Greetings from the Mills Room of the Chancellery of the Australian National University, where Professor Margaret Harding, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research), opened the ANU Energy Change Institute annual meeting. The kynote speaker is ECI ABM will feature guest speaker Ivor Frischknecht, CEO of the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA).
Monday, March 31, 2014
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Make E-learning the Norm
What struck me about reading some of the literature on e-learning is how old fashioned and timid the approach of academic educators is: justifying why e-learning might be used in
some circumstances for some students. Perhaps it is time to flip the
discussion and ask why all courses are not designed for asynchronous
delivery by default, with synchronous and on-campus elements added,
where needed, wanted and affordable.
Simonson (2009) emphasises "the student" as if education was previously about someone else. They identified the type of student who would suit distance education. In terms of technology, they discuss synchronous e-learning before asynchronous, as if education naturally suits the former.
Hughes in "Supporting the Online Learner" frames distance education as something forced on the institution by excess demand or geography. That the student may prefer this mode of education is considered as an afterthought (and that the educator may prefer it is not considered at all). There is then a discussion of the characteristics of the learner who distance education might suit.
This reminds me of discussion of the Internet, email and the web in the mid to late 1990s: there was considerable discussion of the conditions under which these might be useful, by whom and where other conventional means of communication may have limitations. I spent much of my time in the 1990s putting that case, with public servants, military officers, politicians and industry. There was then a tipping point in the early to mid 2000s when these assumptions were reversed and you needed a reason not to use the Internet.
It may be time for a tipping point with e-learning. Courses should be designed, by default, for on-line asynchronous distance delivery. A student could still attend a campus if they wished and could afford it, but they would use the same course materials provided for the distance education students. Some parts of a course might require synchronous mode and a very small fraction would require campus attendance.
Simonson (2009) emphasises "the student" as if education was previously about someone else. They identified the type of student who would suit distance education. In terms of technology, they discuss synchronous e-learning before asynchronous, as if education naturally suits the former.
Hughes in "Supporting the Online Learner" frames distance education as something forced on the institution by excess demand or geography. That the student may prefer this mode of education is considered as an afterthought (and that the educator may prefer it is not considered at all). There is then a discussion of the characteristics of the learner who distance education might suit.
This reminds me of discussion of the Internet, email and the web in the mid to late 1990s: there was considerable discussion of the conditions under which these might be useful, by whom and where other conventional means of communication may have limitations. I spent much of my time in the 1990s putting that case, with public servants, military officers, politicians and industry. There was then a tipping point in the early to mid 2000s when these assumptions were reversed and you needed a reason not to use the Internet.
It may be time for a tipping point with e-learning. Courses should be designed, by default, for on-line asynchronous distance delivery. A student could still attend a campus if they wished and could afford it, but they would use the same course materials provided for the distance education students. Some parts of a course might require synchronous mode and a very small fraction would require campus attendance.
Reference
Simonson, Michael R (2009). Teaching and learning at a distance : foundations of distance education (4th ed). Allyn & Bacon/Pearson, Boston Retrieved from http://learning.fon.edu.mk/knigi/teachinganlearningatadistance-4.pdfWednesday, March 26, 2014
Greatest Unsolved Mysteries of the Universe MOOC: Part 2
Having found my edX password I was able to enter the course website for the Australian National University’s first Massive Open Online Course (MOOCs): "Greatest Unsolved Mysteries of the Universe" (ANUx: ANU-ASTRO1x). Provided is a video (which I can't access due to my limited bandwidth at home). Also there is a five page course outline, provided as a PDF download. At 6.1MBytes, the course outline taxed my low bandwidth wireless link and is about ten times as large as it need be. The outline provides a good overview of what the course is about and the assesment.
Assessment for the course is :
The course is run using Universal Time (UTC). Recently I had difficulty with time-zones for a course and the use of UTC s a sensible choice for an international course.
The course-ware (course notes) appear to have been divided into chunks of 120 to 180 words of text. Interestingly this is about the amount which fits on a TV screen and also the amount a typical student would write in a forum posting.
The course-ware included short videos, which I can't access. There is an option for downloading transcripts of the videos, but that does not seem to work either. Alongside the video window is some text (about 500 words) which might be the transcript. On the next page is a multiple choice question, which is presumably about whatever the video was supposed to tell me.
Without being able to access the videos, it does not appear this course will be usable. Even without the videos, the interface is so sluggish as to not be usable.
Assessment for the course is :
- Lesson Questions: 10% multiple choice
- Homework: 50%. Mathematical questions.
- Final Examination: 40%.
The course is run using Universal Time (UTC). Recently I had difficulty with time-zones for a course and the use of UTC s a sensible choice for an international course.
The course-ware (course notes) appear to have been divided into chunks of 120 to 180 words of text. Interestingly this is about the amount which fits on a TV screen and also the amount a typical student would write in a forum posting.
The course-ware included short videos, which I can't access. There is an option for downloading transcripts of the videos, but that does not seem to work either. Alongside the video window is some text (about 500 words) which might be the transcript. On the next page is a multiple choice question, which is presumably about whatever the video was supposed to tell me.
Without being able to access the videos, it does not appear this course will be usable. Even without the videos, the interface is so sluggish as to not be usable.
Targeting Orbiting Objects with a Laser in Canberra
Greetings from the Mt Stromlo Observatory in Canberra, where a representative of
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Square Kilometre Array Project
Greetings from the National Library of Australia in Canberra, where there is a presentation on the Square Kilometre Array Project (SKA). Not to be confused with Ska Jamaican music of the 1950s, SKA is an international project to build a large radio telescope, part in Western Australia and part in Southern Africa.
