Evaluation of Designing for Flexible Learning Plan
Analysis and synthesis/Original thoughts/References, hyperlinks, attributions
Introduction
3/4/n/a
Is this the executive summary? It was difficult to concisely summarise all of the information
Project background
4/4/3
There are a number of reasons to completing the project. It wasn’t till I started writing them that I realised how many.
Aims, objectives, outcomes
3/3/3
As the project is developing I’ve realised a number of aspects I need to include, this seems to be increasing.
Flexible learning analysis includes: Perceived flexible learning needs of target audience
3/3/3
The learning needs of the students are varied. They all however require consistent and reliable information.
Flexible learning analysis includes: Type of flexible learning services provided
3/3/3
An online support tool which the librarians from the Bill Robertson Library will be involved in. There was a lot to consider while completing this section.
Flexible learning analysis includes: Type of services which already exists.
Use of complimentary or competitive services
3/3/3
Though the library already has services available it is about working with them rather than in competition. The project and future projects will require open and honest communication.
Flexible learning services include: Sustainability - social, ecological and economical factors
3/3/3
Definitely an aspect that needs to be incorporated into the plan. It considers all aspects of the Triple Bottom Line.
Flexible learning services include: Access & equity
3/4/3
This is the aspect the project aims to achieve equity amongst students.
Flexible learning services include: Cultural diversity
3/3/3
There is a unique culture associated with online learning and addressing those needs is vital.
Alignment with (or change) to organisation's strategic direction
3/3/3
This definitely aligns with the Otago Polytechnics Strategic Goals. It aims to provide creative ways of addressing the needs of the students.
Budget
3/4/4
Finances to get the project up and running will come from within the Polytechnic while funding for a research project to evaluate the usefulness will come from outside agencies.
Time line for development
3/3/3
This has already begun and it’s anticipated it will be up and running by semester two. So far it is on track.
References
3/4/4
The learning theories relate to getting the students to try out the tool and then incorporate it into their learning.
Evidence that feedback has been incorporated
3/3/3
I’ve attempted to incorporate the feedback and answer the queries within the body of the plan rather than highlighting individual statements. I sourced feedback from face to face, pole on my blog, librarians and my colleagues.
Includes realistic ideas and solutions
4/4/3
I believe this is a realistic project, which I have already got underway. I think it will provide solutions to the difficulties/challenges the students have highlighted in the past.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Designing for Flexible Learning - Evaluation of Blog Posts
Evaluation of Blog Posts
Analysis and synthesis/Original thoughts/References, hyperlinks, attributions
Orientation and introductions
n.a/n.a/n.a
It was a good way to start into the process of blogging. I received the most comments to this post!
What is flexible learning?
4/4/3
I still hadn’t grasped the idea of hyperlinks at this stage. Little did I realise at this stage the amount of learning I was to embark on when it came to Flexible Learning!
Why we need flexible learning
4/4/3
As above, I was yet to learn how to hyperlink. Flexibility should be a priority when it comes to working with students. It’s more than just providing everything online!
Examples of Flexible Learning - distance, correspondence, online
4/4/3
I was able to relate this to postgrad courses at the School of Occupational Therapy as all three examples are used within the courses.
Examples of Flexible Learning - part time, block, blended
4/4/4
This is an area which needs to be investigated further, especially as the postgrad courses are by distance. Using a blend of online and teleconferences have aided feelings of community.
Examples of Flexible Learning - open, networked, RPL
4/4/4
RPL is definitely used within the School of Occupational however Open courses pose some difficulties. Students are required to meet entrance criteria to enrol and WFOT monitor the standards of the undergraduate programme.
Planning for flexible teaching and learning
4/4/2
Beginning to think about how I can develop a flexible learning project which would be appropriate to my area.
Issues with flexible learning - The modern Internet
3/4/3
The modern internet poses many issues, both with the speed that we can access as well as the issue of trying to validate the information that is available.
Issues with flexible learning - Sustainability
2/2/3
Sustainability is an increasingly important aspect to consider in my flexible learning project. This relates to the triple bottom line
Issues with flexible learning - access and equity
4/4/3
Access and equity is a large issue about why I have developed the project. Students and different levels of ability when using the internet and the hope is to create equity within the cohort.
Issues with flexible learning - Cultural diversity
4/4/4
Highlighted the different issues for me. Online courses have a culture in themselves and I found it interesting that internationally there are high drop out rates in online courses.
Flexible learning in educational organisations
3/4/3
It was good to see the commitment that the Polytechnic has to Flexible learning. The challenge is keeping it creative.
National and International support for flexible learning development
3/3/3
Research will be an important aspect to evaluating the success of this project.
Self assessment of Learning Outcomes
4/4/3
On the whole I believe I have achieved the learning outcomes as outlined on the Designing for Flexible Learning Wiki.
Analysis and synthesis/Original thoughts/References, hyperlinks, attributions
Orientation and introductions
n.a/n.a/n.a
It was a good way to start into the process of blogging. I received the most comments to this post!
What is flexible learning?
4/4/3
I still hadn’t grasped the idea of hyperlinks at this stage. Little did I realise at this stage the amount of learning I was to embark on when it came to Flexible Learning!
Why we need flexible learning
4/4/3
As above, I was yet to learn how to hyperlink. Flexibility should be a priority when it comes to working with students. It’s more than just providing everything online!
Examples of Flexible Learning - distance, correspondence, online
4/4/3
I was able to relate this to postgrad courses at the School of Occupational Therapy as all three examples are used within the courses.
Examples of Flexible Learning - part time, block, blended
4/4/4
This is an area which needs to be investigated further, especially as the postgrad courses are by distance. Using a blend of online and teleconferences have aided feelings of community.
Examples of Flexible Learning - open, networked, RPL
4/4/4
RPL is definitely used within the School of Occupational however Open courses pose some difficulties. Students are required to meet entrance criteria to enrol and WFOT monitor the standards of the undergraduate programme.
Planning for flexible teaching and learning
4/4/2
Beginning to think about how I can develop a flexible learning project which would be appropriate to my area.
Issues with flexible learning - The modern Internet
3/4/3
The modern internet poses many issues, both with the speed that we can access as well as the issue of trying to validate the information that is available.
Issues with flexible learning - Sustainability
2/2/3
Sustainability is an increasingly important aspect to consider in my flexible learning project. This relates to the triple bottom line
Issues with flexible learning - access and equity
4/4/3
Access and equity is a large issue about why I have developed the project. Students and different levels of ability when using the internet and the hope is to create equity within the cohort.
Issues with flexible learning - Cultural diversity
4/4/4
Highlighted the different issues for me. Online courses have a culture in themselves and I found it interesting that internationally there are high drop out rates in online courses.
Flexible learning in educational organisations
3/4/3
It was good to see the commitment that the Polytechnic has to Flexible learning. The challenge is keeping it creative.
National and International support for flexible learning development
3/3/3
Research will be an important aspect to evaluating the success of this project.
Self assessment of Learning Outcomes
4/4/3
On the whole I believe I have achieved the learning outcomes as outlined on the Designing for Flexible Learning Wiki.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
DFLP - Final version of my Flexible Learning Development Plan
Project Name: Flexible librarian support for Occupational Therapy postgraduate students through the use of Blackboard
Date: May 2008
Organisation: School of Occupational Therapy
Project plan author contact details: Penelope Kinney, School of Occupational Therapy
Executive summary:
Students within the Postgraduate Programmes at the School of Occupational Therapy complete their courses by distance. A blended mixture of online discussion and teleconferences are used to deliver the material. The students backgrounds are wide and varied with some coming soon after graduating with degrees and others returning to study 20 years or more after their training. As a result students confidence and knowledge with digital literacy is varied. Also though the courses are classed as distance students within the Dunedin city boundary are unable to access the remote library service within the University of Otago. This has created inequality amongst some students.
· sustainability - In terms of the triple bottom line, this project will address social benefits, that is it is fair and beneficial for all the students enrolling in the courses. Though it doesn't address the issue at a institutional level it is a step to allowing Dunedin students access to librarians, with a more flexible manner. Environmentally this project may eliminate the need for students to get in their cars to drive to libraries. Potentially with the sharing of information students may choose not to print resources if they realise they don't need to. Finally Economically, potentially if this project makes studying more streamlined and user friendly then the likelihood of students remaining in programmes increases and this will also encourage those apprehensive about study to engage as we will be able to use this as a marketing tool.
By ensuring all of the resources are in one place and therefore easily updated this will reduce the amount of time needed to complete the task and therefore ensuring both the students enrolments and the access to appropriate information will be more likely to continue. It should be acknowledged however that there are potential limitations associated with having the access/links to the resources on a learning management system which is unable to be accessed by anyone not enrolled in courses. This is the reason the librarians are going to be involved in the discussion area of the Community Tab - this area of Blackboard is accessible to any of the Occupational Therapy Postgraduate students, including Masters and those completing Negotiated Study (both don't have a blackboard shell). However this is not available to those not enrolled in the Postgraduate Courses and on consultation with other staff within the school currently this is the preferred option, focus is to remain on up skilling our own students as a priority.
In terms of Sustainability by having these resources all on the same site it will mean students do not have to look for different web pages, thus simplifying their workload and ensuring they continue with their enrolments. It also means for staff that there is only one area to update and ensure links are active.
· access & equity - For me I think this has been addressed in the above statement. One of the concerns that led me to thinking of this project was the fact that Dunedin based students are disadvantaged. Also for some students the prospect of searching on databases can be confusing and daunting so by having librarians accessible this makes life easier for them. By providing materials and support to students to improve their digital information literacy, access and equity will be enhanced, ie, making it more likely that all learners will be able to access the materials they need for their study and therefore reducing the barriers for students who are currently disadvantaged.
There are many issues when looking at Open, Networked and RPL in relation to courses. The Postgraduate courses are closed, that is students need to apply and provide entry criteria before they are accepted. However much of the support and resources the librarians are to provide is already available to everyone. Now I realise that many people have wondered why I am planning to create a resource within a closed environment as much of the resources which will be added to the blackboard community tab, and monitored by the librarians is already in the open arena. Links to the library web page, OIL modules etc are already available to be used by others. So why place them on the blackboard site? Because it is for the students. They will then only have to go to one site to access all the information they need. Its about making it simple for them and by having the librarians involved in discussion threads if the students have difficulty with searching etc they can then go into the Discussion forum and ask questions while it is still fresh. They don't have to move away from that site to do it.
. cultural diversity - Cultural needs and cultural differences need to be taken into account at every phase of the design and delivery of online materials and support if courses and learning content are to meet learner needs (Australian Flexible Learning Framework). For me this hit home, especially as my project is about adding to an online component of the distance courses we provide in our Postgraduate Programmes. Thinking of cyberspace as having a culture in itself means there is much more to think of. In terms of my own project often the thought of using "new fangled technology" for some of the students puts them off before they start and by not meeting their needs in the first place we get the withdrawals from programmes. By adding this more personal support tool the aim is to address some of the needs the clients have.
. strategic plan - I believe this project complements the Otago Polytechnic's Charter. It aims to provide students with better learning opportunities, creating better equity between students, providing relevant, flexible and accessible learning opportunities and providing an environment which supports innovative thinking.
References:
Learning theories/models and/or examples does your plan refer to?
The main learning theory that I see this plan relating to is that of Kolb learning styles. Students have an opportunity to try this new support tool (experiencing), reflect on their learning (reflecting), processing what happened and what they did (thinking) and finally incorporating it into their study (acting).
The other learning theory that I identify as being relevant to this plan is that of Constructivism. This has a believe that students form their own understanding by engaging and then reflecting on what they have done.
Budget:
Rough list of costs and resources of key steps in your plan
The cost for this project will involve staff input and training.
