Hacks of AI learning platforms pose a bigger challenge

The ABC reported today "Australian educational facilities impacted as 'criminal' hacks Canvas learning platform" (Scout Wallen & Monty Jacka). Fortunately Learning Management Systems (LMS), such as Canvas, don't contain much personal data about the students. They have the names, student numbers & email addresses, but other data about the student is stored in separate systems. There will be the content of the student's assignments and comments posted to discussion boards, but these are usually not very personal. Also there will be messages sent between students and staff, again, these don't contain much personal information. Students often overshare when applying for an assignment extension or regrade, but this is usually handled by a separate administrative system. What is of concern is where AI tools are used to personalize student learning. These will have access to more student data, making them a prime target for hackers.

AI for Student Discuissions

At the moment I am taking part in a webinar on Instructure's IgniteAI. Today's topic is how to use AI to improve student discussions and feedback. This is to enhance the Canvas Learning Management System. Canvas are being modest in the claims for what AI can do for education, using terms like "We are currently developing ... to help ...", rather than saying this is a proven product which can replace the teacher. But the killer application is, I suggest is creating worksheets and quizzes based on your course content. These are useful, easy, quick and reasonably safe application of AI.

Instructure is also working on accessibility test and remediation features. This is possible with third party tools, but it will be handy to have it built in. However, I suggest learning designers still need basic training in accessibility. 

Insight is also providing a general purpose AI tool for the teacher, similar to that provided for office packages and software development tools. Insight claims to be able to use this to identify students needing extra help and provide them with material. One interesting point is if students also get a version of the AI tool to help them. This could be thought of as AI with trainer wheels. 

IgnightAI can be used to chart data from Canvas. This worries me a little, with academics and administrators coming up with correct, but misleading, charts. While much is written about the value of analysis of student data, this is not a substitute for educational training. 

ANU Multimedia Studios

Greetings from the new ANU Multimedia Studios at the Australian National University. These are a collaborative effort between the Centre for Learning and Teaching (CLT), and the College of Arts & Social Science. With Canvas replacing Moodle as the ANU learning management system there is the opportunity to add more Multimedia.

The Top Five Things I Hate About People Complaining About Learning Management Systems

Nipun Sharma wrote about the "Top 5 Things People Hate About Learning Management Systems" (eLearning Industry, 8 March 2018). In response, here are my top five problems with people complaining about LMS:

1. Design As An Afterthought

Rather than designing their course to be easy to use, in a logical, sequential manner, course designers (or academics who think they are courses designers), just load up a mishmash of stuff and blame the LMS when the students can't make sense of it. When designing a course you have to carefully curate and sequence the experience.

2. Expectations Of Social Interactivity

Social learning is something which has to be designed into a course and students have to be trained how to work together, be it online or in a classroom. Social learning is not something you can delegate to the LMS to do for you.

Even under the best conditions, learning is a hard, mostly solitary, frustrating experience. Giving students the expectation it will be easy, fun and social, is doing them a disservice and may be dangerous to their mental wellbeing.

3. Expectations of a Fun User Experience

Learning is not fun, it is hard work. Courses which have a false send of jollity are intensely frustrating for the student.

4. Expectations Of Accessibility

The best LMS can't make up for a lack of accessibility of educational content. Most LMS will now reflow content for mobile devices. But course designers need to ensure their content fits on devices and networks students use.

5. Inadequate or Excessive Use of Tracking And Reporting Features

Most LMS now have features to allow students to track how they are doing. However, learning designers needs to switch on these features. Also this doesn't remove responsibility from the instructor to keeping track of how their students are doing and provide feedback.

Some instructors go to the other extreme and closely monitor how and when the students use the LMS. Use, or lack of use, of the LMS should not be used as a proxy form of assessment.

Lessons from Victorian Government's Failed Ultranet Learning Platform

In 2006 Victoria announced the development of an online learning system "Ultranet" for all government schools. The project was abandoned in 2013, at a cost estimated to be $127M to $240M. In 2017 the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission of Victoria found corrupt conduct by pubic servants in the acquisition of Ultranet.

There are more than 150 scholarly works which mention the Ultranet project. About 100 of these, before 2013, are generally positive. Understandably, after the failure of the project in 2013, the tone of the later 50 or so papers becomes negative.

McShane and Dearman (2016) provide a brief overview of the project and suggest that in addition to design and usability flaws, the project assumed an unrealistic level of digital literacy and connectivity for both parents and teachers. Fitzgerald's thesis (2017) looks specifically at stakeholder engagement, finding teachers considered it a politically-imposed change. Interestingly, Fitzgerald found support for the idea of Ultranet from parents, but the poor implementation limited their involvement.

The history of Ultranet should be required reading for all those contemplating large scale IT based education initiatives.

References

Fitzgerald, V. (2017). Blunt Ambition: Stakeholder social groups and participation in the Victorian education department’s Ultranet learning platform technology, 2003 to 2013 (Doctoral dissertation). URL https://minerva-access.unimelb.edu.au/bitstream/handle/11343/194260/20171110_Fitzgerald_171823_FINALTHESIS.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

McShane, I., & Dearman, P. (2016). The resistible rise of the Ultranet. URL https://poseidon01.ssrn.com/delivery.php?ID=025078121121076064086096071028104009116008031085056044126101102009100074075089126065033020049102118033018089030122123068093102105041060022013115087122076102102006066006050071071103008004127091126114084094067126088102123119100121005087123015097094105111&EXT=pdf

Educational Leadership Getting Personal at EdTech Posium 2017

Greetings from the opening of EdTechPosium Conference 2017 at UNSW/ADFA in Canberra. The theme of the conference is "Fitting the Tech to the Teaching", but Kim Tairi, Librarian, AUT in Auckland, started her keynote on a more personal note. She discussed how she came to be the Librarian of a university and issues with taking on a leadership role. Kim emphasized the human aspects of scholarships, proposing "Circles of Kindness". This gives my more confidence about taking the person approach in my presentaion on "Dogfooding" at 11:25 am.

