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Effective Practice in a Digital Age
A guide to technology-enhanced learning and teaching
JISC supports UK further and higher education and research by providing
leadership in the use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT)
in support of learning, teaching, research and administration. JISC receives
funding from all the UK further and higher education funding councils.
The aim of the JISC e-Learning programme is to enable UK further and
higher education to create a better learning environment for all learners,
wherever and however they study. Its vision is of a world where learners,
teachers, researchers and wider institutional stakeholders use technology
to enhance the overall educational experience by improving flexibility
and creativity and by encouraging comprehensive and diverse personal,
high-quality learning, teaching and research.
www.jisc.ac.uk/elearningprogramme
Effective Practice
in a Digital Age
Further information
For further information about JISC’s work on technology and
pedagogy, contact:
Sarah Knight
JISC e-Learning Programme Manager
JISC Innovation Group
University of Bristol
3rd Floor, Beacon House
Queen’s Road
Bristol BS8 1QU
Email: info@jisc.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)117 331 0789
For alternative and accessible formats of this publication,
visit: www.jisc.ac.uk/practice
For details of resources associated with this publication,
visit: www.jisc.ac.uk/resourceexchange
To request further copies of this publication, register your
details at: http://survey.jisc.ac.uk/digitalage
For information about the JISC e-Learning programme, visit:
www.jisc.ac.uk/elearningprogramme
To join the JISC e-Learning programme mailing list, email:
JISC-ELEARNING-INFO@jiscmail.ac.uk
Disclaimer
Please note that the content of this publication includes the findings of
recent JISC-funded studies and the outcomes of institutionally based
initiatives and is not necessarily indicative of JISC policy. References to
products, websites and other resources are for guidance only and do not
constitute an endorsement of such resources. The contributors and JISC
can accept no liability for loss or damage arising from reliance on any
advice provided in this publication.
Copyright
These works have been issued under a Creative Commons Attribution
Non-Commercial No Derivative Works 2.0 UK: England and Wales. The
publication and associated resources may be copied in their entirety
without charge for use in an educational context. However, extracts may
not be quoted without acknowledgement of the source and the content
may not be sold or used by way of trade, or altered or adapted without the
express permission of the copyright holder.
The copyright of this publication is held by the Higher Education Funding
Council for England (HEFCE) on behalf of JISC.
© HEFCE, 2009.
Preparing for practice in a digital age 45
Effective practice planning activity 46
Conclusion 49
Key principles for designing
technology-enhanced learning 51
Glossary 52
References 54
Sharing effective practice 56
Effective Practice Resource Exchange
supplementary online resources 56
Acknowledgements 57
Contents
Introduction 5
Context 6
Starting point 8
e-Learning = enhanced learning 8
Defining effective practice in a technology-rich context 8
Writing about practice 9
Designing for learning 10
Approaches to learning 10
Learning activity design 12
Learning activity design in context 14
Understanding practice in a digital age 17
Choosing pathways 18
Case studies 20
Technology-enhanced practice 40
Technology-enhanced learning 42
‘The future is not a result of choices among alternative paths offered by
the present, but a place that is created – created first in the mind and
will, created next in activity. The future is not some place we are going to,
but one we are creating. The paths to it are not found but made, and the
activity of making them changes both the maker and destination.’
John Schaar, American writer and scholar and Professor Emeritus, University of California
‘It’s no use going back to yesterday because I was a different
person then.’
Lewis Carroll
5
1 JISC Learner Experiences of e-Learning theme, www.jisc.ac.uk/learnerexperience
Introduction
Effective Practice in a Digital Age is designed for those in
further and higher education whose focus is on designing
and supporting learning: academic staff, lecturers,
tutors and learning support staff, facilitators, learning
technologists and staff developers. What unites this diverse
group is their interest in enhancing the quality of learning
and teaching, and a curiosity about how technology can
assist them.
Much has changed since the publication of Effective Practice
with e-Learning (JISC, 2004) – the first edition of this guide.
National strategies for e-learning have now formally
recognised the importance of technology in learning, teaching
and assessment in all sectors of education in the UK, and in
response many institutions have embedded the enhancement
of learning and teaching through technology into their
strategic missions.
As revealed by JISC research,1 the social context in which
learning takes place has also changed, and in ways that were
not foreseen in the early part of the 21st century. Learners
are increasingly dependent on technology to help them fit
learning into their complex, demanding lives. Ownership of
personal technologies – from computers to mobile devices
– is now pervasive, and use of the internet, including Web 2.0
technologies, is commonplace.
Many learners expect to be able to access their personal
technologies in institutional environments, and to personalise
technologies provided for them by institutions. Flexible access
to resources with opportunities for formative assessment
and feedback are considered essential to support learning.
Equally important is the ability to extend communicative and
collaborative activity beyond the classroom.
For practitioners, the rapid adoption of technology presents
many challenges but, by the same token, rich opportunities
for enhancing their practice. Rather than replacing the
teacher, technology has in many ways increased the focus
on pedagogic skills. The art of the practitioner as
instigator, designer and animateur remains key to the
process of learning.
Effective Practice in a Digital Age, like its predecessor, is a
guide for those who seek to understand better how to
integrate technology into their teaching. The focus is primarily
on institutionally based blended practice, while recognising
that in some cases learners may be studying partially or
wholly at a distance and/or engaged in self-directed
collaborative learning as part of a taught curriculum.
Further information
Effective Practice in a Digital Age combines the outcomes of
research with examples of current practice. To reflect the
different starting points of readers, the case studies are
divided into colour-coded sections to indicate the different
degrees of access to technology and institutional support that
practitioners may experience. Definitions of acronyms and
technical terms are provided in the glossary.
The publication can be ordered in hard copy or downloaded in
PDF and accessible text-only formats. In addition, a number
of supplementary resources are available online in the
Effective Practice Resource Exchange, including video clips,
podcasts and extended versions of the case studies. All
resources associated with this publication can be downloaded
for use in educational contexts.
www.jisc.ac.uk/practice
www.jisc.ac.uk/resourceexchange
Considerable investment over the last decade and a half by
UK universities and colleges suggests that the link between
technology and the enhancement of learning and teaching is
well established, yet research over the last five years
indicates that the relationship between pedagogy and
technology is not as simple as it first appears.
There is no doubt that learning and teaching in the sector
now largely occurs in contexts rich in technology. The UCISA
Technology Enhanced Learning surveys have charted the
progress made by UK universities between 2005 and 20082
towards technology-enhanced learning. The 2008 survey
results, for example, indicate that software tools for
e-assessment, e-portfolios, blogs, wikis and podcasting are
now often centrally supported alongside a Virtual Learning
Environment (VLE), revealing the depth of UK universities’
response to the national e-learning strategies produced
from 2005 onwards.
Technology is also now deeply embedded in the lives of
learners. Over eight in ten learners surveyed for the 2008
Becta report Survey of FE learners and e-learning3 had access
to a computer in the home, with the majority also benefiting
from broadband connection to the internet. 62% of
respondents stated they found it ‘essential’ to use a computer
to study, and around three-quarters felt ‘quite confident’ or
‘very confident’ when using technology for tasks associated
with learning. A parallel study4 into the expectations of
potential university entrants, commissioned by JISC
from Ipsos MORI, further underlines the confidence with
which younger learners embrace technology and the
correspondingly high expectations they have of using
technology, including Web 2.0 technologies, in higher
education.
As a result of the pervasiveness of technology, the term
‘e-learning’ has come under scrutiny. Personal ownership of
technologies coupled with access to social software means
that all kinds of learning-related activity can potentially be
e-enabled; e-learning can no longer be viewed as a purely
institutionally based or narrowly defined set of activities.
The 2009 revision to the HEFCE e-Learning Strategy, as a
consequence, focuses not so much on e-learning as a
specialist area as on the broader aim of ‘enhancing learning
and teaching through the use of appropriate technology’.
The concept of e-learning is thus becoming subsumed into a
wider discussion of how learning can be enhanced by more
effective and far-reaching uses of digital technologies.
Yet technology-enhanced learning remains a source of
concern for institutions.5 This finding may reflect the extent
to which supporting such practice makes demands on
institutional resources, but also suggests a need to
understand better how to design and support learning
involving technology. Access, especially to the internet and
Context
6
social software, may have increased, but this does not mean
that technology is always used to its best advantage, either by
teachers or learners.
Research6 commissioned by JISC and the British Library into
the use of technology for research in higher education, for
example, warns that, despite their familiarity with computers,
learners lack the critical and evaluative skills required to
interpret information found online. The second phase of the
JISC Learner Experiences of e-Learning programme,
reporting in 2009, also highlighted the need to support
learners in developing digital literacy skills. In response, JISC
programmes of research are focusing on learning literacies,
course design and approaches to delivery in order to explore
further what learning and teaching in a digital age entail.
The skill of the practitioner remains key to the effectiveness of
learning – an unchangeable factor in a context of rapid
change. However, practitioners now need to understand how
to draw advantage from an increasingly diverse range of tools
and media and select the most suited to their purpose; the
appropriate integration or blending of technology-mediated
activities with face-to-face learning and teaching is an
important dimension of 21st century practice. When designing
learning, practitioners must also be aware of the impact of
technology on the way learners learn and make explicit for
them the most effective learning strategies.
To further understanding of how technology may be best
used in support of learning and teaching, Effective Practice in
a Digital Age combines the work of individual innovators in
institutional contexts with knowledge gained from
JISC-funded programmes of research into the pedagogic
potential of technology and into the factors involved in
technology-mediated practice.
7
JISC has been at the forefront of research and innovation
in technology-enhanced practice. Ongoing and recently
completed programmes of research include:
g Institutional Approaches to Curriculum Design7
– reviewing how course design and validation can be
informed by technology (2008–2012)
g Transforming Curriculum Delivery through Technology8
– investigating more flexible and creative models of
delivery (2008–2010)
g Open Educational Resources9 – supporting the open
release of learning resources (2009–10, in conjunction
with the Higher Education Academy)
g Learner Experiences of e-Learning – exploring how
learners experience and participate in technology-rich
learning (completed in 2009)
g Learning Literacies for a Digital Age10 – researching
into the competencies required for learning in a digital
age and the support available to learners (completed
in 2009)
g Design for Learning11 – exploring how designing
learning and the development of planning tools can be
informed by effective pedagogic practice (completed
in 2008)
‘Our primary focus is on the enhancement of learning and teaching: this
drives our approach. Technology supports this enhancement goal, and is
therefore a factor in the development of effective learning, teaching and
assessment strategies.’
Enhancing Learning and Teaching Through the Use of Technology: A revised approach to HEFCE’s strategy for e-learning
(HEFCE, 2009)
2 www.ucisa.ac.uk/publications/tel_survey
3 http://tinyurl.com/qs2vuv
4 www.jisc.ac.uk/publications/publications/studentexpectations
5 www.ucisa.ac.uk/members/surveys/tc/tc2008-9/tc0809_ranked
6 www.jisc.ac.uk/media/documents/programmes/reppres/ggworkpackagei.pdf
7 www.jisc.ac.uk/curriculumdesign
8 www.jisc.ac.uk/curriculumdelivery
9 www.jisc.ac.uk/oer
10 www.jisc.ac.uk/whatwedo/projects/elearningllida
11 www.jisc.ac.uk/designlearn
8
Defining effective practice in a technology-
rich context
Effective practice can be defined as employing a range of
pedagogic skills to bring about the best possible learning for
the widest variety of learners. This process undoubtedly
draws on specialist skills and knowledge but in a digital age
must also include the ability to ‘design, plan and orchestrate
learning activities which involve the use of technology as part of
a learning session or programme’.12
The technology-rich context of UK further and higher
education provides much scope for thoughtful combinations
of technology and traditional face-to-face practice in both the
design of learning activities and of the wider curriculum.
In addition to specialist electronic equipment required by
particular subject disciplines, an institution is likely to provide
learners with 24/7 access to a VLE and to computers in
sufficient numbers to meet demand for online learning.
Portable devices, such as laptops, digital cameras and other
handheld devices may be available on loan, while a variety of
presentational technologies, such as interactive whiteboards,
video conferencing facilities, electronic voting systems and
display screens for distributed teaching, enhance many
teaching environments. Furthermore, practitioners may
choose to integrate Web 2.0 technologies and services
available over the internet, where institutional policies allow.
Technology-enhanced practice is also likely to encompass
a wide spectrum of activities: from supporting traditional
practice to blended learning (the combination of traditional
and e-learning practices) to learning that is delivered
entirely online.
Starting point
e-Learning = enhanced learning
‘e-Learning’ is still widely used to refer to the application
of technology to learning. However, the term ‘technology-
enhanced learning’ is gaining favour since it emphasises
how technology adds value to learning by enabling:
g Connectivity to information and to others
g 24/7 access to learning resources
g Greater choice over the time, place and pace of study
g Alternative modes of study: distance, blended
work-based, partially or wholly campus-based
g Knowledge-sharing and co-authoring across
multiple locations
g Opportunities for reflection and planning in personal
learning spaces
g Rapid feedback on formative assessments
g More active learning by means of interactive
technologies and multimedia resources
g Participation in communities of knowledge, inquiry
and learning
g Learning by discovery in virtual worlds
g Development of skills for living and working in a
digital age
12 Beetham, H. (2008) Review: Design for Learning programme phase 2,
www.jisc.ac.uk/designlearn
9
The application of technology will not, as a result, be focused
on any one mode of delivery – for example, distance or remote
learning – but will be part of the mainstream provision for
all learners.
Neither will the focus be solely on learning in formal contexts.
The technology-enabled lifestyles of 21st century learners
ensure that learning can also be accessed via their own
personal choice of tools, ranging from mobile phones, MP3
players and handheld games consoles, to free online chat and
telephony, social networking and media-sharing websites.
Designers of learning in a digital age must therefore
recognise that personal, informal technologies are likely to
play a role in learners’ strategies for learning; learners with
specific learning needs and disabilities may even depend on
being able to access familiar software and hardware without
which their ability to learn is reduced.
