The eLIDA CAMEL model of collaborative partnership: a community of practice in design for learning

Using a communities of practice (CoP) e-learning model for collaborative partnership in Design for Learning (D4L) can facilitate successful innovation while enabling ongoing 'critical friend' appraisals of effective practice. This paper reports on 21 e-learning case studies collected by the JISC-funded UK eLIDA CAMEL Design for Learning Project. The project implemented and evaluated learning design (LD) tools in higher and further education within the JISC Design for Learning pedagogic e-learning programme in 2006-07. Project partners carried out user evaluations on innovative tools with a learning design functionality, collecting design for learning case studies and LD sequences in a range of post-16/HE contexts using LAMS and Moodle. The project brought together learning activity sequences from post-16/HE partners into a collaborative e-learning community of practice based on the CAMEL (Collaborative Approaches to the Management of e-Learning) model, contributing to international developments in design for learning. This paper briefly provides an overview of the key project outputs in terms of their contribution to e-learning innovations, including evaluation results from teachers and students using online surveys. The paper explores intentionality in the development of a community of practice in design for learning, reporting on trials of learning design and social software in bridging tensions between formalised intra-institutional e-learning relationships and inter-institutional project team dynamic D4L practitioner development. Following a brief report of practitioner D4L e-learning case studies and student feedback, the catalytic role of the 'critical friend' is highlighted and recommended as a key ingredient in the successful development of a nomadic model of communities of practice in the management of e-learning projects. eLIDA CAMEL Partners included the Association of Learning Technology (ALT), JISC infoNet, three universities and five FE/Sixth Form Colleges. Results reported to the UK JISC Experts' Pedagogy Group demonstrated e-learning innovations by practitioners in D4L case studies, illuminated by the role of the 'critical friend', Professor Mark Stiles of Staffordshire University. The project also benefited from case study evaluations by Dr Liz Masterman of Oxford University Learning Technologies Group and the leading work of ALT and JISC infoNet in the development of the CAMEL model

Exploration of Higher Education Delivery of Artistic Sport Curriculum in the UK and China

This study explored the challenges and opportunities within the realm of artistic sports courses in China, primarily focusing on vocational outcomes for students in Chinese universities and addresses potential implications for enhancement in the context of teaching and learning practices. Through the insights garnered from higher education experts, on-campus students, and social professionals related to artistic sports, this research considered the potential of UK practices to inform the development of Chinese courses, adopting a rigorous and methodical approach to research design, informed by Saunders et al.'s "Research Onion" model. It comprehensively explored philosophical underpinnings, theory development approaches, research choices, strategies, and techniques with procedures. In addition, the research incorporated an in-depth review of pedagogic theory and contemporary literature to establish context. A series of semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants from both China and the U.K. The primary analytical strategy employed was thematic analysis, enriched by a template analysis approach. This comprehensive methodology facilitated a deep exploration, interpretation, and analysis of the data, culminating in a detailed understanding of the current state and potential improvements of artistic sports courses in China. Key findings from the research illuminate a range of expanded employment opportunities in artistic sports. This includes roles in artistic sports therapy, artistic sports health consulting, careers in health and social care, traditional Chinese artistic sports, artistic sports creativity, academic research, and positions requiring entrepreneurial skills. Further findings encourage a series of research implications for enhancing the teaching and learning practices within artistic sports courses, which span five critical dimensions in higher education delivery: course design, course content and learning experience, course implementation, course assessment, and quality enhancement. Among the key implications, the study highlights the expansion of course objectives, the need for course content diversification to cater to broader vocational outcomes, effective communication and cooperation strategies to improve course implementation, and comprehensive, diverse assessment approaches, especially including the innovative use of student portfolios. It also emphasises the importance of enhancing quality by updating university policies, enhancing the lecturer team, and shifting teaching methods to more learner-centred approaches. The above findings presented in this study offer significant contributions to developing artistic sports education in China. By aligning course design with societal and industry demands and addressing the distinctive interests and abilities of students, the study also offers the potential opportunity to enhance the quality, relevance, and impact of higher education in the realm of artistic sports courses

Towards the Situated Engagement Evaluation Model (SEEM) : making the invisible visible

This thesis explores the multifaceted concept of engagement within online learning environments. Key research aims are to suggest approaches and an extendable model for evaluating, monitoring and developing understanding of online learner engagement. The overall intention is to offer educators insight, practical guidance and tools for supporting timely intervention in fostering learner engagement. This thesis reviews the major theoretical perspectives on learning and highlights the role of student engagement in relation to the research literature. It discusses the limitations of the methods applied in current research and attempts to address this problem by crossing the disciplinary boundaries to draw together a range of perspectives and methodologies. A review of the literature provides a foundation for a learner engagement evaluation model that employs a variety of evaluation methods and accommodates the possible diversity of learning experiences. The proposed ‘Situated Engagement Evaluation Model’ (SEEM) is positioned to reflect the wide theoretical perspective of social learning. It constitutes a comprehensive system of intertwined components (Learning Content; Pedagogical Design Elements; Learning Profiles; and Dialogue and Communication) that learners may interact with, and integrates dynamically changing preferences and predispositions (e.g. cultural, emotional, cognitive) potentially informative in engagement studies. Prior to (and independently of) the development of SEEM, four empirical studies were conducted and reported here. These explored patterns of online engagement with respect to learning content, learning profiles, patterns of communication and elements of pedagogical design. Studies were then revisited to evaluate the usefulness of SEEM for monitoring and evaluating student engagement, and to discuss its potential for guiding intervention to improve learning experiences. The practical relevance for integrated and automated implementation of SEEM in online learning is considered further

