The University of Edinburgh Stargazing Group Collaboration in
The University of Edinburgh Stargazing Group Collaboration in an online environment Kevin Thompson Ultralab, Anglia Ruskin University ULTR∆L∆B Learning • Technology • Research Edinburgh 24 th November 2006
Society needs: BUT, based on what’s actually Collaboration tested in Technology examinations, society appears to Initiative need people who: • • Ability to find things out Sit, still, in silence Only write, with pen on paper Work alone Use memory, don’t search Forget
Extract from Father Guido Sarducci (Don Novello) from ‘Gilda Live!’ (1980) Warner Studios. Click me for video clip
Productivity v Creativity
The University of Edinburgh Stargazing Group Edinburgh 24 th November 2006 Four “Cs” of social tools: • Communication: instant messaging, e-mail, Web conferencing, streaming video and voice tools, and other messaging solutions • Coordination: calendaring, task and project management, contact management, and related technologies • Collaboration: file and application sharing, discussion, wikis, blogs and other shared-space technologies • Community: social networking, swarmth (digital reputation, also called karma or whuffie), group decision and other explicit community supports STOWE BOYD June 2004 http: //www. unmediated. org/archives/2004/06/stowe_on_social. php ULTR∆L∆B Learning • Technology • Research 9
The University of Edinburgh Stargazing Group Edinburgh 24 th November 2006 http: //en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Main_Page ULTR∆L∆B Learning • Technology • Research 11
The University of Edinburgh Stargazing Group http: //www. youtube. com/ Edinburgh 24 th November 2006 http: //video. google. co. uk ULTR∆L∆B Learning • Technology • Research 12
The University of Edinburgh Stargazing Group Edinburgh 24 th November 2006 Collaborative bookmarks http: //www. recap. ltd. uk/podcasting/archive. php http: //www. sandaigprimary. co. uk/radio_sandaig/index. php http: //www. stephenp. net/~stephenp/blog/ http: //wiki. org/wiki. cgi? What. Is. Wiki http: //www. furl. net/ or http: //del. icio. us/keltickev http: //www. digitaldivide. net/articles/view. php? Article. ID=378 http: //www. pandora. com http: //www. blogmusik. net/ http: //123. writeboard. com/ http: //www. last. fm (use scrobbling) ULTR∆L∆B Learning • Technology • Research 13
The University of Edinburgh Stargazing Group Edinburgh 24 th November 2006 User Generated content My. Space is an on-line network which enables people to edit their own homepage with their own pictures, music, stories and links to their friends homepages. It is not the only such network. 50 million people use Hi 5 and 22 million are on Bebo. 29 million find friends on Friendster. 12 million look for dates on Match. com. Over a third of all internet users have posted something they have created on the web. 700 million videos are viewed on You. Tube every week. The size of the blogosphere is doubling every 230 days. One million photos are up-loaded onto Flickr, the on-line photo album, every day. http: //www. conservatives. com ULTR∆L∆B Learning • Technology • Research 14
The University of Edinburgh Stargazing Group Edinburgh 24 th November 2006 this new generation has unlimited and unfiltered access to information of all sorts - from the most mainstream to most obscure. Their cultural landscape is "a seamless continuum from high to low, with commercial and amateur content competing equally" for attention. There is no distinction between the mainstream hit movie and the user-generated video, no difference between the award-winning newspaper columnist and the favourite blog site. George Osborne: Politics and Media in the Internet Age 21/11/06 ULTR∆L∆B Learning • Technology • Research 15
The University of Edinburgh Stargazing Group Edinburgh 24 th November 2006 http: //www. buzztracker. org ULTR∆L∆B Learning • Technology • Research 16
The University of Edinburgh Stargazing Group Edinburgh 24 th November 2006 Collaborative Art http: //artpad. art. com/gallery/ http: //artpad. art. com/? iv 54 t 2 ijyg 8 http: //artpad. art. com/? iv 54 xq 6 q 148 ULTR∆L∆B Learning • Technology • Research 17
The University of Edinburgh Stargazing Group Edinburgh 24 th November 2006 “The key to successful elearning is the use of technology for communication, dialogue and collaboration. Collaboration, it has been said, may be the single most important concept for online networked learning. ” (Paul Leng, “A Learning Experience”, 23. 06 http: //www. computing. co. uk/computing/analysis/2152612/learnin g-experience) In an online course, no one can hear you scream. http: //www. montgomerycollege. edu/Departments/st udevgt/onlinsts/disad. htm ULTR∆L∆B Learning • Technology • Research 18