For future development of this project then an application to the Teaching and Learning Innovation fund will be appropriate.
Training - Of the librarians about the use of Blackboard, how to post announcements, add discussion threads and oversee the relevant areas.
Set Up - Time take by myself to meet with relevant personal to create log on and passwords for the librarians. To set the blackboard sites up for the courses and to ensure all the relevant information was available.
Running/Maintenance - Both the librarians and myself will be required to provide input into the blackboard sites while the students are enrolled in the courses. This is anticipated at being approximately 2-3 hours per week.
Evaluation - For the time taken by both the librarian staff and myself to evaluate the success of this project. This will initially take a few hours.
It is anticipated that an application to Ako Aotearoa for funding to complete a research project on the success and viability of the project would occur.
Time line for development:
To be set up for the semester two courses, evaluation to occur at the completion of the courses and a research project to occur during 2009.
Rough dates that indicate the time needed for key steps in your development plan
June 2008
- Set up usernames and password for the reference team.
- establish the scope the librarians will be responsible for.
- Promote this resource to potential/current students
July 2008
- Set up the discussion threads.
- Train the librarians on the use of blackboard, familiarise them to the environment.
- Librarians to take over the scope they are responsible for and make adjustments to the resources as appropriate.
July - November 2008
- Librarians actively participating in the discussion threads.
- Monitoring the library information
- Programmes Coordinator monitoring usage of the different areas.
November 2008
- Seek feedback from students/lecturers/librarians on how this worked.
- Evaluate the success.
January/February 2009
- Implement changes where necessary.
Semester One 2009
- Complete a research project to evaluate the success of this project.
Feedback:
Feedback was sort from a variety of areas. These included a pole on my blog site,comments from the slideshare presentation, from colleagues, face to face with both students of the Designing Flexible Learning course at the presentation, lecturers from the course and postgraduate students from the Occupational Therapy courses. I have attempted to incorporate the feedback into the above plan.
Overall the feedback has been positive though there has only been a few people participate in the pole and one comment from the slide share presentation. Please feel free to make comment regarding my plan. I am hoping this will be my final one but am happy to incorporate any further feedback as it develops.
Date: May 2008
Organisation: School of Occupational Therapy
Project plan author contact details: Penelope Kinney, School of Occupational Therapy
Executive summary:
Students within the Postgraduate Programmes at the School of Occupational Therapy complete their courses by distance. A blended mixture of online discussion and teleconferences are used to deliver the material. The students backgrounds are wide and varied with some coming soon after graduating with degrees and others returning to study 20 years or more after their training. As a result students confidence and knowledge with digital literacy is varied. Also though the courses are classed as distance students within the Dunedin city boundary are unable to access the remote library service within the University of Otago. This has created inequality amongst some students.
There have been number of comments from students about the library service. Some are frustrated due to living in Dunedin while others are intimidated, nervous or daunted by the prospect of having to do all the searching online. A plan to introduce the librarians to the students through the current learning management system was developed. This is to enable to students access to knowledgeable staff who would provide the students with answers to their questions, helpful hints on searching databases and links to relevant resources they have validated and ensured are reliable.
Project background
As part of my coordinator of the Postgraduate Programmes role I have had a lot to do with the day to day needs of the students enrolled in the courses. One of the things that became obvious to me is that within the institution not all students are equal. The courses that we run are entirely by distance and advertised as such. This means we can get students not only from all over the country but also the world enrolling in the courses. Accessing library catalogues and databases is an important part of completing the assignments. Due to the students coming from around the country those students can utilise the remote library services within the Otago University. This allows them to access books, journal articles and other resources from both the library shelves within the Otago University as well as other libraries. The remote service is willing to send these books and articles across the country if they require.
What happens for the Dunedin based students is that they are required to come into the Bill Robertson library (and in fact any of the Otago University libraries) if the book or article they require is held on the shelves (if it is only available via the University of Otago online network then it is classed as not being on the shelves).
Now for some you might think well whats the big deal? Our students all work full time, often they have work loads that require them to be a work longer than the 40hrs per week. The bottom line is they don't have the flexibility to have to come to the school or to the library to access what they need. What has happened in the past is that I end up photocopying, scanning and sending articles to students. I had one student who was considering pulling out of the distance course due to her frustration she was experiencing with the library.
Another aspect that has become clear to me during this semester is that for a large number of students (either Dunedin based or remote), getting back into study is new and accessing library services can be daunting. As a result I have done a lot of the running around and being the middle person between the librarians and the students. Making the library service more user friendly would be better for all the students. I am currently talking with a potential student whose main concern about enrolling in the courses is that they have not completed any further study since completing their Diploma of Occupational Therapy in the late 70's.
Finally the other consideration, for this plan, was as a result of our NZQA External Monitors visit at the beginning of the year, one of the recommendations made, was to have librarian access to the blackboard sites of the postgraduate courses, to allow the librarians the access to place announcements, be involved in discussion threads and to monitor and upgrade the information and resources that were available.
Taking all of this into account, and realising there was more flexibility that could be put in place, a plan for the above project came to fruition.
Aim
The aim is provide flexible online library access, resources and librarian support for Occupational Therapy Postgraduate students. Annand 2007 talks about the fact that the silent struggle to implement the use of technology in academia is far from resolved. This project is about changing these problems into challenges and working to find solutions to the barriers and the aim is that this is one of the solutions for our students!
List of objectives
* Create a user name and password for either the reference team or individual librarians to be attached to both the individual course blackboard sites and the Postgraduate Programmes Organisation.
* Set this group up with instructor status.
*Discuss the scope the librarians will be responsible for.
* Explore and negotiate with the librarians/reference group, the types of resources students need and the best way for the library to provide them.
* Change all the library information to the Community Tab of the Postgraduate Organisation.
* Enable the statistical tracking to monitor the usage
* Set up a number of discussion threads - these will be determined with discussion with the reference team from the library.
* Prior to courses commencing there will be an announcement created to draw students attention to the change, this will be emailed to all participants.
* Engage students into discussion threads - create FAQ.
* Evaluate success of support tool - this will be carried out in a range of ways.
- evaluate the statistical tracking
- approach students to ask for feed back
- talk to the librarians regarding their evaluation
* Implement changes as necessary
List of performance indicators (outcomes)
The librarian will be actively involved in the discussion threads.
The librarian will make changes and monitor the information on the blackboard site.
Students will be utilising both the discussion threads and information folder.
Flexible learning analysis
What are the perceived flexible learning needs of the people that your plan is targeting?
The students need an ability to access library information simply and easily (that doesn't require them to get in their car).
There is diversity amongst the students on their level of knowledge when accessing databases etc.
Access to updated information as the distance students don't use their student email addresses and at times have missed out updated information that goes out as global emails.
What type of flexible learning services will you provide?
· Enrollment - Enrollment into the Postgraduate courses is dependent on an number of criteria being met. They must have a registration from a World Federation of Occupational Therapy (WFOT)approved course, relevant Diploma or Degree and preferably they are currently working as an Occupational Therapist. There is no criteria about the level of achievement they must have reached in their Diploma or Degree.
As a result this plan is about ensuring ongoing re enrollments from previous and current students - that the support is enough for them to feel as though they can complete the study. A possibly is that this could be used as a marketing tool for new students who don't have as much knowledge about how to search databases or who are not able to go and look around the library.
· Communication strategies - this is one of the main reasons for the project, ensuring good communication is maintained with all the students and everyone is hearing the same. Students will be encouraged to utilise the discussion threads, that no question is too small and in fact these could be questions that all actually have. One of the reference team will attend the Postgraduate teaching team meeting to hear what the school is doing and provide information as appropriate too.
The Learning Management System used with the courses is the Blackboard programme. This flexible plan will initially be linked within this tool because this is where the students expect to find their information and they have spent time learning how to use it. It has been chosen to enable ease for the students. However due to its closed nature of the system the plan would be to move the links and resources to the Library web page in the future, this would then ensure that if Blackboard was to change or close the resources etc would not then need to be moved. Before this could be done a meeting with the Bill Robertson Library and University of Otago would need to take place to discuss this option and the viability of it.
· Information formats - Librarians will be able to update any new information for all students to be aware of. It is planned the librarians will be involved in a number of ways. They will be able to establish discussion threads, to encourage students to ask questions. These can then be developed into FAQ to also be put onto the site. It is anticipated a range of threads can be included from - Searching databases and catalogues to Assignment preparation. They will also be responsible for overseeing the information that is on the blackboard sites regarding the library, updating as this changes, ensuring it is all current and this includes relevant links to other appropriate resources. They will eventually provide links on blackboard to the library web page. This will include initially providing guides for the different databases the students may use. The Online Information Literacy Modules will also be linked in this area, eventually these modules will be developed to be more specific for the occupational therapy courses, so that they provide specialist support for the students. Eventually the aim will be to transfer this resource to the library web site.
· learning support services including technical support - The students will be able to use the librarians as a support tool for their on going study.
Week Eight's discussion around issues with the Modern Internet highlights how, with Web 2 tools anyone and everyone is able to add to a body of knowledge and therefore that must impact on those people who aren't as digitally literate to ascertain whether the information they are reading is actually of value and reliable. By having the librarians present on the blackboard site will provide a sense of security to the those students who don't have the confidence in their own ability to ascertain reliable knowledge or even how to search for it.
Indicate the type of services which already exist that compliment and/or compete with your plan.
Access to the library services already exist within the postgraduate courses. Students can access the library web page through the Otago Polytechnic home page. The remote library service (within the University of Otago) is available for students outside the Dunedin city boundaries. Students are currently required to access different sites to get the information or to either ring or enter the library if they live in Dunedin.
How will you use complimentary or competitive services favourably?
This project aims to complement what already exists. For the Dunedin students they will now have a contact within the Bill Robertson Library and will be able to find out information regarding their courses quickly without having to drive to the library.
For all the students the hope of having librarians attached to the blackboard sites will be to make accessing databases, catalogues etc more user friendly. They will be informed of any changes and are able to ask librarians for help directly. Answers that are given to questions will benefit all those enrolled.
By having the links to the information in one place the students will no longer be required to leave the blackboard site to search. They will have the confidence that the links to specific web pages have been validated by the library staff and therefore attempting to address some of the issues associated with the modern internet.
Outline how you will address the following items in your flexible learning services:· sustainability - In terms of the triple bottom line, this project will address social benefits, that is it is fair and beneficial for all the students enrolling in the courses. Though it doesn't address the issue at a institutional level it is a step to allowing Dunedin students access to librarians, with a more flexible manner. Environmentally this project may eliminate the need for students to get in their cars to drive to libraries. Potentially with the sharing of information students may choose not to print resources if they realise they don't need to. Finally Economically, potentially if this project makes studying more streamlined and user friendly then the likelihood of students remaining in programmes increases and this will also encourage those apprehensive about study to engage as we will be able to use this as a marketing tool.
By ensuring all of the resources are in one place and therefore easily updated this will reduce the amount of time needed to complete the task and therefore ensuring both the students enrolments and the access to appropriate information will be more likely to continue. It should be acknowledged however that there are potential limitations associated with having the access/links to the resources on a learning management system which is unable to be accessed by anyone not enrolled in courses. This is the reason the librarians are going to be involved in the discussion area of the Community Tab - this area of Blackboard is accessible to any of the Occupational Therapy Postgraduate students, including Masters and those completing Negotiated Study (both don't have a blackboard shell). However this is not available to those not enrolled in the Postgraduate Courses and on consultation with other staff within the school currently this is the preferred option, focus is to remain on up skilling our own students as a priority.
In terms of Sustainability by having these resources all on the same site it will mean students do not have to look for different web pages, thus simplifying their workload and ensuring they continue with their enrolments. It also means for staff that there is only one area to update and ensure links are active.
