Doctoral studies Year 1 the journey @chrissinerantzi

Chrissi Nerantzi
PhD student, Edinburgh Napier
University
Academic Developer
Manchester Metropolitan
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

2012 The Year of the MOOC
The New York Times

• open course linked to PgCert provision
• PBL assessment and feedback
Dr Keith Smyth
MSc BOE Programme Leader
Edinburgh Napier

2010/11: PBL pilot, my main findings
• Participants and facilitators felt extremely positive about
the opportunity to work with colleagues from other
institutions.
• Participants and facilitators agreed that this pilot presented
to them opportunities for cross-institutional collaboration
which should be explored further within PgCert provisions.
• Online PBL enabled learners to work together
collaboratively and overcome barriers to learning and
achieve the intended learning outcomes
• Online facilitation was the main challenge, greater even
than the technologies used. Special attention needs to be
paid to provide staff development to potential PBL
facilitators before commencing their facilitator role.

PBL
Conference
Lars Uhlin
Educational Developer
Karolinska Institutet, Sweden

MOOCer
Creativity and Multicultural
Communication (CMC11)
MOOC
Carol Yeager
Empire State College, NY, USA

The FDOL pilot, 11 Feb 13-3 May 13
2 organisers
4 PBL facilitators
from the UK and
Sweden

How many signed up and profiles
Registered total 80
Core 42
Peripheral 18
Autonomous 16
Registered Signed in
Australia 1 1
Brazil 1 1
Canada 1
Ghana 1
India 3 2
Ireland 2 1
Saudi Arabia 1
South Africa 1
Sweden 21 10
UK 42 21
US 1
Very experienced Experienced Not very Not at all
Open learner 9 26 33 8
Open course design 4 15 32 25
PBL 6 29 33 8
Social media 14 36 23 3

about MOOCs...
at end of 2012 beginning of 2013
• commercialisation > developing Business ideas?
• stronger UK MOOC presence > Futurelearn lead
by OU
• MOOCs for credits
• MOOCs for money
• Do MOOCs really work for all learners?
• Do MOOCs really work for teachers?
• Group-based learning in MOOCs?

learner generated MOOC out of MITx
circuits and electronics follow-up open course by 17 year old from India

discussions about PBL in MOOCs?
George Siemens, 10 March 2013,
http://www.elearnspace.org/blog/2013/03/10/group-work-advice-for-mooc-providers/

Rebecca Ferguson, http://futurelearn.com/idea/futurelearn-ideas-rolling-moocs/

March 13: http://unescochair-elearning.uoc.edu/blog/mooc-observatory/

The Aussie mini-MOOC
5 weeks, free and open taster courses! 21 March 13
https://www.open2study.com/
first findings (May 13): 25% completion rate! 50% of reg don’t participate

The Chinese MOOC
March 2013 http://www.guolairen.com/

confused.com?
unit 2: week 1
“Dear Chrissi
I am sorry but I am going to have to pull off this programme. I honestly have no idea about what we are trying to achieve
and I find the whole thing extremely confusing. I cannot dedicate the necessary time and effort to this and to Google+
hangouts.
Apologies and I hope that you can promote a peripheral member.
Regards
X”
unit 2: week 2
Dear Lars and Chrissi!
I thought that the FDOL course and the opportunities around it looked really interesting and I really wanted to take part
of it, if only as an external “observer”. I got a good start and read the instructions and the organization of the work but
now I find that I’m slipping behind and I feel that I can’t go on with some kind of high quality. Since I have been assigned a
group I feel that they may have expectations on my attendance. Therefore I have decided not to go on with this very
exciting course, unfortunately. I am sorry if I have put you or anybody else in trouble.
Thank you for letting me attend and I’m sorry that I failed.
Sincerely yours
Y”

challenges and ideas to overcome these
FDOL131 FDOL132
connecting course with people connecting people with people first
assumed participants understood level of
engagement required in facilitated PBL group
rethink strategy, cross-institutional PBL groups
formally enrolled on the course and working
towards assessment might be an answer
PBL groups
PBL scenarios > three, one for each unit >
disconnect?
PBL scenario> only one and linked to
assessment > seeing the bigger picture?
motivation
discussions in FDOL community space
problematic
register on course via community space could
improve this > course to emphasise more on
social aspects of learning
Limited resources provided> expectation
resources to be contributed via diigo by
participants
Provide core texts for each unit and enable
participants to contribute via scoop.it
no portfolios required recommend portfolios for all participants

perspectives of challenges
organisers PBL facilitators participants
collaborating remotely
using a variety of
technologies and platforms
grouping and re-grouping
was a big and ongoing task

FDOL131 unit 1: orientation webinar

guest experts
FDOL131 webinar (unit 3)