The SKA has obvious industry spin-offs in advances in computing and telecommunications, as well a sensor applications particularly for the military.
There is an Australian SKA Office within the Department of Industry. Unfortunately the Department's website has a number of problems. I found the web page very slow to load so ran the usual checks which I teach to students:
The SKA has obvious industry spin-offs in advances in computing and telecommunications, as well a sensor applications particularly for the military.
There is an Australian SKA Office within the Department of Industry. Unfortunately the Department's website has a number of problems. I found the web page very slow to load so ran the usual checks which I teach to students:
- Twelve validation errors,
- Mobile compatibility score of 0 out of 100: The web page has 3 critical, 5 severe, 1 medium and 5 low level problems,
- Web accessibility: 18
Greatest Unsolved Mysteries of the Universe MOOC
The first of the Australian National University’s edX Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), started today "Greatest Unsolved Mysteries of the Universe" (ANUx: ANU-ASTRO1x). I signed up for this and "Engaging India" (ANU-INDIA1x: ), which starts 29 April 2014. Previously I have tried MOOCs and have not found them a very satisfying experience, as a student. So I thought I would try two newer ones, from a leading Australian university, to see how the state of the art had improved.
The astrophysics course started with a welcome message to the students, inviting use to watch a video. Unfortunately my home bandwidth is limited, so I clicked on the link in the email which took me to the course website to read the introduction. However, under the headings "Course Updates & News" and "Course Handouts" I couldn't find any content. It seemed odd that neither the welcome video, nor a text alternative (as required under Australian anti-discrimination law) was provided.
So I then went to the "courseware" page, which asked me for a user-id and password. It is some months since I signed up and could not remember the password, so I requested this be reset. So far the reset email has not arrived. So the only Great Unsolved Mystery so far with this course is "where is the content?". ;-)
The astrophysics course started with a welcome message to the students, inviting use to watch a video. Unfortunately my home bandwidth is limited, so I clicked on the link in the email which took me to the course website to read the introduction. However, under the headings "Course Updates & News" and "Course Handouts" I couldn't find any content. It seemed odd that neither the welcome video, nor a text alternative (as required under Australian anti-discrimination law) was provided.
So I then went to the "courseware" page, which asked me for a user-id and password. It is some months since I signed up and could not remember the password, so I requested this be reset. So far the reset email has not arrived. So the only Great Unsolved Mystery so far with this course is "where is the content?". ;-)
Sunday, March 23, 2014
Australian Centre on China in the World
Submit Your Assignment the Dropbox?
Recently I was asked in a course I am undertaking to submit my assignment in the Dropbox. This was a
little confusing as "Dropbox" is a US file sharing service and I did not
understand why we would be using that service for submitting assignments. But
I then found that "dropbox" is a generic term in North America
for a physical box into which items are deposited. It appears that the
Dropbox service was named for this and the term is also used generically
for the electronic equivalent.
In Australia students put their paper assignments in an "assignment box" or "assignment deposit box". There generally is no term used for the electronic equivalent, with students "uploading" or "submitting" the assignment. The term "drop box" (two words) is used by some Australian universities, but "dropbox" (one word), relatively rarely.
Such are the complexities of international education.
In Australia students put their paper assignments in an "assignment box" or "assignment deposit box". There generally is no term used for the electronic equivalent, with students "uploading" or "submitting" the assignment. The term "drop box" (two words) is used by some Australian universities, but "dropbox" (one word), relatively rarely.
Such are the complexities of international education.
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Learners Were Always Feral
Greetings from the Australian National University in Canberra, where Joyce Seitzinger is speaking at "Have learners gone feral?". This is part of an open badges research project, funded by the Office of Learning and Teaching. The idea of digital badges are a form of lightweight digital educational certificate. A student might get a badge for a small amount of educational achievement, such as a few hours study. This is different to, for example, my Graduate Certificate in Higher Education (which required six months study).
While I understand how this might apply to schools and vocational education (where competencies are divided into very small components), but it is not clear how it would apply to universities. After getting a GCHE, I went along to the CIT to obtain the vocational equivalent. Whereas the university made me do all the classes and assessment, the vocational institution accepted evidence of my having already achieved most of the skills, by experience as well as in formal classes. When I had ticked off all the requirements (like collecting badges) my Cert IV in Training and Assessment was awarded. It seems to me that education has always been mostly an informal process in the real word, it just just that universities are the last to admit this.
It seems to me that the major issue for open badges at universities is the lack of openness in the forms of education and assessment used. If programs and assessment are open then badges would be easy to implement. The area for research should be how to have traditional universities accept these badges. This will require showing the universities how they can make money out of the badges.
ps: many years ago I visited a research centre in Cambridge which developed the Active Badge System.
While I understand how this might apply to schools and vocational education (where competencies are divided into very small components), but it is not clear how it would apply to universities. After getting a GCHE, I went along to the CIT to obtain the vocational equivalent. Whereas the university made me do all the classes and assessment, the vocational institution accepted evidence of my having already achieved most of the skills, by experience as well as in formal classes. When I had ticked off all the requirements (like collecting badges) my Cert IV in Training and Assessment was awarded. It seems to me that education has always been mostly an informal process in the real word, it just just that universities are the last to admit this.
It seems to me that the major issue for open badges at universities is the lack of openness in the forms of education and assessment used. If programs and assessment are open then badges would be easy to implement. The area for research should be how to have traditional universities accept these badges. This will require showing the universities how they can make money out of the badges.
ps: many years ago I visited a research centre in Cambridge which developed the Active Badge System.