· access & equity - For me I think this has been addressed in the above statement. One of the concerns that led me to thinking of this project was the fact that Dunedin based students are disadvantaged. Also for some students the prospect of searching on databases can be confusing and daunting so by having librarians accessible this makes life easier for them. By providing materials and support to students to improve their digital information literacy, access and equity will be enhanced, ie, making it more likely that all learners will be able to access the materials they need for their study and therefore reducing the barriers for students who are currently disadvantaged.
There are many issues when looking at Open, Networked and RPL in relation to courses. The Postgraduate courses are closed, that is students need to apply and provide entry criteria before they are accepted. However much of the support and resources the librarians are to provide is already available to everyone. Now I realise that many people have wondered why I am planning to create a resource within a closed environment as much of the resources which will be added to the blackboard community tab, and monitored by the librarians is already in the open arena. Links to the library web page, OIL modules etc are already available to be used by others. So why place them on the blackboard site? Because it is for the students. They will then only have to go to one site to access all the information they need. Its about making it simple for them and by having the librarians involved in discussion threads if the students have difficulty with searching etc they can then go into the Discussion forum and ask questions while it is still fresh. They don't have to move away from that site to do it.
. cultural diversity - Cultural needs and cultural differences need to be taken into account at every phase of the design and delivery of online materials and support if courses and learning content are to meet learner needs (Australian Flexible Learning Framework). For me this hit home, especially as my project is about adding to an online component of the distance courses we provide in our Postgraduate Programmes. Thinking of cyberspace as having a culture in itself means there is much more to think of. In terms of my own project often the thought of using "new fangled technology" for some of the students puts them off before they start and by not meeting their needs in the first place we get the withdrawals from programmes. By adding this more personal support tool the aim is to address some of the needs the clients have.
. strategic plan - I believe this project complements the Otago Polytechnic's Charter. It aims to provide students with better learning opportunities, creating better equity between students, providing relevant, flexible and accessible learning opportunities and providing an environment which supports innovative thinking.
References:
Learning theories/models and/or examples does your plan refer to?
The main learning theory that I see this plan relating to is that of Kolb learning styles. Students have an opportunity to try this new support tool (experiencing), reflect on their learning (reflecting), processing what happened and what they did (thinking) and finally incorporating it into their study (acting).
The other learning theory that I identify as being relevant to this plan is that of Constructivism. This has a believe that students form their own understanding by engaging and then reflecting on what they have done.
Budget:
Rough list of costs and resources of key steps in your plan
The cost for this project will involve staff input and training.
For future development of this project then an application to the Teaching and Learning Innovation fund will be appropriate.
Training - Of the librarians about the use of Blackboard, how to post announcements, add discussion threads and oversee the relevant areas.
Set Up - Time take by myself to meet with relevant personal to create log on and passwords for the librarians. To set the blackboard sites up for the courses and to ensure all the relevant information was available.
Running/Maintenance - Both the librarians and myself will be required to provide input into the blackboard sites while the students are enrolled in the courses. This is anticipated at being approximately 2-3 hours per week.
Evaluation - For the time taken by both the librarian staff and myself to evaluate the success of this project. This will initially take a few hours.
It is anticipated that an application to Ako Aotearoa for funding to complete a research project on the success and viability of the project would occur.
Time line for development:
To be set up for the semester two courses, evaluation to occur at the completion of the courses and a research project to occur during 2009.
Rough dates that indicate the time needed for key steps in your development plan
June 2008
- Set up usernames and password for the reference team.
- establish the scope the librarians will be responsible for.
- Promote this resource to potential/current students
July 2008
- Set up the discussion threads.
- Train the librarians on the use of blackboard, familiarise them to the environment.
- Librarians to take over the scope they are responsible for and make adjustments to the resources as appropriate.
July - November 2008
- Librarians actively participating in the discussion threads.
- Monitoring the library information
- Programmes Coordinator monitoring usage of the different areas.
November 2008
- Seek feedback from students/lecturers/librarians on how this worked.
- Evaluate the success.
January/February 2009
- Implement changes where necessary.
Semester One 2009
- Complete a research project to evaluate the success of this project.
Feedback:
Feedback was sort from a variety of areas. These included a pole on my blog site,comments from the slideshare presentation, from colleagues, face to face with both students of the Designing Flexible Learning course at the presentation, lecturers from the course and postgraduate students from the Occupational Therapy courses. I have attempted to incorporate the feedback into the above plan.
Overall the feedback has been positive though there has only been a few people participate in the pole and one comment from the slide share presentation. Please feel free to make comment regarding my plan. I am hoping this will be my final one but am happy to incorporate any further feedback as it develops.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Week Thirteen: National and International support for flexible learning development
When it came to thinking about funding for this project I was initially confused about what the cost of this plan would be and if I would actually need any funding.
It took a minute but I soon realised funding is an important factor to be considered. The main funding opportunity, initially would be through the Otago Polytechnic Teaching Innovation Fund. An application here would be to cover the costs of the initial set up, such as:
Training - Of the librarians about the use of Blackboard, how to post announcements, add discussion threads and oversee the relevant areas.
Set Up - Time take by myself to meet with relevant personal to create log on and passwords for the librarians. To set the blackboard sites up for the courses and to ensure all the relevant information was available.
Running/Maintenance - Both the librarians and myself will be required to provide input into the blackboard sites while the students are enrolled in the courses. This is anticipated at being approximately 2-3 hours per week.
After looking at the other sites provided on the Designing of Flexible Learning Practice site I began to look at other possibilities also.
Ako Aotearoa provides funding for activity or research proposals which should align with their vision to create and support the best possible educational outcomes for learners in the tertiary sector. This would be an appropriate possibility for when I want to complete a research project about the success of the plan, as I think its going to be an important aspect to assess the success of this plan
It took a minute but I soon realised funding is an important factor to be considered. The main funding opportunity, initially would be through the Otago Polytechnic Teaching Innovation Fund. An application here would be to cover the costs of the initial set up, such as:
Training - Of the librarians about the use of Blackboard, how to post announcements, add discussion threads and oversee the relevant areas.
Set Up - Time take by myself to meet with relevant personal to create log on and passwords for the librarians. To set the blackboard sites up for the courses and to ensure all the relevant information was available.
Running/Maintenance - Both the librarians and myself will be required to provide input into the blackboard sites while the students are enrolled in the courses. This is anticipated at being approximately 2-3 hours per week.
After looking at the other sites provided on the Designing of Flexible Learning Practice site I began to look at other possibilities also.
Ako Aotearoa provides funding for activity or research proposals which should align with their vision to create and support the best possible educational outcomes for learners in the tertiary sector. This would be an appropriate possibility for when I want to complete a research project about the success of the plan, as I think its going to be an important aspect to assess the success of this plan
Thursday, June 19, 2008
DFLP Presentation
Please follow the attached link to view a copy of my presentation.
My Presentation
Please feel free to add comments if you would like to
My Presentation
Please feel free to add comments if you would like to
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
DFLP - Project Plan
Project Name: Flexible librarian support for Occupational Therapy postgraduate students through the use of Blackboard
Date: May 2008
Organisation: School of Occupational Therapy
Project plan author contact details: Penelope Kinney, School of Occupational Therapy
Executive summary
Summarise as much of the information in the rest of this template into a concise statement.
Project background
As part of my coordinator of the Postgraduate Programmes role I have had a lot to do with the day to day needs of the students enrolled in the courses. One of the things that became obvious to me is that within the institution not all students are equal. The courses that we run are entirely by distance and advertised as such. This means we can get students not only from all over the country but also the world enrolling in the courses.
Accessing library catalogues and databases is an important part of completing the assignments. Due to the students coming from around the country those students can utilise the remote library services within the Otago University. This allows them to access books, journal articles and other resources from both the library shelves within the Otago University as well as other libraries. The remote service is willing to send these books and articles across the country if they require. What happens for the Dunedin based students is that they are required to come into the library (any of the Otago University libraries) if the book or article they require is held on site.
Now for some you might think well whats the big deal? Our students all work full time, often they have work loads that require them to be a work longer than the 40hrs per week. The bottom line is they don't have the flexibility to have to come to the school or to the library to access what they need.
What has happened in the past is that I end up photocopying, scanning and sending articles to students. I had one student who was considering pulling out of the distance course due to her frustration she was experiencing with the library.
Another aspect that has become clear to me during this semester is that for a large number of students (either Dunedin based or remote), getting back into study is new and accessing library services can be daunting. As a result I have done a lot of the running around and being the middle person between the librarians and the students. Making the library service more user friendly would be better for all the students.
Aim - The aim is provide flexible online library access, resources and librarian support for Occupational Therapy Postgraduate students.
List of objectives -
* Create a user name, login for either the reference team or individual librarians to be attached to the blackboard site.
* Set this group up with instructor status.
* Discuss the scope the librarians will be responsible for.
* Change all the library information to the Community Tab of the Postgraduate Organisation
* Enable the statistical tracking to monitor the usage
* Set up a number of discussion threads.
* Place an announcement to draw students attention to the change.
* Engage students into discussion threads - create FAQ
* Evaluate success of support tool
* Explore and negotiate with the librarians/reference group, the types of resources your students need and the best way for the library to provide them.
* Implement changes as necessary
List of performance indicators (outcomes) -
The librarian will be actively involved in the discussion threads.
The librarian will make changes and monitor the information on the blackboard site.
Students will be utilising both the discussion threads and information folder.
Flexible learning analysis
What are the perceived flexible learning needs of the people that your plan is targeting?
Accessing library information to enable equity for all students and to make the library services more accessible to all students.
What type of flexible learning services will you provide?
· enrollment - this is more about ensuring ongoing re enrollments from previous and current students - the support is enough for them to feel as though they can complete the study. Possibly this could be used as a marketing tool for new students who don't have as much knowledge about how to search databases or who are not able to go and look around the library.
· communication strategies - this is the main reason, ensuring good communication is maintained with all the students and everyone is hearing the same. Students will be encouraged to utilise the discussion threads, that no question is too small and in fact these could be questions that all actually have. One of the reference team will attend the Postgraduate teaching team meeting to hear what the school is doing and provide information as appropriate too.
· information formats - librarians will be able to update any new information for all students to be aware of. It is planned the librarians will be involved in a number of ways. They will be able to establish discussion threads, to encourage students to ask questions. These can then be developed into FAQ to also be put onto the site. It is anticipated a range of threads can be included from - Searching databases and catalogues and Assignment preparation. They will also be responsible for overseeing the information that is on the blackboard sites regarding the library, updating as this changes, ensuring it is all current. They will eventually provide links on blackboard to the library web page. This will include providing guides for the different databases the students may use. The Online Information Literacy Modules (OIL) will also be linked in this area. Eventually these modules will be developed to be more specific for the occupational therapy courses.
· learning support services including technical support - this is about students using the librarians as a support tool for their on going study.Indicate the type of services which already exist that compliment and/or compete with your plan.Access to the library services already exist within the postgraduate courses. This project aims to complement what already exists. For the Dunedin students they will now have a contact within the Bill Robertson Library and will be able to find out information regarding their courses quickly.For all the students the hope of having librarians attached to the blackboard sites will be to make accessing databases, catalogues etc more user friendly. They will be informed of any changes and are able to ask librarians for help directly. Answers that are given to questions will benefit all those enrolled.
Outline how you will address the following items in your flexible learning services:
· sustainability - In terms of the triple bottom line, this project will address social benefits for all the students enrolling in the courses. Though it doesn't address the issue at a institutional level it is a step to allowing Dunedin students access to librarians, which may get rid of the need for them to drive to the library. Environmentally this project may eliminate the need for students to get in their cars to drive to libraries. Potentially with the sharing of information students may choose not to print resources if they realise they don't need to. Finally Economically, potentially if this project makes studying more streamlined and user friendly then the likelihood of students remaining in programmes increases and this will also encourage those apprehensive about study to engage as we will be able to use this as a marketing tool. By ensuring all of the resources are in one place and therefore easily updated this will reduce the amount of time needed to complete the task and therefore ensuring this will be more likely to continue.
