#any use? What do we know about how teachers and doctors learn through social media use?

This scoping literature review describes the landscape of recent publications (2007-2016) about how teachers and doctors learn through social media to identify whether learning was being considered and, if so, how evidence was collected (N=162). Sixty-seven percent (N=108) were teacher-related and thirty-three percent (N=54) doctor-related, covering empirical studies, literature reviews, position articles and letters to academic journals. Empirical studies were dominant – ninety-one percent (N=98) of teacher-related and sixty-one percent (N=33) of doctor-related – with both fields dominated by in-course evaluations and use/attitude studies. Although doctor-related articles focused on professional online behaviour, rather than professional learning, conference communication and information evaluation were interesting areas of enquiry. Despite professional interest in social media in these professions, there is a dearth of academic studies about their benefits for teacher and doctor learning

Using ODL and ICT to develop the skills of the unreached: a contribution to the ADEA triennial of the Working Group on Distance Education and Open Learning

Innovation in technology is occurring at rapid pace thus shrinking the distances and making information and knowledge more than ever accessible to everyone irrespective of where the person resides. This paper consists of four main articles. The first one deals with technological trends. The second one focuses on the deployment and use of open and distance education mode in rural areas by documenting initiatives that embrace information and communication technologies (ICTs). Due to challenges faced in rural areas only a few success stories/cases currently exist and some of these are cited in this article. The challenges faced in the deployment of ICT enhanced ODL have been highlighted as well as the potential of developing and delivering effective and relevant ODL programmes in rural areas in order to ensure that issues of educational equity and social exclusion rural communities are adequately addressed. ICTs in ODL are perhaps the greatest tool to date for self-education and value addition to any community’s development efforts, yet poor rural communities particularly in Africa do not have the necessary awareness, skills or facilities to enable themselves to develop using ICTs. Inadequate ICT infrastructures in rural areas remain a major source for the digital divide in Africa and for under-performance of distance learners. The third one analyses the support provided to ODL learners who often encounter difficulties in completing their studies through the distance education mode due to loneliness, uncertainties and de-motivation. ICT has not been able to sufficiently support distance learners in overcoming those obstacles efficiently. An investigation regarding those learning supports has been conducted in ten distance learning institutions, along with an intensive literature review with the aim of understanding the high percentage of dropout rates of distant learners. The learners’ interactions have been scrutinized through content analysis of their synchronous exchanges, during a completely online course. After taking into account the limited technical and human resources in Africa, a technological virtual environment along with a pedagogical framework has been proposed with the aim of giving adequate educational support to them. The fourth article has explored The Open University (UK) and its efforts to use new technologies to deliver online courses to difficult-to- reach learners in prison environments. The case study analysed here is an international course (called, B201- Business Organisations and their environments) which also touches an African cohort of learners. The implications for designing and delivering online ODL to the complex unreachable environments of prisons anywhere, and particularly in Africa, have been discussed

Conceptualising teachers' professional learning with Web 2.0

Purpose – This paper seeks to identify and develop an exploratory framework for conceptualising how teachers might use the affordances of Web 2.0 technologies to support their own professional learning. Design/methodology/approach – The paper draws on a large corpus of literature and recent research evidence to identify the principal elements and features of professional learning and the underlying affordances of Web 2.0 technologies and applications. It generates an exploratory conceptual framework based on the emerging findings from this review using a socio‐cultural theoretical perspective. The framework is explored through three individual illustrations which are drawn from a much larger case study which the author is undertaking within a newly established Academy in the North of England. Findings – The findings indicate that there is potential value in exploring professional learning with Web 2.0 technologies in the ways described. The framework offers an exploratory instrument to examine how professional learning for teachers could be supported with Web 2.0 technologies in ways that might have significant benefits over traditional methods of continuing professional development (CPD). Originality/value – The potential value and affordances of Web 2.0 technologies for teachers' professional learning are largely unexplored and under‐theorised, and this work seeks to establish a framework for further discussion and empirical exploration

Learning from the learners' experience: e-Learning@greenwich post-conference reflections

This publication comprises papers from presenters who, having made a conference presentation, were invited to author an academic paper about their work

University of applied sciences students’ perceptions on engagement and spoken interaction in blended learning language studies

