Bayesian keys: biological identification on mobile devices

A Bayesian key is a computer-aided method for biological identification. A traditional biological key is a series of branching questions which must be answered in order to arrive at a correct identification. But these keys can be cumbersome, error-prone, and do not match users' approach to the task. Multi-access keys based on Bayesian statistics promise quicker and more robust identification that matches the users' task. We are developing these for the web and for mobile devices

The OpenupEd quality label: benchmarks for MOOCs

In this paper we report on the development of the OpenupEd Quality Label, a self-assessment and review quality assurance process for the new European OpenupEd portal (www.openuped.eu) for MOOCs (massive open online courses). This process is focused on benchmark statements that seek to capture good practice, both at the level of the institution and at the level of individual courses. The benchmark statements for MOOCs are derived from benchmarks produced by the E xcellence e learning quality projects (E-xcellencelabel.eadtu.eu/). A process of self-assessment and review is intended to encourage quality enhancement, captured in an action plan. We suggest that a quality label for MOOCs will benefit all MOOC stakeholders

Practical activities in robotics: hands-on or simulator?

The Open University (OU) module Robotics and the meaning of life: a practical guide to things that think (T184) was an introductory course on robotics which ran from 2003-2011 and continues to run in an updated form. This is taught online but contains a strong practical element. Practical activities in the initial plans for the course were designed around the Lego Mindstorms RCX robotics kit. Students would build and program an autonomous wheeled robot able to carry out a range of tasks of increasing complexity. A new programming environment, OU RobotLab, was developed at the Open University to support the needs of adult learners with no previous experience of programming and to make extended use of the capabilities of the Mindstorms kits. However, it was not practical for the Open University to provide Lego kits for student use at scale in this module. Instead, RobotLab was extended to include a simulation of the robot. Students were thus offered the choice of carrying out practical activities either as simulation or using real hardware, provided they had access to a suitable kit. Students were surveyed at the start and end of each presentation of the course to look at the attitudes and experiences of students to these different approaches to practical work. This gives us an opportunity to ask: can student learn practical skills at the computer or is it necessary to have hands-on practical experience

Quality Frameworks for MOOCs

The hype surrounding MOOCs has been tempered by scepticism about the quality of MOOCs. The possible flaws of MOOCs include the quality of the pedagogies employed, low completion rates and a failure to deliver on the promise of inclusive and equitable quality education for all. On the other hand, MOOCs that have given a boost to open and online education have become a symbol of a larger modernisation agenda for universities, and are perceived as tools for universities to improve the quality of blended and online education—both in degree education and Continuous Professional Development. MOOC provision is also much more open to external scrutiny as part of a stronger globalising higher education market. This has important consequences for quality frameworks and quality processes that go beyond the individual MOOC. In this context, different quality approaches are discussed including possible measures at different levels and the tension between product and process models. Two case studies are described: one at the institutional level (The Open University) and one at a MOOC platform level (FutureLearn) and how they intertwine is discussed. The importance of a national or international quality framework which carries with it a certification or label is illustrated with the OpenupEd Quality label. Both the label itself and its practical use are described in detail. The examples will illustrate that MOOCs require quality assurance processes tailored to e-learning and open education, embedded in institutional frameworks. The increasing unbundling of educational services may require additional quality processes

Social networking and open educational resources: updating quality assurance for e-learning excellence

Quality assurance approaches in higher education are well-established, but it is important to develop methods which are applicable to the domain of e-learning. The E-xcellence methodology (EADTU, 2009a) was therefore designed to assess the quality of e-learning in distance learning and blended learning contexts. The methodology is based around a set of benchmarks, supported by a practitioner handbook and a web-based ‘QuickScan’ self-evaluation tool. Experience shows that the E-xcellence methodology is particularly valuable for the process of improvement through collaborative internal review. E-learning has evolved since the E-xcellence methodology was first developed. In particular, there is increasing awareness and use of open education resources (OERs) and social networking. However, these aspects were not explicit in the original E-xcellence resources. The E-xcellence Next project was therefore established to update the resources, incorporating these developments. To begin this process, a consultation was carried out among E-xcellence Next project members, followed by a participatory workshop on the themes of social networking and OERs. The E-xcellence resources were also used in a series of self-evaluation seminars held at European higher education institutions. Experience and feedback from these activities has been used to update the manual, the benchmarks and the QuickScan tool. The result is a set of quality assurance resources which encompass social networking, OERs and other recent developments in e-learning