Despite the increased breadth of technology-enhanced
learning, the key principles behind effective learning
and teaching still apply: whatever the technology or mode
of delivery, learning should be the key objective, and
pedagogy rather than technology should drive the decision-
making – whether the process takes place at the level of
the individual practitioner devising activities or sessions
or involves the work of a team or teams in remodelling
a curriculum.
In brief, effective practice in a technology-rich context
comprises a skilful combination of long-established and
more innovative strategies in order to engage and empower
learners and make learning more accessible, participative
and rich.
Writing about practice
The aim of this guide is to provide an introduction to
designing and facilitating learning that involves the use
of technology.
Terms relating to practice can vary widely across the
further and higher education sector. In general
discussion, this guide uses the broadly based term
‘practitioner’ to cover the wide variety of roles involved
in delivering and supporting learning, but this is replaced
by the widely accepted term ‘tutor’ when specific
examples of practice are described as, for example,
in the case studies.
‘Learner’ has been adopted as the generic term for those
undergoing a process of learning, and in the further
education case studies, where ‘learner’ is often used by
tutors when referring to their students. In the higher
education case studies, ‘learner’ is replaced by ‘student’
as the more commonly used term in that sector.
‘Design for learning’ is used throughout to refer to the
complex processes by which practitioners devise,
structure and realise learning for others.
‘I’m still learning and still don’t see myself as a technical person, but I
can see how all this makes a difference. That’s what motivates me to
keep learning.’
Clare Treganowan, Greenwich Community College e-guide and course coordinator, Access to Nursing
10
Approaches to learning
Before considering what is different or special about
designing learning activities that incorporate technology, we
must first explore what is understood about learning itself.
Designing for learning is likely to take place within the context
of a preferred pedagogical approach, which in itself will be
derived from a perspective on the nature of learning. It is
possible to identify three broad perspectives: the associative,
constructive and situative perspectives. (The constructive
perspective can be further subdivided by focus.) Each of these
perspectives makes fundamentally different assumptions
about how learning occurs, as seen in Table 1, which also
gives the identifying features and pedagogies associated with
each perspective.
A perspective may have a particular accord with certain
subject disciplines, categories of learner, or sets of values
about what is important in learning. However, it is also likely
that across a programme of learning more than one
perspective will be adopted. It is quite possible, for example,
that the design of a course, module or unit of learning will
contain activities that reflect associative, constructive and
situative approaches. It could even be argued that successful
learning depends on integrating approaches associated with
more than one perspective into the design.
Thus different perspectives and associated pedagogies should
not be seen as being at odds with one another. All three
perspectives place activity as central to learning – whatever
the context of learning, learners need opportunities to
reinforce their understanding and put newly acquired
knowledge and skills into action. And no one pedagogical
perspective (or combination of perspectives) is more or less
likely to involve technology, as is shown in the illustrations of
practice in the case studies in this publication.
Clear understanding of the approach or approaches to be
taken and the underpinning perspective on learning enables
the practitioner to make more appropriate decisions about the
role that technology-enhanced practice, or any other strategy,
will play in the design.
Designing for learning
Learning and teaching in a digital
age are being profoundly altered
in a wide variety of contexts by
the additional potential offered
by technology.
‘It has been observed that the use of ICT fosters a more “planful” and even
“design-like” attitude on the part of practitioners, who suddenly have to
make explicit many aspects of their practice that would emerge ad-hoc in a
live learning and teaching environment.’
Beetham (2008)
11
Perspective Assumptions Associated pedagogy
Associative perspective Learning as acquiring competence
Learners acquire knowledge by
building associations between different
concepts.
Learners gain skills by building
progressively complex actions from
component skills.
• Focusoncompetences
• Routinesoforganisedactivity
• Progressivedifculty
• Cleargoalsandfeedback
• Individualisedpathwaysmatchedto
the individual’s prior performance
Constructive perspective
(individual focus)
Learning as achieving understanding
Learners actively construct new ideas
by building and testing hypotheses.
• Interactiveenvironmentsfor
knowledge-building
• Activitiesthatencourage
experimentation and discovery
of principles
• Supportforreectionand
evaluation
Constructive perspective
(social focus)
Learning as achieving understanding
Learners actively construct new ideas
through collaborative activities and/or
dialogue.
• Interactiveenvironmentsfor
knowledge-building
• Activitiesthatencourage
collaboration and shared
expression of ideas
• Supportforreection,peerreview
and evaluation
Situative perspective Learning as social practice
Learners develop their identities
throughparticipationinspecic
communities of practice.
• Participationinsocialpracticesof
enquiry and learning
• Supportfordevelopmentof
learning skills
• Dialoguetofacilitatethe
development of learning
relationships
Table 1: Defining approaches to learning13
13 Adapted from Mayes, T & De Freitas, S (2004)
12
Learning activity design
A practitioner has several issues to consider when designing
an activity to engage learners and further their development.
Figure 1: A model of learning activity design illustrates these
issues more fully. In practice, the elements of design are
closely interrelated, but the model can be used as a
checklist to ensure that all four aspects have been
considered and brought into alignment with each other
and with the underpinning approach to learning.
Learners:
Their needs, motives for learning, prior experience of
learning, social and interpersonal skills, preferred learning
styles and expectations of the course and of the practitioner.
Intended learning outcomes:
The purpose behind the learning activity; internal or external
goals and targets. In learner-centred approaches, intended
outcomes will be strongly determined by learners’ own goals
or by learners’ needs as diagnosed by a practitioner. In
curriculum-centred approaches, formal outcomes will be
more significant.
Learning environment (face-to-face or virtual):
Physical and virtual spaces; available resources, tools,
artefacts and services (including digital ones). Tools and
artefacts are said to ‘mediate’ learning and the ways in which
aspects of the environment support learning are sometimes
called their ‘affordances’ for learning.
Other people (co-present or mediated through technology):
Other people involved and the specific role they play in the
interaction – for example, by supporting, challenging or
guiding. Peers and collaborators are powerful mediators of
learning and play an important role in supporting learners.
Within the context of any activity, the interaction between
these factors will be dynamic and unequal. The decisions
that underpin design in any particular context will involve a
range of mediating tools and resources and a variety of
interpersonal exchanges, and will be influenced by the
practitioner’s perceptions of the learners’ needs and the
intended outcomes. It is unlikely, therefore, that the
interaction and the decisions made will be the same in
all circumstances.
Essential to the enhancement of learning through technology
is an understanding of the learning activity in its context,
including the role of established tools and practices alongside
more innovative approaches. Educational theory can help to
define approaches that ought to work; educational research
can help to describe approaches that seem to work, but only a
skilled and reflective practitioner can decide which approach
will work best in a given context. The complex art of choosing
the best approach is termed ‘design for learning’.
Alearningactivityisaspecicinteractionoflearnerswithothers,using
specictoolsandresources,orientedtowardsspecicoutcomes’
Beetham (2008)
13
A model of learning activity design
Figure 1: A model of learning activity design (Beetham, 2007)
Learning environment
Tools, resources; affordances of the
physical and virtual environment
Other people
Peers, tutors, facilitators,
mentors, instructors
Learners
Preferences, needs,
motivations; skills,
knowledge, abilities;
modes of participating
Intended
learning
outcomes
Acquisition of new
knowledge, skills and
abilities; evidence
of these
Activity
Interaction of learner(s)
with environment
leading to planned
outcomes supported
by other people
in specific roles
Interaction between
learners and aspects of
the learning environment
Interaction between
learners and others
involved in the activity
Impact of learning
environment on
learning outcomes
Roles others play in
facilitating learning
outcomes
14
design stage at one level place demands on, or are
constrained by, what occurs at another level. Taking the
session level as an example, the intended outcomes are often
inherited from the design of the whole course, but are also
constrained by the availability of appropriate resources
(or learning objects) or by what is possible given the nature
of the learners and the learning environment.
Since designing for learning in an institutional context is
likely to be a collaborative rather than a solitary process,
the model may be used to consider roles, relationships and
team interactions.
Practitioners designing learning activities for learners, for
example, may be able to generate their own learning objects
Learning activity design in context
Designing learning activities takes place in real academic
contexts in which any particular activity is likely to form
part of a wider set of decisions involving the design of
programmes, modules, sessions and individual resources.
Figure 2: Designing for learning in an institutional context
proposes four stages or levels at which design decisions
are likely to be made:
Designing courses, programmes or modules of learning:
A process of designing for learning can be initiated by the
introduction of a new course, programme or module, by
updating existing curricula (introducing, for example,
learner-centred or blended learning approaches) or by
changes to the assessment framework.
Designing sessions, lessons or units of learning: Session
design involves breaking down the curriculum into episodes of
learning in order to determine the detail of how learning will
be delivered and assessed.
Designing activities: Within a session, a practitioner is likely
to devise a number of tasks or learning activities – the things
that learners actually do when following the curriculum.
Designing learning objects: Reusable items of digital content
may be needed as part of the activities devised for learners.
In learner-centred approaches, the role of the practitioner is
likely to facilitate the development of content by learners as
they construct their own understanding of the topic, rather
than to develop content for learners.
The four levels are, to a greater or lesser extent,
interdependent on each other, since decisions taken at the
15
Figure 2: Designing for learning in an institutional context14
(Beetham, 2009)
14 Adapted from Beetham, H (2008)
Course design
Session planning
Activity design
Learning object design
to support these activities (such as podcasts or quizzes) but
the development of more complex resources is likely to
involve the skills of expert ‘others’ such as learning
technologists, web designers and multimedia developers. The
availability of skilled support for learning object development
or session delivery will be part of the decision-making at the
course design level, revealing the interdependence of one tier
of decision-making on another in an institutional context.
The ten case studies in the next section illustrate how
practitioners have designed meaningful learning experiences
for their learners within particular institutional and discipline-
specific contexts. These examples illustrate design decisions
at some or all of these levels.
Combine technology-enhanced options with the best of established
practice and the practitioner has greater capacity to create meaningful
and transformative learning experiences.
17
Understanding practice in a digital age
The search for effective pedagogies is of key importance
since exciting learners’ interest, retaining them on courses
and enabling successful completion and progression are as
vital to institutions and practitioners as they are to learners,
but is it possible to identify features of effective technology-
enhanced practice? What can the experiences of others
tell us?
Outcomes from the Design for Learning15 and Learner
Experiences of e-Learning16 themes of the JISC e-Learning
programme offer some insights.
Extended access and choice: Learners benefit from choosing
when, where and how they learn. Technologies that enable
learners to manage the pace, time and place of their learning
add real value to the experience of learning.
Exploration and inquiry: Technology can widen learners’
access to information and facilitate learning in a range of
environments. However, technology-based strategies add
to rather than replace the best of established practice;
face-to-face learning, where possible, remains of great
importance to learners.
Communication and social interaction: In the world of work,
learners are likely to collaborate with others – for example,
through shared knowledge-building and the exchange of
ideas. Web 2.0 technologies offer innovative opportunities for
learners to collaborate and interact, and to develop evaluative,
reflective and critical thinking skills.
Replicating the real world: Skilful management of digital
resources can help replicate the scholarly or workplace
practices associated with a profession or vocation. Using
technology to reproduce real-world practices can bring
learning to life and build learners’ confidence as they develop
professional skills.
Digital literacies: Technology does not in itself bring about
successful learning. Learners in the main still depend on
their tutors, mentors or facilitators to guide their use of
technology for educational purposes. Even ‘net generation’
learners may need direction and support in identifying the
most effective and appropriate strategies for using technology
in learning.
Creativity and responsiveness: Bespoke learning experiences
that involve well-judged, timely and sometimes innovative
decisions about which technology to use, and how to integrate
that technology with established practice, can still maximise
learning potential.
The case studies that follow reinforce these findings.
What also emerges is the uniqueness of each design; the
interaction occurring between the key factors in Figure 1:
A model of learning activity design – learners, learning
environment, learning outcomes and others who play a
significant role in the realisation of the design – produces an
individual response born out of the practitioner’s ability to
successfully assess and manipulate the factors involved.
Institutions and practitioners are at different stages in their
adoption of technology and so the case studies reflect three
levels of response: firstly, where the practitioner opts for
technologies that are manageable with minimal help
from others; secondly, where the practitioner can call on
internal and external support to effect change or develop
resources and, thirdly, where the practitioner is able to
innovate within a highly resourced environment.
15 www.jisc.ac.uk/designlearn
16 www.jisc.ac.uk/learnerexperience
18
Choosing pathways
Which pathway shall I take?
Pathways Case study Summary Learners and learning context Associated learning goals Themes Technologies
I prefer simple-to-
use technologies.
Case study 1
Building a learning
community
Dispersedgroupsoflearnersacquire
peer-to-peer support via an online
community facilitated by a tutor.
Work-based foundation
degree learners; online and
campus-based learning
Construct knowledge; share
and discuss ideas
Active,collaborativelearning
Flexible access to self-paced, self-managed learning
Clarifying the role of overlapping technologies
Wiki, VLE
Case study 2
Engaging learners in
criticalreection
Assessedblogginghelpstoengage
students in more challenging
academic topics.
Undergraduate campus-based
learners; blended learning
Explore new concepts; critically
review own and others’ work
Active,collaborativelearning
Flexible access to self-paced, self-managed learning
Assessmentoflearning
Securityandmaintenanceofcontent
Blog, VLE
Case study 3
Making assessment a
learning experience
Digitalaudiorecordingsofferamore
personal and potentially less time-
consuming method of giving feedback.
Undergraduate and
postgraduate campus-based
learners; blended learning
Understand learning objectives;
reectonoutcomes
Assessmentoflearning
Improving the quality of feedback
Digitalaudio
I can draw on the
support of others to
take up a challenge.
Case study 4
Blending digital with
face-to-face learning
Online resources such as videos and self-
assessment quizzes provide a more varied,
exibleandengaginglearningexperience.
Level 3 campus-based
learners; blended learning
Practiseskills;construct
knowledge and test
understanding
Adaptingandreusingcontent
Flexible access to self-paced, self-managed learning
Supportingchangethroughacommunityofpractice
Multimedia interactive
resources on a VLE
Case study 5
Supportinglearningin
authentic environments
Multimedia resources on mobile devices
enable learners to enter more effectively
into an established community of practice.
