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Listening to the Student Voice to Shape the Digital Learner

Experience

Dr Neil WittDr Anne McDermott

E-LEARN 2011 - World Conference on E-Learning in Corporate, Government, Healthcare & Higher Education

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‣ How are (personal, social, workplace, community, political, academic, professional...) practices changing as a result of digital technologies and networks?

‣ What kind of graduates will thrive in these new practice contexts?‣ What experiences do students need to have to become fluent in

these practices? How do they integrate these experiences into coherent personal, professional and learning pathways?

‣ How can universities better value, support and develop these practices?

Rethinking graduate attributes

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Sources for thinking:Plymouth TEL strategy

‣ Technology-enhanced is the norm ('embedding of TEL and associated pedagogies')

‣ Institutional technologies are not the only show in town

‣ Multiply-located, discontinuous, multi-media, interdisciplinary experiences

‣ Only 'digitally literate staff and students' can knit it all together

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Sources for thinking:Graduate destinations

‣ Loss of traditional professional jobs: more associate professional, technical

‣ Emerging ('modern' and 'new') professions dominated by ICT and digital media

‣ More graduates go on to be self-employed; rise of the 'portfolio; career

‣ Changing career patterns and employment opportunities‣ >90% of all jobs require ICT competence

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‣ Review of best practice and sector recommendations‣ Focus groups of institutional decision makers‣ Institutional audit of all strategic documentation, policies,

processes etc.‣ Cross faculty student focus groups‣ Cross institutional survey of students’ attitudes, experience, confidence and needs related to the use and ownership of technology

What we did

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The focus groups

‣ Students across faculties (x3) plus sixth form students (x1)

‣ Card sorts, open ended questions

‣ Exploring technology ownership, use, and practice

‣ Exploring expectations and ambitions for university study

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Findings

‣ Students want 24/7 access to course info & learning materials, on the devices they use

‣ They expect to use their own technologies on campus: but these are often less up-to-date, portable or robust than we might imagine

‣ They have diverse preferences for social and communicational media: some like to separate personal / study spaces

‣ They need opportunities to reflect on and develop their own strategies for using TEL: induction, skills sessions, e-portfolios help

‣ There is a need for consistency from tutors, and clarity about digital practices at course level

‣ Students value e-learning experiences where these are clearly relevant to their long-term goals

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The survey

‣ Based on Learning Literacy in a Digital Age (LLiDA) ‣ Expands on the LLiDA tool to include questions related to the

ownership and use of mobile technologies‣ The survey was made available during November and

December 2010 to all students at the University of Plymouth and its partner colleges

‣ An email inviting their participation was sent to each student’s university email address (N=2053)

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Findings

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Findings

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Findings

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Findings

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Findings

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Findings

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Findings‣ View course information, e.g. deadline notices, course messages etc.‣ View exam and course timetables‣ View library record - charges summary and which books are reserved,

requested, booked and loaned‣ Receive alerts relating to IT services, library, course info, etc.‣ Check PC availability in Open Access Labs‣ Search the University Directory - call or email contacts and add them

directly to the phone's address book‣ Campus Maps & Locations using GPS ‣ Access to the Virtual Learning Environment‣ Subscribe to various University News & Events e.g. public lectures‣ Friend Locator - see where friends are on the campus and contact them‣ Tag your pictures to University campus map locations and share them

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Building Capacity – the student voice

What are you going

to do now?

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The way forward?

• Mobile Plymouth• The Plymouth Student pre-entry social network

• Student Voice is vital• Embed into ‘enhancing the student experience’• Sustainable Innovation

• Plymouth has just been awarded £100k for a 2 year Digital Literacy Project http://seedpod.org.uk

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technologyenhancedlearning.net

Thank you for listening

Any questions or comments?

For further information please contact at…..

Dr Neil WittHead of TELnwitt@plymouth.ac.uk

Twitter: @dr_neil