefacts requires extensive and potentially time-consuming evidence collection in order to verify that the artefact is fulfilling its educational goals. There is a need for inexpensive tools that can facilitate the quantitative portion of this evidence base. This paper explores the use of Google Analytics in this capacity. The needs analysis, design, testing, embedding, and evaluation of APA Interactive – an e-learning artefact targeting students at Massey University – serves as a case study, demonstrating how analytics data can inform all stages in the creation of web-based educational resources.

Bridging the digital divide

Helen Farley — 2012-11-22

Incarcerated students face a number of additional challenges to those faced by most other students studying at a distance. Lack of internet access is especially problematic for those studying in a sector that is increasingly characterised by online course offerings. This paper reports on a trial project that will attempt to address the digital challenges that hinder access to higher education by incarcerated students, and to provide them with inclusive learning experiences. The trial utilises Stand-Alone Moodle (SAM) and eBook readers with a small sample of incarcerated students participating in the Tertiary Preparation Program (TPP) at the University of Southern Queensland (USQ). This project potentially addresses the digital divide experienced by incarcerated students as compared to the general student population. It is anticipated that students will participate in learning experiences more closely related to those experienced by students who study in online environments, that and they will acquire relevant e-literacy and e-research skills.

Implications of the non-traditional student becoming the traditional

Lorraine Fleckhammer — 2012-11-22

The challenge that the new digital technologies brings to education today is in the shift to online education. Online education, as delivered through Open Universities Australia, is open access, and affords entry into Higher Education for many non-traditional students who are much more diverse in terms of academic skills than traditional-entry students. The aim of this study was to improve academic writing skills, specifically in the correct use of APA formatting for psychology research reports. A "low-stakes" assessment task worth 5% replaced optional referencing, formatting and report writing exercises. The results found no improvement in student reports (i.e., no increase in assignment grades) in the intervention year compared to three other years where the tasks were optional.

“It gave me a much more personal connection”

Dianne Forbes — 2012-11-22

This paper reports on a qualitative case study of an online initial teacher education class in New Zealand, exploring the potential of student-generated podcasts as a form of interactive formative assessment. Findings from interviews with teaching staff indicate that podcasting was useful for supporting multimodal learning valuing student voice and reflections. Podcasting enhanced the affective and relational connections in the online class, and empowered students to develop technical skills and confidence relevant in their teaching careers. As such, this study positions educators as future makers and as leaders in a climate of change. We suggest implications for student-generated podcasts in similar contexts.

Using Mobile Learning to Facilitate Early Engagement

Paul Goldacre — 2012-11-22

Mobile Learning is an emerging learning and teaching field and the strategies for conceptualising, designing, developing and evaluating the mobile learning experience are embryonic and evolving. This paper describes the process of development of a mobile learning experience for use on an iOS device with "engagement" and "learning" sitting at the core of the research, design and development of the project.

Leading the evaluation of institutional online learning environments for quality enhancement in times of change

Maree Gosper — 2012-11-22

This paper reports on findings from a nationally funded project which aims to design and implement a quality management framework for online learning environments (OLEs). Evaluation is a key component of any quality management system and it is this aspect of the framework that is the focus of this paper. In developing the framework initial focus groups were conducted at the five participating institutions. These revealed that, although regarded as important, there did not appear to be a shared understanding of the nature and purpose of evaluation. A second series of focus groups revealed there were multiple perspectives arising from those with a vested interest in online learning. These perspectives will be outlined. Overall, how evaluation was undertaken was highly variable within and across the five institutions reflecting where they were at in relation to the development of their OLE.

Sustaining the future through virtual worlds

Sue Gregory — 2012-11-22

Virtual worlds (VWs) continue to be used extensively in Australia and New Zealand higher education institutions although the tendency towards making unrealistic claims of efficacy and popularity appears to be over. Some educators at higher education institutions continue to use VWs in the same way as they have done in the past; others are exploring a range of different VWs or using them in new ways; whilst some are opting out altogether. This paper presents an overview of how 46 educators from some 26 institutions see VWs as an opportunity to sustain higher education. The positives and negatives of using VWs are discussed.

The 5 C’s of Literacy and Literary Skills Development

Michael Griffith — 2012-11-22

The use of blogging has been explored on how it can enhance and extend support for student participation and learning: as collaborative learning spaces, for increased participation and interaction amongst students, as a valuable asset to the learning schedules of large cohort university teaching, for promoting writing skills. The limitations and lack of perceived benefits have also been acknowledged in some studies. At our university, blogging has been applied in a course to enhance the engagement of students in the study of literature, to extend community with peers, and to build skills for future employability. It is precisely because of the less formal nature of the blog, one more in harmony with students' own social networking practice, that this Web 2.0 tool segues so effectively from students' native skills into the academic arena. The increasing use of social media in academic contexts has however, raised the question of whether the largely informal nature of Web 2.0 can act as a pathway to develop students' writing or if this could hinder the development of competence in academic discourse.

Moving down Stream

Kathryn Hay — 2012-11-22

In 2009, Massey University introduced Moodle (aka Stream) as an institutional innovation to support and enhance teaching and learning. The social work field education (practicum) programme has embraced Stream as an opportunity to creatively advance current educative practices. The development of a meta-site for field education provides academics, students and field educators¹ a forum in which field education can be advanced. This paper will outline the rationale for a research project that examines the perspectives of field educators and academic staff on the opportunities and challenges associated with on-line teaching and learning in the field education area. The research will assess the value of the Stream environment and consider ways in which the current innovation can be further developed.

Leading by Example

Elaine Huber — 2012-11-22

This paper outlines the design of a study to investigate how a collection of example units was used as part of a wider training and support strategy during the transition between learning management systems. Example units can be thought of as a type of learning object or template from which innovative uses of learning technologies can be shared and used for professional development purposes in the design of online teaching spaces. Using a Developmental Evaluation approach, questions were asked about the authenticity and reusability of the example units to enhance their design in the next round of iterative planning. This paper will be of interest to Educational Developers and Academic staff interested in course design with technologies as well as co-ordinators of professional development strategies.

Course Team Symposia

Carole Hunter — 2012-11-22

Course Team Symposia are a funding opportunity provided by Charles Sturt University’s Flexible Learning Institute to help course leaders engage their teams in blended and flexible learning design. Initial findings from this preliminary study suggest that course leaders and their educational designers have used the symposium process to ‘try out’ leadership practices on the job by clarifying and developing a shared vision of blended and flexible learning, supporting collaborative planning, helping their teams reflect on their own practice and forming strategies to improve that practice. In doing so, they are building a repertoire of leadership strategies to use with their teams in the future. Further research involving more symposium recipients will shed additional light on how leadership is being supported through this initiative, and any implications for student outcomes.

Online learning in ACSEducation

Asheley Jones — 2012-11-22

Following the theme of “Learning for the Future”, this paper investigates the use of a number of online tools that enhance learning within the Professional Year Program offered by ACSEducation. Supported by the literature on the use of these tools for learning and assessment, the use of online tools has provided engaging and relevant learning for students undertaking ACS programs. This paper explains the choice of tools and how they are applied to ensure the best outcome for the learners. Current research being undertaken to investigate the perceptions of students toward the use of these tools is discussed. Future research into the improvement in the use and efficacy of the tools into the future, and the methods planned for this research is also detailed along with relevant supporting literature.

(Trans) Formation through educational technologies

Therese Keane — 2012-11-22

Historically, the 3Rs (reading, writing, and arithmetic) have laid the foundations for student life-skills, however, to function in the 21st century, students need to embrace the 4Cs (collaboration, creativity, critical thinking and communication). Teachers need to employ a variety of educational technologies, which embrace various aspects of the 3Rs and 4Cs in their practice. This work provides a framework for teachers to practically implement the 4Cs in a transformative space so they are then able to apply the 4CS through technology by implementing this approach to their teaching. This mode of teaching prepares students with the necessary tools for the 21st century.

Finding a Voice

Thomas Kerr — 2012-11-22

This paper reports on a recent experiment that used Wimba Voice Board (WVB), an online asynchronous recording and playback utility, for teaching basic pronunciation rules to a group of novice learners of Spanish. The experimental design used a pre/post-test format with an intervention where participants in the experimental group were given access to a built-for-purpose Blackboard online unit and encouraged to engage with the learning materials in self-directed study (Victori and Lockhart, 1995; Lee, 1997). Participants were also able to voluntarily upload their own attempts at pronunciation to a WVB module accessed by all group members, listen to attempts uploaded by peers, and provide optional feedback. Control group members were taught the same content in a traditional teacher-led classroom setting. Two focus groups were conducted with members of the experimental group. Analysis of the collected data showed that WVB was able to produce results that were equivalent to those achieved by members of the control group.

An innovative approach to facilitate critical thinking and reflective learning in prescribing and therapeutics e-learning

Santosh Khanal — 2012-11-22

A fully online and standardised national curriculum for prescribing education, National Prescribing Curriculum (NPC), is offered to students of multiple health disciplines in Australia. The NPC consists of 28 self-paced one hour modules based on World Health Organisation’s Guide to Good Prescribing. Health professional education requires didactic teaching to be blended with interactivity, problem solving, critical thinking and self-reflection. The NPC offers the students flexibility and interactivity and increases their prescribing knowledge to help them solve relevant problems. Going forward, there is a need to enhance the teaching capabilities of the module by facilitating critical thinking and reflective learning. In this paper, we discuss an innovative approach of embedding certainty based multiple choice questions in the NPC modules to facilitate critical thinking and reflective learning in a highly demanding learning environment and present the results of a study to evaluate the usefulness of this approach.

Mobility makes us agile and lean

Tim Klapdor — 2012-11-22

The mLearn Project at Charles Sturt University (CSU) is an attempt to establish a new philosophy for large-scale institutional initiatives that borrows aspects from the technology companies based out of Silicon Valley. This paper will outline the concepts that have been adopted as well as the rationale for this change in tact. The project is running in 2012 and into 2013 over three teaching sessions and it is hoped will foster innovation through trials of technology, mobilising system access and developing mobile enhanced learning resources. Findings and reflections from the project will be published over the next 18 months.

