Designing Open Educational Resources through Knowledge Maps to enhance Meaningful learning

This paper demonstrates some pedagogical strategies for developing Open Educational Resources (OERs) using the knowledge mapping tool Compendium. It also describes applications of Knowledge Maps to facilitate meaningful learning by focusing on specific OER examples. The study centres on the OpenLearn project, a large scale online environment that makes a selection of higher education learning resources freely available via the internet. OpenLearn, which is supportedby William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, was launched in October 2006 and in the two year period of its existence hasreleased over 8,100 learning hours of the OU's distance learning resources for free access and modification by learnersand educators under the Creative Commons license. OpenLearn also offers three knowledge media tools: Compendium(knowledge mapping software), MSG (instant messaging application with geolocation maps) and FM (web-based videoconferencing application). Compendium is a software tool for visual thinking, used to connect ideas, concepts, arguments, websites and documents. There are numerous examples of OERs that have been developed and delivered by institutions across the world, for example, MIT, Rice, Utah State, Core, Paris Tech, JOCW. They present a wide variety of learning materials in terms of styles as well as differing subject content. Many such offerings are based upon original lecture notes, hand-outs and other related papers used in face-to-face teaching. Openlearn OERs, however, are reconstructed from original self study distance learning materials developed at the Open University and from a vast academic catalogue of materials. Samples of these “units” comprise a variety of formats: text, images, audio and video. In this study, our findings illustratethe benefits of sharing some OER content through knowledge maps, the possibility of condensing high volumes of information,accessing resources in a more attractive way, visualising connections between diverse learning materials, connecting new ideas to familiar references, organising thinking and gaining new insights into subject specific content

Content Development for eLearning in Engineering Education

In last ten years or so the traditional chalkboard teaching has been supplemented by audio visual aids like overhead/ slide projectors and videos. The phenomenal growth of Internet has brought in a new teaching media - elearning. The declining cost of Personal Computers, easy and cheaper access to Internet, and improved quality of multimedia software has made it attractive option for both teachers and students. Multimedia courses over the Internet will have the potential to serve a dual purpose by enhancing the learning experience for resident students, while opening the educational experience up to distance students. The content development for web-based courses has to be treated differently than the traditional classroom teaching. Just posting of lecture notes, assignments and the solutions does not help the student in elearning. The content needs to be interactive acting like a virtual teacher. The content development for online engineering education for undergraduate and graduate courses would also need different treatment. A course on Engineering Mechanics for the first year engineering students based on Interactive Virtual Tutor (IVT) system and a course on Bridge Engineering based on Internet Knowledge Base (IKB) format for graduate students has been developed. The methodology adapted in Interactive Virtual Tutor and Internet Knowledge Base is explained in this paper.In last ten years or so the traditional chalkboard teaching has been supplemented by audio visual aids like overhead/ slide projectors and videos. The phenomenal growth of Internet has brought in a new teaching media - elearning. The declining cost of Personal Computers, easy and cheaper access to Internet, and improved quality of multimedia software has made it attractive option for both teachers and students. Multimedia courses over the Internet will have the potential to serve a dual purpose by enhancing the learning experience for resident students, while opening the educational experience up to distance students. The content development for web-based courses has to be treated differently than the traditional classroom teaching. Just posting of lecture notes, assignments and the solutions does not help the student in elearning. The content needs to be interactive acting like a virtual teacher. The content development for online engineering education for undergraduate and graduate courses would also need different treatment. A course on Engineering Mechanics for the first year engineering students based on Interactive Virtual Tutor (IVT) system and a course on Bridge Engineering based on Internet Knowledge Base (IKB) format for graduate students has been developed. The methodology adapted in Interactive Virtual Tutor and Internet Knowledge Base is explained in this paper

Content Development for eLearning in Engineering Education

In last ten years or so the traditional chalkboard teaching has been supplemented by audio visual aids like overhead/ slide projectors and videos. The phenomenal growth of Internet has brought in a new teaching media - elearning. The declining cost of Personal Computers, easy and cheaper access to Internet, and improved quality of multimedia software has made it attractive option for both teachers and students. Multimedia courses over the Internet will have the potential to serve a dual purpose by enhancing the learning experience for resident students, while opening the educational experience up to distance students. The content development for web-based courses has to be treated differently than the traditionalclassroom teaching. Just posting of lecture notes, assignments and the solutions does not helpthe student in elearning. The content needs to be interactive acting like a virtual teacher. Thecontent development for online engineering education for undergraduate and graduate courseswould also need different treatment.A course on Engineering Mechanics for the first year engineering students based on InteractiveVirtual Tutor (IVT) system and a course on Bridge Engineering based on Internet KnowledgeBase (IKB) format for graduate students has been developed. The methodology adapted inInteractive Virtual Tutor and Internet Knowledge Base is explained in this paper.In last ten years or so the traditional chalkboard teaching has been supplemented by audio visual aids like overhead/ slide projectors and videos. The phenomenal growth of Internet has brought in a new teaching media - elearning. The declining cost of Personal Computers, easy and cheaper access to Internet, and improved quality of multimedia software has made it attractive option for both teachers and students. Multimedia courses over the Internet will have the potential to serve a dual purpose by enhancing the learning experience for resident students, while opening the educational experience up to distance students. The content development for web-based courses has to be treated differently than the traditionalclassroom teaching. Just posting of lecture notes, assignments and the solutions does not helpthe student in elearning. The content needs to be interactive acting like a virtual teacher. Thecontent development for online engineering education for undergraduate and graduate courseswould also need different treatment.A course on Engineering Mechanics for the first year engineering students based on InteractiveVirtual Tutor (IVT) system and a course on Bridge Engineering based on Internet KnowledgeBase (IKB) format for graduate students has been developed. The methodology adapted inInteractive Virtual Tutor and Internet Knowledge Base is explained in this paper