Robotics and the meaning of life: a practical guide to things that think

The new Open University course T184 Robotics and the meaning of life: a practical guide to things that think is an introductory course on robotics. It is an undergraduate course taught at a distance over 10 weeks. The course is centred around a web site containing most of the course material, supported by two books: Ruth Aylett Robots: Bringing intelligent machines to life? which is a general survey of the field and Isaac Asimov I, Robot which is used to motivate questions about the relationship between man and machine. On-line conferences provide study support. There is also a strong practical element to the course. This was originally designed around the use of the Lego Mindstorms robotics kit. Besides mechanical components, the kit includes the Lego RCX brick – a programmable microcontroller with memory and interfaces to input and output devices such as touch and light sensors, motors and an IR channel to communicate with a PC. Students can build and program an autonomous wheeled robot to carry out a range of tasks of increasing difficulty. A new programming environment was developed at the Open University specifically to support the needs of adult learners with no prior experience of programming. This provided an opportunity to extend the capabilities of the Mindstorms kit. For example, the robot can now ‘talk’ by sending IR messages back to the PC where they are turned into spoken phrases. This richer environment is highly motivating. The new software can also take on a processing role to escape the limitations of memory and processing power onboard the robot. For example, students develop a two-agent system in which the mobile robot collects data, transmits it back to the PC where it is analysed using a neural network (built and trained by the student) and results are transmitted back to the running robot. Developing new software also provided an opportunity to produce a simulation of the robot and we can now offer students the choice of carrying out the practical activities with the Lego hardware or as a simulation. We will look at the attitudes and experiences of students who have chosen these different learning approaches

Incorporating quality assurance criteria for OER and Social Networking in the E-xcellence QA methodology

The E-xcellence QA methodology for e-learning (www.e-xcellenceqs.eadtu.eu ) is securing wide recognition by European and international agencies. The methodology presents principles of good practice in six domains of e-learning. It can be applied to the design and delivery of e-learning in distance learning and blended learning contexts. It is supported by exemplars of good practice which were current at the time of its launch in 2006. The project team are currently engaged in a programme of revision and updating to address recent developments, in particular i) development and use of Open Education Resources ii) the application of social networking tools. The authors present a review of current approaches in relation to developments in Social Networking and Open Educational Resources (OERs) and discuss the consultation exercise currently underway with users of the current methodology. They will outline their proposals for the updated and revised methodology that will be tested in beta version from 10/2011-05/201

Back to the future: 15 years of quality enhancement in teaching digital photography

‘Digital photography: creating and sharing better images’ has been presented at the Open University UK since 2007. Over the years nearly 15,000 students have registered, and students who complete the course find it a transformative experience. However, completion rates remain frustratingly low, despite continual quality enhancement changes. I apply the lens of ‘E-xcellence quality in e-learning’ (https://e-xcellencelabel.eadtu.eu/) to this short course to see whether lessons can be learned, particularly the main headings of strategic management, curriculum design, course design, course delivery, staff support and student support. I draw on quantitative and qualitative data from course records, student surveys and forum comments. ‘Digital Photography’ is an excellent test case to probe the challenges of quality enhancement in e-learning since it is a long-running course that has been presented during a period where the pedagogical landscape around it has changed considerably. The nature of the subject itself has also changed, as digital photography has displaced film. That has meant that the motivations and demographics of our audience has changed. The course is an uneasy fit to the university’s strategic management since the subject has never been part of a core curriculum. Photography is traditionally taught as a craft subject using a studio approach. ‘Digital Photography’ seeks to emulate studio practice online using OpenStudio, an online environment for image sharing and peer comment. The strong element of peer comment has remained an important part of the pedagogical design of the course. However, other e-learning tools at our disposal have changed as the university’s course delivery platform has changed. The course is able to capitalise on the university’s standard processes for course production, staff support and student support. However, because it remains something of an outlier compared to the university’s core offering, this introduces stresses where normal practice clashes with the aims of this particular course. The course will continue to be presented over the next few years. What enhancements can still be made

