Before we start…

New Academic Staff Induction project

DEVELOPING YOUR USE OF OUR VLE AND NEW TECHNOLOGIESDr Helen WebsterAcademic Developer, Anglia Learning and Teaching

This session….

• …ISN’T an IT training session

• …IS a chance to find out more about how you can enhance your teaching with the technology ARU offers (in particular, the VLE)

Before we get onto specific tools, platforms and software…

What IS a “Learning Technology”?

Early Learning Technology

Early learning technology in use

So what’s special about digital technology?

• Digital• Networked• Open

• (Martin Weller, The Digital Scholar 2012)

Digital, Networked, Open

• How does technology change the role of• The teacher• The student• The learning environment (the learning materials,

the classroom, academic services, institution)

• And how do we harness this to enhance learning?

Your previous experience• What technologies have you used at previous universities (or other education contexts)?

• What could these technologies do – what functionality did they have?

• How were they used? What were they used for?

• How well were they used?

Learning Technologies at ARU• My Anglia Portal• The VLE (based on Microsoft Sharepoint)• Media creation and hosting• BoB – Box of Broadcasts• AV equipment in teaching spaces (including Lecture

Capture)• Support for using other software and social media for

learning and teaching

Why use learning technologies to enhance your teaching?

The Corporate Plan 2012-14Goal 7:

“Students will use our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) on a daily basis”

• Increase the student take-up of the VLE to 90% and ensure students use the VLE on a regular basis, including prior to their arrival at Anglia Ruskin.

• Rapidly develop and utilise the VLE to its full functionality.• Ensure that the content of the VLE is of consistently high

quality so as to attract greater student usage. • Ensure all academic staff receive appropriate VLE training.

Milestones: increase percentage of students who use the VLE regularly 2012: 70%; 2013: 80%; 2014: 90%

Learning and Teaching Strategy4: Using Technology-Enhanced Learning

Milestones: 2013-14

• 90% [of students] are using our VLE on a regular basis • The technology-rich audio-visual and media classroom resources

are fully utilised by staff and students• All courses and modules have a fully embedded blended

learning environment.• Our VLE and other electronic means are the principle

environments for delivering distance learning.• Our VLE is the principle vehicle for receiving students’ written

coursework and giving formative and summative feedback• The use of our Helix Media Library and iTunesU is firmly

established in course delivery• A significant proportion of online module content makes use of

media objects.

Student Charter“Our VLE is where you will access online information relating to your studies, including course and module guides, documents and teaching notes, as well as blogs, surveys and discussion boards.”We will: • Make sure that online course material associated with a module is

available to you within 24 hours of you being registered for that module

• give you access to our virtual learning environment (VLE) for every module you register on

We will expect you to:• Visit the VLE at least twice a week if your course has online content• Use our VLE and other forms of technology we provide to help you

with your studies

Why use the VLE?

Big Wide World Walled Garden

And why should students engage with the VLE?

VStudents will only engage with the VLE on a regular basis if:• there is regular new content to engage with • which relates to what they are currently doing in

their studies• and is easy to locate and use• regular VLE use is modelled by teaching staff

What the VLE looks like…

And a more developed example:http://vle.anglia.ac.uk/sites/2012/LTA/MOD001530-2012/Pages/Home.aspx

Additional VLE tools: Student use

“A VLE is like….”

Levels of using the VLE

store

• Web 1.0• Repository for information

collate

• Web 1.0 • Portal to information

embed

• Web 1.0 – 2.0• Self-contained multimedia learning space

involve

• Web 2.0• Students as participants and content co-creators

VLE as Repository• This is the minimum requirement• Information could be delivered face to face, in paper

format, and/or online:• Module information• Academic Processes and Regulations• Academic services• Teaching content• Assessment information

• Tools: wiki, documents, web links, calendar, announcements

Just because you told them/put it online, doesn’t mean they’ve learned it…

Going beyond the Virtual Filing Cabinet

• How will you get your students to learn with the technology? • How does the digital format enhance subject learning

and study skills?• What are students doing, other than consuming

information? • How does it fit in before, during and after traditional

teaching?• How does this change what you do in the classroom?• How can they get involved as co-creators?

Using the interactive tools

Tool• Student Blog (and

comments)

• Student Wiki

• Student Discussion Forum

Learning• Learning from lectures

and seminars

• Writing an assignment

• Reading and Researching

Media• Lecture Capture• Personal Capture• My Capture• My Player• iTunesU• Box of Broadcasts

Further Support1. Your Faculty Learning Technologist2. Online resources from Anglia Learning and Teaching

http://www.lta.anglia.ac.uk/practice.php/LTA-Practice-Technology-Enhanced-Learning-7/

3. Workshops from Anglia Learning and Teaching including

• Exploring VLE Tools • Echo 360 (Lecture Capture and Personal Capture)• Myplayer• iTunesU