Tutors in Higher Education

[Roger Harrison]

Hello – hope this posting works, but looking to set up a small discussion group primarily aimed at tutors in the higher education sector with or without existing online distance learning experience. I’ve been a course unit leader on an online distance learning program in public health (MPH) at University of Manchester. More recently I’ve become interested in the structural aspects/design components, and exploring more what the web can offer for learners. I’m especially keen to  providing training/learning opportunities at the point of need (‘in time learning’) for professionals.

Any interest in forming this group?

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Roger,

My name is Kate, I too am interested in what can be achieved structurally/design wise with  distance or web based TEL. I have worked for a few years as part of a spectral imaging project, http://livingstone.library.ucla.edu/, and used state of the art yet highly functional technology. Yet, when it comes to class or distance based learning, I often find you end up fighting with the tech.

My teaching and research focus is history and literature and learning support. There is surely enough software out there that some kind of patron driven template or JIT framework can be established to facilitate learning as it is required both for staff and students? Or are userfriendly interfaces only for tablets and phones?

All the best

Kate

[Roger Harrison]

Hi Kate, nice to hear from you and about your interests. Well that makes two of us now so perhaps this is officially a group for OlTEC MOOC. I didn’t know anything about David Livingstone and it’s amazing that his diaries etc are now available on the internet. I don’t understand anything about spectral imaging though!

I’ve certainly had plenty of moments (days!) when I’ve been fighting with the technology. But the pace of change is so fast and so much to try and keep up to date with. What happened to when all I needed was a basic understanding of MS-DOS.

What do you mean by a ‘patron driven template’? and by JIT do you mean ‘just in time’?

So do we need to go and look at the questions set for Week O and share some of our ideas/answers in this subgroup here then?

Have you done a MOOC before? I’ve done a couple but dropped out very early so hope to stick with this one. I get frustrated at the different ways of communicating on them as so used to a structured course whereas MOOCs are more sort of organic.

regards

Roger

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Roger,

Great to hear back from you. This is my first MOOC, still figuring how to deal with the massive amount of data we are being struck with. Though no doubt it will  settle as the weeks go on.

Yes I’m afraid JIT, just-in-time,  is a bit of an antiquated phrase from my undergraduate economics days. I suppose what I meant was the ability to pull down appropriate training as and when it is required, as opposed to courses which are produced and sit on some server somewhere, but are essentially out of date the moment they are produced. Something which almalgamated current perspectives, up to date papers and videos/programmes for example. Which links into a patron driven template, if the ability to customise training was simplified and the time comsuming arranging/finding/setting up elements were removed from the point of use I wonder if uptake and retention of TEL would be greater?

Hopefully we’ll gather a few more bodies as the week goes on. I’m off to have a look at the questions.

All the best

Kate

[Anonymous]

Here are the questions:

What can we tell about the range of experiences and preferences among ocTEL participants?
What challenges does this present for the course?
In what ways is a MOOC well or poorly suited to these challenges?

[SarlaGandhi]

Hello

I’d like to join this group –  I’m course leader for critical care in the School of Health at the University of Central Lancashire – not too far from you Roger,  I’m interested in design and structure of online courses/modules particularly focussed around student engagement. I’ve got a blended learning Masters module which is running ok, but my aim is to convert some F2F modules to completely online – . This is my first MOOC and I’m feeling a little anxious.

Sarla

[jimpettiward]

Hi,

My job title is Blended Learning Facilitator (still working out exactly what it means… 🙂 I’ve worked at London Metropolitan University for the last 5 years, starting out teaching on their pre-sessional courses for International students (Academic English and study skills). I’m particularly interested in staff and student digital literacies, and doing what I can to help develop these. Recently I’ve been working a lot with Blackboard 9.1  (VLE/LMS/MLE – or whatever you want to call it) with which I have a love/hate relationship…

My big questions are on my blog here

I’m also doing the OU Open Education MOOC at the moment, maybe a bit ambitious.. but I’ll try to keep up with everything on here. Looking forward to the conversations!

[trish_oc]

Hi,

I’d like to join this group too please.

My experience to date is being both a student ( for two years) on an online Masters in Software Engineering and enjoying the online part so much I’m now a facilitator on the course I did…..

Added to this I’ve just started work on developing an online module in Object Oriented Design

I’ve just finished my first Screencast & have started using Articulate for workshops.

What I’d love to know is what really engages students… I’d like to Wow them and encourage them to learn without just shoving content at them

Any thoughts?

Trish

[LucyTallents]

Hi Kate, Roger, Sarla, Jim and Trish!

Mind if I join your group?  I’m a postdoc at Oxford Uni, currently developing an online course for wildlife conservation professionals to teach them how to use scientific research methods to inform their decision-making.

