Language Learning 2.0 in Action: Web 2.0 Tools To Enhance Language Learning Conference Proceedings 2009

4th Plymouth e-Learning
Conference 2009
Boundary Changes:
Redefining Learning
Spaces
www2.plymouth.ac.uk/e-learning
4th Plymouth e-Learning Conference
Boundary Changes: Redefining Learning Spaces
Roland Levinsky Building
University of Plymouth
23rd – 24th April 2009
Conference Proceedings
Book of Abstracts
Edited by Steve Wheeler
1
Conference Organising Committee .
Conference Chair: Steve Wheeler
Conference Co-Chair: Mark Townsend
Reception Manager: Priska Schoenborn
Exhibitor Co-ordination: Mark Townsend / Peter Yeomans
Design Direction: Mark Lyndon
Technical Direction: Dominic Martignetti
Committee Members: Mark Pannell Flea Palmer
Janice Gibbs Debby Cotton
Neil Witt Robert Bennett
Sally Holden
Student Help Team: Lisa Chrisp Kerry McCann
Nick Barton Dan Kennedy
Editorial Board .
Steve Wheeler (Editor) Faculty of Education
Robert Bennett Faculty of Education
Debby Cotton Educational Development and Learning Technologies
Janice Gibbs Educational Development and Learning Technologies
Sally Holden Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry
Mark Lyndon Educational Development and Learning Technologies
Dominic Martignetti Faculty of Education
Flea Palmer Educational Development and Learning Technologies
Mark Pannell Educational Development and Learning Technologies
Mark Townsend Faculty of Education
Neil Witt Higher Education Learning Partnerships (HeLP) CeTL
Peter Yeomans Canterbury Christchurch University
………………………………… ……. .
2
Welcome to the Conference .
On behalf of the organising committee, I extend a very warm welcome to all delegates attending the
4th Plymouth e-Learning Conference. In previous conferences we have explored learning using
technology in a time of change, and we continue the theme with this year’s event. The title
‘Boundary Changes: Redefining Learning Spaces’ is one that I hope will resonate with all who are
attending this event, whether you are a student or a professor. We are living in a time of rapid
change where technologies are proliferating and where the boundaries of our activities are
constantly extending to embrace learning on the move, learning at a distance and learning in all its
multitude of forms and combinations. At this conference you will be able to listen to papers about
how boundaries are being pushed back by social software, mobile learning and virtual reality. You
will be able to participate in workshops about assessment, digital identity and lifelong learning.
Topics are wide ranging including e-portfolios, podcasting, audience response systems and
microblogging. There will be live demonstrations of a number of leading edge technology enhanced
projects including the opportunities to visit the 3D Immersion Vision Theatre and to test drive
LearnPlus Lab. There will also of course be plenty of time to network with old and new friends and
visit the exhibition space.
We are very fortunate to have been able to secure the services of two excellent keynote speakers
this year. Mike Blamires is well known for his many books and articles on best practice and the
effective uses of ICT in schools. Graham Attwell is an inspiring speaker whose wealth of knowledge
comes from his involvement in many leading edge e-learning projects across Europe. I am confident
that both will provide delegates with much food for thought and will provoke much discussion during
the conference with their own
This year we have for the first time ventured into a two-day conference format, which has both
excited and challenged us as a conference organising team. For the first time also, we are now a
truly international event, and we welcome delegates from more than a dozen countries to the
conference this year. We extend a particularly warm welcome to delegates representing Atlantis, a
collaborative transnational student mobility project based in Germany, Poland, Ireland and here at
the University of Plymouth. The students and staff of Atlantis successfully submitted 14 papers for
this conference, and rightly deserve their own special Atlantis conference stream. Do pay a visit or
two to find out what the students of Atlantis are researching as a part of their post-graduate studies.
Finally, I personally wish all who are attending this conference a most enjoyable, challenging and
stimulating two days. If you are visiting the region I hope you are able to find some time to take in
some of the stunning countryside of the West Country, and enjoy some of the cultural delights that
await you. Have a great conference!
Steve Wheeler
Chair of the Plymouth e-Learning Conference
e-Learning Research Network Convenor
………………………………… ……. .
3
Day 1
Thursday 23rd April
Parallel Session 1A: Web 2.0 Tools .
Venue: Roland Levinsky Room 08 Time: 11:15-12:45
Session Chair: Mark Pannell, University of Plymouth
………………………………… ……. .
Podcasting in Science Education: Unnecessary Distraction or Valuable

Enhancement?
Andrew Williams
Kingston College
This paper will report on lessons emerging from the KASTANET project (Kingston Access to
Science Teaching Across New and Emerging Technologies) led by Kingston College and funded by
JISC's HE in FE E-Learning Programme (April 2007 - March 2009). The project has explored the
impact of podcasting and other forms of mobile technology on learning, learning support and
assessment on the Science Degree Foundation (SDF) course delivered by Kingston College in
partnership with Kingston University. It has explored both the enabling and disruptive elements of
mobile content provision in the context of progression between further and higher education.
Podcasting has been extensively used to provide welcome, induction and orientation messages;
pre-lecture preparatory materials; post-lecture summaries; assessment resources; tutorial materials
and support for study skills. The impact on the planning, preparation, delivery and assessment
activities of teaching staff involved in the SDF course has been considerable and the paper reviews
the extent to which this work is distracting or enhancing. It reports on an extensive evaluation
exercise undertaken with tutors and learners and probes the ill-defined cultural, social and
operational context within which mobile learning content is conceived, created and cascaded. It
concludes that mobile technologies hold the potential to provide a new paradigm for learning and
teaching but if the benefits of this approach are to be realised significant challenges will need to be
overcome for institutions, technical support teams and curriculum staff.
………………………………… ……. .
Giving Education a Voice: Lessons from Practical Podcasting Experiences

Martin Belgrove and Susan Harrison
University of East London
The paper presents the findings of a small scale investigative study into the use of a variety of audio
uses to supplement face to face teaching in the School of Law. The audio approaches comprised
lecture recording incorporating full series and selected critical lectures, lecture scene setting,
module descriptions and other podcasting voices. Through a review of literature the paper identifies
theoretical stances and frameworks to underpin podcasting approaches most notably the notion that
a subject based podcasting pedagogy (or podagogy) can be developed congruent with the nature
and demands of the subject.
The results of the investigation include access trends of audio files and identifying a ‘significant
minority’ who access all lecture recordings and poses the question of whether it is appropriate to
record a whole series of lectures purely for this ‘significant minority’ or whether resources are better
deployed recording critical lectures for a wider audience. Student feedback collected via
4
questionnaires and focus groups is compared against the results of audio file access tracking.
Whilst there are students who are strong advocates of podcasting benefits it is not endorsed by
continued audio file access by a large majority of students. The data was compared to the results of
other studies to draw parallels and distinctions for whilst the percentage of students who accessed
the files is consistent with other studies our law students were much likely to listen to podcasts in
their entirety than in other studies in different subject areas. Staff reactions are also considered
most notably the effect podcasting has on lecture delivery in particular in relation to ‘naturalness’
and what impact this has on the authenticity and currency of recordings. Further research includes
comparing the findings against perceptions from the deployment of podcasting in other subject
areas.
………………………………… ……. .
Example Activities and Pedagogy Implications for Drag and Drop Activities
Based on YouTube Videos
Anthony Lowe
Webducate
The increasing availability of web based content authoring and distribution tools means that exciting
new possibilities are becoming available to educators. One such opportunity is provided through the
combination of video hosted on YouTube and drag and drop activities developed using Webducate
Dragster. With such new possibilities comes the requirement for an investigation of the pedagogical
implications in order that appropriate applications can be identified.
In this presentation several example drag and drop activities based on YouTube videos will be
demonstrated, a framework for identifying appropriate applications will be described and the
limitations and opportunities for further development will be discussed. The audience will be
encouraged to participate through giving feedback on the examples shown, identifying other
example applications from their own perspectives and also in identifying opportunities for
development.
………………………………… ……. .
5
Parallel Session 1B: Web 2.0 Tools: Blogs .
Session Chair: Flea Palmer, University of Plymouth
………………………………… ……. .
Blogging as Reflective Practice in Teacher Education

Steve Wheeler and Wendy Lambert-Heggs
This is a follow up paper to last year’s Plymouth e-Learning Conference paper in which we outlined
our initial research into the use of two person blogs to provide mentor support for trainee teachers
(the MentorBlog Project). In this paper we ask the question ‘can blogging replace face-to-face
mentoring for initial teacher training?’ Following the analysis of a number of post experience in-
depth semi-structured interviews with 6 students, we reveal what students thought about using
blogs as reflexive tools and examine the extent to which they thought their blogging had supported
their professional practice. In our discussion we highlight issues relating to interpersonal
communication and the mentor-mentee relationship, professional issues, immediacy, reflective
practice, software affordances, habituation and use, privacy, identity, and emotional bandwidth.
Students and mentors who used the two-person blogs were generally favourable in their comments,
whilst some face-to-face students also expressed an interest to use blogging in the future as a
substitute for conventional mentoring processes. Subsequent project funding is now being sought to
extend this project into a larger, distributed format, with the possible integration of mobile
technologies to support ‘nomadic learners’ (those who are required to travel extensively during their
work). There will discussion on this development during the presentation, to explore issues of
remote mentoring for trainee teachers in greater depth.
………………………………… ……. .
How Did I Become a Blogging Addict at the Age of 42? I started on a

University Course
Kathy Jarrett and Karen Russell
University College Plymouth St Mark and St John
This study investigates the use of blogs in helping a group of mature part-time students to:
1. Achieve the feeling of quickly belonging to a group thus allowing them to feel at ease with
each other and to quickly form positive and supportive working relationships. It was hoped
that this would help them during their weekly classes at the university to feel more confident
in making oral contributions and joining in discussions and debates.
2. Create a support network for those students in the group who were geographically isolated
and living at a distance from their fellow students.
3. Access advice and support from tutors in a way that would be perceived by the students as
informal, supportive and non-threatening.
The students attend the university for only one day each week. They have work-based tasks to
complete each week and an assignment every five weeks. In addition, they all have jobs working for
20 hours or more. Many have families with young children and all lead very busy lives. The Blog is
also viewed as the start of a process aimed at encouraging heutagogy (self-determined learning)
amongst these students and other future students. It is hoped that this can be achieved by
introducing the students to The Blog as a technology, albeit at first for communicating with each
6
other, but more significantly, as part of a further development into online learning. Ashton and Elliott
(2007:172) have commented: 'The heutagogy revolution is driven by new technologies which make
global knowledge readily accessible for all learners'.
………………………………… ……. .
Social Software to Support Mobile Students

Thomas Fischer* and Karsten Oster Lundqvist+
*University of Erlangen-Nuremburg, +University of Reading
Social software tools or Web 2.0 applications and what today is extended to related terms such as
Learning 2.0 are regarded to be able to open up innovative, bottom-up and direct possibilities for not
only informal learning. Advocates of Web 2.0 suggest that the Internet has already moved from
passive publication to active participation and social interaction; that the Internet is one of the major
knowledge repositories for personal knowledge acquisition (or informal learning); and will as a
consequence put increasing pressure on traditional formal Education and Training (E&T) including
Higher Education systems. It can be furthermore assumed that informal learning is already
triggering non-formal or even formal learning processes.
Set against this background Mobi-Blog, the European Weblog Platform for Mobile Students aims at
bridging traditional story telling approaches with Web 2.0 applications such as blogs and wikis, at
fostering processes of model learning, self refection and independent decision making of European
exchange students and at informally supporting learners in formal Higher Education environments.
The presentation will report on the technological and organisational choices implemented and
summarise the experiences made up-to-date:
1. On the self-sustaining web-based multi-lingual European service for mobile students

supporting a growing number of blogs about the experience of studying abroad, with positive
examples of overcoming motivational, social and cultural barriers to mobility.
2. On the forthcoming wiki based online guide for students which outlines their real life
experiences of barriers to mobility and how they got around them, linked to the compelling
first-person testimonies in the blogs.
3. On the community network of universities in Europe using Mobi-Blog within their information
and support services for exchange studies.
More information is available at http://www.mobi-blog.eu
………………………………… ……. .
7
Parallel Session 1C: e-Learning .
Session Chair: Janice Gibbs, University of Plymouth
………………………………… ……. .
E-Learning: Profile of the Teacher