The University of Edinburgh Stargazing Group Edinburgh 24 th November 2006 Learning with Technology • We are active, not passive learners! • Learning is increasingly collaborative action research ie observing, testing, reflecting and redesigning • The best use of computers is to design and solve problems • Information Communication Technology (ICT) not Information Dissemination technology (IDT) • Asynchronous communication gives us time to reflect, and to contribute in our own time • We thrive when authoring and annotating See also “Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants”-Marc Prensky http: //www. marcprensky. com/writing/Prensky%20%20 Digital%20 Natives, %20 Digital%20 Immigrants%20 -%20 Part 1. pdf ULTR∆L∆B Learning • Technology • Research 19
The University of Edinburgh Stargazing Group Edinburgh 24 th November 2006 Learning with Technology • “ Teaching in cyberspace involves more than taking traditional models and transferring them to a different medium • Institutions are rushing to get in on the distance learning craze, many for the wrong reasons. • The online environment is conducive to an interactive, collaborative, facilitated approach. • …. is seeking an active approach to learning and more involvement in the learning process itself. Not content with being taught to…. (s)he seeks to engage in a more collaborative learning partnership” See “Lessons from Cyberspace Classroom” - Palloff and Pratt http: //www. uwex. edu/disted/conference/Resource_library/proceedings/01_20. pdf ULTR∆L∆B Learning • Technology • Research 20
The University of Edinburgh Stargazing Group Edinburgh 24 th November 2006 Research challenge • Traditionally, research is carried out by research professionals… • …struggling with scientific objectivity, validity, reliability… • …results are published, later… BUT often too late, • …and may be particularly with e-learning applied by where technology practitioners and develops so fast policymakers ULTR∆L∆B Learning • Technology • Research 21
The University of Edinburgh Stargazing Group Edinburgh 24 th November 2006 Research could be: • Through community, online • By action enquiry • In the workplace AND you • Shared with other practitioners could acquire a degree • Discussed with ‘authorities’ qualification • Communicated directly to stakeholders ULTR∆L∆B Learning • Technology • Research 22
23
The University of Edinburgh Stargazing Group Edinburgh 24 th November 2006 • Three year degree, part time but full time • 100% online, no face-to-face • Validated at Anglia Ruskin University • Curriculum-free • Full of activity, negotiated learning ULTR∆L∆B Learning • Technology • Research 24
The University of Edinburgh Stargazing Group Edinburgh 24 th November 2006 http: //www. frappr. com/ultraversity • Action Researchers as Learning Facilitators • Technical research & development • Administration, support • Majority distributed around UK working from home • Ultralab base in Chelmsford, Essex near London ULTR∆L∆B Learning • Technology • Research 25
The University of Edinburgh Stargazing Group Edinburgh 24 th November 2006 Shared and exhibited • Results shared within community • Experienced experts ‘hot seat’ • Exhibition to stakeholders in third year • First 6 graduates Nov 2005 (APL) • 140 in July 2006 • Does it work? …. . 62 with First Class honours (44%) 57 with Upper Second Class classifications. (41%) So 85% with Firsts or 2. 1 s ULTR∆L∆B Learning • Technology • Research 26
The University of Edinburgh Stargazing Group Edinburgh 24 th November 2006 http: //www. aypwip. org/webnote/uvuclt ULTR∆L∆B Learning • Technology • Research 27
The University of Edinburgh Stargazing Group Edinburgh 24 th November 2006 Quotes from students (1) “At first I was very sceptical about the use of community for learning. I did not trust the concept of learning from other ‘ordinary’ people. I wanted my Learning Facilitator to validate all information for me. Soon I realised that these [students] were ‘extraordinary’ people, with a wealth of knowledge and especially experience among them. They were people who were conquering their struggle to juggle home, family, work and study and far from doubting their contribution to my learning I began to be in awe of their expertise. ” ULTR∆L∆B Learning • Technology • Research 28
