Students of tomorrow, here today

Gráinne ConoleThe Open University, UKACODE Workshop, 18th March 2009Melbourne

My Personal Digital Learning Environment

InformationWord (writing)Google (searching)Wordpress (blogging)Keynote (presentation)Audacity (recording)

CommunicationEmailMobile & skypeSMS & twitterLyceum (audio conferencing)Eluminate (video conferencing)

Laptop, iphone, ipod, portable hard disk, camera, flip video camera

Changing technologies

Changing content

Netgeneration, Digital Natives.... (Oblinger, Prensky, etc.), Ecar reports, Kennedy survey, Chris Jones, Mary Thorpe, JISC LEX projects, PI roject

Learning processesTask orientatedExperiential Cumulative

Attitudes and approachesEngaging and relevantMulti-facetedJust-in-timeSocially mediated

Changing students

Technology mediation & co-evolution

The net generation

The claims about today’s learners…

•Technologically immersed•Group orientated•Experiential•Able to multi-task•Just in time mindset•Comfortable with multiple

representations•Disconnect between student &

institutional approaches

JISC Learner experience programme

•Phase 1 ▫LEX and LXP projects

•Phase 2▫STROLL▫BLUPs▫PB-LXP▫THEMA▫e4L▫LEaD▫LExDis

ELESIG

Methodologies

•Surveys▫Ecar annual survey of u/g use of

technologies▫Gregor Kennedy et al., Melbourne

•Interviews (face to face and email-based)▫PB-LXP

•Cultural probes▫Cambridge learning landscapes project

•Audio and video diaries▫LXP, LEaD, STROLL

Net generation e-learners?

•Sample: 5 UK universities•Methods: survey, interviews, cultural

probe•Findings:

▫High level of PC ownership▫Low use of blogs, wikis and virtual worlds▫High use of email, course websites, VLE, e-

journals

Chris Jones

Conclusions so far…

•Caution re: net gen claims, importance of taking account of student differences

•Do seem to be age related changes taking place and these are strongly linked to social networking and the use of a range of new

PB-LXP•Sample: 6 practice-based courses at the OU

UK•Methods: Survey, interviews•Findings

▫All courses made extensive use of ICT▫ICT supporting their practice-based learning▫Access to materials online, different forms of

communication▫Study more practical and active▫Set of practical guidelines on effective use of

ICT for course designMary Thorpe

ImplicationsChanging learning & teaching paradigms

Strategy & policy

Staff & learnerskills set

Roles & structures

Conole, (2008),Research methodological issues with researching the learner voice, in Hin & Subramaniam

Questions•Students increasingly digital – demands

on institutions? •Students and teachers - personalised

environment of tools vs. institutional tools?

•What new forms of blended learning spaces are needed?

•How do we support new approaches to design and delivery of courses to make more effective use of technologies and lead to an enhance student learning experience?

Representing pedagogy

Guiding design Sharing ideas

Empirical evidence base

Design challenge

Cloudfests

Design summits

Clouds: Learning and teaching ideasDesign or case studiesTools or resourcesQuestions or problems

Cloudscapes:ConferencesWorkshopsCourse teamStudent cohortResearch themeProject

Sites

•OULDI▫http://ouldi.open.ac.uk

•Cloudworks▫http://cloudworks.ac.uk

•CompendiumLD▫http://compendiumld.open.ac.uk

•Olnet▫http://olnet.org

References• Conole, G., De Laat, M., Dillon, T. and Darby, J. (2008),

‘Disruptive technologies’, ‘pedagogical innovation’: What’s new? Findings from an in-depth study of students’ use and perception of technology’, Computers and Education, Volume 50, Issue 2, February 2008, Pages 511-524.

• Conole, G. (accepted), Stepping over the edge: the implications of new technologies for education in M. Lee and C. McLouglin (forthcoming), Web 2.0-based e-learning: applying social informatics for tertiary teaching, ICI Global: Hersey, PA

• Conole, G., Culver, J., Well, M., Williams, P., Cross, S., Clark, P. and Brasher, A. (accepted), Cloudworks: social networking for learning design, Ascilite Conference, 30th Nov – 3rd Dec 2008, Melbourne.

References• Conole, G. and McAndrew, P. (submitted), A new approach

to supporting the design and use of OER: Harnessing the power of web 2.0, M. Edner and M. Schiefner (eds), Looking toward the future of technology enhanced education: ubiquitous learning and the digital nature.

• Conole, G., Brasher, A., Cross, S., Weller, M., Clark, P. and White, J. (2008), Visualising learning design to foster and support good practice and creativity, Educational Media International, Volume 54, Issue 3, 177-194.

• Conole, G. (2008), New schema for mapping pedagogies and technologies, http://www.ariadne.ac.uk/issue56/conole/

• Conole, G. (accepted), Research methodological issues with researching the learner voice, in Handbook of Research on New Media Literacy at the K-12 Level: issues and challenges, L. T. W. Hin and R. Subramaniam (Eds), IGI Global: Hershey, PA