B. Divjak, University of Zagreb 1

E-learning and employability shift focus on learning (again)

Prof. Blaženka DivjakVice-rector University of Zagreb

Icebreaker • HBR Jan/Feb 2014:

– To Raise Productivity, Let More Employees Work from Home

– The Third Wave of Virtual Work

– Redesigning Knowledge Work

– A taxonomy of Innovation– The Truth About Aging

Population– Talent and Performance– Khan Academy

•Three questions :–Is talking about learning truly mainstream?–Do we know at least some answers?–What can we learn from business/industry?

• One dilemma: – Are we (educators, HEI)

aware of power and responsibilities we have?

B. Divjak, University of Zagreb 3

Content

• Future job, future society – 3 references + comments

• Teaching and learning in higher education– Creative and digital divide– Equity in HE– Domains that influence learning

• Q&A

“If we teach today’s students as we taught yesterday’s, we rob them of tomorrow.” ― John Dewey

Learning

• Transfer of knowledge, skills and experiences is the biggest invention of mankind

• Among research disciplines research on teaching and learning was not prominent one

• New revolution and revitalization provoked by– Technology enhanced teaching and learning (e-learning)– Pressure from society to ensure employability of graduates

• Critical to study the intersection of learning theory and technology

About learning in HE• Mistake: integrate e-learning into passive educational model• Advice: Rethink current educational environment• E in e-learning =electronic + enhancing learning experience +

extending (Garrison, 2003, 2011)• HE back to its roots –purpose of university

– Unity of research and teaching– Training professionals– Improving society– Critical thinking and research

• W. von Humboldt model 19th century - The university teacher is thus no longer a teacher and the student is no longer a pupil. Instead the student conducts research on his own behalf and the professor supervises his research and supports him in it

• A. N. Whitehead (1929) - The proper function of a university is the imaginative acquisition of knowledge.”

Key principles of teaching in HEPrinciples InstrumentsClear goals and intellectual challenge

Learning outcomes and goals setting in line with the demands of modern life and the appropriate use of technology that also communicate high expectations

Interest, understanding and deep learning

Good teaching and appropriate literature as well as quality online material and various ways of student-student and student-teacher communication including online communication that encourages deep learning

Concern and respect for students and student learning

Appropriate student’s workload (expressed for example in ECTS), taking into account student’s effort invested in working in Learning management system (LMS) that has to help diverse student population, and emphasizing time on task

Source: (Divjak, 2012), inspired primarily by (Ramsden, 2003)

Key principles of teaching in HEPrinciples InstrumentsAppropriate assessment and prompt feedback

Implementation of taxonomy, rubrics, creative ways of problem solving and the use of technology for regular and motivating assessment that respects diverse talents and ways of learning and after each assessment activity prompt feedback on task performed

Development of subject specific as well as generic skills

Learning outcomes that besides subject specific skills also include generic skills development and assessment methods that stress their importance, as well as the use of social software in order to enhance the development of generic skills

Learning from students Quality assurance system and enhancement of teaching and teacher’s personal development that takes into account students evaluation of teaching and learning (online evaluation and reflection) as well as analysis of results of students learning in order to introduce effective changes

Domains that influence learning

Curriculum

Assessment

Teaching

Source: Ramsden, 1998, 2003

Domains that infuence learning - broader scope

Curriculum

Assessment

Teachers and students

Strategy, Support

LeadershipQA

Society, technological development, values, demands…

Societal demands

• Demands from HE (not always coherent):– Employability – Starving for talents– Inclusivity – “open innovation” mind set, creativity – Research on learning; proofs what works

• HE massages (not always coherent):– Equity, academic values – Open access

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Future jobs – curriculum of today

• Frey, Osborne, The Future of Employment.2013.– 47% of job categories open to automation within two

decades– Survive jobs that require high degree of creative and social

intelligence, but also fundamental knowledge• John Dewey: “Education is a social process; education is

growth; education is not preparation for life but is life itself.” • PISA 2012 results: Creative Problem Solving – “digital and

creative divide” – highest-performing school systems - allocate educational

resources more equitably + grant more autonomy over curricula and assessments to individual schools.

B. Divjak, University of Zagreb 12

Future jobs – big challenges of today

• T. Piketty, Capital in the 21st Century (2013) – hyper-unequal economic model – generate a more antagonistic, unstable politics

• J. Stiglitz, The Price of Inequality (2013) – Increase in inequality and lack of opportunity– High inequality makes for less efficient and productive

economy – Position of “public goods”– decline in opportunity growing inequality

• Initiatives to enhance use of technology to excel opportunities • Values!

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Creative and digital divide

• “PISA data show that access to a home computer is now nearly universal for students in all countries and economies participating in PISA.”

• OECD countries - 94% of students have at least one computer at home

• “The few students who do not use a computer at home tend to come from socio-economically disadvantaged families. But even among disadvantaged students, some level of familiarity with computers is now universal in some countries.”

