FLANZ - Flexible learning Association NZ - conference - DAY one morning

Attending and presenting at the Flexible Learning Association NZ (FLANZ) conference today and tomorrow. The organisers have structured the conference around a hub and satellite model. The main activities are held in Wellington with all presentations etc. delivered online. Satellite venues include Auckland, Palmerston North and Christchurch. 

As per usual will update when I am back in office with links etc

After the mihi whakatua with Whanau Smith from AUT, the first keynote is presented by Professor Asha Kanwar from the Commonwealth of Learning in Canada, on ‘flexible futures for education in a post-Covid world’.

Began with defining ‘commonweath’ then covered issues during Covid-19. Almost all Commonwealth countries were affected. There were challenges with ICT infrastructure, digital equities and lack of capability for teachers. In some countries many students did not have access to wifi and many had to use mobile phones which meant high costs of connection and patchy connections. Teacher capabilities were especially challenging in sub-Sahara Africa. Inequalities were increased. For example, in many countries, it would be girls who do not return to school post pandemic due to the need to support their families.

Silver lining include the mass shift to online learning. Many students rated high quality of online learning. Commonwealth of Learning ran a series of MOOCs to help build teacher capability. Also developed a ‘video content bank’ for STEM subjects that can be used off-line. Open Education Resources (OER) supported to provide shared resources for all to access. International partnership increased. For example Coursera offered to support ‘workforce  recovery programme’ to help with teacher capability building.

Defined open learning as open to people, places, methods, and ideas. Goal to democratise learning to all, allowing for entry to learning to all. Requires open admission, multiple channels, open curriculum, open access, open participation and resourcing. Flexible learning is synchronous not being the only option, duration of learning hours insigficant (outcome more important), options to mix workplace and institutional and recognises prior and current ‘competencies.

Futures of learning include preferable, probable and possible.

Preferable includes universal primary completion for all by 2042; universal lower secondary by 2059; and upper secondary by 2088. Inclusion of people with disabilities and all genders also a challenge.

Probable is based on current trends. Ict and online learning further increased. More personalised teaching to provide intelligent tutors for all learners; collaborative learning, adaptive group formation and expert facilitation. Chatbots already deployed but have also served to highlight the need for human connections. Assessments now innovated through badges/micro-credentials, RPL etc.

Possible futures include the need to deal with global challenges – i.e. climate change etc. Education may contribute to increase of emissions!!

Way forward proposed.

Technology – the future is flexible. Totally online does not always work. Appropriate technologies required to develop flexible learning opportunities; multiple pathways and continued innovation. Building capacity of policy makers, developing capacity of teachers and preparing learners to find and use OER are keys. Rise of online learning support lifelong learning. Alternative assessment approaches required. New ecosystems required for learning support, not only for academic but also for mental health and other non-academic challenges. Inequalities must be addressed to support persons with disabilities, women and disadvantaged groups and people in remote areas.

Transformative approach required to empower change, include environmental conservation and global citizen, and accomplishment. Used Prenskys definitions of achievement (individual) and accomplishment (a shared, collaborative effort).

After morning tea, there are three streams of presentations – two for papers and one for posters.

Begins with the presentation by Associate Professor J. Cohen from LCI Melbourne and Dr. Alice Brown, Professor Jill Lawrence, and Associate Professor Petrea Redmond from University of South Queensland and Dr. Stephanie Foote from the John N Gardner Institute of Excellence in Undergraduate Education at South Carolina – An online engagement framework to support pivoting to online teaching during a crisis. Covered online student lit. review. Novice online educators do not have formal ed. On how to teach online; pandemic highlighted the challenges associated with instructor centred instruction; guiding influence of the online teacher is critical to engagement; strong teacher presence provides online students with a sense of belonging; broader use of technology has impacted teaching – less ‘sage on the stage’. Summarised ways to define and understand student engagement. More engaged students have better learning experiences and have better outcomes.

Introduced the framework – Online engagement framework –for noviceonline educators ‘pivoting’ to online learning. Redmond, P., Heffernan, A., Abawi, L., Brown, A., & Henderson.],R. (2018). An online engagement framework for higher education. Online learning, The framework has 5 elements which are interlinked. Social , emotional, cognitive, and collaborative engagement with behavioural engagement. Online engagement must be ongoing and regular activities and behaviours that can involve the learner. Social engagement includes building community, creating sense of belonging, developing purposeful relationships with others and establishing trust and rapport. Cognitive engagement indicated by thinking critically, activating metacognition, integrating ideas, justifying decisions, developing deep discipline understanding and distributing expertise. Behavioural engagement charaterised by developing academic skills, identifying opportunities and challenges, develop multidisplinary skills, develop agency and supporting and encouraging colleagues. Collaborative engagement refers to learning with peers, relating to faculty, connecting to institutional opportunities, establishing trust and developing professional networks. Emotional engagement includes managing expectations, articulating assumptions, recognising motivations and committing to learning.

How to apply the framework was then detailed through a study to evaluate the efficacy of the framework to inform and enhance educators’ online pedagogical expertise. Findings used to refine the framework. Summarised the method – a process of professional development and then ongoing case study as framework applied to participants’ online teaching practice. Shared briefly some early findings – framework positively supported planning, application, facilitation, evaluation etc. to online learning.

Second presentation with work by Dr. Mark Nichols and Dr. Neeru Choudhary Open Polytechnic NZ on ‘elements of transformation in vocational online and distance education’. Presentation overviewed a study, across a range of learning levels and disciplines, to improve transformative learning. Gap in literature exploring transformative outcomes in sub-degree, undergraduate and vocational online and distance education. VET tends to promote graduate performance rather than perspective transformation. Detailed the study based on the learning activity survey (LAS) across 4 phases. First part based on Mezirow’s original 10 stages of perspective transformation. Reported on the study with learners to see if students perceived their learning experiences as transformative. Indications that transformative learning has occurred. For some, it is related to their course /discipline learning content; others indicated the role of the lecturer was important; Student support and peer supporters also named as origins of transformative learning; assignment was also identified that ‘reflective learning’ contributed towards transformative learning. There seems to be a connection between disciplines (i.e psychology and arts topics). Discussed implications and future research direction. Proposed current VET seems to contribute to transformative learning and the importance of making these visible through the graduate profile outcomes.

Then, with JP. Egan and Pauline Cooper-Ioelu, Emma Sadera and Gulay Dalgic from the University of Auckland with ‘Wiki means ‘quick’: lessons learnt from a rapidly deployed academic continuity toolkit. Began with background on how ‘learning and teaching units’ restructured and the launch of new unit. Explained that the Covid shift was not about online learning but remote learning due to the lessened opportunities to plan for proper conversion. Summarised the creation of the ‘academic continuity toolkit’ used to support lecturers to pivot across. Leveraged off experiences attained through 2009 H1N1 pandemic in Canada which helped inform the pivot this time around. Detailed platform requirements; workshop outlines; practice guides; lessons learnt; created programme-level continuity plans that map against the NZ 4 lockdown levels; Showed the toolkit (created on a wiki). See here for link to generic Auckland University Remote learning resources.