Sandra Wills

Evaluation of computer-based learning in higher education

THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT funds the Committee for the Advancement of University Teaching (CAUT) to enhance the quality of teaching and learning in Australian universities. One function of CAUT is to administer Teaching Development Grants to individuals in higher education. In 1993–94,

Representing learning designs – making design explicit and shareable

A 8.23 million dollars were allotted to 224 projects, the majority of which involved computer-based learning (CBL). CAUT project proposals required: (1) an explanation of the potential impact of the project on student learning and (2) evaluation procedures specifications. Many proposals submitted to CAUT failed to adequately address a method for evaluating project outcomes. In discussing project evaluation with project writers, the most frequently raised question was “How can we prove that students will learn more effectively with CBL than with a more traditional approach?”. In this paper, the authors present an overview of CBL evaluation and discuss the complexities of evaluating CBL projects.

Implementing generic learning designs based upon quality ICT exemplars

Most teachers’ design practice is implicit and practice based, focusing primarily on discipline content. In recent years, a number of visual design representations have emerged that help guide teachers’ design practice, enabling them to create explicit designs, which can then be shared and discussed with others. These design representations help guide the design process and help teachers to think beyond content to the learning activities the learners will be engaged with and the ultimate learner experience. The paper will describe the representations and draw on empirical evidence of their use in a range of contexts, including the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC)-funded OULDI project, the European Union (EU)-funded Design Practice project and the Hewlett-funded OLnet project. It will also report on their use in a number of workshops being undertaken at Leicester University, UK and Wollongong University, Australia.

Strategic Planning for Blended eLearning

Within the context of an AUTC funded Project: Information and Communication Technologies and Their Role in Flexible Learning, this paper presents an analysis of learning designs using ICTs and how this grounded approach might be a more useful structure to design effective learning environments. The project has developed generic or reusable frameworks for technology-enhanced high quality learning experiences in higher education and this paper will present several examples, of the original design and how the key elements were selected and developed for use by others. As this project is currently developing these generic exemplars of learning designs, the final presentation will demonstrate how the designs might be reengineered to become useful templates for other instructors and other knowledge domains.

The Educational Programming Language Logo: Its Nature and Its Use in Australia

Although all Australian universities have University strategic plans and IT strategic plans, it is estimated that fewer than 20% have a separate plan for eLearning and eTeaching. The University of Wollongong has recently implemented a new learner management system however this technology ramp-up has been accompanied by a two year process of interviews and consultation with committees, deans, managers, academics, students and support staff to: 1) more clearly articulate from the educational and strategic perspectives why we use eLearning; 2) understand better how eLearning should be supported in a blended environment; and 3) inform decision-making about priorities for funding and support. This has resulted in a strategic plan for eLearning and eTeaching as well as an eTeaching business plan. The business plan contains 22 actions to accompany the implementation of the learner management system. In this paper, using a revision of the MIT90s framework for IT strategic planning, the 22 actions are categorized by the frameworks five key factors: a) strategy, b) structure, c) management processes, d) roles and skills, and e) technology. The revised MIT90s framework proposes that it is never a matter of merely implementing technology, nor a matter of merely stating in a Strategic Plan that technology is important; all five factors must be addressed. This analysis of the University of Wollongongs 22 actions demonstrates that whilst setting the strategy and structure is essential, the majority of actions are in the two areas of management processes, and roles and skills. Although a number of the actions are only relevant to the University of Wollongong context, the paper outlines several actions that may be generalized to other universities

Formalising the description of learning designs

Although Logo was expressly designed as a Mathematical language for use in Education its early versions were very logic-orientated. With the addition of Seymour Papert’s ‘turtle’ the system became far more accessible to students and teachers. This paper explores some of the educational ideas behind its development and describes its first use in schools in Australia through reminiscences by two of the co-authors, Sandra Wills and Anne McDougall. The paper concludes with a reflection that educational research has not been able to prove the educational benefits of a ground-breaking approach that empowered students with computers. However, many rich case studies of successful implementation by passionate teachers abound in the literature to provide inspiration to teachers working with the new digital natives.