Undergraduate campus-based
learners; mobile learning
Reinforceknowledgeandskills;
construct knowledge and test
understanding
Flexible access to self-paced, self-managed learning
Mobile learning
iPodtouch,VLE
Case study 6
Redesigningthe
curriculum
Factual information delivered via podcasts
enables face-to-face sessions to be more
interactive.RapidfeedbackviaanEVS
enables learners to self-assess.
Undergraduate campus-based
learners; blended learning
Organise own learning; build
and test theories; reinforce
knowledge and understanding
Flexible access to self-paced, self-managed learning
Assessmentoflearning
Managed Learning Environment
(MLE), podcasts, electronic
votingsystem(EVS)
Working in a
highly resourced
environment
I can push the
boundaries.
Case study 7
Preparingstudents
for a digital world
Learners develop critical and professional
skills through use and evaluation of
Web 2.0 technologies.
Undergraduate campus-based
learners; blended learning
Create and innovate; present
and discuss; critically evaluate
own and others’ work
Exploration of the digital self; learner-generated content
Securityandmaintenanceofcontent
Web 2.0 technologies: wiki,
blog, media-sharing
websites
Case study 8
Rethinkinglearning
resources
Scenario-basedonlinelearningresources
support the acquisition and assessment of
professional and theoretical skills.
Undergraduate campus-based
learners; blended learning
Link theory to practice; explore
and evaluate performance in
role; solve problems
Sharingandreusingcontent
Flexible access to self-paced, self-managed learning
Scenario-basedmultimedia
resources in a VLE
Case study 9
Enabling autonomous
learning
Afree-standinge-portfoliotoolprovides
continuing access to an online personal
spaceforreectionandpersonal
development and planning.
HNC work-based learners;
online and campus-based
learning
Learn through experience; plan,
reviewandreectonlearning
Clarifying the role of overlapping technologies
Flexible access to self-paced, self-managed learning
e-Portfolioandpersonal
learningsystem:Pebblepad
Case study 10
Holding tutorials in a
virtual world
Tutorial activities in a virtual world offer
a greater sense of immediacy for
distance learners.
Undergraduate distance
learners; online learning
Negotiate learning goals;
explore concepts; solve
problems; create and innovate
Active,collaborativelearning
Flexible access to self-paced, self-managed learning
Exploration of the digital self
Multi-user virtual
environment (MUVE):
SecondLife
19
Pathways Case study Summary Learners and learning context Associated learning goals Themes Technologies
I prefer simple-to-
use technologies.
Case study 1
Building a learning
community
Dispersedgroupsoflearnersacquire
peer-to-peer support via an online
community facilitated by a tutor.
Work-based foundation
degree learners; online and
campus-based learning
Construct knowledge; share
and discuss ideas
Active,collaborativelearning
Flexible access to self-paced, self-managed learning
Clarifying the role of overlapping technologies
Wiki, VLE
Case study 2
Engaging learners in
criticalreection
Assessedblogginghelpstoengage
students in more challenging
academic topics.
Undergraduate campus-based
learners; blended learning
Explore new concepts; critically
review own and others’ work
Active,collaborativelearning
Flexible access to self-paced, self-managed learning
Assessmentoflearning
Securityandmaintenanceofcontent
Blog, VLE
Case study 3
Making assessment a
learning experience
Digitalaudiorecordingsofferamore
personal and potentially less time-
consuming method of giving feedback.
Undergraduate and
postgraduate campus-based
learners; blended learning
Understand learning objectives;
reectonoutcomes
Assessmentoflearning
Improving the quality of feedback
Digitalaudio
I can draw on the
support of others to
take up a challenge.
Case study 4
Blending digital with
face-to-face learning
Online resources such as videos and self-
assessment quizzes provide a more varied,
exibleandengaginglearningexperience.
Level 3 campus-based
learners; blended learning
Practiseskills;construct
knowledge and test
understanding
Adaptingandreusingcontent
Flexible access to self-paced, self-managed learning
Supportingchangethroughacommunityofpractice
Multimedia interactive
resources on a VLE
Case study 5
Supportinglearningin
authentic environments
Multimedia resources on mobile devices
enable learners to enter more effectively
into an established community of practice.
Undergraduate campus-based
learners; mobile learning
Reinforceknowledgeandskills;
construct knowledge and test
understanding
Flexible access to self-paced, self-managed learning
Mobile learning
iPodtouch,VLE
Case study 6
Redesigningthe
curriculum
Factual information delivered via podcasts
enables face-to-face sessions to be more
interactive.RapidfeedbackviaanEVS
enables learners to self-assess.
Undergraduate campus-based
learners; blended learning
Organise own learning; build
and test theories; reinforce
knowledge and understanding
Flexible access to self-paced, self-managed learning
Assessmentoflearning
Managed Learning Environment
(MLE), podcasts, electronic
votingsystem(EVS)
Working in a
highly resourced
environment
I can push the
boundaries.
Case study 7
Preparingstudents
for a digital world
Learners develop critical and professional
skills through use and evaluation of
Web 2.0 technologies.
Undergraduate campus-based
learners; blended learning
Create and innovate; present
and discuss; critically evaluate
own and others’ work
Exploration of the digital self; learner-generated content
Securityandmaintenanceofcontent
Web 2.0 technologies: wiki,
blog, media-sharing
websites
Case study 8
Rethinkinglearning
resources
Scenario-basedonlinelearningresources
support the acquisition and assessment of
professional and theoretical skills.
Undergraduate campus-based
learners; blended learning
Link theory to practice; explore
and evaluate performance in
role; solve problems
Sharingandreusingcontent
Flexible access to self-paced, self-managed learning
Scenario-basedmultimedia
resources in a VLE
Case study 9
Enabling autonomous
learning
Afree-standinge-portfoliotoolprovides
continuing access to an online personal
spaceforreectionandpersonal
development and planning.
HNC work-based learners;
online and campus-based
learning
Learn through experience; plan,
reviewandreectonlearning
Clarifying the role of overlapping technologies
Flexible access to self-paced, self-managed learning
e-Portfolioandpersonal
learningsystem:Pebblepad
Case study 10
Holding tutorials in a
virtual world
Tutorial activities in a virtual world offer
a greater sense of immediacy for
distance learners.
Undergraduate distance
learners; online learning
Negotiate learning goals;
explore concepts; solve
problems; create and innovate
Active,collaborativelearning
Flexible access to self-paced, self-managed learning
Exploration of the digital self
Multi-user virtual
environment (MUVE):
SecondLife
20
Challenge
For learners studying partially at a distance and combining
their studies with work and family commitments, such as
those following foundation degree programmes, becoming
part of a learning community can be as important to their
progress as the availability of learning resources.
e-Learning advantage
Wikis enable groups of learners based in different locations
to collaborate on the research and production of assignments.
A wiki is an online resource that is easily created and updated
and, since its content depends on the activity of the group, a
wiki can build a sense of community among its users.
In this example, a wiki tool is used alongside the college’s
Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), Learnwise, to support the
coursework module on a foundation degree programme, each
tool having a slightly different purpose: the VLE carries static
resources relating to the whole course and is used most
heavily during revision periods, while the wiki supports
module-related activity such as the development of
coursework and the dynamic exchange of ideas. The
community that develops on the wiki discussion forum
provides vital peer-to-peer support – learners post research
findings that might be of interest to other members of the
community as well as comment on their own progress, thus
helping to build the knowledge of the whole community.
Tutors also contribute, making the wiki the focal point for the
module. At the start of the week, tutors upload resources in
preparation for sessions during learners’ one day a week
attendance in college. An increasing number of learners
log on to review these resources immediately before a
face-to-face session so that they can participate more actively
when in class. Discussions started in class are likely to be
continued on the wiki discussion forum during the week,
showing the value of a wiki in supporting a dispersed group
of learners.
Building a learning community
Northumberland College
What is a wiki?
A wiki is a series of web pages which users can add to or
edit via any internet browser. Wikis used for collaborative
activities can be password protected to restrict entry to
members of an online community, and can include a
discussion forum and facilities for user tracking and
access controls.
Case studies of technology-enhanced practice
1
Background
Northumberland College offers a two-year foundation degree
in hairdressing and salon management in partnership with
the University of Derby. Students, who attend college for one
day a week, come from a wide geographical area and combine
their studies with work in the industry.
Transforming practice
Theresa Thornton, e-learning champion at Northumberland
College, sets up a password-protected wiki for each new
cohort of foundation degree learners to support collaboration
on research during the production of a coursework module.
The wiki gives essential information relating to the module,
but its primary purpose is to provide learners with personal
pages on which to develop their coursework, supported by a
discussion forum. Learners are able to view each other’s
personal pages – in fact they are encouraged to do so –
although exchange of comments and ideas can only occur
on the discussion forum.
The forum plays a vital role in supporting learners’ progress.
Everyone knows by email alert when a comment or query
is added and this simple reminder of being part of a
collaborative team adds to the powerful sense of community
that is generated by the wiki:
‘You can see learners moving to support someone who had
been absent with suggestions and general advice. I don’t
think they did that in the same way before we introduced
the wikis...’ Theresa Thornton, e-learning champion,
Northumberland College
Tutor contributions are vital, particularly while the
community’s ground rules are being established. Theresa
adds her own profile to the wiki to situate herself within the
learning community and emphasises the importance of a
tutor’s willingness to participate in discussions: ‘Learners
can learn from your comments to other learners.’ However,
a tutor may also contact learners personally by email –
for example, to offer unseen support to learners
experiencing difficulties.
Evaluations have showed that learners are comfortable with
using different tools for different purposes, but some have
found the wiki simpler to use than the VLE as it involves ‘fewer
clicks to get to what you want’. There has been no evidence that
learners are unable to gain access to the wiki outside college;
those without a home computer have used community venues
such as public libraries to connect to the internet.
‘Being able to access the wiki at any time of day is imperative, as most
of us use our computers at anti-social times! Thanx for being great
mates everyone!’
Louise, foundation degree student, Northumberland College
Final word
Peer-supported learning is more likely to occur if learners
feel at ease with the tools they use, but clear instructions are
needed about the security of content hosted outside the
institutional network.
See also the video clip: Relating research to practice
www.jisc.ac.uk/resourceexchange
For detailed case studies, visit www.jisc.ac.uk/practice
Key points for effective practice
g A wiki can establish a sense of community and task
ownership. The usefulness of sharing ideas on a wiki
increases if the tutor contributes, but avoids taking
charge.
g Learners’ confidence in and access to IT can vary, so
the choice a tutor makes from available technologies
should take into account learners’ lifestyles and
learning preferences.
The following three case studies illustrate how practitioners have utilised
readily available technologies to enhance and extend learning.
21
22
Challenge
Tutorials and seminars are part of the culture of a
research-led university, yet students are often ill prepared
to take advantage of the opportunities afforded by
small-group teaching. Less confident students avoid taking
part while stronger contributors tend to dominate
face-to-face discussions. Tutors may have no knowledge
before a tutorial or seminar of how well learners have
understood a topic, nor can they assess in advance which
strategies to use to sustain discussions.
e-Learning advantage
Blogging is a well-established vehicle for personal
reflection and commentary, although less frequently used
under assessed conditions. Nonetheless, blogging can play
an effective part in the delivery of formal curricula. In this
example, a VLE-based blogging tool has been used to
enhance the dynamics of tutorials and seminars and to
improve the consistency of students’ engagement with
more challenging elements of the curriculum.
In this example, reflective blogging, carrying 10% of the total
assessment, has replaced an assessed oral component on
some courses. Students are aware that commenting on each
other’s blogs is assessed and so contribute readily. However,
there have been other positive outcomes from the activity,
notably greater confidence in undertaking critical evaluations.
Students who, for example, dislike open discussion or have
imperfect written skills are able to prepare their comments in
advance before pasting them into the blog. Normally reticent
students feel more able to contribute, even to challenge
others unseen in a blog. Hence a deeper level of discussion
develops – both on the blog and in the subsequent
face-to-face sessions.
Tutors have also found advantages. By monitoring postings
on the blog, they have better knowledge of how students are
progressing and can assess in advance how to approach
face-to-face sessions: ‘You hit the ground running, so the level
of discussion... is at a much deeper level.’ Tutor
Engaging learners in critical reflection
University of Edinburgh
What is a blog?
A blog (web log) is an online reflective journal in which
other internet users can post comments. Blogging tools
integrated into VLEs allow access to be restricted to
members of a closed group (for example, a course,
module or tutorial group) to support formal
learning activities.
Case studies of technology-enhanced practice
2
23
Background
Students on courses in the University of Edinburgh’s School
of Divinity include undergraduates on four-year MA (Hons)
degree courses and postgraduates following a taught Masters
programme. Following successful trials commencing in 2005,
the School of Divinity has used blogging as part of a wider
blended learning strategy to develop skills of critical thinking
and reflection.
Transforming practice
An assessed blog on a text of the week has been introduced
on some courses. (A course at Edinburgh is the equivalent of
a module.) Each week a student takes up the role of blog
writer to provide a commentary on a selected document or
historical text, while the remaining students comment on the
blogger’s analysis. Because the aim is to develop critical
thinking skills, students are asked to avoid agree/disagree
responses, but instead to pose questions, point out omissions,
correct false premises or challenge preconceived ideas.
To enable everyone to gain confidence, a more colloquial
style of writing is encouraged (although text speak and
abusive language are ruled out). All students participate in
introductory sessions in the university computer labs and are
supported, post induction, by how-to guides on the VLE.
Evaluation of the scheme has involved tutors as well as
students. Feedback reveals that undergraduates are
especially enthusiastic about blogging – they find the tool easy
to use and are engaged and stimulated by taking part: ‘It’s
great fun! Encourages everyone to contribute each week’... ‘[It]
pump-primes discussion – gets ideas going.’ Student comments
The blogging exercise enables students to prepare for a
tutorial or seminar at their own pace, yet also imposes a
discipline: ‘I start thinking and [can] see other people’s
arguments before the tutorial – I’m better prepared.’ Blogging
may also help students prepare for written assignments by
enabling them to take incremental steps towards expressing
opinions and challenging others’ viewpoints.