The aim of this doctoral dissertation is to gain a deeper understanding on the aspects that contribute to higher education students’ social and academic engagement when language studies are implemented with the blended learning approach. Another aim is to discover the elements to enhance spoken interaction in the foreign language in blended learning language courses. Based on the results of sub-studies I-III, I argue that students’ academic and social engagement are intertwined, alternating, and nurturing one another during the learning process. Similarly, teacher engagement and student engagement are reciprocal phenomena nourishing one another and depending on each other. In addition, I argue that university of applied sciences students’ foreign language spoken interaction can be activated and enhanced in blended learning courses given the learning material, learning activities and digital tools are meaningful, relevant, timely and aligned with the learning objectives. This dissertation comprises three original studies; they focus on one language course each in the context of universities of applied sciences. Each sub-study experiments various opportunities that digital technology provides for language learning: social networking sites, gamification, telecollaboration and multimodality. Regardless of the course design all courses are based on the ecological language learning approach and the notion of engagement. In addition, authentic learning and students’ collaboration are in the focus; the target is that the students are producers rather than consumers of digital media and they act as active learners within authentic learning activities. All three courses were implemented with the blended learning approach. Sub-study I investigated first-year health care students’ (n=23) perspectives on a gamified professional English course regarding particularly engagement, enjoyability and language learning. The course was a three-credit, field-specific English course which duration was 10 weeks, including five face-to-face sessions. The course aimed to prepare students for communicating in multi-professional and intercultural situations within the health care sector. The course implementation was based on gamification with a background storyline. The students' reflective learning diaries and a post-course questionnaire formed the data which were analysed via content analysis method. The results indicate that gamification and appropriate digital applications augmented student engagement, enhanced language learning, and provided enjoyable learning experiences for the students. Further, students’ collaboration and a tolerant stress-free course atmosphere had a positive impact on learning and engagement according to the students’ self-reflections. Sub-study II explored the opportunities a telecollaboration project provided for online collaboration, language learning and student engagement. The participants were 26 higher education German language students, 12 in Finland and 14 in New Zealand. The students used a closed Facebook group for posting on given topics. The required five posts combined videos, photos, audio, and text. The duration of the project was six weeks, and it formed a part of the German course in both countries. The course design was informed by social networking sites in language learning and telecollaboration. A mixed method approach was used to collect quantitative and qualitative data. The qualitative data were analysed by content analysis method, and they included pre- and post-project questionnaires, interviews, and Facebook-logs. The results suggest that the students regarded Facebook as an appropriate tool for community building. In addition, collaboration, the use of communication tools, authenticity, enjoyment, and teachers’ support fostered student engagement and had a positive impact on students’ language learning and intercultural competence. Sub-study III discovered the impact multimodality and regular in-pairs conducted video calls had to spoken interaction in the target language and to student engagement. The research was conducted, and the data were collected in a 5-credit Business English course for 1st-year business administration students (n= 22) in a university of applied sciences. The course was divided into 16 weeks and 8 topics; during the course there were 5 face-to-face sessions. The students deployed various digital tools and particular attention was given to spoken interaction; hence the students were instructed to complete spoken discussions using an online video call system once a week according to the week’s topic using English in authentic, business-related situations. The data included students’ learning diaries and a post-course online questionnaire mapping students' perception. The