I’m keen to exploit interactive and multimedia online tools (e.g. quizzes, screencasts) to bring learning materials to life, and encourage students to engage with the concepts.  I’d like to learn how to promote peer-learning and support, moving the focus away from the tutor as the fount of knowledge, empowering students by developing confidence in their own problem-solving abilities.  Bit of a mixed bag, that, but I’m sure I’ll encounter lots of relevant ideas here and elsewhere on ocTEL!

I’m off to explore the forums, post my introduction and read other people’s, but will be back later with thoughts on the questions we’ve been tasked with.

[virtualleader]

Hi this group sounds like one that fits my interests.

I am Jane Challinor, a lecturer at Nottingham Trent University in Health and Social Care and have previously been involved in designing and teaching distance leaning courses. Currently all my teaching is face to face but with a lot of emphasis on using the internet, developing digital information literacy,research skills and employing innovative assessment using web based tools etc.

I am trying to redesign a “study skills” module for the 21st century and also to think about digital skills for tutors. I use our VLE as well as more web based tools and am interested in how the two complement one another – as well as how to improve the VLE usage of our staff.

Hope that’s enough about me to be going on with.

Jane 🙂

[KimLesley]

Hi there

though I am doing this through my FE job I have been an OU tutor for 12 years and tutor on first and third level courses.  I am also a the end of an MA in Online and Distance Education.  My interest in MOOCs is to see how they compare to distance learning of the OU model.  I tutor through a combination of online tutorials, forums, emails and some f2f based around the module printed and online materials. The role of the tutor is quite important to help orientate the students and build the group relationship as well as helping them through the trickier parts of the modules and deepening understanding.  I’m interested to see how students on MOOCs cope without this and how well motivation is maintained.  MOOCs are an exciting development in education and I wanted to see first hand how they worked.

[Rob McKerlie]

Hi,

I am a university teacher at the University of Glasgow Dental School with responsibility for managing the school’s VLE (Moodle). I am interested in learning and teaching with a focus on the utility of  technology to improve student engagement.  Like most this is my first MOOC and I feeling a little anxious.

Regards,
Rob

[LucyTallents]

Trying to keep this short so I can afford the time to participate little and often…

Judging by the emails (my initial preference 😉 most people have multiple experiences of TEL as students, tutors and designers – few say this is their first experience.  Do you agree, and does this match what you’ve seen on blogs & twitter?

There also seem to be a very broad definitions of TEL, dating back to radio/TV broadcasts at school and recording feedback on cassette tapes, and extending beyond desk-based internet to mobile devices and apps.  I think this breadth of tools will make it difficult to have a unified discussion of how TEL can help learners and tutors.  We each need to identify others who share our interests and particular questions re using TEL, to narrow the discussion to something manageable and targeted to our individual needs.  The MOOC caters for different modes of communication so should be easier to fit into people’s lives, but it’s bewildering wondering how to identify who to interact with or follow!

[ShunaMarr]

This sounds like a group I’d like to join – my primary aim for coming on this course is to improve my teaching practice and make it more student-led rather than teaching led. Judging by the previous posts this seems to be the aim of many in this group too, so perhaps we can support one another (although not sure what will happen when it comes to the next week’s activities – do we just stay in this group and introduce new topics? If we don’t, how will we find one another again?) Yes – you can tell from that ‘Crie de Coeur’ that I’m a newbie to MOOCs and feeling just as lost and confused as the rest of the freshers. (Actually, no bad thing to be reminded of how it feels I suppose).

I’m a lecturer in Tourism and Airline Management at Edinburgh Napier and have been there 5 years since completing my PhD. Previously I worked for many years in FE college. I have tried all sorts of different types of technologies over the years and not afraid to try new things. However, I know that I’ve only scratched the surface of what’s possible and I am running hard just to stand still at times.

Technology , for me, encompasses any gadget that I can use – whether that be communication/interactive things like social networking or using voting clickers in tutorials. In many of the groups the definition of ‘technology’ seems to be more restrictive, but  for me, anything that will make my teaching more interesting, fun and help students to be better learners, would be included.

I have tried classroom clickers, I am pretty adept at creative uses of VLEs, I’ve used audio feedback, etc – in a new module running this trimester I’m using an online game, where students run their own virtual airline. So on the basis that I’d be happy to share my experience and ideas with you all if you’ll share your ideas with me, then I hope you’ll allow me to come on board? 🙂

 

[trish_oc]

Hi Lucy,

for quizzes, screencasts and all things multimedia check out Articulate….

It seems to me that we have an interesting group who all seem to want to be more student-centric….

Hope we can keep fanning the embers as we move forwards!!

Cheers,

Trish

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