The creation of a 3D immersive, interactive space for experiential learning

Vicki Knox — 2012-11-22

VirtualPREX, or, virtual professional experience, is the term used to describe a 3D virtual world classroom designed for pre-service teachers to practise their teaching skills and use the interactive resources to create immersive experiences to assist their learning. Outlined in this paper is how and why the space was created for the pre-service teachers. Also described and explained are the adjustments made to the space to enable a richer experience for pre-service teachers to role-play and practise their teaching prior to taking the skills to the real classroom.

Pigeon pecks and mouse clicks

Jason Lodge — 2012-11-22

Learning in higher education can be described as a series of complex tasks and stages of development requiring a range of multifaceted behaviours and ways-of-being. Understanding what contributes to teaching for quality learning and achieving quality learning outcomes in higher education has been the topic of much debate over many decades. The current paper intends to situate and contextualise learning analytics (LA) within a broader debate on quality and student experience, outlining the affordances and constraints of this data-driven approach to quality. Firstly, we acknowledge the current use of LA within higher education and early research outcomes reported within the literature. Secondly, drawing on our combined disciplinary knowledge within experimental psychology, health informatics and health science education, as well as our current roles within quality and student experience at our respective universities, we pose some directions for enhancing and building on current approaches to understanding and using LA in the higher education context.

Impacts of Scheduling Algorithms on Resource Availability

David Lowe — 2012-11-22

Cost and space constraints typically limit the provision of many educational resources, with laboratory apparatus being a common example. This limitation is often ameliorated by utilizing scheduling techniques to manage access over an extended period of time. The specific scheduling algorithms that are used have been shown to have a significant impact on the overall availability of a set of resources and hence the level of access that can be supported. This paper considers ways in which these scheduling algorithms can be enhanced and the resulting impacts. Whilst the results are illustrated through their application to remote laboratory access, the implications are equally applicable to scheduling of access to any constrained resource.

Learning with technology

Judith Lyons — 2012-11-22

Embracing learning for the future through learning technologies requires a clearer understanding of the pedagogies that inform the simulated teaching and learning strategies used to facilitate student learning. Higher Education e-learning literature often groups educational games with simulation. However, educational simulation attributes are different from games or simulated games with very different aims and objectives within the learning context, which have implications for technology-based learning designs. In order to optimize the use of technology- based simulation this paper presents the theoretical foundations of educational simulation in a disciplinary context. Understanding the simulation pedagogy will assist academics to create technology-based simulated learning environments that highlight the inherent simulation attributes to enable and facilitate learning.

Future-Thinking Flexible Learning Development

Claire Macken — 2012-11-22

Can you imagine the student's experience in higher education beyond 2020? How will teaching approaches have changed? How will learning technologies play a role in the 21^st century student? In higher education, institutions will need to be future focused. So far, institutional change in the use of learning technologies has been dominated by an applied or pragmatic focus that persists despite the increase in uses of constructivist pedagogies and the potential of the read/write web, or Web 2.0. This paper proposes a new, future thinking and sustainable approach to flexible learning development. This approach engages with factors that are often ignored in applied design approaches to learning technologies, including the change management problems associated with introducing flexible learning into higher education institutions and conflicting institutional practices when using technology systems. The sustainable design approach proposed in this paper is referred to as "FOLD": Flexible and Online Learning Development, as introduced at La Trobe University, Victoria, Australia.

Relevant, current and sustainable digital strategies to prepare future teachers to lead e-learning

Julie Mackey — 2012-11-22

This paper describes how one teacher education programme integrates multiple strategies to ensure graduating teachers are prepared to lead e-learning in New Zealand classrooms. Contrary to recent criticism, initial teacher education (ITE) provides strong leadership in the innovative use of e-learning and digital technologies, and emphasises the digital capabilities, knowledge and confidence students need to succeed in their teacher preparation and beyond. This paper reports on the coherent range of strategies employed by one university that model good practice in blended online learning including: a social networking strategy to develop core digital skills; peer mentoring; the use of e-portfolios and Web 2.0 tools; as well as the integration of advanced e- learning pedagogies for course work. Evidence from several projects supports the claim that initial teacher education is developing essential e-learning leadership for future teachers and providing valuable professional leadership to the wider education sector.

Designing an online activity for collaborative language learning

Mauricio Marrone — 2012-11-22

Engaging students when learning new vocabulary, building an environment that allows for collaboration and teamwork and providing approaches towards learning via problem solving is not an easy feat in teaching a second language. To have an activity that incorporates these three strategies in one for both face-to-face and geographically dispersed students can be challenging. This paper describes how an online activity in Moodle linked to the glossary module allows students to possibly learn vocabulary more efficiently, quicker and in a more engaging way.

The road ahead

Romana Martin — 2012-11-22

eBooks have now become commonplace in the community and are used on a range of mobile devices such as eBook readers and tablet computers. In recent years, eTextbooks accessible on a range of mobile devices have provided an alternative to heavy and expensive print-based resources. Although some institutions have decided that eTextbooks and related resources are the preferred option for their students, research does not yet indicate that students actually favor eTextbooks. There is also little evidence to support whether the additional features offered in electronic resources increase engagement or improve learning outcomes. The author describes how a review of the literature revealed current issues related to eTextbooks and their accompanying resources. This preliminary exploration will guide research to investigate whether eTextbooks and complementary resources produced by publishing companies can lead to improved learning outcomes and student engagement in a business school context.

Designing and recording machinima to illustrate professional practice scenarios

Yvonne Masters — 2012-11-22

Immersive virtual worlds, such as Second Life, have attracted widespread interest in recent years as platforms for online role-plays of professional practice scenarios. An alternative application of virtual worlds is the video recording of in-world role-play activities, "machinima", for later use as stimuli for class discussions or individual reflective activities. The scripting and recording of machinima to illustrate particular practice scenarios is seen as an alternative to recording video in authentic practice contexts, potentially addressing some of the inherent ethical and logistic issues. This paper describes the process used to design, record and produce machinima illustrating a series of classic classroom teaching practice scenarios as part of the Office for Learning and Teaching VirtualPREX project.

Virtual worlds

Grant Meredith — 2012-11-22

Virtual worlds present frontiers of promise for the ever evolving venture of pedagogical development, trial and embracement. Of late there have been large pushes into these worlds in terms of health-based education for students and early practitioners. Virtual worlds seem to be the next logical jump into nursing education and can offer a range of simulation benefits. But these worlds do not appeal to all students, can be complex and expensive to develop and interact within. Other game-like avenues exist though and have not been explored thoroughly enough to date. Such genres like puzzles games, management style games and surprisingly first person shooters already have titles and game mechanics which have been somewhat adapted to nursing education but could easily be more thought out and developed to suit. This paper outlines the two major gaming audience types to be considered and then explores a range of options for nursing education beyond virtual worlds.

Early identification of students at risk of failing

John Milne — 2012-11-22

This paper outlines how teachers can use the learning management system (LMS) to identify at risk students in the first week of a course. Data is from nine second year campus based business courses that use a blend of face-to-face and online learning strategies. Students that used the LMS in the first week of the course were more likely to pass. For the rest of the course the pattern of usage is then largely similar for students who pass and those that do not pass. This paper identifies how a LMS can identify at risk students in the first week of the course and provides some strategies to motivate these students.

Taming the devil

Scott Nankervis — 2012-11-22

Immunology is a complex field requiring rapid memorisation of numerous components. An in- depth understanding of cellular and molecular biology is required before even moderately advanced concepts can be taught. We sought methods that actively engage students and help develop new knowledge and consolidate existing concepts to support lectures. We created an interactive and entertaining prototype immunology computer game as a tool for learning and revision, with the ability to interactively cover course content outside of class that modern learners expect. Our prototype appears to be a successful study aid when used additionally to attendance at lectures. We seek to continue the development of the game in a higher education context, but also produce a modified version for a secondary school context, in an effort to raise the profile of this key health area and promote learning for the future through the study of the sciences prior to students entering higher education.

Using Online Environments to Provoke Student-Enquiry

Fiona Nicolson — 2012-11-22

This paper is intended for researchers and practitioners interested in using online environments to provoke student enquiry in any discipline in higher education. Using a Community of Enquiry model that tackles the pedagogical weaknesses in constructivism, we explain why online environments are so effective in engaging students actively in a learning process that meets the requirements of an academic context. From this perspective, we are able to offer concrete advice on how to design an online environment that will provoke student-enquiry. We explain why a social presence is important in the establishment of a Community of Enquiry and we also align particular web technologies to the various stages in the enquiry process and the students’ achievement of a unit’s learning outcomes. The reader will develop a better understanding of community of enquiry in higher education, and how to use web technologies to provoke enquiry in an online environment.

The digital tutor

Rachel Panckhurst — 2012-11-22

Pilot studies using online social networks within a French University postgraduate course were conducted over a five-year period in order to explore and evaluate the relative advantages and challenges of such tools for tertiary education. Students were following a curriculum as part of a second-year predominantly off-campus Master's degree. In this paper, after having defined pedagogical eLearning exchange networks (eLENs), and how they can be implemented by using social learning objects, the latest case study analysis is focused on providing solutions for effective tutoring in the digital era.

Responding to diversification

Diana Quinn — 2012-11-22

Government reforms have resulted in an increasing number of pathways and options for a broader cohort of students to undertake university-level study. These diverse learners need support to develop successful study orchestrations, balancing available time for learning with competing interests, such as family, leisure and employment. The Time Budget is a useful tool for naïve students to perceive course workload, understand expectations and balance their commitments. The Time Budget, in a single page, captures what students need to do, and when, to be successful in their studies. Time Budgets have proved to be a sustainable good practice initiative for undergraduate students – a tool that has made the transition from supporting face-to-face learners, to blended and fully-online learners; and from being a feature of individual courses, to whole programs and multi-university collaborations.

