ONLINE TUTORIAL FOR ODL STUDENTS: SHARING EXPERIENCE FROM PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE COURSE OFFERED AT DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION - UNIVERSITAS TERBUKA

Tutorial online (tuton) pada pendidikan jarak jauh seharusnya memungkinkan proses belajar yang asinkronus. Saat ini, sekitar 60% dari seluruh mata kuliah yang ditawarkan di Universitas Terbuka sudah dilengkapi dengan tuton. Tingkat partisipasi pada tuton, yang dicerminkan dari paling tidak ada satu mahasiswa yang registrasi pada tuton mata kuliah tersebut, mencapai 98%. Meskipun demikian, tingginya prosentase ini tidak otomatis mencerminkan tingginya tingkat partisipasi mahasiswa pada aktivitas tuton di mata kuliah. Agar dapat berpartisipasi dalam tuton, mahasiswa disyaratkan untuk melakukan registrasi mata kuliah dan mengaktifkan fasilitas tuton. Dalam artikel ini, dilaporkan hasil analisis terhadap aktivitas mahasiswa pada dua kelas tuton (kelas A dan kelas B) untuk mata kuliah Filsafat Ilmu yang ditawarkan di Fakultas Keguruan dan Ilmu Pendidikan pada semester pertama tahun 2012. Data memperlihatkan bahwa seluruh mahasiswa sudah mengaktifkan tuton tetapi hanya 50% -80% mahasiswa yang aktif dalam tuton. Sementara itu, hanya 60%-75% mahasiswa yang paling tidak pernah satu kali login pada tuton, 30%-48% aktif berdiskusi, dan 20%-72% mengirimkan tugas. Data ini menunjukkan bahwa mahasiswa belum sepenuhnya memanfaatkan tuton. Wawancara dengan peserta tuton memperlihatkan bahwa kesulitan pada koneksi internet dan ketidakbiasaan terhadap sistem yang digunakan merupakan dua kendala utama bagi peserta untuk aktif dalam tuton.   Online tutorial in open and distance learning is supposed to provide asynchronous learning process. At present, around 60% of all courses offered by Universitas Terbuka are complemented with online tutorials. The participation rate for the course complemented with online tutorials which reflected with at least one student login in the online tutorials is high, 95-98%. However, this percentage does not guarantee that participation in the online tutorials is equally high. In order for students to be able to participate in the online tutorials, they have to first register the course and activate the UT online facilities. To analyze student activities in online online tutorials, data from two online tutorial classes in Philosophy of Science online tutorials offered in the first and second semester of 2012 at Department of Education are used. The data showed that all of the students have activated the online tutorials facilities but only 50%-80% of the students were actively engaged in the online tutorials. Furthermore, only 60%-75% students were at least login the online tutorials once in the eight week period, 30%-48% students engaged in discussion, and 40%-72% submitted assignments. This findings show that students have not taken full advantage of the online tutorials. Interviews with the students showed that difficulties in the internet connection and unfamiliarity with the system are two main constrains for student to be actively engage in the online tutorial

Scaling-up open CPD for teachers in higher education using a snowballing approach

In this paper, we explore the snowballing approach developed for the openly licensed course Bring Your Own Device for Learning (BYOD4L) and the opportunities this presents to open cross-institutional CPD and open course development more generally. BYOD4L is a course for teachers and students in higher education which aims to help them gain both a better understanding of and develop their knowledge and skills in using their own smart devices for learning, teaching and professional development. BYOD4L has been developed by the authors and offered three times since 2014 with colleagues and students, participating Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) from the UK and Australia and further collaborators in the US and Germany. The development of the snowballing approach is shared using an action research methodology. We propose a rethink of current CPD practices. We invite course designers, academic developers and the wider academic community to explore new and emerging models of CPD that capitalise on scalable collaborative open educational practices

Evaluating pedagogical practices supporting collaborative learning for model-based system development courses

Model-based software development (MBSD) has been widely used in industry for its effectiveness of code generation, code reuse and system evolution. At different stages of the software lifecycle, models -- as opposed to actual code -- are used as abstractions to present software development artifacts. In a university software engineering curriculum, compared to other concrete and tangible courses, e.g., game and app development, these levels of abstraction are often difficult for students to understand, and further, to see models' usefulness in practice. This paper presents an evaluation of pedagogical practices supporting collaborative learning for MBSD courses from experiences of teaching them at University of Oslo. The focus is to answer two research questions: 1) What are the challenges and possibilities when using a collaborative learning approach for teaching modelling and architecture? 2) What are the challenges and benefits of having a holistic approach to MBSD courses in light of the requirements of academia and the needs of industry? The term “holistic” is understood 1) as an approach that involves human factors (users), technology and processes, 2) as an approach to teaching MBSD courses where modelling for Enterprise Architecture is taught together with System Architecture and Model-Driven Language Engineering. Empirical data was collected through interviews, questionnaires, and document analysis. The paper’s research results show that three different course perspectives (Modeling for Enterprise Architecture with Business Architecture, System Architecture and Model Driven Language Engineering) are essential parts of teaching modeling courses, and an industry field study shows that industry sees the potential of having junior architects to provide support to a team and solving basic architectural problems