Event Details
Have learners gone feral? Accessing and accrediting learning at the edges of educational space
Learners have been teaching themselves for many centuries. However in our highly connected time learning practices have truly gone feral. Twitter drips out 140 character learning bites around the clock. Google Scholar gives you, on demand, as many resources as you need. Scoop.It lets you connect with experts in your field who are curating the best and most recent information on any topic you are interested in. Don’t know how to make that widget? Search YouTube or, better yet, join a maker community.
According to Pew Research the age of ‘binge learning’ in linear courses might be coming to an end: we can now all “graze on information” anytime, anywhere. So how are people organising these platforms and information streams to maximize their learning? Is it possible, or desirable, for formal higher education providers to engage with these independent learners and add value?More importantly, if learning is feral and happening everywhere, how can we assess and accredit the learning that is happening in existing higher education settings, but not as part of formal course work? A conventional degree testamur is a ‘mute’ object that actually tells us very little about the richness of the learning that is taking place, especially around the edges of formal coursework. It looks like Mozilla’s Open Badges may be an important piece of the puzzle, a way of making learning more legible to others, and to the learner themselves.In this lecture Joyce Seitzinger will discuss the concept and potential of Mozilla’s Open Badges movement against the background of these feral learning practices and sketches out what this new development might mean for our universities.Bio:Joyce Seitzinger has worked in eLearning for 15 years, including 8 years in higher education in New Zealand and Australia. Since 2007 she has become a strong advocate of networked learning in education and organisational learning. Her consulting service Academic Tribe helps individuals and organisations build networked communities and practices in education that suit lifelong learning needs in the 21st century. Joyce is one of the founders of the newly established OBANZ (Open Badges Australia and New Zealand) community. She is an active Twitterer, follow her at http://twitter.com/catspyjamasnz to see what she’s working on.Refreshments will be provided.This project is funded through an Office of Learning and Teaching seed grant.
Australian University Assessment Handbook
The University of Western Sydney has released "Assuring Learning and Teaching Standards through Inter-Institutional Peer Review and
Moderation: A User Guide and Handbook" and "Assuring Learning and Teaching Standards through Inter-Institutional Peer Review and Moderation" (Kerri-Lee Krause and Geoff Scott, March 2014). The results of this carefully conducted study into the quality of assessment at Australian universities does not really tell us anything new: universities assessment is of a suitable and comparable standard across the country, and this standard can be maintained by regular comparison between institutions.
The report and manual do gloss over a dirty little secret of higher education assessment: while there is general agreement on who should pass, there is little consistency as to more detailed grades. In general, different assessors (or the same assessor at different times) will give different grades to the same work. Vocational education avoids this problem by just having one grade of "competent" (and being optimistic by calling failure "no yet competent".
The handbook may be of use to those preparing assessment and evaluation policies for universities, but anyone doing that should already know the general approach from having completed a course, such as USQ's "Assessment, Evaluation and Learning " (EDU5713), as I did.
Moderation: A User Guide and Handbook" and "Assuring Learning and Teaching Standards through Inter-Institutional Peer Review and Moderation" (Kerri-Lee Krause and Geoff Scott, March 2014). The results of this carefully conducted study into the quality of assessment at Australian universities does not really tell us anything new: universities assessment is of a suitable and comparable standard across the country, and this standard can be maintained by regular comparison between institutions.
The report and manual do gloss over a dirty little secret of higher education assessment: while there is general agreement on who should pass, there is little consistency as to more detailed grades. In general, different assessors (or the same assessor at different times) will give different grades to the same work. Vocational education avoids this problem by just having one grade of "competent" (and being optimistic by calling failure "no yet competent".
The handbook may be of use to those preparing assessment and evaluation policies for universities, but anyone doing that should already know the general approach from having completed a course, such as USQ's "Assessment, Evaluation and Learning " (EDU5713), as I did.
Energy Poverty and Sustainable Development
Roundtable on Energy Poverty
Gautam N. Yadama addresses issues related to poverty, the role of non-governmental organizations in sustainable development, and governance of common pool resources. He is particularly interested in understanding how communities partner with the state to supply and manage public goods for the benefit of the poor and the marginalized. His current research focuses on understanding micro-institutional mechanisms for managing community forests under various exogenous conditions, including state-community relations, decentralization, and resource pressures. He has worked on community forestry issues in India, Bhutan, Nepal, and Turkey. Have questions about Roundtable on Energy Poverty with Prof Gautama of Brown School, WUSTL?
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
Overcoming Academic Problems
Greetings from the Australian national Universality in Canberra, where Dr Melissa Pech is speaking on "I Think I Can't: Overcoming Barriers to Academic and Professional Problems". University study and research can be a very stressful experience and perhaps such seminars should be part of the program, rather than an optional activity. Also an online version of the seminars would be useful for those staff and students who are not on campus.
E-learning presents new challenges for assisting students. The on-line courses I run have about the same completion rate as conventional face to face ones (about 75%). However, with an online course students ten to withdraw early in the course, rather than failing later, due to the increased feedback they receive. This creates a need for extra support to students early in the semester.
Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) present new challenges for assisting students. As well as the large number of students (hundreds of thousands, rather than hundreds) there is the issue of the low completion rate. With a MOOC, the completion rate is typically about 5%, so it would not be realistic, or helpful to tell a student that if they were just to try harder they will successfully complete the course. The numbers of MOOC students may also present a problem in providing they type of student support which universities are required to provide, ethically and by law, to all students.
ps: Dr Pech's seminar was the first in a series of seminars by the ANU Counselling Centre:
E-learning presents new challenges for assisting students. The on-line courses I run have about the same completion rate as conventional face to face ones (about 75%). However, with an online course students ten to withdraw early in the course, rather than failing later, due to the increased feedback they receive. This creates a need for extra support to students early in the semester.
Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) present new challenges for assisting students. As well as the large number of students (hundreds of thousands, rather than hundreds) there is the issue of the low completion rate. With a MOOC, the completion rate is typically about 5%, so it would not be realistic, or helpful to tell a student that if they were just to try harder they will successfully complete the course. The numbers of MOOC students may also present a problem in providing they type of student support which universities are required to provide, ethically and by law, to all students.
ps: Dr Pech's seminar was the first in a series of seminars by the ANU Counselling Centre:
- "Rules For Brains", 29 April, Gail Frank
- Developing an Attitude for Gratitude, 27 May, Rachel Tyson
- Minds for Mental Health and Well Being, 19 August, Carol Beynon
- Healthy Adaptions to Perfectionism, 23 September, Maureen MacGinley
- Attention - The Vital Muscle of the Mind, 14 October, Moira Turnbull
Monday, March 17, 2014
Purpose of a PHD
Greetings from the Australian National University in Canberra, where Dr Margaret Kiley is talking on "Should we be worried about the PhD?". She suggested that a PHD graduate should be able to:
The average PHD student is 3 years old and equal males and females and 50% are part time for at least part of their studies. Most PHDs come from a job and are studying the field they previously worked in.
The number of students has doubled between 2000 and 2010. International students now make up more than one third of PHD students. Enrolment in "honours" (a program Australia adopted from Scotland) is declining. Structuring of doctorates is increasing (with professional or practice doctorate), having coursework followed by thesis.
One aspect of Dr Kiley's analysis I did not agree with was the idea that PHD graduates should be "work ready". There are likely to be skills which graduates need which a PHD is not suited to teach or test. To take an extreme example, regardless of the quality of the graduate's thesis, they will not be employed on a mine, building or factory work-site unless they have completed mandatory health and safety training. This training is at a very low level and it does not make sense to teach it in a PHD.
This is the first of four talks on the future of the PHD to be held at ANU. In July the topic is candidates and supervisors, November on ways of supervising with technology.
- Produce quality research
- Articulate knowledge and skills developed
- Identify how to use their education in future employment
- Understand the world.
The average PHD student is 3 years old and equal males and females and 50% are part time for at least part of their studies. Most PHDs come from a job and are studying the field they previously worked in.
The number of students has doubled between 2000 and 2010. International students now make up more than one third of PHD students. Enrolment in "honours" (a program Australia adopted from Scotland) is declining. Structuring of doctorates is increasing (with professional or practice doctorate), having coursework followed by thesis.
One aspect of Dr Kiley's analysis I did not agree with was the idea that PHD graduates should be "work ready". There are likely to be skills which graduates need which a PHD is not suited to teach or test. To take an extreme example, regardless of the quality of the graduate's thesis, they will not be employed on a mine, building or factory work-site unless they have completed mandatory health and safety training. This training is at a very low level and it does not make sense to teach it in a PHD.
This is the first of four talks on the future of the PHD to be held at ANU. In July the topic is candidates and supervisors, November on ways of supervising with technology.
Sunday, March 16, 2014
Computer Science Degrees by Distance Education from Australian Universities
I was looking for a list of Computer Science degrees offered by Distance Education by Australian universities. I tried the My University website and could select distance education, but seemed to end up with a lot of unrelated degrees when searching for "computer science". Of the 259 programs listed, only a small fraction seem to be computer science. Doing a manual cull of the list I came up with, for Bachelors (with or without honours):
Thursday, March 13, 2014
Is 160 Words a Reasonable Length for Student Forum Postings?
Each week I ask students in an online forum to make at least three postings, for which they receive up to 2% marks. The students ask how long the postings should be and I struggle to answer this. I have tried saying "one or two paragraphs", but students seem to think more is better. I have tried marking them down for writing too much, but then they ask how much is too much. Moodle now has a word length function for forum postings, so perhaps I can tell them a number of words, but how many words?
Australian universities typically set 50 to 60 words per percent of assessment. So that would be 100 to 120 words for 2% of assessment. But I am asking the students to make at least three postings per week, so they would be on average at most 40 words, which seems a bit short.
In "Student-led facilitation strategies in online discussions", Evrim Baran and Ana-Paula Correia report students posting an average of, 96, 150 and 181 words for different discussions. Nirmaldasan in "Plain Paragraph Length" suggests typically 100 to 150 words, but as short as 60 words. So my "two paragraphs" would translate to 120, 200, or 300 words.
Based on this, 160 words might be might be reasonable length. This also happens to be about the number of words which fit on a standard definition TV screen (as used for Teletext).
Australian universities typically set 50 to 60 words per percent of assessment. So that would be 100 to 120 words for 2% of assessment. But I am asking the students to make at least three postings per week, so they would be on average at most 40 words, which seems a bit short.
In "Student-led facilitation strategies in online discussions", Evrim Baran and Ana-Paula Correia report students posting an average of, 96, 150 and 181 words for different discussions. Nirmaldasan in "Plain Paragraph Length" suggests typically 100 to 150 words, but as short as 60 words. So my "two paragraphs" would translate to 120, 200, or 300 words.
Based on this, 160 words might be might be reasonable length. This also happens to be about the number of words which fit on a standard definition TV screen (as used for Teletext).
Position Available: Dean of Engineering and Computer Science ANU
The Australian National University has advertised for a "Dean, College of Engineering and Computer Science", in Canberra. Applications close 28 April 2014. The
ANU College of Engineering & Computer Science consists of the Research School of Computer Science, the Research School of Engineering, and collaborates with NICTA. The current Dean, Professor John Hosking, is leaving to take up Dean of Science at the University of Auckland.
