Ara Institute of Canterbury - research week #3 presentations

Last round of presentations for this year’s research week/s at Ara Institute of Cantebury.

Today’s session held at the Manawa campus by the Christchurch health precinct.

Notes taken during presentations below.

Sampath Gunawardana Hewa Malge  (Hospitality) presents on ‘territorial behaviours and other customer’s experiences: Evidence from NZ cafes. Introduced the concept of ‘boundary marking behaviours’ in the context of how people see their use of space in NZ cafes. Territories may be primary, secondary or public. Some people use public territories like cafes as primary (personal) space and this may diminish the experience of other customers, who are unable to get into the café. There is a gap in exploring commercial third spaces. In general, studies carried out in US of A context, not in NZ. Shared research aims and methods (mixed). Rationalised the need for study, to assist business practices, inform innovative use of space by businesses and add to the knowledge of topic.

Dr. Mazharuddin Syed Ahmeh (Engineering and Architecture Studies) shares his work on ‘BIM education in NZ’. Provided the background on the development of the Graduate Diploma and how this have been adapted by other universities and polytechnics in NZ. Content and technology are being disrupted, these impact on how educational programmes are structured. For BIM, there has been significant disruption on construction documentation from ‘secret’ plans to becoming collaborative digital objects available to all. BIM is also not only construction embedded but includes much more, including layers on social/history, sustainability etc. BIM is only one of the disruptive technologies on construction/engineering contributed to by digital technologies including AI, drones, internet of things etc. Programme development was informed by literature review, stakeholder consultation, job outcomes and data mining created the main topics. Education also has to shift to ‘classroom 5.0 with more co-construction, collaborative, inquiry/problem based learning. Shared the work that has gone into aligning teaching and learning to the possibilities. Explained the methodology for present study on BIM education in NZ. Shared the proposed ontological framework for BIM education and now this is applied to teaching and learning.

Dr. Anna Richardson (Nursing) shares her work on ‘Nurses’ descriptions and practices of family engagement in intensive care settings: an international, multisite, qualitative descriptive study’. Used her academic study leave to visit Universities in the UK and the U S of A to work on ‘family nursing’. At the University of Minnesota and Mankato, she viewed their ‘family centred’ four year curriculum which then resulted in an invitation to be part of the international project. Shared her learning from this research. There is interest in the NZ approaches particularly the family/whanau centred nursing (Meihana model and cultural safety practices). Need to include this into the reworked Bachelor in Nursing programme. Provided examples from her study, of the empathy and family inclusion ICU nurses and support staff exhibit in their work.

Dr. Dorle Pauli (Creative) discusses her work onMichael Reed’s ‘medals of dishonour’. Provided a summary of the work of Michael Reed, who was a lecturer at Ara for over 30 years and a print maker/artist. Shared examples of Michael’s work and provided the stories, inspiration and interpretations of these pieces of work. Much of Michael’s work has a social justice framework. Michael’s work evolved from the realist to much more representative – with increasing depth, widening internationality and technical craftsmanship across the years across various print and then mixed media. Explained the rationale, evolution and creative approaches in the ‘transgressions/medals for dishonour’ series and how the stories underpinning these are reflected in his most recent pieces of work. Exampled by ‘Dart’ which is a A4 sized copper piece folded into a dart, with the imprint of article 1 of the charter for human rights (in Maori).

 

Ara Institute of Canterbury - research week #2 presentations

 This week, the presentations are held at Manawa Campus – at the Christchurch Health Precinct.

Staff presentations today include:

 Dr. Peta Taylor and Heather Josland present on their work on ‘the case for appointing Parkinson’s nurse specialist’.  Work arose from student work, which identified a gap in Parkinson’s care. An article was written and submitted. Now updated for another publication. In the new work, Parkinson’s nurse and clinical director of Parkinson’s NZ interviewed. Defined Parkinson symptoms and medications required to help ease symptoms. NO cure, so specialist nursing required to ensure medication needs are assessed and adjusted frequently. Significant gap in NZ as there are only 25 Parkinson’s nurses for over 6000 patients. There is a shortage of neurologists and there is no formal education for Parkinson’s nurses. Therefore, important to provide inter-professional specialist education – GPs, specialist, nurses, dieticians, physios etc. Recommended to establish a formal, nationally recognised education programme, in partnership with Ministry of Health/ District Health Boards. Prevention much more cost effective to prevent falls etc. which lead to higher costs.

Heather Josland and Dr. Kaye Milligan, share work on ‘inter-professional education – understanding roles and teamwork’. This project started in 2012 and continues as a collaborations between Ara, University of Otago and Christchurch Hospital. Several offshoots now including the simulation projects presented last week by Julie Whitington-Bowen. Told the story of how the topic of inter-professional education came about through an experience encountered whilst in a session back on the wards. Data collected (4 -5 years) on simulation learning sessions where 3^rd year student nurses and 5^th year medical students work together. Both sets of students had different perspectives. Pre-conceived ideas were prevalent on each of side! Therefore, effective teamwork needs clear role understanding and awareness of own role and that of others. Collaboration requires both groups to work together.

