richard hall mmu presentation

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Can higher education enable its learners’ digital autonomy? Richard Hall, [email protected], @hallymk1 Richard Hall, [email protected], @hallymk1

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Richard Hall's seminar presentation on ways in which the read/write web can support and develop student autonomy in Higher Education

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Page 1: Richard Hall MMU Presentation

Can higher education enableits learners’ digital autonomy?

Richard Hall, [email protected], @hallymk1Richard Hall, [email protected], @hallymk1

Page 2: Richard Hall MMU Presentation
Page 3: Richard Hall MMU Presentation

Autonomy and decision-making• Who sets the agenda for the use of a particular space?• Who controls access to that space? • What of participation and marginalisation?• What of the fusion of internal and external networks?

• The marriage of read/write strategies and tools can begin to open up spaces for people to engage with deliberation and association

• Read/write web tools and approaches promote dialogue and a sense that the power relationships within any space have a chance to be democratically-framed

• Opportunities for prioritising agency and active citizenship

How do external literacies impact academic literacies?

What are the academic implications of our students’ external networks?

Page 4: Richard Hall MMU Presentation

Technological models

Some tutor/techno-centred [pre-Web 2.0]• E-moderating [Salmon]• Conversational framework [Laurillard]

Some learner-centred [progressive pedagogies]• Learner Integration Project• TESEP

Page 5: Richard Hall MMU Presentation
Page 6: Richard Hall MMU Presentation

e-learning rarely seen as separate or special

mix of personal and institutional technologies

advanced networking

choice, access and control

Complexity and blurred boundaries: an “underworld of communication and information sharing”

Trying to understand the formal landscape

Page 7: Richard Hall MMU Presentation

Spaces for non-academic literacies and actions

Page 8: Richard Hall MMU Presentation

A caveat for the positivists

Report of an independent Committee of Inquiry into the impact on higher education of students’ widespread use of Web 2.0 technologies

“The next generation is unlikely to be so accommodating and some rapprochement will be necessary if higher education is to continue to provide a learning experience that is recognised as stimulating, challenging and relevant.” [http://bit.ly/J1JMf]

Helen Milner, Next step for the digital inclusion manifesto

“Entitlement to basic digital skills for all and simple, universal access recognised in policy, and supported by a new local authority national indicator. ” [http://bit.ly/4vX1tr]

Page 9: Richard Hall MMU Presentation

The read/write web:non-academic opportunities

• applications that can be utilised by individuals in order to identify aspects of the lives and work of others and to present themselves to those others

• the relationships between people and content point to the availability of enabling environments where decision-making can be based upon access to other points of view and searchable information

• the externalised development of the user’s identity and actions within a collective, shared context

Illich: the questions individuals are empowered to ask coupled to the socio-technical tools available to them, supports personal emancipation

Page 10: Richard Hall MMU Presentation

Opportunities 1:deliberative democracy

• Rorty, Phillips, Hirst, Halpin, Giddens: validity, active trust and action• “what beliefs are taken as valid determines the whole tenor of the social

order”• differences resolved through discussions and shared values: trust /respect• defused centres of power and progressive decision-making [c.f. Anstein]• [political] action: move from membership to participation is emphasised by

the ability to deploy democratic tools in a trustful manner, where agency is afforded through inclusion, flexibility and association

Dewey and democratic societies: “education which gives individuals a personal interest in social relationships, and the habits of mind which

secure social changes without introducing disorder”

Page 11: Richard Hall MMU Presentation

Opportunities 2: association• Linked to multifaceted identity: solidarity around specific issues or interests

• Recognising and accepting differences

• Partnership around specific goals

• The temporary necessity of closed positions

• Voluntarily associate with others who recognise the validity of their story

• Deconstruct positions of power, whilst encouraging a proliferation of voices

Page 12: Richard Hall MMU Presentation

Opportunities 3:decision-making and agency

• Barnett, Dewey, Driscoll, Illich, Sachs, Vygotsky: mastery and meaning

• democratic validation of an identity; an ability to judge, decide and act

• authentic activity; social negotiation; access to multiple modes of representation of knowledge and meaning; nurtured reflexivity; and personalised instruction

Sachs: “A strong civil society protects liberty because it diffuses the centres of power. It creates fraternity because it encourages people to work together. It

promotes equality because it tempers self-help with help to others, and encourage[s] participation and eventually independence”

Page 13: Richard Hall MMU Presentation
Page 14: Richard Hall MMU Presentation

Case 1: Confetti Institute

The Confetti Institute on YouTube

<http://www.youtube.com/user/TheConfettiInstitute>

Ignorant or Immigrant: asking good-enough questions <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owvGXo2TPYw>

The Confetti Institute’s music portal

<http://electricmayhem.co.uk/label/>

Page 15: Richard Hall MMU Presentation

Case 2: Placement Studenton social media

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Case 2: Placement Studenton academic support

Page 17: Richard Hall MMU Presentation

Evaluation• Interpretive phenomenological analysis [Mayes, 2006]• What students say about the impact of the read/write web on their learning

experiences, to provide a pragmatic description of their expectations for the use of those tools and approaches in the curriculum

• Reason: “open communicative space”• Elliott: “descriptions of the human environment”

• In-depth interviews and on-line focus groups with 130students at all levels, including postgraduate, in all five University faculties between 2005-09;

• Staff evaluations: in-depth interviews with 11 staff before, during and after they introduced read/write technologies into their curricula, 2007-09.

