Workshop - Reflections on Learning Design – Designing for the Faculty of Health with the Institute for Interactive Media and Design at the University of Technology Sydney.

Mark O’Connor, Learning Technologist, Institute for Interactive Media & Learning University of Technology Sydney, Australia. mark.p.oconnor@uts.edu.au

1. Introduction: As a learning technologist at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) I work with both the central Institute for Interactive Media and Learning (IML) team and with the UTS Faculty of Health. I collaborate with Academics in Health Services Management, Nursing, Midwifery and Sport and Exercise Science. I see new paradigms in teaching evolving on an ongoing basis. I empower academics with new skills and learning technology solutions to inform their pedagogical practice in physical and virtual spaces.

In this workshop I will demonstrate how my own background in audio/video production (MA Music Technology), Science (B Mechanical Engineering – Materials and Design) and Education (member of the Irish Teaching Council) informs my practice. My professional experience in running my own media production business for many years also informs my approach, delivery of service and mastery of tools for blended learning content creation. I believe each of these elements motivate me to deliver excellence and inspires academics to embrace new approaches. I will welcome discussion around approaches across institutions to explore successes. At IML our sound booth, a sound treated space with Rode condenser mic allows us to deliver excellence in audio ever time for use with the in-house iMac and wide range of software. At the UTS Faculty of Health, technology solutions using ePortfolios, simulation laboratories(mannequins see Figure 1), and applications for mobile devices are drivers for enhanced student learning experiences.

Figure 1: Mannequin in simulation lab [1]

Significant resources and financial assistance is being put in place by the faculty for me to purchase hardware and software solutions to roll out across the faculty. This will provide the potential for academics to create resources and content in line with the Learning.Futures strategy being implemented in line with the UTS Model of Learning. This investment also affects the culture in the faculty with academics feeling supported and gives them access to resources.

In this and in prior Learning Technologist roles [2], I have observed different strategies for embedding technologies at University levels in Australia and Europe. I will present my reflections on this and what I regard are the best support models across central learning technology teams, faculties and institutions.

2. Examples

2.1: Our team and our customers: At the IML we have a team of some 8 learning technologists, and some 6 Academic Language and Learning and 9 Learning and Teaching academics at the Institute for Interactive Media and Learning (IML) to service 8 faculties across the University. While I work with Faculty of Health I also work on activities with the central IML team. My perspective on the common challenges faced by academics informs my practice. I can see what practices work for the Health faculty and across the wider university. In providing our service, I see that we have 3 clients or audiences to consider: 1 – Academics – skill level, preferred technologies, teaching styles, subject content 2 – Students – learning styles, 1st/2nd/3rd years, postgrads, age range, international 3 – Learning.futures team/IML – practices, pedagogies, teaching and learning vision 2.2 Tools: Soundbooth A common challenge for academics and learning designers is to have good quality audio in learning and teaching media. Academics looking for ways to engage students are creating a variety of digital media. How do you ensure excellent quality audio recording? With the UTS IML Sound booth, the challenge has been met full on. By investing in a dedicated sound treated space, academics, visiting lecturers and educational technologists have been producing excellent quality audio recordings on Screen Captures, How-To Videos and Presentations. Student and academic feedback has been very positive and analytics show improved uptake on course materials. Requiring minimal training, the Sound booth is available to all faculties at UTS and IML Learning Technologists offer support for session bookings, initial training and project content deployment through UTSOnline’s Blackboard system, YouTube and other channels. Reflective practice is central to development nursing, midwifery and sport and exercise science graduates. As part of a new teaching and learning paradigm, encouraging students to use audio and video recording as a tool for self-reflection in their eportfolio is something I have fostered in my role as a learning technologist. Its uses in formative and summative feedback before and after clinical placement periods are invaluable. Academics leading through provision of excellently produced rich media content is ideal. Other findings of uses of the Sound booth include:

-­‐ More students are able to receive content asynchronously and review closer to exam time -­‐ Quick turnaround time -­‐ Excellent results every time -­‐ Visiting lecturers from industry can more readily commit to one off recording session rather

than multiple lecture visits; this is also a less expensive and reusable solution; visiting professionals found the process very easy and more time efficient. Realize the value of their contribution, all students get to experience professional perspectives rather than whoever turns up on the day.

-­‐ Academics are advised to break their recordings into more manageable time slots; 5 mins for short how-to or recap videos; 3 20 minute sessions for hour long lectures

-­‐ Booking and sticking to agreed timeslots rewards focussed and well prepared content -­‐ The ability to WATCH and to RE-WATCH videos

Visiting lecturer example click here

Blackboard site orientation videos – Meeting the challenge of properly orienting students to their subject sites prior to classes commencing, we have undertaken to record screencasts of academics walking students through their UTSOnline sites highlighting:

-­‐ How to open the subject outline. Walk them through it. -­‐ Show clearly term timetable, readings, tutorials, lectures, labs, assessment items and exams.

