Exploiting online networks and shared repositories to support the professional development of distance tutors Janet Macdonald, Tony Churchill, Anne Hewling Networked Learning Conference, Lancaster April.
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Exploiting online networks and shared repositories to support the professional development of distance tutors Janet Macdonald, Tony Churchill, Anne Hewling Networked Learning Conference, Lancaster April 2006 Content The questions we hope to address in this session are… • How can tutors – particularly those involved in distance learning – be supported and engaged? • What is the potential of online networks and shared repositories for this purpose? • Does the communities of practice model have anything to offer in this process? • What practical examples are available that could be explored in your institution? Context The Open University has… • 100,000 full-time equivalent (fte) students on part-time, distance learning courses The University of Leicester has… • 19,000 students (fte) • 55% post-graduate • A significant distance learning offer for post-graduate courses (65% of all PG students) Both have a history of e-learning innovations Distance tutors and their needs • What do you know about your distance tutors? – what they do as tutors – on which courses – working conditions – other jobs and responsibilities • What professional development do your tutors want? • What do you think they need? • What are the drivers to providing professional development for your tutors? Supporting tutors in online communities: SOS Janet Macdonald, Open University Scottish Online Support (SOS) -Open to all OU tutors in Scotland -200 staff from all Faculties -Established Dec 2002 -Discussions + resources -3 years complete archives -Moderated -Used as follow up to face to face events About the research • Who uses the conference? • How? • For what purpose? • Desk study of archives (April 03 – Dec 05) • Email study of current users SOS Conference findings The history of the conference Messages posted to SOS conference (April 2003 - December 2005) 100 80 60 40 20 Number of messages posted by moderators Face to face workshops ov ec D N O ct pt Se ly Au g Ju ay ne Ju r Total messages posted M Ap ch M ar n Fe b Ja ec D ov N O ct pt Se l Au g Ju n Ju r ay M Ap ar M n Fe b Ja pt O ct N ov D ec Se Au g l Ju n Ju M ay 0 July 03 SOS Conference findings Readers 180 160 140 120 Number of readers Number of times sampled messages for each year were read 100 80 60 40 20 0 2003 2004 2005 SOS Conference findings Longevity of messages 18 16 14 Number of times sampled messages are read 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Number of days after posting SOS Conference findings What is the conference used for? Least frequently observed use 4. Notices 3. Requests for help 2. Social exchanges 1. Discussion of topical issues Most frequently observed use Uses of SOS – most frequent 1. Discussion “If the OU is working towards an increased dependence on using electronic means for delivering and assessing courses, do you think basic internet and e-mail skills should be a prerequisite for all courses to ensure that all students have such skills for courses?” 2. Social exchanges e.g. meeting up at staff development events Union issues Births/deaths Uses of SOS 3. Requests for help “I have set up a mail list within my address book for my new October students for sending out group e-mails. I would like to print it out for my own reference, but I can not manage to do so. I'm sure this is very easy. Can any one help me?” “[…] if I open my contacts folder there is a File menu with an option to Print, or get a Print view of the contents. I wonder if that is what you need?” “Thanks for your reply. I knew there would be an easy answer to this – [name deleted] gave me the tip- with the personal mail list as the active screen just press ctrl p What could be easier. Now why didn't I think about that? Using First Class becomes so much easier when you start to learn all these short cuts.” Uses of SOS 4. Notices “Below is a web address that directs tutors to information on FirstClass. Any use to anyone? Try: http://www.open.ac.uk/lts/cim/ola/firstclass/documentation/index.html. FirstClass Personal is covered in items 7 - 11 on the list” “The next Tutor Moderators' Course will run Monday 9th January to Monday 30th January 2006. Interested tutors are asked to look over the attached course outline, and to sign up by 22nd December. …” SOS Conference findings Issues for users Supportive community Timely advice and information relevant to professional role Time available to check messages and volume of traffic Is SOS a Community of Practice? • Domain Identity defined by shared domain of interest Membership implies commitment to the domain Members value collective competence and learn from each other Community Members engage in joint activity and discussions, CoP can be online Members interact and learn together Practice Members are practitioners They develop a shared repertoire of resources Takes time and sustained interaction (adapted from Wenger, 2006) Towards an institutional learning & teaching repository Tony Churchill, Staff Development Centre, University of Leicester Associate Tutors @ University of Leicester • Approximately 350 Associate Tutors working on distance learning programmes • At least 11 departments employ Associate Tutors • A wide range of roles, duties, engagements and activity/involvement levels • The product of ‘entrepreneurial activity by individual departments over a long period Supporting & Engaging Associate Tutors @ University of Leicester Three main Staff Development activities adapted to meet the needs of Associate tutors:• Academic Practice Award • Teaching Enhancement Forum (TEF) • Learning & Teaching Portal Four important questions… • How can the Portal help build communities of practice? • How can the Portal realistically be populated with regularly updated content? • How can the development of Portal content dovetail with other major content development projects within the SDC and beyond? • How can the Portal generate a ‘critical mass’ of visitors? Is the TEF a Community of Practice? Domain • Multiple domains of interest – internationalisation; citizenship; employability • Members collaborate face-to-face and online to learn from each other Community • Communities defined by domains of interest rather than the nature of contract • Dissemination of outcomes through the wiki becomes a focus of community explorations - joint activity and discussions Practice • Members move between core and periphery groups depending on the relevance of activities to their practice Online communities for tutor professional development • Would an online community like this work in your institution? • What are the constraints? PROWE (personal repositories online wiki environment) – a first look Anne Hewling PROWE Project Officer Open University http://www.prowe.ac.uk PROWE – what is it? a JISC-funded Digital Repositories Programme Project between OU and UoL Combines: - new communications tools e.g. wikis and blogs - part-time distance tutors/associate lecturers - continuing professional development needs - communities of practice - repository theory and practice http://www.prowe.ac.uk What drives it? "In what ways could wiki and wiki-type environments be useful and useable as personal and informal repositories to support professional development within part-time tutor communities of practice?" http://www.prowe.ac.uk What has happened so far? - user needs assessment - tools assessment - metadata and other complicated repositories bits - elgg – testing an environment http://www.prowe.ac.uk What happens next? - bigger and better trial (more people, longer, more directed activity) - development of documentation and models - evaluation - reaching some conclusions… http://www.prowe.ac.uk Matters arising - what is a typical tutor and what are typical needs? - PRMS - "if it 'ain't broke, why fix it?" - facilitation - why not/why? http://www.prowe.ac.uk Contact us: Webpage: http://www.prowe.ac.uk Project email: [email protected] Project Officer email (OU): [email protected] http://www.prowe.ac.uk PROWE: “A community is like a ship: everyone ought to be prepared to take the helm.” Henrik Ibsen http://www.prowe.ac.uk Online networks and shared repositories • What materials might your tutors wish to store and share? • Would this system work in your institution?