Programming Collaborative Learning (HEA, University of Winchester)
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This document discusses using technology to improve feedback and assessment in higher education. It mentions several projects and tools for digital feedback including track changes, commenting, video/audio screencasts, e-portfolios, and peer review tools. Benefits discussed include faster return of more detailed feedback, increased student effort and engagement, and development of skills like collaboration. Challenges mentioned include the time needed for new technologies to be adopted and ensuring academic rigor in tools like blogs. Overall the document promotes experimenting with technology to enhance feedback practices.
![Communities of Practice
“…are formed by
people
[engaging in]
collective
learning in a
shared domain
of human
endeavour”
Etienne Wenger](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/heatalkmay2012a-120502172613-phpapp01/85/Programming-Collaborative-Learning-HEA-University-of-Winchester-21-320.jpg)
![Boud & Falchikov, 2008
It is only through
establishing a counter-
discourse to the one that
currently dominates higher
education [which
constructs learners as
passive subjects to be
tested] that some of the
fundamental problems
created by current
assessment assumptions
and practice can be
addressed.
P14 [17]](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/heatalkmay2012a-120502172613-phpapp01/85/Programming-Collaborative-Learning-HEA-University-of-Winchester-27-320.jpg)
Programming Collaborative Learning (HEA, University of Winchester)
- 1. @drbexl @digitalfprint @TELWinch Programming Collaborative Learning Dr Bex Lewis University of Winchester with input from Dr Tansy Jessop, Yaz El-Hakim, Nicole McNab & Camille Shepherd, University of Winchester and Joelle Adams, Bath Spa University
- 4. FASTECH http://www.jisc.ac.uk/whatwedo/programmes/ele arning/assessmentandfeedback/fastech.aspx quantity of effort across the course quality and quantity of feedback usefulness of feedback and appropriate assessment
- 5. BODGIT Bringing Organisational Development Into IT http://www.slideshare.net/drbexl/winchester-bodgit- andy-wilson
- 7. Personalise feedback Improve student effort Return feedback faster Distribute student effort More detailed feedback Encourage deep learning Highlight specific areas Student self-reflection Peer feedback Clarify goals and standards Tutor-student dialogue More authentic assessment Student collaboration Motivate students
- 10. Stakeholder strapline examples: Academic Senior staff IT staff managers So what am You should So now it I not going have asked us will just to do? about it happen beforehand
- 11. Stakeholder Strapline
- 17. “...of this approach seems to be that lecturers are engaged and energised to tackle problems and implement locally-owned strategies.”
- 19. Digital feedback Track changes and commenting Marking using video and audio screencasts E-portfolios Electronic submission of assessed work Various peer review and commenting tools Blogs YouTube Various features on smartphone, iPad and tablet apps Wikis.
- 20. Any change involving new technologies ….will not be a single great act, but an accumulation of lots of events, activities and discussions over a period of time. Fee, K. Delivering E-Learning (2009) Delivering E-Learning: A complete strategy for design, application and assessment London: Kogan Page, p 40.
- 21. Communities of Practice “…are formed by people [engaging in] collective learning in a shared domain of human endeavour” Etienne Wenger
- 22. Bex’s Personal Learning Environment
- 23. http://diyubook.com/ Technology upsets the traditional hierarchies and categories of education. It can put the learner at the center of the educational process. Increasingly this means students will decide what they want to learn, when, where, and with whom; and they will learn by doing. p.x
- 26. Boud & Falchikov, 2008 … assessment is not sufficiently equipping students to learn in situations in which teachers and examinations are not present to focus their attention. As a result, we are failing to prepare them for the rest of their lives. p3
- 27. Boud & Falchikov, 2008 It is only through establishing a counter- discourse to the one that currently dominates higher education [which constructs learners as passive subjects to be tested] that some of the fundamental problems created by current assessment assumptions and practice can be addressed. P14 [17]
- 30. Student Feedback 2012 Enjoyable, engaging „Real-world skills‟ – especially teamwork Learnt from range of team roles, and from project to project Criticality Building an audience Time-management IT & Research Skills
- 33. American Studies Focus Group F3 We‟d have to write a web blog every week that‟s part of the marking as well, so that‟s something different to an essay and a presentation. F Yes it was topical on whatever we‟d done that particular week. F2 I think most people do like them, although I‟m not always sure of the academic worth of them because some people would leave them until quite the last minute and they would not like …. Yes, I‟m guilty of that! … and you don‟t always cite reference wise how you would in an essay, so I think if they carried on with the blogs maybe they should make it a bit more meaty .. F …because you might read someone‟s blog and think „Mmm, that sounds a lot like Wikipedia‟. F2 Yes, I think they should ask you to cite properly, like Harvard reference things.