Designing to close the gap

Alison Reedy — 2012-11-22

This paper reports on the initial phase of the development of a large scale online design and implementation project, known as the ACIKE Online Unit Development Project, for the Australian Centre of Indigenous Knowledges and Education (ACIKE). The project is underpinned by a design-based research framework and encompasses the design, development and staged delivery of 81 units across seven higher education undergraduate and post-graduate courses. The rationale underpinning the project is to promote Indigenous learners’ participation and success in higher education, with a particular focus on the online environment, whilst providing opportunities for all students to develop the skills and knowledge to work cross-culturally in a learning environment focused on building Indigenous cultural competence.

Reflections on staff development in eLearning via a community of practice model

Tabitha Roder — 2012-11-22

This narrative seeks to identify practices which have enabled staff in eLearning roles to support their peers to increase the use of eLearning within a New Zealand tertiary education context. Specifically, it examines those factors which have contributed to the development of institutional capability in eLearning over a two-year funded period. Unitec New Zealand has recently implemented a transformative eLearning Development Strategy with the aim of developing the capability and capacity of Unitec academic staff in integrating learning technologies. The funding of a number of temporary roles aided development of staff capability and capacity in eLearning through a Community of Practice model. We consider factors that contribute to the development of a sustainable learning culture, and identify how a community approach has enabled this. We further explore and reflect upon the enablers and barriers experienced in the eLearning roles, and the implications of using this model and its efficacy in meeting institutional goals. An extended version of this paper was presented at the Moodle Research Conference held in Heraklion, Crete on 14-15 September 2012.

Naming and measuring the elephants

Carol Russell — 2012-11-22

Educational development work to replace traditional campus university teaching with more innovative blended learning activities usually involves articulating and questioning assumptions about disciplinary learning. But the assumptions built into the discipline and institutional organizational systems for managing study times and staff workload planning can block innovation. Several previous projects have established that intensive team workshops over 2-3 days, involving support staff working with academics to produce real outputs, can build sustainable capacity for curriculum innovation within academic units. This paper describes current work in one university that makes use of disciplinary curriculum mapping and explicit planning of academic and student workload in the educational design activity. Two pilots in different disciplines are being used to develop a model that can be applied and contextualized as part of a broader sustainable blended learning strategy.

Towards a sustainable support strategy for online students

Elizabeth Smith — 2012-11-22

Helping first year students develop the sociological competencies required of 21st century engineers, such as professional reflection, effective teamwork and cross-cultural sensitivity, remains a challenge, particularly for external students. This paper reports on the experience of conducting an online engineering practice course, which focusses on these competencies, for external students and on the strategies adopted to support and encourage student participation. Some of the strategies and practices which were implemented were successful in the short term, but many will not be sustainable. However, it is hoped that the lessons learnt from this development will improve future offerings of the course and generally enhance the way we support online students.

Toward a framework for evaluating blended learning

Michael Smythe — 2012-11-22

Blended learning for some is the future of education itself (Brown & Diaz, 2010). However blended learning lacks a coherent body of research that unequivocally demonstrates learning benefits over traditional modes of instruction. Yet there is a growing volume of evidence to support the view that blended learning can result in improvements in student learning outcomes and enhance student satisfaction (Dziuban, Hartman, Cavanagh & Moskal, 2011; Garrison & Vaughan, 2008; Graham, 2006; Sharpe, Benfield, Roberts & Francis, 2006; Vaughan, 2007). The means to evaluate its effectiveness is frequently lacking since there are a relatively limited range of tools and methods that support staff in designing blended learning curricula. This paper describes one component of a possible framework for evaluating blended learning – the use of a course design rubric. A new rubric is outlined that attempts to represent a range of good practice in blended learning design derived from the literature and evidence-based research.

The design and development of a suite of online professional development resources for academic staff

David Snell — 2012-11-22

Professional development for teaching staff at Massey University has been comprehensively remodelled in order to foster teachers as “future makers”, exponents of models of teaching and learning that are suitable for effective 21^st century knowledge creation and distribution. Given that the remodelling programme has strong support at significant levels of the university?s leadership, it has a high chance of succeeding in its aims. This paper traces the initial stages of one project in the programme: the production of a suite of online resources featuring successful academic staff discussing aspects of their teaching. Loosely modelled on other online teaching development videos, the videos in the suite were envisaged to provide staff new to teaching, and those wishing to improve their teaching practices, with a readily accessible, practical explanation of how some of Massey University?s leading practitioners operate. To help staff understanding at a deeper level, the suite included a series of brief information guides ("flyers") aimed at helping staff understand the theoretical terms underpinning the video discussions. This is an initial report on an on-going project.

A Brave New World

Natalie Spence — 2012-11-22

There are numerous challenges facing a class at university: limited access to tutorial rooms, fewer tutors and low student attendance in traditional lectures. A further challenge in science is the need to facilitate the learning—and develop the science literacy—of non-science majors, who in the case of this paper elect to study astronomy as part of their academic program. On moving a class online, the challenge includes finding, and becoming confident in using, effective methods and tools. This paper traces a process of review and collaboration between an educational development team and faculty academics to reconfigure an introductory astronomy unit. Part of the approach is to engage students using concept mapping to underpin enquiry-driven pedagogy using the university’s learning management system.

The affordances of web conferences in online pre-service mathematics education

Brett Stephenson — 2012-11-22

In their books "Teaching the digital generations: No more cookie cutters" (2008) and "Windows on the Future" (2001), Ted McCain and Ian Jukes discuss the change that is necessary in education to respond to technological change. Web conferences are emerging as an important pedagogical tool for pre-service teacher education. In this study pre-service mathematics teachers shared their views of the benefits and limitations that web conferences offer. The collection of data for analysis was from students experienced in web conferences and was obtained by, appropriately, a web conference where questions were presented on the web conference whiteboard and responses and discussion were given using the text, talk, polling and whiteboard tools embedded in the web conference software. This paper will provide a synthesis of the findings and explore the implications for online pre-service teacher education programs.

Online learning preferences

Sue Tickner — 2012-11-22

This paper describes a trial of an online survey that was intended to reveal the online learning preferences of students and staff at a Faculty of Education, and our conclusions to date about the usefulness of the tool and the results it revealed. As part of a wider work in progress, the trial arose from our desire to better understand the learning needs of students from diverse cultures and how best to support online and blended students and teachers in increasingly global communities of learning. Our conclusions to date do not enable us to validate the cultural dimensions of learning on which the survey was based, but they do lead us to believe there is value in using the instrument to reveal and explore difference in online learning preferences.

Mobile learning

Travis Timoko — 2012-11-22

This paper presents the findings of a small exploratory study that evaluated the effectiveness of mobile learning to supplement the face-to-face teaching and learning of a whakairo (M?ori carving) three-day course for secondary school age M?ori. The study found that in relation to participant learning, the use of mlearning to supplement the learning experience appeared to improve the knowledge transfer or ability to recall key elements relevant to the course for the experimental group. This study forms the basis for further research in the area of mlearning for secondary school age students within tikanga M?ori learning environments. It is anticipated that the research will contribute to a tikanga-based framework, shaping the future of learning in Aotearoa.

Understanding novice programmers

Kylie Turville — 2012-11-22

This paper presents the initial findings of an ongoing research program eliciting a basic understanding of students undertaking a first year programming course at the University of Ballarat, with a particular focus on their motivations and aspirations. This paper also provides a brief history of the course within its institutional setting including the different strategies that have been implemented over the last decade, an overview of the overarching study that is currently being undertaken, a discussion of some of the initial results, as well as a short discussion further research that is currently being undertaken. Results from the initial study indicate that students are positive coming into our courses but can become disillusioned as the course progresses. The research path forward will also be presented along with the discussion of these initial findings.

ANU Campus Quest

Jodi Tutty — 2012-11-22

This paper outlines a new mobile application designed to assist student transition at the Australian National University (ANU). It briefly outlines the importance of addressing student transition in the current higher education climate, and explains why the ANU has decided to move into the mobile space in order to assist student transition to the geographical, social and institutional context of the university. The app is designed as an information-based scavenger hunt, informed by research into the social and learning utility of games. Students need to work in teams to devise strategies to approach the game, assisting them to make social connections, while the game itself takes students across campus to discover spaces and university cultures.

Assisting student learning through professional development

Lisa van Raalte — 2012-11-22

To improve student learning and success in a science field while at university, it is important that students begin their studies with good basic science knowledge. Thus, it is important for high school science teachers to be teaching current scientific methods. To update their skills high school teachers need to participate in professional development programs to update their own knowledge of current science research and techniques used in labs. Towards this goal, the John A. Burns School of Medicine at the University of Hawaii developed a professional development program for high school science teachers. In 2012, eight high school science teachers attended the program for eight week days over a two week period. This study is a report of the teachers’ experiences within the program. Specifically, this paper reports on the results of the teachers’ evaluation of the online materials and their perspectives of real world application of the learned material are investigated. The data set in this study includes all eight teachers’ pre-survey responses and final survey data.

A Preliminary Investigation into Technology and Processes Facilitating the Assurance of Learning

Brian R. von Konsky — 2012-11-22

This paper reports on the outcomes from a preliminary evaluation of technologies and processes intended to support the Assurance of Learning initiative in the business faculty of an Australian university. The study investigated how existing institutional information systems and operational processes could be used to support direct measures of student learning and the attainment of intended learning goals. The levels at which learning outcomes had been attained were extracted from the University Learning Management System (LMS), based on rubric data for three assessments in two units. Spreadsheets were used to link rubric criteria to the learning goals associated with the assessments as identified in a previous curriculum mapping exercise, and to aggregate the outcomes. Recommendations arising from this preliminary study are made to inform a more comprehensive pilot based on this approach, and manage the quality of student learning experiences in the context of existing processes and reporting structures.

Twitter Learning Analytics in R

Lyndon Walker — 2012-11-22

There is presently no literature about the application of learning analytics to student learning activities that use Twitter beyond those describing the Twitter activities themselves and/or student survey feedback about these activities. This paper seeks to address this gap by examining the application of some data visualisation analytics to student activities on Twitter using the R statistics software programme. For those who already use Twitter as a teaching tool it illustrates some useful methods for analysing learner data in order to more effectively use Twitter in their teaching. For those who do not use Twitter in their teaching, they will hopefully still find the descriptions of various ways that Twitter is currently used, and the application of learning analytics informative for their teaching practice.