Filipa Lopes dos Reis
University Aberta de Portugal
There are difficulties, through conventional means, to prepare teachers to adequately use new
technologies, for it is necessary to educate to correspond to the created expectations. The attempts
to include the study of new technologies in the curricula of teacher education courses face the
difficult investment required to the acquisition of equipment, the shortage of teachers capable of
overcoming prejudice and practices that reject technology maintaining an education in which the
prevalent method is the reproduction of replaceable models by others more suitable to the
educational problematic. Teachers are professionals that have a function of systematic recreation,
this being the only form to proceed when you have so diversified a field of students and learning
contexts, as happens in all levels of education. The teacher's function is the systematic creation and
recreation that bears in mind the context in which the activity is developed in and the target-
population of said activity. It is necessary to stimulate research and to be open to the wealth of
exploration, of discovery, for the teacher may also learn with the student and during and in the end
of the process, needs to incorporate in his methodology:
• Knowledge of new technologies and the ways to apply them;

• Ability to allow the student to justify and discuss his essays;
• Stimulate research as a basis for constructing knowledge through the computer.
The society of knowledge demands a new profile from the teacher, that is: open to changes,
dialogue, cooperative action, that contributes so that knowledge in class is relevant to the
professional life of the students; that promotes a demanding teaching helping students to advance
autonomously in their study processes and interpret in a critical fashion all knowledge and to make
evident a solid general culture that makes possible for him to have an interdisciplinary practice
dominating educational technologies.
………………………………… ……. .
Students’ Experiences of eLearning and PBL: Evidence from a Work-in-

Progress
Fiona Dalton
Informal learning can be differentiated from formal learning in that it takes place outside of any
formal educational establishment; is managed by the learner; and is student centred (Downes,
2006). Societal changes mean that students will need to become independent lifelong learners.
Work and learning will no longer be separated and universities are beginning to recognise this fact
(Boud & Garrick, 1999). The move to more student centred learning practices is necessary to equip
the employees of the future. The Problem based learning (PBL) curriculum is student centred,
contextual and collaborative. The distinguishing features of PBL are activation of prior knowledge,
placing knowledge in context, activity and the opportunity to elaborate on the knowledge gained
8
through discussion or questions (Albanese, 2006). For many years a PBL approach has been used
on an undergraduate course on financial reporting. In order to support a more student centred
approach, encourage deeper learning and to introduce an element of informal learning an online
approach to PBL has been adopted. This paper reports on an action research project which
investigates the student experience of a PBL approach using wiki pages rather than conventional
face to face meetings. Evidence from observation, questionnaires and focus group discussions is
presented.
………………………………… ……. .
UsPaCe: Not Re-inventing the Wheel but using the Wheels to make a Better
Vehicle?
Neil Witt, Anne McDermott and Rob Stillwell
In the UK there are a variety of drivers at national level to improve the links between employers and
educational institutions particularly in relation to Work Based Learning (WBL). At the University of
Plymouth much of the WBL that takes place is undertaken by students on Foundation degrees
(FDs) through the University of Plymouth Colleges Faculty. These degrees differ from traditional
honours courses in that that they are delivered by partner Further Education Colleges, are of shorter
duration and have lower entry requirements. FD learners undertaking WBL are often spread over
1000s of square miles and, as such, are isolated from peers, tutors and resources. The UsPaCe
project has deployed a variety of Web 2.0 technologies to address these issues. Using a rapid
prototyping approach to refine the toolkit, groups of students and tutors were asked to feedback on
a number of possible software applications, enabling the UsPaCe team to identify core tools and
functionality requirements. These were pinpointed as:
• iGoogle to create a personalised UsPaCe page with Google Gadgets;

• Del.icio.us to enable collecting, notating and sharing of web pages;
• ELGG open source, social networking platform which facilitates the creation of groups and
communities ePortfolio creation and user interaction.
• Folio interfaced with ELGG to provide community workspace;
• Google Docs providing online document collaboration.
However, UsPaCe may be extended to add more services if it is required to meet the needs of other
groups of learners. UsPaCe is able to provide cross-institutional delivery and seamless lifelong
learning environments. It has the advantage that it uses applications with which many Internet users
will be familiar and comfortable, and it gives learners a high degree of flexibility in terms of having
access and controlling the access rights of others, to their information, content and ePortfolio.
Having identified what it believes to be core functionality for supporting FD students, a pilot with 7
groups of learners is currently being undertaken. This will conclude in July 2008. This paper will
report findings from the pedagogic and usability evaluations of the pilot and outline the next
developmental stage of UsPaCe which will be trialled in autumn 2008.
Dialogue with audience: As part of the initial staff / student consultations, in order to give the project
team an indication of the level of support learners’ might need, participants were asked about their
use and awareness of Web2.0 technologies and tools. It was expected that this would be broadly in
line with the findings of other studies. The data is still undergoing analysis but early indications are
that the degree of use and familiarity by FD students is far lower than anticipated. We are interested
to know which Web2.0 technologies other academics are using for teaching or to support teaching;
and how are their students responding.
………………………………… ……. .
9
Worskhop 1: Microblogging .
Venue: Smeaton 100 Time: 11:15-12:45
Session Chair: Debby Cotton, University of Plymouth
………………………………… ……. .
Networks, Nuggets & Nonsense: An Introduction to Microblogging

Matt Lingard
London School of Economics
Heard of Twitter, but not really sure what it is? Perhaps you have dabbled but remain unconvinced?
This demonstration and hands-on workshop will introduce participants to microblogging and in
particular, the potential it offers for informal learning and developing your 'professional' network.
Microblogging is both a form of blogging and social networking. Microbloggers, using services such
as Twitter, Jaiku & Plurk, post regular 'what-am-I-doing-now' updates of no more than 140-
characters. Users of the service can then choose to follow each other and their microblogging
homepage becomes a stream of updates from their 'friends'. By following and being followed by
others, a microblogger develops a network of friends based on shared interests. Not surprisingly,
there is a strong e-learning presence on Twitter.
From the outside microblogging often appears irreverent and purely social. It certainly can be and
the fun aspect is undoubtedly part of the appeal. Services like Twitter occupy a space where the
boundaries between the informal & formal, work & social, personal & professional are blurred. This
session will focus on how microblogging can be used to develop your 'professional' network and for
informal learning. This includes:
• Finding nuggets of information as 'friends' share what they are reading, writing, thinking
• Getting answers to your questions, quickly.
• Getting feedback from peers on your ideas
• Extending your network: beyond walls, beyond your sector, beyond your specialism
• Strengthening relationships as you get to know people better
• Following and participating in an event (such as this conference!)
The session begins with a live demonstration of Twitter, highlighting the above uses. This will be
followed by hands-on activities where participants will create Twitter accounts and start twittering!
………………………………… ……. .
10
Parallel Session 1D: Primary Learning .
Venue: Jill Craigie Cinema Time: 11:15-12:45
Session Chair: Mark Townsend, University of Plymouth
………………………………… ……. .
Building on Strong Foundations: Early Learning in a Digital Age
Tricia Neal
Independent ICT Consultant
The theme of developing new skills and understandings for young people to live a fulfilling life,
through work, learning and leisure, contributing to the economy and society in a future of great shifts
and exponential changes including jobs that have not been invented, is well rehearsed but tends to
be focused on the older school age group. But what are the needs of young children born into a
digital society? What is happening in the Early Years?
In 2005 Jackie Marsh, University of Sheffield in her contribution to Young children and digital
literacy English 21 QCA 2005 drew a composite picture of a three-year old child’s wide digital
experiences. It ends with this paragraph: “Yvette is looking forward to starting nursery next month,
as on a recent visit, she saw a computer in the corner of the nursery.” But will she be disappointed
when she gets there??
Jackie goes on to say: Although Yvette is a fictional figure, this vignette is drawn from a range of
data which indicates that there are many young children in England who have the experiences and
skills that Yvette demonstrates and this is supported by further evidence from international studies.
In addition, some young children are starting nursery already able to grasp the concept of digital
filming and editing at the age of three. What kind of educational experiences will they need in 2015
if they are to extend learning in appropriate ways?”
Three years on and things have changed, as recognised by Sir Jim Rose in his interim report. There
are a wider range of digital tools easily available to families and Early Years settings, digital
cameras, digital video cameras, sound recorders and online web 2.00 tools. How are these settings
responding to and reflecting the digital world the children are born into? Let’s go on a tour and
explore how settings globally are responding to the challenges of creating 21st century learning
environments for 21st century citizens.
………………………………… ……. .
Confronting Web 2.0 in a Primary Context
Peter Yeomans and Robin Smith

Canterbury Christchurch University
We are living in exponential times (Fisch, 2006). Primary Schools are at a challenging point in their
development, with the imminent redesign of the Primary Curriculum following the Rose Review, in
which the interim advice (Rose, 2008) states that ‘children deserve a curriculum that will engage,
challenge and inspire them’ and that e-learning and more importantly, the skill of e-learning, has a
key role in providing some of those opportunities.
Heads struggle with their conflicting impressions of advice from local authorities and government
bodies, combined with a lack of personal awareness and fears of the world in which children grow
11
and learn. They each have to meet a set of unique demands for their school and are only being
offered 'one size fits all' solutions.
This paper charts the progress a local primary school is making in their ongoing engagement with
Web 2.0. It will share the chief obstacles facing the school’s leadership as they have resolved the
issues of e-pedagogy, e-safety, creativity, future proofing equipment to redesign the learning
experience of their children to create 21st century learners.
………………………………… ……. .
Authoring Spaces: Taking Advantage of Playful Expectations

Katina Hazelden
This paper suggests there are lost opportunities for the potential of interactive technologies in infant
learning (ages 4 to 7 years), due to a misalignment between children’s expectations of use, and the
technologies provided in their first few years of formal education. Children at this age are not driven
by a desire to learn about the technology, or via it - but because they perceive it as an opportunity to
play. This study found that educational software, whilst being both visually and aurally appealing to
present a façade of play, does little to accommodate the social and physical attributes of playful
behaviour. In order to move the research forward through design, this project constructed interactive
and embedded technologies that were developmentally appropriate for children’s learning, by
identifying characteristics that structure and define playful action and play ecologies.
………………………………… ……. .
12
Parallel Session 1E: Atlantis Project .
Session Chair: Paul Walsh, Cork Institute of Technology
………………………………… ……. .
Atlantis University: The Future of Learning and Teaching

Udo Bleimann, Ingo Stengel and Oliver Schneider
Atlantis Project
We are living in a Knowledge Society, which has great impacts on learning and teaching. Facts and
figures are no longer that important. We all have to learn “How to learn?” and will make use of this
for lifetime. We all have to learn “How to adapt to fast changing situations?”
We all have to learn “How to solve problems in (international) teams?” which leads to a much higher
importance of social skills. The paper gives an overview of the research topics addressed within our
Atlantis University project and tries to form a basis for the following presentations in the context of
this project. Atlantis University is looking for answers to the questions raised alongside the mottos of
our research “Learn Your Own Way” and “Learning by Contribution”. Atlantis University is a virtual
university formed by 10 partners from different countries aiming for new learning and teaching
scenarios. It deals with the development of a new infrastructure as well as new content to support
this and serves as test environment for new ideas. The basic ideas included are:
• Extended Blended Learning – a combination of face-to-face learning, e-learning and project-

based learning adjusted to the learner’s needs;
• Content and way of teaching are both depended on user’s learner preferences;
• Learning by contribution, using wikis and collaborative content manipulation;
• Make use of personal knowledge management for learning;
• Assessment based on online contribution rather than exams;
• The impact of mobility on learning.
………………………………… ……. .
Atlantis University Platform