From the tutors’ perspective, there have also been clear
advantages. Group blogging helps to unite a diverse body
of students and makes it easier to identify individuals’
difficulties. The quality of discussion on the blogs is often
high, with more competent students raising the performance
of weaker students, and contributions made as part of these
discussions can later become aids for revision. The time
involved in monitoring blogs has not proved excessive – in
fact, the blogging activity may have reduced the time spent
supporting students experiencing difficulties.
‘Taking part in the blogging exercise has been helpful ... [It] gives your
brain the right to have your own thoughts.’
Clare, undergraduate divinity student, University of Edinburgh
Final word
Trials with postgraduate students, in which the blogging
activity was not assessed, were less successful. It is possible
that students view blogging as an additional burden if it is
not an assessed component of a course.
See also the video clip: Responding to learners
www.jisc.ac.uk/resourceexchange
For detailed case studies, visit www.jisc.ac.uk/practice
Key points for effective practice
g Assessed blogging can help to engage students in
more challenging academic topics.
g Integrating comments from the blog into tutorial
discussions extracts full value from the activity:
a course blog should be central rather than
peripheral to a course.
24
Challenge
Assessment and feedback have been cited by students as
the least satisfactory aspects of their university experience
(National Student Survey 2008). Assessors also record
dissatisfaction with the time spent in giving feedback and
the low level of response their comments elicit. Against this
background, the JISC-funded Sounds Good project17 set out
in 2008 to establish whether feedback by digital audio files
could make an improvement.
e-Learning advantage
The outcomes of the Sounds Good project have been largely
positive. In comparison to written feedback, most tutors found
that audio recording took the same amount of time or less.
The quality of feedback also improved – the opportunity to add
further examples and/or more detailed explanations was
likely to give students a more supportive and meaningful
experience of assessment.
Approximately 90% of students responded positively to
receiving audio-recorded feedback. Although some students
stated they would prefer a combination of written and audio-
recorded comments, most found audio feedback more
personal and relevant to their needs. Some also understood
better why a particular mark had been awarded.
Audio feedback was especially helpful for those students
for whom English is a second language, and some dyslexic
students also found the audio option beneficial. When
students expressed dislike of the approach, it was often due
to the length of recordings: ‘... if they are too long, you tend to
switch off and miss information.’
Digital audio files, like any pedagogical tool, need to be used
appropriately: the most likely application is when detailed,
time-consuming feedback is normally given. Audio feedback
may not be a ‘magic bullet’ solution for all assessment issues,
but is likely to provide a more personal, accessible and
relevant experience for students. It may also in some
circumstances save staff time.
Making assessment a learning experience
Leeds Metropolitan University
What is digital audio?
Digital audio files enable sound information to be stored
or played on a computer or mobile device and shared
electronically with others. A digital audio recorder that
records to MP3 format and has a USB port to upload files
to a computer is one option. Another is to download audio
recording and editing software such as Audacity®.
Case studies of technology-enhanced practice
3
17 www.soundsgood.org.uk
25
Background
National Teaching Fellow Bob Rotheram, based at Leeds
Metropolitan University, has explored the use of audio feedback
on students’ assignments in the Sounds Good project.
Transforming practice
Tutors volunteering for the project were recommended to
select coursework-based modules on which formative and
summative feedback is normally given.
The selected modules included a Level 1 sports-related
module which involved a laboratory report written in a
scientific format. This provided an additional opportunity to
use audio recording – because many first-year students have
little experience of writing formal scientific reports, they
benefit from feed-forward guidance via audio file, as well as
feedback on their completed work.
Using Audacity sound-recording software, the sports science
team produced three files: the first recording noted points
of importance and common pitfalls when writing scientific
reports, the second explained the assessment framework and
the third gave feedback on the individual’s work. The team
then held a face-to-face group session to ensure that all
students had grasped the rationale behind the marks they
had received.
The approach taken by the sports science team was highly
praised in student evaluations. From everyone’s perspective,
time spent in developing the feed-forward files, which could
be used again and again, had been well spent:
‘It [sound recording] was always there: they [students] could
use it as a template, go back to it time and time again.’
Dr Steve Cobley, senior lecturer in sport, exercise and
physical education, Leeds Metropolitan University
Most tutors who took part in the trial have continued to give
feedback by audio. Where recording sound files initially took
longer, tutors recognise that their skills will improve over
time. Tips include keeping the assessment criteria on hand
to refer to while recording, jotting down key words as
prompts, and using the pause button to record feedback
in stages.
Where briefer feedback is needed, or where tutors can
type as fast as they speak, there may not be a significant
advantage. However, by helping students understand better
what is required of them, audio files may still save time in
the long run.
‘AsIamdyslexic,thishashelpedmebecauseInditeasiertolisten
than to read.’
Michael, sports science student, Leeds Metropolitan University
Final word
Students need sound cards, speakers, access to email or
the VLE and suitable software to play back digital audio files.
However, in case of difficulty, the VLE can become a holding
place for feedback, with links rather files being emailed
to students.
For detailed case studies, visit www.jisc.ac.uk/practice
Key points for effective practice
g Feedback is essential to student learning. Providing
feedback in different media reinforces the message
and gives students a more personal learning
experience.
g Administrative approval should be obtained if audio
files are used to give comments and marks on
summative assessments.
26
Challenge
Many learners on the first year of a two-year course – such
as the Level 3 CACHE (Council for Awards in Children’s Care
and Education) diploma course in child care and education –
experience difficulties in making the transition between
different levels of study. Unit 2 of the CACHE diploma at
Greenwich Community College is studied part way through
the first year and requires learners to demonstrate skills in
assessing a child’s development alongside knowledge of
theories and government policy. Initially, learners – typically
school leavers with limited prior experience – found the
unit challenging.
e-Learning advantage
In this example, the course tutor drew on institutional support
to create and adapt resources for a course site on the VLE to
give learners more control over the pace, timing and location
of their learning.
Developing a course presence on a VLE has many advantages.
Online resources extend learning beyond the classroom.
Learners are better able to take a more active role in
managing their learning – for example, by accessing learning
materials at a time or in a place convenient to them, testing
their knowledge and receiving feedback via online quizzes,
and gaining support from discussion forums and blogs, now
commonly integrated into VLEs.
Schemes of work located on a VLE make the structure and
learning objectives of a course more transparent to learners.
Links to online resources within a scheme of work provide
additional opportunities to develop or reinforce learners’
skills and conceptual understanding. Additional resources
can be included to extend the potential of stronger learners
and support the progress of less able learners.
The initiative at Greenwich had a notable impact in the
classroom. Whereas previously the CACHE diploma classes
were dependent on PowerPoint® presentations, a livelier
variety of digital and face-to-face activities has enhanced
the experience of learning.
Blending digital with face-to-face learning
Greenwich Community College
What is a Virtual Learning
Environment (VLE)?
A VLE is an online system comprising a range of tools
to support learning and the management of learning.
For example, VLEs provide online access to learning
resources and support peer-to-peer and learner-to-tutor
communication.
Case studies of technology-enhanced practice
4
Background
As part of the JISC-funded eLIDA CAMEL18 project, tutors at
Greenwich Community College have developed sequences of
activities based around resources on the college’s VLE, known
locally as LEO – Learning Online. Tutors have worked within a
community of practice, with additional support from the college
e-guides – skilled members of teaching staff supported by
college management to champion e-learning initiatives.
Transforming practice
CACHE diploma lecturer Clare Boucher began by seeking
help from an e-guide to locate, adapt or create digital
resources. Using a team approach that combined pedagogical
expertise with technical skills, resources have been devised to
match course objectives, in particular focusing on making
difficult aspects of the curriculum more accessible.
The resources have been integrated into an online scheme of
work, which enables learners to manage their own progress
on the course. However, significant changes have occurred
during the face-to-face sessions – with the online resources
in place, new learning sequences have developed that blend
digital with face-to-face activities. For example: using an
online forum on LEO, questions are posed before a class to
seed debate and prepare learners for the next day’s session.
Self-assessment quizzes are used as reinforcement activities,
both during a class (on an interactive whiteboard) and after a
class (on the VLE), and the outcomes tracked to provide a
record of learners’ progress. Video clips, embedded into
PowerPoint presentations, enable learners to extend their
understanding through discussion before testing their
child-assessment skills.
Learners have responded positively to the variety of digital
and face-to-face strategies. Now that the unit is being taught
for the second time, there is also a stronger sense of benefit
‘I really feel that if other subject[s] were put on in this way it would help
withthesubjectsthatsomestudentsnddifcult.’
Sarah, CACHE child care and education learner, Greenwich Community College
Final word
Expert colleagues acting as mentors can be vital in the early
stages of adoption of new techniques. The best mentors may
not necessarily be those with the greatest IT skills – what
matters is their approachability and willingness to share
their knowledge and expertise.
For detailed case studies, visit www.jisc.ac.uk/practice
Key points for effective practice
g e-Learning content frequently requires adaptation for
use in another context. Helping tutors to resource
their courses appropriately is as important as
developing their ICT skills.
g Skilful combinations of online resources and
face-to-face activities can promote independent,
self-directed learning.
for tutors, including a noticeable shift in the locus of control
between tutor and learner:
‘I feel this has provided learners with a much more positive
learning experience. Because they can interact with the
materials, it’s become part of their own learning. The learners
run with it, and we facilitate their learning. It all makes more
sense now.’ Clare Boucher, lecturer, CACHE Diploma in Child
Care and Education, Greenwich Community College
The availability of online learning resources has not
diminished the importance of the tutor’s role; designing and
supporting different sequences of activity provide as much
evidence of a tutor’s expertise as does the ability to transmit
information.
The following three case studies illustrate how specialist expertise within
an institution can support more complex e-learning initiatives.
27
18 www.jisc.ac.uk/whatwedo/programmes/elearningpedagogy/elidacamel
28
Challenge
Some aspects of professional and vocational training must
take place in real-life contexts – it is only by learning in
authentic contexts that students are able to experience the
cultural and professional practices of their chosen fields.
Through real-life interactions, for example, students
develop the complex interpersonal, ethical and professional
skills they need in the workplace. However, learning on the
job must not place students or their clients at risk.
e-Learning advantage
To help undergraduates develop professional expertise in
sports-related professions, video tutorials demonstrating
procedures followed in tests or treatments have been created
at Southampton Solent University with the assistance of a
centralised university support team. The tutorials are
formatted to play on commonly used mobile phones as well
as on an Apple® Mac® or PC and, for the purposes of the pilot
scheme, on an iPod touch®.
Mobile devices enable learning to be timely, spontaneous
and flexible: the voice of a tutor talking through a set of
procedures not only instils confidence at the point of need but
also ensures that training can translate safely into effective
professional practice. Multimedia resources such as video
tutorials are also valuable for students with poor memory or
time management skills, or those who have a visual learning
preference, and thus have application in a range of contexts
and across the full spectrum of educational provision.
A mobile device can, however, open up opportunities that
extend beyond a purely associative approach to learning.
Students at Southampton Solent have also used the iPod
touch for self-directed exploratory learning activities – for
example, accessing resources on the university’s VLE,
myCourse, or browsing the internet from any Wi-Fi-enabled
location. Students taking part in the pilot recorded
satisfaction with the performance of the device in all aspects
of their learning, and their marks were on average higher
(although not significantly so) than those of other students.
Supporting learning in authentic
environments Southampton Solent University
What is an iPod touch?
An iPod touch is a pocket-sized media player and Wi-Fi
mobile platform designed for viewing multimedia
productions. Like the iPod, the touch provides access
to online resources in multiple locations, including
academic content available free via the iTunes U service.
Case studies of technology-enhanced practice
5
Background
The BSc (Hons) degree in applied sport science at
Southampton Solent University prepares students for roles
associated with participation and performance in sport.
Students’ ability to carry out procedures competently and
ethically forms the basis of their professional accreditation by
the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES).
Students practise their professional skills by testing athletes
at the university or by working with patients referred for
treatment by general practitioners, physiotherapists or
chiropractors. Client safety is of high importance, and students
must work at all times within the BASES code of conduct.
Transforming practice
Resources that can be played on handheld devices provide
the benefit of just-in-time learning – students in workplace
contexts learn by doing and need training materials that are
accessible at the point of need. Flexible access to key
elements of learning enhances all students’ professional
competence, and may even improve the performance of
weaker students.
The iPod touch proved well suited to this context. Student
feedback shows that watching the video tutorials on an iPod
touch compared well with doing so on a desktop computer.
Most students found it easy to use the iPod touch to locate
and open resources on the VLE, including text-based
resources. The Wi-Fi functionality of the iPod touch also
opened up some new learning strategies, providing
opportunities for:
• Short-termresearchorrevisioninresponsetoan
immediate need
• Accessinglearningresourcesin‘deadtime’suchas
during breaks or while travelling
‘Our aim is to give students exposure to real patients and clients while
theyarelearning–thereisnobetterwaytolearn.Partofourfunctionis
to prepare students for the outside world.’
Dr Stewart Bruce-Low, senior lecturer in applied sport science, Southampton Solent University
Final word
The iTunes U section of the Apple music downloading service
is prompting academics and universities in Europe and the
USA to make and distribute free video and audio material for
use on iPods – for example, lectures by leading experts. This is
a further potential role for an iPod or iPod touch in education.
See also the podcast: Learning with mobile
technologies www.jisc.ac.uk/resourceexchange
For detailed case studies, visit www.jisc.ac.uk/practice
Key points for effective practice
g Multimedia resources accessible on mobile devices
support situated learning and provide opportunities
for reinforcement and revision.
g Video tutorials can level the playing field for students
with some disabilities and those dependent on a
visual learning style.
• Reinforcementofnewlyacquiredknowledgeandskills
• Sociallearning–theiPodtouchenablesstudentsto
access resources in any Wi-Fi enabled context including
social environments.
