Tools for the VLE - part 2

Technology in education should not be seen as a substitute for a teacher, but as a way of supporting and enhancing the teaching and learning taking place. A VLE should provide a supplemental method of learning, as opposed to an alternative to the teacher. For me, this meant finding a way to infuse a personal element into my VLE, to maintain a human aspect. I felt that the best way to do this would be to add some video or audio elements to some of the materials i was uploading. I quickly decided that video lectures would not be something I would be comfortable doing at this early stage of my VLE creation experience, but creating audio clips would be a suitable alternative.

Initially, I  had no idea how to do this, but thanks to my fellow learners on the PCET course, I soon learnt about inserting audio into Powerpoint. I added my lecture notes to the Powerpoint presentations I had already created, which greatly enhanced the accessibility of the resources. I then decided to explore how to create audio clips which could be embedded directly into the VLE, without using Powerpoint. This was not as easy as I thought it would be, and I found myself wasting inordinate amounts of time trying out different methods of recording and embedding audio. GarageBand was tried, amongst others, but I found it too music-oriented, with too many variables to worry about. After much searching and testing, I found AudioBoom, a free tool which allows you to record audio clips up to 10 minutes in length. These clips can then be embedded into other sites, such as Wordpress, my chosen host for my VLE.

Interactivity - it's what it's all about

My most recent encounters with virtual learning environments came during my degree, where I used Blackboard, the VLE of the University of South Wales, and later, Moodle. Both had links to resources, such as module information and video clips, as well as a submission portal for assignments (Turnitin). What both seemed to lack was an effective two-way communication channel for students and lecturers to exchange information. 

Reading the assignment brief, it was clear that making the VLE interactive was a crucial underpinning factor of this module. With this is mind, I set about finding applications to create interactive quizzes and tests which could be easily uploaded. Quizlet was one of the tools that Mandy introduced us to during the lectures, and I was immediately attracted to it, and the ease with which I was able to create resources. What I particularly like about Quizlet is the fact that a range of different resources can be creased from the same base set of information. I entered some basic information about PEST Analayis, and was able to generate flashcards, a test, and a learning activity. Three resources from one set of facts - result! You can see how I've included them here. There's also a post on my blog showing the flashcards and a "drag and drop" activity - click here to go there. 

I also felt that I needed to incorporate a way for students to be able to comment on and discuss the material on the VLE. Wordpress already has a facility to embed a feedback form onto individual pages, which is a useful option, but not the best way to promote and encourage interaction. I included a feedback form on the front page of the VLE, but then added links to TodaysMeet rooms to facilitate more interactive discussions. TodaysMeet is a tool which I had already seen in action during our ICT lectures, and I knew that I wanted to use it in my VLE. As well as links to the rooms, I used QR codes to produce another way to access the chat rooms.

I then remembered Padlet, an app which allowed me to create a blank wall on which learners could post comments, pictures and other types of media. I thought that this would be a good way of facilitating a peer review session, where completed worksheets could be uploaded and then evaluated as a group.

VLE - the next challenge

So - Wordpress decided upon as the vehicle. Now, what to teach? As  you can imagine, the field of business studies is a wide and diverse one, so selecting just one topic to focus on was my second challenge. As I had been working on business plans with the BTEC Level 2 groups and the second year HND students, this seemed like the logical choice. I already had a collection of resources to use, which I had collected from the Web, as well as things I had created myself, so finding content to upload was not a problem. Onwards and upwards!

The secret of getting ahead is getting started......

The first thing I needed to do was to find a suitable platform to host my VLE. During the e-learning lectures, we examined a number of different options, looking at what they offered in the way of interactivity, and how easy they were to set up. I have to say that I was disappointed with many of them, as they did not appear to be particularly user friendly – or at least, not “I’m building a VLE for the first time, and need a simple platform” user friendly. I eventually settled on Wordpress, as it seemed to offer what I needed, whilst not requiring any more technical knowledge than I currently possess to produce a relatively professional looking site. 

