Situated learning via the STEMBy ALs For ALs
Situated learning via the STEM-By. ALs. For. ALs programme: Feedback from participating ALs over two phases of the programme Janet Haresnape, Senior Lecturer and Staff Tutor, LHCS Fiona Aiken, Staff Tutor, EEES Nirvana Wynn, AL, LHCS e. STEe. M Conference, 8 th April 2019
By. ALs-For. ALs programme of online events Aims and rationale Aims (i) To provide STEM ALs with opportunities to share good practice and hence improve their online interactions with their students (ii) To help strengthen the AL community in STEM Rationale (i) It provides a supportive environment in which ALs can exchange ideas and share practice (ii) ALs working remotely are likely to feel isolated, especially now that much tuition is delivered online (iii) Many HE Institutions now deliver online tuition and/or are located on multiple sites and/or are undergoing restructuring and/or employ hourly paid lecturers on insecure contracts. A programme such as this would be a valuable addition in any such institution 2
By. ALs-For. ALs programme of online events Key concepts • online staff development • peer learning • situated learning (Lave and Wenger, 1991) • communities of practice (Wenger, 1999) • online community 3
By. ALs-For. ALs programme of online events Phases of the programme Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 AL Cohort invited Dates Online Sessions room used Science ALs (approx. 500) STEM ALs (approx. 1500) Feb 2015 – Jun 2016 OU Live 12 Oct 2016 - Jul 2017 OU LIve 10 Oct 2017 – Jul 2019 Adobe Connect 18 By. ALs-For. ALs is a tutor-led programme: ALs submit suggestions for a session – on anything they think would be of interest to other STEM ALs, and the programme is put together from the submissions received. 4
Phase 1 Title of Session Date Sharing best practice in marking Tutor marked assignments (TMAs) in science Feb 2015 Making online tutorials a positive experience for science students (OU Live tips) Mar 2015 What could a MOOC and a bit of money do for you as a science tutor? Apr 2015 Supporting geographically dispersed student groups May 2015 Managing student expectations – retention and progression of science students Jun 2015 Informal drop-in session Oct 2015 HEA recognition via the independent route Dec 2015 Tutorial design – linking theory with practice Feb 2016 Supporting and motivating science students – the key role of tutors Mar 2016 Managing online student group projects in science Apr 2016 Making reasonable adjustments for science students with additional requirements May 2016 Helping students engage with online module materials in the Science Faculty Jun 2016 Sessions with particularly good feedback are shown in bold 5
Phase 2 Title of Session Date Getting to grips with breakout rooms Oct 2016 Developing techniques for online tutorials Nov 2016 Use of BOCs (badged open courses) and MOOCs (Future. Learn) to support OU students in Dec 2016 STEM Motivating learners with video Jan 2017 Individual support sessions – what works well for our STEM students? Feb 2017 Helping students engage with online module materials in the STEM Faculty Mar 2017 20 ways to engage your students Apr 2017 Adobe Connect to deliver STEM tutorials: maximising advantages and avoiding pitfalls May 2017 The use of evaluations as low cost and valuable ‘research’ activities, particularly in Health May 2017 Sciences Supporting students with autism on OU modules in the STEM Faculty July 2017 6
By. ALs-For. ALs programme of online events Participation data – phases 1 and 2 Number of tutors who signed up, attended and accessed recording for each session Number of tutors Phase 1 Science tutors OU Live 60 50 54 45 46 43 39 40 38 Signed up 39 25 21 20 38 33 20 16 20 19 12 11 7 10 19 5 TMA OU Live tips MOOC Supporting Managing marking tips experience dispersed… Student… 14 7 20 16 10 17 10 Informal drop-in session HEA recognition 14 13 5 4 90 Tutorial design 16 8 11 Motivating Online group Adjustments Engaging Students projects for AR online students 81 80 75 70 Number of tutors Phase 2 STEM tutors OU Live Accessed recording 34 30 0 Attended 60 57 50 40 44 33 30 36 34 32 31 27 20 43 41 39 38 31 26 17 14 26 26 26 20 17 16 13 13 13 10 0 16 13 3 Breakout rooms Online tutorial BOCs and techniques MOOCs Motivating with video Signed up Individual Engaging with Engaging support online students sessions materials Attended Adobe Connect Evaluations as Students with research autism Accessed recording 7
By. ALs-For. ALs programme of online events Feedback: Participants surveyed after each session: Phase 1: 115 respondents (response rate 41%) 6 of the first 9 presenters 7 of 13 identified regular participants Phase 2: 82 respondents (response rate 27%) Quantitative analysis - Respondents reported: Useful or very useful Enjoyable or very enjoyable Met or surpassed expectations Were likely to participate in future Phase 1 95% 94% 87% 97% Phase 2 86% 96% 82% 97% 8