data were analysed according to the content analysis method. The findings indicate that students’ academic and social engagement were fostered by course design with authentic assignments and study material as well as students’ activity and collaboration with peers. Further, collaboration, students’ own activities and digital technology contributed the most to spoken interaction. To conclude, the three sub-studies reflect universities of applied sciences students’ perception on the aspects that enhance engagement in digital learning environments and the methods to activate their spoken interaction in the foreign language. On the bases of the sub-studies, it became apparent that teacher role is paramount prior, during and after the course. Besides timely knowledge on digital tools, teachers need to master the traditional teacher competences such as subject content, pedagogy, guidance, facilitating and interaction. In addition, students’ own activities contribute immensely on their engagement and learning. Regarding spoken interaction, the data indicate that with relevant peer and teacher support and regular interaction students’ self-compassion and error-tolerance in terms of their own competences grow which leads to enjoying the regular spoken activities in the target language, and finally contributes positively to spoken interaction. Similarly, students’ self-reflection ability increases which enables targeted rehearsal of the language skill which in turn activates and enhances spoken interaction. Digitalisation offers myriad opportunities for individual and flexible learning paths regardless of time and place but does not decrease students’ nor teachers’ role. On contrary, students need to be active learners and teachers need wider range of competences in creating optimal learning experiences for their students. ________________________________________ Keywords: student engagement, blended learning, multimodality, social networking sites in learning, telecollaboration, spoken interaction, English for specific purposes, German as a foreign language, higher educationVäitöstutkimukseni tavoitteena oli selvittää, mitkä seikat ammattikorkeakouluopiskelijoiden mielestä tehostavat heidän akateemista ja sosiaalista kiinnittymistään kieliopintoihin, sekä edistävät suullisen vuorovaikutuksen harjoittelemista monimuoto-opinnoissa. Väitöskirjani osatutkimusten tuloksiin perustuen väitän, että akateeminen ja sosiaalinen kiinnittyminen kietoutuvat toisiinsa, vuorottelevat ja kasvattavat toisiaan oppimisprosessin aikana. Samoin opettajien ja oppilaiden kiinnittyminen on vastavuoroista, jolloin ne ovat riippuvaisia toisistaan ja ruokkivat molemminpuolisesti toisiaan. Lisäksi väitän, että ammattikorkeakouluopiskelijoiden vieraan kielen suullinen vuorovaikutus aktivoituu ja vahvistuu monimuoto-opinnoissa edellyttäen, että oppimisaktiviteetit ja –materiaalit ovat kiinnostavia, alakohtaisia ja linjassa oppimistavoitteiden kanssa. Lisäksi digitaalisten sovellusten täytyy olla relevantteja, ajanmukaisia ja sopivia kyseisiin tehtäviin. Tämä väitöstutkimus koostuu kolmesta osatutkimuksesta; jokainen niistä kohdistuu yhteen kieli- ja viestintäopintojaksoon ammattikorkeakoulussa. Osatutkimukset tutkivat digitaalisen teknologian tarjoamia mahdollisuuksia kieltenopetukselle kuten pelillistäminen, sosiaalinen media opetuksessa, etäyhteistyö ja monikanavaisuus. Tutkimuksen teoreettisena viitekehyksenä on ekologinen kieltenoppiminen ja opiskelijoiden kiinnittyminen. Opintojaksojen suunnittelussa kiinnitettiin erityistä huomiota opiskelijoiden yhteisölliseen ja autenttiseen oppimiseen. Tavoitteena oli, että opiskelijat eivät pelkästään ole digitaalisten välineiden käyttäjiä, vaan pikemminkin he itse tuottavat materiaalia toimien aktiivisina oppijoina. Kyseessä olevat opintojaksot toteutettiin monimuoto-opintoina. Osatutkimuksessa I tutkittiin ensimmäisen vuoden terveysalan opiskelijoiden (n=23) kokemuksia pelillistetystä ammatillisen englannin opintojaksosta etenkin kiinnittymisen, viihdyttävyyden ja kielenoppimisen kannalta. Kyseessä oli kolmen opintopisteen alakohtainen ammatillinen englannin opintojakso, jonka kokonaiskesto oli kymmenen viikkoa sisältäen viisi lähiopetusjaksoa. Osaamistavoitteena oli terveysalan viestintäosaaminen moniammatillisissa ja monikulttuurisissa tilanteissa. Opintojakson toteutus perustui pelillistämiseen ja kehyskertomukseen, jossa suomalainen vaihto-opiskeija toteuttaa opintoihin kuuluvan työssäoppimisjakson Espanjassa. Tutkimusaineisto koostui opiskelijoiden oppimispäiväkirjoista ja opintojakson jälkeen täytetystä kyselystä. Laadullinen aineisto analysoitiin sisällönanalyysin avulla. Tulokset osittavat, että pellistäminen ja sopivat digitaaliset sovellukset tehostivat opiskelijoiden sitoutumista ja kielenoppimista sekä