#fdol131
unit 1
•1 week
•orientation
•groups: 8
•PBL
facilitators 4
•webinar
unit 2
•2 weeks
•intro to FDOL
•groups 8
•PBL
facilitators 4
•webinar
unit 3
•2 weeks
•collab
learning and
communities
•PBL task 1
•groups 6
•PBL
facilitators 3
•webinar
unit 4
•2 weeks
•supporting
learners
•PBL task 2
•groups 4
•group 1: 4
•group 2: 3
•group 3: 5-
6
•group 4: 7
•webinar
unit 5
•2 weeks
•open
practices
•PBL task 3
•groups 4
• group 1: 4
•group 2: 3
•group 3: 4
•group 4: 3
•webinar
unit 6
•1 week
•celebrating
learning
•groups 4
•group 1: 4
•group 2: 3
•group 3: 4
•group 4: 3
•webinar

• course was challenging but rewarding
• everybody who engaged throughout in the PBL groups learnt
• useful to be a learner and experience difficulties in preparation for teaching online
• progressively developed confidence as an online learner
• developed better understanding of how to use tech more effectively in own practice (Google apps seemed to work
well also on mobile devices, extending opportunities to engage)
• exploring opportunities for application in own practice
• community feel was important > how to achieve this?
– getting to know each other through synchronous online ‘events’ such as hangouts and webinars made a huge
difference, hearing a voice, seeing a person made it human
– increased commitment when you know the others
– bonding happened through engagement
– learning to trust
– more early hangouts were suggested
• COOL FISh simple and effective for online settings: speeded up working in groups, to keep on track, experience PBL
• tutor support was vital, knowing that there was somebody there when needed, especially at the beginning
• more peer-to-peer learning and feedback with other groups
• central feedback space, buddy system could be developed
summary of participants’
experiences shared during webinar

FDOL131
facilitated
PBL groups
non-facilitated
PBL groups
autonomous
learners
multi-disciplinary
cross-institutional
•core members
•peripheral members
groups have been re-
structured a couple of
times during the course
self-organised self-directed
self-organised
• Registered before start: 80 (PBL groups: 64 (core: 46 peripheral:
18) + autonomous 16)
• Not confirmed to PBL groups or early drop-outs : 22
• Signed up in FDOL131 Google+: 45
• Participants in webinars: 10-20
• Remaining participants: 16-20

#FDOL131 WordPress stats
Hits from
54
countries in
total
+ hits from 34 more counties

FDOL131 PBL facilitators
•learning
•achievement
•challenges
•next steps
before during after
•exciting opportunity
•trust in relationship
•getting to know each other with
other facilitators and participants
not always easy
•big question: will it work and to
what extend?
•Who does what? Happened
naturally
•Transparency, openness, problem
solving among facilitators very
smooth > social media (Skype,
Facebook, Google +)
•Grouping over-engineered?
initial
•silence
•confusion
•disorientation
Was the design too complex?
Careful observation
Changes as we were going along
Situation stabilised by unit 3
Supporting groups was a varied
experience from very positive
experience > impressed with
groups’ autonomy and
commitment to confusing?
Evaluation
what have we learnt?
Re-thinking, re-fining approach
What next?
changes for the next version?
•grouping
•COOL FISh (core-peripheral?)
•diigo didn’t work
•start from the community space
and NOT the Wordpress site
•wider discussions?
•webinars more input from
participants, limit/no external
speakers?
•portfolios
•more use of video: for course and
people introductions at the very
start

pre-MIT
University of Texas, Austin: signposting to freely available resources from other unis for a wide
range of disciplines

http://unescochair-elearning.uoc.edu/blog/2013/05/15/a-mooc-like-open-online-master-
program-free-or-accredited-at-low-cost/

ocTEL 2013 (MOOC language Apr-June
13)
http://octel.alt.ac.uk/2013/

Massive criticism on support! Not
there! Somebody, somewhere is going
to make money out of this!
student
idea!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/higher-education-network/blog/2013/mar/28/european-mooc-opportunities-challenges

classification of open courses
by Lou McGill
• xMOOCs
• cMOOCs
• open boundary (open classroom)

the EU answer to MOOCs
http://openuped.eu/

Coursera’s Prof. Dev MOOC
http://edudemic.com/2013/05/2-potential-scenarios-for-professional-development-moocs/
Blended (more likely
Fully-online

“Content is not education,
interaction is!”
Darco Jansen

May 2013
Blended learning: a new thing?