The video tutorials have been produced internally to a
professional standard for use on a variety of platforms,
including an iPod touch, and key learning resources such
as PowerPoint presentations and lecture notes have been
reformatted and exported as PDF files for use on a small
screen. To sustain use of the video tutorials beyond the pilot
scheme, an iPod touch may be added to the list of essential
equipment – including tracksuits and textbooks – that
students taking a sport science degree at Southampton
Solent University are required to buy.
29
30
Challenge
Wider participation in higher education and a greater
diversity in students’ educational backgrounds have made
it difficult for tutors to assess the quality of learning in
large-group contexts; lectures delivered to large groups
present challenges when it comes to identifying and
supporting students with specific needs. Students have
limited opportunities to interact with one another or to check
their understanding of a topic.
e-Learning advantage
A blended learning approach – one that combines established
ways of learning and teaching with the affordances of
technology – can introduce opportunities for interactivity
and self-directed, self-paced learning. In this example, the
curriculum for a module taken by students preparing for work
in the health and emergency professions has been redesigned
to take advantage of technology-mediated learning. Podcasts
and small-group activities, some involving the use of
electronic voting systems, have replaced lectures to enable a
more agile response to students’ needs and to introduce a
more active and constructivist approach into the design of
learning activities.
The podcasts carry the theoretical and factual knowledge
required by students but, unlike face-to-face lectures, can
be accessed from any location, paused and replayed as
necessary. RSS feeds alert students to the availability of new
podcasts, so that, by using computers on campus or their own
personal technologies, students can learn at a time and in a
place convenient to them.
The podcasts are released before rather than after a
face-to-face session to enable students to prepare in
advance. Evidence suggests that many students appreciate
the flexibility this offers them and spend longer with the
content of a podcast – for example, replaying the presentation
or researching recommended links – than the two-hour
lecture the podcast replaces. The face-to-face session then
follows up on questions that students’ deeper engagement
with the theoretical content has generated – podcasts often
conclude with tasks and prompts for further research.
Redesigning the curriculum
University of Hertfordshire
What is a podcast?
A podcast is a recording, for example of the content of a
lecture, made available for download from a website or
VLE by syndication – a process of making content
available to other sites by means of RSS feeds.
Case studies of technology-enhanced practice
6
Background
The School of Health and Emergency Professions at the
University of Hertfordshire offers a BSc (Hons) course in
diagnostic radiography and imaging. Students have 24/7
access to resources such as podcasts on the university’s
Managed Learning Environment, StudyNet, a personalised
portal to course information and learning resources.
Transforming practice
Until 2006, the module on anatomy, physiology and pathology
for imaging on the BSc (Hons) course in radiography was
delivered in two two-hour lectures which provided the only
face-to-face contact that this large cohort of students had
with their tutors.
With the help of colleagues in the Blended Learning Unit,
tutor Jenny Lorimer has split the content of the first two-hour
lecture into shorter sections and recorded these as MP3 files
to accompany a PowerPoint presentation. Students’ needs
when assimilating unfamiliar content are considered
throughout. An initial slide in each presentation gives a list of
terms and concepts that may be new to the student. The next
slide gives an overview of key concepts. At this stage, the
recording pauses and students are advised to take the
opportunity to familiarise themselves with the new terms and
concepts. The presentation is similarly divided into sections of
around 20–30 minutes to enable students to take a break
before continuing.
The combined presentations and podcasts are uploaded to
StudyNet a week in advance of the second two-hour session,
now redesigned as a sequence of face-to-face, small-group
activities. During this session, students rotate in groups to
undertake three or four different activities – for example,
testing their recall of the newly acquired anatomical and
‘I felt I could do more to improve the quality of the students’ experience.
Ijustwantedtondabetterwayofteaching.’
Jenny Lorimer, senior lecturer, School of Health and Emergency Professions, University of Hertfordshire
Final word
Introducing blended learning – for example, combining
podcasts and voting systems with face-to-face small-group
activities – can transform the experience of learning a
factually-based subject discipline.
See also the video clip: Redesigning the curriculum
www.jisc.ac.uk/resourceexchange
For detailed case studies, visit www.jisc.ac.uk/practice
Key points for effective practice
g Podcasts in themselves do not enhance the learning
experience. More important is the coherence of the
blend between technology and traditional aspects of
learning and teaching.
g Instructions should be included in a podcast to assist
students in using audio files for learning.
pathological terms by using multiple choice quizzes in
conjunction with a voting system, discussion activities or
peer marking of essay outlines.
The use of an electronic voting system not only gives
students opportunities to assess their understanding of
the podcasts, but also enlivens the face-to-face sessions.
Majority verdicts from multiple choice questions embedded
in a presentation, for example, can open up exploration of
the consequences of the decision in subsequent slides.
Students can become deeply engaged in the debates that
ensue – unlike students in large lecture theatres, those
working in small groups are more likely to interact with
their tutors and with each other.
31
32
Challenge
Media production and distribution have undergone rapid
change as a result of the impact of the internet and the
emergence of Web 2.0 technologies. Now almost anyone
can publish their work online without knowledge of industry-
standard production software or publishing protocols.
Students, especially those aiming to work in IT-related
industries, need to understand how to work appropriately
and professionally in an environment influenced by a Web
2.0 culture.
e-Learning advantage
Helen Keegan, coordinator of an advanced multimedia
module on the BSc (Hons) degree course in professional
sound and video technology at the University of Salford,
recognised the importance of including in the curriculum
the personal publishing tools and media-sharing websites
commonly used by students. Redesigning the curriculum
to include Web 2.0 technologies has enabled Helen to
demonstrate the importance of appropriate self-presentation
on the web and, at the same time, develop the critical and
evaluative skills of students.
In the redesigned curriculum, students present examples
from blogs and media-sharing websites to one another and
discuss issues that arise, ranging from design features and
technical matters to the management of the ‘digital self’. By
shifting the focus of control between students and tutor, so
that both become co-investigators of the impact of Web 2.0,
Helen has also deepened students’ observation and
interpretative skills and given students a voice in the
development of their own curriculum.
Contributing to the curriculum engages students’ interest
and sharpens their understanding of issues relating to the
worldwide web – for example, the ownership of content and
the management of digital identities. In the process, students
also become more able to question the authority and value
of what they find online and make better-informed
judgements about which tools to select when working
and publishing online.
Preparing students for a digital world
University of Salford
What are Web 2.0 technologies?
Web 2.0 technologies enable users to be contributors
to the internet as well as consumers. Web 2.0 tools
and services include media-sharing websites, social
networking sites, collaborative publishing tools, such
as wikis and blogs, and social bookmarking tools
such as del.icio.us.
7Case studies of technology-enhanced practice
Background
The BSc (Hons) in professional sound and video technology at
the University of Salford is a course in production skills for
the broadcast industries. Students, who are typically in their
early 20s, aim to work full time as engineers, designers
or technicians.
A module in advanced multimedia taken during the final year
was initially designed to refine skills in print- and computer-
based applications. However, preparing to work in a Web 2.0
context – in which content can be shared freely but may be
‘mashed up’ with other content, used, shared and even
repurposed – also entails competence in a range of digital
and information literacies.
Transforming practice
Following a redesign of the curriculum, Web 2.0 tools
and services such as the media-sharing sites, Flickr® and
YouTube, are now included. Students’ searches for items
on blogs and media-sharing websites lead to well-informed
discussions of Web 2.0-related issues – for example, how
to create and manage digital identities, the technical and
production skills evident in videos on YouTube, the types of
licence under which videos have been published, who ‘owns’
videos once shared on YouTube, and how else they might
subsequently be used:
‘There is great value in bringing YouTube into the classroom. If
students select an item for discussion, they have more ownership
of the issues it presents... and potentially a better grasp of the
viral nature of the web.’ Helen Keegan, lecturer in interactive
media, University of Salford
The greatest enjoyment, however, comes from the creative
potential of technology. Students hone their skills as media
producers in group research projects authored on wikis,
which they present to one another via a web conference.
These activities feed into an individual assignment –
My digital self – which carries 50% of the assessment for
the module and requires students to develop and design a
website to showcase their work. The assignment forms the
crux of students’ learning about designing for and publishing
on the web and provides professional statements about the
students and their work in preparation for the real world of
work; hosted on WordPress, the website can be found by any
internet user, including potential employers.
On completion of the module, students are more effectively
prepared to use the internet as a platform for promoting
their achievements and more aware of the issues of working
beyond the ‘walled garden’ of the institutional VLE.
Key points for effective practice
g Web 2.0 technologies provide innovative opportunities
for critical reflection. A platform-agnostic approach
appears to foster greater learner autonomy.
g Using external websites as host platforms for
production work presents potential risks. Backing up
files located outside the institution’s VLE is
recommended.
‘It’s about being informed and making the right choices. We need to
educate students to make sound decisions.’
Helen Keegan, lecturer in interactive media, University of Salford
The following four case studies show practitioners in well-resourced
contexts using tools and technologies in innovative ways.
Final word
Many agencies now see digital and information literacies
as a priority for students. In 2008, JISC published
Web2Rights19 – an online animated guide to issues relating
to the use and reuse of content in Web 2.0 technologies
and, in 2009, a study of learning literacies in a digital age.20
For detailed case studies, visit www.jisc.ac.uk/practice
33
19 www.web2rights.org.uk
20 www.jisc.ac.uk/whatwedo/projects/elearningllida
34
Challenge
Many students find it difficult to make connections
between the different elements of their course. The student
perspective tends to be one of discrete chunks of knowledge
acquired module by module, yet for nurses, as with all
medical professionals, being able to combine knowledge
with practical skills is an important outcome from a course
of study.
e-Learning advantage
Virtual scenarios that replicate complex real-world situations
help to establish the connections between theoretical
knowledge and practical expertise. In this example from
Birmingham City University, students taking a community
mental health nursing module undertake problem-solving
scenarios based around a virtual caseload of clients.
Credible, coherently structured resources form the basis of
such approaches to learning. Each example in the virtual
caseload includes a video depicting a fictional client’s
symptoms and in some cases, the reactions of family
members. The videos form part of a suite of resources that
includes case notes, letters and PowerPoint presentations
outlining the underpinning theory, ethics, policy statements
and points of law associated with each case.
The virtual caseload has extended the potential for learning
in a number of ways. Both face-to-face sessions and
assessments can now be made more relevant as students
take the role of clinical practitioners making decisions about
clients, yet can learn from their mistakes with impunity.
Students’ understanding of the wider issues involved in a
course of action is also more stringently tested – the virtual
caseload offers opportunities for innovative forms of
assessment, and more challenging opportunities for
self-assessment.
The narratives may also become the basis for cross-
disciplinary learning and teaching if integrated into modules
for other health-related courses or used within disciplines in
which mental health awareness is important. For example,
the fictional caseload may be relevant to the training of social
workers, architects and town planners, as well as healthcare
professionals.
Rethinking learning resources
Birmingham City University
What is digital video?
Digital video resources meet a wide spectrum of
educational needs, from illustrating what cannot be
experienced firsthand to developing specialist skills.
The in-house production of video for educational
purposes has been made easier by portable digital
cameras and digital editing software.
8Case studies of technology-enhanced practice
Background
Andrew Walsh, module leader on the community mental
health nursing module at Birmingham City University has
worked in conjunction with the university’s Learning
Technology Development Unit (LTDU) to produce fictional
client narratives illustrating mental health issues. Located on
the university’s VLE, Moodle™, the resources can be accessed
whenever and wherever students want to study.
The LTDU is now developing a virtual town, Shareville, using
Cheetah3D modelling software – an innovative development
which opens up the prospect of cross-disciplinary learning
and teaching. To enable more students to experience learning
in authentic contexts, simulations in digital video format are
being created by other subject disciplines to join the virtual
clients in this Macromedia® Flash®-based replica of an
inner-city environment.
Transforming practice
Andrew divided the community mental health Moodle site into
sections to build up the resources that form the basis for the
scenarios. Central to each scenario is a video of an actor
depicting the fictional character or a family member whose
story prepares students for the challenging real-life issues
they will face as clinical practitioners:
‘The need to engage with things on an emotional level is
important for our students... they are dealing with often hurt,
troubled and traumatised people, and it is necessary to also try
to consider the emotional aspects of this.’ Andrew Walsh, senior
lecturer in mental health nursing, Birmingham City University
Use of the scenarios in assignments and formative
assessments accelerates students’ ability to form
connections between what they have learnt at different
points in their course. In a module assignment, for example,
students first study the information available about a
character, and then participate in a session during which
they role-play a clinical practitioner. To complete the
assignment successfully, students need to draw on a wide
knowledge base and show understanding of the ethical,
social and wider family issues involved in a particular course
of action. ‘Meeting’ the service users on video prevents this
from being purely a paper exercise.
The development of the virtual caseload has taken place
over three years and has involved considerable background
research, but has helped students understand clinical
practice better: student evaluation data shows that routine
use of the resources has increased from 88% in 2007 to
100% in 2008. There has also been an 18% increase between
2007 and 2008 in the number of students who say they use
the resources ‘a lot’ as opposed to ‘sometimes’.
Key points for effective practice
g Problem-based learning scenarios based around
virtual resources enable students to learn from their
mistakes in safety.
g Simulations can be significantly enhanced by evidence
on video; as a medium, video can evoke powerful
affective responses but requires careful planning and
attention to quality.
‘This was really good. I can link theory and practice together more easily...
Itwouldbeusefultostillbeabletoaccessitafterwehavequalied.’
Janet, mental health nursing student, Birmingham City University
Final word
Digital resources may have applications beyond their
immediate context of use: sharing of resources creates the
potential for creative pedagogic approaches, including
cross-disciplinary learning and teaching.
See also the video clip: Rethinking learning resources
www.jisc.ac.uk/resourceexchange
For detailed case studies, visit www.jisc.ac.uk/practice
35
36
Challenge
Mature part-time learners are likely to have acquired a
range of learning experiences, both formal and informal.