• “In all of the 33 countries and economies that both distributed the optional questionnaire on ICT familiarity and administered the computer-based assessment of problem solving, students who use computers at home perform significantly better (in problem-solving) than students who do not.”

Global wast of talents

• Higher education is not very effective in taking benefit of the human resources

• High failure and drop out rates, especially in the early years• Low access and low success rates of students from

disadvantaged backgrounds– Low SES students– Low educational capital– Ethnic minority students

• How to meet these challenges in e-learning?

Creative and social

intelligence

FundamentalsValues

Curriculum

• Deeper understanding, quality learning outcomes• Must have:

– Creative and social intelligence– Fundamentals– Values

• Pick content from vast ocean of knowledge• Consider workload

– “less is more” • E-learning – an essential enabling tool

– Collaboration with employers and other stakeholders in Community of Inquiry

– Tools and approaches for problem-based, active learning– Access, retention for non-traditional students

Assessment

• Shaping how students approach to learning • assessment correlated with intended learning outcomes• Assessment of collaborative work – online• Assessment of individual achievements – f2f • Collaborative learning - deeper learning and metacognitive

awareness • Collaborative and discussion rubrics • E-portfolio – storage, reflection, (self-)assessment

– Transferable – employability

Teaching • Shaping learning environment and learning outcomes • Define goals, content and assessment• Role of a teacher in bleded learning and fully online learning?

– Positive influence of teaching presence– Design, facilitation, direct instruction – Social presence – community of learners– Conflict resolution and creating trust– Motivation of students

• Instructors – teaching scholars– Increase workload

Goals

Learning outcomes

Depth

Assessment

Support • Strategy, leadership• E-learning Strategy of the University of Zagreb

– The first E-strategy 2007 – 2013– Improve quality of teaching and learning– Ensure learning outcomes– Blended learning approach– 8.500 e-courses, only 5% at the level 3 – 2014: E-learning incorporated in the Strategy of teaching and learning– In new strategy: quality of e-courses, e-portfolio, open online courses,

limited numbers of online study programmes• Infrastructure available • Career support services for teachers and students• QA: Evaluation of teaching and learning – improvements • Benchmarking and research

Leaders Strategy Support Quality Benchmark

F2F Online

Blended learning works • Enhance learning & learning outcomes• Rethinking educational approach• For large and medium size classes• Text-based - reflection and research skills• F2f - collaboration & oral communication skills• Findings: advantage of blended learning over f2f and online learning

(Means et al., 2009)– Instruction combining online and f2f elements had a larger advantage– Blended learning employ more students working load – Video or online quizzes do not influence students learning

• Adjustment to fully online learning - lifelong employability• Reduce costs, increasing completion rates, student satisfaction and

improve learning outcomes• Dominant approach to teaching and learning in higher education

Blended

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Dissemination or marketing

• Off the shelf offer of open courses, e-learning material, programs

• “The most important education technology in the past 200 years.”

• Free education for all, anywhere in the world

with online access.”• The best is now available for eveybody

• Are really everybody connected?

• High drop-out rate • - one-size-fits-all model• “intellectual

neocolonialism“• Marketing tool for elite

universities • First and second class

students

MIND THE GAP

Conclusions

• E-learning is the mainstream of higher education• E-learning provokes research on learning • (E)-learning theories often lack of sense of environment• Inclusive e-learning – prevent waste of talents • Before introducing/changing e-learning rethink current

learning practice • Process of learning is as important as outcomes• Open access but be aware of digital and creative divide • Blended learning is strategic solution to serious teaching and

learning challenges • The secret of a successful education is respect towards the

(future) students - Ralph Emerson

B. Divjak, University of Zagreb 23

“The most important attitude that can be formed is that of desire to go on learning.” ― John Dewey, Experience and Education

Thank you

References

• Divjak B., Chapter: Implementation of learning outcomes in mathematics for non-mathematics major by using e-learning in the book: Teaching Mathematics Online: Emergent Technologies and Methodologies; Editor(s): A. A. Juan; M. A. Huertas; S. Trenholm; C. Steegmann; IGI Global. 2012.

• Garrison, R.D., E-learning in 21st Century, Ruthledge, 2011• Ramsden P. Learning to Teach in Higher Education. RoutledgeFalmer Taylor & Frances

Group: NY; 2003.• Frey, Osborne, The Future od Employment: How Suspectable Are Jobs to

Computerisation, 2013.• T. Piketty, Capital in the 21st Century. Harvard University Press. 2013• Stiglitz J. The Price of Inequality .How Today’s Divided Society Endangeres our Future.

W.W. Northon & Company Ltd., 2013• L. Harasim: Learning Theory and Online Technologies.Routledge Taylor&Frances Group.

NY.2012.• Means et al., Evaluation of evidence-based practices in online learning: A meta-analysis

and review of online learning studies. 2009. http://www2.ed.gov/rschstat/eval/tech/evidence-based-practices/finalreport.pdf