Sustaining a problematic innovation

Nicola Westberry — 2012-11-22

This paper reports on a study that explored the engagement of 17 academic staff with video conferencing technology in four large first-year classes in higher education during 2011. While the video conferencing brought a number of benefits, its implementation was far from straightforward, raising many issues about whether it should endure, and if so, in what form. Using an insider research approach, this paper considers 'grounds-eye' perspectives from teachers involved with the video conferencing. The findings identify three key issues that affected the sustainability of the video conferencing: a lack of synergy between individual, pedagogical, and organisational levels; the adoption of 'safe' practices by teachers when faced with uncertain learning settings; and the endurance of the video conferencing in an altered form. The paper casts some doubt on the positioning of teachers as 'future makers', showing how teachers can retreat into established practices when technology creates uncertainty in an educational context.

Promoting engagement and interaction through a technology supported learning activity

Sue Whale — 2012-11-22

In this paper we describe a technology supported learning activity that was developed, implemented and evaluated in a postgraduate, online unit of study offered by the University of New England in 2011. A learner analysis and an analysis of the learning outcomes of the unit informed the development of this activity. The online activity was created within a Wiki and students completed it in the first few weeks of the teaching period. This design was intended to build social presence by encouraging ongoing interaction and engagement in the unit. A constructivist approach was utilised to facilitate this authentic activity in line with theories for learning futures. The activity provided scaffolding for subsequent assessment tasks in the unit. Students? outcomes and their feedback on the activity suggested it was successful in achieving the intended goals.

Creating a Culture for Critical and Situated Technology Use Through Effective Learning Design

Anne Wheeler — 2012-11-22

The purpose of this concise paper is to propose, with evidence gathered through a systematic evaluation of an academic development programme in the UK, that training in the use of new and emerging learning technologies should be holistically embedded in every learning and training opportunity in learning, teaching and assessment in higher education, and not only as stand-alone modules or one-off opportunities. The future of learning in higher education cannot afford to allow Universities to disregard that digital literacy is an expected professional skill for their entire staff.

Sustainable futures for learning in a climate of change

Julie Willems — 2012-11-22

Emergencies and disasters are different types of crisis events which can affect students and staff in their on-campus roles and off-campus activities. In such events, mobile technologies, mobile software applications (apps), and mobile social networks are becoming increasingly relied upon to communicate, to swiftly send and received information and images, to deliver learning moments, and to check the safety of colleagues and friends. This paper investigates the intersection of m- learning, mobile social media, mobile apps, and crisis informatics in times of emergencies and disasters, using the recent Gipplsand earthquake in south-eastern Australia as an exemplar. It also discusses proactive preparation for educational resilience during emergencies and disasters.

Treading carefully in Stalk Space

Carolyn Woodley — 2012-11-22

Universities are enthused by the capacity of social media to engage students, encourage creativity, support collaboration and connect students, teaching staff and industry globally. Without dismissing the very real capacity for social media to contribute to a connected, informed, critical digital citizenry, it is timely to consider some of the risks that social media in a university setting brings. It is a commonplace assumption that, not only are all students 'on' Facebook, but that universities must also engage with students there. This paper does not consider whether to use social media or not for teaching; rather, this paper introduces some legal and ethical themes about the use of external social media for the formal teaching of enrolled students.

Going mobile

Peter Albion — 2012-11-22

Students are seeking flexible study opportunities. Smartphones have potential to support learning at times and places chosen by learners but their introduction presents challenges in negotiating the changes in the behaviour of learners and in the materials and activities provided by university courses. This project, funded by DEHub in two Queensland universities, explored how students used mobile devices with many characteristics of smartphones. This paper reports on the first phase that investigated the changes required to facilitate access to course materials and activities using the devices. Data have been viewed through the lens of activity theory. The results confirmed the need for developing skills and managing expectations of learners and academics and for adjustments to design of course materials and delivery systems to facilitate access.

LMS Encounters: Promises and Realities

Reem Al-Mahmood — 2012-11-22

Although there are radical opportunities afforded by e-learning technologies (Hemmi, Bayne & Land, 2009), digital Learning Management Systems (LMSs) can be risky and ?disorienting spaces? for participants (Bayne & Ross, 2007) even though they often replicate traditional rituals and forms of university bricks and mortar teaching spaces. Whilst we need e-platform standards, we also need flexibility and diversity to avoid replicating sameness in LMS design and implementation. In any educational platform selection, there are always risks and uncertainties, but if we embrace informed, sustainable and ecological design, we can evolve beyond purely market-driven agendas towards pedagogical designs that have a 'learning-centric university mission' (Ellis & Goodyear, 2010, p. 153). This paper juxtaposes LMS discourses in theory with participant LMS experiences in practice. Emergent tensions of (hyper)textualising the university are discussed with/against neoliberal agendas of the (dis)embodied individual. At the forefront of our research agendas, we need to move beyond espoused e-learning technology promises to consider participant realities to inform (e)learning designs and choices, whilst experimenting with how to create sustainable learning/knowledge spaces for sustainable (e)learning futures.

Humanizing e-lecturers and engaging online writing students via dialogic video

Martin Andrew — 2012-11-22

This paper reports on a study of integrating instructor-produced video 'profcasts' (Edirisingha, Salmon & Fothergill, 2007) into all 12 units of an online Master of Arts in Writing delivered asynchronously. While the value of short, targeted, quickly-made podcasts and extensive streamed video lectures in educational contexts has been researched (Williams, Birch & Hancock, 2012), few studies consider how customized videocasts supplement and complement core content to create engaging units of learning that learners value. Instead of producing instructivist, sage-on- stage, reiterative lectures, the Writing team filmed lecturers in semi-spontaneous dialogues to create critically challenging interactive experiences. The teaching and learning challenge is deeper than humanizing e-lecturers; it is about creating sustainable interfaces drawing on unique human capital: the lecturers as future-makers. It is a journey of creating enduring and impactful resources. Foregrounded by a literature review, this paper presents qualitative data from students and staff responding to the question of how valuable dialogic videos are to students‘ experiences as online students of Writing. In addition to confirming students appreciate the humanizing of lecturers, data shows video makes ideas more accessible to visual learners and more engaging overall. Most importantly, informal dialogues with their exchanges of ideas clarify written course materials, supporting learning while helping to future-proof the program in a time of change.

Thinking, researching and living in a virtual professional development community of practice

Diana Ayling — 2012-11-22

This paper is a comparative case study of two virtual professional development (VPD) communities of practice established and maintained to support teachers in their learning and development. Each community was studied and evaluated by its facilitator. The purpose of those studies was to identify behaviours and capture shifts in educators? professional identity as they engaged in VPD. The researchers were interested in those practices that indicated embedding of practice, co-construction of knowledge, and development of skills and values. Many of the factors identified in the VPD initiatives explored the link to the wider conversations that are occurring around education in general in a time of change.

Analytics and complexity

Colin Beer — 2012-11-22

There is growing interest in the application of learning analytics to manage, inform and improve learning and teaching within higher education. In particular, learning analytics is seen as enabling data-driven decision making as universities are seeking to respond a range of significant challenges that are reshaping the higher education landscape. Experience over four years with a project exploring the use of learning analytics to improve learning and teaching at a particular university has, however, revealed a much more complex reality that potentially limits the value of some analytics-based strategies. This paper uses this experience with over 80,000 students across three learning management systems, combined with literature from complex adaptive systems and learning analytics to identify the source and nature of these limitations along with a suggested path forward.

Learning for the future

Ruth Billany — 2012-11-22

This paper reports on a project stimulated by two major challenges facing higher education in the twenty-first century; massification and the citizenisation of academies. This empirical study reports on the use of emergent technologies, in the acquisition of information, for diverse cohorts of students enrolled in two scientific subjects (n=47). A generic online library skills tutorial (LST) in one subject is compared to an embedded virtual, context-specific LST in another. Student attitudinal evaluation, both affective and cognitive, was measured by an 18-item online survey. The rich qualia showed a ten-fold difference which adds to a body of knowledge which was reinforced by an objective measure, a graded assignment. As consumers, the students have been valued and voiced their demands. Lecturers and librarians need to lead in this climate of change to develop a creative and emergent, reciprocal non-linear mechanism to build on this trajectory and plan a future for learning.

Using Scenario Planning to Inform Pedagogical Practice in Virtual Worlds in Schools

Christopher Alan Bonfield — 2012-11-22

The learning affordances of virtual worlds have long being trumpeted; the barriers to the ?take up of virtual worlds in mainstream education have also been explored, with emphasis being placed on technical problems, lack of time and money. Yet, a challenge for future learning is how one teaches in a virtual world, and what research has been undertaken has focused largely upon tertiary education. Much less is understood about how school teachers should structure virtual lessons, and what level of collaboration or independent work is necessary to guide students towards attainment of learning outcomes. This paper will provide a theoretical review of teaching and learning in virtual worlds, and offer an initial discussion of the role and importance of structure and collaboration in virtual worlds in a school-based environment. This has been validated through four case studies using scenario-planning methodology, and drawing upon real- world practitioner-based examples.

Do Open Educational Resources represent additional challenges or advantages to the current climate of change in the Australian higher education sector?

Carina Bossu — 2012-11-22

This paper briefly reports on a number of Open Educational Resources (OER) initiatives in Australia, including some government programs and funding, then explores several of the challenges and advantages of adopting OER at institutional and individual (educators and learners) levels. This paper also discusses some of the preliminary findings of a centrally funded research project that investigates the state of play of OER in Australia. This project surveyed the higher education sector and interviewed key stakeholders. According to participants, the use of OER has the potential to lead to new pedagogical practices, can improve the quality of educational learning materials, and promote social inclusion across the Australian higher educational sector. However, there are still challenges to be overcome such as current academic culture, lack of awareness and issues related to finding quality materials. The above could represent additional challenges to the current climate of change faced by the higher educational sector in Australia.