Libby Gawith then presents on her project ‘enhancing wellbeing and building resilience with ‘Foundation’ learners. Introduced the NZ2896 level 3 programme, student wellbeing initiatives and academic resilience. Programme is open entry, designed for learners who wish to pursue a chosen career pathway, many have negative school experiences, prepares students for science programmes – nursing, vet nursing, sports and nutrition, engineering etc. 30% Maori learners, detailed support for Maori and Pacific students. Defined wellbeing – a psychological state, complex, about flourishing and related to relationships. Summarised some perspectives on understanding wellbeing for Maori and connections between various frameworks and the Ara framework – Te ara Houra. Detailed a few studies on wellbeing and classroom learning. Academic resilience refers to how learners have or develop strategies and mindsets to cope with the stresses of study – academic deadlines, time management, balancing workload and getting lower than expected marks! Often learners do not continue due to external factors and detailed reasons Maori learners leave Ara programmes. Presented on her proposed study to better understanding wellbeing and academic resilience of foundation students at Ara.

Dr. Kesava Kovanur Sampath on ‘I know but don’t know – how osteopaths utilise the bio-psycho-social model in clinical practice’. Project going for 18 months. Used personal narrative to introduce the work of the osteopath. Introduced the concept of the biopsychosocial (BPS) relations of pain. There are myths about how back pain is caused (i.e. tissue damage, back is vulnerable to injury and needs protection and directing treatment to specific tissues will result in symptom resolution). How can BPS be implemented to help manage muscoskeletal pain. 4 quantitative and 4 qualitative studies. A major theme from osteopaths was – they knew about the model but did not know how to apply it to clinical practice! There are barriers to the application of BPS as clients and osteopaths have certain perceptions and expectations of osteopathic treatment. Important for osteopaths to listen to their patient’s story an important aspect of practice.

There is a repeat in last week’s panel session on – Research culture – what is it and how doe we get there? Tomorrow.

On Thursday, another series of staff presentations which I will summarise when  they have been completed.

World Economic Forum - latest report on the Future of Work

 Through LinkedIn, is the link to the latest report on the Future of Work by the World Economic Forum.

This report provides an overview, now shifted by the effects of this year's pandemic and its flow on challenges. 

The key findings are sobering reading. They include:

- Agreement that the pace of technology adoption is unabated and accelerating in some areas (adoption of cloud, big data and e-commerce with forays into encrytion, non-humanoid robots and AI)

- Automation, along with the effects of Covid-19 are creating a 'double-disruption' causing companies to consider and implement reductio of workforce, increase use of contractors and expand the technoloy side of their businesses/organisation.

- Job destruction has accelerated with the creation of 'new' jobs slowint :(

- Skill gaps in high demand skills like critical thinking and analysis, problem solving, skills in self-management, resilience, flexibility etc.

- For a large majority of the online white-collar workforce, the future has arrived! due to shift to remote work.

- Inequality forecasted to rise :(

- Online learning and training increasing but looks different for those who are unemployed. 

- window of opportunity to upskill is narrowing, as companise pressured to survive in the fast changing society.

- Call for public sector to provide stronger support for re and up-skilling, especially for at risk of displaced workers.

An associated report - 6 skills cannot be replicated by AI - supports the assertions in the main report.

These are;

- ability to undertake non-verbal communication (i.e. read body language) and ability to show deep empathy with 'customers.

- Ability to undertake 'growth management' and to employ 'mind management' - i.e. to deal with the stresses and strains fo the current and future challenges.

- Ability to perform 'collective intelligence management (i.e work with a team) and realise new ideas in an organisation (plus 'convince' the higher ups to listen!)

All above are important inter-relational skills, learnt through experience. 

Some sobering reading but a good summary of the disruptive impact Covid-19 has on an already complex. shifting and fragile world.

CRADLE 2020 - keynote #2 with Professor Monika Nerland

The afternoon sessions were on moderation with focus on voices of sessional academics and support for disabled assessees. Rapid orals were then presented and these covered a range of topics. I did not take notes on these when too quickly.

The closing sessions begin with a keynote from ProfessorMonika Nerland who is Professor of Education at the University of Oslo. She speaks on ‘Reconfiguring relations between higher education and work: Knowledge practices and learning in the (post)digital era’.

The presentation concentrates on how knowledge practices have changed in the workplace and in turn, this impacts on how the processes are recognised as complex work. Examples from professional learning used to explain the various perspectives. Began with an overview of HE and digitalisation. Much attention now focused on digital platforms for learning and communication. Within work, specialised digitalisation processes are now advancing rapidly. There is therefore an extension and complexity of the possible learning spaces which are distributed across activities and resources. Less attention to the digitisation and its effects on work. Yet, as work shifts, work tasks also shift and these require attention and study.

Discussed the concepts of expert communities and how they are characterised by distinct knowledge practices. Professional expertise tends to be recognised by fellow-experts. May rest on different forms of knowledge and ways of knowing that are applicable in different work contexts. Ways of developing, enacting and recognising expertise is embedded in the distinct forms within specialised communities. The actors and networks at play are variable and specific to occupational specialities.

Epistemic practises is the knowledge which is generated and shared in a given field of practice. Includes the socially and interactionally accomplished ways that  the group communicate, justify, assess and legitimise knowledge. They play a crucial role in making knowledge ‘actionable’ and are required to help assemble, translate and represent practice.

