VLEs and meeting student expectations

This interactive workshop focuses on the innovative approaches UCA has taken in getting staff to use its VLE and how this can then lead to better management of student expectations. The session will give participants the opportunity to engage in shared practice and discussion around student expectations of VLEs. This will be facilitated through four key themes: Evaluating how the VLE is used and by whom: We look at how UCA evaluated its VLE for usage across five locations covering over 4000 units/modules in the last academic year. It will provide a picture of varied use ranging from high to very low. As a consequence, students across the university had very contrasting experiences of the VLE and its offerings. Parity and consistency: Here we will map the path of a degree student across 20 units (360 credits) and examine the user experience in terms of parity and consistency. Findings reveal that the differences in terms of presentation and content are found to be disorientating and fall below expectation. Using a basic unit framework to guide and support staff In order to address this disparity, UCA devised and introduced a minimum requirement for the unit. These minimum requirements were adapted from the unit handbook and endorsed by Quality & Standards. The workshop looks at how the handbook adaptation transfers across to the VLE environment and works to provide a framework of practice. Changing the culture from apathy to advocacy: As an Arts University, pockets of resistance against the VLE still exist which is normally attributed to lack of technical knowhow or time. Alternatively, some staff prefer external platforms in the belief that the VLE it is too cumbersome and time consuming. This final part of the workshop looks at the measures UCA has put in place to reverse this resistance and by doing so sets in motion a change in culture and practice

Reflective, formative spaces for learning, teaching and assessment moulded around course pedagogy

This presentation demonstrates how UCA are using Campus Pack Learning Objects to build reflective, formative spaces for learning, teaching and assessment that are moulded around each course's pedagogy. By integrating the student’s private feedback areas within the university’s virtual learning environment (VLE), staff and students can access a ‘trail’ of feedback - all in one online area thus ensuring all the teaching support teams have 24/7 remote access. This student-centred place also becomes a deeper space for autonomous learning and continuing dialogue between students and staff, thus creating an ‘inside-out’ (Higgins, Hartley and Skelton, 2001) approach to assessment feedback, which embraces reflection, criticality and student ownership to learning. Alongside benefits to the student, university and course team, this learning and teaching intervention has greatly increased student satisfaction, there is less dependency on the face to face tutorial, course organisation and management from the student perspective has greatly improved and admin time has reduced: this provides students and staff with a far richer model of teaching, learning and assessment

A place of my own: reflective, formative spaces for learning teaching and assessment

The 'Place of my own' project showcases innovative practice in the delivery of formative feedback at the University for the Creative Arts. By integrating the student's private formative feedback area within the university's virtual learning environment (VLE), staff and students can access a 'trail' of feedback - all in one online area. This student-centred place also becomes a deeper space for autonomous learning and continuing dialogue between students and staff, thus creating an 'inside-out' (Higgins, Hartley and Skelton, 2001) approach to assessment feedback, which embraces reflection and criticality. The attached case study charts the pilot course users (BA Fashion Promotion at Rochester) through to their 2nd year of working with the learning journey (their name for the online feedback area)

'All eggs in one basket… or just blindfold the chicken?' tackling first year student engagement with learning technologies and the VLE

This workshop addressed the importance of a Personal Learning Environment (PLE) and what guidance institutions provide to new students arriving to university with regard to using useful learning tools effectively. Workshop participants were made up of TEL expertise from across the HEI sector. Three groups of 5 or 6 people worked on the following tasks: TASK 1: The Perfect PLE - Design a PLE to most enhance a new student's learning experience at university. The group may elect a specific subject area the student has chosen to study. TASK 2: TEL Manifesto - Draft up an institutional TEL Manifesto intended for new students that enhances learning and enriches their online user experience. The Padlet links within the SlideShare go to the online workspace the groups used during the session to collate their findings

Walking in the cloud – exploring new worlds from a VLE perspective

Cloud technologies with Web 2.0 engagement offer institutions very attractive and low cost alternatives to expensive VLEs, but do they offer the total solution? With the help of participants, this workshop explores the implications Web 2.0 technologies have when hosted externally by cloud services such as Blogger, WordPress, Google Apps, FaceBook, Flicka, YouTube, Vimeo to name a few. These services have the potential to provide extremely attractive and powerful online spaces for multiple uses such as informal learning, collaboration and professional identities/portfolios but in what legal capacity can institutions promote such technologies? The workshop will draw on guidance and policies from Educause, University of Bath, IBM and JISC as well as a particular emphasis in the arts, drawing on policies employed by the University for the Creative Arts. In two sets of breakout groups (students/instructors) workshop participants will explore how these cloud technologies are being used in a learning context and what the implications may be to the inherent legalities with copyright, intellectual property, data protection and ownership; as well as the possible damage and litigation to the institution if due care to avoid the above has not been taken. Workshop participants will share their findings from the first round and then breakout to discuss avoidance techniques to overcome these legal challenges from both a learner’s perspective and institutions, again in separate breakout groups respectively. The workshop outcome will help institutions have a deeper understanding of cloud technologies from a legal standpoint. Participants should be better informed to make decisions about where specific learning takes place i.e. the cloud or the institution’s VLE. This in turn should give workshop participants greater awareness to the student voice, which states much of learning happens in the cloud (Sharpe et al 2010) and prepares them for this legal challenge