Use of media-rich real-time collaboration tools for learning and teaching in Australian and New Zealand universities

Matt Bower — 2012-11-22

This paper provides an overview of media-rich real-time collaboration tool use for learning and teaching in Australian and New Zealand universities. These tools, which include video conferencing tools, web conferencing tools and virtual worlds, afford students and teachers the ability to synchronously represent concepts, and enable them to interact with one another to negotiate meaning and develop a sense of connectedness. A survey of 750 higher educators revealed that while desktop video conferencing and web conferencing use display an upward trend, virtual worlds are being used by substantially fewer educators, and have recently begun to experience a decline in usage. There are four major web conferencing products being used, whereas desktop video conferencing and virtual worlds are each being dominated by a single product. The 'best' uses of each technology as perceived by respondents with experience in a range of tools are examined, before the paper concludes with a discussion of implications for tertiary learning and teaching, along with an outline of the authors' future plans.

Sustaining new approaches to learning and teaching with technology

Janet Buchan — 2012-11-22

The basic premise of the 2012 Ascilite Conference theme is that; ‘what happened in the past is no longer a reliable guide to the future’. However, if we do not learn from what happened in the past, it may well be a reliable guide to an unsustainable future. In the face of constant change, in order for higher education institutions to achieve the goal of creating sustainable approaches to new models and learning and teaching with technology a fundamental paradigm shift in management approaches is required. To address this, an interdisciplinary focus is introduced and two key concepts from environmental management: Wicked Problems and adaptive management are applied to the higher education environment. Using evidence-based practice these aspects have been researched in-depth in a large, mixed-mode university.

Extrinsic and intrinsic barriers in the use of ICT in teaching

Wenli Chen — 2012-11-22

This study examined the use of ICT for teaching undertaken by two primary school teachers at pre-examination period and at post-examination period. Their perceptions of using ICT for teaching and learning and their ICT experiences were also analysed. The results showed that both teachers improved in ICT integration from Adoption stage to Adaptation stage after examination (when the curriculum is more flexible and teachers had more time for lessons), with increased scope and sophistication in ICT use in classrooms. These observations confirmed that extrinsic barriers - time and curriculum constraints - are negatively impacting ICT integration of teachers.

Heutagogy and mobile social media

Thomas Cochrane — 2012-11-22

O'Reilly coined the term Web 2.0 seven years ago (O'Reilly, 2005), yet in the past seven years we have seen limited evidence of wide-spread impact of Web 2.0 on traditional higher education pedagogy. Seven years on, the social media landscape has changed and today?s school-leaving students are entering higher education within an increasingly post Web 2.0 society that is predominantly characterised by engagement with mobile social media. We argue that there is a need for higher education to engage with new pedagogies that are appropriate for an emerging post Web 2.0 society. We present a sustainable framework for preparing lecturers to engage with the challenge of post Web 2.0 pedagogies by experiencing the potential of mobile social media within authentic communities of practice.

Exploring the relationship between afforded learning tasks and learning benefits in 3D virtual learning environments

Barney Dalgarno — 2012-11-22

In this paper, we build on our previously proposed model of learning in three-dimensional virtual learning environments (3D VLEs) (Dalgarno & Lee, 2010) by exploring the relationship between learning tasks that are afforded by such environments and learning benefits that arise from their use. We draw on data from a questionnaire in which 53 of the 117 higher education respondents described how they used 3D VLEs with their students and indicated the degree to which they believed each of the five potential learning benefits occurred. The results provide strong support for the idea that each of the benefits occurred, but suggest the links between learning tasks and learning benefits are, at this stage, unclear. We postulate some of the possible reasons for these findings and make recommendations for further research, discussing some of the challenges involved in designing studies that seek to relate afforded learning tasks to learning benefits through measurement of actual learning outcomes.

Using technology to encourage self-directed learning

Shane Dawson — 2012-11-22

The rapidly-developing 21^st century world of work and knowledge calls for self-directed lifelong (SDL) learners. While higher education must embrace the types of pedagogies that foster SDL skills in graduates, the pace of change in education can be glacial. This paper describes a social annotation technology, the Collaborative Lecture Annotation System (CLAS), that can be used to leverage existing teaching and learning practices for acquisition of 21^st Century SDL skills. CLAS was designed to build upon the artifacts of traditional didactic modes of teaching, create enriched opportunities for student engagement with peers and learning materials, and offer learners greater control and ownership of their individual learning strategies. Adoption of CLAS creates educational experiences that promote and foster SDL skills: motivation, self-management and self-monitoring. In addition, CLAS incorporates a suite of learning analytics for learners to evaluate their progress, and allow instructors to monitor the development of SDL skills and identify the need for learning support and guidance. CLAS stands as an example of a simple tool that can bridge the gap between traditional transmissive pedagogy and the creation of authentic and collaborative learning spaces.

Can Digital Natives Level-Up in a Gamified Curriculum?

Penny de Byl — 2012-11-22

The compulsion to include games and game related mechanism in education is great among educators who want to engage and motivate today?s students and the latest buzzword in this domain is gamification. However, without a thorough understanding of what a gamified curriculum looks like, how it can best be applied and why it might engross students, it cannot be effectively applied. This research examined a gamified course curriculum structure and evaluated its use in two university level subjects. The objective was to gauge student enjoyment and engagement with a heavily gamified curriculum and to understand the aspects that make the practice useful in education. Exploratory factor analysis of the dataset revealed the possibility of a six dimensional model of curriculum gamification worthy of future study.

Building teacher educator TPACK

Helen Doyle — 2012-11-22

Teacher educators with TPACK are critical to the development of the ICT competence of the next generation of teachers. To effect real change in ICT education leaders must be developed amongst teacher educators as well as teachers. An Australian university implemented a supported program of professional development for teacher educators as they implemented innovative ICT-rich practice. This paper reports on data collected before, during and after the process to inform planning. Areas identified where teacher educator TPACK was lacking were used to inform the professional development process. For a variety of ICT competences teacher educators were generally convinced of the usefulness but not so convinced of their own confidence. Enablers of learning identified by teacher educators, who had engaged in innovative practice, showed that they were building TPACK that would equip them to be leaders and thus catalysts for change in ICT education.

Facilitating motivation through support for autonomy

Maggie Hartnett — 2012-11-22

With the increasing ubiquity of new technologies, many claims are being made about their potential to transform tertiary education. But in order for this transformation to be realised a range of issues need to be addressed. Research suggests that student motivation in technology-rich learning environments is one such challenge. This paper reports on one aspect of a larger study that investigates the nature of motivation to learn in online environments. Using self- determination theory (SDT) as an analytical framework, the focus here is on the underlying concept of autonomy. Ways in which certain social and contextual factors can foster perceptions of autonomy, and in turn motivation, are explored. These factors can have a supportive effect on learner motivation. Most prominent among these are the relevance of the learning activity, promotion of interest and active learning opportunities.

Unsupervised Online Constructed-Response Tests

Genevieve Johnson — 2012-11-22

This paper reports a case study in which the Blackboard essay test tool was used to evaluate e- student learning. To promote student learning as well as maintain the integrity of test results, constructed-response items were randomly selected from a large pool of study questions and the time available to complete the tests was limited. The e-lecturer maintained a reflective journal and the e-students were invited, via email, to provide feedback on their perception of the value of the testing approach used in their e-class. Overall, students evaluated the use of the online tests positively, although issues of technology difficulties presented challenges for some students. The e-lecturer was particularly positive about the benefits of such as approach to online assessment citing ease of test management including student test submission, provision of feedback and grading. Unsupervised online constructed-response tests have the potential to enhance student learning while providing valid test scores.

The life and death of Webfuse

David Jones — 2012-11-22

Drawing on the 14-year life and death of an integrated online learning environment used by tens of thousands of people, this paper argues that many of the principles and practices underpinning industrial e-learning – the current dominant institutional model – are inappropriate. The paper illustrates how industrial e-learning can limit outcomes of tertiary e-learning and limits the abilities of universities to respond to uncertainty and effectively explore the future of learning. It limits their ability to learn. The paper proposes one alternate set of successfully implemented principles and practices as being more appropriate for institutions seeking to learn for the future and lead in a climate of change.

Teachers, and their opinions, matter

Hazel Jones — 2012-11-22

This paper analyses a recent survey on staff perceptions of the effectiveness of discussion forums in a small private institution. The responses will inform future opportunities and strategies for professional development and student support within the College; setting of expectations and benchmarks for staff and students and increasing awareness of these as well as curriculum and learning design. The overall aim of the research is implementing practices that will be sustainable and address current challenges within the College of improving student retention, engagement and learning. Results indicate that while staff are generally inexperienced in the online environment they are comfortable with many aspects of online discussion forums. Main areas of concerns for staff are low levels of student engagement with each other and subject material. Staff are most interested in developing strategies to help with improving student engagement. Two profiles of staff from opposite ends of the spectrums of responses are developed and compared.

The Go/No Go Association Task as a New Technology for Teaching Anti-Prejudice

Leah M. Kaufman — 2012-11-22

Implicit measures of association have allowed researchers to study implicit prejudice based on the degree of association between representations of groups that are the target of prejudice and negative versus positive attributes. These implicit prejudice measures show that people find it more difficult to respond to a representation of the group (e.g., photo of an Aboriginal Australian) and a positive attribute (e.g., “HAPPY”) using the same key than to the same representation of the group and a negative attribute (e.g., “SILLY”). Using measures of implicit association as a technology for teaching anti-prejudice is highly useful because it allows people to experience their own implicit biases. Thus, this technology makes prejudice a personally relevant issue (i.e., not something that other people possess) and, consequently, facilitates the engagement with this topic that is so essential to prejudice reduction.

Designing evaluation and research into educational initiatives

Jo-Anne Kelder — 2012-11-22

We describe the planning for evaluation research using a curriculum initiative project as a case study. The project was to design a generic Global Perspectives (GP) learning program to embed in first year units of study offered by the Faculty of Health Science. The pilot phase of the GP program delivery was used to explore and define an educational evaluation research (EER) plan that addresses, 1) the GP program design; 2) its implementation and ongoing refinement and, 3) the management of the project. The GP program is presented from an e-learning design perspective and its EER plan is based on the design framework in (Phillips, McNaught et al. 2012). The paper provides a high level view of the EER plan for the GP program over each stage of the design life cycle and for the evaluation of project management. The paper discusses the rationale for an EER plan, the book as a guide for research and practice in evaluating e-learning and the relationship of the GP program to learning, teaching and leading for the future.