In the post digital area has increased epistemic complexity. There is more abstraction in how knowledge is visualised to allow for computation thinking and automation.  This makes it difficult to access these knowledge domains.

Challenges to professional expertise includes the working with advanced technologies and representations as demanding’ increased need for systems understanding; extended responsibilitie for mastering knowledge; and the need to also establish and manage social relations both internally and externally of organisations.

Provided examples from an ongoing project (CORPUS) to study the changing requirements in public services due to the consequences of digitisation in general and specialised occupations. For example, a study of the introduction of ‘smart care tech’ into the health sector’. How is this new process/system developed and how does it evolve as it forms their new professional roles and responsibilities and a new approach to work. Requires system understanding to bring in the many ‘actors’. Listed a few research challenges – access to observing and participating in knowledge practice as a learner; develop specialised expertise; and navigating complex information environments and constructing productive spaces for learning.

So what is the role of HE in supporting the new demands on learning. Need to enrol students in evolving professional knowledge culture – to providing access to and participation in epistemic practices help to make the profession’s ‘machinery’ of knowledge construction more transparent. With learning an ongoing process of becoming rather that predicated on one end point.

Provided case studies in legal, teacher and software engineering education through design of inquiry tasks to help learning identified epistemic practices (learning outcomes) with professional knowledge sources and the ‘transformative’ means for getting there (i.e. signature pedagogies).

Another way is to attend to students’ navigation and ways of constructing spaces for learning – i.e. moving between educational and professional environments. Also a need to keep pace with an evolving field by developing productive relations between sets of epistemic practice in education ad work and to reconfigure educational arrangements, roles and responsibilities to move beyond the education-work divide.

Conclude with a call to move beyond the education – work dichotomy and to understand that professionalism is not a given. It needs to be continually worked on.

The conference closes with the launch of the book ‘ReimaginingUniversity Assessment in a Digital World’ by Emeritus Professor Beverley Oliver (Deakin). See brief notes on book here. 

CRADLE 2020 - Day two 'morning' presentations

 

Day two begins with presentations on assessment in a post digital world. The presenters are Associate Professor Phillip Dawson, Associate Professor Rola Ajjawi and Professor Margaret Bearman (researchers from CRADLE at Deakin). The discussant is Professor Michael Henderson from Monash University.

The symposium began with Michael acknowledgement of Country. Each of the presenters shared their work – which are chapters in the book – reimagining university assessment in a digital world.

Rola begins by presenting on ‘assessment as portrayal and the strategic negotiation of persona’. Began with the impact on digital technology on work – permeates everything, blurring professional and private life, careers becoming more fluid and greater portrayal of digital identities. Assessments are for certification, guide learning, help with employability and learning how to make evaluative judgements. Completing the qualification recognised with award and transcript but does that portray who the graduate is?? Proposed assessment-as-portrayal to enable students to portray their achievements in public ways, communicate directly with others. Examples include the use of graduate learning outcomes through portfolios/credentials etc. Another pathway may be through persona studies used by celebrities. Persona can be considered as a strategic identity (Marshall & Henderson, 2016). Five dimensions of persona include the public, mediatised, performative, collective and intentional value and reputation. Reimagining assessments using persona studies involves introduction of a subjective dimension to assessment practices, a rethink of how we judge the quality of portrayal for future work; and encouragement of student agency. Concluded with some important questions on how portrayal may work.

Margaret covered the topic ‘assessment for an AI-mediated world’. What does AI do well? – identify patterns more accurately than humans, faster and at scale. However, this is a myth. Automated essay grading is available but restricted to appropriate topics and tasks. The systems are bounded by the quality of the original data set! If a machine is able to grade a task, then it can do the task. Therefore assessments need to be centred around unique human capabilities – evaluative judgements, deployment of meta-intelligence (i.e. knowing about how you know). Assessments that promote EJ is not just about identifying but the ability to construct their own sense about quality withing a unique practice environment. Assessments can promote EJ through cycles of self, peer and educator assessments. Assessment should develop personal epistemology. Deliberately call attention to the EJ process. Use example rubrics to form powerful epistemic artefacts. Ask learners to question the role of rubrics (Bearman & Ajjiwi, 2019). Assessment tasks should prompt students to answer questions on – what qualities make this a good piece of work? If I were to set the criteria for success, what will it look like? How do we know we have achieved?

Phillip presented on ‘surveillance and the weaponization of academic integrity’. At the moment, Higher ed (HE) assessment has a surveillance culture, this may be OK but we should fear the weaponization of surveillance on academic integrity’. Drones, webcams and other tools collect data on student learning. Argued that presently, a surveillance culture pervades society and this is seen as acceptable by many ‘for our own good’. Surveillance culture’s effect on assessments include the creation of a culture of distrust; frames students as being in need of monitoring; students and their data become a product; academic integrity becomes a game of submitting to or subverting surveillance; and there eventuates an acceptance of the surveillance. There needs to be a balance between surveillance and academic integrity. Assessment security may be adversarial, punitive and evidence based but academic integrity is positive, educative and supportive.