Are these tools opening up political opportunities in the classroom?

Is academia closed to informal learning?

Page 18: Richard Hall MMU Presentation

Deliberation: environmental control

• “It was good to have the criteria for the comments [on a wiki] discussed democratically and agreed”

• “if the tutor involves us and finds out what we need or want then that is okay. I’d like to see us more involved in setting [tasks and tools] up as it’s the easiest way to communicate”

• “web tools are easy and open software so we can create a structure that we manage”

• “the students have discovered and use web-based [tools] – they are migrating themselves into industry toolsets. We need to adapt”

Page 19: Richard Hall MMU Presentation

Deliberation:access and participation

• “[the lecturer] is innovative in using new media and pushes the boundaries in this area… we have an opportunity to progress and apply the tools”

• “there is some fear of the plagiarism of our ideas, but we just need to agree rules of engagement”

• “we built the community between us and now I am less apprehensive about getting feedback. It removed the fear of isolation”

• “The Web2.0 software is ‘owned’ and editable by them, and they can see what each other have done [sic.] and all are free to comment... what staff say has to be encouraging and of value, emotionally, technically, educationally, within a set of guidelines that promote active interest.”

Page 20: Richard Hall MMU Presentation

identity and external associations

• “If I posted my work on a bulletin board here no-one would have an idea but my friends on MySpace are different. I have accepted them as friends because their profile is interesting and I’m interested in why they want to talk to me. I trust their opinion and value their appreciation.”

• “I use Web 2.0 technologies because it is an interest thing. I am able to say ‘I found this and what do you think?’ It is a process of self-validation, to have opinions outside [the University]. I want an external view, a wider opinion on my work. I like [our use of read/write tools] as it is an extension of my way of working.”

• “exposure to the use of technologies in a variety of creative and discursive ways... “

Page 21: Richard Hall MMU Presentation

Developing critical literacy:some decisions taken?

• “We have to get used to tagging and linking and thinking like this”• “There is a much more relaxed feel about writing a blog, it’s much more natural and still has the potential

to raise one’s writing ability.”• “You have to read and discover and discuss these in the tutorials and so the blog complements and

summarises points.”• “I like the idea of our constantly updating the wiki, so you have to think and develop it over time.”

Caveat: social tools used in a professional setting. “This normally explicit division could easily become blurred with use of Web 2.0, and therefore we must understand where boundaries should be placed to ring-fence both the personal and academic experience these tools offer.”

Page 22: Richard Hall MMU Presentation

Case study 3:affective learning in History

Questioning; social learning; evaluation of sources and evidence; analytical speaking and writing.

Positive emotional engagement and personal development.

“[I] was really dreading getting [my work] back and had completely convinced myself it was my worst piece of work ever and it made me feel sick as I sat outside Dr X’s office waiting to get it back. I actually got 67% which i was very surprised and shocked at”.

“University work is getting a lot less scary now and I think I am starting to understand the standard that is expected”

Page 23: Richard Hall MMU Presentation

Case study 3:affective learning in History

Social emotional engagement and personal development.

“As tutors we really want you to gain personal confidence by participating, proposing ideas, discussing etc.”

“hopefully your collective self-confidence is growing - from the learning blog entries the group as a whole seems to value each point-of-view”.

The nurturing role of tutors as mentors using technology

“[web tools] made the transition to HE a lot less scary!”

“helped bridge the gap between university and living at home.”

Page 24: Richard Hall MMU Presentation

A nice AAD example:Game Art Design

• Use of Blackboard to structure programme and all modules

• Development of student blogs across all 3 years; sharing of student resources and mentoring

[first year blog second year blog group project blogs]

• Use of Facebook to enable students to own and share work

• The overall environment is focused upon spaces for student interaction, reflection, autonomy and sharing

Page 25: Richard Hall MMU Presentation

A nice TECH example: student ownership of projects

• Student-focused wikis and blogs developed

• External blogging software is used to allow students to have spaces for interaction, allowing them to build, demonstrate and share knowledge

• Links are made between weekly weblog tasks and external links for workshops. [3, 7 of spades ‘projects, 10 of spades mixtape]

• Use of web-based collaboration tools for synchronous work and as published lectures [week 9]

Page 26: Richard Hall MMU Presentation
Page 27: Richard Hall MMU Presentation

matters arising:space, place and use

• Who sets the agenda for the use of a particular space?

• Who controls access to that space?

• What of participation and marginalisation? Downes

• What of the fusion of internal and external networks and tools?

Page 28: Richard Hall MMU Presentation

Lessons for promoting autonomy

• Programme-level developments

• Student/problem/enquiry-based learning

• Students are an underused resource

• Strategies for association, deliberation and personalisation