Creating shareable representations of practice

This paper reports work on the use of asynchronous multimedia conferencing (AMC) to support collaborative continuing professional development. In particular it explores how we may use multimedia communications technologies to enable key elements of real‐world working knowledge, that are tacit and embedded in working practices, to be rendered into shareable forms for professional learning. We believe multimedia communications technology can offer innovative ways of capturing rich examples of working practices and tacit knowledge, and for sharing and subjecting these artefacts to scrutiny, debate and refinement within a community of learners. More explicitly, we see participants in a geographically distributed community of practice being able to create, annotate, discuss and reflect upon videoclips of their working practices within the multimedia conferencing environment. This paper summarizes some studies that cast light on how representations of practice may be captured for use in an AMC environment

Networked learning environments : continuing professional development and the creation and use of multimedia artifacts

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Voice annotation of visual representations in computer-mediated collaborative learning

Presented at 2nd International Conference on Auditory Display (ICAD), Santa Fe, New Mexico, November 7-9, 1994.New computer-based communications technologies-such as electronic conferencing, electronic mail, communal hypertext, and communal hypermedia databases-make it possible for people to collaborate in their learning, even when separated from one another in space and time. The development of computer environments supporting collaborative learning in enriched ways provides the goal and context for the research outlined here. This chapter explores the potential value of voice annotations in computer-mediated collaborative learning. Some purposes for voice annotations are examined. Findy an outline of a small-scale study where voice annotations have been used to support collaborative writing processes is given

Reflecting on Group Discussions for Professional Learning: Annotating Videoclips with Voice Annotations

This paper considers how multimedia communications technologies can support reflective learning by distributed professionals, following their participation in group tasks. In particular, we report on the uses made by collaborating practitioners of stored voice messages, called voice annotations. The annotations have been used by learning technology professionals to create and share reflections on group processes. The group were filmed taking part in discussions from which critical incidents, e.g., of negotiation have been selected and presented back to the group members as digital videoclips. Voice annotations have been used by the participants to offer reflections upon the clips and these annotated clips are now being shared online among this community. Analysis of the observational and verbal protocol data from this study is revealing the value of these rich representations for reflective learning from group practices

Relationships between conceptions of learning approaches to study and students' judgements about the value of their experiences of networked learning

This paper reports on an enquiry into relationships between students' views of their experiences of participating in networked learning courses and data on their conceptions of learning and approaches to study. It has been suggested in the literature on networked learning that students with more sophisticated conceptions of learning and students who take a deep approach to learning are more likely to benefit from, and have positive experiences of, networked learning. Drawing on a sample of almost 180 undergraduate social science students on four networked learning courses, we established that there were no strong links between students' judgements about their experience of networked learning and either their conceptions of learning or their approach to study. Further research is needed, but a practical implication of this study is that it is reasonable to expect all students to have positive experiences on well-designed and well-managed networked learning courses - not just those students with more sophisticated conceptions of learning or deep approaches to study

Networked learning in Higher Education: Students' expectations and experiences

This paper reports findings from a study of undergraduates’ expectations about, and experiences of, networked learning using computer-mediated conferencing (CMC). The data come from questionnaires administered at the start and end of four different courses, and their interpretation is informed by a set of interviews with students and teachers involved in these and other networked learning courses. Students’ views were generally positive at the start and at the end of each course, though they became more moderate over time. The structure of students’ reported feelings remained relatively stable over time. There was no evidence to suggest that male or younger students had more positive feelings about networked learning. The thoroughness with which CMC is integrated into a networked learning course appears as a significant factor in explaining differences in students’ feelings about the worth and value of their experience. As might be expected, a well-integrated course was associated with more positive experiences

Enabling professional learning in distributed communities of practice: Descriptors for multimedia objects

This paper explores how we may use multimedia communications technologies to enable key elements of real-world working knowledge, that are tacit and embedded in working practices to be rendered into shareable forms for professional learning. Communications technology offers innovative ways for geographically distributed communities of practitioners to create, annotate, discuss and reflect upon multimedia objects that capture working practices, such as problems of practice. The paper reports on work-in-progress on multimedia objects (primarily digitized video clips). Use of multimedia in professional learning is a relatively novel approach, and it is surfacing issues about the requirements for creating shareable, effective representations. A set of descriptors for multimedia objects has been developed and the paper focuses on applying the descriptors to an example video clip, to identify potential relationships between the descriptors. The duration of the clip, its use of artefacts and the social cues given in the clip are considered key factors in creating a shareable representation for discussion and reflection among practitioners in distributed professional communitie

Enabling Professional Learning in Distributed Communities of Practice:Descriptors for Multimedia Objects

This paper explores how the use ofmultimedia communications technologies to enable elements of real-worldworking knowledge, that are tacit andembedded in working practices to be rendered into shareable forms forprofessional learning. Communications technology offers innovative ways forgeographically distributed professional communities to create, annotate,discuss and reflect upon multimediaobjects that capture working practices, such as problems of practice. Thepaper reports on work-in-progress on multimedia objects (primarilydigitised videoclips). Use of multimedia in professional learning isrelatively novel, and it is surfacing issues about the requirements for creating shareable, effective representations.Descriptors for multimedia objects have been developed and the paperfocuses on applying the descriptors to an example videoclip. The durationof the clip, it's use of artefacts and the social cues in the clip are considered key factors in creating ashareable representation for discussion and reflection in distributedprofessional communities