Developing a flexible collaborative learning framework for open cross-institutional Academic Development courses
at postgraduate level
Postgraduate Research Conference, Edinburgh Napier University 3 April 2014
PGR Conference Edinburgh Napier: PhD year 1: my first baby steps by Chrissi Nerantzi
1. Chrissi Nerantzi
PhD student, Edinburgh Napier
University
Academic Developer
ManchesterMetropolitan
University
@chrissinerantzi
Developing a flexible collaborative learning framework
for open cross-institutional Academic Development courses
at postgraduate level
Postgraduate Research Conference, Edinburgh Napier University 3 April 2014
year 1: my
first baby
steps
image source: http://www.boba.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Boba.BabyFeetWalking.jpg
5. by 2020 all teachers in HE to
hold a teaching qualification!
quality teaching
initial and continuous
professional development
opportunities to grow as
teachers
cross-institutional, cross-
cultural programmes
authentic, collaborative
development opportunities,
learning communities
call to open-up and join-
up provisions towards
open educational practice
EU’s role:
discussion
shift culture
support
http://ec.europa.eu/education/higher-education/doc/modernisation_en.pdf
10. aim of my PhD research
to develop a flexible collaborative
learning framework for open
cross-institutional Academic
Development courses at
postgraduate level
11. Phenomenography
“to describe and analyse individuals’
experiences as they are lived in a relatively
limited number of qualitatively different ways”
(Marton, 1981, 181)
12. multiple-case study approach
to allow the study of related activities, features
and experiences in different natural settings to
analyse in depth the individual and collective
experience from three specific cases and help
to answer the research questions. (Stake, 1995)
16. Data analysis in phenomenography
“The process is tedious, time consuming, labor-
intensive, and interactive. It entails the continual
sorting and resorting of data. Definitions for
categories are tested against the data, adjusted,
retested, and adjusted again. There is, however, a
decreasing rate of change, and eventually the whole
system of meanings is stabilized.”
(Marton, 1986, 43)
17. Mon 03/03/2014 21:33
To:Nerantzi, Chrissi;
Dear Chrissi,
The text is horrible - was I really so bad?
I wonder if you used a software for automatic transcription? The software
appears to have flaws which can be critical if the texts are the basis for your
scientific work.
No idea how you will analyse the texts phenomenographically - but I am only
a physician. Maybe Martin Heidegger and Edmund Husserl will help you?
Good luck and best regards
FDOL132 participant
18. Epoche or Bracketing (Husserl, 1973)
- Known facts, theories and findings distort the life
world under investigation > to be EXCLUDED
- External validity is irrelevant > researcher should
take NO position
Data collection a process of discovery that
emerges through the data itself
(Ashworth & Lucas, 1998)
19. so far...
•started writing thesis
(focus on Academic
Development,
methodology)
•capturing details of
case 1
•data collection case
1 (FDOL132)
completed –
collaborative learning
based on Problem-
Based Learning (PBL)
22. COOL FISh
(simplified PBL model)
Step 1: Focus
What do we see?
How do we understand what we see?
What do we need to find out more about?
Specify learning issues/intended learning outcomes
Step 2: Investigate
How and where are we/am I going to find answers?
Who will do what and by when?
What main findings and solutions do we/I propose?
Step 3: Share
How are we going to present our findings within the group?
What do we want to share with the FDOL community?
How can we provide feedback to another group?
What reflections do I have about my learning and our group
work?
Nerantzi & Uhlin, 2012
23. • Open cross-disciplinary professional development course for teachers in HE
• Developed and organised by Academic Developers in the UK and Sweden
• Developed using freely available social media
• Offered from September – December 2013
• Pedagogical design: simplified Problem-Based Learning
Nubers
• Registered: 107
• FDOL132 community in G+ : 72
• Signed up for PBL groups: 31
• PBL groups: initially 8-9 in each x 4 > then 3 (group 2: 6, / group 3: 5 / group 4: 6)
• PBL facilitators: 4
• Participants in webinars: 10-25
• Participants known to have completed: 13 (14%) all from groups (31 in groups then 42%)
•Countries
• UK - 66
• Sweden – 17
• Canada – 4
• Ireland – 2
• also participants from: Hongkong, Argentina, Greenland, Switzerland,
New Zeeland, Slovenia, Belgium, New Zealand, Norway
FDOL132
participants
in study
19
24. Findings: initial survey
17 out of 19 completed the survey
Countries: UK 37%, Sweden 37%, other 26%
Age range: 35-54 82%
Gender: 35% male, 65% female
Qualifications: 53% Doctoral
qualification, 35% Postgraduate
qualification, 12% undergraduate
qualification
•All employed ( 88% HE and 12%Public Sector)
•Participated in online courses before 88 %
•Participated in an open online course before
47%
Learning values
to be an open learner
To connect with others
To collaborate
To be supported by a facilitator
Application to practice
Prior experience
Working in groups 77%
Problem-Based Learning 30%
Online collaboration 38%
Social media in a professional capacity
50%
25. Findings: final survey
Final survey: 11 out of 19 completed
the survey
Mode of participation
Group member 91%
Autonomous learner 9%
Study hours per week
55% 3 h, 27% 5h, 18% over 5
Main reason for not participating in a
specific aspect of the course: TIME
Learning values
•Structured course
•Variety of synchronous & asynchronous
engagement opportunities
•Flexibility
•Resources
•Communication
•Feedback from facilitators, peer and
others
•Recognition for study
•Group work > participation was often a
struggle
Personal Learning goals achieved 100%
Learning goals
•Technologies for learning
•Problem-based Learning
•Learning in groups
•Open learning
•Open course design
Facilitation (satisfaction)
Support 100%
Participation in online discussions 100%
Provision of regular feedback 64%
26. Preliminary observations
features important for learning
before and after (using survey instruments)
what participants
valued for their
learning
initial survey final survey
group work 100% 74%
feedback 61% 97%
recognition for study 47% 94%
independent study 100% 100%
facilitator support 100% 100%
33. interviews voices
preliminary findings
•Motivations: to be a student, CPD, PBL, TEL to enhance own practice
•Overwhelmed at the start
•Valued group work but found very challenging – learning in a microcosmos made experience
personal
•Valued working with colleagues from different disciplines/countries – language barriers,
different levels of commitment, time
•Smaller groups worked better, learning from and with others valued
•Time was a massive challenge
•Seeing the other person made collaboration real (hangouts, webinars – also a challenge to
participate)
•Individuals working towards credits more motivated, but also seemed to motivate other group
members
•Tensions for learners working towards credits: assessment tasks separated from group tasks.