- 34. I Did it make you a more independent learner? You were going into the lecture after having done it. Did you feel like you had to assess sources to write your blog on your own or did you feel like you got anything extra out of it? F3 I don‟t know if it helped independence, particularly because as I‟d mentioned before it wasn‟t really particularly academic. So it‟s not like you were going to the library or finding learning resources. You were basically using a lot of web based material, which might not necessarily have been as reliable. ….. F2 I still think it‟s beneficial though. I understand why they were doing it. They were doing it more to expand our own like interests and understanding of it, rather than just finding a textbook sort of definition heavy.
- 35. History Focus Group: I Did you feel you were reading the feedback more because it was sent to you or didn‟t it make a difference? F3 Yes, because normally if you pick it up from the faculty office you‟re kind of like standing up still, so you sort of look at it briefly, you mostly just look at the grades. If you can‟t really read the handwriting you think „I‟ve got an OK grade, so that‟s fine‟. Whereas when you‟re sat at home on your laptop looking at your e mails you have more time to read through it and so you will quite happily scan through the essay. Normally, if I get it from faculty office, I don‟t bother looking at the essay, I just look at the front sheet, because you‟re walking. Whereas if you‟re sat at home you‟re more likely to go through it, which I suppose is probably better. M2 When you‟re at home you‟ll have your PC as well, so you‟ll have your current piece of work that you‟re working on and then something they‟ve marked before on the other side of the screen so you can see exactly where you‟ve been marked up or down. F2 And if they‟ve e mailed it to you, unless you actually delete the e mail you can‟t actually lose it, like you might a piece of paper. Unless you purposely go and delete it.
- 37. FASTECH „Safe‟ Student Space
- 40. It makes sense…
- 41. Tech-Savvy…
- 42. Get out the post-it notes…
- 43. Exercise Write on separate post-it notes each different way you use to give your learners feedback Other ways learners get feedback, e.g. from web sources, books & handouts. p101
- 44. High learning pay-off for students Highly efficient for us Not highly efficient for us Low learning pay-off for students
Editor's Notes
- #2: The HEA funded TESTA (Transforming the Experience of Students through Assessment) has worked across 22 programmes in 8 universities. TESTA has built a community of practice (CoP) interested in assessment and feedback processes at a sector level. FASTECH is a new JISC-funded project which builds upon this CoP, and starting with 15 core programmes, seeks to use standard technologies that have already been piloted to address the problems identified in TESTA: quantity of effort across the course, quality and quantity of feedback, usefulness of feedback and appropriate assessment.The wide range of programmes from TESTA has provided a holistic overview of the student experience of assessment and feedback, data which can then be incorporated at a programmatic level. As TESTA has demonstrated, improving practices within particular degree programmes enables us to work with the grain of teachers’ subject interests, disciplinary emphases, and departmental loyalties, and to address the full course experiences of students. FASTECH, drawing on internal and external expertise, seeks to ensure fuller collaborative working across modules, identifying and incorporating individual processes, particularly those using technology, at a programmatic level. Successful processes are provided as case studies to enable those across the disciplines to benefit from the lessons learnt. Both staff and students benefit from engagement with wider communities of practice enabled through social media and other Web 2.0 technology.Student expectations have risen with increasing fees, and assessment expectations have to fit, amongst others, the employability agenda, which emphasises strong communication skills. As such assignments, including blogging and other social media engagement, need to reflect what is required in the workplace, encouraging students to use the tools critically as part of their Personal Learning Environment (PLE). Drawing upon Wenger’s (1998) notions of a CoP, where there is a “shared endeavour” for professional excellence, and an improved student experience, the paper will focus upon the challenge of engaging whole programmes collaboratively with the feedback and assessment agenda, rather than initiatives enforced from the centre out. Informed by theoretical underpinning the paper will draw upon examples from a range of programmes at the Universities of Winchester and Bath Spa, including media studies.