Using OpenStudio in STEM learning - final report to eSTEeM, the OU centre for STEM pedagogy

The ‘Using OpenStudio in STEM learning’ project was established to evaluate the use of online studio-based learning in the Open University. Studio-based learning provides a model that can be adapted for online learning. In conventional teaching settings, studio-based learning follows an apprenticeship model where students work independently or in groups, under the guidance of a tutor, using real-world activities. The project consisted of two main phases: a workshop for module team chairs followed by an in- depth study of the use of OpenStudio on two Computing & IT modules. Educators representing distance learning modules from a range of STEM disciplines including Computing and IT, Design, Engineering and Environmental Technology participated in a workshop to share information about the use of OpenStudio on their modules. A simple model of OpenStudio activities was derived from the workshop to illustrate the process of 'showing and sharing', viewing and reviewing', commenting and critiquing', and 'reviewing and reflecting' involved. Two Computing and IT undergraduate modules were then selected for more detailed analysis, one at level 1 (TU100) and another at level 3 (TM354). Both quantitative and qualitative data were gathered from samples of students on these modules and analysed. In addition, tutors from both TU100 and TM354 were invited to participate in focus groups in online forums to provide a fuller picture of the activities. The data suggest that students enjoy the OpenStudio activities, especially the visual nature of artefacts and the idea that shorter comments may be made, rather than longer more discursive pieces of writing. In addition to learning about their subject area, students are also learning how to give feedback to their peers and how to use the feedback they receive, both of which are important skills. Many students are confident in their own ability and are able to evaluate the feedback they receive. However, some students may lack confidence in their own ability to give feedback on the work of their peers, particularly at level 1. Importantly, there needs to be an opportunity to complete the cycle of the experiential learning model in the activity by allowing students to produce another artefact. The experiential nature of the online studio activity presents an opportunity for students to reflect-in-action as well as reflect on their actions (Schön, 1983). Comparisons between the OpenStudio model, the survey findings and Kolb’s Experiential Learning model (1984) revealed the range of student views and the diversity of students’ experiences of the learning activities, and provided some thought-provoking insights into student behaviour in carrying out the OpenStudio activities. The project team was awarded the Project of the Year trophy in the Innovative/Original Approach to Teaching category at the 8th eSTEeM Annual Conference

Crowdsourcing the identification of organisms: a case-study of iSpot

Accurate species identification is fundamental to biodiversity science, but the natural history skills required for this are neglected in formal education at all levels. In this paper we describe how the web application ispotnature.org and its sister site ispot.org.za (collectively, “iSpot”) are helping to solve this problem by combining learning technology with crowdsourcing to connect beginners with experts. Over 94% of observations submitted to iSpot receive a determination. External checking of a sample of 3,287 iSpot records verified > 92% of them. To mid 2014, iSpot crowdsourced the identification of 30,000 taxa (>80% at species level) in > 390,000 observations with a global community numbering > 42,000 registered participants. More than half the observations on ispotnature.org were named within an hour of submission. iSpot uses a unique, 9-dimensional reputation system to motivate and reward participants and to verify determinations. Taxon-specific reputation points are earned when a participant proposes an identification that achieves agreement from other participants, weighted by the agreers’ own reputation scores for the taxon. This system is able to discriminate effectively between competing determinations when two or more are proposed for the same observation. In 57% of such cases the reputation system improved the accuracy of the determination, while in the remainder it either improved precision (e.g. by adding a species name to a genus) or revealed false precision, for example where a determination to species level was not supported by the available evidence. We propose that the success of iSpot arises from the structure of its social network that efficiently connects beginners and experts, overcoming the social as well as geographic barriers that normally separate the two