Transforming exams: How IT works for BYOD e-exams
Concise paper
Mathew Hillier
Monash University
@mathewhillier
Andrew Fluck
University of Tasmania
@AndrewFluck
Catch this session
Monday 4 December, 2.10pm - 2.30pm
Stream 4
Room L209
Abstract
This paper focuses on the 'IT' side of a bring-your-own-device (BYOD) based e-Exam system developed as part of an Australian government funded project (transformingexams.com). The context for the use of our e-Exam solution is the supervised space of the exam room. A key element of the work is to enable authentic forms of assessment. To this end we have designed the solution to allow complex constructed problems that can be addressed using a range of contemporary 'e-tools of the trade'. The system works with BYOD where students boot their own laptop using a specially crafted USB stick that contains a standardised operating system and a suite of applications. By giving teachers and students access to contemporary software tools we are providing the opportunity to greatly expand the pedagogical landscape of the exam room encouraging more authentic assessment practices.
The paper provides technical details of both the e-Exam USBs used for the student test environment and newly developed tools used to streamline the deployment of exam data and retrieval of student responses. A phased strategy is outlined for moving from paper based exams via paper-equivalent e-exams through to post-paper exams involving multimedia, a range of software applications, quiz engine and then onto whitelisted network resources and fully logged Internet access enabled during an exam. The roles of groups (Us-s) and individuals (Me-s) within the process of running an e-exam are outlined by comparing current paper-based exam workflows and that of e-exams to provide a richer description of the approach.
About the authors
Mathew Hillier
Dr Mathew Hillier is a Senior Lecturer in the Office of Learning and Teaching at Monash University. Mathew is one of two co-leaders of the ASCILITE SIG for 'e-Assessment' and in this capacity is a co-host of the Transforming Assessment webinar series along with Prof Geoffrey Crisp.
He specialises in e-assessment and e-exams and teaches into the academic staff development program at Monash University leading the 'technology and space' theme. He has previously taught into Business, Information systems, Engineering and Arts programs at several universities in Australia, Singapore and Hong Kong. Mathew is currently the leader of the 'Transforming Exams' project developing a toolset for authentic, computerised, high-stakes assessment (e-Exams). The project covers 10 university partners and is funded by a half-million dollar Australian government grant. He is also leading the development of a multi-language computerised exam platform for use in national professional translator accreditation. More about Mathew at http://ta.vu/mathewhillier
Andrew Fluck
Dr Andrew Fluck is a Senior Lecturer in Information Technology in the Faculty of Education at University of Tasmania.
Dr. Fluck trained as a teacher in Bristol, England. He has taught science, mathematics and computing in Nigeria, England and Australia. His numerous publications reflect his research interests in the transformational potential of computers in education. He was a co-author of the government report 'Making Better Connections' and the book 'Seven steps to ICT integration'. His funded research investigates the use of computers to teach integral calculus and quantum mechanics in primary schools; and eExaminations, where students take their own computers into the exam hall. He is a past secretary of the Australian Council for Computers in Education (ACCE) and is now the chair of Working Group 3.3 (research into educational applications of information technologies) for IFIP/UNESCO. Andrew is also an avid longbow archer and continental archery judge. Andrew's website http://Andrew.Fluck.id.au
Generating learning through the crowd: The role of social media practices in supporting students as producers at scale
Full paper
Peter Bryant
London School of Economics and Political Science
@peterbryantHE
Catch this session
Wednesday 6 December, 11am - 11.30am
Stream 3
Room L206
Abstract
Social media and higher education pedagogy have enjoyed a chequered relationship with significant debates about the efficacy of social media as a site of student centred learning, the manager/host of an individual’s learning trajectory and as a tool of facilitating collaborative learning at scale. This paper presents the findings from the evaluation of Constitution UK, an innovative civic engagement and open learning project run by the London School of Economics in the UK. This was the lead initiative in an institution wide shift in pedagogical approach that was designed to transform the learning experiences of students through supporting students to be co-producers of knowledge. The Students as Producers project (SAP@LSE) was aligned to the School’s learning experiences curricular enhancement objectives, which sought to transform the student experience from primarily didactic to one that prepared the learner for the challenges of work and practice and engaged them in their own learning, through making. The LSE have been engaged in a number of projects that use crowdsourcing and citizenship as a catalyst for learning. The core principle behind these initiatives is that learning is a complex and agile process in the post-digital age and can be significantly enhanced through student led community learning, peer learning and informal learning. Wanting to engage our students more actively in the shaping of their study, their learning and their career, we designed a linked series of projects inform to varying degrees by social media practices. We argue that some of the behaviours inherent in social media learning (centred on fleeting connections, digital identity and discontinuous engagement) can create the conditions for effective learning through experience and practice, both at scale in open, online modes as well in the face-to-face delivery environment.
