Margot McNeill

Web-based lecture technologies: blurring the boundaries between face-to-face and distance learning

Web-based lecture technologies (WBLT) have gained popularity amongst universities in Australia as a tool for delivering lecture recordings to students in close to real time. This paper reports on a selection of results from a larger research project investigating the impact of WBLT on teaching and learning. Results show that while staff see the advantages for external students, they question the extent to which these advantages apply to internal students. In contrast both cohorts of students were positive about the benefits of the technologies for their learning and they adopted similar strategies for their use. With the help of other technologies, some external students and staff even found WBLT useful for fostering communication between internal and external students. As such, while the traditional boundary between internal and external students seems to remain for some staff, students seem to find the boundary much less clear. Keywords: web-based lecture technologies; staff perception; student perception; distance education; external students; internal students; Lectopia DOI: 10.1080/09687760802315895

Web-based lecture technologies and learning and teaching: a study of change in four Australian universities

The uptake of web-based lecture technologies for recording and delivering live lectures has increased markedly in recent years. Students have responded positively, and for many their use has transformed learning – freeing them up from rigid timetables by providing choice in lecture attendance and supporting learning by extending the lecture experience and enabling them to revisit key concepts and ideas in their own time. Less transformational has been the impact on teaching. Although changing attendance patterns and disquiet about the quality of learning are of concern to many, lecturers have largely responded by simply modifying lectures. For most, the challenges of catering for the learning needs of a cohort with variable lecture attendance have not been addressed at a whole of the curriculum level. The technologies have been added on, rather than integrated into the curriculum. This paper will review the changes taking place in learning and teaching, explore the reluctance to embrace more wholesale change to the curriculum, and discuss the implications for institutions in the face of ongoing change.

Fostering Independent Learning and Engagement for Postgraduate Students: Using a Publisher-Supplied Software Program.

Purpose – As educational technologies are more widely adopted in higher education teaching and learning, publishers often include online resources to accompany their textbook offerings. The purpose of this paper is to report the results of a study forming part of a larger ongoing evaluation of the third party software product WileyPLUS.Design/methodology/approach – The paper describes the integration of the publishers tools into a specific curriculum context and takes a critical look at the pedagogical effectiveness of the software in this context. A mixed‐methods approach is taken in the study, using a small postgraduate accounting unit as a case study.Findings – While many students reported positive experiences with the third party resources, technical issues were a barrier to their effectiveness and many students did not engage with the optional resources. The unit convenors experience was largely positive.Practical implications – Although it may be tempting for unit convenors to adopt these tools an...

From speed dating to intimacy: methodological change in the evaluation of a writing group

This paper explores an innovative approach to evaluating the effectiveness of a writing group in an Australian research-intensive university. Traditional qualitative and quantitative methods typically applied in higher-education research may be effective in analysing the output of writing groups; however, they do not always address the affective domain of writing and giving and receiving feedback in a small-group context. The group had previously evaluated its practice with a speed-dating activity, itself an innovative approach designed for efficiency and to take advantage of the size and diversity of the group. The changing membership of the group, from eight to four participants, warranted a methodology appropriate to the intimacy of the group. In this paper, three theoretical frameworks are used to conceptualise the practice of the smaller group: communities of practice, peer mentoring and affect theory. The methodologies of critically reflective practice and memory work described here emerged from these theoretical frameworks.

Implementing Game-Based Learning: The MAPLET Framework as a Guide to Learner-Centred Design and Assessment

Game-based learning can provide immersive experiences simulating authentic environments to enable students to develop and demonstrate the mastery of foundational knowledge through to complex concepts and higher order metacognitive and creative skills. While research provides evidence of the benefits of game-based learning, assessing the effectiveness of the learning that takes place is not without its challenges; realizing assessment in game-based learning cannot be achieved in isolation of the broader curriculum. From a whole of curriculum perspective, the alignment of targeted outcomes with gaming activities and assessment strategies for both summative and formative purposes is pivotal to the creation of effective learning experiences. Matching the intellectual maturity of learners with the demands of the gaming environment is also essential in order to facilitate engagement. Both require a strong understanding of the learner and process of learning, particularly the cognitive processes that underpin the development and assessment of different types of knowledge and skills. This chapter introduces a new approach to curriculum design which addresses both these elements within a single framework. The MAPLET framework combines the fundamental principles of curriculum alignment with a model for intellectual skill development based on the development of expertise. Use of the framework to guide decisions about which gaming applications to use, when and for whom, and how they can be assessed is discussed.

