More Tools for Distance and Work-based learners

About a year ago, I produced my own list of Top 10 Tools for distance learners, inspired by Jane Hart’s annual Top 100 tools survey (http://c4lpt.co.uk/top100tools/).

Since then I’ve had an opportunity to try out a few more, and they are listed below:

Tool	How it can help distance learners
1.       YouTube	Can provide concise, easy-to-follow guidance for a range of tasks. Links can be integrated into VLE and/or learning objects
2.       wikis	Scope for collaborative activity
3.       Online referencing guides eg. University of Leeds	At-a-glance advice on referencing different types of sources
4.       Slideshare	Useful source of information on a range of topics
5.       Twitter	Opportunities to keep in touch, and learn, in an informal way
6.       Pinterest	Useful way of collecting useful images and sharing with others
7.       Office Mix	Add-on for Power point to make/embed video
8.       TED talks	Thought-provoking, entertaining, videos on key topics by experts
9.       WhatsApp	Messaging app for individuals and groups. Good for broadcasting
10.   Explain everything	A whiteboard annotation app

 

Tools such as YouTube and Slideshare- need to be used judiciously because of the mass of material present, not all of which is worthwhile. Hence, guidance from tutors/mentors on what exactly to look at can be very helpful. Some tools have highly specific uses (such as online referencing guides), while others are very flexible (eg. twitter).

I have yet to try the apps in the last two lines, but I’m fairly sure that a lot of digital learning is heading in the direction of mobiles, and increasing accessed via apps. This is important as e-learning becomes an increasingly acceptable training avenue for the workplace, as indicated by Jane Hart in her ‘10 trends for Workplace Learning’ (http://www.c4lpt.co.uk/blog/2015/10/02/10-trends/ ). However, the use of these tools needs to balanced with ‘face-to-face’ delivery, because  in my opinion this is still the best way to teach and learn.

The FACE15 Conference, and Work-Based Learning Symposium

Before summer becomes a distant memory, I thought I’d note down some thoughts about an event that took place at the start of this summer: this was the FACE 15 (Forum for Access and Continuing Education) Conference, which took place at the University of South Wales, Trefforest campus, July 1-3. The conference was particularly significant for those of us working at the Wales Institute of Work-Based Learning (WIWBL) at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD) because on the morning of Day 2 we hosted a Work-Based Learning Symposium (more about this presently).

Day 1 of the FACE15 Conference began with a keynote address from Nick Davey of the AoC. He discussed the limitations of further and higher education in the UK when it comes to part-time education for adults, particularly in a vocational context. Later that day, a keynote by Cerys Furlong of NIACE echoed many of the issues raised, and made that point that there is a particular need for quality education for adults in Wales given the rise in average age and ongoing workplace skills needs. Parallel sessions during the day covered further adult learning themes covering widening access, policy and practice, and student support. It was within this last theme that I delivered a session on the role of innovative technologies to support past-time and distance learners, and this will be the focus of my next blog post.

A keynote from Brian Power on the Bologna Working Group started off the second day of the conference, and it was very interesting to find out about the different approaches to Higher Education (HE) across Europe, and ways in which the Bologna process aims to connect adult continuing education practices in different European countries.
The Symposium on Work-Based Learning mentioned above followed on from this, chaired by Prof Danny Saunders who also led the discussions. The Symposium had the theme: ‘Claiming a Space for the Work-Based Learner Voice’, and provided an opportunity for WIWBL to outline how it provides opportunities for the expression of the Learner Voice, Partnership Voice, and Institutional Voice. It also provided a platform for several members of the WIWBL team to express their voices! During a series of brief addresses, we explained how WIWBL works with employers and learners to provide tailored programmes of study to support progression towards HE qualifications. In the process, learners reflect on the wealth of knowledge and understanding that their work-based experience has given them, and build on this to improve and enrich their own practice and that of their workplaces.
Further sessions during the afternoon Day 2 extended the work-based learning theme, and included a session led by Rhianon Washington of WIWBL on ‘Developmental Mentoring’. Other sessions that afternoon looked at learner progression and tracking, and also explored perspectives from the USA, Sweden and Australia. The day ended with one of the conference highlights: the conference dinner at the National Museum of Wales, Cardiff, accompanied by the Treorchy Male Voice Choir!

