Hawkridge, David

Ng, Kia

Verjans, Steven

English

ALT Open Access Repository

Editorial for proceedings papersHere are the proceedings of the 2011 ALT Conference ‘‘Thriving in a colder andmore challenging climate’’. Proceedings papers report on a piece of research, possiblyin its early stages, or they can be ‘‘thoughtpieces’’ which state a point of view orsummarise an area of work, perhaps giving new insights.The conference has six themes:. Research and rigour: creating, marshalling and making effective use ofevidence. Making things happen: systematic design, planning and implementation. Broad tents and strange bedfellows: collaborating, scavenging and sharing toincrease value. At the sharp end: enabling organisations and their managers to solve business,pedagogic and technical challenges. Teachers of the future: understanding and influencing the future role andpractices of teachers. Preparing for a thaw: looking ahead to a time beyond the disruptivediscontinuities of the next few years.Interestingly, there were very few proposals for the conference as a whole againstthe sixth theme: and no proceedings papers. Perhaps the thaw is still perceived asbeing too far away to warrant any preparation yet!Unsurprisingly, research and rigour is well represented in the proceedings butthere is a problem-solving practical flavour relevant to the title of the conference.Garnett and Ecclesfield (2011) look at Boyer’s often cited model of scholarshipand update it for the current more open and networked environment. Jones andKennedy (2011) argue for a more problem-driven approach to social science andspecifically educational research using a pluralist approach combining quantitativeand qualitative methodologies and tools. Bain (2011) revisits the role of onlinediscussion in learning for all learners and produces a framework. Kerrigan et al.(2011) report on the successful use of a tool to support and indeed require studentreflection on the feedback they have been given. It is now in use in several universitiesand colleges.These four general papers are balanced by two that are specifically subject-based.Abadi and Alsop (2011) use a formal combination of activity theory and groun-ded theory in a practical way to improve learning of initial Java programming,ALT-C 2011 Conference ProceedingsISBN 978-91-977071-4-5 (print), 978-91-977071-5-2 (online)2011 Association for Learning Technology. # D. Hawkridge et al. This is an Open Access article distributed 1under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 UK: England & Wales licence(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/uk/) permitting all non-commercial use, distribution, and reproductionin any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. DOI: 10.3402/rlt.v19s1/7816a high-volume area with considerable payoff. Bacon, Windall, and MacKinnon(2011) discuss using emotional effects in the multimedia training of executivesresponsible for safety critical services such as fire or police, a lower volume area butagain with high payoff in the light of the important role for which training is beinggiven, and the expense of traditional methods.Making things happen through problem solving with significant actual orpotential payoff is also important, especially in the current environment. Collins etal. (2011) report on the successful use of short ‘‘photomarathons’’ in engagingprimary school children in learning on a visit to an historical site. Kohl (2011)discusses the deployment of a voluntary plagiarism checking system which addressesthis serious problem through prevention rather than post hoc detection. Smith (2011)reports on the use of a ‘‘virtual internet’’ to solve some of the security problems ofgroup work in learning computer networking concepts and techniques. Gorjian(2011) describes and discusses a very carefully designed experiment that suggests thathypertext annotations in second language teaching, while improving vocabularylearning, so do primarily in the short term only. This result is sufficiently disturbingto generate an interesting discussion of the context of the experiment and why theresult might not generalise.Several papers involve collaborations but only Tan and Pearce (2011) major inscavenging in their use of YouTube videos in teaching sociology. Their discussion ofthe barriers to and advantages of such use has wide applicability.At the sharp end, Strachan et al. (2011) discuss the results of a questionnaire thatlooked at Workplace-Based Learning from the points of view of not just learners andteachers but also from those of the workplace and external stakeholders. The resultsare of wide relevance in the current environment. Stewart, McKee, and Porteous(2011) discuss an integrated system for lecture capture that does not require heavyhardware or software and can be accessed from simple hand held devices.Finally, what of the teachers of the future? Two papers offer very differentapproaches to teacher professional development. Cochrane and Naryan (2011)describe a new approach at a single site, for lecturers through a ‘‘social learningtechnologies’’ course which aims to produce a community of practice in the use ofmobile Web2.0 technologies. In contrast, Arati, Todorova, and Merrett (2011) arelooking to bring together the strange if not completely incompatible, bedfellows ofgovernment in Germany, France and the UK, in public/private partnerships withIntel. The project supports the professional development of teachers to help them usetechnology more in their teaching and to enable them to facilitate the acquisition oftwenty-first century skills by their students.We thus see the effects of the cold. To thrive in the current climate, research needsto be more focused than in the past on solving problems, preferably in a scalable way:that is where the payoff lies. Nevertheless, the papers remain solidly grounded inALT-C 2011 Conference Proceedings2theory, properly constructed and well argued. ALT’s field overall has an importantrole to play in ‘‘bringing on the thaw’’.David HawkridgeKia NgSteven VerjansReferencesAbadi, M.K., and G. Alsop. 