About the authors
Peter Bryant
Peter Bryant is the Head of Learning Technology and Innovation at the London School of Economics and Political Science. He leads programmes and initiatives to transform the educational experience at the LSE through the innovative use of technology and digital pedagogies. His team recently won the Overall Gold Award for innovative pedagogy at the Wharton-QS Stars Reimagine Education awards. He was previously a Principal Lecturer in Educational Technology and Development at the University of Greenwich. Prior to this role, Peter had over twenty years’ experience as a lecturer, Director of Programmes, Head of Department and curriculum designer, working into two countries and teaching programmes from work based learning, marketing, media and management. Peter is the co-founder of the Future Happens initiative which uses innovative approaches to problem-solving and change management to engage the wider sector in debates around technology, pedagogy and the future of the University.
Blended learning as a disruption in a vocational education building program
Full paper
Meg Colasante
La Trobe University
@meg_colasante
Cathy Hall-van den Elsen
RMIT University
Catch this session
Monday 4 December, 11am - 11.30am
Stream 4
Room L209
Abstract
A building and construction teaching team in a vocational education school (within a university in Melbourne) introduced a blended learning model to one-third of their program. Traditionally, building students are accustomed to a high ratio of face-to-face learning, therefore, this new model disrupted the experience of both teacher and student. The model was examined using e-learning evaluation research methodology and findings are presented using the framework of Glazer’s (2012) characteristics of blended learning. Examination of the program identified areas in need of attention, such as active learning and online interaction and communication. Finally the authors promote the use of Glazer’s framework as a pedagogical evaluation tool for blended learning designs, while drawing out a particular focus on teacher presence as a distinct item in this framework.
About the authors
Meg Colasante
Meg Colasante works at La Trobe University as Lecturer, Educational Development (Digital Learning Strategy), currently within the La Trobe Online team within La Trobe Learning and Teaching. This follows two decades of teaching, educational design, and academic development roles at RMIT University. Meg is also a PhD candidate with Deakin University, studying university teacher practices with digital video.
Cathy Hall-van den Elsen
Dr Cathy Hall-van den Elsen is a retired academic who has worked in learning and teaching for a number of years. Until August 2014 Cathy was the Senior Manager, Academic Development Group in the College of Business at RMIT University. Cathy has contributed to projects associated with the scholarship of learning and teaching, teacher induction, transnational teaching, and innovative teaching practices, and has recently consulted on several projects at RMIT University.
A learning analytics view of students’ use of self-regulation strategies for essay writing
Full paper
Kelly Trezise
University of Melbourne
@Kelly_Trezise
Paula de Barba
University of Melbourne
@paula_barba
David Jennens
Vericus Pty Ltd
@cadmus_io
Alexander Zarebski
Vericus Pty Ltd
Robert Russo
Vericus Pty Ltd
@cadmus_io
Gregor Kennedy
University of Melbourne
Catch this session
Monday 4 December, 10.30am - 11am
Stream 5
Room C204
Abstract
Essay writing is a fundamental part of higher education. Students’ use of self-regulatory skills, such as time management and planning and writing strategies, while writing essays predicts better writing quality. Current characterisations of the relationship between self-regulation and essay writing are limited by the difficulty of assessing self-regulation in real-life essay writing contexts.