Data mining interactions in a 3D immersive environment for real-time feedback during simulated surgery

Gregor Kennedy — 2012-11-22

The analysis and use of data generated by students‘ interactions with learning systems or programs – learning analytics – has recently gained widespread attention in the educational technology community. Part of the reason for this interest is based on the potential of learning analytic techniques such as data mining to find hidden patterns in students‘ online interactions that can be meaningfully interpreted and then fed back to students in a way that supports their learning. In this paper we present an investigation of how the digital data records of students‘ interactions within an immersive 3D environment can be mined, modeled and analysed in real-time, to provide formative feedback to students as they complete simulated surgical tasks. The issues that emerged in this investigation as well as areas for further research and development are discussed.

The peripatetic learner

Judit Klein — 2012-11-22

The earliest notion of a university came from people walking through the streets of Athens thinking about how the world works and trying to understand it. Apple Distinguished Educator Dr. William Rankin from Abilene Christian University (2012) reframes this notion of the peripatetic learner, originating from Aristotelian philosophy, to describe how mobile technologies have brought about a new way of thinking about education. The ability to be mobile has implications in reshaping future learning: to rethink the spatiotemporal structures of formal tertiary education means to understand both the affordances and challenges. The disruption of traditional pedagogies enables new forms of collaborative interactions to occur. This paper considers how to define a learning space that is no longer constrained by the physical classroom. By taking a technological perspective and a mixed methodology, it aims to evaluate practices of harnessing mobility and collaboration through existing or potential applications on the mobile platform.

"Wherever, whenever" learning in Medicine

Marianna Koulias — 2012-11-22

The increased availability of smartphones with Internet capabilities has led many educators to consider their potential for delivering mobile learning materials to students. In 2009 and 2010 three case-based scenarios were developed for mobile devices by staff at the University of Sydney and The Children's Hospital at Westmead. A trial of the pilot scenario was held with fourteen medical students in late 2009. The students were positive and made recommendations for improving the case scenarios. Their suggested changes were incorporated into phase two scenarios in 2010. Throughout 2011 evaluations were conducted with a total of 171 students and quantitative analysis of the data was performed. Results indicated that whilst students liked the mobile cases, they did not utilise them as mobile resources as anticipated. Some differences were also revealed between the digital immigrants' and digital natives' interactions with the case scenarios, as well as some variations between male and female students.

A design-based research approach implementing a palette of educational technologies to foster 21st century skills

Janette Kruger — 2012-11-22

This paper discusses how a design-based research approach will be used to design and implement a palette of learning technologies as part of a multi-mode approach in open distance learning. A conceptual-theoretical framework is proposed consisting of the interrelationship between pedagogy and technology and content, design principles, criteria for excellence and higher level outcomes. The intention is to outline guidelines for supporting teacher-students in an open distance learning environment, not only to master knowledge relating to a specific subject area, but also to acquire skills such as self-regulated learning, critical thinking and lifelong learning. Supplementing teacher-students' knowledge and skills will enable them to prepare their twenty- first-century learners for the increasingly interconnected global society they will work and live in.

Teaching Aboriginal Culture Online

Cat Kutay — 2012-11-22

This paper is an account of a research project being undertaken for an Australian Learning and Teaching Council grant to develop Indigenous On-Line Cultural Teaching & Sharing. The project is built on an existing face-to-face interactive presentation based on the theme of Australian Aboriginal Kinship systems, which has been designed for teaching university and school students and their teachers and describes the process used to develop web services that aim to provide more interactive and exploratory learning environments. We are collecting knowledge of the Aboriginal culture in relation to a theme and presenting this in a teaching framework that can be continually updated with community stories. We are consulting with Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students and community members who attended interactive presentations to gather ideas for transferring the model to online format and presenting it with stories relevant to the specific professional areas of our students, such as sociology, law, education and social work. We present here the teaching framework developed in this project for Aboriginal cultural teaching online.

Web 2.0 as a Catalyst for Rethinking Teaching & Learning in Tertiary Education

Alwyn Lau — 2012-11-22

Web 2.0 signals a move away from the Internet as a passive collection of computers sharing information to the Web as an active network of people who collaboratively shape and create new realities. This paper outlines five trends impacting education as a result of the Web 2.0 phenomenon (connectivism, digital creation, collaboration, divergent assessment and open courseware) then shares the research performed on facultt and students of KDU University- College, the first college in Malaysia to implement an e-forum for the Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education?s compulsory subjects.The research asks questions about the benefits and/or challenges which Web 2.0 have brought to teaching and learning, the extent to which the five characteristics have impacted the students, lecturers and management and other issues. It will highlight key findings and recommend broad action-steps forward, both in the national and global context.

An e-portfolio theoretical approach for Provisionally Registered Teachers

Maryann Lee — 2012-11-22

Electronic portfolios offer an option for early childhood provisionally registered teachers (PRTs) to attest to the Registered Teacher Criteria (New Zealand Teachers Council, 2010) through the purposeful selection and reflection of significant artifacts about their practice. Central to the use of e- portfolios is the theoretical framework developed to support the learning process for the PRTs. This paper outlines an e-portfolio project for a group of early childhood PRTs and their mentors, from a cohort of five Early Childhood Centres in the Auckland region. The project drew upon key principles from the early childhood curriculum Te Wh?riki (Ministry of Education, 1996), pedagogical documentation, and e-portfolio best practice. The project?s intention was to create a more effective approach for teachers to engage in the provisionally registered teachers programme, enabling a rich narrative of the teacher?s pedagogical research to be profiled rather than being a repository of evidence.

Student views on how role-playing in a virtual hospital is distinctively relevant to medical education

Swee-Kin Loke — 2012-11-22

Virtual worlds have the potential to enact the experiential learning of professional practices in simulated environments. The Otago Virtual Hospital (OVH) is one such virtual world where medical students role-playing as junior doctors make diagnoses and manage realistic clinical cases. To integrate the use of virtual worlds into existing curriculum, their distinctive relevance needs to be determined. A case study was conducted to find out how role-playing in the OVH is distinctively relevant to medical education. Following a trial involving 11 medical students completing the same scenario, three areas of relevance were identified: ?making the call?; self- organisation; and ?going through the whole process?. These areas can provide guidance to educators and staff developers who plan to recommend and sustain the use of virtual worlds in fields such as medical, legal, and management education.

Promoting asynchronous interactivity of recorded lectures in blended learning environments

Bernadette K. McCabe — 2012-11-22

Recorded lectures have become one of the most popular methods of delivery in a blended learning environment (Greenberg & Nilssen, 2009). While there are many advantages to using recorded lectures they are limited in their ability to capture the interactive atmosphere experienced by students in the face-to-face environment. This paper examines how the use of audience response systems (ARS) and digital inking, when incorporated into live lecture recordings, can be used to facilitate asynchronous interaction of recorded lectures in bioscience lectures for nursing students. Key findings show that the three most valuable improvements that ARS and digital ink made to face-to-face lectures and recorded lectures relate to the ability to see other students? responses, immediate feedback and reinforcing material covered in class. Students who used recorded lectures more frequently particularly valued the ability to pause recorded lectures to consider the questions and then view collective results with immediate feedback. Moreover, students who viewed recorded lectures more frequently performed equally well with those students who did not.

Multidiscipline role-play in a 3D virtual learning environment

Marcus McDonald — 2012-11-22

Three-dimensional virtual learning environments (3DVLEs), such as Second Life, have been used in education for some time. Although many writers have addressed where, how, and why 3DVLEs are applied in education, only a few articles have concentrated on the coalface of running a learning project within them. This paper looks at the experience of using Second Life to conduct a multi-discipline healthcare role-playing project with a large cohort of university students. It aims to add to the body of evidence highlighting the technical and logistical difficulties in running such a project, and attempts to offer solutions and advice on directions of problem solving. This paper will also add to best practices concerning the use of 3DVLEs in higher education.

Game-like digital training tools

Gregor McLean — 2012-11-22

This paper explores the principles of skill acquisition and training transfer within the context of game-like digital training tools, expanding on previous research using an instrument scanning task in novice versus experienced pilots. While previous work demonstrated a game-like training tool is capable of developing high levels of performance within the game environment, initial findings suggest the likelihood of practical transfer to a real world environment is strongly dependent on the nature of the cognitive and perceptual skills developed. This paper investigates whether instrument scanning skills developed within a static training task transfer to a more dynamic video-based task. Despite strong performance within the static environment, preliminary data suggest a lesser degree of transfer when more dynamic perceptual skills are targeted. Findings are discussed broadly in terms of the principles of skill acquisition and training transfer, and how these principles may apply to game-like digital training tools.

A Pedagogical Evaluation of Moodle Extensions

Margot McNeill — 2012-11-22

There has been a shift by the Australasian tertiary education sector towards open source Learning Management Systems (LMSs), in part due to the potential for extending and tailoring the systems using community sourced plugins. This paper reports on a comprehensive and systematic evaluation of Moodle extensions based on a six-month cross-faculty project conducted at Macquarie University. Findings included that despite over several hundred plugins and patches being uploaded to the Moodle Community website, the reference group only deemed nine of these as suitable for extending the functionality of the University LMS. The paper also describes the process and instruments that were utilised to evaluate the extensions themselves, which could be of interest to others making decisions about how best to balance the flexibility afforded by open source environment with extensibility within the constraints of complex and diverse institutional needs.

Identifying key actors for technology adoption in higher education

Negin Mirriahi — 2012-11-22

Higher education institutions are increasingly implementing strategies and practices aimed towards enhancing learning for the future by integrating educational technologies with classroom instruction. Despite the notable affordances these technologies bring to the learning context, there continues to be some resistance within the academy. Senior higher education administrators or leaders are frequently challenged with developing novel strategies to influence technology adoption. Prior studies relating to technology adoption and diffusion have emphasized the importance of collaboration, mentorship, and communities of practice in influencing the level of technology acceptance. Research in social networks has also shown that key actors within a network can assist with the dissemination of information. This case study investigated the relationship between the position of instructors within their departmental social network and their level of technology adoption to begin to identify strategic access points for facilitating technology adoption within higher education.