· access & equity - I think this has been addressed in the above statement. One of the concerns that led me to thinking of this project was the fact that Dunedin based students are disadvantaged. Also for some students the prospect of searching on databases can be confusing and daunting so by having librarians accessible this makes life easier for them. By providing materials and support to students to improve their digital information literacy, access and equity will be enhanced, ie, making it more likely that all learners will be able to access the materials they need for their study and therefore reducing the barriers for students who are currently disadvantaged.
. cultural diversity - Cultural needs and cultural differences need to be taken into account at every phase of the design and delivery of online materials and support if courses and learning content are to meet learner needs (Australian Flexible Learning Framework). For me this hit home, especially as my project is about adding to an online component of the distance courses we provide in our Postgraduate Programmes. Thinking of cyberspace as having a culture in itself means there is much more to think of. In terms of my own project often the thought of using "new fangled technology" for some of the students puts them off before they start and by not meeting their needs in the first place we get the withdrawals from programmes. By adding this more personal support tool the aim is to address some of the needs the clients have.
. strategic plan - I believe this project complements the Otago Polytechnics Strategic Plan .It aims to provide students with better learning opportunities, creating better equity between students, providing relevant, flexible and accessible learning opportunities and providing an environment which supports innovative thinking.
REFERENCES
Learning theories/models and/or examples
BUDGET
Rough list of costs and resources of key steps in your plan
The cost for this project will involve staff input and training.
- Training for the three reference librarians in the use of blackboard and their scope. This potentially will take a few hours
- Time spent accessing blackboard by the three librarians over the 14 weeks the courses run. Potentially this will take between 1-2 hours a week.
- Postgraduate Coordinator time to set the blackboard sites, train librarian and informing potential and current students.
For future development of this project then an application to the Teaching and Learning Innovation fund will be appropriate
Time line for development
- To be set up for the semester two courses, evaluation to occur at the completion of the courses.
Rough dates that indicate the time needed for key steps in your development plan
June 2008 - Set up usernames, login for the reference team, establish the scope the librarians will be responsible for. Promote this resource to potential/current students
July 2008 - Set up the discussion threads, train the librarians on the use of blackboard, familiarise them to the environment.
July - November 2008 - Librarians actively participating in the discussion threads, monitoring the library information
November 2008 - Seek feedback from students/lecturers/librarians on how this worked.
January/February 2009 - Implement changes where necessary.
Please feel free to write me some comments on any area you think you maybe able to help. I'd appreciate your thoughts and ideas.
Date: May 2008
Organisation: School of Occupational Therapy
Project plan author contact details: Penelope Kinney, School of Occupational Therapy
Executive summary
Summarise as much of the information in the rest of this template into a concise statement.
Project background
As part of my coordinator of the Postgraduate Programmes role I have had a lot to do with the day to day needs of the students enrolled in the courses. One of the things that became obvious to me is that within the institution not all students are equal. The courses that we run are entirely by distance and advertised as such. This means we can get students not only from all over the country but also the world enrolling in the courses.
Accessing library catalogues and databases is an important part of completing the assignments. Due to the students coming from around the country those students can utilise the remote library services within the Otago University. This allows them to access books, journal articles and other resources from both the library shelves within the Otago University as well as other libraries. The remote service is willing to send these books and articles across the country if they require. What happens for the Dunedin based students is that they are required to come into the library (any of the Otago University libraries) if the book or article they require is held on site.
Now for some you might think well whats the big deal? Our students all work full time, often they have work loads that require them to be a work longer than the 40hrs per week. The bottom line is they don't have the flexibility to have to come to the school or to the library to access what they need.
What has happened in the past is that I end up photocopying, scanning and sending articles to students. I had one student who was considering pulling out of the distance course due to her frustration she was experiencing with the library.
Another aspect that has become clear to me during this semester is that for a large number of students (either Dunedin based or remote), getting back into study is new and accessing library services can be daunting. As a result I have done a lot of the running around and being the middle person between the librarians and the students. Making the library service more user friendly would be better for all the students.
Aim - The aim is provide flexible online library access, resources and librarian support for Occupational Therapy Postgraduate students.
List of objectives -
* Create a user name, login for either the reference team or individual librarians to be attached to the blackboard site.
* Set this group up with instructor status.
* Discuss the scope the librarians will be responsible for.
* Change all the library information to the Community Tab of the Postgraduate Organisation
* Enable the statistical tracking to monitor the usage
* Set up a number of discussion threads.
* Place an announcement to draw students attention to the change.
* Engage students into discussion threads - create FAQ
* Evaluate success of support tool
* Explore and negotiate with the librarians/reference group, the types of resources your students need and the best way for the library to provide them.
* Implement changes as necessary
List of performance indicators (outcomes) -
The librarian will be actively involved in the discussion threads.
The librarian will make changes and monitor the information on the blackboard site.
Students will be utilising both the discussion threads and information folder.
Flexible learning analysis
What are the perceived flexible learning needs of the people that your plan is targeting?
Accessing library information to enable equity for all students and to make the library services more accessible to all students.
What type of flexible learning services will you provide?
· enrollment - this is more about ensuring ongoing re enrollments from previous and current students - the support is enough for them to feel as though they can complete the study. Possibly this could be used as a marketing tool for new students who don't have as much knowledge about how to search databases or who are not able to go and look around the library.
· communication strategies - this is the main reason, ensuring good communication is maintained with all the students and everyone is hearing the same. Students will be encouraged to utilise the discussion threads, that no question is too small and in fact these could be questions that all actually have. One of the reference team will attend the Postgraduate teaching team meeting to hear what the school is doing and provide information as appropriate too.
· information formats - librarians will be able to update any new information for all students to be aware of. It is planned the librarians will be involved in a number of ways. They will be able to establish discussion threads, to encourage students to ask questions. These can then be developed into FAQ to also be put onto the site. It is anticipated a range of threads can be included from - Searching databases and catalogues and Assignment preparation. They will also be responsible for overseeing the information that is on the blackboard sites regarding the library, updating as this changes, ensuring it is all current. They will eventually provide links on blackboard to the library web page. This will include providing guides for the different databases the students may use. The Online Information Literacy Modules (OIL) will also be linked in this area. Eventually these modules will be developed to be more specific for the occupational therapy courses.
· learning support services including technical support - this is about students using the librarians as a support tool for their on going study.Indicate the type of services which already exist that compliment and/or compete with your plan.Access to the library services already exist within the postgraduate courses. This project aims to complement what already exists. For the Dunedin students they will now have a contact within the Bill Robertson Library and will be able to find out information regarding their courses quickly.For all the students the hope of having librarians attached to the blackboard sites will be to make accessing databases, catalogues etc more user friendly. They will be informed of any changes and are able to ask librarians for help directly. Answers that are given to questions will benefit all those enrolled.
Outline how you will address the following items in your flexible learning services:
· sustainability - In terms of the triple bottom line, this project will address social benefits for all the students enrolling in the courses. Though it doesn't address the issue at a institutional level it is a step to allowing Dunedin students access to librarians, which may get rid of the need for them to drive to the library. Environmentally this project may eliminate the need for students to get in their cars to drive to libraries. Potentially with the sharing of information students may choose not to print resources if they realise they don't need to. Finally Economically, potentially if this project makes studying more streamlined and user friendly then the likelihood of students remaining in programmes increases and this will also encourage those apprehensive about study to engage as we will be able to use this as a marketing tool. By ensuring all of the resources are in one place and therefore easily updated this will reduce the amount of time needed to complete the task and therefore ensuring this will be more likely to continue.
· access & equity - I think this has been addressed in the above statement. One of the concerns that led me to thinking of this project was the fact that Dunedin based students are disadvantaged. Also for some students the prospect of searching on databases can be confusing and daunting so by having librarians accessible this makes life easier for them. By providing materials and support to students to improve their digital information literacy, access and equity will be enhanced, ie, making it more likely that all learners will be able to access the materials they need for their study and therefore reducing the barriers for students who are currently disadvantaged.
. cultural diversity - Cultural needs and cultural differences need to be taken into account at every phase of the design and delivery of online materials and support if courses and learning content are to meet learner needs (Australian Flexible Learning Framework). For me this hit home, especially as my project is about adding to an online component of the distance courses we provide in our Postgraduate Programmes. Thinking of cyberspace as having a culture in itself means there is much more to think of. In terms of my own project often the thought of using "new fangled technology" for some of the students puts them off before they start and by not meeting their needs in the first place we get the withdrawals from programmes. By adding this more personal support tool the aim is to address some of the needs the clients have.
. strategic plan - I believe this project complements the Otago Polytechnics Strategic Plan .It aims to provide students with better learning opportunities, creating better equity between students, providing relevant, flexible and accessible learning opportunities and providing an environment which supports innovative thinking.
REFERENCES
Learning theories/models and/or examples
BUDGET
Rough list of costs and resources of key steps in your plan
The cost for this project will involve staff input and training.
- Training for the three reference librarians in the use of blackboard and their scope. This potentially will take a few hours
- Time spent accessing blackboard by the three librarians over the 14 weeks the courses run. Potentially this will take between 1-2 hours a week.
- Postgraduate Coordinator time to set the blackboard sites, train librarian and informing potential and current students.
For future development of this project then an application to the Teaching and Learning Innovation fund will be appropriate
Time line for development
- To be set up for the semester two courses, evaluation to occur at the completion of the courses.
Rough dates that indicate the time needed for key steps in your development plan
June 2008 - Set up usernames, login for the reference team, establish the scope the librarians will be responsible for. Promote this resource to potential/current students
July 2008 - Set up the discussion threads, train the librarians on the use of blackboard, familiarise them to the environment.
July - November 2008 - Librarians actively participating in the discussion threads, monitoring the library information
November 2008 - Seek feedback from students/lecturers/librarians on how this worked.
January/February 2009 - Implement changes where necessary.
Please feel free to write me some comments on any area you think you maybe able to help. I'd appreciate your thoughts and ideas.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Week Twelve: Flexible learning in Educational Organisations
The organisational document that I have chosen to use will be that of the Otago Polytechnic Charter.
The very first strategic goal that is outlined in the the charter is that of:
" To provide relevant, flexible and accessible learning opportunities which build capability, are stimulating and challenging and foster life long learning."
To me this is fairly obvious as relating to that of flexible learning. The word is in the statement! However I also believe there is a challenge there too. The aim of the flexible learning is that it is both stimulating and challenging and will foster an interest in life long learning. That to me is important, what I develop in this plan should be of a flexible nature but also promote the student to continue with the journey of learning.
" To developing and environment which stimulates creativity and supports innovation in all that we undertake"
Another statement which speaks to flexible learning. How each different student's creativity is stimulated will depend on how they learn. If we continue to deliver and assess in one set way then potentially we will lose students.
The other statement that spoke to me about flexible learning was that of equity. By providing equal opportunities to allow participation and success for all students means both delivery and assessment needs to be in a way that will ensure this.
Listening to the Elluminate presentation by Phill Kerr I was impressed with the commitment that Otago Polytechnic has to providing more flexibility for learners.
I believe the plan I have developed for the Postgraduate students at the School of Occupational Therapy fits nicely with the strategic goals of Otago Polytechnic.
The very first strategic goal that is outlined in the the charter is that of:
" To provide relevant, flexible and accessible learning opportunities which build capability, are stimulating and challenging and foster life long learning."
