A pathway of discovery – TEL for staff development [18-172] Members : ALT Annual Conference 2018

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Tue, Sep 11 2018, 11:30am – 12:30pm

Authors: Jess Humphreys

Room: Rm 1.218

Theme: Participation through Learning Technology

Type: Short presentation – 20mins

Description

Session Description

This short presentation introduces delegates to the Postgraduate Award in Technology Enhanced Learning (PGA TEL) – a one year voluntary staff development course. Participants on the PGA TEL are staff from a range of different backgrounds and departments including colleagues from academic and professional services. The programme is project based and all participants are supported through the process of planning, developing, implementing and disseminating a technology enhanced learning project. Building on the pedagogy of ‘students as producers’ (Neary et al. 2013; Winn and Lockwood. 2013) participants on the PGA TEL course undertake digital scholarship to inform and contribute to the learning both within the classroom and online. The PGA TEL adopts a learner-centred approach to blended learning enabling participants to develop a critical and reflective approach to technology enhanced learning in higher education. Within this design approach participants have the skills and capability to engage in knowledge creation and produce their own authentic outputs in the form of a technology enhanced learning intervention (Brun et al. 2007) that they are then able to evaluate. Participants are provided with the space and support to explore the pedagogic drivers for their project and consider how technology could possibly help (or hinder) the learning experience. Opportunities for synchronous and asynchronous peer discussions and activities over the duration of the year enable consideration of approaches to technology enhanced learning within interdisciplinary and wider contexts. From simulations to forums, instructional videos to MOOCs, virtual reality to gamification – the PGA TEL projects have explored a variety of different approaches relating to the potential use technology within teaching and/or support of teaching. This short presentation will provide delegates with the opportunity to gain an insight into one approach addressing the staff digital capabilities agenda (JISC 2017). Through a supported learner-as-producer approach colleagues can come together from across the institution, share experiences, reflect and develop some interesting and inspiring approaches to teaching and technology enhanced learning.

Session content: evaluation and reflection

The session provides an overview of the Postgraduate Award in Technology Enhanced Learning – an ongoing staff development credit bearing course. Delegates will have the opportunity to find out more about the rationale behind the design of the course and gain an insight into the variety of projects that have been developed over the years. Common themes, issues and experiences that have arisen through qualitative course feedback and observations will be shared. Through a blended learning approach participants have the opportunity to experience and critique technology from both the perspective of student and teacher. The course is structured around a learner-centred approach to teaching and learning – participants are able to inform and guide the development of discourse over the duration of the year. The concept of participants as active players in the course and producers of final pedagogic outputs through an action research process is discussed in further detail. Other areas discussed includes how participants inform the development of the course and how action research leads to a defined output. From anecdotal and end of course observations – the experiences of colleagues on the course has helped both to develop the PGA course and also their own understanding of the potential opportunities and challenges of technology enhanced learning both within and outside the classroom. This year the course saw an increase in numbers of participants and we currently have 27 members of staff who have signed up to complete the course. Further work is currently being undertaken exploring the impact of alumni projects and initial findings of this work will also be shared within the presentation.

References

Bruns, A., Cobcroft, R., SMith, J. and Towers, S. (2007) Mobile Learning Technologies and the Move towards ‘User-Led Education’ from Proceedings Mobile Media, Sydney.

Goodfellow, R. and Lea, M.R. (2014) Literacy in the digital university. Critical perspectives on learning, scholarship, and technology. (London, Routledge).

Neary, M. et al (2013) Student as Producer – research engaged teaching, an institutional strategy. (Higher Education Academy, London)

JISC (2017) Building digital capabilities [online] https://www.jisc.ac.uk/rd/projects/building-digital-capability (accessed 01/05/2018)

Selwyn, N. (2010) ‘Looking beyond learning: notes towards the critical study of education technology’ from Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 26, pp65-73.

Winn, J. and Lockwood, D. ‘Chapter 14: Student as Producer is Hacking the University’taken from Beetham, H. and Sharpe, R. (eds) Rethinking Pedagogy for a Digital Age – Designing for 21st Century Learning. (Routledge, London)