Learner Voices

Linda CreanorDevelopment Director, Caledonian Academy

Glasgow Caledonian Universitywww.academy.gcal.ac.uk

Learning Futures: the campus and beyond University of Leicester, 8-9 January 2008

Overview• Who are our learners?

• Researching the learner experience

• Increasing autonomy: – Re-engineering assessment practices

– Approaches to professional development

• Institutional implications

Generation Z ? (2001 - ) Millennials /Generation Y /Net Generation (1981 – 2001)

X-Genners (1964 – 80) Baby Boomers (1946 – 64)

(Strauss & Howe, 2002; Oblinger, 2005; Redmond, 2007)

“ Today’s students are no longer the people our educational system was designed to teach.” Prensky, 2001

“.. a generation of students that has been born with a PC mouse in their hands and a computer screen as window to the world”. Veen, 2005

Who are our learners?

A Vision of Students today

Learner EXperience • Led by Glasgow Caledonian University and

The Open Learning Partnership, London

• A UK-wide research study across the post-16 sectors

• Informed by a Scoping Study that identified need for cross-sector, integrated research (Sharpe et al, 2005)

• A holistic approach putting the learner’s voice centre stage

Research Questions

• What might characterise effective learners in an e-learning context?

• What beliefs and intentions do effective learners display?

• What strategies do effective learners display?

Research Methodology

Innovative methodology – Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) and Interview Plus

55 learners interviewed

Who are our Learners?

Generational influences

“Its actually helping me with my kids as well because … now we can discuss things and look at things together. without it going right over my head.” Paul, mature undergraduate

“I just didn't feel I needed to know the inner workings of a computer, as long as it works I'm fine with that and if it breaks I give it to dad.”

Laura, young undergraduate

Approaches to study

“I was writing my project, I was doing my Blog, and doing

my homework for economics all at the same time, and listening to music in the background ... Who says men can't multitask!”

(mature undergraduate student)

Control & choice

Q: … you’ve got the [online] calendar there where you arrange meetings and set deadlines etc?

A: Well … we’re kind of keeping them happy by having that pretend meeting up there because we don’t meet every Thursday.

Q: So you’ve got to make it look as if you’re doing it?

A: Oh we are, just not on a Tuesday and Thursday!

(postgraduate student)

Personal devices

“I couldn't live without my mobile phone …”

“Mobile phones again another way of communicating because everyone has a mobile phone on them …”

“I always have my phone and I-Pod with me …”

“I use my laptop, I take it away, it's attached to me, I couldn't survive without it … “

Characterising effective e-learners

Believe technology should enhance their learning Willing to engage with technology for learning &

expect tutors to engage also Learn to deal with strong emotional reactions towards

technology Highly skilled networkers – know WHO as well as

where and how. A new ‘underworld’ of digital communication

Pre-session survey, Sep 200755 second year Media Policy students22 fourth year Media Ethics students

Age mainly 18 – 22; 33% male, 67% female

Non-university internet use 93%

Use Wikipedia 95%

Social Networking 88% Bebo 83%; Facebook 35%; MySpace 63%

Write Blog 18%

Second Life account 5%

Use De.li.cious 3%(Chalmers, 2007 )

We need to ….

Acknowledge learner use of personal gadgets and tools

Involve learners more in the design of learning activities & assessments

Integrate learner-created resources

• focus on assessment for learning rather than of learning

• Assessment to promote student self-regulation

• Strathclyde (lead) Glasgow Caledonian, Glasgow.

• Integrate technologies for assessment

• Focus on large classes - esp.1st year

EMPOWERMENT/SELF-REGULATION

SOCIALEXPERIENCE

ENGAGEMENT

Figure 1: Assessment and feedback practices: dimensions of implementation

ACADEMICEXPERIENCE

(Nicol, 2007)

EMPOWERMENT/SELF-REGULATION

SOCIALEXPERIENCE

ENGAGEMENT

Figure 1: Assessment and feedback practices: dimensions of implementation

ACADEMICEXPERIENCE

• Students create criteria• Students add own criteria • Students identify criteria

from samples of work• Exemplars of different

performance levels provided

• Students rephrase criteria in own words

• Provide document with criteria

(Nicol, 2007)

EMPOWERMENT/SELF-REGULATION

SOCIALEXPERIENCE

ENGAGEMENT

Figure 1: Assessment and feedback practices: dimensions of implementation

ACADEMICEXPERIENCE

Students self-assess own performance using MCQs [individual]

Students create MCQ and distractors

Students create MCQs, distractors and feedback for wrong and right answers and present to class

(Nicol, 2007)

Preparing lecturers

• Traditional professional development approaches inadequate

• Community approaches supported by collaborative tools (Falconer et al, Mod4L final report,2007)

Caledonian Academy

Aim: • to develop innovative

teaching and learning within GCU and further afield.

Mission: • to lead the University in the

development and implementation of pioneering forms of learning

• to extend its international reputation as a centre of first-rate, applied research in education.

Embedding e-learning within mainstream teaching and learning by integrating scholarship withpragmatic development activitiesacross programmes.

Caledonian Academy

E-Learning activities• Academy Futures – technology ‘sandpit’ events

• Community forum – highlights evidence-based practice

• Blogs, wikis, GCU Second Life project

• i-learn framework under development

• Collaborate with Heads of LTQ – School based activities

• Projects – LEX, REAP, LDN – link to practice

Institutional perspectivesNow:• learner access to information

managed through on-campus IT facilities

• access blocked to websites and tools not associated with formal learning

• Appropriate use of IT agreements are compulsory for learners

• Learning resources not always accessible off campus

(JISC, 2007)

Institutional perspectiveFuture:• access to own choice of software

and tools, with support available• multiple online communities for

networked learning• Explore identities and develop

skills via social software, virtual worlds & simulation

• Collaborative physical learning spaces

(JISC, 2007)

In conclusion …

I think it depends on the teacher

really….If they're on board with it a

hundred and ten percent then

you'll be included. If they're not,

then they won't use it and neither

will you.

Vanessa, LEX project interviewee