(Coursera) MOOCs as courseware?
3 LMS offers?
•automated pre-packaged coursera course (no uni involvement)
•uni built course offered via coursera (uni involvement)
•uni makes use of pre-packaged coursera course (uni involvement)

massive changes are going to happen
in the next 50 years!!!
radical changes > disruption required
to survive and thrive
lifelong and lifewide learning
everybody is a learner
HEI to specialise
Governments to support HEI
distinctiveness, ‘5 models’

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

Critical voices
article 4 July 2013
HEAconference, day 2

July 2013
instututional level
wide recognition (86%) of
positive influence to Ac.
Development provision, learning
and teaching and student
experience
individual level
57% were aware of the UK PSF
reported impact on own
teaching, learning, assessment
43% NOT aware of the UK PSF
case studies
positive impact of UK PSF
CPD Frameworks and accredited
provision
shaping teacher identity,
recognition, promotion
problems: in specific
•disciplines/culture
•more clarity about UK PSF and
Descriptors,
•D3 + support and alignment
with promotion/progression
•GTA, part-time staff, mid-career
academics

Global Dimensions in HE
• Add link info here

http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/08/19/feminist-professors-create-alternative-
moocs
Distributed open collaborative course
US cross-institutional initiative (Aug 13)

cross-institutional courses (US)
"This trans-institutional and interdisciplinary MOOC sequence will provide an exemplar of
how intentionally coordinated MOOCs can create learning communities that cut across
traditional institutional and disciplinary boundaries."

Futurelearn: 20,000 signed up!

The SPOCS are here!!!
small private online courses
• http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-24166247

Nerantzi, Uhlin & Kvarnström (2013)
Organisation of FDOL132

FDOL132
Learners
• Registered: 98
• FDOL132 community in G+ until now: 53
• Signed up for PBL groups until now: 23
Countries
• UK - 66
• Sweden – 20
• Canada – 3
• Ireland – 2
• Hongkong, Argentina, Greenland, Switzerland,
New Zeeland, Slovenia, Belgium
status: 17 September 2013

“It feels like that community buzz has been created
amongst colleagues in this course, but across
geographical boundaries.” FDOlL132 participant
“Thank you all for the wonderful
experience. A big thank you to the
facilitators for designing this course
and making it happen!!!” FDOL132
participant

the political HE landscape in the UK

Robbins Report (1963)
- subject/discipline CPD
- support for new staff who teach
- mentions that in the future graduate contributions
to fees

James Report (1972)
- to regulate teacher education for school and
colleague teachers
- raise status of teachers
- introduction of Bed/BA Ed and optional MA
- cycles of teacher development
- cycle 1: initial teacher training
- cycle 2: pre-service and induction
- cycle 3: in service teacher education

Dearing Report (1997)
- staff development for all working in HE
- review staff development policies
- permanent staff who teach access to accredited
programmes
- probationary requirements for new full-time
academics to become Associate Members of the
Institute for Learning and Teaching in HE
- graduate contributions to fees fundamental but
not implemented

– teaching quality became central
– teaching was funded centrally
– 74 CETL for 5 years funded by HEfCE
– Student voice/surveys
– More transparency of teaching data
– introduction of national professional standards for teaching in HE
– accredited training for all staff, new teaching staff accredited training
by 2006
– National External Examiner Programme introduced
– National Teaching Fellowship Awards doubled
– 2004-5 University title based on teaching degree awarding powers
– foundations of professionalisation of teaching in HE
– 2004: The HEA was born (national organisation to support the HE
sector and promote excellence in learning and teaching)
The future of higher education (2003)

• calls for reforms in schools, colleges,
universities if the UK wants to compete
globally
• by 2020 40% of adults to have level 4 and
above qualifications.
The Leitch Report (2006)

The Future of Higher Education
Teaching and the Student Experience
(Paul Ramsden, 2008)
• quality of provision increased thanks to professionalisation of teaching in
HE
• teaching-research nexus important, academic scholarschip
• UK PSF made a significant contribution to enhance quality of teaching and
raise standards
• ‘basic training in teaching skills’ for all teachers is the norm.
• good teaching recognised but still under-rewarded? promotion based on
teaching has been introduced in institutions but still problematic in some
(perhaps more so in pre-92 institutions?)
• more integrated use of technologies for learning and teaching is observed
complement teaching, not to replace
• now need for more flexible, innovative and global offer, rethink
assessment
• “diversity enriches rather than threatens standards” (p. 10)
• partnership with students, rethinking quality together, engaging students
in community of learners, dialogue, responsibility of students

The Browne Report (2010) Securing a
Sustainable Future in HE
– now 45% of 18-30 year olds enter HE in England
– focus on radical funding shift for undergraduate
– pay more get more approach
– quality of provision linked to price tag
– part-time students fully funded also
– teaching qualification for ALL (academics and
other professionals who teach, accredited
provision by the HEA) to raise quality of teaching