To me this is fairly obvious as relating to that of flexible learning. The word is in the statement! However I also believe there is a challenge there too. The aim of the flexible learning is that it is both stimulating and challenging and will foster an interest in life long learning. That to me is important, what I develop in this plan should be of a flexible nature but also promote the student to continue with the journey of learning.
" To developing and environment which stimulates creativity and supports innovation in all that we undertake"
Another statement which speaks to flexible learning. How each different student's creativity is stimulated will depend on how they learn. If we continue to deliver and assess in one set way then potentially we will lose students.
The other statement that spoke to me about flexible learning was that of equity. By providing equal opportunities to allow participation and success for all students means both delivery and assessment needs to be in a way that will ensure this.
Listening to the Elluminate presentation by Phill Kerr I was impressed with the commitment that Otago Polytechnic has to providing more flexibility for learners.
I believe the plan I have developed for the Postgraduate students at the School of Occupational Therapy fits nicely with the strategic goals of Otago Polytechnic.
Monday, June 9, 2008
Week Eleven: Issues with flexible learning - Cultural Diversity
My observations:
This again was another topic which has lead me to think more in depth about both my own knowledge but also the institution/environment which I work.
I enjoyed listening to the elluminate presentation with Kate Timms. I thought the three categories she spoke about - "stereotypes, generic characteristics and unique aspects" was very helpful. To be honest it got me away from thinking all students were the same and made me more aware at how little there actually was that was common between all students.
When I had first started thinking about this topic, my first assumption was about relating designing flexible learning to the Treaty of Waitangi. Now this in my mind is without a doubt the most important aspect. How can you ensure you are incorporating the Treaty of Waitangi if you haven't actually completed a workshop or in fact don't know about it? It's why I believe its very important all teaching staff have participated in this. Now that I have had a rant about that I also (after listening to Kate) began to think broader in regards to cultural diversity. I went on a search and found an interesting site (through the Australian Flexible Learning Framework). The site identifies why considerations to cultural diversity is important.
"When pedagogical values in one culture are culturally inappropriate to another, students question knowledge, or may challenge the teacher's view" (McLoughlin & Oliver 1999). Students then may question the merit in participation, or worse, feel disenfranchised if the course or learning resources do not fit their world view. They identify drop out rates are high in online courses - this is a world phenomenon.
"Lack of culturally appropriate learning is considered to be a major cause of unsuccessful completions. Inadequate teacher and provider sensitivity to cultural differences, lack of teacher relations with students and their communities as well as language difficulties all contribute. Distance from providers is also critical in some rural and remote parts of Australia." (A&E R019RL, p. 5)
Cultural needs and cultural differences need to be taken into account at every phase of the design and delivery of online materials and support if courses and learning content are to meet learner needs (this to me can be related directly to the Treaty of Waitangi).
For me this hit home, especially as my project is about adding to an online component of the distance courses we provide in our Postgraduate Programmes. Thinking of cyberspace as having a culture in itself means there is much more to think of. In terms of my own project often the thought of using "new fangled technology" for some of the students puts them off before they start and by not meeting their needs in the first place we get the withdrawals from programmes.
Definitely something for me to be thinking about!
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Week Ten: Issues with flexible learning - access and equity
Now I thought it was interesting that in the week titled Access and Equity I try to access the Willems (2004) article to read, "OLT2004 is no longer available to students on OLT". I see we need a password and I'm not sure I have one. Now I realise that I am a few weeks late in my blog but did we always need that or am I just late?
As a result I have headed into the article written by Zondiros (2008).
The focus of this article is to discuss Online and Distance education as being both a product and producer of globalisation. It starts by defining a number of terms and concepts and defines Distance Education as
The article starts by saying that with the ever increasing technologies in the area of "Information and Communication Technologies - ICTs" the world is getting a smaller place. With these developments it is expected that barriers to education (by increasing access for those in locations not easily accessible) will be reduced. This however assumes that all people are equal and both have the knowledge of the developments and the ability to take advantage of the developments. It is interesting how this assumption can be made when Reddy and Manjulika in Zondiros (2008) state that 80% of the earths population have actually heard a dial tone. As a result the technologies that are developed to increase access can in fact highlight inequalities in a different sector of people. For example those people who do not have the means to purchase equipment needed to gain the benefits of the ICTs.
The article states that online students are expected to demonstrate a range of academic literacy's. Online and distance education tends to be restricted to learners with certain characteristics and as a result there are only a selected number of people in the world with these characteristics. From an economic point of view, space, time and money are sources of value and power and the vast majority of the workers in the world do not have them. As a result their employment is unstable which makes them vulnerable and the danger to exclusion is evident.
From a technological point of view the article states that demand for education is created less about providing people who are socially and economically disadvantaged with educational opportunities and more about focusing on those with the social and economical standing with opportunities to develop their professional and technical knowledge and skills. This is in contrast to the first paragraph of article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
It identifies both challenges and opportunities when trying to incorporate Open and Distance Learning into a Flexible Learning context. It is important that pedagogy is seen in a wider context than just the classroom, in fact it is able to accommodate different people with different needs, again as outlined in article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Access, inequality and exclusion are topics of significant importance in both developed and developing countries. Access is often given higher priority because inequality and exclusion is more deeply rooted. Universities are attempting to address this, as seen in their mission statements, response should be more tailor-made pedagogy that is aware of students needs and alternative Open and Distance Learning and Flexible Learning.
My thoughts on access and equity
Now this is an interesting topic especially in regards to the postgraduate programmes at the School of Occupational Therapy. I see it that at times when solutions have been produced as a way of combating limited access it produces more inequalities. For example, by making all the courses 100% distance this has enabled a large number of potential students enrol in courses. Both from a financial and time and sustainability angle. No longer are students expected to pay for flights or take time away from families to come to Dunedin to teaching. They can do their work in their own homes and at times that suit. However, a large part of the courses now require students to go online, to use blackboard and to access databases and catalogues via the web. Now for many that seems really straight forward and simple, remember that OT is a developing profession and many of the registered therapists working for decades don't have degrees but diplomas and have not completed any type of study since they got their diploma. The thought of postgrad study can be overwhelming by itself, completing it without face to face can double that anxiety.
With the introduction of the Health Practitioners Competency Assurance Act (HPCA), there is an expectation for all OT's to continue with their professional development, as a result these students look to us (the school) to provide them with those opportunities. We need to ensure that as much as possible is done to elevate concerns and anxieties. This is why I am keen to get the librarians on board, not only because Dunedin students are not treated equally with the other distance students but also as a tool to elevate anxiety when researching literature, answering those questions that may very well benefit a large number and to keep the students aware of any changes or new information that comes to light in regards to the library service.
This is of course only one area which I work in at the school, the bachelors programme has its own issues and opportunities too.
As a result I have headed into the article written by Zondiros (2008).
The focus of this article is to discuss Online and Distance education as being both a product and producer of globalisation. It starts by defining a number of terms and concepts and defines Distance Education as
Distance Teaching + Distance Learning = Distance Education
The article starts by saying that with the ever increasing technologies in the area of "Information and Communication Technologies - ICTs" the world is getting a smaller place. With these developments it is expected that barriers to education (by increasing access for those in locations not easily accessible) will be reduced. This however assumes that all people are equal and both have the knowledge of the developments and the ability to take advantage of the developments. It is interesting how this assumption can be made when Reddy and Manjulika in Zondiros (2008) state that 80% of the earths population have actually heard a dial tone. As a result the technologies that are developed to increase access can in fact highlight inequalities in a different sector of people. For example those people who do not have the means to purchase equipment needed to gain the benefits of the ICTs.
The article states that online students are expected to demonstrate a range of academic literacy's. Online and distance education tends to be restricted to learners with certain characteristics and as a result there are only a selected number of people in the world with these characteristics. From an economic point of view, space, time and money are sources of value and power and the vast majority of the workers in the world do not have them. As a result their employment is unstable which makes them vulnerable and the danger to exclusion is evident.
From a technological point of view the article states that demand for education is created less about providing people who are socially and economically disadvantaged with educational opportunities and more about focusing on those with the social and economical standing with opportunities to develop their professional and technical knowledge and skills. This is in contrast to the first paragraph of article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
It identifies both challenges and opportunities when trying to incorporate Open and Distance Learning into a Flexible Learning context. It is important that pedagogy is seen in a wider context than just the classroom, in fact it is able to accommodate different people with different needs, again as outlined in article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Access, inequality and exclusion are topics of significant importance in both developed and developing countries. Access is often given higher priority because inequality and exclusion is more deeply rooted. Universities are attempting to address this, as seen in their mission statements, response should be more tailor-made pedagogy that is aware of students needs and alternative Open and Distance Learning and Flexible Learning.
My thoughts on access and equity
Now this is an interesting topic especially in regards to the postgraduate programmes at the School of Occupational Therapy. I see it that at times when solutions have been produced as a way of combating limited access it produces more inequalities. For example, by making all the courses 100% distance this has enabled a large number of potential students enrol in courses. Both from a financial and time and sustainability angle. No longer are students expected to pay for flights or take time away from families to come to Dunedin to teaching. They can do their work in their own homes and at times that suit. However, a large part of the courses now require students to go online, to use blackboard and to access databases and catalogues via the web. Now for many that seems really straight forward and simple, remember that OT is a developing profession and many of the registered therapists working for decades don't have degrees but diplomas and have not completed any type of study since they got their diploma. The thought of postgrad study can be overwhelming by itself, completing it without face to face can double that anxiety.
With the introduction of the Health Practitioners Competency Assurance Act (HPCA), there is an expectation for all OT's to continue with their professional development, as a result these students look to us (the school) to provide them with those opportunities. We need to ensure that as much as possible is done to elevate concerns and anxieties. This is why I am keen to get the librarians on board, not only because Dunedin students are not treated equally with the other distance students but also as a tool to elevate anxiety when researching literature, answering those questions that may very well benefit a large number and to keep the students aware of any changes or new information that comes to light in regards to the library service.
This is of course only one area which I work in at the school, the bachelors programme has its own issues and opportunities too.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Week Nine: Issues with flexible learning - Sustainability
My thoughts about Samuel's talk and how it relates it to my planning ideas. Try to address a triple bottom line view to sustainability (economical, ecological, sociological sustainability). This blog has been sitting in my draft folder since 19 May. I keep returning to it but am not happy with how I was presenting my thoughts. Now I've decided I need to move on so I apologise for my waffle at times.
Now trying to remember the talk that I listened to by Dr Samuel Mann is a challenge. I have listened to it a number of times but I always have difficulty with something that is entirely audio because I am such an overwhelmingly reader/writer learner. I have since clicked on the link which took me to Departmental Progress wiki and found that helpful.
To start with I am finally going to outline my plan and try to triple bottom line view to sustainability to this.
Project Name: Librarian's attached to the School of Occupational Therapy Postgraduate Courses blackboard sites
Date: May 2008
Organisation: School of Occupational Therapy
Project plan author contact details: Penelope Kinney, School of Occupational Therapy
Executive summary
Summarise as much of the information in the rest of this template into a concise statement.
Project background
As part of my coordinator of the Postgraduate Programmes role I have had a lot to do with the day to day needs of the students enrolled in the courses. One of the things that became obvious to me is that within the institution not all students are equal. The courses that we run are entirely by distance and advertised as such. This means we can get students not only from all over the country but also the world enrolling in the courses. Accessing library catalogues and databases is an important part of completing the assignments. Due to the students coming from around the country those students can utilise the remote library services within the Otago University. This allows them to access books, journal articles and other resources from both the library shelves within the Otago University as well as other libraries. The remote service is willing to send these books and articles across the country if they require.
