Using a VLE to manage a large class

Peter ChalkDept of Comp, Comm Tech & Maths

London Met (North Campus)

Learning Technologies Workshop 8/11/02 (City Campus)

Introduction

• “This year a large first year BSc Computing module (over 300 students) has been re-organised for delivery using a VLE. Student record management, course content and all assessment is now on-line. Nearly 30 teaching assistants are involved. Find out how things are progressing!” (my email, Oct 02)

The reality

• 443 students ‘doing’ IM110 (Intro to Java)

• Peak (physical) = 315 (week 3 lecture)

• Peak (virtual) = 323 (weeks 4-6 quiz)

• 29 Tutorial Groups (23 tutors, FT, PT & PhD) a week to manage

• 4 lectures (3 lecturers) a week

• WebCT used to organise, track, assess etc

Last Year (Pass %ages)

Yr Passed Finished % Started %99-00 183 292 63 347 5300-01 175 277 63 391 4501-02 207 371 56 529 39

39% of the intake in 0102a passed

56% of the students who took the exam etc (‘finished’) passed

So far this year (0203a)

• ‘Finishing’ = 323 out of 443 (ie took assignment 1 quiz)

• 37 failed quiz (level same as UEL, SBU & Bolton)

• Pass rate so far– (323-37) / 323 finishers = 88.5%– (323 - 37) / 443 intake = 64.6%

SIMT Response

• One language (Java) over 2 semesters

• Small tutor groups (15)

• Constructivism (Piaget)

• Graphics library (Papert’s Logo)

• Web-based Multimedia Learning Objects

• VLE - WebCT (well supported at North Campus)

Learning Objects - Text

Learning Objects - Animation

Learning Objects - Situated

Learning Objects - Interactive

VLE - WebCT

• Scaffold students (Woods) by:– variety of on-line support– graphical feedback & visualisation– learning aids (learning objects)– discussion & email– feedback on assignments– Weekly assessed exercises in log & VLE

VLE course content

Assessment using the VLE

• Continuous, feedback-driven

• Apprenticeship-style (Lave, Wenger)

• On-line quiz question bank (2 MCQs & exam)

• All marks viewable by ID, profile data

• Assignment grades/comments on-line

Research benefits of VLE

• Tracking student visits to content pages & content page hits:– Insight into use of learning aids & how students

learn

• Qualitative data in discussion and chat logs

• Also using:– Server log stats, evaluation questionnaires &

interviews

Tracking Hits on Learning Aids

Sample Students’ Hit Summary

One Student’s Record of Hits

Conclusion – the industrialisation of education

• Economies of scale, team building• Reusable resources: learning aids, quiz questions

and VLE area (cf Bolton)• Requires ultra-reliable, well supported servers &

mirrors plus staff training• Verifiable resources (eg on-line marks confirmed

by students, randomised MCQ)• As far as possible, paperless• Community of learning in VLE? (Wenger)

Thanks to

• Learning object team: Tom Boyle, Claire Bradley and Richard Haynes

• Teaching team, too numerous to mention!• Module leaders & lecturers: Ray Jones (&

for graphics library), Ken Fisher, Nasrin Karim & Shanyu Tang

• Collaboration & Academic Leadership: Poppy Pickard (Bolton) & Nancy Johnson