Students at the Heart of the System
(BIS, 2011)
• students in the driving seat, more flexible provision, links to
industry, liberating student numbers
• focus on improving teaching, assessment, feedback
• recognising Gibbs (2010) findings: postgraduate teaching
qualification raise quality of teaching
• make course data openly available Key Information Set (KIS) –
teaching qual/prof. regognition HEA not included but to be
made available.
• promoting also based on excellent teaching

UK Quality Code 2012 (QAA)
• Part 1: Academic standards
• Part 2: Academic quality
• Part 3: Information about higher education provision
• “Learning and teaching practices are informed by reflection, evaluation of
professional practice, and subject-specific and educational scholarship.” (p. 12)
• “Effective learning and teaching activities and practices are enabled through, and depend on,
staff who are appropriately qualified for their role and who engage throughout their career in
continuing professional development, in the evaluation of their practice, and in developing
their understanding of their subject and the learning process as it relates to their subject.” (p.
5)
• “Higher education providers assure themselves that everyone involved in teaching or
supporting student learning is appropriately qualified, supported and developed.” (p. 13)
• good teaching
– inclusive
– learning in partnership
– enthusiastic and capable staff
Initial and continuing professional development for all who teach or support learning
teaching means facilitating learning

Willetts (2013) Robbins revisited:
bigger and better higher education
– consumerism refocuses us on high-quality teaching
– he proposes KIS to include tutorial and seminar hours
per programme (expectation that these are more
interactive, discussion-based) – Good and bad
teaching accepted then?
– recognises that total contact time varies (Gibbs, 2010,
2012) with > not to be used as a measure
– students working closer with academics (design,
evaluation and enhancement of programmes)
– research-led teaching supported by academics leads
to valuable discoveries > recognised also by QAA as
good practice

#storymooc Oct 13 50,000 signed up!
I signed up too
initial excitement
interested in
stories
I gave up after 2
days, felt lost,
overwhemled ,
couldn’t follow
conversations
couldn’t see the
facilitators
couldn’t make
contact with others
felt lonely

OERu: microcourses, option: to gain uni credits

Nov 13 – coursera introduces learning partners, turning online into
supported blended

Robbins Report revisited
This extract made me think about open education. Are there parallels?

learner experiences in MOOCs, open
online learning
(eBook George Veletsianos Sep 13)
issues
facilitator absent
no tutor feedback
videos boring
discussions overwhelming
improper use of discussions
navigation complex
too many resources
too many activities
content not contextualised
what learners want
tutor participation
tutor support
self-paced experience
learning with others
community
interaction
bite-size learning
loose scaffold
flexibility: participation options and modes
some key resources
discovering own sources
regular reminders of activities
Veletsianos, G. (2013). Learner Experiences with MOOCs and Open Online Learning. Hybrid
Pedagogy. Retrieved fromhttp://learnerexperiences.hybridpedagogy.com.

Martin Weller’s response:
http://nogoodreason.typepad.co.uk/no_good_
reason/2013/11/stop-me-if-you-think-youve-
heard-this-one-before.html Stephen Downes http://www.downes.ca/post/61422

“I registered for the first FDOL131
course, but I didn’t get a grip of the
course and felt a bit lost. There was a
lot of information but I felt it was a
mountain to climb and that I was
quite alone (there was no room left in
any PBL groups). So I dropped out. I’m
glad I gave it a second chance, this
time in a PBL group which has been a
strong motivator for continuing the
course.
In my own course, after critic from
the students, we have worked a lot
with the layout, structure and clarity
of our VLE and now the students are
very positive. Although it should be
flexible I think online courses have a
lot to win by a clear structure and to
get the student to feel as parts of a
community.” FDOL132 participant,
unit 6 reflections

FDOL132 data collection
• initial survey – Sep 13
• final survey – Dec 13
• interviews – Feb-March 14

Dec 2013
http://en.unesco.org/open-access/

FDOL131 – FDOL132
FDOL131
• Registered before start: 80 (PBL groups: 64 (core: 46 peripheral: 18) +
autonomous 16)
• Not confirmed to PBL groups or early drop-outs : 22
• Signed up in FDOL131 Google+: 45
• Participants who completed: 16 (20%) all from groups (64 in groups then 25%)
FDOL132
• Registered: 107
• FDOL132 community in G+ until now: 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 who completed: 13 (14%) all from groups (31 in groups then42%)

Jan 2014: Things are changing?
Realising the importance of the human factor?
Finally?
human support
human feedback
human grading
"And that human element, surprise, surprise, makes
a huge difference in the student experience and the
learning outcomes," he says.

planning for FDOL141: 10 Feb 14

Jan 2014: official partnering!!!
• course site
https://www.coursera.org/course/highered

Jan 2014 for students and teachers

Doctoral studies Year 1 the journey @chrissinerantzi

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