UTSOnline Blackboard site orientation video click here. Professional video productions On occasion I have worked with academic on substantial video productions. For this I use a Canon HD camera with lapel mics and for post production I edit in Adobe Premier Pro. 2 projects I worked on are given below. Interview Skills example click here With the careers office and a number of academics, we created this resource to give students a taste of their final year mock interview sessions. Usually a representative from HR, an academic and a health professional will be in a panel of interviewers and each will have a specific type of question. We presented both good and bad answers to these questions. We also did vox pop interviews with students after their mock interviews. We believe these will be of use to students on interviews for clinical placement and for graduates going out into the workforce. Reflective Practice – Reflective practice is technique used by nursing and midwifery students to process their own progress in their journeys towards becoming nurses and midwives and is an ongoing discipline throughout their careers. Our ePortfolio team has designed ePortfolio templates to equip students to track their journeys. The Blackboard ePortfolio is available for students to use after graduation and is an excellent way for them to apply for posts, exporting ‘snapshots’ of their ePortfolios with content that is directly related to the selection criteria of a post. Reflective practice is also uniquely suited for embedding self learning technologies, recording tools and asynchronous 'just-in-time' media for students on clinical placement.

Figure 2: Johns Model of reflection [3] Reflective Practice example click here. This was shot with a Canon EOS 700D camera with rode lapel mic (some A/C noise) Other case studies: Echo360 desktop capture – This software is one of many options for creating screen capture videos. It requires some training and allows for some simple top and tail editing to allow Academics to upload to youtube to then embed in their UTSOnline sites. Figure 3: Echo360 personal capture software screens.

UTS YouTube accounts – Every UTS staff member has their own UTS Google/YouTube account. This allows us to not have to worry about file size of videos. We recommend that academics load their high–res videos as unlisted and use the html embed code to share in their subjects’ UTSOnline sites. Figure 4: UTS Google/YouTube account log in screens

SPARK – Self + peer assessment – Developed by Keith Willie in UTS. Popular in institutions in Europe and Australia. With this software students engage in self assessment and get value from feedback from others. Reflect on their own contribution to group projects. It embeds graduate attributes by having them write critical reviews on their peers professionally. It is has both quantitative (marking themselves and their peers) and qualitative (comments section, different criteria) value. See appendix for graphic interface. Social media in the classroom: A number of our academics have formed facebook groups and twitter user groups. UTS also has a licence with Lynda.com which allows academics to use already created media in their learning materials. One such example on social media use can be seen here. Postgraduate students - Challenges for connecting with Postgraduate students are also explored. Technologies such as Skype, Elluminate Live, Adobe Connect and Google Hangouts allow academics to run drop-in sessions online for students to connect remotely. 3. Learning.Futures – UTS Policies driving innovations

UTS through its Learning.Futures strategy is rolling out new flexible learning spaces across its Sydney city campus. UTS is in the midst of a $1 billion City Campus redevelopment. Our active learning approach capitalises on our state-of-the-art learning spaces. Students are encouraged to engage with academics and peers through lectures, tutorials and workshops and focus on problem solving and group work while at uni. Students have access to academic and industry networks and opportunities to build real relationships with a diverse range of peers and future colleagues.

Figure 5: What is Learning.Futures? [4]

Figure 6: Learning.Futures expanded

Figure 7: Mixed-mode and collaborative, technology enabled learning spaces. [5]

Academics and casual academics utilise the full functionality of the Blackboard Learning Management System, including other 3rd party applications such as Review, Intellilearn, Smart Sparrow, Eportfolio, Captivate and more. The culture at UTS Health is proactive in its adoption of new technologies. Academics and casual academics utilise the full functionality of the Blackboard Learning Management System, including other 3rd party applications such as Review, SPARK (self/peer assessment), Intellilearn, Smart Sparrow, Eportfolio, Captivate and more. The culture at UTS Health is proactive in its adoption of new technologies.

4: Future work: Work is ongoing in ensuring subjects become Learning.Futures compliant. We will expand the functionality of our Soundbooth based on users request to use Green Screen techniques. We also wish to carry out more in-depth evaluation – As I just started my role in March 2015 at UTS, evaluation is pending. However, by the end of this term we will have some interesting data to draw from:

• YouTube Statistics – Number of hits, relative audience participation – so far our channel is at 33,000 hits (see appendix).

• Student satisfaction ratings – We will receive feedback on our new materials will be deployed this term.

The contributions and outcomes of this workshop at Ec-Tel will no doubt also inform my practice and hopefully will give attendees ideas to develop in the future.

Acknowledgements: Thanks to Claudia Virdun and ??? for their assistance.

Appendix

SPARK Self and Peer Assessment snapshot

Learning spaces

YouTube Analytics snapshot

References:

1: 2014 Orr, F. Kelly, M & Stein-Parbury, J. ($9,998) ‘Making it real’: Incorporating flipped learning and the active involvement of mental health consumers to enhance therapeutic communication skills for final year nursing students. 2: http://conference.pixel-online.net/FOE/files/foe/ed0004/FP/0806-ENT530-FP-FOE4.pdf

3: Johns C (1995) Framing learning through reflection within Carper’s fundamental ways of knowing in nursing. Journal of Advanced Nursing. 22, 2, 226-234

4: http://youtu.be/rL0eFmac7mA

5: http://www.uts.edu.au/sites/default/files/FutureSpaces2ndEditionWeb%5B1%5D.pdf