By. ALs-For. ALs programme of online events Feedback continued: Qualitative analysis (using NVivo) – Themes to emerge: Sharing – opportunity to share practice/enhance skills and/or pick up tips and ideas from other tutors Situated learning Peer learning Community – participation helped participants to identify as part of a community (especially from phase 1) Community of practice Empowering – felt stimulated, One hour invested; many hours saved in the future Very nice to have the opportunity to hear other ALs experiences and feel more part of a community inspired, enriched or empowered having participated Reassuring – felt reassured, encouraged or renewed enthusiasm having participated It was really reassuring to see that my practice was in keeping with that of other ALs. 9
By. ALs-For. ALs programme of online events: Feedback continued Percentage of respondents whose free text comments related to particular themes Percentage of respondents 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Sharing Community Empowering Reassuring Theme Phase 1 - Science ALs Negative comments Thank you Phase 2 - STEM ALs 10
By. ALs-For. ALs programme of online events: Feedback continued Programme was particularly valued by some newly appointed ALs, who became regular participants Until recently, I hadn't met a single soul from the OU (I was recruited online for an online course) and so the chance to find out the thoughts of other ALs was invaluable It was really useful as a new tutor for picking tips on distance and online tutoring and hearing opinions of tutors in other disciplines……. others also have low numbers (of students attending tutorials, so) it’s not personal Useful to experience use of online room from learner perspective Realised how disorientating it can be when the tutor moves you back and forward in breakout rooms 11
Phase 3 Title of Session Referencing and avoiding plagiarism - helpful hints and top tips Online Tutorials - making reasonable adjustments for students with sensory impairment TMA feedback - sharing our ideas! Review and discussion of student-facing information and advice in preparing for examinations, EMAs etc Online students in distress - A Tutor’s Casebook Unlikely Student Success Stories Engaging with students in secure accommodation Supporting students for examinations, EMAs, revision, resits and resubmissions Working together to improve the student and tutor experience Encouraging students to talk in online tutorials – what works? The other side of the coin: studying with the OU as an AL Online Christmas party for STEM ALs Using the polling options in Adobe Connect - A secret ballot? OU research projects - What worries students and how we can help Collaborating in online tutorials with Google Docs Flipped learning in an OU context Mapping the future (& past); the potential of Digimap Date Oct 2017 Nov 2017 Feb 2018 Mar 2018 Apr 2018 May 2018 Jun 2018 Sep 2018 Oct 2018 Nov 2018 Dec 2018 Jan 2019 Feb 2019 Mar 2019 April 2019 May 2019 12
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Successes to date The STEM-By. ALs-For. ALs Programme: • provides friendly, supportive environment in which STEM ALs can share practice, tips and ideas – in the same environment that they use for tutorials – hence in an authentic setting (Situated learning environment, Lave and Wenger, 1991) • provides reassurance and can be empowering • hence helps ALs improve their online interactions with students • helps ALs feel less isolated - helps to nurture community cohesiveness among STEM ALs – Community of practice. • has been particularly welcomed by some newly appointed ALs – helps them to integrate into the community • is an additional staff development opportunity for ALs (attendance is added to ALAR) • provides a way for ALs to expand their skills portfolio, by presenting a session (presenters are paid 1 DL day) 14
Challenges ahead Programme has had limited reach within the STEM Faculty: More presenters and participants are from Science than from the rest of STEM Phase 1: 20 % of Science ALs participated (>100 in total) Phase 2: 17% of Science ALs (84), and only 8% of ALs from the rest of STEM (81) Possible reasons: • Science ALs are more familiar with the programme, since it started in the Science Faculty • Regular online AL Staff Development briefings been held for Science ALs since 2014, so they are more used to attending such online events Moving forward: Staff Tutors from across STEM are regularly reminded to promote the programme to their ALs Now have a Staff Tutor and an AL assistant from E&I helping to run the programme Currently exploring possibility of introducing a similar programme in other Faculties at the OU. 15
Grateful thanks to: Nicola Mc. Intyre – for help getting the programme established All the AL presenters: Fiona Aiken, Sonia Bussey, Mark Campbell, Paige Cuffe, Sarah Daniell, Andy Diament, Jenny Duckworth, Kate Fox, Catherine Halliwell, Janet Haresnape, Christine Heading, Isabella Henman, Katharine Jewitt, Friday Jones, Olivia Kelly, Jane King, Harriet Kopinska, Aoife Mac. Cornac, Susan Matthews, Fi Moorman, Nick Morley, Susan Morris, Patrick Murphy, Karen New, Kay Saunders, Rianne ten-Veen, Peter Thomson, Janette Wallace, Tom Wilks, Helen Wilding, Nirvana Wynn Current programme organisers: Rupesh Shah and Barbara Jones, who now help alongside Janet Haresnape and Nirvana Wynn ALSPD – for financial support for the programme 1 16
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