Saturday 5 July 2014

Three views: Enhancement and evaluation of TEL

#OCTEL - WEEK 6 Webinar


The Week 6 ocTEL webinar offers three views on enhancing and evaluating technology in learning. Those viewers with a particular interest could perhaps just watch a third of the webinar, that is, what most relates to them/their work.

View 1: iPads in Science  


The first presenter, Mark Kerrigan (Anglia Ruskin University) focuses on an iPads in Science initiative, which is described in: Mobile learning: How mobile technologies can enhance the learning experience (pp.30-38).

In brief, students were loaned iPads, could customise things on the tool to suit themselves (i.e. treat like your own but within the terms of use), and could take them into laboratory sessions in specially prepared and tested protective covers. One aim was to support employability skills aligned to best practice, and included pre-, in- and post-laboratory activities in the learning design.

View 2: Video enhanced learning  


The second presenter (at about 15' mark), James McDowell (University of Huddersfield) focusses on his award winning work for the Most Effective Use of Video, regarding the enhancement of student learning through his use of video feedback. James' profile page (click on hyperlinked name above) shows a list of publications and/or presentations related to his work (including his work with others) on video enhanced learning. (Unfortunately, this webinar presentation would have been better to connect to live, as the short videos that James shows via Blackboard Collaborate do not show in the recorded and YouTube accessed webinar.)

The presentation that is linked to from the ocTEL week 6 site, titled Using video feedback in formative assessments, seems to be a precursor to the presentation James uses for the ocTEL webinar. Specifically, in the webinar James seems to have reworked the slides he shows (e.g. slide 6 in link) to a focus of:

  • VEL: video enhanced learning
  • VEF: video enhanced feedback 
  • VEA: video enhanced assessment.

With the following examples (heavily summarised):
  • VEL: production of a video repository
  • VEF: developing a video feedback loop system to promote engagement with feedback via video
  • VEA: learner generated video vignettes to enable reflection and self-assessment via portfolio.
Here is a conference paper I have found on James' work with video:

McDowell, J. (2011). Using asynchronous video to promote learner engagement through the enhancement of assessment and feedbackProceedings of the 6th International Blended learning conference, Hertfordshire. June 15-16, 2011.



View 3: 3E subject design in (e.g. in LMS/VLE)


The third and final presenter (at about 30' mark), Keith Smyth (Edinburgh Napier University), focusses on the 3E Framework for technology-enhanced learning, teaching and assessment, now adopted and adapted by over 25 institutions.

Keith draws attention to a comprehensive website on this framework, which also contains an excellent and also comprehensive document:

Smyth, K., Bruce, S., Fotheringham, J. and Mainka, C. (2011). Benchmark for the use of technology in modules; [based on the] 3E Framework designed and developed by Keith Smyth. Edinburgh Napier University, Edinburgh, Scotland.



This document is a great resource, from the principle of not just using technology at the minimum 'Enhance' level, but, where desired and appropriate, to further develop learning at the 'Extend' and 'Empower' levels. See the image harnessed from this document below, which gives Smyth's definitions for the 3 E's.


In closing this post


It is a couple of weeks since I viewed this webinar, and the ocTEL course is finished, therefore, I will leave this post as above, as an overview of the three examples of TEL embedded with useful, related inks, and let the webinar via YouTube speak to the evaluation side (which is attended to briefly given three presenters within one hour, but still useful).

All three guest presenters offered valuable TEL examples, and I look forward to reading further on their respective works.

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