Modern Problems:How to Engage the DisengagedPeers Supported Virtual Learning Environments

PSVLE

2

jack

Think CLASS Academic Support

Business & Hospitality

Facultyjock

Who are we?

3

The Problem

• Engagement

• Attrition

• Retention

4

Why?

• Isolation

• Disconnection

• Motivation

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Pedagogy

• Flexibility

• Networked

• Student Focused

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Content

• Activities

Contextual: course content through Blackboard

Active: strategies for learning solutions

Collaborative: forums/twitter/facebook

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Tech Tools?

• Blackboard learn

• Blackboard analytics

• Blackboard spaces

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Theory

• MULD

More

Upload

Less

Download

9

The Plan

• Action Research – Iterative process

12 Week Trial

45 Students, 1 Mentor

Introductory Level Online Class

Baseline Survey

Phone Interviews

10

Baseline Survey

• Technology Questions

• Social Questions

• Pedagogical Questions

11

Mechanics

• Creating the Learning Space

• Blackboard – Organisations and Spaces

• Linked by Twitter

• Guerrilla Tactics

• Crowd Sourced Learning

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Content

• Profile

• Social Capital

• Group Dynamic

• Collaborate ( Action Research

13

Results

• Measuring engagement.

• Network: links between students

• Discourse: what students talk about

• Content: what students do(Ferguson & Shum, 2012)

MULD

14

Results (cont)• Blackboard Analytics

• Visits

• Page views

• Visit duration Strengthens and develops

o indirect relationshipso Objects of knowledge or links

Mentoro Scaffolds interactions

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What We Found

• Lateral

• Self-esteem

• ENGAGEMENT

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Affordances

• Student

• Mentor

• Academic

• Administration

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Student Learning

• Entertainment

• Not a Learning Tool

• Curate the Learning Environment

18

The Next Iteration

• Networked Mobile Applications Facebook page Twitter Instagram VimeoThinkCrowd App

Questions