2011. Studying the learning of programming using groundedtheory to support activity theory. Paper presented at the 18th association for learningtechnology conference (ALT-C 2011), September 68, at the University of Leeds, UK.DOI: 10.3402/rlt.v19s1/7801Arati, D., A. Todorova, and R. Merrett. 2011. Implementation and sustainability of a globalICT company’s programme to help teachers integrate technology into learning andteaching in Germany, France and the UK. Paper presented at the 18th association forlearning technology conference (ALT-C 2011), September 68, at the University of Leeds,UK. DOI: 10.3402/rlt.v19s1/7802Bacon, L., G. Windall, and L. MacKinnon. 2011. The development of a rich multimediatraining environment for crisis management: using emotional affect to enhance learning.Paper presented at the 18th association for learning technology conference (ALT-C 2011),September 68, at the University of Leeds, UK. DOI: 10.3402/rlt.v19s1/7780Bain, Y.C. 2011. Learning through online discussion: a framework evidenced in learners’interactions. Paper presented at the 18th association for learning technology conference(ALT-C 2011), September 68. in September 68, at the University of Leeds, UK. DOI:10.3402/rlt.v19s1/7779Cochrane, T., and V. Narayan. 2011. DeFrosting professional development: reconceptualisingteaching using social learning technologies. Paper presented at the 18th association forlearning technology conference (ALT-C 2011), September 68, at the University of Leeds,UK. DOI: 10.3402/rlt.v19s1/7796Collins, T., R. Joiner, A. White, and L. Braidley. 2011. School trip photomarathons: engagingprimary school visitors using a topic focused photo competition. Paper presented at the18th association for learning technology conference (ALT-C 2011), September68, at the University of Leeds, UK. DOI: 10.3402/rlt.v19s1/7797Garnett, F., and N. Ecclesfield. 2011. Towards a framework for co-creating open scholarship.Paper presented at the 18th association for learning technology conference (ALT-C 2011),September 68, at the University of Leeds, UK. DOI: 10.3402/rlt.v19s1/7795Gorjian, B. 2011. Using hypermedia annotations to teach vocabulary on the Web. Paperpresented at the 18th association for learning technology conference (ALT-C 2011),September 68, at the University of Leeds, UK. DOI: 10.3402/rlt.v19s1/7799Jones, C., and G. Kennedy. 2011. Stepping beyond the paradigm wars: pluralist methods forresearch in learning technology. Paper presented at the 18th association for learningtechnology conference (ALT-C 2011), September 68, at the University of Leeds, UK.DOI: 10.3402/rlt.v19s1/7798Kerrigan, M.J.P., S. Walker, M. Gamble, S. Lindsay, K. Reader, M. Papaefthimiou, L.Newman-Ford, M. Clements, and G. Saunders. 2001. The Making Assessment Count(MAC) consortium  maximizing assessment and feedback design by working together.Paper presented at the 18th association for learning technology conference (ALT-C 2011),September 68, at the University of Leeds, UK. DOI: 10.3402/rlt.v19s1/7782Kohl, K.E. 2011. Fostering academic competence or putting students under general suspicion?Voluntary plagiarism check of academic papers by means of a web-based plagiarismdetection system. Paper presented at the 18th association for learning technologyconference (ALT-C 2011), September 68, at the University of Leeds, UK. DOI:10.3402/rlt.v19s1/7611Smith, A. 2011. Development of a simulated Internet for education. Paper presented at the18th association for learning technology conference (ALT-C 2011), September 68, at theUniversity of Leeds, UK. DOI: 10.3402/rlt.v19s1/7777ALT-C 2011 Conference Proceedings3Stewart, I., W. McKee, and K. Porteous. 2011. Towards a personalised learning mesh: theimplementation of a low overhead, multipath learning tool. Paper presented atthe 18th association for learning technology conference (ALT-C 2011), September 68,at the University of Leeds, UK. DOI: 10.3402/rlt.v19s1/7815Strachan, R., L. Liyanage, B. Casselden, and R. Penlington. 2011. Effectiveness of technologyto support work based learning: the stakeholders’ perspective. Paper presented at the 18thassociation for learning technology conference (ALT-C 2011), September 68, at theUniversity of Leeds, UK. DOI: 10.3402/rlt.v19s1/7800Tan, E., and N. Pearce. 2011. Open education videos in the classroom: exploring theopportunities and barriers to the use of YouTube in teaching introductory sociology. Paperpresented at the 18th association for learning technology conference (ALT-C 2011),September 68, at the University of Leeds, UK. DOI: 10.3402/rlt.v19s1/7783ALT-C 2011 Conference Proceedings4

Studying the learning of programming using grounded theory to support activity theory. Paper presented at the 18th association for learning technology conference (ALT-C

The Making Assessment Count (MAC) consortium  maximizing assessment and feedback design by working together. Paper presented at the 18th association for learning technology conference (ALT-C

ALT-C 2011 Proceedings Papers: Editorial

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ALT-C 2011 Proceedings Papers: Editorial

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