Week 12

Activity 5

Identify a form of technology used in an educational context.
I'm choosing Elluminate
Then make notes in your blog about the following issues:

• What do you think is the likely impact of this technology on the students’ perceptions of the quality of their courses, their approaches to studying and their academic performance? I feel now that Elluminate can enhance the learning experience, the quality of their course and that this could have a positive effect on their academic performance. However having said that Elluminate won't suit all level of students, all tutors and all courses. It is just a tool of choice
• What do you think is the likely impact of this technology on the teachers’ perceptions of their teaching context and their approaches to teaching? Could well scare the life out of many teacher's and make them defensive. Others may embrace Elluminate and incorporate it into their teaching
• Do you think this technology embodies particular assumptions about the nature of teaching and learning in higher education? It doesn't to me but may do to others. I suppose it could be assumed that HE is advancing due to the use of technologies, enabling enabling more diversity but think I may be waffling here for the sake of answering the question!
• Are these assumptions likely to promote more positive perceptions, more desirable approaches to studying and better performance on the part of the students? It may to some students but not to all

Activity 4
As an example of a study that found few differences between students’ experiences of face-to-face and online tuition, read the article by Richardson (2009), ‘Face-to-face versus online tutoring support in humanities courses in distance education’. It is concerned with the use of online tuition in distance-learning courses in the arts and humanities.

Bearing in mind what I said earlier about the role of rhetoric in reports of educational research, do you find my conclusion – that institutions can feel confident about exploring the use of online forms of tutorial support – a convincing one? Yes, provided there is appropriate guidance and training available.
How do the accounts given in these two papers fit with your own experience of online tutorial support in H800? Mine has been trial and error. As a student starting the MAODE I had never really participated in online forums or emailed a tutor for help. I have done a BSc with OU but I had f2f tutorials and telephoned a tutor when stuck. However the nature of the courses (MAODE) meant that I was aware from the start that I would have to participate online and that I would be tutored online. I started tentatively, mainly lurking online and then posting messages. I now send queries out to the group and not just my tutor as they often give great advice and there's nearly always a student online whereas the tutors time can be limited. Tips/advice/guidance on online tutorials would, in hindsight, have been beneficial from the start.
I see new students to this course (H800) often unsure about participating. I'm not 100% sure making participation carry 10% of the TMA marks is really necessary either.