PGR Conference Edinburgh Napier: PhD year 1: my first baby steps by Chrissi Nerantzi

Chrissi Nerantzi PhD student, Edinburgh Napier University Academic Developer Manchester Metropolitan University @chrissinerantzi

Developing a flexible collaborative learning framework for open cross-institutional Academic Development courses

at postgraduate level

Postgraduate Research Conference, Edinburgh Napier University 3 April 2014

year 1: my first baby

steps image source: http://www.boba.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Boba.BabyFeetWalking.jpg

borrowed from a presentation by Prof. Grainne Conole

http://www.mergerdata.net/wiki/images/thumb/5/5e/EU_Map.png/500px-EU_Map.png

by 2020 all teachers in HE to hold a teaching qualification! quality teaching initial and continuous professional development opportunities to grow as teachers cross-institutional, cross-cultural programmes authentic, collaborative development opportunities, learning communities

call to open-up and join-up provisions towards open educational practice EU’s role: discussion shift culture support

http://ec.europa.eu/education/higher-education/doc/modernisation_en.pdf

How about a map for non-MOOC open educational

offers?

Professional Development of Teachers in HE Teaching qualifications, Professional recognition, MA, EdD, PhD, informal CPD

open-& join-up cross-institutional approaches

collaborative learning

aim of my PhD research

to develop a flexible collaborative learning framework for open cross-institutional Academic Development courses at postgraduate level

Phenomenography

“to describe and analyse individuals’ experiences as they are lived in a relatively limited number of qualitatively different ways” (Marton, 1981, 181)

multiple-case study approach

to allow the study of related activities, features and experiences in different natural settings to analyse in depth the individual and collective experience from three specific cases and help to answer the research questions. (Stake, 1995)

http://globaldimensionsinhe.wordpress.com/

http://fdol.wordpress.com/

3 cases

?

Data collection instruments

main: semi-structured phenomenographical interviews

secondary: initial & final survey instruments

Help!!!

“we cannot specify exact techniques for phenomenographical research. “ (Marton, 1986, 42)

Data analysis in phenomenography

“The process is tedious, time consuming, labor-

intensive, and interactive. It entails the continual

sorting and resorting of data. Definitions for

categories are tested against the data, adjusted,

retested, and adjusted again. There is, however, a

decreasing rate of change, and eventually the whole

system of meanings is stabilized.”

(Marton, 1986, 43)

Mon 03/03/2014 21:33 To:Nerantzi, Chrissi; Dear Chrissi, The text is horrible - was I really so bad? I wonder if you used a software for automatic transcription? The software appears to have flaws which can be critical if the texts are the basis for your scientific work. No idea how you will analyse the texts phenomenographically - but I am only a physician. Maybe Martin Heidegger and Edmund Husserl will help you? Good luck and best regards FDOL132 participant

Epoche or Bracketing (Husserl, 1973)

- Known facts, theories and findings distort the life world under investigation > to be EXCLUDED

- External validity is irrelevant > researcher should take NO position

Data collection a process of discovery that emerges through the data itself

(Ashworth & Lucas, 1998)

so far... •started writing thesis (focus on Academic Development, methodology) •capturing details of case 1 •data collection case 1 (FDOL132) completed – collaborative learning based on Problem-Based Learning (PBL)

case 1: Sep – Dec 13

Collaborative learning in FDOL132

Nerantzi, Uhlin & Kvarnström, 2013

COOL FISh (simplified PBL model)

Step 1: Focus What do we see? How do we understand what we see? What do we need to find out more about? Specify learning issues/intended learning outcomes

Step 2: Investigate How and where are we/am I going to find answers? Who will do what and by when? What main findings and solutions do we/I propose?

Step 3: Share How are we going to present our findings within the group? What do we want to share with the FDOL community? How can we provide feedback to another group? What reflections do I have about my learning and our group work?

Nerantzi & Uhlin, 2012

• Open cross-disciplinary professional development course for teachers in HE • Developed and organised by Academic Developers in the UK and Sweden • Developed using freely available social media • Offered from September – December 2013 • Pedagogical design: simplified Problem-Based Learning

Nubers • Registered: 107 • FDOL132 community in G+ : 72 • Signed up for PBL groups: 31 • PBL groups: initially 8-9 in each x 4 > then 3 (group 2: 6, / group 3: 5 / group 4: 6) • PBL facilitators: 4 • Participants in webinars: 10-25 • Participants known to have completed: 13 (14%) all from groups (31 in groups then 42%)

•Countries • UK - 66 • Sweden – 17 • Canada – 4 • Ireland – 2 • also participants from: Hongkong, Argentina, Greenland, Switzerland,