I am not, in any way a technical wizard, but I have a decent level of ability, and the more I got into Wordpress, the more I enjoyed building my VLE. I was able to add audio clips, embed videos and presentations, upload my own worksheets, and link to a variety of external sites. I did find some tools difficult to use with Wordpress, such as embed.ly, but this was not a critical issue. I just had to use my imagination to get around it.

You can see the fruits of my labour here. Let me know what you think!

Tools for the VLE - part 1

Here we go again! As part of the e-learning module, we've been playing around with different tools to create interactive content. One of them is Quizlet, and you can see the flash cards I created below.





You can also click and drag the answers.




My initial impression of this tool is a positive one - I can see huge potential using this not only with the BTEC classes, but with the higher education classes, maybe as a revision tool? I will definitely be exploring this in greater depth.

Interesting news articles.......

During my degree, I undertook a research project which investigated potential links between video gaming habits and the academic achievements of boys at GCSE level. At the time, it was a subject close to my heart, having a son who was going through the GSCE process at the time. He, like many of his peers, spent (in my opinion as a concerned mother) an inordinate amount of time playing video games, the content of which could also have been considered questionable to some people. The research I uncovered, together with my own small amount of primary research threw up some interesting information, not least the fact that there appeared to be very little evidence which could be directly linked to underachievement, and that there were other factors which had far more effect on boys than were first assumed.

The research also found that playing video games, particularly those involving online collaboration and teamwork was helping boys to develop a range of organisational and communication skills, as well as increased spatial awareness and motor skills. These were not being recognised and harnessed by schools in the studies, and were not valued.

Writing this blog, and exploring the value of a diverse range of teaching tools has prompted me to start looking for further information on the benefits of gaming in education, and how the myths of causality between games and real life violence are being debunked. The latest article I have found is this one, written by clinical psychologist Christopher Ferguson which I will be adding to my library.

********************

Another interesting piece of news I cam across is this one about a new font - Dyslexie,which is supposed to make reading easier for people with dyslexia.

Source  - www.guardian.com

The font has been designed by a Dutch designer, Christian Boer, who has dyslexia himself. I find this fascinating, and would be interested to know if this font has been found to be successful. If any of my colleagues on the PCET course are reading this (Sarah? Dave?), I'd like to hear your thoughts? You can read the full article here.

********************

In the ever changing world of social media, no platform retains the top spot for too long, before a young pretender knocks them off their perch. Facebook has long been the king of social media with billions of users, but the frequency of user interaction has slowed dramatically in recent times, with photo sharing sites and instant messenger apps becoming far more prevalent, particularly amongst younger demographic groups. 

We have discussed the importance of using technology and social media to support effective learning in the modern world, during the ICT module, and how educators need to be aware of which social media platforms their learners are using. 

This article in the Guardian supports this, and highlights the importance of ensuring that when using social media in education, the correct channel for the target audience is selected. 

How technology has changed the way we learn

I have discussed how mobile technology has become embedded in the learning process in other posts on this blog. What I didn’t address is exactly how we now learn with the new technology.

The days of searching libraries for information, using typewriters, or even…..handwriting essays (the horror!) have long been superseded by the use of technology, much of which was unheard of until recently. The impact of mobile technology has further altered the educational paradigm, with the teacher moving away from the traditional position at the front of a bricks and mortar classroom to a more modern role as a facilitator of online lessons, or as the star of video tutorials. This shift has definitively changed the way we learn. The infographic shown below from Shift Learning summarises the changes rather well.

Source - www.shiftelearning.com

The main ways in which technology has changed the way we learn are:

Increased access to resources

Gone are the days of not knowing anything. Information is perpetually available online, covering any subject that can be imagined, and accessed by a few mouse clicks, or swipes of a screen. This sounds wonderful – doesn’t it? Like anything new, there are positives and negatives which need to be considered.

 The positive effect of this technology is that educators and students have access to a vastly increased bank of knowledge and information. They can conduct extensive research, collaborate and communicate in real time with others near and far, access information from around the globe instantly, and benefit from a diverse range of media delivery of information.