Dean, College of Engineering and Computer Science (A074-14NC)
Senior Appointments, ANU College of Engineering and Computer Science
The ANU College of Engineering and Computer Science has an opportunity for an outstanding and influential academic. Location Canberra/ACT Term of Contract Fixed Term of 5 Years Grade Salary Package Negotiable Salary Package Salary plus 17% superannuation
Closing Date 28 April 2014 Position Overview The ANU College of Engineering and Computer Science has an opportunity for an outstanding and influential academic to build on the College’s significant achievements and chart the future direction to ensure it maintains its enviable reputation.
The College has a strong international research reputation, a vibrant research-led education programme; and offers strong contributions to policy advice and community engagement.
As the Dean you will play a key role in the Senior Management Group of the University. You will foster, enhance and lead research and teaching innovations and provide overall leadership to the College.
If you have outstanding leadership skills, an outstanding research track record, and background in Computer Science or Engineering then we welcome an application from you.
For a confidential conversation and information book:
Dr Jim Sait, Odgers Berndtson
Monday, March 10, 2014
Blended Multi-lingual Schools for All Australians
The Prime Minister has set a new indigenous school attendance target, but I suggest we need to broaden the concept of what is a school. We could have a system for all students, where they could learn in multiple languages, attend a local school with a teacher, but also be provided with on-line materials and teachers for specialist subjects. The techniques materials being developed for teaching Australian university students could be applied in schools.
I expect every Australian is familiar with the "Australian School of the Air" for students at home: now delivered by WiFi, rather than wireless. ;-)
As a student of education myself, recently I was undertaking a project on distance education for indigenous Australian students in remote communities. There have been some projects to issue computers to students in schools, best known being the XO Project. However, these focus on the hardware, not the integration into the curriculum.
What many might not know (I didn't), is that the NT and Queensland education departments provide a form of blended learning for remote schools. The students attend a local school and have a teacher, but where the school is too small to have a teachers for a specialist subjects, the materials and a teacher are provided on-line. The local and remote teachers work together to teach the students.
This, I suggest, could be the future of schools across Australia. Students would still attend a local school, but would also have the benefit of specialist on-line courses and teachers. This would allow students to learn in languages other than English and study specialist courses, using materials developed by Australian universities.
Australia’s Northern Territory Open Education Centre (NTOEC, 2014) provides distance education to students at home. NTOEC also supports teachers in Community Schools in remote areas. This mode of education provides the student with a local teacher and a class for cultural awareness and group activities, as well as remote teaching for specialist subjects.
Kapitzke and Pendergast (2005) report positively on the early trials of the Queensland Education Department's Virtual Schooling Service, which provides both distance education to students in the home and support for students in the classroom in remote schools. While they argue that new pedagogy is needed, there does not appear to have been a development of this, with the Virtual Schooling continuing to be run as first envisaged.
Keegan, Taka Keegan and Laws (2011) describe how the Moodle Learning Management System and Mahara (e-Portfolio) are being used for bilingual/bicultural education of Māori in New Zealand, for both school and university students. This would allow the holistic approach to learning noted by Kitchenham (2013) for teaching Indigenous language and culture in Northern British Columbia (Canadia).
Srivastava (2002) compares higher education use of Distance Education (DE) in Canada and India. On Canada Srivastava comments that "There is little attention being paid to the kinds of education that might be appropriate to the aboriginal peoples". and notes only 6% were university graduates in 1996.
Kitchenham (2013) details the use of digital technology for teaching Indigenous language and culture in Northern British Columbian (Canadia) public schools. Rather than barriers to e-learning for indigenous students, Kitchenham argues that these may suit the learning styles of the indigenous students.
Kitchenham (2013) noted that of the fourteen indigenous learning styles identified by White (2008), ten are "well matched with educational technologies". These ten were:
ANU is currently accepting enrolments for its first two edX on-line courses: Engaging India and Greatest Unsolved Mysteries of the Universe. These courses are intended for school students. Engaging India is to be offered in two languages (English and Hindi).
I expect every Australian is familiar with the "Australian School of the Air" for students at home: now delivered by WiFi, rather than wireless. ;-)
As a student of education myself, recently I was undertaking a project on distance education for indigenous Australian students in remote communities. There have been some projects to issue computers to students in schools, best known being the XO Project. However, these focus on the hardware, not the integration into the curriculum.
What many might not know (I didn't), is that the NT and Queensland education departments provide a form of blended learning for remote schools. The students attend a local school and have a teacher, but where the school is too small to have a teachers for a specialist subjects, the materials and a teacher are provided on-line. The local and remote teachers work together to teach the students.
This, I suggest, could be the future of schools across Australia. Students would still attend a local school, but would also have the benefit of specialist on-line courses and teachers. This would allow students to learn in languages other than English and study specialist courses, using materials developed by Australian universities.
Australian and International On-line Support for Learning
Australia’s Northern Territory Open Education Centre (NTOEC, 2014) provides distance education to students at home. NTOEC also supports teachers in Community Schools in remote areas. This mode of education provides the student with a local teacher and a class for cultural awareness and group activities, as well as remote teaching for specialist subjects.
Kapitzke and Pendergast (2005) report positively on the early trials of the Queensland Education Department's Virtual Schooling Service, which provides both distance education to students in the home and support for students in the classroom in remote schools. While they argue that new pedagogy is needed, there does not appear to have been a development of this, with the Virtual Schooling continuing to be run as first envisaged.
Keegan, Taka Keegan and Laws (2011) describe how the Moodle Learning Management System and Mahara (e-Portfolio) are being used for bilingual/bicultural education of Māori in New Zealand, for both school and university students. This would allow the holistic approach to learning noted by Kitchenham (2013) for teaching Indigenous language and culture in Northern British Columbia (Canadia).