Markus Keinz
Atlantis Project
There are many applications with very different benefits providing an e-learning process. To ensure
best results using an e-learning platform, knowledge from various applications has to be brought
together. Therefore it is necessary to provide a single point of entry, enabling all learners to access
their desired learning supporting applications like Moodle, Document Management System, Wiki
and a global search functionality over the content of all applications.
The first conceptual design of a portal framework bases on an individual implementation of a central
website header. The header is dealing with all functions needed to access the applications via
single-sign on and load content in corporate design within a certain area. AJAX (Asynchronous
JavaScript and XML) is the used technology to load content from various applications within a
certain content area on the website. When requesting a website of an integrated e-learning
application, an AJAX call will be send to an proxy-server, that handles a problem called cross-site
scripting appearing when a server wants to edit or access a object from another server. The proxy-
13
server receives the AJAX call and builds the requested website on the server. A caching
mechanism increases the performance concerning loading times.
An additional re-factor functionality provides the possibility to customise the loaded websites under
certain rules. Therewith every websites, independent of the applications it comes from, can be
displayed in a common look and feel without editing the basic source code or style sheets. To offer
the e-learning users an overall search containing the whole content of all e-learning supporting
applications the web-based ontology of the University of Applied Science Darmstadt is used. Web
services will extract content out of the applications and integrate it through the web-based ontology.
………………………………… ……. .
CoCoMa: Collaborative Content Manipulation

Pejman Eghlimi
Atlantis Project
CoCoMa is a web-based platform, an independent and interactive system that has the goal to
support collaboration between teachers and students. It is part of the Atlantis project started by Prof.
Dr. Udo Bleimann (Faculty of Computer Science:
http://www.fbi.h-da.de/organisation/personen/bleimann-udo) at the Darmstadt University of Applied
Sciences, Germany. The idea of Atlantis is to provide a single platform that supports a combination
of three different ways of learning: face-to-face learning, e-learning and project-based learning. In
the e-learning field the six diversely learner preferences, introduced by Prof. Dr. Franz-Josef
(Faculty of Social Sciences: http://www.sozarb.h-da.de/kontakt/lehrende/franz-josef-roell/index.htm),
are fundamental for the entire concept: Only computer-based learning can address the
characteristics of every single student.
CoCoMa is one of Atlantis' tools to bring these concepts to life. It gives students a possibility to
suggest improvements to the presentations provided by the lecturer of a module. Every enrolled
student can create an own version of any available slide. The lecturer is able to accept the students’
changes and override his own slide. Of course, changes can also be reverted. It is very likely that
content created by a certain learner preference can be understood best by people that prefer the
same type. Hence, the system marks all slides and revisions with the learner preferences of their
creators. With this information the whole slide set can be filtered to get the fitting slides that
correlate best to the student's learner preferences.
Currently, the tool provides presentation functionality via a DHTML-based format called 'S5' (URL:
http://yatil.de/s5/). This is a temporary solution for prototyping purposes, since there is no possibility
to import/export common formats like 'Open Document' (ODP) or 'Microsoft PowerPoint' (PPT).
However, in near future, there will be an open source project dedicated to find solutions for this kind
of challenges and to achieve a higher awareness in the community in order to attract more external
developers and experts to join CoCoMa.
………………………………… ……. .
14
Workshop 2: Web 2.0 .
Session Chair: James Clay, Gloucestershire College
………………………………… ……. .
The Wonderful World of Web 2.0

James Clay
Gloucestershire College
Gloucestershire College has been using Web 2.0 to enhance and enrich the learning process for a
wide variety of learners across the breadth and depth of the curriculum. This workshop will
demonstrate how Web 2.0 can be used to solve some of the issues facing diverse learners in this
era of Facebook. YouTube, Twitter and then some...
The concept of Web 2.0 services in addressing the tensions between formal and informal learning,
and empowering learners to take responsibility for their own learning will be examined. Then, how
we need to address the pedagogical needs to drive the use of Web 2.0 services and not be blinded
or awed by the technology of Web 2.0, will be explored. During the workshop participants will be
able to discuss and debate different learning scenarios and activities which utilise Web 2.0 services.
Web 2.0 services will be used to demonstrate these scenarios.
Participants will discuss and debate these scenarios in small groups, covering how they could be
utilised within their own institutions, examining the potential conflict between formal learning
scenarios and the informal learning scenarios that Web 2.0 offers. The groups will also discuss how
the pedagogy needs to drive the scenarios and not the technology and address how Web 2.0 can
empower learners to take responsibility for their own learning. Each group will provide feedback
through either a blog entry, an audio podcast or a video presentation. These will then be made
available online to allow participants to comment and continue the discussion beyond the workshop,
and also allow other conference delegates to participate in the discussion. After the workshop, the
participants will have a greater understanding of the role of Web 2.0 in supporting learning.
………………………………… ……. .
15
Parallel Session 2A: Social Networking .
Session Chair: Thomas Fischer, University of Erlangen-Nuremburg
………………………………… ……. .
Blurring Boundaries: Facebook for Film Studies

Tony McNeill
Kingston University
The growing popularity of networked participatory technologies characteristic of Web 2.0 presents
some interesting challenges to an HE sector which has invested heavily in centrally-supported
virtual learning environments (VLEs). This paper will describe the use of a third-party social
networking site (SNS) to support an undergraduate programme at Kingston University.
The paper identifies a number of key questions in Higher Education about the use of Web 2.0 tools
and environments as a supplement to, or substitute for, institutional VLEs. In particular, it addresses
such questions as: i) the blurring of academic and non-academic identities; ii) social distance
between academics and students; iii) the emerging literacy practices, i.e. ways of communicating
and of making and sharing texts characteristic of SNSs and their fit with accepted academic
literacies; and iv) the extent to which the participatory and community ethos characteristic of SNS-
based 'affinity spaces' can be recreated for more formal study-related purposes.
The paper will describe the use of Facebook by colleagues in Film Studies to support a number of
undergraduate modules. Analysing data collected in Facebook interactions (emails, wall and
discussion board posts, comments to uploaded content) as well as interviews with staff and relevant
academic staff, the paper will draw a number of conclusions about the suitability of and potential
value of SNSs to undergraduate education.
………………………………… ……. .
Facing up to the Educational Potential of Facebook

Annette Odell
Social networking systems, and Facebook in particular, are used by many higher education
institutions for marketing purposes and as a means of supporting prospective and new students.
However, its use for teaching/learning purposes within individual courses is currently less common
and there is consequently a paucity of detailed case studies which we can use to assess potential
within our own specific teaching/learning contexts.
The School of Architecture and the Visual Arts at the University of East London has internal funding
to research the use of Facebook as the core learning technology within the delivery of certain
modules and programmes. This has included both qualitative and quantitative research into both
tutors' and learners' experiences of using Facebook in this way. Both existing literature and
experimentation over the last three semesters have also generated a set of 'good practice
guidelines'. These have wider implications in that, for example, 'managing online identity' becomes
a necessary skill for current study as well as lifelong learning, with consequent implications for the
skills curriculum.
16
This paper summarises our findings to date and discusses them in relation to related research
findings. It also lists our own emerging 'good practice guidelines' and discusses the actions that an
institution may need to take in order that the use of online social networking for teaching/learning is
as secure and effective as it can possibly be.
………………………………… ……. .
The Challenge of Aggregation

Karsten Oster Lundqvist
University of Reading
A typical learner belongs to many online learning communities. Some of which are formal, such as
those in institutionally owned managed learning environments. Others are less formal, especially
social-based communities that centre around the user's own online social networks (e.g. facebook,
bebo.) Learners often find that their content is scattered across all of these places. The
MeAggregator is a JISC funded project, which aims to ease this dilemma by allowing learners to
aggregate and share their learning content.
At first hand this might appear a simple task, however there are many technical issues that has
been faced in realising the MeAggregator:
1. How the system locate content

2. Where to aggregate (Desktop or Internet based)
3. Password protected zones
4. Firewalls
5. Use of bespoke / closed technologies for displaying content
6. Changes in APIs
7. Lack of well defined APIs
8. Improper use of standards
9. Non-existent standards
10. Screen scraping
The MeAggregator is able to locate content through a bespoke ontological tagging file system of
distributed content. Each learner can tag content using their own tagging regime, thus enable them
to create associative links to the content better than in a normal folder oriented file system, thus
allowing the aggregation to take place independently of the place of aggregation.
The other challenges are solved by using a flexible plug-in system, which utilises the ontological
tagging file system, but enables the plug-in creator to specify how passwords are handled; specific
API and standards are used and the other issues addressed. There are also social and ethical
concerns with the use of the MeAggregator such as:
1. Intellectual Property Rights and copyrights issues

2. Plagiarism
3. Digital Identity
These are being explored and addressed in the Eduserve funded 'This is Me' project.
………………………………… ……. .
17
Parallel Session 2B: Various .
Session Chair: Robert Bennett, University of Plymouth
………………………………… ……. .
So What Happens Now?

Doug Dickinson
Independent ICT Consultant
I can’t exactly tell you what I will say by the time the Conference arises because I don’t know what
will happen between now and then. If the last year is anything to go by then there will be some
really exciting advances – just think about the ‘mini-book’ boom and the potential for those devices
to change access to information and how about that ‘Smart’ table and the ‘Microsoft Surface’? And
there will be some rubbish … things that, on the face of it will look great and glossy and captivating
and exciting but will have a short life and attention span as the army of other similar things storms
over the horizon.
So I can’t really say … yet … but …
So, what happens now..?
The progression from Web 1.0 through Web 2.0 and onwards is exponential. From docs to blogs,
pods, wikis and beyond, children, students and learners of all types are using the growing power at
their fingertips to develop their ideas in exciting, stimulating and creative ways. They are
collaborating, creating, digesting, reworking, demanding, focusing, inventing and re-inventing! The
‘read/write’ aspects that excited us with passion last year have sprinted forward giving new
meanings to both parts… read and write. Each day we find institutions besieged by the advances
made, which they seemingly have little or no control over and today’s person wants control! What
price is a three to five year development plan when change is so fast? How do we match this in a
world where earthquakes and the global ‘crunch’ have the capacity to change peoples’ lives
forever? How do we manage all of the information we now have? What effect does it have on us
and ours? Who are the owners? Who are the buyers and who the sellers?
… So what happens now … let’s explore the opportunities and take the risk of finding out … for
everyone’s sake!
About the presenter: With 40 years experience in Primary education, Doug is now an independent ICT
consultant working on all aspects of enhancing teaching and learning with ICT. A Primary PGCE lecturer at
Leicester University School of Education, Doug has also written a number of guides, training modules, books
and training materials on primary ICT.
………………………………… ……. .
Cops and Robbers: How the New Technologies are Informing and Changing
Law Enforcement, Criminals and Terrorists
William Hutchinson and Craig Valli

Edith Cowan University
The use of electronic media by terrorists, criminals and law enforcement agencies to communicate
messages and for command and control has been well documented. Not so well known is the use
18
of new technologies by these actors to train and educate their members. Games technologies are
especially being used develop strategies for ‘homeland security’ and other law enforcement
scenarios. Terrorists and criminals groups are using such products as Second Life not only to gain
funds via traditional direct contribution but also to extort or defraud money. In addition these
technologies are being leveraged as a source of training in many of the techniques and tactics used
by such groups. Much of this software gives extra richness and context to the education of
participants of the legal divide.
The use of electronic media is used to great effect in ‘influence operations’ where many
propagandistic techniques are used. However, this has been taken a stage further with the use of
persuasive software. Based on conventional advertising and psychological techniques, these tools
can consist of overt games that espouse particular causes, such as killing Al Qaeda members or, on
the reverse side, destroying American forces. Many of these techniques are supplemented by
‘educational’ material on Web sites such as YouTube and blogs and are becoming serious
contenders to mainstream media sources. People are becoming educated and influenced by
material in the virtual world. With the use of anonymising technologies such as TOR (The Onion
Routing) network hides their activities and makes their interactions with these systems untraceable
and unreliable.
The type of learning in these groups tends to be of four types: passive (where the user absorbs
information such as that used in propagandistic influence operations), active (conventional learning
from information supplied on specific media such as weapons’ construction), emergent learning
(learning from ‘doing’ in a virtual environment such as role playing in a combat game thus providing
skills not sought such as that is active learning), and forensic learning (learning from the
examination of others behaviour, simple examples are the scanning of web page visits or the
analysis of SMS messages). The latter two are the most novel as, in a network centric and virtual
organisation, learning is ad hoc in comparison to that of a hierarchical structure. In a competitive or
combative situation each opponent must learn to survive in this environment.
This paper will examine the use of new media in this network centric environment and the different
learning strategies needed.
………………………………… ……. .
19
Workshop 4 & Parallel Session 2C: e-Pedagogy .
Session Chair: Sally Holden, Peninsula Medical and Dental School
………………………………… ……. .
E-pedagogy: Emperor's New Clothes or New Directions?