- #3: TESTA (Transforming the Experience of Students through Assessment).Funded phase of the project coming to an end, but the methodology has been proven to work and is moving to a consultancy model. Working across 22 programmes in 8 universities, TESTA has built a community of practice (CoP) interested in assessment and feedback processes at a sector level, and it’s methodology deeply informs the new project FASTECH (come back to).
- #4: Decided to show you this video, created for another conference paper a couple of weeks ago. Nicole, has left institution, but technology has allowed us to capture her understanding. We thought that as FASTECH is a project which encourages others to use established technologies (and let’s face it, screencasting has been around for a long time, mass adoption is still an issue), it was appropriate that this was Nicole’s1st attempt.5 minute video covers:[Mentions Bex/Joelle to give more detail/context/current standing] £200k HEA, assessment across programmes = typical experience on course rather than 1 module at a time. Triangulate data Audit: qualitative, official docs, programme leader interviewed AEQ, developed by GG. Student feedback in class. Quantitative Focus groups - qualitative. 6 students, informal 1 hour chat. Case Study = written & delivered to programme. Time to discuss together what students are actually experiencing. TESTA methodology/website. 22 programmes. Now new programmes on Change Academy & Uni in Oz (20k students). Large numbers = more analytis, offers conversation spaces. NSS plagued by feedback/assessment issues. FASTECH = 15 programmes, 2 institutions. Problems ID’d in TESTA - looking to technology to solve pedagogic issues [Bex/Joelle to give more context/ examples].
- #5: FASTECH is a new JISC-funded project which builds upon this CoP, and starting with 15 core programmes, seeks to use standard technologies that have already been piloted to address the feedback & assessment problems identified in TESTA.It looks to draw on internal and external expertise,ensure fuller collaborative working across modules, identifying and incorporating individual processes, particularly those using technology, at a programmatic level…
- #6: What we’re particularly interested in in this presentation is considering the benefits of the programmatic approach, and we’ll be returning to TESTA, as we’re drawing on that experience heavily in FASTECH, but also on a project known as BODGIT (Bringing Organisational Development into IT) which was a 2010 JISC project I was involved in. With BODGIT, it was anticipated that in implementing a new IT system... ‘enhancing the learning experience of students’ through a blended learning approach would be an adequate driver for staff, but without recognition of the value of the time involved, enthusiasm was lacking. Lack of staff time, fears that time would be put into learning a piece of software that wouldthen be succeeded by others emphasised the need to demonstrate TYPE rather than specific products. The change wasn’t OWNED by those being asked to implement it, and when students weren’t pushing for it.
- #7: Often when we talk about using new technologies we talk about making things easier, and faster, for tutors, and these can certainly be long term benefits, although BODGIT demonstrated that introducing new technologies and initiatives call for significant changes in personal practice and - at least in the short run – for an increased workload. So, BODGIT noted that the arguments that count for staff “are those related to saving time (first), and improving the student experience (second).” and noted that if the original benefits are not convincing the approach needs adapting.
- #8: BODGIT identified the need to be clear about benefits to staff if they are to be actively involved, using a mix of media and face-to-face methods,and that these are not just about the practicalities,but also about the pedagogy, some of the reasons we’ve identified include: ● Personalise feedback ● Return feedback faster ● More detailed feedback ● Highlight specific areas ● Peer feedback ● Tutor-student dialogue ● Student collaboration ● Improve student effort ● Distribute student effort ● Encourage deep learning ● Student self-reflection ● Clarify goals and standards ● More authentic assessment ● Motivate students
- #9: See the quick list made by Graham Gibbs at one of our FASTECH meetings.