Srivastava (2002) compares higher education use of Distance Education (DE) in Canada and India. On Canada Srivastava comments that "There is little attention being paid to the kinds of education that might be appropriate to the aboriginal peoples". and notes only 6% were university graduates in 1996.
Kitchenham (2013) details the use of digital technology for teaching Indigenous language and culture in Northern British Columbian (Canadia) public schools. Rather than barriers to e-learning for indigenous students, Kitchenham argues that these may suit the learning styles of the indigenous students.
Indigenous Learning styles Supported by Online Courses
Kitchenham (2013) noted that of the fourteen indigenous learning styles identified by White (2008), ten are "well matched with educational technologies". These ten were:
It should be noted that these also correspond to the approach advocated for contemporary e-learning generally, including connectivist Massive Open On-line Courses (c-MOOCs). Yeager, Hurley-Dasgupta & Bliss (2013) list the four activities key to a cMOOC as: aggregation; remixing; repurposing (or constructivism); and feeding forward. Apart from aggregation, which is the curating of material by the educator, the others activities are for the learners to carry out cooperatively. These same approaches to learning and now applied in teaching postgraduate university students, using the same on-line tools as used in schools.
- participate at their own discretion;
- enjoy group-oriented tasks;
- favour one-on-one interaction with the teacher for clarification or for permission;
- learn from repeated and silent observation;
- are spatially and holistically oriented;
- prefer holistic approaches to learning;
- are interested in what other learners are doing;
- need time to answer teacher questions;
- spurn displaying knowledge that others might possess; and
- prefer collaborative learning over competitive learning.
From: Kitchenham (2013), after White (2008)
Free Open Access Courses for Schools from Australian Universities
ANU is currently accepting enrolments for its first two edX on-line courses: Engaging India and Greatest Unsolved Mysteries of the Universe. These courses are intended for school students. Engaging India is to be offered in two languages (English and Hindi).
References
Kapitzke, C., & Pendergast, D. (2005). Virtual Schooling Service: Productive Pedagogies or Pedagogical Possibilities?. Teachers College Record, 107(8), 1626-1651.Retrieved from http://eprints.qut.edu.au/8153/1/8153_2.pdf
Keegan, P. J., Taka Keegan, T., & Laws, M. (2011). Online Māori Resources and Māori Initiatives for Teaching and Learning: Current activities, successes and future directions. MAI Review, (1), 1-13.
Kitchenham, A. (2013).THE PRESERVATION OF CANADIAN INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE AND CULTURE THROUGH EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY. Alternative: An International Journal Of Indigenous Peoples,9(4), 351-364.
Keegan, P. J., Taka Keegan, T., & Laws, M. (2011). Online Māori Resources and Māori Initiatives for Teaching and Learning: Current activities, successes and future directions. MAI Review, (1), 1-13.
Kitchenham, A. (2013).THE PRESERVATION OF CANADIAN INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE AND CULTURE THROUGH EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY. Alternative: An International Journal Of Indigenous Peoples,9(4), 351-364.
NTOEC, (2014). 2014 Subject and Enrolment Handbook. Darwin, Northern Territory: Northern Territory Open Education Centre. Retrieved from http://www.ntoec.nt.edu.au/site/attachments/Curriculum/subjecthandbook.pdf#page=3
Kitchenham, A. (2013). THE PRESERVATION OF CANADIAN INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE AND CULTURE THROUGH EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY. Alternative: An International Journal Of Indigenous Peoples, 9(4), 351-364.
Srivastava, M. (2002). A comparative study on current trends in distance education in Canada and India. Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education, 3(4), 1-11. Retrieved from http://tojde.anadolu.edu.tr/tojde8/articles/srivastava.htm
Yeager, C., Hurley-Dasgupta, B., & Bliss, C. A. (2013). CMOOCS AND GLOBAL LEARNING: AN AUTHENTIC ALTERNATIVE. Journal Of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 17(2), 133-147. White, F. (2008). Ancestral language acquisition among Native Americans: A study of a Haida
language class. Lewiston, NY: Edwin Mellen.
Srivastava, M. (2002). A comparative study on current trends in distance education in Canada and India. Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education, 3(4), 1-11. Retrieved from http://tojde.anadolu.edu.tr/tojde8/articles/srivastava.htm
Yeager, C., Hurley-Dasgupta, B., & Bliss, C. A. (2013). CMOOCS AND GLOBAL LEARNING: AN AUTHENTIC ALTERNATIVE. Journal Of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 17(2), 133-147. White, F. (2008). Ancestral language acquisition among Native Americans: A study of a Haida
language class. Lewiston, NY: Edwin Mellen.
Pedagogy Cast in Concrete
Andrew Mackenzie, describes the new Soheil Abedian School of Architecture building at Bond University as "a form of built pedagogy and could only have been designed by a team that has collectively clocked up over a century of architectural teaching" (The Architectural Review, 28 January 2014). But should pedagogy be cast in stone (or in this case concrete)? Mackenzie marvels at the building costing only $16.2M. However, while much of the building appears to be open plan, it would be difficult to re-purpose its fixed concrete walls, when needs change.
It would be interesting to see what the cost would be for a simple rectangular steel warehouse-style building. This could then have an internal structure rearranged to suit needs, or even have the building structure rearranged or removed. Such a structure need not be boring, as shown by Thierry Lacoste, Lacoste + Stevenson's design for a Sydney warehouse.