Much learning in fact occurs outside institutional contexts
but learners may not recognise the relevance of their wider
experiences to their studies. Drawing together different
facets of learning into a coherent whole is an increasingly
important aspect of managing lifelong learning.
e-Learning advantage
e-Portfolios can add value in this context by providing a
single focal point for all types of learning: at the heart of an
e-portfolio is an online personal space in which learners can
reflect on their personal development planning and wider
experiences. This record can be edited and updated,
eventually forming the basis for presentations to external
audiences at key points in a learning journey – for example,
when applying for employment or further study.
Many e-portfolio tools and systems support activities
associated with the process of learning such as creating
action plans, reflecting on progress, sharing experiences with
peers and tutors, submitting assignments, receiving feedback
and celebrating achievements.
In this example, the PebblePad personal learning system
is introduced alongside the institution’s VLE to enable
work-based learners to take greater ownership of their
learning and apply their formal learning to their workplace
experiences. Since it is possible to link from PebblePad to
content stored elsewhere on the web, formal and informal
aspects of learning can be combined. Communication tools
also support an online tutorial process.
The VLE and e-portfolio tool are of equal importance in this
vision for online learning, but operate in different ways: the
VLE is institutionally owned, course-centric and of value while
the learner studies at the institution; the e-portfolio tool, on
the other hand, is personal, dynamic and encompasses all
forms of learning.
Enabling autonomous learning
Thanet College
What is an e-portfolio?
An e-portfolio is a body of digital evidence assembled
and managed by a learner to demonstrate abilities and
achievements and/or to reflect on experiences and plan
for the future. A range of tools and systems are available
to support the processes involved; some systems include
communication tools so that the user can benefit from
collaboration with and feedback from others.
9Case studies of technology-enhanced practice
Background
The Level 4 Edexcel BTEC HNC course in computing at Thanet
College is equivalent to the first year of an undergraduate
degree and prepares learners for the skills they need when
progressing to full-time higher education.
All learners at Thanet have 24/7 access to the college’s
VLE, known locally as The Learning Curve. Introducing an
e-portfolio system alongside the VLE has required thoughtful
implementation since learners use both online systems
in parallel.
Transforming practice
Tutors on the BTEC HNC course promote the formation of
connections between what is learnt during the course and
experiences acquired in the workplace and elsewhere. Since
e-portfolios act as crossing points between different aspects
of learning, learners developing e-portfolios are more likely
to make the rich connections that benefit both their formal
learning and their progression onto further stages of
education and training.
So that the e-portfolio is at the centre of the learning
experience, PebblePad is designated the single online
location for all tutorial activity, including reflection on learning
and submission and storage of assignments. Learners receive
a face-to-face, one-to-one induction into the system, during
which the objectives of the course and the role of e-portfolios
are explained. Subsequent tutorial activity takes place online,
but both tutors and learners find initial face-to-face
contact valuable.
Developing e-portfolios instils the habit of reflection. To get
the process underway, the induction session includes initial
diagnostic assessments that are shared with the tutor then
stored and reflected on by learners as their first ‘assets’ in
the PebblePad accounts. Tutors set up a blog within
PebblePad for each unit of learning so that learners have
access to continuing tutor and peer support during each
stage of their course. Outcomes for each unit are set as
profiles and learners asked to evaluate how far they have
met the criteria, providing evidence from their e-portfolios.
While the VLE supports the institutional and public aspects
of learning – for example, college news, course handbooks
and module or unit resources – an e-portfolio uniquely
provides a learner-owned space in which to record and
reflect on all significant learning experiences:
‘The e-portfolio is the central and common point for the
student learning experience... It is a reflection of the student
as a person undergoing continuous personal development,
not just a store of evidence.’ Geoff Rebbeck, e-learning
coordinator, Thanet College
Key points for effective practice
g Learners need assistance in understanding the
advantages and disadvantages of using different
platforms for their learning. Pedagogy rather than
technology should be the guiding factor.
g Opportunities for self-evaluation need to be
introduced early to help learners grasp the
importance of reflective, e-portfolio-based learning.
‘It would be a good idea if there was one main place where we can
do everything.’
Sue, first-year HNC computing student, Thanet College
Final word
Since e-portfolios are owned by learners and provide a
record of their unique learning journeys, it is important
that learners have access to their e-portfolios after the
completion of a course.
For detailed case studies, visit www.jisc.ac.uk/practice
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38
Challenge
Open University (OU) students living in dispersed
communities often find difficulty in attending face-to-face
tutorials. Online group communication tools, such as chat
and discussion forums, and social software, such as blogs
and wikis, offer alternatives but lack the immediacy of
face-to-face encounters. Tutorial activities – for example,
ice-breaker activities, research and investigation tasks,
discussion, collaborative interaction and role play – can
seem constrained by the inability to interact with others in
real time.
e-Learning advantage
In a 3D multi-user virtual environment (MUVE) such as
Second Life, discussions become more real as a result of the
presence and movement of avatars. Tutors can situate
learning within a context devised for that activity. Students
presented with challenges to solve, or hypotheses to prove
are more likely to define their own pathways to their learning
goals, collaborating and interacting with others as necessary.
Learning in a virtual world enables students to discover new
forms of understanding through playful interactions with the
environment and with others: models of, for example, how the
internet works can be ‘walked through’ to gain a clearer
understanding of what a student needs to know; research
activities can take the form of quests or journeys; and,
through avatars, hidden or new representations of the self
can be explored. This combination of playful and purposeful
activity is a benefit from MUVEs that is increasingly recognised.
In this example, student feedback suggests that Second Life
provides a greater sense of physical presence and proximity
than online discussion forums, and so offers an acceptable
alternative to meeting face to face: ‘It’s as though you have
been with other people’ is a commonly expressed view.
Students taking part in the OU tutorials start with average
IT skills but must have access to an internet-connected
computer with a high-specification graphics card and fast
broadband connection.
Holding tutorials in a virtual world
The Open University
What is a multi-user virtual
environment (MUVE)?
A MUVE is a virtual world in 3D or with graphic
animations that can be accessed simultaneously over
the internet by many users. MUVEs such as Second Life®
offer virtual spaces in which educators, groups or
individuals can purchase and design their own
environments and interact with others as avatars
(virtual people).
10 Case studies of technology-enhanced practice
Background
In 2006, the OU purchased islands in Second Life to explore
the potential of MUVEs to support learning and teaching. Tutor
Anna Peachey and colleagues in the OU’s Centre for Open
Learning of Mathematics, Science, Computing and Technology
(COLMSCT) recognised that tutorials held in a virtual world
could offer significant benefits for distance learners.
Following a pilot scheme, Anna offered the option of a tutorial
group based wholly in Second Life to students enrolling for
the T175 Level 1 module in ICT – Networked living: Exploring
information and communication technologies. 40% of those
enrolling in 2007–2008 took up the Second Life option until
capacity was reached.
Transforming practice
Before entering Second Life for the first time, the students
create avatars that become their inworld selves. Students
decide how to represent themselves – selecting a different
gender, age group and fashion style is not uncommon, and
some opt for a non-human form. Meeting for a tutorial then
acquires a sense of actuality: meetings are held in a virtual
room, on the beach or by the sandpit where students practise
their building skills.
Initially, group ice-breaker activities are devised to help
students orientate themselves in a virtual world. For example,
in 2007, Anna held a two-day induction event in Second Life for
the T175 students. A seating area was built so that students
and tutors could discuss issues such as how to present
themselves online. The event also included a visiting lecturer.
However, Second Life is essentially a non-directive world –
no narrative or sequence is imposed on any subsequent
activities. The learning that takes place is proactively
managed by students, although facilitated by a tutor. The
text-based chat option is used for communication between
peers and tutor, resulting in a slight time lag between
postings, but the ability to see the interaction between avatars
– including elements of non-verbal communication – makes
the experience not dissimilar to being in the same room.
As a result of the freedom of choice that students have in a
virtual world, student behaviour initially was an unknown
factor, especially as Second Life users can adopt different
personas to match their newly created avatars. However,
there has been little evidence of the T175 students hiding
behind new identities. Group interactions for study purposes
depend on a level of honesty and trust, and students have
found it important to maintain their out-of-world selves when
working collaboratively in Second Life.
Key points for effective practice
g A MUVE such as Second Life offers fertile ground for
problem-based approaches to learning. Students can
investigate solutions to questions and hypotheses,
test out and compare different perspectives, and
reflect on individual choices without moving out of
the virtual world.
g Students quickly adapt to operating within Second Life.
However, large groups are challenging to facilitate
and too many participants can prevent successful
interaction.
‘SecondLife’sbreadthandexibilityallowedmytutortopersonalise
sessionsonthey...ultimatelygoingwherenochatroomcould:onan
impromptueldtrip.’
John, T175 student, The Open University
Final word
The sense of curiosity and challenge generated by virtual
worlds provides a powerful drive to learn.
See also the podcast: Learning in a virtual world
and video clip: Relating research to practice
www.jisc.ac.uk/resourceexchange
For detailed case studies, visit www.jisc.ac.uk/practice
39
40
Case studies have the capacity to inspire but also to provoke
and challenge. The institutions, practitioners and learners
represented in Effective Practice in a Digital Age have their
own stories to tell; their solutions do not fit all contexts and
should not be seen as definitive accounts of how particular
challenges should be resolved. Rather they provide insights
into how integrating technology-enhanced practice with
traditional approaches can produce designs for learning that
are apt, imaginative and enabling.
Key messages from this body of evidence, and the relationship
between these findings and those of other recent studies, are
summarised in the next two sections.
Drivers for change
Practitioners in the case studies were motivated to explore
applications of technology by the needs of their learners or by
challenges inherent in the mode of delivery. Hence adoption
of technology frequently occurred when face-to-face contact
with tutors and peers was constrained by distance or time, as
in case studies 1, 9 and 10 which describe work-based or
distance learning. But this was not exclusively the case. Wider
participation in higher education, coupled with implementation
of more active, learner-centred models of learning, prompted
adoption of technologies that gave learners more control over
how, where and when they studied.
Transformative practice, including investigation of
technologies on the edge of mainstream practice, was more
likely to occur where institutions actively supported change.
In a similar way, the TESEP (Transforming and Enhancing the
Student Experience through Pedagogy) project22 found that
that the adoption of new forms of learning and teaching can
be driven by an institution-wide focus on the principles of
learner-centred learning. A supportive community of practice
was another vital ingredient: case studies 4 and 6 highlight
the extent to which practitioners rely on the support of
mentors and peers when making the transition into
technology-enhanced practice.
Designing active learning
Designs for learning that challenge and extend the cognitive
and professional skills of learners often demand innovative
uses of technology. In case studies 8 and 10, for example,
high-specification multimedia resources formed the basis for
problem- or scenario-based models of learning in which
learner-led investigations were facilitated rather than
directed by tutors.
‘The most amazing and satisfying thing for someone like me, who is leading
learning and teaching in a university, is the change that one can see... I have
seen enormous change in people’s attitudes, capabilities and enthusiasm
towards technology, and blending technology with more traditional forms
of teaching.’21
Professor Eeva Leinonen, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, University of Hertfordshire
Technology-enhanced practice
41
Practitioner voice
’
I want authoring tools to support a constructivist
approach to learning and teaching, not just to help us
do more of what we already do. In a third-year module,
we have used an assessed podcast as part of an
assignment to design a new user interface. As
computing students, all involved in the activity were
experienced IT users, well-equipped with personal
technologies. As a result, most students used their own
webcams to record their presentations, but some
borrowed equipment from the university and went to
‘great lengths to role-play how they envisaged their design
being used. The commitment shown was impressive.
Were there any drawbacks? Well, it was a new experience
for me, and I knew I had to tell the students that it might
not work. I also had to accept that the students might know
more than I did. They might be experts in gadgets and
gizmos, but it’s my job to find the best way of designing
learning episodes, and I have to be prepared to take some
risks to achieve that end.
‘’
Dr Judy Robertson lecturer in computer science, Heriot-Watt University
In both cases, learning took on a purposeful yet game-like
quality as learners rehearsed skills and understanding
through virtual scenarios that replicated aspects of the real
world. Located in one online environment, learning designs
and resources could then be shared between subject
disciplines, adding a further dimension to technology-
enhanced practice.
Developing 21st century skills
Web 2.0 technologies in case studies 1, 2 and 7 developed
skills of inquiry, critical thinking, communication and
collaboration, and helped learners define their online
identities. The findings of an independent committee of inquiry
21 JISC (2009) Redesigning the curriculum, www.jisc.ac.uk/resourceexchange
22 Smyth, K. et al (2007) From Bruised to Enthused: Tackling the challenges of championing online learning for personal and institutional change, http://tiny.cc/4y5aa
23 www.jisc.ac.uk/publications/documents/heweb2
in 2009, as reported in Higher Education in a Web 2.0 World,23
similarly support the view that the skill set derived from
engaging with the Social Web matches skills that are
increasingly sought after in the 21st century.
Technology-enhanced practice equally demanded new skills
from practitioners, reinforcing the need for institutional
support for e-learning development and practice. Just as
important to the success of a design, however, was the
creative energy of practitioners – their message was
consistent: think through what you want to achieve and with
whom, then seek the most appropriate tool for the purpose,
even if this means exploring unfamiliar territory.
42
The focus of this guide has been on the practitioner’s role
as designer of learning activities. Nonetheless, the case
studies reveal much about the nature of learning in a
digital age.
Learners of all ages are now likely to have access to
computers and the internet in the home or in the community,
and are increasingly skilled in their use of IT. Learners
following a foundation degree in hairdressing and salon
management in case study 1, for example, experienced no
difficulty in accessing or using a wiki or the college’s VLE.
Case studies 3 and 6 showed that learners were adept in
using audio files and appreciated the flexibility and personal
quality of audio-recorded guidance from their tutors.