 

Session one DAY 2: Learning through and for work is with Associate Professor Gloria Dall’Alba from the University of Queensland. She presents on ‘toward a pedagogy of responsive attunement in educating for the professions’.

Rhea Liang introduces the session.

Placed the presentation in the current context, where ‘fake news’ is of concern. Society relies on truthfulness. When fake news disrupts the standard discourse, it causes frustration and disillusionment. Proposes responsive attunement as a means to ensure professional are able to evaluate information in a studied and evidence based approach. Therefore, it is important to ensure our ‘way of being-in-the-world’ (Heidegger, 1962) is anchored in the ability to evaluate and respond to information. Advocated for ‘the capacity to care’ (Noddings, 2005) as a mark of personhood. Need to listen to the multiplicity of perspectives, and to be able to assess their importance. Learning incorporated what we know and do (epistemological) but also how we are learning to be (ontological). Being attuned allows professionals to work through complexities and ethical dimensions. Responsive attunement is responding on the basis of tuning in to others and things, with reflexivity. Responding includes sensate, motile, emotional – i.e multimodally. Education needs to begin the process so professionals are prepared for the challenges posed at work. Implications summarised as – highlighting tuning in and responding, focus on programme goals, reward in assessment, address embodied learning, have well-integrated program and ensure epistemological and ontological dimensions addressed.

Then a session with Dr. Emma Scholz from Charles Sturt University on ‘Professional identity development : Implications for sustainable assessments’. Presents on work with Franziska Trede.

Emphasis on professional identity development in the workplace and the bringing in of Bloom’s taxonomy to assist the process. Presented the concept of locating professional identity in a practice theory framework – in the context of first year of practice for new graduate veterinarians. Research focus needs to be grounded in ‘individuals in their social practice’. Detailed sequential analysis process to thematically analyse interviews and field notes. Themes than taken back to the data to construct key stories. These underwent dialogic analysis to provide for the narratives. Theme on practice capability, the learning professional, striving to become a capable practitioner, and mobilising criticality within capability, shared with interview vignettes. A screen shot of a key story presented. Proposed implications for practice.

Ara Institute of Canterbury - Research week presentations #1

 

Today is the first of a series of lunch time presentations from Ara Institute of Canterbury Ltd. Researchers as part of the yearly ‘research week’ series.

Notes are for presentations by:

Alice Busbridge (applied science/ engagement team at Ara) on running demands of provincial women’s rugby union matches in NZ. Shared collaborative work completed with staff from University of Canterbury and from Ara (including James Jowsey and Dr. Peter Olsen). Provided overview and rationale for the study (very under-researched!!) and increase in recognition for womens’ rugby. NZ womens’ rugby only attained professional status in 2018. GPS units were strapped to players to find out how much running involved during training and when games played. Sports science important to inform improvements for the team. The GPS measures speed(including maximum speed) and distance (including high intensity running) Not much data on women but models available from mens’ rugby. Data collected from 7 games. Explained the various roles players take on as this affects the variations in data. In general, forwards run shorter total distance than backs. However, outside backs, run the least distance. Half backs have highest intensity running. Implications include the development of position-specific conditioning programmes; inform coaching and deeper look at half back and outside back contributions to the game.

Julie Bowen-Withington (Health Practice/Nursing) presents ‘emerging discourses shaping simulations as an educational platform in undergraduate nursing education’.  Has worked for over 15 years with the application of simulations at Ara. Why do we do what we do in simulation? Who tells us what to and how to do the things we do? What is intentional and what is not and how are these effective or ineffective? High fidelity simulation with medical mannikins used to help students through skills learning, role plays, etc. Used Crotty’s (1998) framework to underpin research methodology. Discussed contribution of the work of Foucault to inform the analysis. Data collected through focus groups/interviews with nurse academics, students and the simulation resources representative and images. Discourses identified on nursing/medical; simulation pedagogy; replacement of clinical hours; and realism. Shared examples on simulation pedagogy – with simulation being ubiquitous in healthcare education and ‘state of the art’ teaching. Discussed the ‘power relationships’ through adoption of high fidelity simulations as a form of ‘technology enhanced learning’ as it does not provide learners any choice. Clinical hours often replaced by simulation and this substitution has not be investigated – especially when simulation hours often only 50% of the original clinical hours. Realism and the authentic experience with a real patient also a challenge. Giving the plastic, a personality helps. Covered implications for practice. Some acceptance from students as less intimidating to start with. However, replacing clinical hours with simulations still requires study as each has its place.

 Only attended two as CRADLE also on today!!

There is a panel discussion tomorrow on the topic ‘research culture – what is it and how do we ge there? The session is moderated by research manager Dr. Michael Shone with the panel consisting of Dr. Serdar Durydev (engineering), Dr. Marg Hughes (nursing), Dr. Lorna Davies (midwifery), Dr. Allen Hill (outdoor education) and Dr. Tony McCaffrey (Nasda).  

Student project presentations run on Thursday and the next series of presentations run next week.

CRADLE conference 2020 - Session presentations

 

Today’s sessions for CRADLE conference 2020.