Mark Russell* and Lindsay Jordan+
*University of Hertfordshire, +University of Bath
The interplay between teaching, assessment and ultimately learning is complex. Notions of aligned
teaching are often offered as being important in constructing an environment in which learning can
flourish. Whilst our understanding of how people learn and what constitutes good educational
practice varies, there are numerous collections of research-informed principles that describe how
learning might be enhanced. Many of these collections appear generic and hence are not
constrained to disciplinary groupings. Our workshop will identify some of these principles and
explore the concept of an e-pedagogy. Through participant interaction the workshop will gain
additional views of what features of learning environments are needed to promote and support
learning. Additionally we will establish if these features have any uniqueness or specific relevance
to technology-rich or technology-sparse learning environments.
Ultimately, we will engage in participant dialogue to establish if an e-pedagogy exists, or whether it

can be described as the use of learning technologies to support existing pedagogies. We will debate
if the development and use of new technologies warrants a reconsideration and revision of
pedagogical principles or see if our current understanding of what supports learning independent of
innovation in learning and teaching?
The workshop will be facilitated by two practitioners, one with experience of the distance learning
domain and the other the blended learning domain.
………………………………… ……. .
Suggested Future View for a Virtual Learning Environment commensurate with

Educational Total Quality Standards in Saudi Arabia
Amani Al-Hosan and Afnan Oyaid
University of Exeter
Education in Saudi has experienced a number of significant changes in the last few years that have
altered educationalists’ view to the traditional model entirely. The recent government drive towards
increasing the use of ICT in Education has invited research in issues related to varied applications
of ICT in education. Virtual learning environments (VLE) is one application of e-learning that
attracted such interest, however, since VLE is newly introduced application in constantly developing
and changing field the quality of teaching and learning taking place within it should be managed and
controlled. Therefore, the proposed study aims to investigate and explore the following issues:
• The importance of e-learning

• International and Arab approaches to e-learning in general and VLE in particular
• Methods and procedures of applying total quality standards (TQM) in VLE
• Proposals for improving quality management in VLE
• Futuristic proposed view of VLE commensurate with total quality management standards
20
The study aims to answer these questions:
• What is the suggested view on VLE commensurate with total quality management
standards?
• What are the international and Arab approaches in TQM in e-learning?
• What are the international and Arab approaches in VLE design and development
• What are experts and specialists’ views on quality standards for VLE?
•
The study will be limited to introducing analytical framework on:
• International educational quality management standards with specific reference to VLE

• International approaches in educational quality management
• Experts and specialists views in VLE quality management
• Suggested view on VLE commensurate with TQM international standards
………………………………… ……. .
21
Parallel Session 2D: ICT in Schools .
Session Chair: Thomas Kretschmer, University of Erlangen-Nuremburg
………………………………… ……. .
What are Kids learning when their Teachers aren't looking?

Miles Berry and Terry Freedman
Alton Convent Preparatory School
The presentation explores young people's use of technology for informal learning outside of the
formal education system, focusing principally on use in the upper primary and secondary phases.
Drawing on published research from a number of sources they discuss a number of areas in which
young people are using web-based and hand held tools for creativity and social networking across
text, graphic, music, game and video media.
The authors have also recently conducted their own web-based surveys of informal learning via
technology, collecting over 1700 responses. The authors will present an analysis of their
quantitative and qualitative data, covering areas of access to and use of technology at home,
examples of informal learning, young people's views on Internet filtering at home and school, and
their different perceptions of ICT between home and school, the 'digital disconnect'. A number of
case studies highlighting particular examples of informal learning using technology will be
presented.
E-safety issues in relation to social networking will be discussed and the authors will conclude by
giving a number of practical recommendations for how educators can better leverage young
people's enthusiasm for communication, creativity and collaboration inside the formal curriculum.
………………………………… ……. .
Promoting, Standardizing and Certifying ICT Integration in Austrian Secondary

Schools
Peter Micheuz
Alpen-Adria University, Klagenfurt
The integration of information technology in schools has always been a matter of Austria's national
educational policy since more than twenty years. In 2002, one major Austrian top-down initiative,
called eLSA, which is an acronym for 'e-Learning in everyday school lives' has been launched by
the Ministry of Education. Since then eLSA has become a trademark for successful integration of
ICT for the lower secondary level. Even if the financial stimulation becomes weaker the number of
schools is still increasing and profiting from the common knowledge which has been gathered by
innovative teachers within some years of practical classroom experience. The participating schools
have to commit themselves to deliver regular reports and to fulfil the ambitious project goals. Each
school involved in the eLSA-project has been financially supported mainly for hardware and in-
service training, accompanied by the commitment to fulfil these goals as part of their school
program.
Being an important part of the new 'FutureLearning' programme of the Austrian Ministry of
Education, recently the eLSA project offers to involved schools a special eLSA-certificate. Based on
the eLSA-goals as a quasi standard for good practice of ICT integration, the certification process
requires clearly defined indicators. By now, a proposed framework of about 60 items has been
22
developed by the coordinating team of the eLSA project. Due to this recommendation, some pilot
certifications in a few schools have been conducted by regional coordinators.
So far, there was no experience with a certification process of this kind. Moreover, external
evaluations have almost no tradition in Austria's educational system. Till now applying for the eLSA-
certificate is voluntary and only some schools with a considerable experience in ICT- integration
make use of it. As the author himself is currently involved in these new attempts of certifying and
auditing schools externally, first empirical results about the process and the results of 'e-evaluating'
schools, underpinned by some reflections based on research work in this field, can be presented at
the conference.
………………………………… ……. .
Unchaining the British Library: Structures Mediating Digital Archives for

Pedagogic Use
Julie Blake* and Tim Shortis+
*British Library, +Institute of Education
This paper will be of interest to those engaged in e-learning approaches to English and Humanities
subjects in Secondary Education, Further Education and Higher Education, and to scholars of e-
learning methodologies. The context for the paper is the ongoing development of the new Language
and Literature website being undertaken by the British Library’s Learning Team. Developed in the
wake of the success of such recent BL projects as Texts in Context and Sounds Familiar, the new
site is designed for a primary audience of students following GCE A Level English Literature,
English Language and combined English Language and Literature courses, but is also structured to
engage with the needs and interests of UK HE students, students of English from the USA, Canada
and Australia, as well as the general audience. Our paper will be a refocused development of the
arguments presented in the attached drafts, which were presented to the NCTE convention in San
Antonio Texas. These draw upon past work but will also present new material which extends the
theoretical and methodological basis of the much larger project now in hand (Blake and Shortis,
2008, Shortis, 2007, Robertson et al., 2004, Shortis and Jewitt, 2005, Shortis et al., 2005).
………………………………… ……. .
23
Parallel Session 2E: e-Learning .
Session Chair: Vivian Neal, University of Plymouth
………………………………… ……. .
Identifying with Mathematics in an Online Environment

Nick Pratt, Jenni Back and Peter Kelly
In this paper we analyse the contributions to an asynchronous online discussion board for
mathematics and consider the implications they have for online discussion as a vehicle for learning,
and hence how such learning might be managed.
We focus on learning as 'change in identity' (Wells 2000), using one secondary aged participant as
a 'telling case' (Mitchell 1984) to investigate the different ways in which he identifies himself as both
a mathematician and a teacher and learner of maths and how he both develops, and switches
between, these roles over time. Methodologically, our analysis uses communities of practice
(Wenger 1998), not in the usual realist sense of there being communities in the discussion, but by
constructing two idealised communities (Back and Pratt 2007; Pratt and Kelly 2007) which are used
as lenses for understanding the nature of the participation in terms of the discourse of the online
discussion.
We contend that the paper makes a contribution to the field in several ways. First, it offers a new
methodological approach for analysing online discussion in socio-cultural terms. By adopting CoP
as a lens for looking, not essentialising it as an actual community, it allows us to make sense of
behaviour that is complex and which involves multiple goals. We make comparisons here with other
analyses, especially social presence theory (e.g. Richardson and Swan, 2003). Second, is has
important things to say about online discussion as a tool for learning. Adopting a socio-cultural
stance allows us to understand learning in terms of coming to know a subject in different ways;
ways that are dependent on the nature of interaction. We argue that online discussions may need
clear rules about such interaction if learning is to be of the kind imagined by their creators.
………………………………… ……. .
Course Evolution: From Paper to Video in the Helping Sciences

Tara Alexander
This paper demonstrates the evolution of a single course over six semesters, following the
transformation of the paper-based course to a course that was nearly all e-learning. The paper will
present examples of the syllabi at the starting, middle and final points, with clips of student and
instructor videos created for the course. Discussion will include how the course was created against
the background of institution financial restraints and department lack of interest in technology.
………………………………… ……. .
‘Really’ getting our teeth into Dental Virtual Patients

Luke McGowan, Matt Jerreat, Sally Holden
Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry
24
The development of the Peninsula Dental School Virtual Patient is a collaboration between the
PCMD eLearning support group and dental academic staff. It is being developed primarily for use
with dental students in their final Year. A unique interface has been designed to simulate interaction
with virtual representations of real patients who have consented to be filmed, photographed and
recorded. Information relevant to each case such as scans, x-rays, bite moulds, examination results
etc is included within the interface. However these resources are made available to students only
when requested and an element of cost and timing will give them some idea of the real world
situation.
Formative assessment is also being built in as an integral part of the system. Students will be able
to 'examine' the Virtual patient's teeth and mouth and assess various criteria which will then be
entered into the patient's dental chart or inform the next stage of interaction. Students will be
encouraged to make a diagnosis and develop treatment plans which will then be assessed.
Tracking of students' use of the VP system will be available to allow tutors to monitor progress.
This session will demonstrate the current version of the PDS Virtual Patient system which will have
reached a critical stage after evaluation by dental practitioners. Discussion of how the VPs will be
used to enhance learning in the Dental School will follow.
………………………………… ……. .
25
Parallel Session 2F: Atlantis Project .
Venue: Roland Levinsky LT1 Time: 14:30-16:00
Session Chair: Udo Bleimann, University of Applied Sciences, Darmstadt
………………………………… ……. .
Open Source Platform - CoCoMa Slide Editor

Emil Voutta
Atlantis Project
The main idea of our project is to create an open source project around the not yet existing
CoCoMa slide editor. Our goal is to found a community of interested open source developers who
put their experience, ideas, and knowledge into our project.
To achieve these goals we created an open source platform that focuses on the slide editor. The
platform is based on the open source content management system called 'Website Baker'. We
decided to use 'Website Baker' which allows an easy and clear administration of the platform. The
information handling is managed with the help of a wiki. We decided to create a logo and a brand
name for the slide editor to market the project to the interested developers. The main language of
the open source platform is English, but the content is also available in German.
………………………………… ……. .
How Recommender Systems applied in Personal Knowledge Management

