Teaching Medieval History:

The E-Learning Landscape

Dr Antonella Liuzzo ScorpoQueen Mary, University of London

Dr Jamie Wood,University of Manchester

Overview

• Context• 1. Student-teacher dynamics in e-learning• 2. Activities for learning• 3. Engaging with sources• Conclusion

Teaching Pre-Modern History:E-Learning Challenges and Opportunities

• https://sites.google.com/site/teachingpremodernhistory/

Aims of the workshop

• To showcase best practice and share teaching experiences using e-learning platforms

• To identify and solve problems

• To promote innovation and creativity in the use of technology

Our forthcoming report focuses on

• Engaging with sources: information literacy, visual sources, archives and source repositories

• Collaboration and independence: how to develop and improve student’s skills, share resources, integrate learning across modules and levels of study

Todays’ presentation

• Builds on workshop• Draws on JW’s research into e-learning in History

teaching in HE• Three areas to explore– Teacher-students dynamics– Activities– Sources

• Focus on MEDIEVAL history: what specific challenges does it pose and how can technology help to overcome those? Or…does it create more problems than it solves?

Survey (May 2012)• L1 and L2 from 5 different Institution in

UK• Their experience of learning and opinions

about teaching history (all periods)• General overview• Findings applied to the themes we chose

to discuss today

1. Student-teacher dynamics in e-learning environments

How and to what extent does a “blended system” challenge the traditional face-to-face dynamics?

How can online and face-to-face teaching be combined effectively?

In a “blended” system…• Interactive connections should remain open

• Changing roles in the learning life-cycle: e.g. students as active protagonists and creators of some activities

• From the survey:– E-learning as a fundamental learning tool (32 out of 38

respondents)– It provides a hub for info + (to a lesser extent) communication

with peers and teachers– Varieties of approaches and teachers’ levels of engagement– IT skills and technical issues

2. Activities for learning

- Sources available at different times, places and paces- Interaction between individuals and groups- Sharing of sources and resources- Generating awareness about interdisciplinary approaches- Reflecting on the relationships btw “medieval” and “modern”- Re-assessing scholarly materials and presenting them to wider

public- Specific and generic IT skills- Update contents regularly and remotely

Activity Technologies available Examples Benefits

Discussion and debate outside of class

Discussion boards BlogsSocial networking sites

In virtual learning environmentsWordpress / BloggerFacebook / Twitter

Develops skills in articulating and sharing ideas

Project work (creating resources individually or collaboratively)

Web-authoring servicesBlogsWikis

Google SitesWordpress / BloggerPB wiki

Enables students to experience processes of knowledge creation; to create a product that is shared with others (rather than just assessed by the tutor); improves group-working and project-management skills

Search for and share information Social bookmarking services Delicious / Diigo Improves information literacy; useful for revision and essay-writing; can be sold to students as efficient (if they are sharing resources with one another)

Engage with images Photo-sharing websites Flickr Helps contextualizing information and drawing interdisciplinary connections

Reflect on their learning process Journalling softwareBlogs

LivejournalWordpress / Blogger

Increases students’ awareness of their learning progresses; encourages further development; develops critical understanding

Construct timelines/ clarify narratives Timeline software

Timeglider (http://timeglider.com/)tiki-toki (http://www.tiki-toki.com/)

Helps clarifying ideas and contextualize events and processes; brings students to consider themes and ideas on a wider scheme.

Share and creating materials collaboratively

Collaborative editing services Google docsDropboxSlideshare

Encourages collaborative study and research; challenges set ideas and approaches; stimulates alternative thinking

Presenting material to students (or share their presentations online)

Presentation sharing softwareGenerative/ reusable learning objects

SlidesharePreziGLO-maker

Improves planning, presenting and debating; enhances communication skills

What impact do these activities have on student learning and how can we improve the ways we design

blended learning activities?

Survey findings

• Some use to promote discussion and collaboration; positive impact on learning

• Technology– Aids preparation for class– Enables independent working

• But are students viewing VLEs as closed spaces rather than as starting points for independent work?

3. Engaging with sources

• How different is working with medieval sources?

Geo-tagging class notes using

Google

Peer-assessed presentations and

wikis

Blogs, bookmarks and student-

generated seminars

Online portfolios

Please tell me about the top three areas in which your skills improved

using e-learning

Critical analysis of sources.

By using a wider range of sources I

was able to look at the unfolding of

events studied from different

perspectives.

I could not have done this if I had to buy books or borrow

them in physical form from the library…

Survey findings• improved research skills• improved subject knowledge

Conclusion- Resources online: starting or

“stuck” point?

- Mixed effects of “blended” systems

- What is peculiar about teaching (and applying technology to the teaching of) medieval history?

Thank you!

Feel free to ask questions

and/or give us your opinion and feedback