Should online discussion contributions be assessed?

Having recently participated in online discussions during my OU module I am unsure how to answer this question. On the one hand by assessing contributions you are more likely to increase participation (Klisc, et al). So for the teacher this can help generate a more dynamic discussion it can also encourage deeper learning and exploration of the subjects being discussed.

On the other as a learner I found the prospect of my contributions being assessed extremely stressful. Every time I wrote anything I was worried that it wasn't good enough. That the language was not articulate or high brow (I feel the same when writing this blog) and that even though I had spent considerable time composing it I should have spent more.

Although I have dyslexia it is very mild and it does not affect me on a daily basis but how we were using this tool within the course did make me consider how other learners with dyslexia would have found this assessed element. Would they have found this a big barrier to completing the course? There was never the suggestion that you could contribute to the discussion in other ways using audio or video files.

A Fresh Start

I have now moved departments and am working in the universities Centre for Professional Learning and Development. I need to start by brushing away all the cobwebs and clearing out all the baggage. No more talking about the past and how things used to be. I need to start thinking to the future and how I would like to be.

One of the projects I would like to get going is the development of a professional development framework for eLearning. Previously (2007) before I joined NTU I had found a framework which was created by the Learning and Skills Network for the Post 16 sector. A simplified version has been created which can be seen here. I thought there might be an equivalent for HE but if there is I was unable to find it. So this framework seems like a really useful starting point for adapting to the HE context.

The process used to develop this framework has been detailed.
Step 1 - Define target groups and functional roles
Step 2 - Decide main areas
Step 3 - Identify key themes
Step 4 - Gather relevant data
Step 5 - Identify relevant standards and units already developed
Step 6 - Prepare e-learning CPD competencies to improve quality in teaching and learning
Step 7 - Accept tailor existing competence statements
Step 8 - Develop new competencies
Step 9 - Consult on CPD competence framework for eLearning
Step 10 - Use existing or develop new occupational standards based on elearning competence framework - as required.

This seems quite complex and delves too deep for our needs. However the methodology used might be more useful.
Stage 1 - Background Understand, benefits, applications, how the techniques and tools work and link to the strategic plan.
Stage 2 - Analysis of learner needs
Stage 3 - Self-assessment and upskilling
Stage 4 - Plan
Stage 5 - Implement
Stage 6 - Evaluate and reflect

Linking this to some kind of accreditation will also be key and it looks like CMALT might fit the bill perfectly.

Time to Take Stock

I am trying to put together my CMALT portfolio. I am using Google Sites to structure it into the various sections. Sarah Horrigan created a great template which has been really useful.

Writing is not the easiest thing for me but I am hoping that I can pull in some of the information I have put together recently for job applications. I have not registered yet as I figure I can give myself more time to get the portfolio done before I actually register. Also I am attending a webinar next week which I hope will give me a better idea of what to put together.

Becta, Horizon NSF Cyberlearning

Having read the 2009 Horizon report, NSF Cyberlearning Report and the Becta Harnessing Technology: Next Generation Learning 2008-2014 I find that they are all very aspirational. Although the Becta report does look into the progress to date, I think that it still is not reflective of what is actually taking place in the sector. It seems that the reports are focused on whether technology is being used but not on whether it is being used effectively for teaching and learning. Staff need time to develop these skills and if this is not funded or supported then the technology will never benefit learners to the extent that it should.

Now that Becta is no longer funded by the government and with all the budgets being cut educational institutions will need to be more savvy with their money. People will have to do more with less which creates pressures on their time and their departments resources. For this reason I think that the focus should be on increasing the skills of educators to use the tools they already have and those that are free but effective for their teaching practice.

Personal Learning Environments

This is a representation of my personal learning environment


I think that most users of the Internet are starting to build up a collection of tools that they frequently use. It is important for educators to understand the use of these tools and consider if they can be used by students to enhance their learning. However not all students will come with this well developed working environment. They may need some guidance around available tools and how they can be harnessed to support their learning.

To some extent choice should be incorporated wherever possible so that students can use tools which they are familiar with and already use for that purpose, e.g. Blogging tools. When collaboration and assessment are involved however this choice may have to become restricted in order to ensure that the systems being used are robust and accessible.

Collaboration
If students are being asked to use a tool to work together then it is important that all of them are able to access it. Institutional tools have generally been developed or purchased with accessibility in mind where as some Web 2.0 tools have not always been developed with this in mind which can make them unusable for some students.

Assessment
If tools are being used to produce items which will be formally assessed then it is important that they are robust. If the tool was to fail when students were trying to work on their assessment then they may have trouble meeting the deadline as they can not work on or access the work they have done so far. If the institutional system fails and all students are using it then the course leaders would be able to fairly extend the deadline based on this downtime.

So in conclusion the choice of tools whether they be institutional or personally selected by the learner should depend upon the cohort of learners and the purpose of the activity for which they are using the tool.

How have technologies affected you and your organisation??

I have been asked on my Masters Course with the Open University to reflect upon how technologies have affected myself and the organisation I work for. In a one word response for both me and the University I work for 'gradually'sums it up.

For me I have gradually been developing my technical skills and incorporating the use of technologies into my work and home life. The biggest impact for me has come from the internet. I can no longer cope with waiting to find an answer, I need to know straight away and the first place I look to is the internet. Either through my mobile phone or on a computer I need to have access. I also think that as I work advising others on the use of these technologies it is important that I use and understand them myself. If I did not have this role I do not think that I would be using some of these tools. I still do not create a lot of content. I am a bit of a perfectionist, so I am not keen on publishing anything that I do not think is good. This makes creating content time consuming, especially if there is writing involved.

Enough about me, what about the University? Well, for me the bottom paragraph on page 10 of Conole's paper completely sums up the situation. We are in what feels like a losing battle to get colleagues and the university to understand that knowing how to use new technologies and to harness them for learning and teaching is a major issue. Academics need time to be able to develop these skills but to also develop the understanding needed to use this technology effectively. When these technologies are adopted by the top level of the university they are too keen to get the technology out there and being used. They do not think about all the other elements like pilots and evaluation which allow the technology to be refined and proved to be effective.

Conole, G. (forthcoming) ‘Stepping over the edge: the implications of new technologies for education’ in Lee, M.J.W. and McLoughlin, C. (eds) Web 2.0-based E-learning: Applying Social Informatics for Tertiary Teaching, Hershey, PA, IGI Global.