Intramural, collaborative learning systems

This thesis focuses on three related concepts: problem-based collaborative learning; the use of multimedia tools in learning systems; and participatory design as a software engineering methodology to create multimedia tools to be used in learning systems. A literature review of the three areas is followed by an overview of the pedagogical, technological, and business trends that affect the direction of innovation in education, including problem-based learning. A discussion of a software engineering project to develop a multimedia application that enhances the learning of geography skills and puts the programming, interface design and multimedia systems capabilities of college students into action ensues. The project results are presented, and suggestions for future research are proposed

Computer supported IT training for managers

It is widely acknowledged that communications and information technologies (C&IT) have revolutionised organisational life. However, although C&I technologies have extensively entered the workplace, in many organisations they seem to be making very little contribution to the achievement of the goals of the organisation. The research that has been focused in this area has suggested that potential users in the organisations are perceived (and often perceive themselves) to have inadequate knowledge and skill to utilise the technologies effectively. It also indicates that the users frequently lack motivation to use the technologies because they feel that the technologies are insufficiently supportive of tasks, which they need to perform. This latter observation appears to be particularly important where the users have the choice as to whether and when they will use the technologies (i. e. they are 'discretionary' users) as is often the case with managers in a non-C&IT focused organisation. Service and an interest in the role of training in this process. As a starting point, a study of previous research work was undertaken which indicated that conventional training was likely to be of limited usefulness in this environment. It also indicated that C&IT based support systems in the workplace were being suggested as a possible The research presented in this thesis started from a perceived need to improve the effective utilisation of the new technologies by managers in the Malaysian Civil supplement to existing conventional training methods. These results were field tested by undertaking a survey of a sample of managers in the Malaysian Civil Service to determine their perception of existing training and to assess the potential acceptability of C&IT based support for their work. The results of the survey confirmed the other research studies by indicating that the existing training, while satisfactory in itself, did not seem particularly relevant to the workplace tasks that the managers needed to carry out. The results also indicated that the knowledge and skill gained through training had frequently been forgotten or lost by the time it was needed in the workplace. Finally, a significant number of the managers who were surveyed indicated that they were interested in `point of need' support and that, although they would prefer that support to come from people, they would be interested in trying a C&IT based system, if one were provided. An examination of the requirements for point of need support indicated that any system must include both information about the usage of the C&I technologies and equipment themselves and about the application of the technologies to the tasks which needed to be performed in the workplace. Given the spatial distribution of the managers and the relatively rapid evolution of the applications that the managers would be expected to use, it was postulated that a fully distributed system with `learning' capabilities would require. To test the principles involved a prototype Web based system was developed and released. Initial feedback has been collected and analysed and suggestions are made for the application of the findings to improving the effectiveness with which managers use communications and information technologies in the workplace

E-learning and motivation: a multi-faceted investigation of eleven to fourteen year olds' attraction to computer-based learning, and their motivational responses to the novelty and nature of a selection of self-study computer-based learning activities.

Are eleven to fourteen year old learners attracted to computers? Can computers motivate them to learn? How do they respond to new self-study, computer-based learning activities? Does the type of computer-based learning activity affect their motivation? This study focuses on three important facets of e-learning and motivation – attraction, novelty and activities. The first facet (attraction) relates to verifying the existence of, and reasons for, the attraction to computers. Further areas of investigation relate to the effects of this attraction (if it exists) and learners’ perceptions of proficiency on motivation. The second facet (novelty) relates to learners’ perceptions of novelty and responses to different types of novel self-study, computer-based learning activities. Activities (the third facet) relates to the motivational effects of different types of self-study, computer-based learning activities. The study took place in three schools in different geographical areas of the United Kingdom. The participants were eleven to fourteen year olds. The first facet (attraction) was approached using surveys, through online questionnaires and focus group interviews. The second and third facets (novelty and activities) were approached through multiple-case studies, mainly through observations, self-report forms, and focus group interviews. An important finding is that most learners are attracted to computers, but not necessarily motivated to learn with computers. It is argued that today’s learners have learning attitudes that are based around fun. Hence, e-learning must accommodate this whilst delivering “serious learning”. The research evidence also show differences in perceived novelty and motivational effects of different types of e-learning activities. In particular, the research evidence suggests that the perception of novelty can be extended by changes or discussions during the interaction with certain activities (“regenerative novelty”). It is argued that knowledge of the novelty and motivational effects should be harnessed to provide engagement with learning

Les interactions collaboratives dans des cours à distance sur Internet

Thèse diffusée initialement dans le cadre d'un projet pilote des Presses de l'Université de Montréal/Centre d'édition numérique UdeM (1997-2008) avec l'autorisation de l'auteur