Promoting participation via a multiple-discussion online forum:

Student perspectives on the experience

The Seventh International Blended Learning Conference“Reflecting on our achievements – What’s next for technology-

enhanced learning and teaching”

13th – 14th June 2012

University of Hertfordshire – The Fielder Center, Hatfield, Herts., UKThe Learning and Teaching Institute in partnership with JISC

t.yearwood@hib-academy.de

Tanyasha Yearwood

OverviewOne “phase“ in the process

of Appreciative Inquiry

Setting, participants and task

Discovery through reflective

commentaries and triangulation with

discourse

The next phase: “explores the data from its “positive core” and finds ways of envisioning

a future...” (Cousin, 2009: 180)

My learning outcomes: How will my students experience this?

What gives life to this experience?

• “...[moving] beyond the confines... of a problem-centered focus... If we look at what animates a setting, we ignite our thinking with possibilities rather than limitations” (Cousin, 2009: 172).

The Appreciative Inquiry Approach

One “phase” in the process of Appreciative Inquiry

Discovery Amplification Design Implementation

“… it proports to create an environment that allows for collaborative interaction among students” (Brandl, 2005: 16).

• “The appearance of new technology represents the opportunity to evolve from teaching-learning proceses (T/L) focused on the teacher, to others which are more student-focused and get in more interactive learning environments. Learning Management Systems (LMS) and Social Software constitute the most visible side of ICT (Bosco, 2011: 14)

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Discovery… to frame the future

• Private university of International Management

• B.A. (Hons) 1st semester Level 1 students (43)

• English Business Communication II (focus on developing oral skills)

• VLE (Moodle courseroom)

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The setting, participants…

The EBC II Moodle course roomLink to face to face session

Opportunity for further skills development

Making explicit the added

value and link to evaluation

• Preparing for a job interview – Providing convincing answers for tricky questions

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… and task (promoting participation)

• Requiring students to make at least one contribution

• Providing a range of topics from which students can choose

• Giving students sufficient support to ensure that they are comfortable with the process (e.g doing a dry run)

• Making students aware of my support and following through (e.g. motivational email)

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… and ensuring participation

“…depicting positive aspects,… as data in its own right” (Cousin, 2009: 179).

• Each commentary reviewed to identify themes defining the experience (“Life-giving features)“…hat es einen guten Zweck erfüllt da man gemeinsam…diskutiert hat und diese auch festgehalten hat. So konnte man sich alles nochmal durchlesen….”

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Discovery through reflective commentaries…

• Learning collaboratively“Ein Student ist gut, mehere sind besser”

GIVING AND RECEIVING

• Support• Feedback“Food for thought” – “Ideenpool”

– New perspectives/new ideas

– Reflection

• Building (on others’) ideas10.09.07

Illustrations (I)

• Flexible Learning (freedom)– to interact on one’s own time (not bound by place/time)– to choose a topic of interest– to have more “think time”– to be brave– to contribute as much as one likes

“…diese Art der Diskussion [war] sehr gut für diejenigen die sich im Unterricht vielleicht nicht melden wurden und eher zurückhaltender sind”

“…dass man auf alles antworten konnte ohne unterbrochen zu werden”

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Illustrations (II)

• Socializing– Becoming aware of the various ways in which others

express themselves– Valuing others’ views– Slotting into other peoples’ thinking– Leading to exchanges outside the classroom

“… Jeder hatte eine Idee und war einen selbst überlassen was man davon angenommen hat und was nicht.”

“Ich fand gut, dass so viele verschiedene Ideen gesammelt werden konnte… Man konnte seine eigene ausbauen… So konnte man sich gemeinsam auf das Interview vorbereiten”

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Illustrations (III)

• Pedagogical value– Visual effect of the written form of the discussion

• Sustainability of the exchange• Structure of the ideas

– More time for reflection– Opportunity for the more reserved– Opportunity for the less reserved– Discussing and reflecting in the foreign language

“…ich habe gelernt (generell) über andere Meinungen auf englisch nachzudenken, zu kommunizieren & meine eigene Meinung somit zu vertreten oder neue Ideen in die Diskussion mit einzubringen”

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Illustrations (IV)

• Each online script was reviewed to identify overlaps with the themes raised in the reflective commentaries– Corroborating what students say about the

value of the experience with teacher understandings

– Identifying to what extent the learning outcomes were achieved

– Verifying the strength of the “life-giving” features

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… and triangulation with discourse

Learning collaboratively

“Food for thought” / New perspectives

Opportunity for the more active

Thank you for your interest in this session!