Online assessment - a marriage between registry and faculty

Within a creative arts university, assessment of work deals with physical objects alongside the written which results in a mixed approach to marking and delivering feedback. In moving towards a fully online assessment process, this presentation unpacks why the university took the decision to give Registry responsibility for setting up all online submissions and assessment forms via Turnitin, and how the TEL Team acted as broker to facilitate such a marriage. The mantra for such change embodied parity for student learning and experience across all courses in the use of Turnitin, leaving administration and process to Registry - sparing Faculty the pain. Format: presentation (25 minutes) inc. 5 min Q&A

Detection and geometric characterization of rock mass discontinuities using a 3D high-resolution digital outcrop model generated from RPAS imagery – Ormea rock slope, Italy

Abstract The use of a remotely piloted aircraft system (RPAS) and digital photogrammetry is valuable for the detection of discontinuities in areas where field mapping and terrestrial photogrammetry or laser scanner surveys cannot be employed because the slope is unsafe, inaccessible, or characterized by a complex geometry with areas not visible from the ground. Using the Structure-from-Motion method, the acquired images can be used to create a 3D texturized digital outcrop model (TDOM) and a detailed point cloud representing the rock outcrop. Discontinuity orientations in a complex rock outcrop in Italy were mapped in the field using a geological compass and by manual and automated techniques using a TDOM and point cloud generated from RPAS imagery. There was a good agreement between the field measurements and manual mapping in the TDOM. Semi-automated discontinuity mapping using the point cloud was performed using the DSE, qFacet FM, and qFacet KD-tree methods applied to the same 3D model. Significant discrepancies were found between the semi-automatic and manual methods. In particular, the automatic methods did not adequately detect discontinuities that are perpendicular to the slope face (bedding planes in the case study). These differences in detection of discontinuities can adversely influence the kinematic analysis of potential rock slope failure mechanisms. We use the case study to demonstrate a workflow that can accurately map discontinuities with results comparable to field measurements. The combined use of TDOM and RPAS dramatically increases the discontinuity data because RPAS can supply a good coverage of inaccessible or hidden portions of the slope and TDOM is a powerful representation of the reality that can be used to map discontinuity orientations including those that are oriented perpendicular to the slope

Self-directed/self-paced learning using course templates and community modules

With UCA based across 5 campuses and 2 learning technologists to manage the university's Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), this presentation offers a window into how they have developed a mechanism and collection of self-directed/self-paced learning resources for both students and faculty staff. These learning resources are applied to the course templates at the start of each academic year. Template content for students include: Digital literacy skills, professional networking, building a digital footprint through blogging, LinkedIn and Twitter, Academic integrity and Turnitin for formative use. Template content for faculty focuses on: Digital pedagogy with learning activities on group work, sustaining online discussion, using blogs to improve writing and reflective skills, using Turnitin to support academic referencing and ways to provide online feedback. The presentation looks at how the learning technologists gather and share knowledge about each course throughout the year so the renewed template is created according to user demands, trends in technology, curriculum requirements and faculty/employer expectations with digital literacy. Along with the locally built resources in the template, the presentation will also look at how the Blackboard Community Module Page is deployed - but centrally managed outside the course area to target subject specific learning resources – many belonging to the Library. As with all universities, library resources can be overwhelming if not managed correctly. By using subject specific library modules within a course/unit area, students are taken directly to relevant eStream broadcasts, eJournals, and databases. With this use of the community modules, the task of providing library resources directly within course/unit areas has finally become manageable, has empowered subject librarians and most importantly enhanced the student experience

Geological Structures and Roof Profiles in a Myra Canyon Tunnel Mapped from High Resolution Digital Rock Surface Models

Nearly 100 year old tunnels once used by the Kettle Valley Railway are now popular destinations for hikers and bikers in the Myra-Bellevue Provincial Park in British Columbia. These tunnels have never undergone detailed geotechnical mapping and remain largely unsupported and subject to freeze-thaw cycles and gradual deterioration resulting in some loose rock and small rock falls. Stereo photographs are being taken to establish high resolution digital rock surface models of the tunnel interiors and tunnel portal areas. These models permit accurate mapping of important geological structures and form an archive that can be used to identify changes in the tunnel conditions over time. The capability to monitor changes in the tunnel surface could become critical in detecting and managing possible rock fall hazards.Applied Science, Faculty ofEngineering, School of (Okanagan)UnreviewedFacult