Friday, March 7, 2014
Pedagogy of UK MOOCs
Bayne and Ross's 76 page report "The pedagogy of the Massive Open Online Course: the UK view" (2014) proves a sober look at the
much hyped topic of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). They found 58
MOOCs offered by UK universities (Future learn: 29, Coursera: 21, the
remainder independent). The social sciences have the most MOOCS,
computer science only six. Most MOOCs are six weeks. Only two MOOCs are
for credit. Not mentioned in the report is that one of these, Vampire
Fictions (Edge Hill University) had had a very low take-up rate for the
assessed option.
Bayne and Ross (2014) reject the cMOOC/xMOOC classification and also assert that the platform used (such as Cosera or edX) does not determine the type of teaching used.
Most significantly Bayne and Ross (2014) argue that "The teacher’ is of "central importance", despite the use of automated tools.
None of Bayne and Ross (2014) findings are surprising. MOOCs are just the latest manifestation of distance education courses, which have been offered for hundreds of years on paper and for decades via electronic technology.
What this report fails to address is the question of why so many UK institutions are investing resources in courses which will not earn any fees and which students do not receive any credit for. A second question would be what the institutions expect to happen as a result of offering such courses, which will be different to similar extension coruses, over the previous two hundred years. Universities quickly tire of education programs which do not result in the conversion of free students to fee students.
There is a well known form of technological optimism, where proponents of a new technology say "the old paradigm no longer applies". However, the technology MOOCs use is essentially the same as that developed for on-line courses over the last twenty years. The most "massive" the MOOCs is still smaller than previous generation broadcast TV distance courses, which had millions of students.
Bayne and Ross (2014) reject the cMOOC/xMOOC classification and also assert that the platform used (such as Cosera or edX) does not determine the type of teaching used.
Most significantly Bayne and Ross (2014) argue that "The teacher’ is of "central importance", despite the use of automated tools.
None of Bayne and Ross (2014) findings are surprising. MOOCs are just the latest manifestation of distance education courses, which have been offered for hundreds of years on paper and for decades via electronic technology.
What this report fails to address is the question of why so many UK institutions are investing resources in courses which will not earn any fees and which students do not receive any credit for. A second question would be what the institutions expect to happen as a result of offering such courses, which will be different to similar extension coruses, over the previous two hundred years. Universities quickly tire of education programs which do not result in the conversion of free students to fee students.
There is a well known form of technological optimism, where proponents of a new technology say "the old paradigm no longer applies". However, the technology MOOCs use is essentially the same as that developed for on-line courses over the last twenty years. The most "massive" the MOOCs is still smaller than previous generation broadcast TV distance courses, which had millions of students.
Reference
Bayne, S & Ross, J (2014, February). The pedagogy of the Massive Open Online Course: the UK view. from Higher Education Academy Web Site: http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/assets/documents/elt/HEA_Edinburgh_MOOC_WEB_030314_1136.pdfThursday, March 6, 2014
Living Archive of Aboriginal Languages
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Professor Christie criticised the current trend to require aboriginal students to use English for a specified period per day, driven by the requirement to meet nationally standardised test requirements. He instead described a process where students create the content for the curriculum based on recording local knowledge. He also said there were a lot of good funded projects in community centres and libraries, using mobile and digital technology. Also some linguists at the NT Department of Education may be used to adapt some indigenous materials for teaching. Professor Christie said that many within the Department of Education were unhappy with the direct of new policies which minimise aboriginal language.
Another aspect mentioned was the role of aboriginal teachers in teaching subjects such as mathematics in a way the indigenous students could relate to.
This was an inspiring presentation and one where some of the setbacks due to Northern Territory and Australian Government education policies policies were looked on with sadness, rather than anger. This is all the more remarkable as academics in the field of indigenous education are expecting an epidemic of youth suicides due to the new government policies.
Recently I have been looking at the use of computer for education in remote indigenous communities in Australia and Canada. Perhaps there are some lessons for Australia which can be learned from elsewhere. During the discussion this afternoon, comparisons were made with Canada, where 30 times as much was spent on preserving indigenous languages. One positive point was the role of universities.
Sharman Stone MP,, Member for Murray officially launched the new archive. She was deputy chair of a parliamentary committee which produced ‘Inquiry into language learning in Indigenous communities’ (2012). She commented that one problem was where the language the students actually speak is ignored and they are taught as if they spoke English.
Public lecture
Living Archive of Aboriginal Languages: Launch and public lecture The Living Archive of Aboriginal Languages (LAAL) (http://laal.cdu.edu.au)/ will be launched by The Honorable Sharman Stone, Member for Murray. Dr Stone was deputy chair of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs which in 2012 produced the report ‘Inquiry into language learning in Indigenous communities’
A public lecture entitled ‘Aboriginal languages, literatures and technologies in the Northern Territory since the 1970s’ will be given by Professor Michael Christie from Charles Darwin University following the launch. Professor Christie will reflect on over 40 years involvement with bilingual education, linguistics and literature production in the Northern Territory, and the ways in which Aboriginal philosophies and pedagogies have influenced the production and use of literature over the years.
LAAL, an ARC-funded project, contains thousands of books in Australian Aboriginal languages produced in the Northern Territory during the era of bilingual education that are now digitised with permission for public access.
The archive has been devised to be of use to both the remote Aboriginal communities of origin in the intergenerational transmission of traditional knowledge, and to the international research community interested in working collaboratively with Aboriginal languages, texts, and their owners.
The archive contains books in over 25 Indigenous languages from 20 different communities, and includes traditional stories, language instruction, histories, songs, experience stories, ethno-scientific texts and others.
Stage two of the archive project has been funded to radically extend the range of texts, and to engage language owners, educators, and researchers in exploring, enriching and engaging with the archive.
The event is part of a larger workshop on Aboriginal languages sponsored by ANU.