tarjosivat miellyttäviä oppimiskokemuksia. Yhteisöllinen oppiminen sekä opiskelijoita arvostava ja rento oppimisilmapiiri vaikuttivat positiivisesti oppimiseen ja opiskelijoiden kiinnittymiseen. Osatutkimuksessa II tarkasteltiin, miten etäyhteistyöprojekti (telecollaboration project) vahvisti opiskelijoiden yhteisöllistä kielenoppimista ja kiinnittymistä opintoihin. Tutkimuksen osallistujat olivat korkeakouluopiskelijoita Uudessa Seelannissa (n=14) ja Suomessa (n=12) ja he opiskelivat saksaa vapaasti valittavina kieliopintona. Opiskelijoille luotiin suljettu Facebook-ryhmä, jonne he lähettivät viestejä annetuista viidestä aiheesta monikanavaisesti käyttäen valokuvia, videoita, äänitteitä ja kirjoitettua tekstiä. Projektin kesto oli kuusi viikkoa ja se muodosti osan opiskelijoiden saksan opintojaksosta kummassakin maassa. Opintojakson suunnitelma perustui sosiaalisen median käyttöön kieltenopetuksessa ja etäyhteistyön viitekehykseen. Monimenetelmäinen aineisto koostui kyselylomakkeiden vastauksista, Facebook-käyttölogista sekä opiskelijahaastatteluista. Tulokset osoittavat, että opiskelijoiden mielestä Facebook soveltuu hyvin oppimisyhteisönrakentamiseen. Lisäksi yhteistyö, autenttinen oppiminen, opintojen viihdyttävyys sekä opettajien tuki vahvistivat opiskelijoiden sitoutumista ja ne vaikuttivat positiivisesti kielenoppimiseen ja kansainvälisyystaitojen kehittymiseen. Osatutkimuksessa III selvitettiin monikanavaisuuden ja säännöllisten parin kanssa tehtyjen videopuheluiden vaikutusta vieraan kielen suulliseen vuorovaikutukseen ja opiskelijoiden kiinnittymiseen. Tutkimus toteutettiin ja aineisto kerättiin ensimmäisen vuoden liiketalouden opiskelijoiden (n=22) ammatillisen englannin opintojaksolla. Opintojakson pituus oli 16 viikkoa, ja siinä oli viisi kasvokkain tapahtuvaa opetuskertaa; opintojakso oli jaettu kahdeksaan teemaan. Opiskelijat käyttivät erilaisia digitaalisia sovelluksia ja erityistä huomiota kiinnitettiin suullisen vuorovaikutuksen aktivoimiseen. Koko opintojakson ajan opiskelijat keskustelivat parin kanssa kerran viikossa videopuhelun välityksellä liiketalouteen ja työelämään liittyvistä autenttisista aiheista ja tehtävistä. Tutkimusaineisto koostui opiskelijoiden oppimispäiväkirjoista sekä opintojakson jälkeen kerätystä kyselylomakevastauksista. Laadullinen aineisto analysoitiin sisällönanalyysin keinoin. Opiskelijat kokivat, että autenttiset tehtävät ja opintomateriaali, opiskelijoiden oma aktiivisuus ja yhteistyö vertaisten kanssa sekä opettajan panostus paransivat akateemista ja sosiaalista kiinnittymistä. Samoin opiskelijoiden välinen yhteistyö, digitaalinen teknologia sekä opiskelijoiden oma panostus edistivät suullisen vuorovaikutuksen harjoittelemista. Yhteenvetona voin todeta, että osatutkimuksien tulokset kuvaavat seikkoja, jotka ammattikorkeakouluopiskelijat kokivat vahvistavan heidän kiinnittymistään kieliopintoihin monimuoto-opinnoissa, sekä metodeja, jotka opiskelijat kokivat edistävän vieraan kielen suullisen vuorovaikutuksen harjoittamista. Osatutkimukset osoittivat, että opettajan rooli on tärkeä niin ennen ja jälkeen kuin opintojakson aikanakin. Sen lisäksi, että opettajalla on hallussaan traditionaaliset opettajan taidot, kuten aineenhallinta, pedagogia, ohjaaminen, fasilitointi ja vuorovaikutustaidot, hänellä täytyy olla kattava osaaminen digitaalisuuden oikeanlaisesta pedagogisesta käytöstä, sekä ajankohtainen tieto digitaalisista sovelluksista. Lisäksi opiskelijan oma rooli on merkittävä kiinnittymisen kannalta. Suullisen vuorovaikutuksen osalta tulokset osoittavat, että säännöllisellä vertaistuella ja vuorovaikutuksella opiskelijoiden itsemyötätunto ja virheidensietokyky kasvaa, mikä puolestaan lisää innokkuutta tehdä suullisia harjoituksia vieraalla kielellä. Lisääntynyt kielen käyttö puolestaan luo varmuutta suulliseen vuorovaikutukseen. Samoin opiskelijoiden itsereflektiotaito kasvaa, minkä perusteella opiskelijat osaavat harjoitella tiettyä suullisen kielitaidon osa-aluetta, esimerkiksi ääntämistä. Digitalisaatio tarjoaa runsaasti mahdollisuuksia yksilöllisille ja joustaville, ajasta ja paikasta riippumattomille oppimispoluille. Kuitenkaan digitaalisuuden valjastaminen opetuskäyttöön ei vähennä opettajan ja opiskelijan roolia – pikemminkin päinvastoin. On tärkeää tukea opiskelijoiden aktiivisen oppijan roolin rakentumista ja vastuun ottamista omasta oppimisprosessista. Opettajien pedagogiseen osaamiseen sisältyy useita osa-alueita, joita he tarvitsevat luodessaan opiskelijoilleen optimaalisia oppimiskokemuksia. ________________________________________ Asiasanat: opiskelijoiden kiinnittyminen, monimuoto-opetus, monikanavaisuus, sosiaalinen media opetuksessa, etäyhteistyö, suullinen vuorovaikutus, erikoisalojen englannin opetus, saksa vieraana kielenä, ammattikorkeakouluopetu