This paper reports on a novel approach to examine students’ use of self-regulation strategies in a real-life setting, using learning analytics. Four case studies are presented to illustrate similarities and differences in students’ use of time management and planning and writing strategies. Participants managed their time in very different ways to complete the assignment. They were active over a different number of days, engaged in sessions of different durations, and at different times of the day. The participants used variety of approaches to their writing: one participant started early and allowed editing time, another typed gradually over a number of days, and two participants waited until the due date to complete the essay, with varying amounts of editing. Findings from this research contribute to a novel detailed empirical evidence of different essay preparation behaviour in real-life settings. After further studies with a variety of essay types and student samples, there may be significant value in using the approach outlined in this paper as the basis of tools to provide students with advice and support in their essay preparation.
About the authors
Kelly Trezise
Dr Trezise is currently a Research Fellow at the Melbourne Centre for the Study of Higher Education, working with the Educational Technology Research Group. She also works at the Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences. She is primarily interested in identifying individual differences in patterns of learning. Dr Trezise researches how cognition, emotion, and educational contexts, and their effect on learning processes and educational outcomes. With the CHSE she examines how educational technology and cognition interact during learning. Kelly uses a variety of analytical methods, including finite mixture models, to examine processes that contribute to learning and development. In her PhD completed at the Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, Kelly examined maths anxiety¬cognition interactions and their relationship with algebraic problem solving in adolescents.
Paula de Barba
Paula de Barba is a Research Fellow in Higher Education with the Melbourne Centre for the Study of Higher Education at The University of Melbourne. Her current research is in the areas of educational psychology and educational technology. Paula is interested on how students' cognition and emotions influence their learning, and how technology can support and promote learning. Constructs investigated include self-regulated learning, achievement motivation, interest, and feedback.
David Jennens
David holds a PhD in Particle Physics from The University of Melbourne on measuring the decay rate of the Higgs Boson into tau lepton pairs. He performed his research in collaboration with the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider with the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN) and the Center of Excellence for Particle Physics (COEPP). During this research period he contributed to the ATLAS detector calibrations. This work led to him being included on the ATLAS collaboration author list for several papers, including the discovery of the Higgs Boson. David currently leads a team using data collected through Cadmus to improve the quality of teaching and learning at universities.
Alexander Zarebski
I am an applied mathematician in the University of Melbourne's School of Mathematics and Statistics. After obtaining a Master's degree in mathematics and statistics in 2014, I turned my attention towards modelling infectious diseases, primarily influenza, to produce forecasts of transmission through the population. In addition to my work in quantitative epidemiology, I have a keen interest in education. This has led me to tutor a range of subjects in the School of Mathematics and Statistics. I also work as a data scientist at the technology start-up Vericus where I develop algorithms to analyse students' interactions with educational technology.
Robert Russo
Robert is the Chief Product Officer at Cadmus and is responsible for product strategy. Robert graduated in 2014 from the University of Melbourne with a Masters of Engineering. Under Robert, Cadmus’ focus has been on ensuring all product decisions align with best teaching and learning practice.
Gregor Kennedy
Gregor Kennedy is Pro Vice-Chancellor (Teaching and Learning) at the University of Melbourne and Director of the Melbourne Centre for the Study of Higher Education. Gregor is an international leader in educational technology research and development, particularly in the context of higher education. He has longstanding research interests in contemporary learning design and emerging technologies, educational technology research and evaluation, interactivity and engagement in digital learning, 3D immersive virtual environments, and the use of learning analytics in digital learning environments. He has published widely in these areas and is a regular keynote and invited presenter at local and international conferences. As Pro Vice-Chancellor (Teaching and Learning) Gregor leads the University's strategy in teaching, learning and assessment, curriculum innovation, and the use of learning technologies and learning analytics.
Addressing inconsistency in use of the LMS: A collaborative approach
Full paper
Elizabeth Masterman
University of Oxford, UK
@acitoxford
Catch this session
Monday 4 December, 10.30am - 11am
Stream 1
Room H102
Abstract
Inconsistency in the use of the learning management system (LMS) by academic staff is a source of dissatisfaction among university students in the UK. One solution is to establish a set of minimum standards (or baseline) for LMS use within an individual institution. Another is to supply templates – frameworks for LMS course sites – with a view to providing students with a seamless experience in their interactions with the LMS.