- #10: Stakeholder interests…. Who are we trying to ‘please’ whilst we’re teaching (managers, students, family, etc…) I’m seeing stakeholders as those people who have an interest in – or can have an impact on – your assessment & feedback in your teaching/learning. If you don’t understand who your stakeholders are – and how they feel – then successful implementation will be very hard. In the top part of the circle write the name of the stakeholder or stakeholder groupThen, for each stakeholder, try to identify a pithy phrase or strapline that captures their view of the project
- #11: For BODGIT – this was some of the straplines that came up regarding the implementation of conferencing software…
- #12: 5 minutes to work on this & feed in…. 1st ID stakeholders, then straplines…
- #13: Although FASTECH is about finding technological solutions to pedagogical problems, we have been clear that this project is not designed primarily for staff with technological expertise. Rather than using staff as ‘guinea pigs’ for new technologies, we are working with readily available technologies that have been tried and tested elsewhere, although the application may be different. FASTECH will run sessions, offered to programme teams, which introduces them to appropriate technologies, which will enable impact upon student learning, and allow staff also to develop and disseminate their research. Whereas the software implementation in BODGIT was an (unsuccessful) exercise in compulsion, with FASTECH we want to use and develop the technologies that are best suited to the needs of those on programmes, and that will be highly prized by the students on each programme.
- #14: The project recognises that there is a wide range of IT expertise among staff and students, and that particular fields of study have distinctive needs, traditions and interests when it comes to using technology. In 2004 Gibbs& Simpson published on 10 conditions of assessment & feedback which help students learn. I don’t have those, but what was important is that they framed these within a disciplinary focus. Both TESTA and FASTECH have/are focus on engaging programmes in the research process in order to bring about change. As Nicole indicated, it’s very easy in these ultra-pressurised times to just focus on your own modules, rather than taking the time to discuss and ensure a cohesive programme.
- #15: So, now to look at some the lessons learnt from TESTA, and the context that produced the issues that we’re now seeking to solve. The project arose at a time when there were quite a lot of questions about the impact that modularity had had on the coherence of university programmes, and particularly the impact that this had had on the shape, size & pedagogic rationale for assessment patterns. Learning appeared to have become a shallow experience, in which all student work had become linked to the an extrinsic grade, rather than any intrinsic motivation for learning. With semesterised modules the focus was on frequency of summative assessments, rather than upon their bigger meaning. TESTA looked to more integrated approaches to develop deep and ‘slow’ learning.
- #16: TESTA calls to the programmatic and opens up space for conversations among programme teams who often do not have the time, space, or reason to engage with each other in substantial cross-modular dialogue about pedagogy. The only other time programme staff are likely to get together is periodic review, but this tends to be about assembling ‘something resembling a coherent programme’, rather than on teams working together.
- #17: Despite talk of Communities of Practice, in reality few lecturers who have responsibility for teaching modules, and an interest in creating new/appropriate ways of doing things ... they get few opportunities to share their practice and shape the pedagogy of the whole programme. As Nicole demonstrated, TESTA involved listening, not telling, with debates covering quality, pedagogy, and academic structures, all within disciplinary contexts, and the result …
- #18: “...of this approach seems to be that lecturers are engaged and energised to tackle problems and implement locally-owned strategies.”
- #19: This demonstrates a participatory social process, rather than a managerial tool or part of the audit culture with performance measure. Tutors took ownership of teaching as the research data resonated with their experience & became more imaginative in what they were doing. TESTA produced structural changes to whole degree programmes, with stronger/longer strands which make more sense across the years. Assessment is more linked, there’s a better balance between summative/formative assessment, with a focus more on learning rather than testing. Aside from the question of type and usefulness of feedback, the three areas that FASTECH seeks to solve, using technology tools are student quantity of effort, their understanding of goals and standards, and encouraging deep learning. Through the use of a ‘Time on Task’ tool being developed we will be able to document the effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability of technology-supported change.
- #21: Any change involving new technologies ....will not be a single great act, but an accumulation of lots of events, activities and discussions over a period of time.Fee, K. Delivering E-Learning (2009) Delivering E-Learning: A complete strategy for design, application and assessment London: Kogan Page, p 40.