Environments can improve learning processes
Witold Skrzypczyk, Udo Bleimann, C. Wentzel and Nathan Clarke
Atlantis Project
Recommender systems combine historical data on user preferences, information filtering and the
application of patterns to suggest and predict items a user might be looking for. Being successful in
a range of e-Business and e-Commerce applications, recommender systems can also be used in
the academic area to support students and researchers at work. This paper addresses the possible
inclusion of recommender systems in personal knowledge management (PKM) environments by
proposing different methods and techniques.
When it comes to personal knowledge, it is hard to get a handle on the information and knowledge
overflow, whether it consists of explicit or tacit one. The usage of current PKM software systems can
support users in dealing with their existing knowledge and information base, but it only rarely can
help them to enlarge it with relevant new aspects. By extending these tools with the recommender
systems methodologies, a new intelligent information and knowledge access can be offered. Here
the user’s existing knowledge base can be a perfect starting point for new recommendations.
Beside the common interpretation of users’ behaviour, as well as by analysing the existing
knowledge base with all its keywords, abstracts and relevant information, recommender systems
can gain an additional advantage from the nature of many academic documents. The system can
try to find the referenced documents, either internally in its own database or externally, and could so
offer the user direct access to it and by doing so directly support the user’s learning process.
………………………………… ……. .
26
Complexity of Learning Path Algorithms
Tillman Swinke and Normen Haas
Atlantis Project
In a more and more complex world, learners face greater tasks in learning than ever. They not only
have to gain more knowledge but they have to acquire deeper and more diversified interdisciplinary
knowledge. These emerging tasks result in more and more complex pedagogical concepts. Within
e-Learning in particular, these pedagogical concepts need to be mapped to a system that supports
these pedagogical concepts and their complexity.
One example of a complex pedagogical concept is the extended blended learning concept which
combines face-to-face learning, e-learning and project-based learning. It also includes contents for
different learner preferences. So the system adapts perfectly to the learners needs. In the age of
web 2.0 and personalised user interfaces, users demand new systems that are able to adjust to the
user and are offering personalized interfaces or content. An example for such a system is the
eLearning platform of the Atlantis University; it is tuned to the user’s needs in terms of the way of
learning (eLearning, project-based learning and face-to-face learning) and in terms of the user’s
learner preference. It combines a new complex pedagogical concept and an up-to-date web 2.0
compliant user interface. Within the Atlantis University Platform an algorithm is needed to calculate
the best learning path for each learner. It is obvious that this algorithm becomes more complex the
more attributes it has to include in its calculation, but it is not obvious how much the complexity is
rising.
This papers goal is to raise an awareness of the type of problems that can emerge from this
adjustability and the gap that is yawning between new upcoming pedagogical concepts and the
implementation that is supposed to map these concepts to an IT infrastructure. The paper will
examine the class of complexity based on the learning path model.
Workshop 5: e-Tutoring .
Venue: Rolle 302 Access Grid Time: 16:30-17:30
Session Chair: Flea Palmer, University of Plymouth
………………………………… ……. .
Advancing Online Dialogue through Web Annotation

Cindy Xin*, Geoffrey Glass* and Vivian Neal+
*Simon Fraser University, +University of Plymouth
One of the key advantages of asynchronous communication is the ability to archive its content.
However, in educational forums discussion archives are often underused. New technical structures
should be implemented so that ideas generated through discussion can be recaptured by the
participants, who can use them to further the dialogue. To this end, we have developed an award-
winning* open source Web annotation tool, called Marginalia (http://www.geof.net/code/annotation/).
It is integrated into the Moodle discussion forum and is used in a number of online classrooms and
communities of practice.
Marginalia allows users to highlight passages of text and type notes in the margin of a post, as with
a paper book. By making annotations in a discussion forum, students are better able to mark up
points for follow up, summarize the dialogue, and make further contributions based on what they
have read.
27
In this workshop, the facilitators will discuss the design of Marginalia, describe the pedagogical
considerations behind its design, and explain how it can be used in online classrooms. Initial
research on the effectiveness of the tool when used for the retrieval, recall, and reflection of
archived postings will also be discussed. The initial usage of the tool in a number of undergraduate
and graduate courses has confirmed the main research hypothesis: the use of Marginalia results in
increased interaction, critical engagement with the content, and sophistication of dialogue.
Participants in this workshop will get a chance to use the tool and consider its application in their
particular context. The session will be video-linked using the new Access Grid Suite.
………………………………… ……. .
28
Parallel Session 3C: Various Papers .
Session Chair: Peter Yeomans, Canterbury Christchurch University
………………………………… ……. .
Designing Powerful Learning Environments: An Overview of Major Models

Ayse Kok
University of Oxford
This conceptual paper discusses some principles for powerful learning environments based on a
cognitive perspective. Throughout the paper, it is argued that the accommodation of different
individual cognitive preferences is crucial for its alignment with the human cognitive architecture.
The paper concludes that in order to be aligned with the human cognitive architecture, TEL
(technology enhanced learning) environments should provide supportive visual and interactive
multimedia, self-assessment tools, instructional guidance about the purpose of the learning
environment and how to operate it. Based on the prior research undertaken in this area, the paper
concludes that a more evidence-based model for deriving the positioning would allow the learning
professionals to move from a framework to a genuine taxonomy.
With the proliferation of ICTs (information communication technologies) in the educational settings,
radical changes have already taken place in the design and delivery of the learning experience.
Contrary to the popular belief, one of the main challenges in this new era of learning is how to
bridge the divide between technology and the learners themselves rather than the divide in terms of
access to the ICTs. In order for technologies to be useful, effective, cognitively demanding and
engaging the underlying cognitive and psychological mechanisms should be taken into
consideration.
The problem addressed in this paper can be summarized as follows: “How can the design principles
for powerful learning environments be integrated into TEL (technology enhanced learning) and
make it aligned with the human cognitive architecture?”
The paper first provides an overview of the TEL environments along with its potential benefits and
underlying architecture and then discusses the design principles of powerful learning environments
by taking into account the cognitive load theory.
………………………………… ……. .
Exploring the use of QR Codes as a Learning Technology

Andy Ramsden
University of Bath
This paper will focus on disseminating the ongoing research findings from the University of Bath on
the potential use of QR (Quick Response) codes in Further and Higher Education. This session will
answer the following questions; what is a QR code? How can they be effectively used in teaching
and learning context? What do students think?
A QR code is a two-dimensional bar code which stores small amounts of encoded data that can be
read using a mobile camera phone. With the ability to store hyperlinks, text, pre-prepared SMS
messages and phone numbers, a QR code provides a fast and intuitive means of transferring
information from real world (physical) media to hand-held device.
29
The use of QR codes in teaching and learning is very exciting. QR Codes are a rapidly emerging
low threshold technology. It is very easy for teachers and students to create and access the
information within the QR Code. Some of the more obvious applications include the inclusion on
print outs and handbooks, the use in face to face teaching for people to access information quickly,
the use within formative feedback and uses within collaborative problem solving games as a QR
Code simply links the physical and electronic learning spaces.
The University of Bath is currently managing a number of QR code related projects, including
coordinating a number of QR code pilot projects across 7 HE/FE institutions. The emphasis of the
project is to implement a number of uses and learn some practical lessons. Within the broader
context of trying to answer the question, what do QR codes offer us as a learning technology? This
presentation will include findings from this study.
………………………………… ……. .
30
Parallel Session 3D: Online Learning .
Session Chair: Mark Pannell, University of Plymouth
………………………………… ……. .
Choosing Technologies for Online Courses

John Smith, Bronwyn Stuckey, Beverly Trayner, Etienne Wenger, Nancy White and Shirley Williams
Facilitating an online course has many challenges. One of the first challenges is deciding which
technologies to use. This auto ethnographic study reflects on the experiences of: developing an
online course, facilitating two instances of it, the technologies used, and the impact on the
participants.
The course was CPsquare's Connected Futures, which is described as:

‘Connected futures: New social strategies and tools for communities of practice’ is a five week
workshop for community managers, designers and conveners to explore social strategies and tools
to support them (referred to by some as Web 2.0). (http://cpsquare.org/edu/cp2tech/) This course
was developed by a team from around the world (west coast US, through Europe to Australia), with
participants also spanning the globe.
The technologies used can be categorised in three phases:
1. Course development and management

2. The first run of the course
3. The second run of the course
The initial idea of the course was introduced by email, and followed by a conference call, using a
phone bridge and Skype chat for note taking. A wiki was used to develop material and regular calls
used to keep up to date with development. Throughout both runs of the course a Skype chat was
kept open for the facilitators. The first run of the course, had a home base in Web Crossing,
supplemented by other technologies. The second run of the course used Google technologies to
provide the home base. Each set of technologies created some frustrations for the participants,
including the dilemma of where to post things, and missing what was considered important.
………………………………… ……. .
HESS - Higher Education Study Skills - Delivering and Supporting HE Study

Skills across a Dispersed Partnership
Julie Swain
The University of Plymouth Colleges (UPC) Faculty was established in 2003 and supports a network
of nineteen colleges delivering higher education to students in their local area across the South
West region. From a modest start in 1989 with just 450 students, provision has grown to more than
10,500 students in 2008. UPC has been recognised nationally and received an outstanding QAA
Collaborative Audit report published in 2006.
31
With the vast expansion and success of FDs in UPC, blended learning is fundamental to the core of
its activity and future developments. With dedicated support to enable widening participation and
online communities UPC has developed a blended learning strategy (Swain J.A, and Witt, N.A.J
2007) to move forward its strategic blended agenda. This has evolved from both the UPC and The
Higher Education Learning Partnership (HELP) Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning
(CETL) strategy which is part of a national network of 74 CETLs which are funded by HEFCE to
reward excellence in learning and teaching and to promote educational research. The HELP CETL
is funded (2005-2010) to support HE in FE development. Its purpose is to develop, embed and
sustain blended developments working with a multitude of different Information Technology systems
and learning environments. Blended opportunities focus energy on pedagogical approaches that
underpin innovation and reflective practice.
The UPC toolbox (HESS) has been designed to support students and lecturers in Higher Education
Study Skills. Within the application there are a wealth of resources, in many forms such as word
documents, interactive quizzes and web links, all which support the user with their study skills.
The 3D Toolbox covers many different subjects, such as researching information, reflection and
evaluation, developing your skills and being an effective learner. Each of these categories, then
have sub-headings which then in turn contain more categories that are topic specific. It has been
designed to be a pick & mix approach with the benefit of all study skills resources are accessible
within one package and are signposted by level of study.
Its main aims are to support:
• students from non-traditional academic backgrounds who require additional study skills
support
• part-time students who want access to support materials outside college/university open
hours
• students who are accustomed to 24/7 access to materials
• staff who wish to use ready-made materials for their face to face study skills tutoring or to
direct students to specific sections to support their individual needs
Within the package is a built in evaluation function and upload of new resources. The toolbox has
proved an excellent resource and we are currently researching and developing HESS II which will
incorporate the feedback from staff and students and engage further with appropriate Web 2.0
technologies.
Parallel Session 3E: Learning Management Systems .
Session Chair: Dominic Martignetti, University of Plymouth
………………………………… ……. .
Adopting an LMS: Compromise and Development

Chris Hubbard
Cambridge ESOL
When adopting a Learning Management system (LMS) to be used for the online delivery of all, or
part, of an existing process it is inevitable that a review of that process will be required, and this
review will raise questions related to the configuration of administrative and content structures. No
LMS comes out of the box 'ready to go' for your situation. Decisions need to be made on issues
such as the groupings of users, the access rights they will have in relation to each other and the
system tools and content.
32
When In making these decisions a complex negotiation develops between the pressure inertia
exerted by the structure of the existing system, the aim to maintain underlying educational or
pedagogical objectives and the desire to create, develop and exploit a new and innovative learning
environment. The outcomes of decisions vary in the weight any one of these may hold, and whilst
striving to develop a 'new approach' compromises of some of these are needed. Final decisions will
at times push development in directions which may might not normally otherwise have been
adopted. Are these directions forced compromises or positive development?
This session will case study a project undertaken by Cambridge ESOL to introduce the online
delivery of aspects of its quality assurance procedures for Oral Examiners who are located
worldwide. I will outline the main features of the established 'face to face' standardisation system
and the process followed to adopt an LMS and move this online including the main development
questions we faced, the decisions we made and why. In particular, I will focus on instances where
we moved away form our established approach, why we made those 'compromises' and whether,
looking back, they have actually become positive developments.
………………………………… ……. .
Learning Management System ScorDO for SVYAZINVEST Group, Russia