Incorporating Facebook in an Intermediate-Level Chinese Language Course: A Case Study

This qualitative case study examined four undergraduates in anintermediate-level Chinese language class. We investigatedparticipants’ perceptions of Facebook as a pedagogical tool in Chineselanguage learning and their engagement in free posting and onlineChinese communication on Facebook. Data include all participants’Facebook posts and comments, a semi-structured survey questionnaire,semi-structured interviews, and researchers’ online observations andfield notes. Our analysis revealed that participants engaged in a freeFacebook posting activity mainly through (a) affective expression, (b)interactive communication, and (c) group-oriented salutations. TheseFacebook-supported social interactions offered many opportunities forlanguage-learners to use Chinese in a relatively authentic environmentwhile carrying out familiar on-line activities. Participants alsoreported that they favored both the concept of free writing in Chineseand its integration into Facebook posting. The study suggests thatlanguage-learning tasks should be authentic and that the use oftechnological tools such as Facebook can provide such tasks

A review on use of social media in teaching and learning

Online learning are rapidly evolving in educational uses through social media. Previous research has identified the problem occured where the guidance for appropriate use of social media is needed so that can embark more effective and efficient learning environment. Social media has been shown to have a positive impact towards learner hence making the process of teaching and learning more meaningful. This is because social networking tools can provide opportunities for students to find information, collect their own material, communicate and interact towards each other. Therefore, this concept paper reviews the use of online learning through social media conducted by previous researchers. Besides, the advantages and disadvantages of implementing social media in teaching and learning also beeing reviewed. This review paper describe the use of online learning through social media and also its pros and cons compared to traditional media. As the conclusion, results from the previous research shows that, online learning through social media have a good feedback and advantages that can inline in education purposes

Developing sustainable business models for institutions’ provision of open educational resources: Learning from OpenLearn users’ motivations and experiences

Universities across the globe have, for some time, been exploring the possibilities for achieving public benefit and generating business and visibility through releasing and sharing open educational resources (OER). Many have written about the need to develop sustainable and profitable business models around the production and release of OER. Downes (2006), for example, has questioned the financial sustainability of OER production at scale. Many of the proposed business models focus on OER’s value in generating revenue and detractors of OER have questioned whether they are in competition with formal education. This paper reports on a study intended to broaden the conversation about OER business models to consider the motivations and experiences of OER users as the basis for making a better informed decision about whether OER and formal learning are competitive or complementary with each other. The study focused on OpenLearn - the Open University’s (OU) web-based platform for OER, which hosts hundreds of online courses and videos and is accessed by over 3,000,000 users a year. A large scale survey and follow-up interviews with OpenLearn users worldwide revealed that university provided OER can offer learners a bridge to formal education, allowing them to try out a subject before registering on a formal course and to build confidence in their abilities as learners. In addition, it was found that using OER during formal paid-for study can improve learners’ performance and self-reliance, leading to increased retention and satisfaction with the learning experience

Technology-enhanced Personalised Learning: Untangling the Evidence

Technology-enhanced personalised learning is not yet common in Germany, which is why we have tasked scientists with summarising the current status of international research on the matter. This study demonstrates the great potential of technology in implementing effective personalised learning. Nevertheless, it has not been assessed yet whether the practical implementation actually works: Even in countries such as the U.S., which lead the way in using techology in classroom settings, hardly any evaluation studies have been done to prove the effectiveness of technology-enhanced personalised learning. In the light of the above, the authors make recommendations for actions to be taken in Germany to make best use of the potential of technology in providing individual support and guidance to students