Most of the sessions have two presentations. I attend the following:

Then the first session themed ‘learning in a digital world 1’ is with Dr. Adam Brown and Emily Wade from Deakin. They present on ‘Serendipity, imperfection and vulnerability: Harnessing live video for ‘authentic’ teacher performance.

Adam began with providing the theoretical background and approaches.

Proposed the undertaking of ‘the meddlers in the middle’ as the role of the educator as opposed to ‘stage on the sage’ or ‘guide on the side’. Meddlers in the middle reposition the teacher and student as co-directors and co-editors of their social world.

Need to be ‘authentic’ and that authenticity is an effect, not an essence in the context of self-presentation as being performative.

Emily introduced collaborative autoethnography and how digital platforms like Periscope may be used to enable collaborative work. Explained how this was used for their own teaching context and shared reflections on the process.

Very much an academic look into their teaching and a critical reflection into how video impacts on, supports and extends their teaching practice.

 

Session 2: Learning in a digital world 2.

This session chaired by Simon Knight.

On ‘Development of educational tools that enable large-scale ethical empirical research on evaluative judgement' with Dr. Hassan Khosravi from the University of Queensland. Presented on work carried out with others – George Gyamfi, Dr. Barbara Hanna and Dr. Jason Lodge.

Presented on evaluative judgement (EJ), educational tools, conceptual models and examples.

EJ is the capability to make decisions about the quality of work of oneself and others. This skill helps students use feedback effectively, develop expertise in the view and attain autonomy.

 EF revolves around rubrics, self assessment exemplars, feedback, reflection and peer assessment – mostly theoretical.

Educational tools include peer grading and evaluation systems. Most build without the aim of supporting research and they do not allow data harvesting to be undertaken or the set up of controlled experiments. Draws on work of Associate Professor Paul Denny (University of Auckland) on PeerWise and with Professor Neil Heffernan on the ASSISTments ecosystems.

This presentation on the conceptual framework of RIPPLE. Conceptual model described to help promote both EJ and to undertake research on it. System developed for adaptive learning, learnersourcing and peer grading and feedback with EJ strategies of rubrics, self and peer assessment and exemplars. Connected to metrics, experiment design and ethical guidelines and a data repository.

Provides details of the RIPPLE platform.

Shared one study – Can students create high-quality resources? Walked through the process of students creating and evaluating each other’s questions.

The shared a case study and reflections. In general, students’ EJ improved through iterations. Students tended to provide higher ratings when compared to instructors. Found that the rubric criteria may not suit the ‘assessment’ and re-tested new rubric. 

Shared plans for new investigations and encouraged other researchers to make contact to use the tool.

Followed on with George Gyamfi, also from UQ on ‘The effect of rubrics on evaluative judgement: A randomised controlled trial'. As per above presentation, George’s work is completed with Dr. Barbara Hanna and Dr. Hassan Khosravi.

Defined EJ as per previous presentation. Shared work on rubrics (Reddy & Andrade, 2010 and several others) and how these may be used to enhance student learning. These studies tend to be mostly theoretical and does not bring in the perspectives of students.

Overviewed the research methodology and how RiPPLE was used for the study. Participants were undergraduate students (n= 354) learning database principles. The study involved having a control group which completed peer assessments without a rubric and the treatment group which completed peer assessments with a rubric.

Findings indicate rubrics can be a way of influencing how students attend to quality and can impact students’ judgement in assessing the quality of learning resources. However, construct of the rubric is the key! Even without rubrics, learners are able to make judgements but rubrics provided better clarity.

Session three: Assessment of learning 1 :

Session chaired by Zi Yan.

Dr. Sin Wang Chong from the Queen’s University Belfast presented on ‘Student feedback literacy as an ecological construct’. A conceptual look at feedback literacy covering feedback orientation to feedback literacy, feedback literacy in and beyond the classroom and a reconceptualization of the concept. Presentation based on paper published earlier this year.

Shared study on feedback orientation (London & Smither’s 2002) – utility, accountability, social awareness and feedback efficacy. Also Kremmel & Harding (2020) on language literacy – using a spider chart to provide each learners’ literacy. Then Sutton (2012) in conceptualisation of feedback literacy as epistemology (knowing), Ontological (being) and practical (acting). Carless and Boud (2018) appreciate, make judgments, manage affect and take action on feedback. Most recent Carless and Winstone (2020) looking into both teacher and learner feedback literacy.

Feedback literacy is not only a product (Hattie & Timperley, 2007) but also a process (Interpersonal and intrapersonal (Carless & Boud, 2018).

Chong reconceptualised using a ecological perspective (2020 paper) to include the context within which feedback is undertaken (interpersonal, textual, instructional, sociocultural) and the learner’s beliefs, goals, experiences and abilities. Therefore the engagement dimension (as proposed by Carless and Boud – understand feedback, manage affect, make judgment and take action) has added to it the context and individual dimensions(

Introduced the ecological systems theory (EST) as nested or networked EST with micro, meso, exo, macro and chrono systems. Used example from a paper in preparation – process of scholarly peer-review – to explain the framework. Proposed actor-network theory as a means to understand better the inter-connections/inter-relationships of ESTs.

Concluded with implications including how the framework may be applied towards better understanding the contextual and individual contributions to understanding feedback literacy.