- #22: As we mentioned, TESTA has a strong Community of Practice, which it’s brought to the FASTECH party…
- #23: I’m part of the FASTECH team, and (along with others)we can now bring my expertise, and my community of practice … spread across my personal learning environment … into the debate….
- #24: As I engage with my personal learning spaces, so also do our students, in a more flexible learning system, which offers huge benefits beyond the classroom walls (free, open-source, vocational, experiential, and self-directed learning) …
- #25: … which of course leaves us questioning the purpose of formal education … we had the L&T day yesterday – and were questioning whether it’s about learning for learning, or whether it’s for employability, etc...
- #26: The Guardian had a big debate last year looking at student expectations of higher education.
- #27: AsBoud & Falchikov note: assessment affects people’s lives. Typical assessment practices are not preparing students for the rest of their lives....
- #28: … we’ve all had debates about the transition from A-Levels, and how we equip students with real life skills. If we take technology, universities tend to focus on purchased tools, rather than the ‘everyday’ tools that are used in ‘real-life’.
- #29: I’ve been teaching on the course Manipulating Media [which Marcus should just have spoken about], and that’s very much been the strategy (and partly why I’ve been brought on board, as I’m embedded in the social media world – personally AND professionally). We already KNOW that next year we will have to tweak this course to emphasiseeven more the difference between the two… as most did descriptive/personal blogs.
- #30: The course, which was re-developed from TESTA, has intensive lectures throughout, and then has worked very much on the formative feedback model – weekly consultancies which sought to move students to take responsibility for their own work, as they worked in groups – which they hadn’t chosen…
- #31: …and some of the most frequent feedback was that one of the key learnings from this year, was that when you work in the ‘real world’ people don’t always pull their weight, and with individual marking we saw them learnt to find ways round the weak links…. More positives here.. Note their understanding of criticality definitely needs to be developed (not the word they used).
- #32: Marcus has then developed this into the second year… 1.35
- #33: Successful processes are provided as case studies to enable those across the disciplines to benefit from the lessons learnt… I’ve learnt a bit more about video capture, and collected this. I like the ‘immediacy’ of these kind of case studies, and the enthusiasm that people have to share.. When people see things work, they want to piggyback on that (I’ve got a lot of people using blogs over the last couple of years!). 2.30 minutes.
- #34: To gain the other perspective on this … a focus group has already been undertaken with some of the other AMS students… general theme throughout the focus group was that they were worthwhile, but the quality of what was written was suspect….
- #35: Similar issue to what we have in Manipulating Media (but we don’t want to spoon feed them) … should be increasing their interest & their criticality! Very interested in the student voice here…
- #36: Just a little taste from the history focus group… re e-submission – a feeling that are benefits other than not having to walk across campus in having work returned electronically… later note re: webcam – “weird having tutor in your bedroom, in whatever form”.
- #37: So, as a part of FASTECH, we’ve employed a number of student fellows (they’re paid, but have been picked for the intrinsic interests) – and last week they had their training day [I wasn’t able to go, but can enjoy vicariously…) in Corsham – with all the rest of the team.
- #38: Those students are able to talk to each other via Facebook, share experiences, etc… So they are working within their discipline [and a couple of times 2 students have split the role as they recognise it’s more about CV experience, and shared ideas…] The only ‘tutors’ who have access are Joelle & Camille (and Nicole when she was here), so that they feel open….
- #39: … as we’d seen on the Manipulating Media group very effectively this year… last year = emails – no results, but this year one would write on Facebook… and a cascade of responses from the others (when they also answered each others queries)!
- #40: A Twitter account was set up on the day (increasing number of students are using this), and about to sit down and work out a proper strategy for this…
- #41: … but I liked this Tweet! The students talked ALL the way back from Bath about what they’d learnt that day – that seemed to speak volumes in itself!
- #43: Now, what’s a discussion without a few post-it notes… and there were plenty that day…
- #44: … and I’d like us to finish with another short exercise. Take a couple of minutes to note on post-it notes the different ways that you give learners feedback, and what else might also be influencing them…
- #45: … then paste to this diagram. We can do it on screen & take a photo… 5 minutes
- #46: The FASTECH website is currently being built, so in the meantime – this is where you can go for more Just Google FASTECH Winchester.