“It is really COOL to learn together." Is it? Exploring collaborative learning in an open professional development course for teachers in HE

Chrissi Nerantzi Academic Developer Manchester Metropolitan University, UK @chrissinerantzi

Annual HEA Conference: Preparing for learning futures: the next ten years, Aston University, 2-3 July 2014

Abstract

This session will provide insights into the experience of open learners of the Flexible, Distance, Online Learning (FDOL) course. Benefits and challenges will be explored with delegates. FDOL is a case study, part of a PhD project in open cross-institutional academic practice for professional development of teachers in Higher Education (HE).

Voices • ecological university (Barnett, 2011)

• personalisation, collaboration, informalisation (Redecker et al, 2011)

• blending of formal & informal learning (Conole, 2013)

• call to open-up, join-up (European Commission, 2013)

• the danger of monocultures (Weller, 2014)

• lifewide curriculum (Jackson, 2014)

• recognising the positive impact of human interaction for learning

my personal digital open timeline (1/2)

my personal digital open timeline (2/2)

Live link: http://www.dipity.com/chrissinerantzi/my-story-of-open/

(about) collaborative learning in Openland

http://www.dipity.com/chrissinerantzi/collaborative-learning-in-openland/

aim of my PhD research

to develop a flexible collaborative learning framework for open cross-institutional Academic Development courses at postgraduate level

http://globaldimensionsinhe.wordpress.com/

http://fdol.wordpress.com/ 2+ cases

Phenomenography (Marton, 1981)

Main data collection individual interviews Complementary data via survey instruments (initial and final)

Collective case study approach (Stake, 1995)

Case study 1: FDOL132

PhD research: to develop a flexible collaborative learning framework for open cross-institutional Academic Development courses

FDOL132 and organisation

Nerantzi, Uhlin & Kvarnström (2013)

• Open cross-disciplinary professional development course for teachers in HE

• Developed and organised by Academic Developers in the UK and Sweden

• Developed using freely available social media

• Offered from September – December 2013

• Pedagogical design: simplified Problem-Based Learning

Numbers

• Registered: 107

• FDOL132 community in G+ until now: 72

• Signed up for PBL groups: 31

• PBL groups: initially 8-9 in each x 4 > then 3 (group 2: 6, / group 3: 5 / group 4: 6)

• PBL facilitators: 4

• Participants in webinars: 10-25

• Participants who completed in groups : 31 (42% of participants learning in groups)

•Countries

• UK - 66

• Sweden – 17

• Canada – 4

• Ireland – 2

• also participants from: Hongkong, Argentina, Greenland, Switzerland, New Zeeland, Slovenia, Belgium, New Zealand, Norway

Nerantzi & Uhlin (2012)

Findings: initial survey

19 participants in study 17 completed Countries: UK 37%, Sweden 37%, other 26%

Age range: 35-54 82% Gender: 35% male, 65% female Qualifications: 53% Doctoral qualification, 35% Postgraduate qualification, 12% undergraduate qualification

•All employed ( 88% HE and 12%Public Sector) •Participated in online courses before 88 % •Participated in an open online course before 47%

Learning values to be an open learner To connect with others To collaborate To be supported by a facilitator Application to practice

Prior experience Working in groups 77% Problem-Based Learning 30% Online collaboration 38% Social media in a professional capacity 50%

Findings: final survey

Final survey: 11 completed Mode of participation

Group member 91% Autonomous learner 9%

Study hours per week 55% 3 h, 27% 5h, 18% over 5

Main reason for not participating in a specific aspect of the course: TIME

Learning values •Structured course •Variety of synchronous & asynchronous engagement opportunities •Flexibility •Resources •Communication •Feedback from facilitators, peer and others •Recognition for study •Group work > participation was often a struggle

Personal Learning goals achieved 100% Learning goals

•Technologies for learning •Problem-based Learning •Learning in groups •Open learning •Open course design

Facilitation (satisfaction) Support 100% Participation in online discussions 100% Provision of regular feedback 64%

Key observations importance for learning

initial survey final survey

group work 100% 74%

feedback 61% 97%

recognition for study 47% 94%

independent study 100% 100%

facilitator support 100% 100%

45 h transcribing

292:57 mins

audio

37,274 words

7 interviews

Case 1: FDOL132

“Why should cooperative or collaborative learning be effective for learners, who are, after all, exchanging only imperfect understandings of the content, if the teacher is not present to advise or correct them?” (Slavin, 2004, 287)

cooperative vs collaborative cooperative learning collaborative learning

shared product/outcome shared product/outcome

focus on individual goals within group goals focus on group goals

the individual constructs learning learning is co-constructed, challenged, modified, agreed, shared understanding

product consists of individual contributions product is co-constructed

roles/responsibilities pre-defined/imposed (not always)

roles/responsibilities negotiated/agreed

process is clean and defined (not always) process is fluid, responsive and adaptive

focus more on individual achievement focus more on collective achievement

Learning to use NVivo

FDOL132: A closer look at learning in groups Warning! Preliminary findings

Struggling at the moment and lost in nodes… will I ever manage to untangle this mess?