The next session is with Dr. Akilu Tadesse from the University of Bergen on ‘Scaffolding feedback in complex dynamic system context: Effect of online interactive learning environments’. Presents on work undertaken with Professors Pai Davidsen and Erling Moxnes. 

 Presented on the 'problem', covered the notion of scaffolding feedback, application of this study and findimgs.

People, even experts, have difficulties in understanding and communicating their understanding of complex dynamic systems. Also difficult to measure improvements in this domain when CDS are difficult to understand.

The study looks into how to enhance students learning of CDS by developing educaitonal feedback to scaffold feedback that supports students learning.

Shared the notion of scaffolding feedback as a continual spiral of building knowledge. Gaps of knowledge are 'filled either by students' own efforts are through support from 'external agents'. 

Used this scaffolding feedback notion to integrate into a personalised and adaptive online learning environment. Learner is presented with a CDS and supported to progress through a sequence of learning activities to attain CDS. 

Shared a 'case study' to help explain the concept of how the platform works. Then presented the research questions - to find out if scaffolding feedback would reduce the gap between existing high and low performing students. Averaged results across 5 tasks. In general, the gap did close as tasks (increasing in complexity) were worked through. 

Overall, a good range of presentations showing the ways digital technologies may be useful in supporting assessments of learning. 

 

 

 

 

 

CRADLE conference 2020 - Welcome and Keynote #1 - Associate Alyssa Wise on learning analytics

 Attending the sessions for the CRADLE (Centre for assessment and digital learning) conference today and tomorrow. There is a two hour difference in time (NZ is 2 hours ahead) so It will be a late finish today 😊

The conference begins with a welcome from Professors Liz Johnson and David Boud, Deakin University. First CRADLE conference (over 900 participants!!) but the fifth year CRADLE has been running. Professor Boud provided background and rationale for the conference. Professor Johnson provided formal welcome to country and to the conference.

The first keynote (introduced by Phil Dawson) is with Associate Professor (of educational technology and learning science) Alyssa Wise from New York University on ‘The data intensive university in a post-digital world: New directions in teaching and learning.

https://steinhardt.nyu.edu/people/alyssa-wise

Defined learning analytics (LA) as the use of data science methods to generate insights into teaching and learning that lead to direct, impactful action. Important to use LA purposefully to inform how learning is designed, developed, supported, taught etc. Argued that data informed decisions are more important than ever given how online, blended, hybrid etc have moved to mainstream overnight, no longer digital vs traditional.

Shared recent survey across large number of universities. Unfortunately, pre-covid online better experienced than post-covid ‘remote learning’. However, experiences did improve (slightly) over time. Clear structure for learning important but needs to be balanced with flexibility. In general, videos of ‘lectures’ positive but online lectures themselves had mixed reviews, along with online discussions. Important to provide ‘active engagement’ for students.

How can learning analytics help? Begins with instructors design with intention to engage learners, who generate data, provide analytics, read as human insights and feed back into instructors design.

Data can be catergorised as activities, artifacts and associations. It is not only the data, but how is it analysed and applied? Sense making from analytics need to be supported with pedagogical response.

Provided a series of examples. Are my students preparing? When are my students preparing? Are my students engaging? Collected data on activity and used this to inform the  ongoing development of activities to increase engagement. Qualitative data also important – for instance to find out ‘who are my students engaging with? Where is the student spending the most time (asynchronously)? What does the student engage with – content related or non-content related discussion posts?

For instructors, important to find out how they are going. In general, professor responses which are to all levels of queries, providing coahing and supporting and social presence cues have greater engagement with professors who only respond to ‘top level queries which are straight forward.

Another example of how to find students who are struggling using diagnostic assessment with LA used to build a better model of how to identify and support students. However, relationship support (i.e. caring tutor) still most effective!

Interrupted by phone call!! So did not get to follow the last 5 minutes and the Q & A.

Educational Design Research - Journal

 The International Journal fo Design-based Research in Education  is a relatively new journal with volume 4 being published through this year.

There is much interest interest in the inter-disciplinary cross pollination from 'design-based' disciplines, across into many (and mostly humanities) other areas. For example, one of the programmes I have been appointed as 'degree monitor' is Otago Polytechnic's Bachelor of Culinary Arts which uses the 'design thinking' framework to underpin all it's learning objectives.

Therefore, this journal provides a good scholarly archive for the application of 'design principles on design thinking' into the field of educational research. 

Ulearn2020 - Keynote #4 - Professor Peter O'Connor - achievement doesn't matter

Professor Peter O’Connor is the final keynote for the Ulearn 2020 conference. He speaks on "Achievement doesn’t matter – education is to preserve democracy and build communities"

Began with a demonstration of how creativity may be expressed. Proposed that the present creativity   stifles and kills creativity. Cited Sir Ken Robinsons call for a shift in education to nurture creativity but not one single educational system has adopted his call. Also called for a re-definition of success. Success is not how much you take but how much you give – as derived from his story about his dad, who died early, but gave much. Success people find ways to share what they have gained.

The true criteria of success - how we do as a nation, and as a planet. It is not passing exams but of education as a national treasure (as per John Dewey). Democracy is under threat with the resurgence of neo-nationalistic politics drawing people. Dewey believed democracy was “made by our hands” and the importance of the arts in ‘training the imagination”. There is a need to imagine the future, before we can move towards it.

