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Tips for improving your web Tips for improving your web coursescourses

UniPiD Virtual Studies Workshop14 May, 2009Tove Forslund

tove.forslund@abo.fi, www.abo.fi/lc/

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The Learning Centre in ÅboThe Learning Centre in Åbo Learning Centre in Åbo started as a Virtual Learning Centre

– opened on 1 September, 2003– All support & services from one place: one contact

person, one e-mail address larcentret@abo.fi, one web-site www.abo.fi/lc/

Permanent offices: Head of the Learning Centre, Student Counsellor, AV-assistant

Part-time personnel (8): IT Systems Developer, librarians and planning officers

“Physical” learning centre autumn 2009: new facilities, modern technical equipment for teachers and students

Main activities:– Taking initiatives for new routines, methods and software

for teaching and learning– Supporting staff in developing their teaching– Supporting students in developing their

general/transferable skills and competences for working life and for academic studies as well as supporting their study planning

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Support for producing web-Support for producing web-based coursesbased courses

1. Access to software and equipment2. Multimedia room > studio3. Individual support4. Production of multimedia5. Written support material:

pedagogical guides, user guides for software etc.

6. Staff training 7. Special financing

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Today’s programmeToday’s programme

Group work and facilitation using a web-conference tool: creating a synchronous learning environment– Adobe ConnectPro– What opportunities does web-conferencing offer?– Case: Using ACP for group work and discussions in

Academic Study Skills course– Discussion on best practices

Producing video and audio material (Adobe Presenter, audio and video files)

Possibilites for co-operation within the UniPid network?– Centralised/shared production of video/audio

material– Using a common video meeting room in ACP

Strucuring courses in moodle The teacher's work load during a web-based course:

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What contributes to a What contributes to a successful/less successful web-successful/less successful web-based course?based course? Success

Simple and clear instructions instruktioner

Varied, proceeds in suitable steps

Discussions feel useful and inspiring

All courses don’t have to be ”pakko social”!

Taking special features of students and subject into consideration

Individual feedback, the students feel that the teacher is present

Course participants get to know each other

Suitable group size Participants’ motivation and

study experience

Failure Teaching / course structure

is dull and monotonous Learning platform/course

environment is difficult to navigate, hard to find material you’re looking for

Too much content/too many activities

In discussions you must comment self-evident things or things somebody else has already said

Cf various course evaluations + ”Verkkokurssin suunnittelu” /TY/Kulttuurituotannon ja maisemantuktimuksen laitoshttp://beta.wikiversity.org/wiki/Verkkokurssin_suunnittelu

Planning Production Start Carrying out Evaluation & documentation

Administrative questions

Production of course material

Handbook for production of digital material

Registration of students on the course

Introduction into the learning environment

Course finishesCourse evaluation

Pedagogical planning

Planning of activating methods and assignments

Registration of students in learning platform(User names for course participants)

Face-to-face teaching

Choice of media Planning of course facilitation and feedback 

Test of facilities, software and hardware

Facilitation Documentation, updating of material and further development of course

Information about the course

Learning environment & layout

Course start Examination    

Evaluation of the course design

from ”Handbook for production of web-based courses” (in Swedish)

Process for producing web-based courses

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Three stages in the lifecycle of a Three stages in the lifecycle of a web-courseweb-course

Planning– Administrative

questions– Pedagogical

planning– Planning of course

material– Choice of medium– Creating tasks and

assignments– Planning

moderation– Technical

production

Teaching– Face-to-face /

group meetings– Moderation and

feedback Updating the

course material, documentation of the course, storage

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Group work and facilitation using Group work and facilitation using Adobe ConnectPro: creating a Adobe ConnectPro: creating a synchronous learning synchronous learning environmentenvironment

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Adobe Connect ProAdobe Connect Pro

Enables– Online lectures– Facilitation and guidance– Group work– Recording lectures

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Purpose of ACP on this course:– This course should give participants experiences of

various ways of online studies– Oral activity, practice presentation skills– Variation to text-based activities, opportunity for

students to talk to each other Acitvity

– Web lecture + reading material > written activity (time schedule in Word) > Presentation of time schedule & time management skills in small groups (2-6 students) in ACP

– Following pods were used by participants: Camera&Voice, Chat, Share.