Members of the WIWBl team with Prof Danny Saunders at the National Musuem of Wales

Day 3 of the conference involved a further examination of widening access, building partnerships, and reflecting on teaching practices. Rhianon Washington led another session falling into this last cetegory which discussed the pros and cons of HE in the context of work-based learning. There was also a parallel theme based on resources, and my WIWBL colleague Lowri Harris and I led a session within this theme which examined the role of the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) for distance learners, and this is another topic I’ll return to in the future.

The FACE15 conference proved to be an excellent opportunity to discuss the key issues facing adult continuing education, and in particular to learn about, and reflect on, many approaches that could help work-based worked learners.

OER15 at Cardiff

Last week, the OER15 conference (https://oer15.oerconf.org ) took place at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama at Cardiff. It was a fine venue for two days’ discussion of Open Educational Resources (OER), and the conference theme of ‘Mainstreaming Open Education’ (see Twitter hashtag #oer15 ).

The event began with a keynote from Cable Green, Director of Global Learning (the slides used in his presentation can be found at: http://www.slideshare.net/cgreen/keynote-oer15-wales ) . He raised some key points about current and future use of OER, and posed an important question: “What is the evidence that OER are useful?” A key source of answers comes from a Review by John Hilton of the Open Education Group. This review found that both leanrer and teacher perceptions of open resources was positive, particularly in the US where textbooks can be very expensive. However, the studies reviewed did not show that OER had any significant effect on learning. This key aspect of efficacy is very important to educators, as Cable Green mentioned, and any lack of obvious efficacy may be limiting OER uptake in HE and other educational sectors. It is likely that more research in this area is required, along with awareness-raising of the need for educators and learners to create and share high quality resources. ‘High quality’ is important, and quality assurance is an issue which needs to be addressed in appropriate ways at the points of production, usage, and curation, eg.within OER in repositories such as JORUM and XPERT.

Repositories weren’t mentioned a great deal at the conference, presumably because they are no longer the main sites for open resources. JORUM had a presence at the event, and also CADARN (http://www.cadarn.ac.uk/), a Wales-specific HE repository, though to date it has involved only certain Welsh HEIs (not UWTSD!), and requires a login (also the case for the resources held online by the Coleg Cenedlaethol Cymru). Actual resources didn’t figure very prominently, either, and those highlighted in presentations were mainly MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses). My presentation bucked the trend, as I was discussing Xerte learning objects (xerte.org.uk). As I stated in my presentation (which can be viewed at : http://www.slideshare.net/cpdavies1/xerte-oer15 ) , I find that Xerte software provides the means to produce interesting, interactive, accessible ‘bites’ of learning that are highly useful within a blended provision, though it is important to ensure that they interface effectively with their host VLE. The XPERT repository has some good Xerte learning objects focussing on research methods and statistical techniques, and I have been developing others in this subject area.

An example of a page from an University of Nottingham Xerte learning object showing alternative colour options

Apps got a mention, too, and Chris Rowell’s 12 apps of Christmas CPD activity was very intriguing (http://blog.ericsilva.me/edtech/12-apps-of-christmas-via-regents-university-london/ ). The poster I exhibited at OER15 focussed on an app to assist with the assessment of science skills for learners in schools in Wales, and a presentation describing the project involved can be viewed at: http://www.slideshare.net/cpdavies1/equipping-the-mobile-teacher

The Open University (OU) received a great deal of attention, partly because they were supporting the event, but also because they have been highly active in the world of open resources. OpenLearn Cymru ( http://www.open.edu/openlearnworks/course/index.php?categoryid=27 ) is a relatively new initiative which gathers together bilingual resources about Wales, and/or useful to Welsh learners, and also has a ‘pathways’ scheme to guide learners through the resources, and to encourage them to undertake the journey from informal to formal learning.