Andrey Sylka
Corporate e-Learning Russia
General Contractor - "Corporate Training System" ZAO (BCC Group) www.bcc.ru, St.Petersburg,
Russia ScorDO is a LMS for the automation of learning processes to support the implementation of
centralized IT Programs (CRM, ERP & Billing) in SVYAZINVEST, with the possibility of mass user
training in the limited time frame, has large number of training courses (over 300).
LMS has a unique hierarchical decentralized scheme with regional nodes and the central node. In
LMS design the question of restrictions on the corporate network bandwidth data transfer was taken
into account. One of the unique features of WEB-CD support, is to provide training for offline users.
Choice of e-Learning: The analysis of the demands in education caused by the introduction of
Centralized IT-Programmes into MRC, during 2008-2009, revealed the necessity to train about
100.000 employees to work with new information systems.
Naturally, in order to decrease the expenses for maintaining two systems at the same time, it was
necessary to train the employees to work with the new system under time. Due to the geographical
distances between the departments and large number of courses developed by the author of the
introduced information system (around 300) the internal training was completely irrelevant. The
organization of internal courses for the huge number of employees is a rather laborious and
expensive process.
By developing the strategy of education the following groups of employees were formed: instructors,
key users and, of course, users. Instructors underwent monthly internal courses, key users
underwent either short-term internal training or e-learning, but under the supervision of instructors.
The largest in number group is, of course, the group of users. It was decided to provide e-learning
for them with instructors and key users assisting them in the process of training.
Another reason for choosing e-learning was the requirement for the employees not only no obtain
knowledge, but also to acquire skill in working with information system. But it is unacceptable to
train employees working with the real system, the same as it is impossible to launch a copy of the
system for each learner. Therefore it was necessary to develop training apparatus or exercises for
working with the system.
33
Venue: Roland Levinsky LT 1 Time: 16:30-17:30
Session Chair: Ingo Stengel, University of Applied Sciences Darmstadt
………………………………… ……. .
Identification of Learning Needs of Virtual Software Development Teams

Based on Virtual Team Performance Forecasts
Ralf Friedrich, Udo Bleimann, Ingo Stengel, Siegfried Seibert and Paul Walsh
Atlantis Project
The virtual software development team performance forecaster is a system of metrics that assesses
team performance data against expected project complexity. In ideal situations, the team
performance will match or exceed the project complexity. If the team performance is less than the
project complexity, then project performance problems can be expected.
To improve the team performance, preventive actions need to be initiated. For a virtual team,
elearning activities are a good choice, as elearning is easier to organize than other training
activities. At a later phase in the project, the efficiency of the elearning can be validated, as the
team performance should increase.
The advantages of the virtual software development team performance forecaster are: It combines
the special needs of software development teams and software project complexity and it provides
tentative forecast values and uses metrics which are easy to measure.
The current models either do not combine software project complexity with virtual software
development team performance or they do not provide a simple forecast measurement system.
Forecasting virtual software team performance is important to predict the likelihood of project
success and can be used as decision criteria for the need of elearning and as a validation of its
efficiency.
………………………………… ……. .
Integrating Motivation in eLearning: A Monitoring Instrument for Supporting

Motivational Self- and Co-regulation in Learning Groups
Thomas Martens, Amin Hatteh, Michael Shulmeyer and Oliver Schneider
Atlantis Project
The “Quality of Working in Groups Instrument (QWIGI)” from Boekaerts and Minnaert (2003) aims
on supporting learning groups by monitoring and improving their motivation. Each member of a
learning group has to answer eight questions on a weekly base measuring Interest and the three
psychological needs proposed by Deci & Ryan: Perceived Autonomy, Perceived Competency and
Perceived Social Relatedness.
Based on those answers, each group member can assess personal line charts comparing their own
data with the group mean representing the four dimensions. Previous studies show that this
monitoring tool for reflecting motivational processes can compensate motivational loss in learning
groups. With the provided feedback, the group members can discuss the current learning situation,
identify lacking motivation and can therefore start to self- and co-regulate their motivation. Given the
34
proper integration of the instrument in the course context the lecturer can also try to facilitate
motivational processes.
This paper describes the implementation of QWIGI as an online tool and the prototypical integration
in an eLearning environment as part of the Atlantis platform. In a first step the standalone
application is integrated in Atlantis by using same Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) so that
individuals and their group assignment can be identified automatically. A development path for the
full embedding of the application in the Atlantis Platform will be outlined. Improving motivation within
learning groups is crucial for most learning processes, e.g. for deep and thorough understanding.
The described application will therefore add an important feature to the Atlantis platform and
contributes all three pillars of Atlantis University: face-to-face learning, project based learning and
eLearning.
………………………………… ……. .
35
Parallel Session 3A: e-Portfolios .
Session Chair: Peter Micheuz, Alpen-Adria University Klagenfurt
………………………………… ……. .
A Portfolio with a Difference: Blending Electronic and Paper for Personal and
Professional Development
Margaret Fisher and Stephen Hodge
The Midwifery team in the Faculty of Health and Social Work at the University of Plymouth, together
with University IT support, has recently developed an innovative practice portfolio which is part-
electronic and part-paper. This combines findings from the Ceppl (Centre for Excellence in
Professional Placement Learning) “Assessment of Practice” research project, evidence from the
literature and professional body requirements.
The Ceppl research project – a longitudinal study over three years of undergraduate programmes in
Midwifery, Social Work and post-registration Emergency Care – has identified key principles relating
to portfolio and criterion referenced assessment which should be incorporated into practice
assessment. This has originated from findings of student perceptions as well as evidence from the
literature. Recent re-validation of the BSc (Hons) Midwifery curriculum has provided a window of
opportunity to apply these principles to the practice assessment documentation. The intention is to
encourage students to understand the purpose of practice assessment – seeing this in the context
of their personal and professional learning and development, whilst fulfilling professional body and
programme requirements. The flexibility offered by the e-portfolio system empowers the learner and
promotes autonomy in the gathering of their evidence, which they demonstrate through a system of
hyperlinks. Clarity and consistency of multimedia guidance and facilities for regular feedback on
progress are key features of the new electronic portfolio. A successful pilot study was undertaken in
which students with a range of IT and learning styles experimented with the new format. Their
positive feedback has enabled the wiki-based e-portfolio to be developed into a functional record of
learning and personal and professional development which is currently being rolled out to students
and mentors. The e-portfolio has also attracted central University attention, having been
demonstrated at the recent e-portfolio showcase event, and has been volunteered as part of the
pilot for the new e-portfolio system proposed for the University in September 2009.
………………………………… ……. .
Informal Learning and e-Portfolios

Dave Croot
This paper presents a position statement on current developments at the University of Plymouth
with respect to two strategic developments: ePortfolios and Informal learning. The University
recently invested in ePortfolio software (PebblePad) which will be instrumental in the delivery of its
e-learning strategy. PebblePad will be rolled out to all parts of the University in September 2009,
and is designed to scaffold many aspects of learning teaching and assessment. However, despite
its many other functions, PebblePad is specifically designed to provide learner-centric support for
the processes involved in and the assets accumulated as a result of Informal Learning.
36
This paper explores the results of national research into the scope of Informal Learning (IL) in the
HE sector, how IL is defined, how the outcomes are stored, and particularly how the sector is
recognising and accrediting IL in the light of the imminent Burgess Group recommendations on the
future of the degree transcript. A range of models for articulating the relationship between formal
and informal learning processes are presented and evaluated. Such models are represented in a
range of learning settings at the University of Plymouth and its partner colleges, so the evolving
University strategy must accommodate all these current practices and weave them into the new
ePortfolio as well as making allowance for recognition, accreditation and the new Higher Education
Achievement Record.
A particular strength of PebblePad is its ability to enable learners to share their learning experiences
with peers, academic tutors and work-based mentors wherever the individuals happen to be. As the
system is Web2.0 based, such sharing is site independent and to an extent independent of
technology, as the system is designed to take in SMS and text messaging with slightly simplified
tools.
As we move forwards into structured and scaffolded life-long and life-wide learning, the inter-linked
agendas of ePortfolios and Informal Learning become increasingly important not only to the
University, but also local and regional workforce development.
………………………………… ……. .
37
Parallel Session 3B: Transnational e-Learning .
Session Chair: Sally Holden, Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry
………………………………… ……. .
e-Learning across Transnational Educational Spaces: Students Debate Across European

National Boundaries
Mark Wise
This paper:
• Describes a transnational, multilingual teaching project involving university students from
Britain, France and Germany.
• Assesses its effectiveness in extending the student `learning space’ beyond the confines of
a campus classroom and across national boundaries in joint coordinated teaching.
• Assesses the effectiveness of computerised translation tools (Systran) in facilitating
communication across Europe’s linguistic boundaries.
The project involved students from different European countries studying aspects of ìdentity’ and
international communication. Using a restricted blog - with online translation tools to facilitate
communication - students from the different national groups critically examined diverse perceptions
of:
• a would-be Èuropean identity’
• how national groups perceive each other: e.g. how do `the British’ perceive `the Germans’
and `the French’; etc.
The overall educational aim was to enable students from different countries to work together to
develop a more sophisticated understanding of national differences/similarities, national stereotypes
and problems of cross-cultural communication.
Method: A restricted internet blog provided the `learning space’ for this transnational project.
Participation was by invitation only and confined to staff leading the learning process and students
who agreed to participate.
The students first generated their own data sets –both quantitative and qualitative- by responding to
a series of questions placed on the blog by their academic teachers. These data were then
analysed by the students to provide further topics for investigation and debate in an evolving
process. Examples of questions arising included:
• Why, in general did the British students, in general, perceive themselves to be less
Èuropean’ than their continental counterparts?
• Why did French students, in general, view Britain and the British in certain ways?
• To what extent did German students recognise themselves in the images held about them in
Britain and France? etc?
• How does language barrier impede trans-boundary communication, reinforce national
stereotypes? Etc
• Do modern online translation systems help overcome national-linguistic boundaries and
extend our `learning spaces’?
In responding to such questions, students generated results to produce/support coursework

assignments.
38
Conclusion: An assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the project led to the conclusion
that e-Learning of this sort definitely extends and enriches the student experience.
………………………………… ……. .
Across Continents: The Role of ICT in Creating an Environment for Cross

Border Post Graduate Blended Learning
Kevin Walls and Denis Foster
Birmingham City University
The technology innovation centre, (tic) is a faculty of Birmingham City University. It began delivery
of its first UK blended programme, an MSc in Logistics/Supply Chain Management in Sept 2006,
which produced its first graduates in Sept 2008. As a first venture into blended delivery, there was a
very steep learning curve and many lessons learnt, especially in the choice and use of support
mechanisms and student engagement.
This programme will be taken overseas for the first time early in 2009, in conjunction with Nilai
University College, Malaysia. This paper examines how the tic is analysing and adapting the
experience gained during the delivery of its UK programme to drive the structure and organisation of
the overseas delivery. The learning space will be transformed; by culture, learner expectations and
a huge physical distance.
The paper examines the processes, decisions and choices which were made to prepare the UK
blended learning programme for a successful delivery in Malaysia. It shows how Information
Technology was the key component in the process of creating a learning environment which
enabled staff to engage and support students more than 10,000km away. It describes the success
or otherwise of several different methods of electronic communication which have been used on this
programme. The paper is divided into two sections:
• How to engage the students. This includes a comparative analysis of the use of, and
approach to, two quite different video-conferencing tools.
• How to support the e-learning materials. This includes the use of chat, forums and the
University's learning environment to enable staff and tutors to communicate and collaborate
across continents.
………………………………… ……. .
39
Day 2
Friday 24th April
Workshop 6: Mobile Technologies .
Session Chair: James Clay, Gloucestershire College
………………………………… ……. .
It's a Mobile World