Learners’ expectations and needs
As experienced consumers of IT, learners had expectations
that educational technologies were fit for purpose; duplication
of effort could be unwelcome. If learning platforms with
overlapping functionality were used in parallel – for example,
an e-portfolio tool alongside a VLE as in case study 9 – the
rationale for using the tools needed to be clearly articulated
to learners, with carefully scaffolded learning activities to
demonstrate their value. The importance of effective induction
when using unfamiliar tools was also signalled in case study
2, and by outcomes from the JISC Design for Learning theme.
Practice that made use of ubiquitous technologies or enabled
flexible and timely access to learning was much valued by
learners. In case studies 1, 3, 5 and 6, learners took
advantage of technology-enabled opportunities to rehearse
skills and reinforce knowledge and understanding by
accessing learning resources before, during and after
face-to-face sessions. However, the design of learning
activities and resources remained the critical factor – in case
studies 4, 8 and 10, multimedia or virtual-world technologies
lent a sense of actuality, but resources and activities were
structured in ways that made learning manageable, satisfying
and relevant.
Benefits and challenges
Case study 7 illustrates some of the benefits and challenges
presented by the range of technologies, including social
software, now available to learners. Choice provides
increased opportunities but may result in inappropriate or
unsafe learning strategies or an unsatisfactory learning
24 JISC (2009) Responding to learners, www.jisc.ac.uk/resourceexchange
25 www.jisc.ac.uk/whatwedo/projects/socialsoftware08
26 https://kastanet.kingston-college.ac.uk
Technology-enhanced learning
43
Practitioner voice
The JISC-funded KASTANET project26 has investigated
how mobile technologies and podcasts help learners
from a wide variety of backgrounds adjust to studying
on a one-year access to science course at Kingston
College.
By harnessing the ubiquitous ownership of mobile
phones, we felt we could improve students’ attendance,
study and time management skills and planned to buy
one brand of mobile phone in bulk to sell on to students.
This idea was quickly shelved when we considered the
sustainability of the scheme – this is one of the largest
access to science courses in the UK with around 260
students on the course per annum. The idea also met
with rejection from students.
‘Students’ mobile phones are sacred to their sense of
personal and social identity: in many cases, they have
made a considerable financial investment in their choice
of phone and selected tariff. Being supplied with a mobile
phone by the college was not a desirable option. Instead,
we have sent text messages to students’ own phones – for
example, a welcome message after enrolment, updates to
their timetables and alerts about the induction podcasts we
have recorded.
Mobile phone ownership is a clearly lifestyle issue for
students; it is not a simple matter to invade that aspect
of their lives. You have to accept there are boundaries
between personal and institutional technologies that it is
not always profitable to cross.
‘’
Andrew Williams DirectorofILT,KingstonCollege
’
‘You have got to make sure that you are using the technology to enhance the
quality of the face-to-face... It’s a blend of what the institution can sensibly
provide, what is best done by the individual academic and what is brought by
the students in terms of their expertise and interests.’
Professor Jeff Hayward, Vice Principal Knowledge Management, University of Edinburgh24
experience if the role of the technology is unclear, as
indicated by a JISC-funded study of the effective use of social
software in further and higher education in the UK.25
Learners clearly benefited from the use of collaborative,
interactive technologies and the increased flexibility provided
by online learning – having greater control over when and
where they learnt was a powerful source of motivation and
pleasure. Case studies 1, 2, 4 and 5 indicate improved
engagement and attainment linked to technology-enhanced
practice; that their tutors understood more about how
learners use and experience technology in their learning was
perhaps a key factor in these achievements – learners are
likely to learn better in well-resourced, effectively supported
environments that are well-attuned to their needs.
‘I think blended learning will never go away... and for some courses,
some contexts, a blend which is 90 per cent conventional and 10 per cent
digital is probably right and you’d get the reverse for other kinds of
course. So it’s entirely up to the particular context what kind of blend
you have and we’ve just got to get practised at being able to find the
right blend for the right course and context.’
Professor Diana Laurillard, Chair of Learning with Digital Technologies, London Knowledge Lab
Preparing for practice in a digital age
Introducing technology into learning and teaching appears
at first to be a matter of applying a new tool to an old task:
‘What can I achieve with it, what support will I require, what
are the pitfalls, and will this tool be better for my purpose
than others I have used?’ are common first reactions.
However, fundamental shifts in pedagogic approach and in
the learner–tutor relationship can result from the use of
technology in everyday practice. At this point, both
experienced and inexperienced teachers feel the need for
guidance on how to integrate technology-mediated practice
with other learning and teaching strategies.
What is this good for? What technology do I
use for this?
The JISC Design for Learning programme has overseen the
development of two prototype pedagogy planning tools –
Phoebe27 and the London Pedagogy Planner.28 The tools – now
the subject of further development29 – support practitioners
through the design process, focusing on critical design
decisions including which technologies to deploy.
The London Pedagogy Planner was designed to help
practitioners visualise how different teaching and technology
options would be experienced in terms of the time spent on
different tasks. Phoebe, which remains in use, offers guidance
on the potential ‘e-learning advantage’ of a wide spectrum of
technologies, and provides links to how-to resources and
examples of learning designs.
Although no one tool can address all users’ requirements,
pedagogy planning tools are likely to form part of the future of
designing technology-enhanced practice, perhaps as separate
interoperable tools that users can aggregate to support their
individual needs. Research completed under the Design for
Learning30 theme into pedagogic planning has helped to scope
the issues and provide some partial solutions to the challenge
of harnessing technology to support the design process.
‘
’
45
Why do learning design tools matter? Teaching with
technology, by its very nature, requires preparation in
advance, so introducing technology into learning and
teaching requires you to make explicit many of your
tacit practices and, as a result, often makes people
‘’
Marion Manton e-LearningResearchProjectManager,
Technology-AssistedLifelong Learning(TALL),UniversityofOxford
Practitioner voice
come to question more deeply what they are trying to
achieve and why. And that has to be beneficial, since
better-planned and more thoughtful pedagogic designs
should mean better learning and teaching.
27 http://phoebe-project.conted.ox.ac.uk
28 www.wle.org.uk/d4l/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=13
29 The Learning Design Support Environment (LDSE) project is developing further the outputs of the London Pedagogy Planner and Phoebe projects. For further information,
see http://projects.lkl.ac.uk/ldse
30 www.jisc.ac.uk/designlearn
46
Designing a learning activity for a
technology-rich context
Use the Effective Practice Planner template to design,
share and discuss a technology-enhanced learning activity
for use in your context. Guidance on creating a learning
design, and potential roles for a range of technologies,
can be found in the Phoebe planning tool.31
The template used for this activity is based on the 2004
Effective Practice Planner, but incorporates elements used in
the Phoebe planning tool. The template is available to
download from the Effective Practice Resource Exchange32
and can be freely adapted and distributed for wider use.
The activity provides a starting point for planning and sharing
designs of your own. As indicated by the case studies in this
guide, designing technology-enhanced learning is likely to be
a team-based rather than a solitary activity, and involve
multi-professional expertise. Planning tools that facilitate a
collaborative, adoptive approach to designing learning
activities, and support effective deployment of resources,
offer a real advantage in this respect.
For a discussion of approaches to redesigning the
curriculum, see the podcast, Disrupting the norms of
curriculum design, which can be found in the Effective
Practice Resource Exchange.
Effective practice planning activity
31 www.phoebe.ox.ac.uk/browseGuidance.php
32 www.jisc.ac.uk/resourceexchange
Issues to consider Designing a technology-enhanced learning activity
Learners (e.g. their needs, motives for learning, prior
experience of learning, social and interpersonal skills,
learning preferences and ICT competence).
Intended learning outcomes (e.g. acquisition of knowledge,
academic and social skills, increased motivation and ability to
progress).
What are the curriculum objectives?
What other outcomes are desired?
Learning environment (e.g. face-to-face or virtual; available
resources, tools, learning content, facilities and services).
Where will the activity take place?
What resources are available?
What technologies are available?
Curriculum aspects (e.g. approach(es) to learning,
assessment criteria, formative assessment strategies;
feedback).
What approach will be taken?
What assessment strategies will be used?
What feedback strategies will be used?
Learning activity (description of activity; associated learning
outcome; organisation: collaborative, pairs or individual;
resources needed).
Describe the learning activity and how it meets learning outcomes.
Are there any follow-up activities?
Support for learning (e.g. extension or reinforcement
activities; involvement of others; accessibility considerations;
learning preferences).
How will learners be supported during and after the activity?
What additional support might some learners need?
Evaluation (outcomes for learners; achievement of learning
objectives; feedback from others).
How effective was the activity?
Reflections (personal impressions; lessons learnt). What have I learnt?
47
Issues to consider Designing a technology-enhanced learning activity
Learners (e.g. their needs, motives for learning, prior
experience of learning, social and interpersonal skills,
learning preferences and ICT competence).
Intended learning outcomes (e.g. acquisition of knowledge,
academic and social skills, increased motivation and ability to
progress).
What are the curriculum objectives?
What other outcomes are desired?
Learning environment (e.g. face-to-face or virtual; available
resources, tools, learning content, facilities and services).
Where will the activity take place?
What resources are available?
What technologies are available?
Curriculum aspects (e.g. approach(es) to learning,
assessment criteria, formative assessment strategies;
feedback).
What approach will be taken?
What assessment strategies will be used?
What feedback strategies will be used?
Learning activity (description of activity; associated learning
outcome; organisation: collaborative, pairs or individual;
resources needed).
Describe the learning activity and how it meets learning outcomes.
Are there any follow-up activities?
Support for learning (e.g. extension or reinforcement
activities; involvement of others; accessibility considerations;
learning preferences).
How will learners be supported during and after the activity?
What additional support might some learners need?
Evaluation (outcomes for learners; achievement of learning
objectives; feedback from others).
How effective was the activity?
Reflections (personal impressions; lessons learnt). What have I learnt?
‘We still need constant innovation to see what’s over the horizon... Often
the newer things bring something fresh and dynamic to meet students’
learning expectations.’33
Professor Gilly Salmon, Professor of e-Learning and Learning Technologies, University of Leicester
49
Conclusion
It is often stated that the introduction of technology into
learning and teaching has by-products that are as important
as the benefits of the technology itself: practitioners
exploring new possibilities become more critically aware
of their practice in general, and more conscious of the
importance of planning.
Considering their practice in isolation, however, can only take
practitioners so far. After a decade of research into the
impact of technology-enhanced practice on pedagogy and
institutional practices, a wide body of evidence and exemplars
of practice are available to guide practitioners towards
learning designs that are both effective and research-
informed. While design for learning practices are inclined to
be variable and influenced by factors such as established
norms in the sector, institution or subject discipline, access to
the knowledge and experience of others – whether experts or
colleagues – is the final, and highly important, constituent of
the design process.
The Effective Practice Resource Exchange enables you to
continue further your investigation of designing for learning
by providing a suite of supplementary resources that focus
on key aspects of designing and implementing technology-
mediated practice. Further information about these resources
can be found on the final page.
33 www.jisc.ac.uk/resourceexchange
50
The story of effective practice is an evolving one; this guide
represents current views and practice which will continue to
develop as those involved in designing learning push the
boundaries in their search for new ways of improving the
quality of learning and teaching by harnessing the potential
of technology. As practitioners and researchers come to a
Where did we start? Where are we now? Where are we going?
Technologies
Internet, email, word processing,
VLEs, video conferencing,
presentational hardware and
software.
These and... Web 2.0 tools and services; mobile access
to email, the internet and multimedia resources; Twitter,
chat, online telephony and other dialogic tools; personal
learning spaces; tools for collaborative working...
These and... learning design planning tools,
location-based technologies, e-books, user-owned
technologies integrated into learning and teaching
alongside institutional technologies...
Institutional
perspective
e-Learning strategies, VLEs
and MLEs introduced; targets
for development of e-resources;
institutionally owned hardware
and software predominate.
e-Learning part of learning and teaching enhancement
policies; institutional strategies for embedding blended
approaches; cascading of effective practice derived from
projectsfundedbyHigherEducationAcademy,JISC
and other agencies.
Whole course curriculum redesign; personalised
technologies supported in institutional contexts;
learning pathways chosen by learners; increase in
work-based learning; technology-rich learning spaces;
open content policies.
Pedagogical
perspective
Widening participation, engaging
learners, increasing motivation, but
focus still mainly on transmission
models of learning and teaching.
Greater understanding of principles underpinning
technology-enhanced learning and teaching: technology-
supported peer-to-peer and social learning, importance
of dialogue in learning, widening use of emerging
technologies in mainstream learning and teaching.
Focus on learning outcomes rather than taught curricula;
technology fully embedded as a tool for learning and
teaching; modes of assessment that are agile and
congruent with models of learning and teaching; teaching
practice informed by current research.
Learners’
perspectives
Need for ICT skills; digital divide
evident; improving opportunities for
distanceandexiblelearning.
Developmentofskillsforlearninginadigitalage;
innovative uses of technology to manage time; blurred
boundaries between living and learning; digital divide
narrower but still evident.
Focus on learner-led learning outcomes; learners as
creative participants in the design of learning and
co-production of knowledge; widespread understanding
of the diversity of learners’ preferences and needs.
51
‘This is not an automated version of what we can do in face-to-face teaching,
but something that simply could not happen any other way.’
Professor Alan Staley, Head of Learning Technology Development Unit, Birmingham City University
Where did we start? Where are we now? Where are we going?
Technologies
Internet, email, word processing,
VLEs, video conferencing,
presentational hardware and
software.
These and... Web 2.0 tools and services; mobile access
to email, the internet and multimedia resources; Twitter,
chat, online telephony and other dialogic tools; personal
learning spaces; tools for collaborative working...
These and... learning design planning tools,
location-based technologies, e-books, user-owned
technologies integrated into learning and teaching
alongside institutional technologies...
Institutional
perspective
e-Learning strategies, VLEs
and MLEs introduced; targets
for development of e-resources;
institutionally owned hardware
and software predominate.
e-Learning part of learning and teaching enhancement
policies; institutional strategies for embedding blended
approaches; cascading of effective practice derived from
projectsfundedbyHigherEducationAcademy,JISC
and other agencies.