Other parts of the world are also highly active in the field of OER as in indicated by projects such as eMundus ( http://www.emundus-project.eu ) as outlined by Terese Bird, and POERUP (poerup.referata.com ).

Lastly, the keynote by Josie Fraser highlighted OER Guidance produced for schools in Leicester which is available online (http://schools.leicester.gov.uk/ls/open-education/ ) and in booklet format. In addition to listing some OER repositories suitable for schoolteachers, this resource also provides very useful guidance about Creative Commons licenses and how to use them in the context of authoring, and also when searching for suitable resources (eg. using Flickr to search for Creative Commons images.)

Reference

Hilton, J. (2015) The Review Project. Open Education Group [online] Available at: http://openedgroup.org/review (accessed 20.4.15)

The DProf Programme at UWTSD

Last week saw the launch of the Wales Institute of Work-Based learning (WIWBL) Doctorate in Professional Practice (DProf) Programme with the first Residential session at the UWTSD Lampeter campus. This is a part-time professional doctorate programme that provides experienced individuals in senior roles with an opportunity to undertake a significant research project situated in their workplaces.

Our small first student group included students from Wales and Canada, with tutors mostly from WIWBL and one from the School of Social Justice and Inclusion.  The Founders’ Library was used for teaching and learning – a wonderful, book-lined room with comfortable leather chairs - a perfect environment for discussing research methodologies and analysing journal articles! At the end of each day, we continued our conversations in various eateries in Lampeter town, and I think it’s fair to say that we all had a thoroughly enjoyable and useful week.

We will meet up again during the next residential in May, when our current students will conclude their study of initial modules. In October, this cohort will commence new modules, but we also expect to enroll our second cohort. There is further information about the programme on the UWTSD website at http://www.uwtsd.ac.uk/courses/professional-doctorates/doctorate-in-professional-practice-dprof/ , and anyone who may be interested is welcome to contact me directly

Mentoring in the Workplace

This is a guest post by my UWTSD colleague Dr Rhianon Washington:

As human beings we are all hard-wired with a number of instinctive characteristics, which include an innate inclination to nurture.  While we usually associate this everyday form of mentoring with family and friends, it is an activity we also naturally or even unconsciously engage in at work.  Searching your memory will inevitably yield examples of automatically helping or being helped by a colleague; perhaps by showing them the ropes or listening to their ideas or issues.

In the learning context mentoring reinforces reflective practice and can facilitate understanding whilst providing pastoral support.  Bolton (2001[i]) contends that mentoring provides the very structure in which learning can occur.  An effective mentor can inspire learning and development in their mentee and encourage ownership and confidence by allowing the mentee to assume responsibility for their own learning and the achievement of self-prescribed goals (Connor and Pokora, 2007:6[ii]).  There are learning opportunities for the mentor too, through the development of transferable skills such as empathic listening and powerful questioning techniques, as well as the satisfaction of seeing their mentee thrive. 

One inspiring tenet that has stayed with me since my initiation to mentoring is:

‘I am here for you.

I believe in you.

I will not let you fail.

You have the power.’ Pascarelli (1998[iii])

 

Such a reassuring mantra epitomises the true essence of mentoring.  Little wonder that such a synergetic partnership, dependent upon trust carefully nurtured and enriched over time, can be mutually enhancing and empowering.