• Commitment – Motivation increased because of working with others – Motivation of others increased own motivation – Learners working towards credit had a positive impact on others

• People – Multi-cultural and multi-disciplinary groups enriched experience – Cultural and language challenges – (In)tolerance, empathy and care – Strong sense of group belonging

• Use of PBL for group work – Seen as opportunity for authentic learning linked to own practice – Kept learners engaged – Constraining as structure and as the exclusive design for learning

Group related data Preliminary thematic analysis

• Collaboration in groups – Synchronous communication made it real for some (others find it a challenge) – Learners felt part of a community – Organisational, technology challenges at the start – Time challenges throughout (synchronous meetings helped some, others not) – Valued learning with and from peers – Contributing to group and peer feedback seen as valuable – Intellectual challenge – Assessment obstructed from group work, too much focus on output/reflection – Quality of output considered good, acceptable, poor – Group size, small worked best (3-4, pairing suggested) – Experiencing group work as a student valuable – Facilitator support was valued – Extending learning opportunities offline in local communities

Group related data Preliminary thematic analysis

FDOL132 participant’s experience

Source: http://www.freemovement.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/skype-m.jpg

Dr Isobel Gower, Writtle College Dr Sue Moron-Garcia, University of Birmingham

Dr Stephan Haas, Karolinska Institutet

Opportunities Challenges

Cross-disciplinary learning Managing time constraints

Cross-cultural learning Dealing with differences

Sharing experiences Grouping, is pairing an answer?

Flexible modes of engagement Learning approach(es) and choice

Personalised learning Nature of group work

Motivating each other when learning in small groups

Assessment (process vs product)

Develop practices that will be useful in other contexts

Supporting (collaborative) peer learning

Authentic and contextualised learning Collaborative learning requires higher levels of collective commitment

Learning in small groups/pairs enables more active participation (less threatening)

Scaffolding learning and flexible structure

FDOL131 > FDOL132> FDOL141

Course FDOL131 FDOL132 FDOL141

Course duration 11Feb – 7 May 13

12 weeks

12 Sep – 5 Dec 13

12 weeks

10 Feb - 23 March 14

6 weeks

Thematic units 6 7 6

Learners 80 107 86

Learners from the UK 42 65 38

Learners from Sweden 21 20 27

Learners from other countries 17 22 21

Groups 8>4 4>3 6>4

Learners in groups/% 64/80% 31/29% 27/32%

Facilitators 4>3 4 14>11 (in pairs/threes)

Learners per facilitator 27 36 7 or 14 (in pairs)

Learners that completed in groups 16 13 17

Completion rate based on the whole

cohort

insufficient information insufficient information insufficient information

Completion rate based on group

participation

25% 43% 63%

(Nerantzi, 2014, 55)

Opportunities institutions to collaborate and create open joined-up CPD?

1. Could open cross-institutional collaborations and courses such as FDOL be adapted more widely and become part of the standard CPD offer for academics and other professionals who teach in HE?

2. What about other postgraduate provision. Are there now opportunities for co-creation of curricula among institutions? How can we make it happen and what are the benefits?

Hard fun?

“I think, […] I enjoyed the process of collaborative working, work that was struggle, it was fun, it was interesting to communicate with others, especially due to the […] multi-national structure. So I can encounter the […] different, other […] backgrounds. It's […] inspiring, it's, interesting for me, in contrast to me communicating with our other, colleagues […] So this was inspiring […] that I thought, it's, it's a valuable way to do a project work.” Participant F4

“You do not learn to play the piano by reflecting on the piano, you have to play the piano, yes? And you don't learn e-learning technologies by reflecting about learning technologies, you have to use e-learning technologies.” Participant F5

Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f2/Piano-keyboard.jpg

• Continue data analysis of case FDOL132 using Nvivo, define categories of description

• Continue literature review (cooperative, collaborative learning)

• Write up paper about FDOL132 learning in PBL groups

• …

Next steps

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References

cross-institutional #BYOD4L

14 – 18 July

Is your institution joining us?

Manchester Metropolitan University Sheffield Hallam University University of Sussex University of Ulster London Metropolitan University

“It is really cool to learn together." Is it? Exploring collaborative learning in an open professional development course for teachers in HE

Chrissi Nerantzi Academic Developer Manchester Metropolitan University, UK @chrissinerantzi

Annual HEA Conference: Preparing for learning futures: the next ten years, Aston University, 2-3 July 2014