– Oral feedback by course tutor (and other participants) 40-75 min. Gruppträffar

– 40-75 min./group

Case: ACP for group presentations Case: ACP for group presentations and discussions on ”Academic Study and discussions on ”Academic Study Skills” courseSkills” course

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PreparationPreparation When course started

– Poll in Moodle about web cameras and headsets– Information on where students can use web cams&headsets

on ÅA computers– Doodle (www.doodle.com) for choosing suitable times for

group meeting

A few days before meetings: e-mail about where to log in, goups, ”don’t worry”!

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During the session...During the session...

the students were asked to log in 10 min. Before session (or previously that week)

We checked that everyone managed to log in and that their cameras&headsets worked

Participants introduces themselves Everyone preseted their assignment via

Share-pod (My Computer Screen/Windows or Documents/Ppt)

Chance to comment on each other’s presentations

Evaluation/”debriefing”

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Support for participants in e-Support for participants in e-meeting learning sessionsmeeting learning sessions

Short written guide Audio Setup Wizard Testing session Chat (Teacher’s phone number)

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Discussion on best practices Discussion on best practices using webconferencingusing webconferencing

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Producing video and audio Producing video and audio material material

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Why audio/video material?Why audio/video material?

Variation For auditory learners Repetition Distance education: Lectures ”Rests” (”jämät”) from class room

lectures Oral feedback on web-courses (e.g. math

assignments) Saving guest lectures for future use Illustrating processes, demo etc

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Adobe ConnctProAdobe ConnctPro

Video (or only sound) to Ppt or webpages or other documents– One-take – i.e. you cannot edit the lectures a lot

–– Purposes

• ”Welcome to this course”• Lectures• Oral feedback

Adobe Presenter https://www.abo.fi/personal/presenter (also user guide in English)– Sound (or video) to Ppt

Video or sound recording – ppt or other text documents separately

Editing function: parts can be cropped

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Adobe PresenterAdobe Presenter Sound or video to Ppt Example:

http://web.abo.fi/lc/natforelasning/korpostrom/unipid14May09/

License to Adobe ConnectPro

Add-on to PowerPoint Easy to use

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Recording audio or video with Recording audio or video with digital recordersdigital recorders Dictaphones

– Time efficient Video cameras

– A camera man is usually needed

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Teacher’s work loadTeacher’s work load

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Instructions/guidance/feedbackInstructions/guidance/feedback

Pre-– instructional material for whole course / e-

activities• visually• text-based

During– advice and help– questions– motivation

Post-– feedback

• when?• by whom?• in what form / through which media?

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FeedbackFeedback Inform students about feedback in advance:

– grade or pass– individual feedback / group feedback / self-correcting – when will they get their feedback

Prompt! Sandwich Feedback as a dialogue In the beginning: Feedback to recognize that student

has succeeded in using the techonology Not just correction of mistakes, but after feedback

student should know where he/she succeeded & how should develop

Mind the but-word! Documentation of feedback

Check-up of course plan + Check-up of course plan + workloadworkload

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Module 1 Introduction:basic concepts of intercultural communication Group meeting 29 september 2003 29.9. P

Assignment 1: Describe your own identity 5.10. I A Pcomment to whole group 1 2

Assignment 2: Definitions I P Gradecorrect answer/model respons knowledge

Assignment 3: Online discussion on X 29.9-5.10 G A P application first comment .10 next comments 5.10.

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Teacher’s workloadTeacher’s workload

Group size– Workload which is not related

to number of students • Writing group feedback• Quizzes• Discussions where the teacher

isn’t actively taking part– Workload depending on

number of students• Reading through students’

assignments• Giving individual feedback• Reminding students who

haven’t sent in their assignments

• Answering students’ questions E-office hours

How to manage the teacher’s workload – Group feedback– Model answers– Self evaluation– Peer feedback

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Peer feedbackPeer feedback

Criteria for comments, rubrics, e.g.:

Grades or feedback for or evaluation of comments

Comment by asking questions– How do you know? (more

evidence) – What do you mean?

(rephrase)– What is the connection

to..?– What would have

happened if..? (hypothetical questions)

Essay Pass Good Excellent

Using different theories

Application to practice

Use of references etc

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Module 1 Module 2 Module 3etc

Contents/subjectLiterature /Course materialActivity 1

Activity 2EtcFeedback

Hours of workforstudent /teacher

Tool for planning