Course assessment was prioritised. This meant less time for group work. Quality of output
perceived as poor. Too much focus on output.
•Active participation, facilitators’ presence and active engagement and interaction with
individuals made a difference
•Valuable and positive experience overall, learning and development, examples of application
to practice
34. • continue working on
the literature review
(collaborative
learning, open
learning)
• methodology
• data analysis
• case 2 (Global
Dimensions in HE)
• identify case 3
35. References
Ashworth, P. & Lucas, U. (1998) What is the ‘World’ of Phenomenography?, in: Scandinavian Journal of
Educational Research, 42: 4, pp. 415-431.
European Commission (2013) High Level Group on the Modernisation of Higher Education. Report to
the European Commission on Improving the quality of teaching and learning in Europe’s higher
education institutions, European Union, available at http://ec.europa.eu/education/higher-
education/doc/modernisation_en.pdf [accessed 20 February 2014]
Marton, F. (1986) Phenomenography – A Research Approach to Investigating Different Understandngs of
Reality, in: Journal of Thought. Fall 1986, 21, 3, Periodicals Archive Online, pp. 28-49.
Marton, F. (1994) Phenomenography as a Research Approach, Husen, T. and Postlethwaite, N. (2nd ed)
The International Encyclopedia of Education, Vol. 8, Pergamon, pp. 4424-4429, available
athttp://www.ped.gu.se/biorn/phgraph/civil/main/1res.appr.html [accessed 3 Jan 2014].
Stake, R. E. (1995) The Art of Case Study Research. Thousand Oaks: Sage.
36. Developing a flexible collaborative learning framework
for open cross-institutional Academic Development courses
at postgraduate level
Chrissi Nerantzi
PhD student, Edinburgh Napier
University
Academic Developer
ManchesterMetropolitan
University
@chrissinerantzi
the journey
continues...
Year 2:
turning into
a toddler
ccGeeHock,imagesource:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4093/4741884552_be5c88e6b9_z.jpg
37. Developing a flexible collaborative
learning framework
for open cross-institutional Academic
Development courses
at postgraduate level
Chrissi Nerantzi
PhDstudent, Edinburgh
NapierUniversity
Academic Developer
ManchesterMetropolitan
University
@chrissinerantzi
Developing a flexible collaborative
learning framework
for open cross-institutional Academic
Development courses
at postgraduate level
Chrissi Nerantzi
PhDstudent, Edinburgh
NapierUniversity
Academic Developer
ManchesterMetropolitan
University
@chrissinerantzi
Developing a flexible collaborative
learning framework
for open cross-institutional Academic
Development courses
at postgraduate level
Chrissi Nerantzi
PhD student, Edinburgh
NapierUniversity
Academic Developer
ManchesterMetropolitan
University
@chrissinerantzi
Developing a flexible collaborative
learning framework
for open cross-institutional Academic
Development courses
at postgraduate level
Chrissi Nerantzi
PhDstudent, Edinburgh
NapierUniversity
Academic Developer
ManchesterMetropolitan
University
@chrissinerantzi
Developing a flexible collaborative
learning framework
for open cross-institutional Academic
Development courses
at postgraduate level
38. Developing a flexible collaborative learning framework
for open cross-institutional Academic Development courses
at postgraduate level
Chrissi Nerantzi
PhD student, Edinburgh
NapierUniversity
Academic Developer
ManchesterMetropolitan
University
@chrissinerantzi
multiple-case
study
phenomenography
chaos
big wave
laughter
year 1: my
first baby
steps
Year 2:
turning
into a
toddler
image source: http://www.boba.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Boba.BabyFeetWalking.jpg