Walking out the door: casualisation and implementing Moodle

Purpose – Many universities are in the process of changing their learning management systems to Moodle yet there is limited empirical research available on the impact of this change. The purpose of this paper is to explore the results of an initial pilot, which was conducted as the first stage of implementing Moodle at an Australian university. Design/methodology/approach – The pilot study involved an online survey and a focus group with unit convenors teaching Open University Australia (OUA) units in Moodle. Findings – The aim was to essentially test Moodle and eliminate any technological issues prior to the university-wide roll-out the following year. It was envisaged that this pilot would contribute to building capability and knowledge amongst staff members; however, it was unanticipated that this would be jeopardised by a wider and ongoing issue in higher education; namely, the casualisation of the academic workforce. The paper maps the accumulated knowledge of these unit convenors and how this knowle...

Learning from and through Virtual Worlds: a Pilot Study of Second Life

Abstract Planning has traditionally taught 3D visualisation as one of a number of technical tools that help equip students for the workplace. The aim of this paper is to explore how the learning possibilities of 3D visualisation can be extended through virtual worlds. In particular we detail the background and results of a study that examines how a unit on Sustainable Urban Regions used Second Life to teach students about urban accessibility through the framework of Crime Prevention through Environmental Design in 2009. Second Life was found to be useful to teach an aspect of planning that would normally not be accessible in a classroom. We propose that Second Life can be useful to help students question their assumptions about planning. The results also highlight some of the pitfalls that educators can avoid when teaching planning using virtual worlds and technology more generally.

Technologies to Support the Assessment of Complex Learning in Capstone Units: Two Case Studies

Capstone or final year units in a program of study ideally provide an opportunity for students to integrate the knowledge and learning experiences from their whole degree program. These units have the potential to scaffold students to synthesise their discipline knowledge with intellectual skills to equip them for dealing with complex situations in the next phases of their careers, whether their transition is to the workplace or further study. While these intentions may be clear, the task of designing the learning and assessment activities can be challenging for academics; firstly in managing an already crowded curriculum and secondly in devising assessment strategies that adequately reflect students’ achievements in complex domains. This chapter examines two case studies from an Australian research-intensive university which use a range of technologies to support and assess complex learning in different domains. Characteristics of capstone units are first explored. The case studies are then explained, in terms of the learning outcomes addressed, scaffolding during the unit and the assessment strategies used. A framework for describing the affordances of a range of technologies in supporting and assessing complex learning in capstones or other units is presented.

Trialing e-portfolios for university learning : the devil in the detail

E-portfolios are among a suite of technologies heralded as having the potential to enhance student learning. In these web-based spaces students can capture and display their development of expertise in a wide range of skills and knowledge, whether specific to their discipline or more broadly applicable graduate capabilities. It is yet to be demonstrated, however, how readily these tools can be integrated within the university curriculum. This chapter reports on the results of a pilot of an e-portfolio tool in an Australian university, involving different curriculum contexts across two semesters. Using a mixed methods approach, feedback was gathered from students and staff in the participating units on their perspectives about the usability of the e-portfolio tool, the support provided, and its effectiveness for their learning. The results reinforce the need for e-portfolios, like any new technology, to be embedded into appropriately designed tasks, which are seen to be engaging, relevant, and part of a fully integrated curriculum experience.

Technologies and the Assessment of Higher Order Outcomes

Alignment between the intended learning outcomes, the teaching and learning activities and the assessment tasks is one of the keys to student engagement, to involve students in a ‘web of consistency’ (Biggs, Teaching for quality learning at university.p 26 2007). While higher order learning such as evaluation, problem solving and creative thinking; espoused as fundamentals of university learning, appear in many graduate attribute statements, previous studies suggest that designing the curriculum to elicit and assess these higher order learning outcomes poses a challenge for academics (McNeill, Gosper and Hedberg, 2010. Emerging Web 2.0 technologies have been heralded as having potential to support this type of assessment, yet in order to take advantage of these affordances, academics need the skills to integrate them into the curriculum to support learning and assessment. This paper reports the results of a survey conducted in an Australian University to explore the types of learning outcomes academics target in their curricula and how technologies are used to assess these outcomes. The results suggest that while many academics intend higher order outcomes, they are less likely to design their teaching activities or assessment tasks accordingly. Amongst the implications of the study is the need to support unit convenors in designing their curriculum to take advantage of the potential for emerging tools to support assessment of higher order outcomes.