James Clay
Gloucestershire College
Mobile technologies and mobile learning have the potential to change the way in which learners can
engage and interact with learning?¨Gloucestershire College has been using mobile learning to
enhance and enrich the learning process, for a range of learners, across the curriculum. They have
developed a range of learning scenarios and activities that are integrated into the learning process
and support a diverse range of learners.
In this workshop, small groups of participants will examine the potential of mobile technologies and
mobile learning to rethink the digital divide, including addressing the tensions between formal and
informal learning, enabling access and removing exclusion, and empowering learners to take
responsibility for their own learning.
The workshop introduction will provide an exploration of mobile learning and mobile technologies.
Participants will discuss and debate mobile learning scenarios, and cover how they could be utilised
within their own institutions, examining the potential conflict between formal learning and informal
learning that mobile learning offers. They will also debate the idea and concept that mobile learning
is accessible and inclusive for all learners. The small group discussion will also address how mobile
learning can empower learners to take responsibility for their own learning. The groups will then
feedback through a blog entry, an audio podcast or a video presentation. This feedback will be
made available online to allow comment and further discussion beyond the workshop and with other
conference delegates.
After the workshop, participants will have a greater understanding of the role of mobile learning in
addressing the digital divide. Mobile technologies will have been used within the workshop by the
participants to understand the learning scenarios, and the participants will have presented the
workshop outcomes through a variety of learning technologies
………………………………… ……. .
40
Parallel Session 4A: VLEs and MLEs .
Session Chair: Mark Lyndon, University of Plymouth
………………………………… ……. .
The VLE is dead, long live the PLE: 'Netbooks' in the Lab and Field
Brian Whalley
Queen’s University Belfast
Virtual learning environments (VLEs) have become a standard e-learning tool in education. This
paper examines their possible replacement by personal learning environments (PLEs) based on a
laptop or 'netbook' as the focus of student learning. VLEs are not very student oriented even though
students use them as part of their education. However, the advent of WiFi and laptops (although
laptops tend not to be lugged to college) can move ICT towards a more student focus. Small and
inexpensive ultra-portables ('netbooks') are now sold with Linux or Windows at less than £200,
making them devices that really can be used very flexibly. This paper examines some of their uses
as student-orientated devices with specific attention to field and labwork.
Two main aspects are considered; the applications and tools provided or available and the uses to
which they can be put, especially with USB connectivity. Educational materials can be downloaded
to the portable client and, with applications such as 'Google Docs', individual or teamwork projects
can be facilitated. Students can pick their own desktop applications, information management
software etc, whether connected by WiFi or not. Many of these applications are free or shareware.
In the lab or field the USB allows connection to a wide variety of equipment such as microscopes,
digital recording thermometers and whiteboards. As well as the ability to download images from still
and video cameras, hand-held GPS units can download data to laptops and be processed in the
field. Social networking sites (such as Ning) may be used to aid group/team collaboration and
presentation. How these facilities are used depends very much on circumstances and imagination
of tutors and students designing tasks and accomplishing activities. Significantly, PLE flexibility
provides a much greater student-centeredness than has been possible to date.
………………………………… ……. .
Whose MLE is it anyway? Ownership, Authorship, and Content on the

Postgraduate Blackboard
Louise Marshall
Aberystwyth University
MLEs are an increasingly common feature of the higher education learning experience, and their
pervasiveness is such that few now question their purpose in teaching at undergraduate level.
However, although the 2002 JISC-sponsored 'MLE Landscape Study' states that MLE and VLE
development has dominated infrastructural procurement across the education sector, these reports
reiterate the lack of a systematic pedagogic objective underpinning such institutionally sponsored
initiatives. Current practice often lacks a clear sense of the pedagogic value of virtual learning
spaces beyond that of administrating learning materials. The starting point for this paper is,
therefore, the issue of 'ownership': who owns learning spaces, who determines what type of
pedagogic activity takes place within them, and whether virtual learning spaces offer opportunities
for dispersed ownership, making learners the 'authors' of their own learning. This paper explores the
potential for virtual learning spaces to be incorporated into a blended-learning environment. The
need to develop pedagogic strategies for the integration of such tools, part of the landscape of
41
technology-enhanced learning, are considered with specific reference to the needs and experiences
of an oft-neglected group of learners, postgraduate students. In addition to raising and exploring
such questions this paper provides a case study of an ongoing intervention being carried out at the
Department of English & Creative Writing, Aberystwyth University, where a Blackboard area,
'Postgraduate Tips,' has been created in order to provide postgraduate students with a space in
which collaborative learning and professional development could take place. Using this as an
example of how such virtual learning spaces could function, the presenters explore the benefits to
students of a framework that focuses on student-generated content as well as examining some of
the barriers to blending conventional VLE functionality with active-learning at postgraduate level.
………………………………… ……. .
You can’t still be thinking in terms of instructional design?

Ken Currie
CAPDM Ltd
The Heriot-Watt University on-line MBA comprises some 20 million words of English, about 10,000
vector diagrams, and a lesser amount of other media objects. The programme is entirely on-line
(and has been for many years now), it is highly innovative and functionally very rich, and it supports
about 8,500 students in steady state. It has recently moved on to its third institutional VLE (delivery
environment) but not a single character of the content repository has had to be changed to
accommodate these moves. Of course, it is dismissed by many as ‘mass market’ and of low quality,
but this could not be further from the truth. Look around in HE at many e-learning projects and you
will see that few are sustained, many are the interest of one person, and most are toy examples.
The few that scale, support sustainable businesses and that are truly institutional should be
researched so that they are understood by the community. The Heriot-Watt MBA, for example, is:
• agnostic with respect to the underlying delivery technology;

• exhibits very rich and innovative interaction across multiple platforms;
• highly cost effective, providing significant income and ROI.
If there is one point of interest in the above it is surely that a programme built entirely on a
publishing work flow based entirely on international standards (XML) can support such a diverse,
but exciting range of instructional designs. But this is not surprising, is it? The content is rich, fit for
purpose and carefully crafted to meet the educational need. It is not a by-product of trying to fit a
programme into a mediocre VLE. Rich content can be interpreted in many ways, so many
instructional designs are possible.
This programme – copied now by many other examples of sustained business development in
online distance learning – clearly shows the strategic benefits of the rather trivial concept of
separating content – through standards – from delivery technology. This is the 21st century but
many programmes still develop their course within a particular technology, rather than independent
of it and delivered through it. Technologies can breed mediocrity; materials should fit the
educational need and be exciting.
Taking this a stage further, if the learning materials are fit for purpose, semantically rich, and well
structured then the instructional designs employed can be devised downstream, rather than
influencing (i.e. limiting) the nature of the learning content. This also means that designs can be
adapted or even changed after the event if better ideas and/or delivery options arise. Semantic
mark-up releases the learning designer from the straitjacket of the learning environment – it
provides a platform for developing ideas. Good learning content demands semantically-rich XML.
In the talk I will present a range of instructional designs – which in my mind are simply
interpretations of the semantics of the mark-up – which are rich, innovative, varied, exciting and
open ended. Move over instructional designers, make way for semantics.
42
Parallel Session 4B: Assessment .
Venue: Roland Levinsky LT 1 Time: 11:15-12:45
Session Chair: Tara Alexander, University of Plymouth
………………………………… ……. .
A Different Installation of Online Assessments Environment and the

Consequence for its use
Hendrik van der Sluis

Kingston University
In this paper we compare two installations of an online assessment environment at institutions with
contrasting assessment histories. Kingston University (UK) has a range of tools available which
support e-assessments, and includes Blackboard, Respondus and Questionmark Perception
(QMP). The choice to use QMP is based on individual needs. Albeda College (Netherlands) had a
pen- and-paper assessment tradition at the end of a module and QMP convert this to an online
practice. The uses in each case have important consequences for its sustainability and lessons can
be learnt by comparing and contrasting these two approaches.
The Department of Social Care at Albeda College makes use of QMP as a stand-alone application,
without integration with a VLE, to deliver summative assessments, with a central team that handles
both the publishing of the assessment and provides an explicit quality assurance. This represents a
centralist approach in which a small group of administrators deliver and support course teams but
put constraints on the formative use of objective testing.
Kingston University, on the other hand, makes use of the Blackboard Connector to integrate
Questionmark Perception with the VLE. Every lecturer is effectively an administrator and able to
deliver formative and summative assessment to students. The installation provides a more
decentralised approach enabling a greater degree of pedagogical flexibility; it demands different
training and support for lecturers and varying levels of responsibility during the delivery of
assessments. Quality assurance is provided through existing protocols for all assessments. The
paper will draw on ongoing experiences and recent literature to discuss the benefits and drawbacks
of these two approaches and the implications for administration, assessment delivery, support,
organisation, question analysis and pedagogy.
………………………………… ……. .
Helping Distance Learners to Engage with Assessment Criteria

Lindsay Jordan
University of Bath
This paper demonstrates and reviews the use of the Workshop tool in Moodle to facilitate peer
review of draft assignments in a distance learning Masters programme - MSc International
Construction Management.
Aims and objectives: The programme had previously only offered tutor feedback on assignment
drafts for the first module. While working towards a more desirable staffing solution, we wanted to
explore other ways to encourage students to engage with the performance criteria, carry out a
conscious comparison with their work and increase their awareness of how to improve their
performance.
43
The Workshop tool in Moodle allowed students to upload their assignment drafts for review, and
review other students' assignments anonymously according to criteria provided by the tutor.
Depending on the success of this pilot, a further direction we were initially considering was a
preliminary activity where students use exemplar assignments to build up their own performance
criteria. This could be run in the lead-up to the peer review activity. Guidance was given to the
students before the peer review workshop regarding the aims of the activity and the potential
benefits of taking part. Further guidance was provided at the start of the assessment period,
focussing on tips for giving qualitative feedback.
Outcomes: The feedback received from the students indicated that the activity had significantly
increased their engagement with the performance criteria. Although most students claimed that the
activity had helped them to improve their assignments, they also suggested several modifications to
the activity that might allow this objective to be met more effectively. This paper will explore the
outcomes of the pilot in depth and their implications for future versions of the peer review activity,
and for others who are considering implementing similar activities in their courses. Lessons learnt
relate to the maximisation of student participation and reliability of criteria, as well as the importance
of thorough evaluation.
………………………………… ……. .
Using a Software Multi-Agent System to Assess Student Learning Outcomes

Duncan McPhee, Mohammed Mhereeg, Stephen Hole and Nathan Thomas
University of Glamorgan
Software agents have been proposed as one way of providing automatic assessment of students’
computer based learning through the collection and processing of student responses. The paper
discusses the design and implementation of a multi agent system which tracks and categorises the
learning of students developing spreadsheets on an ECDL course at the University of Glamorgan,
UK. The complexity of educational spreadsheet development varies greatly from simple data
logging to what-if-questions to modelling complex mathematical and financial models. Technical
competency requires training and experience; the assessment of this is a very important function.
To assist tutors in their evaluation of student effort our agent system automatically collects
development data which is analysed, presented graphically and though the application of
classification criteria will automatically assess the level of competency of the student effort. Use of
the agent system was designed to make both the learner and their tutors more productive. To
assess the target of the training requires detailed knowledge of the learners skill set and the
spreadsheet functions the students made use of. Using test data it was possible to estimate the
learners’ development abilities ranging from novice to advanced.
………………………………… ……. .
44
Parallel Session 4C: Interaction .
Session Chair: Robert Bennett, University of Plymouth
………………………………… ……. .
Getting to the (Turning) Point of using an Audience Response System in

PCMD
Sally Holden and Paul M Russell

eLearning and academic staff at PCMD have been investigating the use of audience response
systems on and off for some time with no particular focus. After some positive anecdotal feedback
but little real evidence it was decided to invest in a small set of response devices to allow a more
thorough evaluation.
TurningPoint was c hosen for a variety of reasons which will be covered in this session. We have 2
receivers (Dongles) and 100 transmitters (nicknamed Dingles by a staff member and the name has
stuck). TurningPoint has been used in many settings over the past year including small group
anatomy learning, staff development and CPD sessions and large plenaries. This has involved
students and staff in both the medical and dental schools and the wider PCMD community. A steady
trickle of requests to use TurningPoint has now turned into heavy demand since both staff and
students are enjoying the higher level of engagement which can be encouraged with appropriate
use of audience response systems. The PCMD eLearning support group manages the system and
runs staff development sessions to help academic staff prepare materials and get the most from the
TurningPoint system.
Staff and student evaluation shows that using TurningPoint is enjoyable, stimulates engagement
and promotes interaction. It is hoped that more sophisticated use of the features within TurningPoint
will be explored in the next few months such as assigning a particular device to each student, the
use of competitive games and the possibilities of using the system over two or more sites. PCMD is
likely to invest in more hardware to provide sets for all localities to allow more flexibility. This session
will also demonstrate the TurningPoint kit to allow the audience members to vote on whether or not
there is a point to using it!
………………………………… ……. .
The use of Electronic Voting Systems to enhance Student Feedback

