ppt presentation to Canadian MoodleMoot, February

1. Canada MoodleMoot
Vancouver, B.C.
14 February, 2012
QUALITY IN E-LEARNING
Dr. Tony Bates,
Tony Bates Associates Ltd
1

2. Overview
Quality for whom?
From e-learning 1.0 to e-
learning 2.0
Nine steps to quality online
teaching
Conclusions
2

3. Quality for whom?
Students? Instructors?
What kind of e-learning?
Employers?
What kind of e-learning?
What subject domain?
distributed
Much in common with f2f blended
No classroom
Focus here on unique needs of e-learning aids hybrid distance
e-learning
3

4. From e-learning 1.0 to e-learning 2.0
E-LEARNING 1.0 (before web 2.0)
• Use of learning management system
• Instructor determines content
• Assessment by instructor
• Learning environment managed by
instructor
• Any web 2.0 tools added by instructor

5. Quality standards
Lots for e-learning 1.0 (20)
• For different sectors/countries
• based on experience/research
• all quite similar
• mainly ‘process’ focused
• often unknown or ignored by
instructors

6. The growth of web 2.0 in
education
• blogs/WordPress, e.g. ETEC 522
• wikis, e.g. UBC Latin American
studies
• video and audio,e.g. showing
dynamic change, talking through
images
• e-portfolios
• open educational resources

7. Features of web 2.0
• End-user control/authoring
• Collaboration and sharing
• Collective intelligence
• Low-cost/free, adaptive software
• Rich media
• Portability/mobility

8. Educational implications
• learners have powerful tools
• personal learning
environments
• ‘open’ access, content, services
• learners
find/create/add/adapt content
• power shift from teachers to
learners
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9. From e-learning 1.0 to e-learning 2.0
E-LEARNING 2.0
• Learning managed by learner
• Peer-to-peer collaboration
• Access to open content
• Learning demonstrated by
creating multi-media materials
(e.g. e-portfolios)
• Development of 21st century skills

10. 21st century skills
good communication skills
independent learning
ethics/responsibility
teamwork
flexibility
thinking skills
knowledge navigation
IT skills embedded in subject area
10

11. Role of instructor in learning
1. Downes and Siemens: no role;
learners are autonomous, self-
directed (e.g., cMOOCs): no
LMS
2. Guide-on-the side: facilitate,
guide, interact, organize; learner
also contributes: no or ‘open’
LMS
3. Teacher controls: LMS mainly
(including xMOOCs)

12. When to use web 2.0
Learning as development: a move from
dependent to independent or inter-
dependent learning
Use of web 2.0 depends on:
• needs of learners
• requirements of accreditation
• your educational philosophy
Web 2.0 excellent tools for learner-centered
teaching/developing 21st century skills.

13. Nine steps to qualitye-learning teaching
1. How do you want to teach? goals fore-learning
2. What kind ofe-learning 7. Create a strong course
course? structure/schedule
3. Work in a team 8. Communicate, communicate,
communicate
4. Build on existing resources
9. Innovate and evaluate
5. Master the technology
6. Set appropriate learning
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14. Step 1: How do you want to teach?
From this:
to this?
+
14

15. Step 2. What kind of courses?
distributedlearning
blendedlearning
hybrid fully online
face-to- classroom
(reduced f2f + (distance)
face aids online)
no e-learning fully e-learning

16. 2. Distance education or hybrid learning?
where on the continuum should
my course or program be?
three deciding factors:
targeted students
demands of subject discipline
(content + skills)
resources

17. 2 a Who are or will be my students?
Who benefits frome-learning?
full-time students wanting more
flexibility (85% at UBC)
lifelong learners wanting new
qualifications/upgrading
employers who want staff to learn in
their own time or in the workplace
independent learners

18. 2 b Subject requirements
What do students need to know?
(content)
Content:haematology
What must they be able to do with
their knowledge? (skills)
Skills: identifyanalytes, analyze
glucose and insulin levels, interpret
results

19. 2 b: Subject requirements
Learning objectives

20. 2 c. Resources
• your time ( workload; course design)
• LT support (instructional/web design)
• experienced colleagues
• technology (e.g. LMS)
• open educationalresources(OER)

21. 2. Blended, hybrid or distance?
Determine by analysis of:
(potential) students
+
needs of discipline
+
resources available
Who should make this decision?
Program team?

22. 3. Work in a team
Who is in team?
• instructor + instructional
designer (initially)
• colleagues
• Web designer
• IT support?

23. 3. Work in a team
Why?
• e-learning is different
• course design critical
• manage workload
• share experience/resources
• develop online learning activities for students

24. 4. Build on existing resources
• Technology tools: LMS (e.g.
Moodle), web conferencing
• Open educational resources: text;
graphics, videos, animations,
simulations, remote labs
• What your colleagues have
developed
Molecule shapes simulation: phET,
University of Colorado at Boulder,
• Will save time

25. 5. Master the technology
• Moodleprovides a structure
• Instructors need Moodle training
• Relate technology training to how
you want to teach (‘Can I do this?’)
• Design (with team) course template
• Don’t get into LMS ‘wars’
• Explore (with team) new tools (9)

26. 6. Set appropriate learning goals for
e-learning
Same or different? Some online
roles:
• 21st century skills
• subject specific Internet/IT
skills
• bring in outside world (experts,
online resources, other students)
Communicate goals to students
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27. 7. Design structure and activities
3 credit = 100 hrs online study = 8
hours a week
Topics or projects? Weekly?
Student activities: read, discuss,
collect, do
Learning outcomes and
assessment
Work with design team; control
YOUR workload (and students’)
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28. 8. Communicate, communicate,
communicate
• Be ‘present’ online every day
• Set clear expectations for students
• Clear learning goals, activities, deadlines
• Make students do the work
• 48 hours response maximum
• Monitor discussion forums
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29. 9. Innovate and evaluate
• Steps 1-8: competency, effectiveness
• Exciting time to be an instructor
• New technology developments; new
possibilities; mobile learning
• Web 2.0 tools: social media, e-
portfolios, WordPress, new LMSs
• move to learner-centered teaching
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30. 9. Innovate and evaluate
E-learning 2.0:
use of web 2.0 depends on:
• needs of learners
• requirements of accreditation
• your educational philosophy
However, web 2.0 are excellent tools
for learner-centered teaching and
developing 21st century skills
Evaluate and disseminate

31. 10. ‘Advanced’e-learning design
core skill: knowledge management
how to find, analyze, evaluate
and apply information
open content within a learning
design
student-generated multimedia
content: online project work
assessment by e-portfolios
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32. Conclusions
• Good standards and best practices
already exist: should be applied
• New tools/designs require new
quality standards
• QA should not impede innovation
• Moodle valuable tool for providing
structure/coherent learning
environment; but other quality
factors as well.
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33. (Some) questions
1. Do we need different quality
standards for e-learning 2.0?
2. Implications of new teaching
strategies for Moodle use? Web
2.0 tools: integrated or separate?
3. Implications of new tools such as
e-portfolios and learning
Virtual border post for training CBSA agents:
analytics for assessment? Loyalist College
4. Quality standards for MOOCs?
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