Richness is not material, but richness in appreciating and participating in music, poetry, dance – something his father helped nurture and support. The neo-liberal directive to prepare learners for the future is fraught when education should be about imagining the future.

Shared story of his mentor, Dorothy Hignetts? She did not ask if children were taught drama in NZ schools but whether children understood what mattered to them and that they mattered to others. It is not that they matter because they achieved but that they mattered for who they are.

Used an example with his work with Selina Tusitala Marsh onher book ‘mophead’. How the book was used to assist students to learn about concepts of culture through dramatizing the book. The students extended their learning to encompass their understandings of racism and how the activity had helped them unpack their biases.

If we are to reimagine schooling and education, it is important to return to the core purposes. The Arts are important as it nurtures the imagination. Loosing the Arts through the curriculum is a great tragedy. The real danger is the lost of ways to nurture the imagination.

All four keynotes have revolved around the themes of change and how this can be enacted. The call is to use the current circumstances as a catalyst to change the ways education /school is structured and organised, including the need to become more equitable, look after the learners (and teachers) and to redefine ‘success’.

Ulearn2020 - Keynote #3 - Distinguished Professor Pedro Noguera on - equity, empowerment and deeper learning.

 

This morning , the third keynote from Distinguished Professor Pedro Nogeura on equity, empowerment and deeper learning.

Proposed for education to leverage off the pandemic, as an opportunity to change. The pandemic is a form of ‘disturbance’ and we should use this, as a way to relook at what schooling is about and create an educational system for the future.

Questioned the current system – does it meet the needs of the children currently? Which children are not served and have unmet academic and social needs? Do these children belong at your schools? What barriers might be getting in the way of change?

How can our school, education and child-development systems, more individually responsive to the needs of our students? Why not construct a system that meets children where they are and gives them what they need inside and outside of school, to enable their success?

Rationalised the need to change. Schools NEED to change as they are a product of history and reflect the inequalities present in society. There are deep disparities in achievement based on socio-economic status and race. Challenged the audience to find out how deeply engaged children are at their school? How are children of colour treated?

To create the schools we need, we need to shift the paradigms. Not only changes in systems but a shift in beliefs about what is possible and needed. From measuring and sorting to developing talent. From pressure and competition to encouraging collaboration. From assessment OF to FOR learning. Content teaching to cultivation of the love of learning. Parents from consumers to stakeholders.

To pursue excellence through equity, need to understand, child development, neuroscience and context. Holistic approach to provide differentiated education. Understand the plasiticity inherent in the brain, encouraging learning when learners are engaged.

Explained the concept of the effect of race on the achievement gap as not useful. This encourages racialisation, reinforcing stereotypes and preventing the development of effective solutions.

To advance equity, educators need to find the balance between technical and adaptive work. Technical work focuses on managing operations and systems, ensuring procedures are working and employees and students comply with policy. Adaptive work indicates a focus on the dynamic and complex nature of work, work that is guided by a long-term vision and an awareness that ongoing work  required to achieve goals in a constantly changing environment.

Unfortunately, technical and logistical changes dominate the conversations, for example about how to keep schools open through the pandemic.

In the current pandemic context, key adaptive questions include how to better support student mental health? How can gaps in learning, unmotivated students, frightened adults? Are teachers prepared to address the heightened awareness about racial prejudice? How will the sense of community be build? How do we better support students as they learn from home?

Five essentials ingredients for school improvement include coherent instructional guidance system; ongoing professional development for teachers; strong parent-community-school ties; a student centred learning environment; and shared leadership to drive change (Bryke et al., 2010).

Provided guidelines to help make schools ‘race neutral’ as aligned to the above five essentials.

Encouraged the need to reflection on what occurred across pandemic on ‘school opening’. Evaluate and build school community first before moving forward.

Shared the visual definitions of equality, equity and how they are perceived. Eliminating barriers is a key. Barriers include complacency, racial bias, teaching and learning as disconnected, punitive mindset, unequal access to external support and ignoring the need to compensate for the effects of inequality outside of school.

Need to shift, post pandemic, to better ways of support all learners. 

Ulearn 2020 - keynote #2 - Dr. Lucy Hone - what do we need to learn for lifelong success?

 

Dr. Lucy Hone  on 'What do we need to learn for lifelong success? Lessons from life science and living'.

Began with an overview and rationale for how she has become enmeshed into exploring the question ‘what does it mean to live a flourishing life?’. Resilience became a focus when she moved from the UK to the US of A  where the studies on resilience first began. Today’s presentation is on strategies usable in the classroom to help build resilience with students. Her PhD based on research undertaken after the Christchurch earthquakes to help schools, teachers and students cope with the stresses of natural disaster. Her personal story also included her daughter’s death in a car accident. She drew on her training on resilience so see a way through. Resilience can be learnt and is important to ‘flourishing life’ and coping with tough times.