---

[i] Bolton, G. (2001) Reflective practice, Writing and professional development London: Paul Chapman Publishing Ltd

 

[ii] Connor, M. and Pokora, J. (2007) Coaching and Mentoring at Work, Developing Effective Practice New York: OUP

 

[iii] Pascarelli, J. (1998) Mentoring and Tutoring by Students, edited by S. Goodlad, , London: Kogan Page Ltd 

 

The role of collaboration for learning in work-based contexts

Collaborative scenarios such as group-work can be highly beneficial for children’s learning, so long as they are carefully planned (Black & Wiliam, 2001).  Collaboration can help adults learn, too, and this is true of workplace contexts.

In terms of learning, human beings can be thought of as a form of ‘human capital’, and individual knowledge and skills provide an important resource – examples might include plumbers and bakers as well as brain surgeons or University Professors! But the value of this ‘per capita’ capital arguably increases if aggregated into ‘social capital’ (or ‘collaborative capital’): put simply, our knowledge and skills increases when we talk to each other! This is basically social constructivism in action, and its positive impact has been evidenced in several situations, for example teachers in New York (Leana, 2011).  Extending the example of education, a

recent McKinsey and Co. report stated that:

                “Collaborative practice is the method by which a school system “hardwires” the values and beliefs implicit in its system into a form manifest in day-to-day teaching practice” (McKinsey & Co., 2010).

This implies that an organisation does not automatically adopt good ideas, beliefs, and practice: they have to be spread by means of colleagues communicating and sharing.

This view of the importance of colleagues working together is shared by Professor Michael Fullan who believes that collaboration is a key higher-order skill for the 21^st century (Fullan 2011?).

Many organisations appreciate the value of collaboration for improving learning and overall effectiveness, and encourage peer communications and support (Greer et al, 1998). Some may even encourage ‘communities of practice’ (Wenger, 1999) - groups of people who learn and develop together as an extension of their normal social interactions within or beyond their work. For such communities to be effective, there needs to be a great deal of trust and cooperation between members, and a clear focus of development and growth. Ideally, work-place organisations will share the characteristics and goals of the communities of practice within it, but that is not always the case as indicated in the table below based on West-Burnham, 2014:

 

Organisation	Community
Competition	Collaboration
Hierarchy	Network
Top down power	Shared authority
Low trust/control	High trust/consent
Focus on Career	Focus on personal growth
Efficiency/outcomes	Enhanced value
Rule bound	Value driven

 

References

·         Black & Wiliam (2001) Inside the Black Box. [online] Available at : http://weaeducation.typepad.co.uk/files/blackbox-1.pdf. [Accessed 12.10.14]

·         Brown, JS and Duguid, P (2013) Organizational Learning and Communities-of-Practice: Toward a Unified View of Working, Learning, and Innovation. Organisation Science. 2 (1).

·         Fullan, M. (2011) Choosing the wrong drivers for whole system reform. Centre for Strategic Education Seminar Series Paper No. 204. [online] Available at : http://edsource.org/wp-content/uploads/Fullan-Wrong-Drivers1.pdf 

·         Greer, J.E., Mccalla, G., Collins, J.A., Kumar, V.S., and Meagher, P. (1998) Supporting Peer Help and Collaboration in Distributed Workplace Environments. International Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education. 9, pp.159-177.

·         Leana, C.R. (2011) The missing link in school reform.Stanford Social Innovation Review. [online] Available at: http://www.ssireview.org/articles/entry/the_missing_link_in_school_reform/  (accessed 2.11.14)

·         McKinsey and Company (2007). How the world’s best-performing schools come out on top. [online] Available at: http://mckinseyonsociety.com/how-the-worlds-best-performing-schools-come-out-on-top/

·         Wenger, E. (1999) Communities of Practice: Learning, Meaning, and Identity. Cambridge University Press

·         West-Burnham (2014) Making collaboration work: from the structural to the relational. [online] Available at : http://cdn.cfbt.com/~/media/cfbtcorporate/files/resources/inspiring-leadership-2014/seminar-southern-educational-leadership-trust-making-collaboration-work.pdf. [Accessed: 6.1.15]