Digital Literacy

A sketchbook supporting pedagogical research projects connected with my teaching certificate at Edinburgh Napier University. John Morrison.

[digitaliteracy]

Flipped learning: Creating interaction in lectures using Peer Instruction F2F delivery

A presentation on flipped learning approaches for the eLearning 2.0 Conference 23 July 2014

Extend and Empower -the Flipped Classroom: An application of student centred design principles, with emphasis on flipped learning approaches to a blended HE course, scaffolded on the 3E framework.

This presentation was produced as part of a case study on flipped learning. The full report can be accessed here

The project was developed during the module EDU11108 Curriculum Design and Development for Blended and Online Learning on the PgCert OBE at Edinburgh Napier University.

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A Technology Enhanced Approach to Improving Feedback Satisfaction:

This document explores the effectiveness of using screencast-video feedback delivered through Moodle's gradebook, which enhances student sat

A Technology Enhanced Approach to Improving Feedback Satisfaction: An investigation into using screencast-video as a means of producing feedback delivered via the Moodle gradebook.

A presentation I made at ALT-C 2013. The full conference paper is available here.

The project was developed during the module EDU11100 Introduction to Blended and Online Education on the PgCert OBE at Edinburgh Napier University.

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Using Apple QuickTime Player to generate and distribute screencast video feedback

The most straightforward option on the Mac platform was to utilise QuickTime Player, a core component of Apples media authoring and playback architecture, built in to OS X v 10.6 and later.

Quicktime X represented a change of strategy for Apple, who have evolved the platform to be more streamlined and ‘consumer’ focused. This meant moving away from the historic two-tier model of standard free and paid pro versions of the software. Although the new version lost some pro features, it gained video screen capture and basic video editing capabilities. These capture and edit features combined with a new a simple ‘Share’ menu for one click export and upload of videos to popular video hosting platforms such as Youtube made it simple to use and an ideal candidate for this study.

Ease of Use & Capture

Recording a screen capture video in QuickTime is straightforward and logical; the menus follow standard and familiar Apple users interface design. Navigating the file menu for the option ‘Capture new Screen Recording’ or using the keyboard short cut induces a small control menu with a red record button. There are some simple options here for setting the captured video size and the audio source. Pressing ‘record’ begins the recording and pressing it again stops the recording, the control menu remains visible during the capture process but is automatically hidden from the captured video. After stopping the recoding, captured videos are automatically saved to the users desktop and the only limit to the length of the recording is the space remaining on the users hard drive.

Export and Sharing

QuickTime X’s native support for the h.264 codec, a modern, popular and scalable version of the MPEG4 standard make the exported screencast videos ideal for viewing on the web as well as popular mobile platforms such as Apples iPhone, iPad and Google Android devices.

Hosting the screencast videos so that individual or groups of students could access them securely and effectively required some careful considerations. The first was privacy, it was important that the feedback could be hosted or delivered in a secure manner for data protection. The second was technical, each feedback video was between 3-5 minutes in length and when using the Share for Web options, QuickTime X generated MPEG4 files which were 30- 40mb each. This ruled out email as a delivery mechanism. Moodle Edinburgh Napier’s virtual learning environment is ideal as the screencast videos can be embedded in the Moodle Gradebook. There is also a native Moodle app for the iPad so students can access their feedback on the go. 

Alternative solutions 

http://www.techsmith.com/jing.html Techsmith offers a range of products for screen capture their free offering is called Jing.

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For this group project I worked with Cathy Lewin and Geoge Wilson to design, develop and deliver an online seminar on the theme of supporting care leavers in further and higher education. Together we created two Learning Outcomes for the seminar:

 L.O.1 Analyse and reflect upon the role of blended and online approaches in supporting the specific requirements of care-leavers and other non-traditional student groups.

L.O.2 Develop a critical understanding the essential affordances of online tools, which support achievement for non-traditional learners such as care-leavers.

These learning outcomes became the starting point for developing a set of constructively aligned learning resources.

A Moodle Community site was developed as a central gateway for exploring the subject as well as the affordances of a range of educational tools. The week one activities were mostly scaffolded around L.O.1 and were hosted in Ed.Ted. The quiz questions and discussions were framed around the PhD work of  Belinda Bluff, a care leaver awarded a Lemn Sissay scholarship. These could be accessed at a time that suited participants and provided both cognitive and social presence.

A summary of the outcome of this session can be found here:

Summary of current provision for care leavers.

Summary of how technology can overcome issues.

Summary of Ted-Ed discussion on strengths and weaknesses.

The week two activities were mostly scaffolded around L.O.2. Firstly Cathy interviewed Dr Sue Timmis, a senior lecturer in technology enhanced learning at the University of Bristol.

In part 1 of the video Cathy and Sue discuss a definition of affordances.

Part 2 of the video provides some context of this definition of affordances in relation to digital media for supporting non-traditional groups.

The reading list for week two was designed to help develop a critical understanding of the key issues surrounding the subject. Participants then engaged with activities, which involved choosing an online educational tool to explore and review in relation to its capacity to support achievement for non-traditional learners. Voicethead was used to host the discussions around the various tools investigated.

Directory of educational tools.

Voicethread discussions of educational tools.

This group project was developed during the module EDU11111 Supporting the Blended and Online Student Experience,  on the PgCert OBE at Edinburgh Napier University.

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The repertory grid technique online toolkit

An investigation into harnessing the repertory grid technique, as a means of assessing the individual learning requirements of blended and online students.

The repertory grid technique instructions

Repertory grid interview template 

The repertory grid technique online toolkit by John Morrison is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 licence. 

Other Resources:

A video on the repertory grid interview process.

Presentation highlighting the repertory grid technique.

The project was developed during the module EDU11111 Supporting the Blended and Online Student Experience,  on the PgCert OBE at Edinburgh Napier University.

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PgC Blended and Online Education

As of Oct 2012 I have begun studying on the PgC in Blended and Online Education at Edinburgh Napier University this year. 

I am excited to be part of this programme and actively interested in how technology can be meaningfully harnessed to enhance the student learning experience.  My initial interests lie in investigating approaches for providing contextually rich feedback for learning and methods for enhancing interactivity in lectures, with the aim of creating engaging learning experiences.

I hope to fulfil the learning outcomes from this programme by directly embedding the projects in my teaching practice. My current studies on the programme include research into Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCS), Peer Instruction techniques for flipped learning and exploring the teaching methods of renowned progressive schools such as the Bauhaus.

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(via 13 E-learning theories)

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Sir Ken Robinson: Bring on the learning revolution! TED 2010

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Last Lecture. Randy Pausch, was a Professor at Carnegie Melon University. This his last lecture where he shares some innovative pedagogical and life changing experiences.