The University of Edinburgh Stargazing Group Edinburgh 24 th November 2006 Quotes from students (4) “I still think this is the best opportunity of higher education I'm ever likely to have and the fact that it ties in with work makes it more interesting and certainly has changed my practice for the better. I find I question situations more and if things aren't working, I feel confident enough to suggest alternatives. ” ULTR∆L∆B Learning • Technology • Research 31
The University of Edinburgh Stargazing Group ULTR∆L∆B Learning • Technology • Research Edinburgh 24 th November 2006 33
The University of Edinburgh Stargazing Group ULTR∆L∆B Learning • Technology • Research Edinburgh 24 th November 2006 34
The University of Edinburgh Stargazing Group Edinburgh 24 th November 2006 Wi. Fi http: //www. freehotspot. com/index. htm Most of UK's 3, 000 hotspots are in pubs, and analysts estimate there will be over 70, 000 across Europe by 2008. ULTR∆L∆B Learning • Technology • Research http: //jiwire. com/ …today some 3 billion to 5 billion IMs are sent every day, a large proportion of them from teenagers, One major attraction: Unlike blogs or Web sites, they're usually free. http: //msnbc. msn. com/id/5404762 36
The University of Edinburgh Stargazing Group Edinburgh 24 th November 2006 e. Viva ULTR∆L∆B Learning • Technology • Research 39
The University of Edinburgh Stargazing Group Edinburgh 24 th November 2006 Eviva • Pupils use their own mobiles as and when they feel ready to take an assessment • Pupils are motivated and empowered by sharing their work in an online space. Exhibiting their work in an online portfolio appears to give pupils a sense of audience and to lift their expectations. • EVIVA encourages a dialogue about the learning process between teacher and pupil as well as between pupil and pupil • Teachers value having an online portfolio which is easily accessible and supports continuous assessment. • . EVIVA provides pupils with a forum or showcase for their work which helps their confidence. • During an ICT lesson there are lots of technical demands on the teacher which make 1: 1 dialogue with pupils difficult. The e. VIVA annotation facility offers an additional opportunity for teacher-pupil dialogue ULTR∆L∆B Learning • Technology • Research 40
The University of Edinburgh Stargazing Group Edinburgh 24 th November 2006 m. Learning m-Portal Is a learning community portal system designed to cater for potential users who have literacy and numeracy skills needs but who are outside of formal learning and who will exhibit different learning styles and preferences. ULTR∆L∆B Learning • Technology • Research 41
Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh Stargazing Group 24 th November 2006 m. Learning • It allows people to create their own microportal and visit the microportals of peers, tutors and mentors within the online community. They can access a range of other resources such as links to useful websites and also m-learning modules, linked to a learning management system and a virtual tutor agent. The range of tools at their disposal includes authoring templates and tools for creating chats, discussions and messages, thereby enabling them to engage in debate on their own terms, and affording opportunities for scaffolding each other's learning. ULTR∆L∆B Learning • Technology • Research http: //www. m-learning. org/vid_part 1. shtml 42
Heads Together • Pilot 2002: now Over 2000 Headteacher members • Private community (trust important) • Training given • Used for consultation by HMI etc • Hotseats • LTScotland in-house software now wanted elsewhere 2005 visits • I think Heads Together is one of THE best ways to keep a head teacher in touch with education and the "big picture" • I didn't really expect something so computer-based to have such a human touch. How reassuring and heartening it has been to talk to other heads with similar challenges. • What an impact (Heads Together) has had on some of our professional lives - difficult to see how we would manage without • It's the communication and the sharing of good ideas (as well as a superb set of colleagues!) that makes 'Heads Together' simply indispensable 43
The University of Edinburgh Stargazing Group Edinburgh 24 th November 2006 Key issues • Knowledge can come from practitioners • Learners can research & communicate • Community online can work, but must be facilitated • Widening participation is not watering down or devaluing what is learnt. ULTR∆L∆B Learning • Technology • Research 45
The University of Edinburgh Stargazing Group Edinburgh 24 th November 2006 Contact / links • Ultraversity - www. ultraversity. net • Ultralab - www. ultralab. net • Me - Kevin@ultralab. net ULTR∆L∆B Learning • Technology • Research 46
- Slides: 34