Alan Hayes, James Davenport and Nitin Parmar
University of Bath
In this paper we present how we have adopted e-learning technologies in order to enhance our
existing practice of both responding to feedback from students and also providing them with
meaningful, formative feedback. Our method involves the integration of an electronic voting system
into our teaching and learning strategy. The integration reflects our emphasis on the higher order
learning skills required by our students. We present how we have applied this approach, in a
collaborative learning context, to the tutorial components of a final year unit on our B.Sc. (hons)
Computer Science programme. Voting Technologies are normally thought of as `multiple-choice'
systems, which we feel is superficially inappropriate for the deep learning intended for a final year
unit. We have found that, in a formative feedback setting, it is possible to set questions for which
45
there isn't necessarily a `right' answer, and which can therefore provoke greater reflection and
debate. We describe how we have adopted the voting system to facilitate such feedback. We
present a qualitative reflection and perspective from the teaching team on how the adoption of
blending this technique with our traditional approach has modified the preparation, delivery and
experience of our tutorial sessions. Additionally, we present the results of surveying our students
and present their reflections upon experiencing the adoption of this technology within the tutorial
context. We highlight the peer and collaborative engagement experienced by the student cohort.
Finally, we present our conclusions and our plans for how we intend to conduct further work in this
area with a view to enhancing the feedback process further.
………………………………… ……. .
A Report on the use of Short Message Service Texting to email to Provide an

Additional Means of Support to Healthcare Students during Practice
Placements
Rosi Raine and Garfield Griffiths
University of Plymouth, University of the West of England
A team of higher education staff from the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences at the University of the
West of England, Bristol (UWE) piloted and evaluated the use of Short Message Service (SMS)
texting to provide an additional means of support for health care students in practice placements.
The team recruited students from 2nd year cohorts in Adult Nursing, Children's Nursing,
Occupational Therapy, and Radiography to pilot the use of SMS texting with their private mobile
phones from their work-based learning placements. The original aim was to pilot a system by which
a text message from a student’s mobile phone would arrive in a tutor's email inbox, enabling the
tutor to respond with an email which would arrive as a text message on the student's phone. The
system actually piloted meant the tutors had to access a website to see and respond to messages.
The pilot was evaluated using an online questionnaire for students with follow-up telephone
interviews, and face-to-face interviews with the four tutors. Data on the use of the service by
students was also collated. The discussion explored the potential for mobile technologies to support
learning and positive student experiences whilst on placement. Although the students made less
use of the service than was anticipated, both staff and students were positive about the potential of
this type of communication in providing an additional form of support for students in placements.
The project was funded by a small grant from the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, and
supported by the Centre for Learning and Workforce Research.
………………………………… ……. .
46
Workshop 7: Next Generation Learners .
Session Chair: Andy Black, BECTA
………………………………… ……. .
Gadgets and Gizmos in Promoting Learning: The next generation - who are
you kidding they are already here?
Andy Black
BECTA
Much has been made of Marc Prensky’s work Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants. Prensky suggests
that young learners are more deeply embroiled in technology. They see technology as a neutral and
invisible and just a tool or service one uses without thinking. Learning technologists and teachers
using technology to enhance learning are becoming digital nomads who switch between the
emerging tools of the trade to fulfil their goal.
This workshop involves several short session of very rapid fire use of a range of technologies that
are already able to support learning if practitioners are willing to take them up. In the session
participants will have the chance to use the technology. Participants will have opportunities to pose
questions throughout the session and we will be accepting questions on the day via SMS and
Twitter and afterwards by SMS and specially prepared blog. The workshop will change between
when the conference abstract submission is made because technologies will change.
Technologies likely to be demonstrated:
• SMS messaging
• Mobile
• Mobile projection
• Tablet PC
• Wireless and battery powered projector
• Web tools
• Podcasting
• Blogs
The devices will range from a few verging on mainstream and a more than a few at the novel
challenging end of the scale. They will include: British sign language glossary on mobiles, Wikis,
Alternative input device Whiteboard emulators, Tablet PCs, Cloud based tools, RSS, SMS, email
integration Learning Platforms and Robots. The workshop will be fast moving, will be informative
and will pose challenges to participants.
About the presenter: Andy Black worked for many years in the down and dirty end of e-learning in
Further Education before joining the British Education Communication Technology Agency.
47
Parallel Session 4D & Workshop 8: Professional Development .
Session Chair: Dominic Martignetti, University of Plymouth
………………………………… ……. .
Where DOES the learning happen? How are students using the eStudy guides
in PMS Year 2 Life Sciences?
Sally Holden, Luke McGowan, Debbie Kirvell, Kerry Gilbert, Reza Zamani, Paul M Russell, and
James McGarrick
Custom built eStudy guides have played a large part in supporting a change in Life Sciences
curriculum delivery over the last two years in Peninsula Medical School. eStudy guides were
developed and delivered for the first time to Year 1s in the academic year 2007. Year 2 study
guides are markedly different and have been delivered to the same cohort as they progress to Year
2.
Experiences of staff and students using Year 1 eStudy guides have been evaluated and findings
disseminated. User feedback has also informed the continued improvement of Year 1 guides and
the development of the Year 2 guides. New features requested by staff for the Year 2 guides
included a higher level of editability and a system for students to take/save notes and relevant
images during the sessions and beyond while working in pairs/threes. Another feature compiles all
student additions, reflections and comments to the eStudy guides and then allows students to
export this to their own filespace or USB drives etc. This personalised, dynamic learning system has
yet to be evaluated and the eLSG working with LSRC staff will be finding out if/how/when/where
students are using the new eStudy guides and the features within them. Methods of data collection
will include usage stats, an online questionnaire, interviews with frontline staff and investigations
into whether there is any significant difference in use across different LSRC groups.
This session will cover the features of the Year 2 guides, the details of the evaluation study and
early findings. PCMD is an evidence based institution as is its eLearning team. Discussions around
the costs and potential benefits of the new approach will include some consideration of whether the
input of academic and learning technologist time/expertise is justified by any enhancement of the
learning experience.
………………………………… ……. .
Crashing through to Effective Staff Development

Annette Odell
This workshop is a demonstration of one of our central staff development workshops' and one of our
most successful. It originated from the problem that many staff were not at all familiar with the range
of Web 2.0 technologies or how they might use them in their own teaching contexts. We therefore
developed a workshop called 'A crash course in emerging technologies'.
This session has a focus on one technology for only 10 - 20 minutes before moving to the next
(SNS, virtual worlds, blogs, wikis, social bookmarking etc.). In addition, though, there is a specific
sequence to each session component and a Change Academy strategy has been incorporated
which helps individuals or teams to generate their own action plan related to Web 2.0 use. Rather
48
than running the session exactly as we would do for staff an introduction and overview of each
technology - we propose to substitute case studies of the successful use of a variety of web 2.0
technologies at UEL. Otherwise, the process of a Crash workshop remains the same and the last
part of the workshop will be a discussion of the experience and whether/how it would work as
effectively in other institutional contexts.
………………………………… ……. .
49
Parallel Session 4E: Atlantis Project .
Session Chair: Oliver Schneider, University of Applied Sciences, Darmstadt
………………………………… ……. .
Reliability of Automated Grading of Short Free-Text Answers in an

Experimental Setting
Claudius Spellmann
Atlantis Project
Multiple Choice Questionnaires (MCQ) tests play an important role in modern education. Tests of
this type are often provided as a self assessment tool in e-learning environments because they are
easy to administer and to grade automatically. Another advantage of MCQs is that instructors can
easily assess students' levels of understanding of class material. However, it has been suggested
that MCQs encourage surface learning, and can give a misleading indication of student
understanding; as it is possible for students to select the correct answer by chance (Simkin, 2005)
Constructed Response (CR) tests such as essay and short answer type question can be very
effective in measuring students' understanding at a deep level. However, the answers of such tests
are inherently difficult to grade automatically (Dennis, Mills et al. ND).
A recent study indicates that it is now technically viable to automatically grade essay type questions
(Wang, Chang et al. 2008). However, the paper is unclear about the exact techniques used to
automatically grade free text answers. Therefore a system was build to test the reliability of
automated marking of short text answers. This system was then tested in a non naturalistic
laboratory environment (the sample set consist of 5 test question including 25-40 possible answers)
and results indicated that such a system has the potential to grade short free text answers
automatically.
This paper will provide a technical insight into techniques that might be used to automatically grade
short free-text answers. Furthermore it will raise awareness about possible problems such as long
training cycles or scenarios where such a system might fail.
………………………………… ……. .
Knowing my student's learner preferences: How does grouping by Learner

Preference impact on pedagogical processes and collaborative outcomes in a
blended learning, project-based scenario?
Neil Jarrett, Sarah Marshall, Heather Sheldon, Ingo Stengel, Aneta Madeja and Mark Townsend
Atlantis Project
Educators readily recognise the importance of facilitating group work as an integral teaching style in
blended learning scenarios. The construction of knowledge is not just an individual thing. Learning
is also socially constructed, through interaction with peers, teachers, parents and so on. Therefore it
is best to construct the learning situation socially, by encouraging group work and discussion (Muijis
and Reynolds, 2005). However, there is less data on groups than on other aspects of Learning
Types. The researchers will address both the processes involved and the outcomes of the project,
set within the context of a 3-phase structural analysis model: individual working; heterogeneous
groupings; and homogeneous groupings. The type of activities the groups will undertake during
Phases 2 and 3 will be what Jaques and Salmon (2007) describe as "group projects".
50
Using the model as developed by Prof. Dr. Röll (2006), the researchers also investigate the Learner
Types' attributes in regard to what activities might suit different Learner Types, and how and/ or why
different methods are expected to be effective. This information is used to produce content that suits
our students' profiles, thereby providing material that the students themselves feel would help them
to learn best. In assessing why they chose to produce the content in the way they did they should
recognise what works for them in relation to their own Learner Type profiles.
Utilising a strongly narrative-based approach to enquiry, supported by an empirical evaluation of

processes and outcomes from the learners and their peers' own assessment, and supported by
tutor reporting, findings will seek to determine the parameters for creating an effective blended-
learning group structure based upon an understanding of participants' learner preferences.
………………………………… ……. .
Creation of logic-linguistic structure defining the educational services of

Atlantis University
Hanna Shauchenka, Udo Bleimann, Matthias Knoll and Nathan Clarke
Atlantis Project
The Quality of Working in Groups Instrument (QWIGI) from Boekaerts and Minnaert (2003) aims on
supporting learning groups by monitoring and improving their motivation. Each member of a
learning group has to answer eight questions on a weekly base measuring Interest and the three
psychological needs proposed by Deci & Ryan: Perceived Autonomy, Perceived Competency and
Perceived Social Relatedness. Based on those answers, each group member can assess personal
line charts comparing their own data with the group mean representing the four dimensions.
Previous studies show that this monitoring tool for reflecting motivational processes can
compensate motivational loss in learning groups. With the provided feedback, the group members
can discuss the current learning situation, identify lacking motivation and can therefore start to self-
and co-regulate their motivation. Given the proper integration of the instrument in the course context
the lecturer can also try to facilitate motivational processes.
This paper describes the implementation of QWIGI as an online tool and the prototypical integration
in an eLearning environment as part of the Atlantis platform. In a first step the standalone
application is integrated in Atlantis by using same Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) so that
individuals and their group assignment can be identified automatically. A development path for the
full embedding of the application in the Atlantis Platform will be outlined.
Improving motivation within learning groups is crucial for most learning processes, e.g. for deep and
thorough understanding. The described application will therefore add an important feature to the
Atlantis platform and contributes all three pillars of Atlantis University: face-to-face learning, project
based learning and eLearning.
………………………………… ……. .
51
Workshop 9: Digital Identity .
Session Chair: Debby Cotton, University of Plymouth
………………………………… ……. .
This is Me - Exploring Digital Identity

Pat Parslow
We use the term ‘digital identity’ (DI) to describe the persona an individual presents across all the
digital communities that he/she is represented in. The EduServ funded ‘This is Me’ project was
conceived as a result of our existing work and many conversations we had held with colleagues,
students and acquaintances about their digital identities (DIs). This project started in November
2008, we are collecting a rich set of case studies so that we better understand DI and developing
activities to help inform our academic community about their DIs.
Initial case studies show within our community that we have a number of categories of people: The
invisible, who endeavour to leave no digital footprint, asking for their details to be removed from any
external facing web presence; The laid back: who do not care what information they or others put on
the web; The cautious: who have material on the web, but are using privacy setting where available;
The savvy: who have a good understanding of what their DI is, and endeavour to manipulate it to
present the image they want to project.
Our training activities have included a class based exercise were the students had to investigate the
DIs of two members of the research team. The students were able to find a great deal of
information, and some of the class were very concerned at how quickly they had found out what
they considered personal information.
………………………………… ……. .
52
Parallel Session 5A: Wikis .
Session Chair: Paul Russell, