Well it had to happen eventually I guess!!I attended a staff development day at OU in the North yesterday. The session was mainly on Elluminate. I actually took part in the demonstration... I don't think I disgraced myself too much!! I was the student in the same room as other AL's. I used the microphone but the audio was put through to the rooms speakers so everyone could hear. A roving AL In Holland joined in the session though her microphone didn't work. Graham, the Elluminate Champion, took the role of moderator and he was in a separate room.The session definitely gave me more confidence in using the tool. Graham also gave us moderator privileges so it was nice to see what was available from a tutor point of view. I really liked the tool for students to be able to select multiple choice answers. The tutor can also switch off a microphone should a learner be hogging the discussion too much.I hadn't realised that I could text a message to just the moderator if I wanted to, preventing the other participants from seeing.Also discussed was Elluminate Plan...where resources and tutorials could be planned in advance to use in a later Elluminate session. Also Elluminate Publish where recordings can be saved but unlike now they can be looked at and if good enough could be shared for others to use in their sessions.Everyone was impressed by Elluminate but agreed that it wouldn't work for all levels of learners or for all courses. We did feel it would be useful for tutors to use to share ideas etc or for learners to use for study groups. In fact the follow up to this development day will now be held using Elluminate.
Activity 1 YouTube.
As you watch the video consider and make notes on how it relates to the more general findings from the broader research literature discussed earlier.
Also consider the following questions:
Is the message being presented in this visual way any different from the primarily text-based presentation of findings used so far this week? This was a really good interactive way to get info across to other learners. It's also likely to have given learners ownership. However for me it was a disaster. The camera wobbled so much I felt sick. By the time the words came in to focus I either didn't have time to read them or couldn't read the handwriting. It was too distracting to focus on the topic at times...great for some learners but for those with a disabiltiy it could be a disaster. Anyway I've taken so long to do this activity I've forgotten what the earlier research is!!
How important is the medium and the technologies themselves in terms of conveying messages about this research area?
What are the implications for your own practice?
Last Saturday was an Elluminate tutorial. It was very good but still took a while for everyone to feel confident to participate....not sure if this was still due to people being unsure if they should speak in case someone else also did. Would I use Elluminate as a tutor? I ask this as I'm attending a CPD day at OU this week on Elluminate. I think as the time is restricted...1 may be 2 hours....the tutor has to ensure that the subject for discussion is well prepared using questions or activities. In f2f tutorials I feel more can be covered in the 2 hours...this may be because students have awareness of how the tutorial is structured. I wonder if Elluminate could be used as an enhancement to the f2f tutorial. It could also be a tool to use for those students who are unable to attend f2f. For my students in particular they could use it almost as a chat room to give each other support, share ideas etc. Some tutors use Facebook but Elluminate would incorporate students being able to hear each other......I'm warming to it lol!!
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.
Activity 3
Read the article by Price et al. (2007), ‘Face-to-face versus online tutoring support in distance education’.
Make some notes in your blog on whether the evidence regarding online tuition in Price et al.’s paper fits your own experience of online communication in general and your own experience of online tuition on H800. With my own students I provide both telephone, email, conferencing and f2f tutorials. There is low participation in all of these but I would imagine if they had taken part in this study their responses would be the same. I think it may come down to personal expectations that students have about their tutor and how they feel tutorials should be carried out. For many their only experience is of years of traditional classroom learning whilst at school.
As a online student myself I prefer online tutoring to f2f and the discussion forums are a connection to my fellow students which is important for me.
Then check what other students in your tutor group have written.
Do you agree with Price et al. that online tuition is a pastoral activity and not a purely academic activity? I think it is both. Tutors facilitate the learning online by also supporting the student...they go hand in hand.
Do you agree that the absence of what the authors call ‘paralinguistic cues’ in an online environment can limit the effectiveness of online tuition? It can....I wonder what, if any, difference it would have made to the study if the online students were given a photo of their tutor at the start of the course? Perhaps they need to feel a visual connection to that tutor. My students will often say that its nice to put a face to the person on the end of the email or the telephone.
Activity 2
Read the article by Richardson (2005), ‘Students’ approaches to learning and teachers’ approaches to teaching in higher education’.
I didn't find anything new in this paper. I did however have problems with the terminology...what is it about people insisting papers are written in academic language that alienates half the readers....so unnecessary. What the heck does...'effects of contextual factors'.... actually mean?
As for using questionnaires there is no mention of how many actually filled them in comparison to the number of participants in the study. As an AL my students are asked to fill in a questionnaire towards the end of each course regarding their learning experience. Out of approx 20 students 5 usually oblige!!
Who were the students taking part in the research.....gender, age, demographics, reasons for studying, new learners etc???
Who were the tutors taking part....gender, age, new to teaching, first time teaching the course etc???
I would agree that the 3 predominant approaches used by a student are likely to vary during the course depending on the course demands.
Activity 3b
Almost all of the studies cited in the previous section measured impact, or the lack of it, according to marks obtained on standardised tests. Daniel’s criticism is also based on such findings. However, advocates of elearning would probably say that it conveys many other learning advantages, especially in the field of open and distance learning, which should also be taken into consideration.
These advantages could be grouped under the following headings:
- Access to more/better sources of information
- Greater flexibility in how/where/when one learns
- More collaborative learning
- New/better ways of learning using Web 2.0 tools
- Better/more tutoring
- Better assessment methods
Spend a few minutes considering your own professional situation.
Are these possibilities mentioned above being realised? I think most of these possibilities are in the process of being realised. Not sure you could claim that they are already being realised as all of these advantages are constantly changing and evolving.I
Do you think that open and distance learning is the main beneficiary? I'm a bit confused as to what this question is actually asking. If its that open and distance learning is the main beneficiary of these advantages then no. I've worked in FE using traditional f2f tutoring/facilitating and these advantages were in the process of being realised there. But maybe I've misunderstood the question.