The Best of EdTechPosium 2017 in Canberra

The EdTechPosium Conference 2017 on a theme of "Fitting the Tech to the Teaching", starts 30 October in the "Camouflage Building" at the Australian Defence Force Academy in Canberra. Here are my picks from the two day program:

Day 1

10:50 “What are Blockcerts again?” — The role of communication in introducing new technologies for teaching at tertiary institutions. Rebecca Ng, Australian National University

11:25 Dogfooding: Learning to design for internationalstudents by being an international on-line student. Tom Worthington, Australian National University

13:10 Motivating and inspiring students to work collaboratively on assessment items. Dr Scott Rickard, University of Canberra


13:45 Moving from Face-to-Face to e-learning. William Batten, Department of Defence


14:55 Simulations, Gamification and Creative Problem Solving. Sudantha Balage, UNSW Canberra

15: 25 Opening professional learning in Australian higher education using Open Educational Practice: A cross-institutional collaboration. Emma Power, University of Southern Queensland, Dr Katie Freund, Karlene Dickens
& Janene Harman, Australian National University


16:00 eLearning 101 — professional development for busy academics and technology-enhanced learning educators. James Nicholson, Australian Catholic University

Day 2

10:40 “Let’s See What Happens”: Introducing students to interactive online tutorials. Stephanie Kizimchuk, University of Canberra

11:15 Four embeddings and a mural: OK2A — A course layout informed by Constructive Alignment delivering better blended learning. Roderick Huggett, Centre for
Defence and Strategic Studies

11:50 What have we GotS here? New ways for delivering Information Literacy at the University of Wollongong Library. Laura Lidden & Nick Zografos, University of Wollongong

14:45 ePortfolios — Where to next? Jenny Edwards, Australian National University, Shane Nuessler, University of Canberra

Learning to Design for International Students at EdTechPosium 2017 in Canberra on 30 October

Canberra's educational technology symposium "EdTechPosium 2017", is on 30 October. I will be speaking on "Dogfooding: Learning to Design for International Students by Being an International On-line Student". The event used to be called "MoodlePosium" and my talk is about Moodle, but it now covers all forms of  ed-tech for higher education, vocational education and training.

Dogfooding: Learning to Design for International Students by Being an International On-line Student, Tom Worthington, 11:25am.

Abstract

"In January Tom completed a MEd in Distance Education at Athabasca University (Canada) entirely on-line from Australia. He will discuss what it is like being an international student, with coursework via Moodle, collaborative work using Google Docs and Skype, a capstone-portfolio in Mahara and live defense via Adobe Connect. Tom argues that Dogfooding: actually experiencing what it is to be a student, is especially important for those creating distance education courses and programs. He will also discuss some of the wider implications of the availability of international on-line education for the Australian Higher Education industry."

Are Assignments Not Submitted for Marking Accepted?

Currently I am a student in a post-graduate on-line course provided via the Moodle Learning Management System. I am very familiar with Moodle, but have never used the "Submit for Marking" option in the Assignment module. With this option the student can upload a draft, which the tutor can comment on, before the student submits the final version for marking. However, in this case the tutor has not indicated they are providing comments and I don;t know what happens if I forget to press "Submit for Marking" before the deadline. Is my assignment never marked, because it was never submitted, or is the latest draft considered to have been submitted at the deadline?

This may sound pedantic, but as a student I don't want to miss out on having my assignment marked. Also as this is an international course there is a very high risk of pressing "submit for marking" after the deadline and ether being penalised or not receiving any mark (exactly what the late policy is for the course I am doing is unclear, mine is to award no marks at all) .

What I do with my own courses is to not use "submit for marking" but allow multiple submissions. I ask the students to submit their assignment early and if they want comments to ask. After the deadline I mark the latest draft.

Video of MOOCs with Books: Technology Plus Traditional Teaching for an On-line Education Revolution

The recording of my webinar "MOOCs with Books: Technology Plus Traditional Teaching for an On-line Education Revolution" is now available, courtesy of the SA e-Leaning Unit of the National VET E-learning Strategy. Also available are the notes and slides. See the National Calendar for other National VET events. My next presentation on ICT trends in Education is scheduled for 4:45pm, 12 November 2013, in Canberra, hosted by the Australian Computer Society. I will be in Perth 23 September to 18 October and available to speak there in person.

MOOCs with Books: Technology Plus Traditional Teaching for an On-line Education Revolution

I will be speaking on "MOOCs with Books: Technology Plus Traditional Teaching for an On-line Education Revolution" in a webinar hosted by the National VET e-Learning Strategy, 1pm AEST 17 September (12:30pm Adelaide time). There will be a face-to-face version of the event hosted by the Australian Computer Society in Canberra, 4:45pm 12 November 2013.

TOPIC: MOOCs with Books: Synchronisation of large scale asynchronous e-learning
PRESENTER:  Tom Worthington,  Adjunct Lecturer, Australian National University

A quiet revolution is taking place in Australia's schools, TAFEs and universities, with education moving on-line. Award winning education designer Tom Worthington will provide an overview of the trends and its implications for education:

1. Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCS)
2. Social media for education
3. Open Source e-Portfolio software
4. Cloud based Learning Management Systems (LMS)
5. e-Book textbooks
6. Portable course-ware formats

See also:

1. Synchronizing Asynchronous Learning: Combining Synchronous and Asynchronous Techniques
2. A Green Computing Professional Education Course Online
3. On-line Professional Education For Australian Research-Intensive Universities in the Asian Century