Shared youth mental health report (2019) which has been done in 2001, 2007, 2012. Maori and Pacifica have higher incidences of mental unwellness and attempted suicide – 30% plus when compared to others at just over 20%. Perhaps due to the ‘mollycoddying’ of children, who have not had to deal with challenges – the ‘fragile thoroughbred’. NZ tertiary students’ survey review over 50% of students have anxiety about their studies, worry about getting a job, have financial stress and feel sad.

Covered ‘how can teachers help students learn to be – to succeed in ways that matter to them?’. We are not doing a good job on drawing out what actually matters to our young people. Shared recent research – Kia re Rangatira - ‘to stand like the chief I was born to be’: Living succeeding and thriving in education (Webber, 2018-2022). It’s a teacher’s role to recognise the mana students bring with them. Recommended drawing on Gardner’s multipleintelligences and to use appreciative inquiry (Cooperrider) to bring ‘well-being’ into school practices and strategies. Appreciative inquiry provides a pathway forward, building upon strengths, imagine what could be, and take small steps towards the goal. Detailed the processes of appreciative inquiry – appreciate, inquire, and act (Klein, 2005).

Five principles underpinning principles of appreciative inquiry – constructionist, simultaneity, poetic, anticipatory and positive were explained. Used the ‘how can we have mana increasing discussions with our students’ as the context to example each of the principles. These generally encourage valuing of strengths and the positives. Accentuating these help provide optimistic direction and help young people nurture positive emotions. Summarised the principles as – words make words, questions create change, focus on strengths, foster hope and value positive emotions. Challenged the audience to begin the journey with addressing one item at their school and with their students.

Ulearn 2020 - Keynote #1 -Janelle Riki-Waaka on redefining success for all learners

 Ulearn, the elearning conference for the schools sector in NZ, is now an online conference for this year. Since there have been a paucity of relevant conferences due to the pandemic, many of our team are attending this conference this year. Due to other work commitments, I will be viewing keynotes (2 today and 2 tomorrow) over the next few days and then thrawl through the other presentations at a later date for relevant presentations.

Janelle Riki-Waaka

Offered the opportunity to re-imagine learning and also the associated outcome of success. Encouraged teachers to hope on the ‘waka’ which aligned with their objectives. Everyone in the waka needs to paddle in the same direction and therefore aspirations of all in the waka needs to be the same.

How do we define success? Not one definition of success works for all learners so it is important to work out what success means. Queried whose voice is missing from the conversation? Need to ensure we have all, who are impacted on, to provide their perspectives. Will learning has designed contribute to learners’ aspirations. How can we discover the unknown potential in our learners? Education is to help learners find out about what they are good at, their passion and attributes. Need to remove the F word (failure) – as failure is not just something borne by the learner. Important to not only teach the engaged but also re-engage those who are unsure about their educational purpose. Shared her experiences at school and compared to those of her son twenty plus years later. Onus still put on learners to be responsible for their learning but not all have the social capital or support to ‘succeed’. Important to look at the overall system and to gauge the ways individual learners and their supporters view success. The current emphasis on ‘school-based’ definitions of success needs to be re-negotiated. Some of the traits of independent thinking and assertiveness, are not necessarily supported at school. Instead, the predominant cultural viewpoint is sustained, leading to dis-engagement but those whose ideals do not match. Challenged teachers to reimagine success in a uniquely Aotearoa way. Quoted Ta Aparina Ngata’s call to not look to the past but to innovate into the future. Assimilation into the dominant culture, as the current school objective has not worked. Surveyed Maori and non-Maori adults as to what they considered was important at school. All value reading the most and Maori’s valued digital literacies above others. With skills, communications was highest. Problem solving, critical thinking, creativity also slightly higher valued by Maori. Attributes had kindness and respect being high valued. History and cultural awareness /heritage, valued higher by non-Maori. Overall, attributes were most valued followed by skills, than cultural awareness and then literacies.

Proposed the use of personalised criteria to measure success – based on attributes, skills, cultural values ad literacies. Grades may not always be appropriate. How do we grade an attribute – since it shifts with context, development and motivation. How do we grade being brave, able, bold?  A scaled approach to  show progress more informative and formative. Success needs to be defined by learners, not the system. Failure replaced by potential and passion!

A good year for educational designers ??

 This article by Michael Sankey and Amanda Bellaby  hit a chord with me this morning. This year has seen learning design / educational development / education design attain greater visibility. The disruptions caused by instituional 'closures' has led to unprecendented call on support to shift courses into the online space.

Educational design, as per the article, encompasses course design, academic mentorship, project manatement and educational research. As such, it is a discipline combining aspects of academic teaching development, curriculum/instructional design and nowadays, a strong requirement to understand the potentialities and workings of digital technologies which contribute to enhancing learning. As such, it is a demanding area of work, requiring continual professional development to keep up with the constantly developing educational 'technologies' and maintain pedagogical integrity.

In NZ, there are qualifications for 'learning design' but these have never been uplifted by providers and used. The recent review of the qualifications have thankfully retained and updated these qualifications, in light of the recent visibility of 'learning design' work. Hopefully, going forward, Te Pukenga / NZ Institute of Skills and Technology, will take up  the gauntlet and support the development of programmes of study for learning design, Only then, will there be a pathway for those now working in 'learning technologies' or in community / institutionally situated 'adult learning' and teaching, to be able to take into the field.