What happens for the Dunedin based students is that they are required to come into the library (any of the Otago University libraries) if the book or article they require is held on site. Now for some you might think well whats the big deal? Our students all work full time, often they have work loads that require them to be a work longer than the 40hrs per week. The bottom line is they don't have the flexibility to have to come to the school or to the library to access what they need. What has happened in the past is that I end up photocopying, scanning and sending articles to students. I had one student who was considering pulling out of the distance course due to her frustration she was experiencing with the library.
Another aspect that has become clear to me during this semester is that for a large number of students (either Dunedin based or remote), getting back into study is new and accessing library services can be daunting. As a result I have done a lot of the running around and being the middle person between the librarians and the students. Making the library service more user friendly would be better for all the students.
Aim - The aim is to have a number of the librarians attached to the blackboard sites of the postgraduate course at the school of Occupational Therapy. They will be attached as instructors and therefore be able to place information on the sites as well as be involved in the discussions.
List of objectives -
Create a user name, login for either the reference team or individual librarians to be attached to the blackboard site.
Set this group up with instructor status.
Discuss the scope the librarians will be responsible for.
Change all the library information to the Community Tab of the Postgraduate Organisation
Set up a number of discussion threads.
Place an announcement to draw students attention to the change.
List of performance indicators (outcomes) - The librarian will be attached and up and running carrying out the above objectives by the beginning of the second semester.
Flexible learning analysis
What are the perceived flexible learning needs of the people that your plan is targeting?
Accessing library information to enable equity for all students and to make the library services more accessible to all students.
What type of flexible learning services will you provide?
· enrollment - this is more about ensuring ongoing re enrollments from previous students
· communication strategies - this is the main reason, ensuring good communication is maintained with all the students and everyone is hearing the same.
· information formats - librarians will be able to update any new information for all students to be aware of.
· learning support services including technical support - this is about students using the librarians as a support tool for their on going study.
Indicate the type of services which already exist that compliment and/or compete with your plan.
Access to the library services already exist within the postgraduate courses. This project aims to complement what already exists. For the Dunedin students they will now have a contact within the Bill Robertson Library and will be able to find out information regarding their courses quickly.
For all the students the hope of having librarians attached to the blackboard sites will be to make accessing databases, catalogues etc more user friendly. They will be informed of any changes and are able to ask librarians for help directly. Answers that are given to questions will benefit all those enrolled.
Outline how you will address the following items in your flexible learning services: · sustainability - In terms of the triple bottom line, this project will address social benefits for all the students enrolling in the courses. Though it doesn't address the issue at a institutional level it is a step to allowing Dunedin students access to librarians, which may get rid of the need for them to drive to the library. Environmentally this project may eliminate the need for students to get in their cars to drive to libraries. Potentially with the sharing of information students may choose not to print resources if they realise they don't need to. Finally Economically, potentially if this project makes studying more streamlined and user friendly then the likelihood of students remaining in programmes increases and this will also encourage those apprehensive about study to engage as we will be able to use this as a marketing tool.
· access & equity - I think this has been addressed in the above statement. One of the concerns that led me to thinking of this project was the fact that Dunedin based students are disadvantaged. Also for some students the prospect of searching on databases can be confusing and daunting so by having librarians accessible this makes life easier for them.
Rough list of costs and resources of key steps in your plan
The cost for this project will involve staff input and training.
- Training for librarian in the use of blackboard and their scope
- Postgraduate Coordinator time to set the blackboard sites, train librarian and informing potential and current students.
Time line for development - To be completed for the semester two courses
Rough dates that indicate the time needed for key steps in your development plan
June 2008 - Set up usernames, login for the reference team, establish the scope the librarians will be responsible for. Promote this resource to potential/current students
July 2008 - Set up the discussion threads, train the librarians on the use of blackboard, familiarise them to the environment.
August 2008 - Librarians attached to the blackboard sites
November 2008 - Seek feedback from students/lecturers/librarians on how this worked.
Now trying to remember the talk that I listened to by Dr Samuel Mann is a challenge. I have listened to it a number of times but I always have difficulty with something that is entirely audio because I am such an overwhelmingly reader/writer learner. I have since clicked on the link which took me to Departmental Progress wiki and found that helpful.
To start with I am finally going to outline my plan and try to triple bottom line view to sustainability to this.
Project Name: Librarian's attached to the School of Occupational Therapy Postgraduate Courses blackboard sites
Date: May 2008
Organisation: School of Occupational Therapy
Project plan author contact details: Penelope Kinney, School of Occupational Therapy
Executive summary
Summarise as much of the information in the rest of this template into a concise statement.
Project background
As part of my coordinator of the Postgraduate Programmes role I have had a lot to do with the day to day needs of the students enrolled in the courses. One of the things that became obvious to me is that within the institution not all students are equal. The courses that we run are entirely by distance and advertised as such. This means we can get students not only from all over the country but also the world enrolling in the courses. Accessing library catalogues and databases is an important part of completing the assignments. Due to the students coming from around the country those students can utilise the remote library services within the Otago University. This allows them to access books, journal articles and other resources from both the library shelves within the Otago University as well as other libraries. The remote service is willing to send these books and articles across the country if they require.
What happens for the Dunedin based students is that they are required to come into the library (any of the Otago University libraries) if the book or article they require is held on site. Now for some you might think well whats the big deal? Our students all work full time, often they have work loads that require them to be a work longer than the 40hrs per week. The bottom line is they don't have the flexibility to have to come to the school or to the library to access what they need. What has happened in the past is that I end up photocopying, scanning and sending articles to students. I had one student who was considering pulling out of the distance course due to her frustration she was experiencing with the library.
Another aspect that has become clear to me during this semester is that for a large number of students (either Dunedin based or remote), getting back into study is new and accessing library services can be daunting. As a result I have done a lot of the running around and being the middle person between the librarians and the students. Making the library service more user friendly would be better for all the students.
Aim - The aim is to have a number of the librarians attached to the blackboard sites of the postgraduate course at the school of Occupational Therapy. They will be attached as instructors and therefore be able to place information on the sites as well as be involved in the discussions.
List of objectives -
Create a user name, login for either the reference team or individual librarians to be attached to the blackboard site.
Set this group up with instructor status.
Discuss the scope the librarians will be responsible for.
Change all the library information to the Community Tab of the Postgraduate Organisation
Set up a number of discussion threads.
Place an announcement to draw students attention to the change.
List of performance indicators (outcomes) - The librarian will be attached and up and running carrying out the above objectives by the beginning of the second semester.
Flexible learning analysis
What are the perceived flexible learning needs of the people that your plan is targeting?
Accessing library information to enable equity for all students and to make the library services more accessible to all students.
What type of flexible learning services will you provide?
· enrollment - this is more about ensuring ongoing re enrollments from previous students
· communication strategies - this is the main reason, ensuring good communication is maintained with all the students and everyone is hearing the same.
· information formats - librarians will be able to update any new information for all students to be aware of.
· learning support services including technical support - this is about students using the librarians as a support tool for their on going study.
Indicate the type of services which already exist that compliment and/or compete with your plan.
Access to the library services already exist within the postgraduate courses. This project aims to complement what already exists. For the Dunedin students they will now have a contact within the Bill Robertson Library and will be able to find out information regarding their courses quickly.
For all the students the hope of having librarians attached to the blackboard sites will be to make accessing databases, catalogues etc more user friendly. They will be informed of any changes and are able to ask librarians for help directly. Answers that are given to questions will benefit all those enrolled.
Outline how you will address the following items in your flexible learning services: · sustainability - In terms of the triple bottom line, this project will address social benefits for all the students enrolling in the courses. Though it doesn't address the issue at a institutional level it is a step to allowing Dunedin students access to librarians, which may get rid of the need for them to drive to the library. Environmentally this project may eliminate the need for students to get in their cars to drive to libraries. Potentially with the sharing of information students may choose not to print resources if they realise they don't need to. Finally Economically, potentially if this project makes studying more streamlined and user friendly then the likelihood of students remaining in programmes increases and this will also encourage those apprehensive about study to engage as we will be able to use this as a marketing tool.
· access & equity - I think this has been addressed in the above statement. One of the concerns that led me to thinking of this project was the fact that Dunedin based students are disadvantaged. Also for some students the prospect of searching on databases can be confusing and daunting so by having librarians accessible this makes life easier for them.
Rough list of costs and resources of key steps in your plan
The cost for this project will involve staff input and training.
- Training for librarian in the use of blackboard and their scope
- Postgraduate Coordinator time to set the blackboard sites, train librarian and informing potential and current students.
Time line for development - To be completed for the semester two courses
Rough dates that indicate the time needed for key steps in your development plan
June 2008 - Set up usernames, login for the reference team, establish the scope the librarians will be responsible for. Promote this resource to potential/current students
July 2008 - Set up the discussion threads, train the librarians on the use of blackboard, familiarise them to the environment.
August 2008 - Librarians attached to the blackboard sites
November 2008 - Seek feedback from students/lecturers/librarians on how this worked.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Week Eight: Issues with flexible learning - The modern Internet
What are some of the issues that the video, the debate, and other participants in this course highlight that you think are significant in terms of what the modern Internet has to offer to flexible learning?
Now I think this is an interesting question. When I first read this question (and before I had read any of the resources) my first thoughts were around access. Access to an Internet speed that would enable the user to download large files quickly. And then my thoughts moved on to how slow our broadband is and how its not actually available to all areas in this country and if students want to participate in courses that require them to watch YouTube clips and don't have a fast Internet connection then they have to go to a internet cafe and pay extra to allow them to participate in certain courses. Now for some this is YAY! time away from home, for others it "when do I get time to do that?" especially for those who have children and who complete their work at night when they are in bed (because they've enrolled in the course due to its flexible delivery!).
Imagine my surprise when reading the resources and realising this wasn't really what the question was bout. As I was reading through the debate between David Weinberger and Andrew Keen I was finding myself agreeing with both arguments. I find it an interesting concept that with web 2.0 tools we can contribute to a body of knowledge that others will then use (rightly or wrongly) as evidence or back up for their own learning. On one hand I think this is a fantastic idea. All of a sudden the pot of knowledge is endless and we get to learn and contribute endlessly, on the other hand how can we verify what we have accessed is creditable? Weinberger argues there are experts who have already done this for us, though my question is how do we know they are experts? My other view is with all this information going onto the internet we run the risk of not being able to find what we actually want. As people develop blogs etc ensuring they put certain words into their names so when others search for these words their site will the first on the list this then makes it more frustrating for those of us who aren't as computer literate or savvy and just got "I give up" when confronted with 12,000 hits to a certain search!!!
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Planning for flexible teaching and learning
My Plan
To be honest I have been putting off this weeks work because I took one look at the template and thought ARGH! Where do I start with filling this out and BUDGET! Where do I get information on that?
It took me a couple of re-reads to work out that this is just the beginning of this assignment and the object of this is not to complete the template in its entirety (I think that's assignment 3) but
to get ideas down and to get feed back from classmates etc. At least I think that's right and Leigh, Bronwyn please correct me if I'm wrong.
My first instinct is to look at the courses of the postgraduate programmes at the Occupational Therapy School (mainly because I coordinate them). Though these are distance based, I think there are a number of aspects to the courses that could be improved to enhance the learning experiences for existing students but also perhaps to reach potential students too.
One thing I've noted (both on my blog as well as at the school) about our distance programmes is that not all students are equal. The reality is students with Dunedin addresses are penalised in a way because they are expected to come into the libraries (yes all the University ones) if books or journals they require are there. I have been trying to think of ways that this may be overcome (other than me photocopying the books/articles to send to them). I view this as an important aspect because students have said to me they have thought seriously about withdrawing due to their frustration at trying to locate necessary articles etc.