Whole course curriculum redesign; personalised
technologies supported in institutional contexts;
learning pathways chosen by learners; increase in
work-based learning; technology-rich learning spaces;
open content policies.
Pedagogical
perspective
Widening participation, engaging
learners, increasing motivation, but
focus still mainly on transmission
models of learning and teaching.
Greater understanding of principles underpinning
technology-enhanced learning and teaching: technology-
supported peer-to-peer and social learning, importance
of dialogue in learning, widening use of emerging
technologies in mainstream learning and teaching.
Focus on learning outcomes rather than taught curricula;
technology fully embedded as a tool for learning and
teaching; modes of assessment that are agile and
congruent with models of learning and teaching; teaching
practice informed by current research.
Learners’
perspectives
Need for ICT skills; digital divide
evident; improving opportunities for
distanceandexiblelearning.
Developmentofskillsforlearninginadigitalage;
innovative uses of technology to manage time; blurred
boundaries between living and learning; digital divide
narrower but still evident.
Focus on learner-led learning outcomes; learners as
creative participants in the design of learning and
co-production of knowledge; widespread understanding
of the diversity of learners’ preferences and needs.
Key principles for designing
technology-enhanced learning
g Blended learning exploits the affordances of
technology to promote active participative learning in
both face-to-face and online contexts.
g Practitioners teach and learners learn in a context of
increasing choice. Effective practice in a digital age
includes selecting the most appropriate tools for
the purpose.
g Learners can be active makers and shapers of their
own learning. They should be supported in using
technologies of their own choice where appropriate.
g Even advanced users of technology look to their
tutors for guidance on how to use technology in
learning. Understanding how to learn in a digital
world is a vital skill.
g When unfamiliar technologies are integrated into
learning designs, the benefits need to be clearly
communicated to learners.
g Benefits arise when there is coherence between
technologies and media, the learning tasks and
outcomes, and subject-specific demands of a course.
g Where technology is used, it extends the potential for
learning and is not used for its own sake.
clearer understanding of the most effective uses of
technology in practice, key principles are emerging that will
guide future innovations.
52
Blog (web log): An online reflective journal in which other
internet users can post comments. Blogging tools integrated
into VLEs allow access to be restricted to members of a closed
group (for example, a course, module or tutorial group).
Chat: Software that supports synchronous communication
which is usually, but not exclusively, text based.
Design for learning: ‘Design for learning is... the process by
which teachers – and others involved in the support of
learning – arrive at a plan or structure or design for a learning
situation.’ Beetham & Sharpe (2007)
Electronic voting system (EVS): A system in which computer
software collects and records the responses made by
learners using handsets to questions posed during a class,
lecture or presentation. Percentage responses to options can
then be displayed.
e-Portfolio: A body of digital evidence assembled and
managed by a learner to demonstrate abilities and
achievements and/or to reflect on experiences and plan for
the future. A range of tools and systems may be available to
support the processes involved.
HEFCE: Higher Education Funding Council for England.
ICT(s): Information and Communication Technologies.
ILT: Information and Learning Technology.
iPod touch®: A pocket-sized media player and Wi-Fi mobile
platform with a multi-touch screen.
Managed Learning Environment (MLE): A system for
managing student information, in which separate systems
– for example, student record systems, library systems,
management information systems, Virtual Learning
Environments and timetabling systems – are joined up into
one environment.
Media-sharing websites: Websites such as Flickr®
and YouTube that enable users to upload and share
digital content.
MP3: A digital audio encoding format.
Multi-user virtual environment (MUVE): A virtual world
in 3D or using graphic animations that can be accessed
simultaneously over the internet by many users.
PDF: Portable Document Format (a file format created by
Adobe® Systems).
Pedagogy planning tools: Tools that support the design,
structure and sharing of learning activities.
Podcast: A recording, for example of the content of a lecture,
made available for download from a website or VLE by
syndication – a process of making content available to other
sites by means of RSS feeds.
Portal: A single website that combines a range of tools and
sources of information to provide more efficient access to
essential content and services.
RSS feed: A method of electronically aggregating and
distributing updated content on designated websites
to subscribers.
Glossary
53
Social software: A range of software tools which allow users
to interact and share data with other users via the Web.
UCISA: Universities and Colleges Information Systems
Association
USB: An interface for attaching a peripheral device such as
a memory stick or digital camera to a computer.
Virtual Learning Environment (VLE): An online system
comprising a range of tools to support learning and the
management of learning. VLEs, for example, provide online
access to learning resources and support peer-to-peer and
learner-to-tutor communication.
Web 2.0 technologies: Online collaborative tools and services
– for example, media-sharing sites such as YouTube, social
networking sites such as Facebook, collaborative publishing
tools such as wikis and blogs, and social bookmarking tools
such as del.icio.us.
Wi-Fi: A term for wireless local area networks which enable
computers and mobile devices to connect to the internet in a
given location.
Wiki: A series of web pages which users can add to or edit via
any internet browser. Wikis used for collaborative activities
can be password protected.
54
JISC
e-Learning programme
www.jisc.ac.uk/elearningprogramme
– Design for Learning theme
www.jisc.ac.uk/designlearn
– Institutional Approaches to Curriculum Design
programme
www.jisc.ac.uk/curriculumdesign
– Learner Experiences of e-Learning theme
www.jisc.ac.uk/learnerexperience
– Transforming Curriculum Delivery through
Technology programme
www.jisc.ac.uk/curriculumdelivery
Open Education Resources programme
www.jisc.ac.uk/oer
Other references
Becta (2008) Survey of FE learners and e-learning
http://tinyurl.com/qs2vuv
Beetham, H (2008) Review: Design for Learning
programme phase 2
www.jisc.ac.uk/designlearn
Beetham, H (2007) ‘An approach to learning activity design’,
in Rethinking Pedagogy for a Digital Age, Beetham,
H & Sharpe, R (eds), Routledge, pp26–38
Beetham, H & Sharpe, R (2007) ‘An introduction to rethinking
pedagogy for a digital age’ in Rethinking Pedagogy for a Digital
Age, Beetham, H & Sharpe, R (eds), Routledge, pp1–10
Committee of Inquiry into the Changing Learner Experience
(2009) Higher Education in a Web 2.0 World,
www.jisc.ac.uk/publications/documents/heweb2
Effective Practice with e-Learning (JISC, 2004)
www.jisc.ac.uk/practice
eLIDA CAMEL project
www.jisc.ac.uk/whatwedo/programmes/elearningpedagogy/
elidacamel
HEFCE (2009) Enhancing Learning and Teaching Through the
Use of Technology: A revised approach to HEFCE’s strategy for
e-learning
www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/hefce/2009/09_12
iTunes U – www.apple.com/education/mobile-learning
JISC/Ipsos MORI (2007) Student Expectations study
www.jisc.ac.uk/publications/publications/
studentexpectations
JISC (2009) Study of the effective use of social software to
support student learning and engagement
www.jisc.ac.uk/whatwedo/projects/socialsoftware08
KASTANET project
https://kastanet.kingston-college.ac.uk
Learning Design Support Environment (LDSE) project
http://projects.lkl.ac.uk/ldse
Learning Literacies in a Digital Age project
www.jisc.ac.uk/whatwedo/projects/elearningllida
London Pedagogy Planner
http://tinyurl.com/llsczu
Mayes, T & De Freitas, S. (2004) JISC e-Learning Models
Desk Study
http://tinyurl.com/3xqeq3
Phoebe pedagogy planning tool
http://phoebe-project.conted.ox.ac.uk
Shareville (Birmingham City University’s virtual town)
www.shareville.bcu.ac.uk
Smyth, K. et al (2007) From Bruised to Enthused: Tackling the
challenges of championing online learning for personal and
institutional change
http://tiny.cc/4y5aa
References
55
Sounds Goods project
www.soundsgood.org.uk
UCISA (2008) Technology Enhanced Learning survey
www.ucisa.ac.uk/publications/tel_survey
UCL (2008) Information Behaviour of the Researcher of the Future
http://tinyurl.com/ns3m4z
Web2Rights project
www.web2rights.org.uk
Tools and technologies featured in the
case studies
For details of the wiki software used at
Northumberland College
http://pbwiki.com
For details of Blackboard® WebCT Vista™ used at the
University of Edinburgh
www.webct.com/products/viewpage?name=products_vista
For details of EDIROL audio recording devices, and sound
recording software, Audacity®, used at Leeds Metropolitan
University
www.edirol.com and http://audacity.sourceforge.net
For details of audio recording devices and sound recording
software used at Leeds Metropolitan University
www.edirol.com and http://audacity.sourceforge.net
For details of Moodle™ used at Greenwich Community College,
Birmingham City University and Thanet College
http://moodle.org
For details of the iPod touch® used at Southampton
Solent University
www.apple.com/ipodtouch
For details of TurningPoint® electronic voting system
used at the University of Hertfordshire
www.turningtechnologies.co.uk
For details of WordPress used by students at the
University of Salford
http://wordpress.org
For details of Cheetah3D modelling software used at
Birmingham City University
http://cheetah3d.com/index.php
For details of PebblePad Personal Learning System
used at Thanet College
www.pebblelearning.co.uk
For details of Second Life® used by students at
The Open University
http://secondlife.com
Agencies offering guidance on
technology-enhanced practice
Becta (FE and schools)
www.becta.org.uk
Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS)
Excellence Gateway (FE)
www.excellence.qia.org.uk
Higher Education Academy Subject Centres (HE)
www.heacademy.ac.uk/ourwork/networks/subjectcentres
JISC Regional Support Centres (FE and HE)
www.jisc.ac.uk/whatwedo/services/as_rsc/rsc_home
JISC TechDis (FE and HE)
www.techdis.ac.uk
Teaching and Learning Research Programme
(post-compulsory and workplace learning)
www.tlrp.org
56
Effective Practice Resource Exchange
supplementary online resources
The online resources that accompany this publication offer
alternative ways of researching the nature of designing for
learning in a technology-rich age. Online resources provide
flexible access to the views, achievements and aspirations of
practitioners and open up additional opportunities to learn
from the experiences of others.
The supplementary Effective Practice resources include video
clips and podcasts which explore through different themes
and viewpoints the elements that underpin transformative
practice. In addition, short clips of practitioners’ voices
provide personal insights into the viewpoints of individual
practitioners. Both video and audio files bring experiences
more vividly to life and can be used as examples of particular
learning and teaching strategies or as discussion points for
use in a professional development programme.
All resources are provided in alternative formats. The
publication Effective Practice in a Digital Age can be ordered
online in hard copy or downloaded in PDF and accessible
text-only formats. Full versions of the publication case studies
can be downloaded and reproduced as required for
educational purposes or read online. The four video clips and
accompanying practitioners’ voices are available as Windows
Media® and QuickTime® files, with transcripts for users of
screen readers.
The content of the Effective Practice Resource Exchange
may evolve over time as new or updated content is added.
It is currently structured into the following sections:
Sharing effective practice
Introduction
Publication Availableformats;orderingof
additional copies
Videos Respondingtolearners:
University of Edinburgh
Rethinkinglearningresources:
Birmingham City University
Redesigningthecurriculum:
University of Hertfordshire
Relatingresearchtopractice:
University of Leicester
Practitioners’voices
Transcripts
Podcasts Learning with mobile
technologies:AndrewWilliams,
DirectorofILT,KingstonCollege
Learning in a virtual world:
AnnaPeachey,Associate
TeachingFellow,COLMSCT,
The Open University
Disruptingthenormsof
curriculumdesign:GregBeneld,
EducationalDeveloper,Oxford
CentreforStaffandLearning
Development(OCSLD)
Effective Practice
planner
Full-length
case studies
Effective Practice in a Digital Age and the accompanying video
andaudioresourceshavebeenfundedonbehalfofJISCby
the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE).
Grateful thanks are due to the following for their
involvement in this project:
SarahKnight,JISCe-LearningProgrammeManager,for
guidance.
HelenBeetham,ConsultanttotheJISCe-Learning
programme for her contributions and guidance.
DrShaileyMinocha,TheOpenUniversity,forassistance
with case studies.
Review panel
The time and support of the review panel who steered the
development of this publication have been much
appreciated:
DrTomBrowne,ResearchandEvaluationAdvisor,
University of Exeter
AndrewComrie,Consultantinlearningandteaching,
KersonAssociatesLtd
DrPeterFindlay,AssistantDirector,QualityAssurance
AgencyforHigherEducation
JulieHughes,PrincipalLecturer,Universityof
WolverhamptonandESCalateAcademicConsultant
EllenLessner,ILTDevelopmentCoordinator,Abingdonand
WitneyCollege,andALT
ProfessorAlanStaley,HeadofLearningTechnology
DevelopmentUnit,BirminghamCityUniversity
CamSwift,Seniore-LearningAdvisor,JISCRSCNorthern
ProfessorTonyToole,Consultant,e-College.acLtd,and
memberoftheJISCLearningandTeachingcommittee
Participating institutions
Sincerethanksarealsoduetothepractitionersand
learners in the following institutions who assisted with the
production of case studies, video clips or podcasts, or who
took part in photography sessions.
Birmingham City University
Greenwich Community College
Leeds Metropolitan University
Northumberland College
SouthamptonSolentUniversity
Thanet College
The Open University
University of Edinburgh
University of Hertfordshire
UniversityofSalford
Video case studies
Respondingtolearners:UniversityofEdinburgh
Rethinkinglearningresources:BirminghamCityUniversity
Redesigningthecurriculum:UniversityofHertfordshire
Relatingresearchtopractice:UniversityofLeicester
Podcasts
Learning with mobile technologies:
AndrewWilliams,DirectorofILT,KingstonCollege
Learninginvirtualworlds:AnnaPeachey,Associate
TeachingFellow,COLMSCT,TheOpenUniversity
Disruptingthenormsofcurriculumdesign:
GregBeneld,EducationalDeveloper,OCSLD
Photography
Greenwich Community College
Leeds Metropolitan University
SouthamptonSolentUniversity
Acknowledgements
Effective Practice in a Digital Age
Further information
Web: www.jisc.ac.uk
Email: info@jisc.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)117 331 0789