This paper describes how the issue of inconsistency was addressed at a leading research university in the UK through an exploratory project, WebLearn Improved Student Experience (WISE). The widespread devolution of responsibility for site management to administrative staff, together with the ‘maverick’ creation of course sites by those academics who chose to engage with the WebLearn LMS, had resulted in unevenness in students’ access to learning materials. The project team engaged in close collaboration with 19 departments in order to achieve the immediate purpose of improving uptake of, and consistency in, their LMS presence. The ultimate aim was to develop a support package comprising LMS templates and ‘best practice’ guidelines that would enable departments in the future to achieve the same objective, either unsupported or with minimal assistance from the central team of learning technologists. The project was evaluated using a modification of the Innovation Histories method. The evaluation findings additionally threw into relief the complex social and cultural factors at play that can inhibit a consistent student experience in an institutional LMS.
About the authors
Elizabeth Masterman
Liz Masterman holds a PhD in Educational Technology from the University of Birmingham, UK, and is a senior researcher in the Academic IT Services group at the University of Oxford. Her research focused initially on Learning Design; projects included an evaluation of LAMS, and the Phoebe Pedagogy Planner and Learning Designer tools. Liz has also conducted research into the student digital experience, OER and open educational practice. She is currently involved in three institutional projects: a review of the centrally supported LMS, a trial of electronic essay exams, and the design and implementation of a Learning Design model for Oxford. Other activities include editing the Academic IT Services blog and co-ordinating the annual OxTALENT competition, which rewards the creative use of technology in teaching, learning, research and outreach at the University. In 2015 Liz co-chaired the annual conference of the UK’s Association for Learning Technology.
Analysing the learning pathways of students in a large flipped engineering course
Full paper
Carl Reidsema
The University of Queensland
@ReidsemaC
Hassan Khosravi
The University of Queensland
Melanie Fleming
The University of Queensland
@melaniejfleming
Lydia Kavanagh
The University of Queensland
@Lydia64
Nick Achilles
The University of Queensland
Esther Fink
The University of Queensland
Catch this session
Monday 4 December, 11.30am - 12pm
Stream 5
Room C204
Abstract
Recent advancements in educational technologies (learning management systems, online discussion forums, peer-learning tools) coupled with new methods of course delivery (e.g. blended, flipped, MOOCs) provide significant opportunities for universities to deliver challenging, high quality, yet engaging curriculum for students.
In this paper, we examine the variations and similarities of student’s approaches to learning (learning pathways) by examining how well they performed in a large (N ~ 1000 student) first year engineering flipped classroom. The analysis focused on student’s performance in their assessment (formative and summative) as well as their online interaction with a range of online tools purposely built to support students through peer learning and acquisition of resources and expertise. Analysis using k-means clustering reveals that students do in fact adopt a variety of successful pathways through the course. The unique aspects of this work lie in the use of analytics algorithms that whilst perhaps routinely utilised in data mining, are not as well utilised in better understanding patterns (successful or otherwise) of student interactions within a technology enhanced active learning environment that integrates theory with engineering practice.
About the authors
Carl Reidsema
Dr Reidsema’s work is centred around the notion of Transformational Change in Higher Education which is reflected by his success in securing grants and industry funding for research and development in this area exceeding $3M including a 2008 Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC) Project ”Design based curriculum reform” and the 2013 Office of Learning and Teaching (OLT) Project ”Radical transformation: re-imagining engineering education through flipping the classroom in a global learning partnership” partnering with Stanford, Purdue, Pittsburgh, Sydney and RMIT universities. He has received numerous nominations and awards for teaching including the UNSW Vice Chancellor’s Teaching Excellence Award in 2006 and has over 60 peer-reviewed publications in engineering education and design. He is regularly invited to speak on the topic of transformational change and innovative curriculum at Universities and Industry events.