For information visit http://chl.anu.edu.au/languages/alw2014.php
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
International Cybersecurity Research Collaboration
Greetings from the National Security College at the Australian National University in Canberra, where Malcolm Turnbull, Minister for Communications, is speaking at the launch of "Strategy and Statecraft in Cyberspace" research. This research will use techniques of complex systems and natural ecology.
The researchers are asking for input from the community and will reach
out via blogs and other on-line forms.
Minister Turnbull started by saying the Internet is the single most powerful driver of innovation in human history (I would nominate the invention of language and writing as greater influences). He included ASD one agency which has a role in cyber security policy. Also he made a reference to "Mr. Snowdens's burglary". Minister Turnbull pointed out that governments had to protest publicly about being spied on by NSA, because the details were made public.
Minister Turnbull then turned to the digital economy. He emphasised that the Internet was built and is run by the private sector, not governments. I don't agree that this is so significant: most human activities are run by private individuals, non-profit and for-profit organisations (not government). I helped set up the structure used to run the Internet and it was not so different to the structures I help run for other civic activities. However, I agree with his assertion that maintaining a cyberspace not dominated by government is a goal.
Minister Turnbull asserted that the Internet is run by US based bodies, but not run by the US government. He characterises the way the Internet is governed as ad-hoc, but this is not the case. The Internet was set up with a governance structure carefully designed to prevent government control: this is no accident.
I will post a link, when the text of the speech is available.
Minister Turnbull started by saying the Internet is the single most powerful driver of innovation in human history (I would nominate the invention of language and writing as greater influences). He included ASD one agency which has a role in cyber security policy. Also he made a reference to "Mr. Snowdens's burglary". Minister Turnbull pointed out that governments had to protest publicly about being spied on by NSA, because the details were made public.
Minister Turnbull then turned to the digital economy. He emphasised that the Internet was built and is run by the private sector, not governments. I don't agree that this is so significant: most human activities are run by private individuals, non-profit and for-profit organisations (not government). I helped set up the structure used to run the Internet and it was not so different to the structures I help run for other civic activities. However, I agree with his assertion that maintaining a cyberspace not dominated by government is a goal.
Minister Turnbull asserted that the Internet is run by US based bodies, but not run by the US government. He characterises the way the Internet is governed as ad-hoc, but this is not the case. The Internet was set up with a governance structure carefully designed to prevent government control: this is no accident.
I will post a link, when the text of the speech is available.
Monday, March 3, 2014
Accessing and accrediting learning
Public lecture
Have learners gone feral? Accessing and accrediting learning at the edges of educational space
Learners have been teaching themselves for many centuries. However in our highly connected time learning practices have truly gone feral. Twitter drips out 140 character learning bites around the clock. Google Scholar gives you, on demand, as many resources as you need. Scoop.It lets you connect with experts in your field who are curating the best and most recent information on any topic you are interested in. Don’t know how to make that widget? Search YouTube or, better yet, join a maker community.
According to Pew Research the age of ‘binge learning’ in linear courses might be coming to an end: we can now all “graze on information” anytime, anywhere. So how are people organizing these platforms and information streams to maximize their learning? Is it possible, or desirable, for formal higher education providers to engage with these independent learners and add value?
More importantly, if learning is feral and happening everywhere, how can we assess and accredit the learning that is happening in existing higher education settings, but not as part of formal course work? A conventional degree testamur is a ‘mute’ object that actually tells us very little about the richness of the learning that is taking place, especially around the edges of formal coursework. It looks like Mozilla’s Open Badges may be an important piece of the puzzle, a way of making learning more legible to others, and to the learner themselves.
In this lecture Joyce Seitzinger will discuss the concept and potential of Mozilla’s Open Badges movement against the background of these feral learning practices and sketches out what this new development might mean for our universities.
Bio:
Joyce Seitzinger has worked in eLearning for 15 years, including 8 years in higher education in New Zealand and Australia. Since 2007 she has become a strong advocate of networked learning in education and organisational learning. Her consulting service Academic Tribe helps individuals and organisations build networked communities and practices in education that suit lifelong learning needs in the 21st century. Joyce is one of the founders of the newly established OBANZ (Open Badges Australia and New Zealand) community. She is an active Twitterer, follow her at twitter.com/catspyjamasnz to see what she’s working on.
Refreshments will be provided.
Please register here.
This project is funded through an Office of Learning and Teaching seed grant. ...
Sunday, March 2, 2014
Combined College and Community Centre for Sydney Inner West
Gungahlin College is an ACT Government upper secondary school, which has on the campus the Gungahlin Public Library, community meeting rooms and a Canberra Institute of Technology TAFE campus. Most of the school is only for students, but the library/TAFE building is open to the public. I suggest such an facility could be built adjacent to Sydney Secondary College and shared by the students and the wider community.
One use for the facility would be for face-to-face classes to supplement low cost on-line courses. Such courses (including Massive Open Online Courses, or "MOOCs"), are being offered by the world's leading universities for members of the community to undertake informal study and also for school students to supplement conventional courses. However, it has been found advantageous to supplement the purely online courses with some face-to-face classes.The Inspire Centre has video projectors covering about one third of the walls, leaving the rest of the space for use as whiteboards. The cost of projectors are dropping, so I suggest the new facility could have the capability of projecting onto all wall surfaces. This could be used to create an effect reminiscent of the "Holodeck" of the fictional starship Enterprise. One seamless moving image could completely surround the students.
Such a facility could be built and operated at a lower cost than separate educational and community centres. A first step could be for the Leichhardt Municipal Council to commission some sketches from an architect experienced in designing combined educational and community facilities.