This instant access to information could be said to impede the development of investigative skills and the development of natural curiosity. With so much information so readily available, do we lose the ability to deduce and critically analyse what we are seeing and hearing online, and become dependent on technology to do the work for us? Information overload, and the need to be able to distinguish between appropriate and relevant information, particularly in HE are issues which need to be considered. I found an article written by Nicholas Carr entitled "Is Google making us stupid?", which explores this premise in more detail - it's an interesting read.

Erasing Physical Boundaries

Research on successful teaching and learning involving ICT identifies the importance of learning environments which facilitate meaningful learning experiences and help to build relationships between learners and learners, learners and educators, and learners and the content itself  (McConnell, 2005). These environments may be physical or virtual, and technology has had a massive effect on both.

Technology now allows once insurmountable physical boundaries to be overcome with increasing ease. Remote study, be it at home, or on another campus is now possible, with the learner and educator able to communicate via a range of methods, asynchronously or in real time. Educators can use VLEs, video and picture sharing channels, podcasts, blogs, and social media sites to upload information and assignments which the student can download. Laurillard (2005) describes how:

 "the learning experience can be culturally, intellectually, socially, and practically enhanced if the learning environment is planned and designed to utilise these powerful tools appropriately."

Here in the UK, many HE institutions have been quick to recognise the value of virtual environments for learners and educators. Browne et al. (2006) reported  that 95% of HE institutions in the UK were using used a learning management system, such as Blackboard or Moodle to deliver learning resources and administrative information, as well as to mark assignments and provide feedback as far back as 2005.

The natural extension of this is the online school / college, where everything is delivered online. The obvious example is the Open University, but I found another example of this here in Wales – Interhigh, an online secondary school. These types of institution are not bound by the number of learners a room can hold, and can reach any number of learners across a wide area. I’ve embedded the video from their website below.

Massive open online courses (MOOCS) such as FutureLearn, the flipped classroom, and even virtual worlds are ideas which could be considered to have evolved from technology erasing physical boundaries. These concepts have huge potential to radically change how learners learn, and present educators with a whole new set of challenges with which to grapple.

Changing Communication Rules

The written medium is no longer the accepted norm for communication. Nowadays, a Facebook “like” or a retweet are used to show approval or agreement with someone, and the concept of letters is considered a quaint and old fashioned one, used mainly by the older generation. Most people now use electronic communication, such as texting, with the younger generation developing their own abridged version of the language, supported by emoticons and symbols. Many experts feel that this is to the detriment of what they call “proper” spelling, grammar, and speech – the harsh reality is that this trend shows no sign of slowing down, never mind reversing, and educators will have to keep up with trends in order to keep up with their students. 

On the positive side, electronic communication is instant and allows educators to provide feedback and guidance far quicker than they could before. Learners can get support with issues as they arise, not only from teachers, but their peers, and other learners around the world. 

Differentiation

Every learner has different learning styles and abilities, and technology allows the educator to address these requirements far better than in previous situations. Lessons can be tailored, assistive technology can be used, and individual support to target specific areas can be given.

Conclusion

It is fair to say that technology has irrevocably changed education and the way we perceive it. The digitalisation of education will continue, irrespective of personal opinion or resistance from individuals or groups. Whether or not these changes are all for the better remains to be seen. The short term benefits and drawbacks can be observed and evaluated now, but the long term effects? The jury has not yet reached a verdict.


References

Browne, T., Jenkins, M., & Walker, R. (2006). A longitudinal perspective regarding
the use of VLEs by higher education institutions in the United Kingdom. Interactive
Learning Environments, 14(2), pp. 177–192

Laurillard, D. (2005). E-Learning in Higher Education. In A. Paul (ed.), Changing Higher Education: the Development of Learning and Teaching. London: Routledge

McConnell, D. (2005). Sustaining networked e-learning through collaborative pedagogies. In A. Paul
(ed.), Changing Higher Education: the Development of Learning and Teaching. London: Routledge