New Zeeland, Slovenia, Belgium, New Zealand, Norway

FDOL132

participants in study

19

Findings: initial survey

17 out of 19 completed the survey Countries: UK 37%, Sweden 37%, other 26%

Age range: 35-54 82% Gender: 35% male, 65% female Qualifications: 53% Doctoral qualification, 35% Postgraduate qualification, 12% undergraduate qualification

•All employed ( 88% HE and 12%Public Sector) •Participated in online courses before 88 % •Participated in an open online course before 47%

Learning values to be an open learner To connect with others To collaborate To be supported by a facilitator Application to practice

Prior experience Working in groups 77% Problem-Based Learning 30% Online collaboration 38% Social media in a professional capacity 50%

Findings: final survey

Final survey: 11 out of 19 completed the survey Mode of participation

Group member 91% Autonomous learner 9%

Study hours per week 55% 3 h, 27% 5h, 18% over 5

Main reason for not participating in a specific aspect of the course: TIME

Learning values •Structured course •Variety of synchronous & asynchronous engagement opportunities •Flexibility •Resources •Communication •Feedback from facilitators, peer and others •Recognition for study •Group work > participation was often a struggle

Personal Learning goals achieved 100% Learning goals

•Technologies for learning •Problem-based Learning •Learning in groups •Open learning •Open course design

Facilitation (satisfaction) Support 100% Participation in online discussions 100% Provision of regular feedback 64%

Preliminary observations features important for learning before and after (using survey instruments)

what participants valued for their learning

initial survey final survey

group work 100% 74%

feedback 61% 97%

recognition for study 47% 94%

independent study 100% 100%

facilitator support 100% 100%

45 h transcribing

292:57 mins

audio

37,274 words

7 interviews

Case 1

a big wave

http://users.atw.hu/aranykor/kepek/termeszet/3/nkep/hullam.jpg

Ahh. Panic. Panic. frustrated, confused, overwhelmed

http://fc08.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2012/099/b/f/crazy_chick_by_billiejett-d4viqcr.jpg

chaos

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3363/3199296759_ddd80115e5_o.jpg

it all hits you at once

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/31/AC-130A_pylon_turn.jpg

[laughter]

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2453/3599597595_4542f11554_o.jpg

interviews voices preliminary findings

•Motivations: to be a student, CPD, PBL, TEL to enhance own practice •Overwhelmed at the start •Valued group work but found very challenging – learning in a microcosmos made experience personal •Valued working with colleagues from different disciplines/countries – language barriers, different levels of commitment, time •Smaller groups worked better, learning from and with others valued •Time was a massive challenge •Seeing the other person made collaboration real (hangouts, webinars – also a challenge to participate) •Individuals working towards credits more motivated, but also seemed to motivate other group members •Tensions for learners working towards credits: assessment tasks separated from group tasks. Course assessment was prioritised. This meant less time for group work. Quality of output perceived as poor. Too much focus on output. •Active participation, facilitators’ presence and active engagement and interaction with individuals made a difference •Valuable and positive experience overall, learning and development, examples of application to practice

• continue working on the literature review (collaborative learning, open learning)

• methodology

• data analysis

• case 2 (Global Dimensions in HE)

• identify case 3

References

Ashworth, P. & Lucas, U. (1998) What is the ‘World’ of Phenomenography?, in: Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 42: 4, pp. 415-431. European Commission (2013) High Level Group on the Modernisation of Higher Education. Report to the European Commission on Improving the quality of teaching and learning in Europe’s higher education institutions, European Union, available at http://ec.europa.eu/education/higher-education/doc/modernisation_en.pdf [accessed 20 February 2014] Marton, F. (1986) Phenomenography – A Research Approach to Investigating Different Understandngs of Reality, in: Journal of Thought. Fall 1986, 21, 3, Periodicals Archive Online, pp. 28-49. Marton, F. (1994) Phenomenography as a Research Approach, Husen, T. and Postlethwaite, N. (2nd ed) The International Encyclopedia of Education, Vol. 8, Pergamon, pp. 4424-4429, available athttp://www.ped.gu.se/biorn/phgraph/civil/main/1res.appr.html [accessed 3 Jan 2014]. Stake, R. E. (1995) The Art of Case Study Research. Thousand Oaks: Sage.

http://www.ped.gu.se/biorn/phgraph/civil/main/1res.appr.html




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Developing a flexible collaborative learning framework

for open cross-institutional Academic Development courses at postgraduate level
















multiple-case study

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big wave

laughter

year 1: my first baby

steps

Year 2: turning into a

toddler

image source: http://www.boba.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Boba.BabyFeetWalking.jpg