Now Bronwyn in one of her comments to me makes mention that often the systems and procedures within the institutions aren't as flexible as the depts/schools that are trying to implement them. I realise trying to change policy might not be appropriate for this assessment so was looking as ways we at the school may overcome the problem. I have had some ideas about this, involving getting librarians attached to blackboard sites etc. As a school this has been highlighted and we are already looking at ways we maybe able to overcome these challenges. I would appreciate any feedback from either other course participant or Leigh or Bronwyn regarding these ideas and specifically if its ok to be writing about something we are going to be looking at in the foreseeable future.
I'm not sure how I will present it because when looking through the possible options on the assignment guideline I have to admit my first thought was "I'll need to work out how to use these". That will be my next step in this process.
To be honest I have been putting off this weeks work because I took one look at the template and thought ARGH! Where do I start with filling this out and BUDGET! Where do I get information on that?
It took me a couple of re-reads to work out that this is just the beginning of this assignment and the object of this is not to complete the template in its entirety (I think that's assignment 3) but
to get ideas down and to get feed back from classmates etc. At least I think that's right and Leigh, Bronwyn please correct me if I'm wrong.
My first instinct is to look at the courses of the postgraduate programmes at the Occupational Therapy School (mainly because I coordinate them). Though these are distance based, I think there are a number of aspects to the courses that could be improved to enhance the learning experiences for existing students but also perhaps to reach potential students too.
One thing I've noted (both on my blog as well as at the school) about our distance programmes is that not all students are equal. The reality is students with Dunedin addresses are penalised in a way because they are expected to come into the libraries (yes all the University ones) if books or journals they require are there. I have been trying to think of ways that this may be overcome (other than me photocopying the books/articles to send to them). I view this as an important aspect because students have said to me they have thought seriously about withdrawing due to their frustration at trying to locate necessary articles etc.
Now Bronwyn in one of her comments to me makes mention that often the systems and procedures within the institutions aren't as flexible as the depts/schools that are trying to implement them. I realise trying to change policy might not be appropriate for this assessment so was looking as ways we at the school may overcome the problem. I have had some ideas about this, involving getting librarians attached to blackboard sites etc. As a school this has been highlighted and we are already looking at ways we maybe able to overcome these challenges. I would appreciate any feedback from either other course participant or Leigh or Bronwyn regarding these ideas and specifically if its ok to be writing about something we are going to be looking at in the foreseeable future.
I'm not sure how I will present it because when looking through the possible options on the assignment guideline I have to admit my first thought was "I'll need to work out how to use these". That will be my next step in this process.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Week Six: Examples of Flexible Learning - Open, Networked, RPL
Do you think open and networked education threatens or enhances formal education generally?
When spending time considering this question I found myself contemplating a number of questions regarding whether the concept was enhancing or threatening formal education. I think what surprised me the most was I wasn't convinced either way.
I started by browsing through the MIT Open course page, my first thought was WOW this is amazing, MIT is actually putting their courses online FOR FREE (I did however note the Donate Now tab on every page!), as it says that the courses cover MIT's entire curriculum! I then delved a bit further, thinking I should have a look at OCW (open course ware), to see that they clearly state in this page OCW is not an MIT education.
OCW does not grant degrees or certificates.
OCW does not provide access to MIT faculty.
Materials may not reflect entire content of the course.
I also looked at - CyberOne. Again here is a pretty well known school (Harvard Law School) putting classes on line for the wider population to participate in. In fact no registration is necessary if you want to do the courses for free. However if you choose this route then assignments wont be marked and credits wont be given for the course.
When spending time considering this question I found myself contemplating a number of questions regarding whether the concept was enhancing or threatening formal education. I think what surprised me the most was I wasn't convinced either way.
I started by browsing through the MIT Open course page, my first thought was WOW this is amazing, MIT is actually putting their courses online FOR FREE (I did however note the Donate Now tab on every page!), as it says that the courses cover MIT's entire curriculum! I then delved a bit further, thinking I should have a look at OCW (open course ware), to see that they clearly state in this page OCW is not an MIT education.
OCW does not grant degrees or certificates.
OCW does not provide access to MIT faculty.
Materials may not reflect entire content of the course.
I also looked at - CyberOne. Again here is a pretty well known school (Harvard Law School) putting classes on line for the wider population to participate in. In fact no registration is necessary if you want to do the courses for free. However if you choose this route then assignments wont be marked and credits wont be given for the course.
I think that overall open and networked education should enhance formal education. Not only for the potential student but also for the tutors.
For the potential students this gives them a way into study without having the pressures of formal assessments. They can "see before they buy" so to speak. Students can enrol as "interest only" in postgraduate courses at OT school, however they still are required to pay the full fees but don't complete the assignments.
The OCW (as outlined on their web page), courses are often used by educators to enhance their own teaching. I think one of the interesting questions is that of Intellectual Property. Who owns the material? and if educators are to then cut and paste materials into their own teaching resources should they ensure it is referenced? And how do you ensure the courses aren't then picked up by people who aren't as knowledgeable or have the expertise who will then reproduce these courses? I think one way MIT has addressed this issue is by ensuring their full curriculum isn't online and they are fairly obvious on the web pages that this doesn't equate to a MIT qualification.
Another interesting thought I have had is on the differences between "assessment of prior learning" and the "recognition of prior learning". I understand from Leigh Blackall's comment on the "Can OER really impact higher education and human development" Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) is generally known and used in New Zealand (certainly in postgrad at OT school this occurs) and it's the process of recognising the prior educational achievements of the person applying (usually through qualifications) and aligning them with the assessment process being applied. I understand that, when I then listened to the recording of Willie Campbell talk about the practice of assessing for prior learning at Otago Polytechnic I was left with a couple of questions. If a person completes an online course (for free and without completing the assessments) and then applies for an assessment of prior learning at a different institution (and I assume pay for that) could they possibly get a qualification from that institution? If so then potentially people will have the opportunity to complete a wide range of studies and potentially qualifications.
Now I don't actually have a problem with this (because I certainly agreed with the hypocrisy and the frustration that went with it, that occurred with her student regarding the St Johns Certificate) but I do believe institutions (those doing the assessments of prior learning) need to ensure standards are maintained.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Week Five: Examples of Flexible Learning - part time, block, blended
My Impressions of the historical context for flexible learning
One thing that struck me when I was reading the Wikipedia article on Otago Polytechnic was the changes that have been made over the past 119 years. Though Otago Polytechnic wasn't officially known as that until 1964 the origins were there much earlier. Here is a good example that Flexible Learning has been around for a long time. Night classes covering 55 occupations shows the institution even then was trying to ensure it meet the needs of the students. However it didn't remain static, the needs of the students and the community change so therefore so must the delivery and methods used. During the early years the focus was getting people into secondary level education and studying part-time while completing apprenticeships. Finally in the 60's Otago Polytechnic was "born" when the tertiary arm of the college was developed. I think this shows evidence of how the Polytechnic has developed to meet the needs of the consumer. Today not only is there campuses in Dunedin but the Polytechnic has moved out into the regional areas, this certainly has been as a result of Flexibly delivery - why expect students to come to Dunedin, when the area they want to study is better taught in different locations?
How does Flexible Learning exist today and where does it heading for the future?
For part I think I have answered some of this question in the section above. Otago Polytechnic has campuses throughout the Otago Region, this ensures students get the best teaching and learning. By taking the subjects to the region the expertise is, ensures students get the level of knowledge they need. It is logical for the Qualifications in Ski and Snowboard instruction and Avalanche Safety be run in a ski/snow focused community.
As Ellis, Steed and Applebee (2006) identify the student learning experiences are improved when a combination of face to face and online technologies are used. In other words a blended learning appears to have the greatest results. It is interesting that in today's academic environment, when there appears to be a move away from face to face (because it is thought to be inflexible) the challenge will be how to ensure this component remains as research is showing its an important aspect to learning. I hear people out there saying what about using skype or even elluminate to put in the face to face component? I agree however we have to be mindful that not every person in Aotearoa/New Zealand has the ability of join up with broadband and the financial burden on alternatives will also eliminate others. So we go back to the age old question - IS EDUCATION ONLY FOR THE RICH?
One thing that struck me when I was reading the Wikipedia article on Otago Polytechnic was the changes that have been made over the past 119 years. Though Otago Polytechnic wasn't officially known as that until 1964 the origins were there much earlier. Here is a good example that Flexible Learning has been around for a long time. Night classes covering 55 occupations shows the institution even then was trying to ensure it meet the needs of the students. However it didn't remain static, the needs of the students and the community change so therefore so must the delivery and methods used. During the early years the focus was getting people into secondary level education and studying part-time while completing apprenticeships. Finally in the 60's Otago Polytechnic was "born" when the tertiary arm of the college was developed. I think this shows evidence of how the Polytechnic has developed to meet the needs of the consumer. Today not only is there campuses in Dunedin but the Polytechnic has moved out into the regional areas, this certainly has been as a result of Flexibly delivery - why expect students to come to Dunedin, when the area they want to study is better taught in different locations?
How does Flexible Learning exist today and where does it heading for the future?
For part I think I have answered some of this question in the section above. Otago Polytechnic has campuses throughout the Otago Region, this ensures students get the best teaching and learning. By taking the subjects to the region the expertise is, ensures students get the level of knowledge they need. It is logical for the Qualifications in Ski and Snowboard instruction and Avalanche Safety be run in a ski/snow focused community.
As Ellis, Steed and Applebee (2006) identify the student learning experiences are improved when a combination of face to face and online technologies are used. In other words a blended learning appears to have the greatest results. It is interesting that in today's academic environment, when there appears to be a move away from face to face (because it is thought to be inflexible) the challenge will be how to ensure this component remains as research is showing its an important aspect to learning. I hear people out there saying what about using skype or even elluminate to put in the face to face component? I agree however we have to be mindful that not every person in Aotearoa/New Zealand has the ability of join up with broadband and the financial burden on alternatives will also eliminate others. So we go back to the age old question - IS EDUCATION ONLY FOR THE RICH?
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Week Four: Examples of Flexible Learning - distance, correspondence, online
How can distance, correspondence and/or online learning create flexible learning opportunities in your context?
When I was spending time thinking about this question I was automatically drawn to the postgraduate programmes we offer at the School of Occupational Therapy. These courses are run by distance and all but one are 100% distance based. That one course requires students to meet for a 3 day face to face (usually in Auckland). They are required to do this because they are to learn the hands on component of the assessment tool they are being trained in. Now this may seem inflexible and pretty restrictive (especially if you are coming from Invercargill) but the reality is students need to see real clients, to practice with tutors being on site. They complete 10 assessments and these results (along with the ones they do at their place of work) get sent to America (via email) for marking and calibrating. The good thing now is students are no longer required to go to the USA for training in this very specialised assessment tool.
Getting back to the other courses - a combination of correspondence and online teaching methods are used. Students are sent CD's of readings, they participate in blackboard discussions and each course has regular, pre-organised teleconferences. On the whole these work very well. It enables therapists (who work full time) to participate in study. Like Moran and Rumble outline, the invention of the personal computer and the Internet has been key elements for this educational programme. However there are always challenges and I think for the most they still stand, this will just give me more of an opportunity to work on them!!!
One of the big challenges have been the access to library resources. Now for the most part students living outside of Dunedin have not had difficulties. They can access the remote library service for all their needs and will have books, journal articles etc emailed or sent to them. The challenge has been for the students who live in Dunedin, because though they are participating in a distance course they are classed as being a Dunedin student so can't access the remote library. These students for the most (yes I've said it numerous times) work full time and have family and other commitments to consider too. If they want a book or a journal article from the library (and its held at any of the University libraries) then they are expected to come in to get it. Now to get books from the library the students are then required to get an ID card. For our postgraduate students this isn't a priority for them. Of recent, accessing the databases from the Bill Robertson Library has also been a challenge. I have spent considerable time talking to the staff to look for solutions to this problem. We all agree it appears unfair for Dunedin distance students to be penalised solely because they live here. I have found myself photocopying articles etc, scanning them and then emailing them out to students so they don't have to find time to actually come into the library. One thing we are now investigating with the library service for the future is having a staff member attached to each of our courses that students can have a person to go to directly. It will also allow them to then comprehend the difficulties that some of the students have.
Annand (2007) talks about the silent struggle to implement the use of technology in academy is far from resolved. This is something I certainly agree with and see evidence in with the above example. I see it as the blurb for this week - its about changing these problems into challenges and working to find solutions to the barriers!
Week Three - Why we need flexible learning
Now I apologise for the lack of activity on my blog space. With being enrolled in three different GCTLT courses as well as my Masters and teaching I have had to prioritise and hence the delay. I think I'm back on track and will be catching up over the coming days.
Do we need more flexible learning? Is all this choice a bad idea?
What are you already doing in your practice that you believe enables flexible learning?
Now I think this is a loaded question, because the cynical side of me agrees with Backall's article in "Flexible Learning in New Zealand Part 3", that its all about money, less outlay and more intake! But of course that is a narrow view, especially if we are to believe flexible learning is more than online learning.
I would like to answer both these questions together, as I am finding my thoughts racing around my head and they don't seem to clearly go into one question.
Do we need more? Yes and No - hows that for covering my bases! I think recognition of students learning styles and adapting the way we teach to those styles are very important. If we don't then we run the risk of missing those students from our courses and all that they can contribute. For example the majority of OT students would be kinesthetic - learning through doing, while I am a reader/writer and quite frankly would bore them silly if thats all I did. Gone are the days (thank goodness) when it was ok to just stand in front of a class and read notes. The other flexible components available are the use of reader/writers both in classes and assessments. It allows students to be involved and succeed who otherwise might not.
However I do firmly believe we need to ensure the students are ready for the real world. In OT the therapist has to work to a timetable, they are under pressure and are expected to complete their work and documentation in a timely manner. We need students to understand that. Its interesting in Backall's article he identifies the stresses students undergo when studying. The fact that many need to work while they are studying to top up their meagre allowances. This then puts pressure on students coming to class. Its something we see here, it is interesting though when speaking to students who have had classes organised so they have a day free from being required to attend the school a number of them work, or take a break rather than completing the work for their studies. This then puts pressure back on them to find time else where to complete school work. A number have said to me they dont like the "flexibility".
On the other hand flexibility is required for our postgraduate courses. I was speaking with our Programme Manager and saying how great it would be to use elluminate instead of teleconferences. Then we thought about the impact this may have on some of the students. When completing work at their place of work they often have to share a computer between six, this makes it incredibly difficult. We send out CD's of readings so students don't have to try and down load large amounts, especially if their internet connections aren't good - no its not that we are putting the photocopying costs onto them either!!!
What I thought was good about this task was that I got to sit and think about how flexible our courses already are and to a certain extent what we could be doing for the future too.
Do we need more flexible learning? Is all this choice a bad idea?
What are you already doing in your practice that you believe enables flexible learning?
Now I think this is a loaded question, because the cynical side of me agrees with Backall's article in "Flexible Learning in New Zealand Part 3", that its all about money, less outlay and more intake! But of course that is a narrow view, especially if we are to believe flexible learning is more than online learning.
I would like to answer both these questions together, as I am finding my thoughts racing around my head and they don't seem to clearly go into one question.
Do we need more? Yes and No - hows that for covering my bases! I think recognition of students learning styles and adapting the way we teach to those styles are very important. If we don't then we run the risk of missing those students from our courses and all that they can contribute. For example the majority of OT students would be kinesthetic - learning through doing, while I am a reader/writer and quite frankly would bore them silly if thats all I did. Gone are the days (thank goodness) when it was ok to just stand in front of a class and read notes. The other flexible components available are the use of reader/writers both in classes and assessments. It allows students to be involved and succeed who otherwise might not.
However I do firmly believe we need to ensure the students are ready for the real world. In OT the therapist has to work to a timetable, they are under pressure and are expected to complete their work and documentation in a timely manner. We need students to understand that. Its interesting in Backall's article he identifies the stresses students undergo when studying. The fact that many need to work while they are studying to top up their meagre allowances. This then puts pressure on students coming to class. Its something we see here, it is interesting though when speaking to students who have had classes organised so they have a day free from being required to attend the school a number of them work, or take a break rather than completing the work for their studies. This then puts pressure back on them to find time else where to complete school work. A number have said to me they dont like the "flexibility".
On the other hand flexibility is required for our postgraduate courses. I was speaking with our Programme Manager and saying how great it would be to use elluminate instead of teleconferences. Then we thought about the impact this may have on some of the students. When completing work at their place of work they often have to share a computer between six, this makes it incredibly difficult. We send out CD's of readings so students don't have to try and down load large amounts, especially if their internet connections aren't good - no its not that we are putting the photocopying costs onto them either!!!
What I thought was good about this task was that I got to sit and think about how flexible our courses already are and to a certain extent what we could be doing for the future too.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
What is Flexible Learning? Wk 2
After reading the Collis and Moonen (2001) article I was interested in the four key components required for flexible learning - Technology, Pedagogy, Implementation strategies and Institutional framework. I am most interested in the area of technology, especially at present. Collis and Moonen (2001) talk about technology as being a combination of information and communication technologies, these basically being computers and the software and systems used on them. I don't have a lot of experience with the range of technologies that are available though am always interested in learning.
Is Flexible learning a new concept or just a fancy new word for an old way of doing?
Well according to Collis and Moonen (2001), flexible learning isn't a new concept and is in fact a concept that has been around for many years. I have to admit I was (yes my opinion has now changed!) one to put my hand up in believing that flexible learning really just meant online or distance learning. As they put it, its about giving the learner choices, choices about locations, choices about times and choices about what types of resources they use. I have to admit I really hadn't thought of guest lectures and debates as examples of flexible learning before. Though I don't think the concept of Flexible Learning is necessarily new I do think many aspects of this concept continue to develop and are new. What was originally thought to be Flexible quickly becomes outdated and then there is scope to develop further. Especially in terms of technology. For example Correspondence Schools are definitely a example of flexible delivery. However the idea of sending out hard copies of work and returning assessments by post has given way to using the internet and email to access course work and return assessments.
What are you doing in your practice that you believe enables flexible learning?
Well up until today I was confident that I was involved in a range of activities that enabled flexible learning. (this is where I will have a moan about technology). I am very involved in the postgraduate courses at the School of Occupational Therapy. These courses are run 100% by distance. This allows for a wide range of therapists to enrol and complete postgrad courses from where they live. Now we have a number of therapists from not only around the country but also from around the world. Currently there are therapists from Malaysia, UK and Saudi Arabia. The courses are taught through a combination of teleconferences and blackboard discussions. Well low and behold there are huge issues with blackboard at present and a significant number of our students aren't able to access blackboard. Which means that a major component of the courses cant be access by a number of the students.
Now I know that flexible learning is not just online learning but using the online technology was chosen so we could engage students we wouldn't of otherwise. I like how in the "Australian Flexible Learning Framework" site they state that flexible learning isn't a goal in itself rather improving the learning experience and the learning outcomes are. Currently I don't believe the learning experience is particularly successful for a number of students experiencing the difficulties.
Phew! Its a big topic and there seems to be a lot to think about. I will continue to attempt to think about it.
Reference:
Collis, B., Monnen, J. (2001). Flexible Learning in a Digital World: Open and Distance
Learning Series. London: Degan page Ltd.
Is Flexible learning a new concept or just a fancy new word for an old way of doing?
Well according to Collis and Moonen (2001), flexible learning isn't a new concept and is in fact a concept that has been around for many years. I have to admit I was (yes my opinion has now changed!) one to put my hand up in believing that flexible learning really just meant online or distance learning. As they put it, its about giving the learner choices, choices about locations, choices about times and choices about what types of resources they use. I have to admit I really hadn't thought of guest lectures and debates as examples of flexible learning before. Though I don't think the concept of Flexible Learning is necessarily new I do think many aspects of this concept continue to develop and are new. What was originally thought to be Flexible quickly becomes outdated and then there is scope to develop further. Especially in terms of technology. For example Correspondence Schools are definitely a example of flexible delivery. However the idea of sending out hard copies of work and returning assessments by post has given way to using the internet and email to access course work and return assessments.
What are you doing in your practice that you believe enables flexible learning?
Well up until today I was confident that I was involved in a range of activities that enabled flexible learning. (this is where I will have a moan about technology). I am very involved in the postgraduate courses at the School of Occupational Therapy. These courses are run 100% by distance. This allows for a wide range of therapists to enrol and complete postgrad courses from where they live. Now we have a number of therapists from not only around the country but also from around the world. Currently there are therapists from Malaysia, UK and Saudi Arabia. The courses are taught through a combination of teleconferences and blackboard discussions. Well low and behold there are huge issues with blackboard at present and a significant number of our students aren't able to access blackboard. Which means that a major component of the courses cant be access by a number of the students.
Now I know that flexible learning is not just online learning but using the online technology was chosen so we could engage students we wouldn't of otherwise. I like how in the "Australian Flexible Learning Framework" site they state that flexible learning isn't a goal in itself rather improving the learning experience and the learning outcomes are. Currently I don't believe the learning experience is particularly successful for a number of students experiencing the difficulties.
Phew! Its a big topic and there seems to be a lot to think about. I will continue to attempt to think about it.
Reference:
Collis, B., Monnen, J. (2001). Flexible Learning in a Digital World: Open and Distance
Learning Series. London: Degan page Ltd.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Week Two
I just wanted to say I have done the readings for this weeks questions I just haven't had time to put my thoughts on the blog because I am currently involved in Masters School and will be till the end of Friday. I am hoping to get my responses up during the weekend. I don't want to get behind!
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Well I've done it
Hi everyone
Well the thought of creating a blog and actually doing it seems to be quite different. I was wondering if I would be able to do it but have pleasantly surprised myself!
About me - I am very new to Otago Polytechnic, have been here 5 weeks! I am at the School of Occupational Therapy. I lecture in the degree programme and co-ordinate the postgraduate programmes. Very busy and very interesting. Until moving to academia I was working clinically, my area of expertise is in Forensic Psychiatry, which is a specialist area of Mental Health.
I'm doing this course because I am just starting out on my teaching career and also am involved with our postgraduate programme. This is taught entirely by distance and I think the skills and knowledge I gain from this course will be invaluable. I'm also beginning my Graduate Certificate in Tertiary Learning and Teaching and this will count towards it.
I'm a little naive when it comes to technology and what is available so I am keen to learn. At the moment I don't have questions but I'm sure they will come in thick and fast as we move through the course. I'm looking forward to meeting everyone over the coming weeks.
Well the thought of creating a blog and actually doing it seems to be quite different. I was wondering if I would be able to do it but have pleasantly surprised myself!
About me - I am very new to Otago Polytechnic, have been here 5 weeks! I am at the School of Occupational Therapy. I lecture in the degree programme and co-ordinate the postgraduate programmes. Very busy and very interesting. Until moving to academia I was working clinically, my area of expertise is in Forensic Psychiatry, which is a specialist area of Mental Health.
I'm doing this course because I am just starting out on my teaching career and also am involved with our postgraduate programme. This is taught entirely by distance and I think the skills and knowledge I gain from this course will be invaluable. I'm also beginning my Graduate Certificate in Tertiary Learning and Teaching and this will count towards it.
I'm a little naive when it comes to technology and what is available so I am keen to learn. At the moment I don't have questions but I'm sure they will come in thick and fast as we move through the course. I'm looking forward to meeting everyone over the coming weeks.
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