Teaching physiology online: successful use of case studies in a graduate course

To address the need for greater flexibility in access to higher education, an online graduate course in physiology using case studies was developed and offered in summer 2012. Topics in both animal and human physiology were organized as modules that contained a case study with questions, a prerecorded online lecture, and three research journal articles. We followed best practices for teaching and learning in distance education, including the preparation of materials before the course starting date, a discussion board for responding to pre- and postcase discussion questions, and prompt reply to student queries. For exams, students generated their own questions based on new cases and developed their own case study for the final project. Although only 20% of students had previously taken an online course, all students stated that they would recommend this course to others. Postcase assessment indicated that students found the cases interesting, informative, and presented at the appropriate level. Most students said that the online course took them more time but that they learned more content and used the primary literature more than in a traditional class. Our results indicate that a well-organized physiology course using a case study format is a very effective model for online learning. </jats:p

Using Adobe Connect to deliver innovative learner support

The University of Sheffield has recently moved to improve its digital offer for students within learning and teaching. Lecture capture was introduced in 2016/17, and this was recently followed by the University of Sheffield Digital Media Hub to host and disseminate video content. Although helpful to all students, the move is particularly beneficial to those not predominantly based in Sheffield: distance and off-campus learners, international partners and part-time students. In this environment of change, the University Library’s Faculty Engagement Team (FET) decided to develop our digital offer and increase the number of students able to access library support. This article outlines the ‘Digital Delivery Project’, established by FET to explore, test and implement strategies for expanding the Library’s learner support online

Web based lecture technologies: blurring the boundaries between face to face and distance learning

Web based lecture technologies (WBLT) have gained popularity amongst universities in Australia as a tool for delivering lecture recordings to students in close to real time. This paper reports on a selection of results from a larger research project investigating the impact of WBLT on teaching and learning. Results show that while staff see the advantages for external students, they question the extent to which these advantages apply to internal students. In contrast both cohorts of students were positive about the benefits of the technologies for their learning and they adopted similar strategies for their use. With the help of other technologies, some external students and staff even found WBLT useful for fostering communication between internal and external students. As such, while the traditional boundary between internal and external students seems to remain for some staff, students seem to find the boundary much less clear

Content delivery and challenges in education hybrid students

Traditionally, taught postgraduate programmes placed students in well-defined categories such as 'distance learning' and 'on-campus' or 'part-time' and 'full-time'. The practical reality is that postgraduate students rarely fall into such simple, diametric roles and can be more suitably generalised under the concept of the 'hybrid student'. Hybrid students are dynamic, with changing requirements in relation to their education. They expect flexibility and the ability to make changes relating to module participation level, study mechanism and lecture attendance, in order to suit personal preference and circumstance. This paper briefly introduces the concept of the hybrid student and how the concept has been handled within the School of Electronic Engineering at DCU. Following this, some discussion is provided in relation to a number of the content delivery technologies used in programmes facilitating these students: HTML, PowerPoint, Moodle, DocBook and Wiki. Finally, some of the general challenges, which have been encountered in supporting such diverse students, are briefly discussed

Virtual learning environments in action

In this workshop Paul and Patricia demonstrated the webcast lectures developed at Glasgow Graduate School of Law as part of a learning environment where students can take control of their own learning experience. They outlined the practical benefits of such a learning environment for both professional and undergraduate legal education, and discussed the theoretical implications of this approach for the pedagogy of legal education

MOOCs in language education and professional teacher development: possibilities and potential

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) developed from the traditions of distance and selfaccess learning, and are growing in popularity. As a new and exciting area of education, the potential of MOOCs to transform education by allowing free access to courses for anyone with the access to technology and the internet has potential for teachers and learners to benefit from the courses offered. In this short article, three different perspectives on using MOOCs in educational contexts within Japan are discussed. The first describes a collaborative project in which one of the authors participated in a MOOC alongside a group of language learners. In the next, individual students pursuing self-directed language learning chose MOOCs to meet their various goals of knowledge and skill development as they prepared to study abroad. Finally, this article considers the role of MOOCs in professional teacher development through the reflections from a teacher participant. All three discussions relate their ideas to the themes of possibility and potential, while considering practical issues for language learners and educators

By design : negotiating flexible learning in the built environment discipline

The term &lsquo;flexible education&rsquo; is now firmly entrenched within Australian higher education discourse, yet the term is a contested one imbued with a multiplicity of meanings. This paper describes a process designed to elucidate how the idea of flexible education can be translated into teaching models that are informed by the specific demands of disciplinary contexts. The process uses a flexible learning &lsquo;matching&rsquo; tool to articulate the understandings and preferences of students and academics of the Built Environment to bridge the gap between student expectations of flexibility and their teacher&rsquo;s willingness and ability to provide that flexibility within the limits of the pedagogical context and teaching resources. The findings suggest an informed starting point for educators in the Built Environment and other creative disciplines from which to traverse the complexities inherent in negotiating flexibility in an increasingly digital world