Following the Sun

Angela Murphy — 2012-11-22

This paper reports on a new initiative in online conferencing that has resulted from the collaboration between three tertiary institutions on three continents and across three time zones. The paper describes the role of the Follow the Sun Online Learning Festival in revitalising professional online learning and networking events in a similar manner to the way in which e- learning revitalised tertiary education. The paper also discusses the evaluation of online conferences and introduces the new learning methodology as an alternative method for evaluating online conferences. The methodology used to evaluate the Follow the Sun Learning Festival is discussed and some preliminary findings are shared. Initial results suggest that online learning events have the potential to engage and connect professional peers and facilitators across traditional geographical boundaries. The potential for the Follow the Sun conference to result in new learning is however still unresolved.

Sustainable learning through formative online assessment

Lynnette Nagel — 2012-11-22

Due to pressure to deliver more Chartered Accountants, the pass-rate of first-year accounting students had to increase. Students who did not take accounting at school particularly needed extra tuition and support to reach the required standard. Poor success rates could be attributed to insufficient theoretical learning and poor time management characterized by cramming before tests. The intervention that aimed to redress those problems was weekly online quizzes that students could complete in their own time that contained feedback and easily understood explanations. In order to create and sustain an adequate database of suitable questions, the tutors who facilitated additional work sessions and understood the pitfalls in the theory, helped the lecturers to compile the questions and participated in quality control. Quizzes and feedback helped students to pace themselves, understand the terms and prepare for tests. The pass-rate increased from 57 to 75%.

Authentic learning and Web 2.0

Vickel Narayan — 2012-11-22

While new technologies are explored as a way of creating authentic learning environments for the learner, for example, creating simulations and web-quest, there is little research on the potential use and application of Web 2.0 tools and technologies in enhancing the learning process in an authentic environment. The participatory nature of Web 2.0 tools, amplified by portable mobile technologies, empowers users by enabling the ability to create, co-create, collaborate and communicate, and has the potential to bridge the gap between authentic learning activities and the learner?s interaction with the surroundings (context), self (cognitive and meta-cognitive) and peers. This paper outlines the findings of a one-year-long project where authentic learning formed the underlining platform for learning and teaching in a Boat Building course (Certificate in Applied Technology, Level 4) where Web 2.0 tools and learner owned mobile devices were integrated to enhance the learning process.

Mobilising authentic learning

James Oldfield — 2012-11-22

A strong body of evidence exists around the power of authentic learning as a pedagogical model to support learning for the future. In recent years, with the increased understanding and focus on authentic learning theory, the educator’s toolkit has continued to grow. Mobile technologies have also undergone rapid change during this time, including the emergence of a new category of mobile tablets inspired by the iPad. For teaching and learning to succeed in the future, we cannot afford to ignore technological and pedagogical change. This paper outlines the motivation and plans behind a study to augment the theory of authentic learning and develop a set of mobile authentic learning principles. The study is informed by the theories of authentic learning, cognitive tools and mobile learning supported by the educational affordances of the iPad. Design- based research methodology will be employed to ensure the rigor of the study through two iterations of experimentation with a first year tertiary information systems for business course.

MUVE-ing pre-service teachers into the future

Frances Quinn — 2012-11-22

This paper discusses our experiences of integrating a Multi-User Virtual Environment (MUVE) called Quest Atlantis into a pre-service secondary science education unit. The use of educational MUVEs as teaching tools is accelerating, so it is crucial that pre-service teachers develop some expertise with these and related technologies. We outline the processes we followed in embedding Quest Atlantis into the content and assessment of the unit, the results of this initiative and its implications for integrating MUVEs and other ICTs into teacher education programs. Challenges such as limited time and expertise, demands of a busy teaching program, and the need for continuous specialist support need to be overcome for sustainable integration of MUVEs and related technologies into pre- service teacher education. This is particularly important given the potential of pre-service teachers as change agents in schools, and the imperatives of the ICT-related National Professional Standards for Teachers and the Australian Curriculum.

NPC

Jorge Reyna — 2012-11-22

The National Prescribing Curriculum (NPC) is a series of case-based modules that mirror the decision-making process outlined in the World Health Organisation's Guide to Good Prescribing. The emphasis is on learners building their own formulary of preferred drugs for specific conditions thereby enabling them to prescribe confidently and rationally. The modules were developed to overcome shortfalls in basic pharmacological knowledge and prescribing skills as identified by junior hospital doctors. Problem Base Learning (PBL) has been used as pedagogical approach for the modules and includes real life case scenarios, authentic tasks and expert peer feedbacks. Learners can access the modules at their own pace and also can revisit them upon completion. We report for the first time students? perceptions of the NPC as learning resource and usability issues, and how academics are embedding the NPC modules into their units. We also discuss limitations and possible areas of improvement.

Conducting and Reporting on Educational Technology Research for Institutional Impact

Harriet Ridolfo — 2012-11-22

The advance of educational technology coupled with competitive forces, ever-increasing digitisation, and new entrants into the Higher Education sector, has created an environment of constant change for those working within it. This paper discusses how seven people, in five institutions across three countries joined forces to develop their knowledge, skill and ability in conducting and reporting on educational technology research for institutional impact. Reviewed in this paper are a range of approaches adopted across the different institutions, considerations of which of these have been effective and examination of whether targeted communication strategies have helped overcome inherent barriers.

Moodle and the Living Curriculum

Tabitha Roder — 2012-11-22

This paper discusses how Moodle can act as a catalyst in transforming teaching practice. During Unitec?s implementation of a new eLearning Development Strategy, framed within a broader teaching and learning initiative referred to as the Living Curriculum, the institute migrated from Blackboard to Moodle. Reflecting on this transition period, the authors identify how the social constructivist approach underpinning Moodle complements and can be employed to facilitate and incorporate the characteristics of Living Curricula. An overview of Unitec?s characteristics of Living Curricula is given, with four themes providing a framework for their application. An investigation of the Moodle tools through the lens of these themes enables us to relook, rethink, and redesign our learning spaces. Examples illustrate some of the affordances of Moodle in enabling a Living Curriculum, and lead to a reflection on the support required to encourage teachers as learners to recognise these affordances for their pedagogical potential. Discussion around the design and intent of Moodle leads to a consideration of how teachers dispositions ultimately impact on the tool?s employment.

Sustainability of a university designed and developed media annotation tool to prepare learners with skills needed for future employment

Michele Ruyters — 2012-11-22

RMIT University‘s media annotation tool (MAT) is a computer software program dedicated to incorporating video footage to the student learning experience in a novel manner. In addition to the usual functions associated with videos, MAT allows users to enter written comments at strategic and key positions to emphasise the required learning points. Innovatively introduced to creatively support learning for work-ready skills, in 2011 MAT was integrated into courses across nine student cohorts, over six disciplines, in the Vocational and Higher Education (undergraduate and post graduate) sectors of the university. This paper will focus on analysis of insights of teacher experiences using MAT, highlighting sustainable ways forward with university designed innovations. It will introduce the context of implementing MAT and discuss the process of evaluating the requirements for promoting MAT to the wider university community and, more specifically, to embed and sustain MAT into the long-term.

Mediated learning in the workplace

Madeleine Shanahan — 2012-11-22

Work-integrated learning is an essential component of many university degrees. This study examined a range of knowledge tools that are used by students to support their learning during clinical placement. This study showed that expert others in the workplace, print and electronic information sources and to a lesser extent electronic communication tools were utilized by students during their clinical placement to support their learning. The findings support an integration of practice-base learning with learning mediated by information sources to provide further understanding of work-integrated learning.

Emerging strategies for a sustainable approach to professional development

Kuki Singh — 2012-11-22

Recent elearning trends in higher education are unleashing non-traditional professional development strategies. Employing a pragmatic approach to research, an evolving evidence-based practice within an Australian university is examined to establish a set of guidelines for sustainable professional development practices. A combination of traditional and non-traditional professional development strategies are described and staff participation and strategic impacts are analysed. Whilst current initiatives demonstrate good practice in terms of approach, strategies, contexts, content, and quality indicators, incumbent challenges include a demonstrated preference among staff for traditional workshops, voluntary participation which contributes to uneven elearning development, and the absence of formal follow up on transferability of skills and impacts. The study concluded that a purpose driven, multi-dimensional professional development approach that is embedded across all layers of the organisation advances sustainability. Six design principles are proposed for the achievement of sustainability within a centralised professional development service at an Australian university.

The changing role of learned bodies and membership organisations

Maren Deepwell — 2012-11-22

With the extensive changes to funding and employment security now underway worldwide, membership bodies and learned and professional associations are finding that their role is changing so as better to represent their members’ views and respond to their needs. In the United Kingdom (UK), members show increasing interest in acquiring and retaining professional standing. As government selective funding decreases, activities are being displaced from the centre to within the community with the membership body taking an increased organisational and broker role. A new governmental focus on accountability and impact is changing members’ priorities leading to revised activities by learned bodies. This paper discusses the changes necessary for professional bodies to continue to lead in the changing climate.

Fitting learning into life

Caroline Steel — 2012-11-22

For university students, the availability, convenience and low cost of mobile applications (apps) present new opportunities to fit learning into their busy lives outside class. Studies of teacher-led mobile learning in universities abound while few studies explore students’ own use of mobile apps and their perspectives on how these apps can benefit their learning. As we consider learning for the future, it is crucial to partner with students to build a picture of emergent technology practices beyond our classrooms and institutions. However, discipline-specific studies are required to gain an understanding of the ways apps are used to acquire specific disciplinary knowledge and skills. This paper reports on how 134 language learners used mobile apps to profit from their available learning time outside of class. It provides insights into student perspectives on the benefits of using mobile apps for foreign language learning.