Hassan Khosravi
Dr Hassan Khosravi is a Senior Lecturer in the Institute for Teaching and Learning Innovation and an Affiliate Academic in the School of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology both at the University of Queensland. As a computer scientist by training, Hassan is passionate about the role of machine learning in the future of education. His research contributes to personalising education and translating traditional on-campus learning to authentic flexible learning in vibrant digital environments that better suit the needs and expectations of a digitally minded generation. In particular, his aim is to employ exemplary techniques from the fields of machine learning, data mining, learning analytics, and education to design, implement, validate and deliver solutions that use the digital footprints of learners towards improving students’ learning and enhancing their learning experience.
Melanie Fleming
Melanie’s research interests particularly focus on areas that enhance the student learning experience. These include first year pedagogy, and transitions to professional practice. She has developed novel methods to investigate student skills in programming, engineering and other disciplines drawing on social cognitive career theory, (particularly self-efficacy theory). Her current research interests involve linguistic analysis of student work drawing on sentiment analysis using computational linguistics and systemic functional linguistics techniques. She has worked on a number of projects to develop new learning technologies with student centred design principles. She has held consultant research and statistics positions in a variety of roles disciplines. Her previous work involved development of the first year experience, internationalisation of curriculum, work integrated learning and a range of other strategic priority areas. She is an educational researcher in the Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology.
Lydia Kavanagh
Lydia combines professional engineering experience with a deep commitment to teaching, learning and leading in higher education. Her experience in industry allows her to embed authenticity in her teaching, and her commitment to HE has been recognised through Principal Fellowship with the Higher Education Academy.
In 2009, Lydia was appointed Director, First Year Engineering at The University of Queensland (UQ), where she transformed that program - today UQ enrols more than 900 BE students per year who engage in embedded authentic experiences from Day 1.
In 2011, she successfully led a national competitive grant project focused on ensuring successful student teamwork. In 2012, she was awarded a national Award for Teaching Excellence, and in 2014 she co-led an international project championing ‘flipped classrooms’. At UQ, her leadership has included establishing a T&L Development Program for early-career academics and co-founding a dual-Faculty centre (eLIPSE: eLearning Innovations and Partnerships in Science and Engineering), which is leading eLearning innovation through enabling collaborative partnerships.
Nick Achilles
Nicholas Achilles graduated at The University Of Queensland (UQ) with a bachelor’s degree in Information Technology. Since then, Nicholas has been working as a professional software developer within the “Centre for eLearning Innovations and Partnerships in Science and Engineering” (eLIPSE) at UQ. The variety of projects in this centre is diverse; ranging from data visualisation and processing, to machine learning applied to student personalisation, to web scalable student learning tools. Nicholas has been fortunate enough to work in all of these areas, primarily as a full stack developer. His professional goals are targeted at indulging in industry leading software development techniques, with a goal of transitioning into a backend specialist role. In his personal time, Nicholas works with wood, or bakes sweets which he then takes to picnics.
Esther Fink
Esther Fink is an eLearning Educational Designer who supports both faculty/school teaching and learning leaders and academic staff with the design, development, implementation and evaluation of online and blended learning. Her experience in higher education and vocational education spans 3 continents and 20 years.
Dramaturgy: A sociological perspective for conceptualising Me. Us. IT in the context of online learning
Experimental session
Dawn Gilmore
Swinburne University of Technology, Faculty of Health, Arts and Design
@dawngilmore9
Catch this session
Monday 4 December, 3.30pm - 4.30pm
Stream 1
Room H102
Abstract
A dramaturgical analysis seeks to understand people’s everyday lives through the aspects of a theatre. I propose that this is a useful analogy for illustrating how students experience learning in an online subject. Based on this analogy, an online student is an actor who crafts performances within the front stage and backstage of a particular university subject.
At the start of this session attendees are introduced to three theatre stages. These stages are defined as the front stage (the LMS), the backstage online (internet websites and social media), and the backstage offline (conversations with family, friends, and colleagues). Following this, attendees will meet student-avatars who play the theatre roles of performer, cameo, extra, and stagehand. The creation of the student-avatars was informed by a fourteen-month study of online university students. During this time data was collected from 224 student observations, 120 questionnaires, 26 interviews, and the content analysis of 1,857 discussion board posts.
Each student-avatar will communicate their learning journey by briefly sharing how they experience learning in the front stage, backstage online, and backstage offline. Through their stories, their preferences and patterns for individual experiences, group experiences, and the tools they most commonly use for university related tasks come to light. With the student-avatars in mind, attendees will design a short learning experience that acknowledges how students enact multiple identities across the three performance stages. The learning experiences will be collated into an online book that will be shared with conference attendees. This book symbolises how we can harness our collective intelligence to support online students.
About the authors
Dawn Gilmore
Dawn Gilmore has over 15 years of practice and research in teaching and learning in higher education. She has worked in institutions in the United States, Australia, Japan, England, China, and most recently South Africa. She has a M.S.Ed. in Intercultural Communication from the University of Pennsylvania and a B.S.Ed. in Social Sciences from Temple University. Her Ph.D. research explored where and with whom university students experience learning. During her doctoral candidature she was a Visiting Scholar at in the Centre for Teaching, Learning, and Development at the University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa), where she researched the role of communities of practices in a Post Graduate Diploma of Higher Education. Overall, her research seeks to understand how students’ learning is situated across time and spaces. She also has broader interests in learning, community, and technology. Dawn is currently writing a book that is largely based on the content from this presentation.
CMALT cMOOC: Developing a scalable lecturer professional development framework
Full paper
Thomas Cochrane
Auckland University of Technology
@thomcochrane
Vickel Narayan
Auckland University of Technology
@vnarayan
Catch this session
Monday 4 December, 11am - 11.30am
Stream 2
Room R113
Abstract
This paper outlines the design stage of a project that reimagines lecturer professional development around a network of communities of practice scaffolded by a cMOOC (connectivist Massive Open Online Course), where sustained collaborative engagement with innovative teaching practice is recognised via established international peer-based professional accreditation pathways such as CMALT (Certified Member of the Association for Learning Technology). Informed by a design based research methodology, the CMALT cMOOC leverages a network of national and international collaboration and innovative teaching expertise, providing an agile and scalable framework to support the development of participants’ CMALT portfolios as evidence of critical engagement with new modes of practice and enhanced student outcomes. The cMOOC is designed based upon up-scaling the researchers’ community of practice (COP) model of lecturer professional development (Cochrane & Narayan, 2016c). Key to this model is the embedding of the scholarship of technology enhanced learning or SOTEL (Haynes, 2016), within lecturer praxis supported by a collaborative curriculum design process. The cMOOC provides a framework to support the development of lecturer COPs across a series of several weeks of participation throughout the academic year. The cMOOC is not conceptualised as a professional development course in the traditional sense, rather a mutual and collaborative initiative of willing participants to work together in order to enhance their understanding and knowledge of technology enhanced learning and teaching. Participation in the cMOOC is open, free and largely participant driven.
About the authors
Thomas Cochrane
Dr Thomas Cochrane is an academic advisor and senior lecturer in educational technology, the Centre for Learning And Teaching, Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand. Thomas is the coordinator of the Ascilite mobile learning special interest group, and a mobile learning researcher/practitioner. http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0192-6118
Vickel Narayan
Vickel Narayan is a Learning and Teaching Consultant at the Centre for Learning and Teaching (CfLAT) at the Auckland University of Technology.
PhD (Murdoch), MComp, PGDComp, GDHE, BSc (Comp Sc & Info Sys)
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6833-706X
Future happens: Hack your way to influencing and changing pedagogical and technological strategy and practice
Experimental session
Peter Bryant
London School of Economics and Political Science
@peterbryantHE
Catch this session
Monday 4 December, 3.30pm - 4.30pm
Stream 4
Room L209
Abstract
Using the changehack approach successfully run in the UK for the last two years by Future Happens (http://www.futurehappens.org - a collaboration between two leading UK institutions, the London School of Economics and the University of the Arts, London), this experimental session is designed to collectively engage participants in changing the discourses around the role of technology in shaping institutional/faculty wide pedagogical change. This lightning changehack will generate approaches to scaling and sustaining the lessons and innovations that arise from grassroots practice into approaches that can be included in strategic thinking across disciplines, levels, cohorts and potentially across the whole institution.
