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Enhancing Distance Learning and Teaching
Dr. Rhona Sharpe
Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Development
2 December 2011
Look inside the student experience of distance learning.
Discuss the purposes of the elements of a distance course (resources, activities, assessment and support).
In order to devise activities which engage distance learners.
In this session we aim to:
Look inside the student experience of distance learning.
Discuss the purposes of the elements of a distance course (resources, activities, assessment and support).
In order to devise activities which engage distance learners.
Generate principles of effective one way communication.
Discuss how to encourage students to act on feedback.
Make plans for avoiding and dealing with student support issues.
In order to prepare ourselves for tutoring at a distance.
In this session we aim to:
What are your experiences of distance learning?
What are your expectations about teaching on a distance learning
course?
Learner experience
Isolation
Lacking contact with peers
Not immersed in community
Escape other demands
Tutor experience
Needing to be well organised
Needing to be more explicit in guidance for students
Making time for distance tutoring
Asking questions about how to provide good quality teaching and support.
Organisation
Explicit in giving guidance
Make time
Find out what makes for good quality distance teaching
Some examples
Structure
Resources
Activities
Assessment
Support
Understanding the weather10 credits, level 1
Open the DVD Image bank and click on the Cloudscapes section
identify the clouds in the images.
Don’t be put off if you find this exercise quite difficult. Classifying sky pictures on the basis of cloud types is a challenge even for experienced observers.
Understanding the weather
Internationalising the curriculum
Educational research project60 credits, Masters level
#eyolc
Designing learning activities
http://www.learningdesigns.uow.edu.au/
Designing learning activities
http://www.learningdesigns.uow.edu.au/
Designing learning activities
http://www.learningdesigns.uow.edu.au/
Your task: design a discussion-based activity
Assessment and feedback
Look inside the student experience of distance learning.
Discuss the purposes of the elements of a distance course (resources, activities, assessment and support).
In order to devise activities which engage distance learners.
Generate principles of effective one way communication.
Discuss how to encourage students to act on feedback.
Make plans for avoiding and dealing with student support issues.
In order to prepare ourselves for tutoring at a distance.
In this session we aim to:
1-way communication exercise
Form pairs
Sit back to back
Task:
A has to tell B how to draw a figure without any checking or communication from B to A
Roles of assessment
• To clarify expectations• To pace learning• To develop skills• To motivate and reinforce learning• To allow for early failure• To give students feedback on how they are
doing• To monitor how we are doing
Additionally at a distance, assessments:
• Structure and pace independent learning• Encourage engagement with materials• Show learners what they know• Clear up misunderstandings• Model the review process so learners can
assess their own progress• Build a dialogue with students• Praise, reward and motivate
We know that feedback
Is central to successful learning
Takes time to do well
Is not automatically helpful:• can be unhelpful (Maclellan, 2001)• not understood (Lea and Street, 1998)• not read (Hounsell, 1987)• damages self-efficacy (Wotjas, 1998)• has no effect (Fritz et al, 2000)
Why do students not act on feedback?
The OU feedback sandwich
1st the good newsThen the bad news (constructively)Finish on a high note of encouragement
Feeding forwards and backwards
Giving good and bad news
Good news
clear specific personal honest
Bad news
specific constructive kind honest
From First Words at http://www.brookes.ac.uk/services/ocsd/firstwords/fwconts.html
Student support