practicing what we preach – research into e-learning tools for faculty learning & knowledge...
TRANSCRIPT
Practicing What We Preach – Research into E-Learning Tools for
Faculty Learning & Knowledge Mobilization
Tom CareyUniversity of Waterloo & California State University
Would like to have titled…
E-Mobilizing Knowledge from E-Learning Research
Overview of this session
How does this help in Shaping our Future?
Barriers for faculty and examples of works-in-progress toaddress them:
•I don’t have enough time …•collaborative teams for course redesign
•I can’t understand it…•Knowledge syntheses and other “knowledge products”
•I need to see it in my context…•ELIXR case stories of exemplary teaching practice
•The truth is out there…somewhere …but I can’t find it•a Knowledge Exchange Network for Exemplary Teaching
How does this help in Shaping our Future?
Potential funders of e-learning research are interested in enhancing (teaching and) learning…
…we need to demonstrate impacts from our research.
“How we teach is a key part of what we teach”…
If we want students to thrive in a global knowledge economy, we must model the values and processes we want them to practice.
Challenges for Faculty to Use our Research (1):
I don’t have time…
Solution work-in-progress:
•Many hands make light work•Faculty cooperate on their individual course redesigns in a common target subject area
•E.g., California State University collaborative teams in Spring 08
General Chemistry and Developmental Mathematics.• Demo (private Google Groups website)
Challenges for Faculty to Use our Research (2):
I can’t understand it…
Mobilizing knowledge from research requires additional steps
beyond other forms of knowledge exchange
•Example of a Knowledge Synthesis for/from cooperative teams:
•Teaching Cash Flow Statements to Business Students •Using Personal Response Systems to Engage Deep Learning•Teaching Fractions to Adults• Why students find atomic structure a challenge
Copyright ©1998 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd.
Haynes, B. et al. BMJ 1998;317:273-276
Many new organizational forms and knowledge products are being developed to mobilize knowledge into practice and policy…
Design & Innovation team members (macro changes)
Knowledge Transfer team members (micro changes)- create knowledge syntheses as tools and legacy
Discipline colleagues
Cooperative Team Structure to Integrate Design and Knowledge Transfer
Challenges for Faculty to Use our Research (3):
I need to see it in my context…
Solution work-in-progress:
ELIXR program to provide discipline-oriented case stories of exemplary practice (with links to research…)
Mobilize through teaching & learning centres
Components of an ELIXR case story
“What it is”: illustrations of needs, benefits, issues
“How it works”: Virtual class/course visits
“How I did it”: Illustration of steps
“But what about…” FAQs addressed by someone with whom
faculty can identify
(discipline, context,
career stage,
teaching philosophy…)
ELIXR tools:
• guides to using case stories• guides to creating case stories• case story templates• evaluation tools
• community workspace• management processes• adaptation tools
Challenges for Faculty to Use our Research (4):
I need one stop shopping…
for the “wisdom of practice…insights from research…”
Research project commissioned by
ScholarlyResearch on Teaching &Learning (ch. 3)
Shared“Open”
Learning Resources
(ch. 4)Collaboratory Projects (ch. 5)
Reflections on Teaching& Expertise (ch. 1)
Educational Development Resources (ch. 6)
Examples of Online Artifacts for Mediated Knowledge Exchange
Expert teachers continually seek to enhance their practice,
led by their Passion for teaching
Institutions invite/encourage/requireuse and contribution as part of grants
to enhance teaching and other Programs
Mainstream teachers want to address specific learning challenges
for students. This Problem-drivenuse requires a significant volume of
high quality resources to be effective.
Strategic Priorities across institutionslead to cooperative knowledge exchange
(e.g., Degree level expectations, AcademicIntegrity, Transforming Course Design)
Distributed teams use an online collaboratory
for knowledge exchange and knowledge-building
on specific Projects
Who Will Use & Contribute to a Knowledge Exchange Network for Exemplary
Teaching?
Research Overview
Stakeholder Roundtable& Roadmap
Pilot Studies
leading to the initiation & evolution of an online
Knowledge Exchange Network
to enhance teaching & learning in Ontario higher education
Faculty Catalysts
Post for public consultation:knowledgexchangenetwork.edublogs.org
Engage Canadian& Global
Collaborations
Steps toward a Knowledge Exchange Network for Exemplary Teaching
Contact information: [email protected]
Private Google Groups workspace will soon have a public excerpt(email Tom to be notified)
Information about CSU Transforming Course Design project:
http://www.calstate.edu/ats/transforming_course_design/
http://transform.csuprojects.org
ELIXR: http://elixr.merlot.org
Email Tom for access to the case story on Using Debates for Integrative Learning on Global Climate Change
Report on a Knowledge Exchange Network for Exemplary Teaching:
http://knowledgexchangenetwork.edublogs.org