This workshop will challenge you to think about the ways you are able to influence your institutions strategic direction and commitments to technology and learning and be a part of the conversation that shapes how they do it. Attendees will participate in a collective hack that draws on the power of the crowd to solve problems. Previous Future Happens hacks in the UK have collectively generated insightful, useful and pragmatic ways to bridge the discourses between the practices of learning technology and how they can be scaled up to be part of the institutional, faculty or School wide strategic approach to innovative pedagogy. Attendees will collectively own the outputs which will be shared globally as part of the Future Happens movement.
About the authors
Peter Bryant
Peter Bryant is the Head of Learning Technology and Innovation at the London School of Economics and Political Science, UK. He leads programmes and initiatives to transform the educational experience at the LSE through the innovative use of technology and digital pedagogies. His team recently was the Overall Gold Award for Innovative Pedagogy at the Wharton-QS Stars Reimagine Education awards. He was previously a Principal Lecturer in Educational Technology and Development at the University of Greenwich. Peter has over twenty years’ experience as a lecturer, Head of Department and curriculum designer, working into two countries (in HE and VET). He is an active researcher in both educational technology and pedagogy. Peter is the co-founder of the Future Happens initiative which uses innovative approaches to problem-solving and change management to engage the wider sector in debates around technology, pedagogy and the future of the University.
Challenges and tensions in the role of the LMS for medical education: Time for the "next generation LMS"?
Full paper
Jill Lyall
Australian National University
@JillACTS
Katharina Freund
Australian National University
@katiedigc
Alexandra Webb
Australian National University
Catch this session
Monday 4 December, 11.30am - 12pm
Stream 1
Room H102 Allison Dickson Lecture Theatre
Abstract
In the context of discussions of a “next generation LMS” and other contemporary challenges in higher education, this case study looks at the iterative process a team of educational designers and Medical School academics used in a review of the Medical School LMS sites. Adopting the framework of the actor network theory, this reflective process discovered the tensions, dynamics and issues involved, and worked to gain and maintain key Medical School staff engagement and support for the review and for any changes that might be recommended. This paper reflects on emerging possible models for technology-enhanced learning beyond our current institutional LMS while acknowledging the institutional constraints on learning innovation within the global higher education context. Next generation LMS models may provide a more flexible future solution that could be applicable not just to medical education, but to higher education generally.
About the authors
Jill Lyall
Jill has a background in social sciences, community services, and adult education. Jill has worked for many years in Vocational Education and Training in a TAFE environment in Western Australia. During that time she developed an interest in technology for learning, and developed her skills for online learning. Since early 2015, Jill has been working on a range of projects with ANU Online, helping to create online materials for post-graduate courses and creating support and training resources in technology enhanced learning for academics at ANU.
Katharina Freund
Katie advises academics on eLearning design and initiatives, researches innovative solutions in education technology, creates digital media resources, and trains staff on Wattle (Moodle) learning management system and other digital tools for teaching and learning. She is also a researcher in education technology and digital communication.
Alexandra Webb
Dr Webb has more than 20 years experience teaching anatomy into undergraduate & postgraduate medicine, allied health & science programs in Australia & the United Kingdom. She has extensive proficiencies in leading the development & implementation of new curricula & resources. She is an innovative educator & educational researcher who takes measured risks in trialling the effectiveness of novel teaching & learning approaches such as serious games, touchscreen technology, adaptive learning, virtual patients & eBooks. In her current role, she is leading the development & implementation of technology enhanced learning & teaching for the School’s MChD as well as creating a flexible collaborative Professional Development program to build capacity in teaching & learning. Dr Webb’s educational practice has been recognised with multiple awards, including Senior Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy & a national Australian Award for University Teaching.