Date post: | 24-Jan-2017 |
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Practical Lessons from a virtual environment – The use of Adobe Connect for International and Professional learningRebecca Page-TickellSchool of Business and Law
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Scenario
• Webinars are lessons / seminars / lectures conducted synchronously via the internet.
• Typically one or two lecturers to many students• Numbers can vary up to 90 + students• Interactive – use of voice, video, polls, powerpoint,
whiteboard, videoclips, breakout rooms, discussion charts, upload & download of articles, student contributions etc
• Part of blended learning – supported by a range of asynchronous materials e.g. VLE, facebook page, forums, library, e-mail as well as some face to face input.
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Student Groups
International foundation students preparing to start a
law degree
Professional HR students studying CIPD intermediate qualification
Higher Apprentices studying work based CIPD intermediate qualification
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Providers of on-line learning tools
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Research activity
1. Literature review to identify generic lessons2. Questionnaire via e-mail and follow up interviews
with lecturers experienced in the use of webinars for each of these groups• n=14
3. Feedback data plus interviews with students• Feedback review n=c50• Interviews n=6
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Relationship between Lecturer and Student “Distance education requires a qualitatively new pedagogy built on a unique relationship between the instructor and the learners” (Huang, 202, pg. 27).- Relationship building needs to be more deliberate
planned for, supported using a range of tools e.g. facebook, skype, plus face to face meetings- Engagement during sessions must be tenaciously
fought for with polls, rich questions, occasional silence etc.
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Lecturer - Student Relationship
Can seem more equal to the lecturer,
particularly if they can see the lecturer
but not the other way around.
Can seem more distant when there are no comments.
I found it hard to establish a relationship with
students – I don’t think you really get the
closeness that you get face to face
If I had a question I had to text – I
didn’t have direct access to the
lecturer
You can’t see everything that is happening in the classroom so it’s difficult to get a
general feeling of what’s going on – no
sense of the vibe.
Before teaching webinars I was
worried there would be no connection –
but I felt a good bond with the class
very early on
With everyone typing I finally think of something to say and
then the conversation has moved on – a number of times I’ve said sod it and deleted the
comments I was about to submit.
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Constructivism in Webinars• Social context created through the ‘vibe’ of the
webinar is critical in building the confidence to analyse, infer, deduce, justfy etc.
A good lecturer brought herself down to the level of the student – In class you do not need to assert
your knowledge – you need to recognise your audience. Some of
the lecturers made me think
if I’m in a webinar then I am restricted as the
conversation is really only with one person – in the class I can have a really good debate, but I am learning less as there is
no chance to discuss properly
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Constructivism in WebinarsKnowledge is created and explored through collaboration
I find them more useful to watch the
recorded lesson back rather than
participate in the online classroom live.
Students use it to clarify
and ask questions
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Constructivism in WebinarsPre-authentication – making the materials as relevant and like the real world as possible
• Much adaptation of materials to cultural values e.g. discussing families within the paradigm of polygamy
• Professional materials authenticated by use of CIPD resources
we now have specialists in the subject which
has made an incredible difference!
online courses should be more 'teaching'. How to handle this type of situation, options to
deal with this issue in the business
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Andragogy Perspectives (Knowles 1998)
Self-directed learning
Prior experience of the learner Motivation to learn
Orientation to Learning
Readiness to Learn
Learners need to know
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Lessons learned• Webinars can be BORING! Engagement must be
fought for• The social side of the classroom is easy to
underestimate• Students on webinars are usually in their own
homes – with the temptation of TV, radio, food, drink, chat, books, magazines, even housework etc………..• Technology is DIFFICULT and SCARY – but can be
used for flexibility and individualising materials• To engage students a range of pace, depth and
activities needs to be used e.g.• Polls, in the news..,
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Lessons Learned• It is essential in the early stages to go slowly and
carefully demonstrate the features• Plan more carefully for threshold concepts / e.g.
have a range of layouts available to address potential points of • Provide a scaffolding so that features are used
sparsely initially with a slow build-up• Then at the beginning of every session – check that
all students are OK, can hear and see you• Expect the technology to be disrupted e.g. in high
winds / storms, when the system is overloaded etc.
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Overall Conclusion…
It’s all about the blend!
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References
• Bliuc,A., Ellis,E., Goodyear,P. and Piggott, L. (2010) Learning through face-to-face and online discussions: Associations between students’ conceptions, approaches and academic performance in political science British Journal of Educational Technology Vol41 (3): 512-524
• Huang,H-M (2002) Toward constructivism for adult learners in online learning environments. British Journal of Educational Technology Vol33 (1): 27-37
• Knowles M S, Holton III E F and Swanson R A (1998) The adult learner (5th ed) Gulf, Texas.
• McBrien J.L. & Jones, P. (2009) Virtual spaces: employing a synchronous online classroom to facilitate student engagement in online learning The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, Vol10 (3)
• Vygotsky L S (1978) Mind in society Harvard University Press, Cambridge.• Wang,S and Hsu,H (2008) Use of the webinar (Elluminate) to support training: The
effects of Webinar-learning implementation from Student-trainers perspective Journal of Interactive Online Learning Vol 7 (3):175-194