New approaches

Terry Mark Stewart — 2012-11-22

Interactive scenarios were used in an on-line international Masters degree programme for veterinary and public health professionals launched in 2010. For two courses in the programme, students were required to play the role of a senior advisor, analyzing data, determine the cause of an unfolding disease outbreak and critiquing recommendations. The scenario was presented in six episodes. Each episode was designed to be completed in one sitting and these also contained the history of previous episodes. On-line forums were used for group activities which included a vote on the diagnosis. Students were also required to give a critique of the diagnosis and solution proposed in the scenario. A student survey rated the use of the scenario-based approach highly with motivation and engagement being the most obvious benefits. This paper illustrates how an interactive scenario can deliver student outcomes when be embedded at the very core of a course.

Video-linked teaching

Scott Symonds — 2012-11-22

A major "state-of-the-art" video-linked teaching (VLT) project at Massey University encompasses the development of two purpose-designed rooms to support real-time teaching across two campuses. The intention is for these rooms to be used to establish a strong presence and sense of connection between teachers and students located at each site, offering the ability to teach two (or more) physically distanced classes synchronously with a focus on rich interaction and collaboration. This paper reports on the initial findings of a research project investigating how the VLT rooms have been used during the Semester 1, 2012 experimental pilot phase. It shares some of the experiences of the students and teachers involved and identifies a number of benefits and challenges of using such VLT rooms from pedagogical, physical space and technological perspectives. Finally, the paper reports how the preliminary findings from this research are informing the ongoing use of the facilities as well as the design and implementation of a wider range of teaching and learning spaces.

Improving learners’ self-efficacy in a learner-controlled online learning environment

Widchaporn Taipjutorus — 2012-11-22

Online learning is gradually being adopted by higher institutes and becoming much more common in higher education worldwide, but some learners still find it challenging. Though they are familiar with computer and technology usage, they are still uncertain of their ability to perform well in online classes. A review of studies focused on how these learners gain more confidence and success shows a link between self-efficacy and learners’ outcomes. Efficacious learners tend to adapt and cope well when faced with obstacles. Moreover, learners who were given control over their learning environment performed better, were more satisfied, and had higher self- efficacy than control groups. It is theorised that embedding learner control into online learning programmes might help inefficacious learners gain more self-efficacy but few studies have investigated this relationship in the real online class setting. Therefore, this study in progress is an attempt to fill in this research gap.

A 2010 Snapshot of Educational Technology use by CSU students

Jacquie Tinkler — 2012-11-22

Ensuring an excellent learning experience is critical for the modern Australasian university. This is particularly important for an institution like CSU, which has the majority of its students studying at a distance. This paper presents a snapshot of student usage and attitudes towards technologies for learning and teaching, drawing on an institution wide online questionnaire in 2010 completed by 3952 students. One of the most interesting findings from this study is that students? use of educational technologies may be driven primarily by the need for their studies to be flexible and manageable around work and family demands. Students appear to be „digital followers? rather than early adopters but are nevertheless very regular users of technologies in their own lives, and appear very receptive to the frequent use of technologies in their studies.

Breaking the Rules

Philip M. Uys — 2012-11-22

The learning and teaching landscape in higher education fails to actively support innovators to experiment with new technologies and educational methods. It is also a poor provider of ongoing support for innovations after start up funding runs out. There are tensions between enterprise systems and ‘grass roots’ initiatives in a context where technology is changing rapidly and institutions are slow to respond. Innovators in learning and teaching using emergent technologies are often treated as suspects in an undefined crime. They are pushing boundaries... and bureaucratic institutional buttons! Charles Sturt University (CSU) took an unprecedented step to break these punitive rules of engagement with an institutional Learning and Teaching through Technology Innovation Support Service (LATISS). The LATISS is described within the framework of a four phase learning and teaching with technology innovation (FPLTI) management model, and offered to other institutions of higher education as a means to foster innovation.

Faculty experiencing first-line implementation of Technology Enhanced Learning

Marichelle van Deventer — 2012-11-22

Higher education is entering an interesting period of change. Faculty and students will have to adapt to a more technologically enhanced environment for teaching and learning. Adopting new pedagogy can place a critical responsibility on faculty. This article evaluates members of a small faculty’s experience of the implementation of laptops as part of Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) at a residential higher education institute (HEI) in South Africa. The study population comprised 36 first year Humanities students, the Faculty Dean, and seven lecturers of the first year modules. Data collected through semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions and an open ended questionnaire were captured in an integrated dataset using Atlas.ti^TM. Coding and categorization focused on the requirements of TEL in the faculty and the researcher derived at two themes: (i) Demands of TEL and (ii) initiation characteristics.

A blended approach to Canadian First Nations education

Norman D. Vaughan — 2012-11-22

The purpose of this research study was to investigate if and how a blended approach to Canadian First Nations education could be used to foster student engagement and success. The study examined the Sunchild E-Learning Community program through the lens of the Seven Principles of Effective Teaching (Chickering & Gamson, 1999). Data was collected via an online survey, interviews, and site visits. The study participants indicated that the deliberate and intentional integration of mentors at local learning centers with online teachers, who provide synchronous tutorials through the use of a web-based learning management system and conferencing tool, was the key to academic success.

What’s the risk of disease?

Daan Vink — 2012-11-22

Risk assessment for human and animal diseases is performed to clarify pathways that may result in disease, and estimate the likelihood of this outcome in specific settings; the outputs are typically used to inform decisions and support policy development. It is often performed using a structured process of elicitation of opinion from subject experts, which aims to minimise the inherent element of uncertainty due to the subjective nature of elicitation. User-friendly software tools can generate insights into risk perception of assessors, elicitation of expert opinion and quantitative estimation of risk. Such tools were incorporated into an online postgraduate course on risk analysis delivered to 36 veterinarians across South Asia. The activities developed to apply these tools required careful staging and scaffolding within the course framework. They highlighted the importance of good coordination and effective communication between the assessors, as well as with the course tutors.

The importance of power dynamics in the development of asynchronous online learning communities

Panos Vlachopoulos — 2012-11-22

This research explored how a more student-directed learning design can support the creation of togetherness and belonging in a community of distance learners in formal higher education. Postgraduate students in a New Zealand School of Education experienced two different learning tasks as part of their online distance learning studies. The tasks centered around two online asynchronous discussions each for the same period of time and with the same group of students, but following two different learning design principles. All messages were analyzed using a two- step analysis process, content analysis and social network analysis. Although the findings showed a balance of power between the tutor and the students in the first high e-moderated activity, a better pattern of group interaction and community feeling was found in the low e-moderated activity. The paper will discuss the findings in terms of the implications for learning design and the role of the tutor.

Developing a Moderation Community of Practice

Brian von Konsky — 2012-11-22

This paper reports on a study to evaluate technology-based processes for assessment moderation. The aim was to evaluate standard features found in an institutional Learning Management System, and their compatibility with the values and practices of a large teaching team. The process used an online discussion board forum for tutors, the paring of more experienced tutors with those new to the process, and further meetings conducted in both face-to-face and web conferencing environments. Online rubrics were used for assessing student work and the provision of feedback. A focus group conducted after marking was concluded and the analysis of the discussion board forum demonstrated a strong community of practice with a shared understanding of assessment requirements.

Ready for m-learning?

Yasuhisa Watanabe — 2012-11-22

This paper reports on the ownership and use of computer hardware, including smart phones and tablet computers, among the students learning second year level Japanese at a university in Australia. The survey of 160 students shows that these mobile devices are taken up rapidly by current students, and are gaining popularity as a method of accessing study-related materials. Owners of a tablet computer seem more likely to use it for their education purpose. Yet, the significant majority of students still seem to prefer using desktop computer at home to access the university?s Learning Management System, indicating that students are selective about their use of technologies for different purposes. The foundation for implementing m-learning at tertiary level seems to be almost set from the hardware point of view, but the students? pattern of using the hardware must also be taken into account when developing m-learning contents.

Online training

Lisa Wise — 2012-11-22

Communities of discourse and market places often follow power laws with “long tailed” distributions. The present student “voucher” system and uncapped demand in higher education leads to an analogous “long tail” in the tertiary sector. We argue that student attrition in the “long tail” is part of a natural democratic process of “churn” - legitimate peripheral participation which leads some students to the realisation that they are not sufficiently motivated or prepared for fuller participation in the academic community. We illustrate this idea with data from a task in an introductory psychology program to examine the relationship between persistence, performance, motivation and demographics. We found distinct subgroups whose performance is defined by levels of conscientiousness/motivation and initial skill. We suggest that it may be counterproductive to retain students who perform poorly or are disengaged. However, we also identified different patterns of performance and suggest that attrition can be attenuated by targeted interventions to improve initial performance of identified groups.

Augmenting the Design Thinking Studio

Andrew Withell — 2012-11-22

Mobile social media can be used to augment physical learning spaces and bridge formal and informal learning contexts. This paper presents the ongoing implementation and impact of a mobile social media project, which aims to augment and enhance a Product Design programme underpinned by a Design Thinking methodology. The goal of the project is to enhance student-learning experiences, positively impact their Design Thinking expertise development, and to explore the future of Design Thinking education enhanced by mobile social media. In addition it provides an opportunity for a small university department to engage with implementing and sustaining pedagogical change enabled by technology through the establishment of communities of practice. The paper describes the underlying Design Thinking and learning and teaching frameworks, the establishment of the community of practice, comments from lecturers, and the first pilot project with students.

‘Being in the kindergarten of blended learning’

Yvonne Wood — 2012-11-22

The potential of blended learning has yet to be reached and this paper presents an alternative lens for researching teachers who work with blended learning environments. The teachers‘ role in creating blended learning environments is not yet well understood. This paper proposes the Social Construction of Technology (SCOT) as a model that may be used to explore the processes that teachers engage in when creating blended learning environments. Exploring the ways in which teachers are creators of blended learning environments provides a new lens for sustainable practice. This may signify a shift away from the focus of attempting to create a perfect product to an emphasis on sharing the process development. This paper first presents an overview of the SCOT model which is followed by examples of the ways in which the SCOT model was applied in a recent research project.