An IDEA for design pedagogy: Devising instructional design in higher education 4.0

The purpose of the present study is to constitute a basis for integrating instructional design into higher education 4.0 curriculums, aiming at a design pedagogy approach. A conceptual model including the prominent concepts and characteristics of this distinction was suggested with rationales from recent literature. The proposed Instructional Design for Educational Actuality (IDEA) Model uses the dynamics of instructional design and curriculum development processes for higher education, and suggests a continuous evaluation and revision procedure. Centering the attention on design issues, the study seeks to advocate for the use of technology in all applicable phases of instructional design process, as is in education 4.0 contexts. Design, development and implementation are the crucial phases of this process, since a design pedagogy approach is followed. The rest of the process, namely analyze and evaluation phases are also subject to design pedagogy, however they are quite individualistic and requires a personalized approach. Following technological applications of a symbiotic relationship between instructional design and design pedagogy in higher education contexts, the study ends with a series of implications on stakeholders’ roles, concepts-technologies and pedagogical motives. &nbsp

Strata Managers and Educational Mishaps

In Australia, educational qualifications are a prescribed requirement for licensing within various occupations and professions, and each state and territory has varying degrees of educational aims and objectives. This research paper examines the minimum standards of education and knowledge, which are imposed as a pre-requisite for the licensing of a Strata Manager. The paper traces the historical progression which occurred during the last century to the current decade, and includes an assessment of societies changing needs of the role within the profession. In this regard, it is argued that the educational requirements during the mid 1990s to the early 2000s best served the needs of the consumer in comparison to these last 10 years. The discussion is complemented with data from New South Wales, mapping the educational knowledge fields and comparing this information to the duties and responsibilities of a Strata Manager

Plumbing the depths: stories, e-portfolios; pedagogy, ownership

Over the course of this academic year, a colleague and I implemented an eportfolio pilot with 82 students aged 17 to 50 on a team-taught 30-credit Level 1 core course on behalf of the University of Greenwich. The students are studying for a degree in Education Studies and come from a wide range of backgrounds. The module comprises elements of PDP interwoven with lectures on contemporary education issues and was originally designed as a paper-based course. The pilot navigated the PebblePad system as part of a wider trial of a number of different systems by the university. This paper presents the results of research combining mixed methodologies mainly allied to the interpretive paradigm but incorporating elements of critical theory. The research evaluates the differing experiences of students and lecturers using this e-portfolio system for learning, teaching, reflection and assessment. Methods used include initial and final student reflections, surveys, interviews and critical analysis including the narrative ‘soundings’ of sample experiences from student blogs and visual analysis of some student portfolios. We used the PebblePad as a mini VLE, uploading course documents and lecture presentations and sending messages as well as creating online gateways for formative and summative assessment submission. It was accessed externally to the university systems. In a scaffolded process, students constructed and submitted blogs and e-portfolios composed of a number of assets. The process of interactions with an eportfolio system has raised substantial and complex challenges for course design and learning outcomes relating to pedagogy and assessment as well as challenges of implementation, resistance to change and around concepts of ownership. As a commentary on academic practice, an element of personal reflection on the project and the research is included in the form of a dialogic interlocution with these narratives, raising questions about the way in which we might use e-portfolios in Higher Education and considering how we evaluate online learning. As a process of evaluation, the research does not offer hypotheses or answers as such but aims to create space for different views by raising complex questions and challenges for consideration in the process of contextualising and making sense of the users’ different experiences, of plumbing the depths. Drawing on diverse genres and media the paper presents the results of the research and samples some of the work produced

A note on organizational learning and knowledge sharing in the context of communities of practice

Please, cite this publication as: Antonova, A. & Gourova, E. (2006). A note on organizational learning and knowledge sharing in the context of communities of practice. Proceedings of International Workshop in Learning Networks for Lifelong Competence Development, TENCompetence Conference. September 12th, Sofia, Bulgaria: TENCompetence. Retrieved June 30th, 2006, from http://dspace.learningnetworks.orgThe knowledge management (KM) literature emphasizes the impact of human factors for successful implementation of KM within the organization. Isolated initiatives for promoting learning organization and team collaboration, without taking consideration of the knowledge sharing limitations and constraints can defeat further development of KM culture. As an effective instrument for knowledge sharing, communities of practice (CoP) are appearing to overcome these constraints and to foster human collaboration.This work has been sponsored by the EU project TENCompetenc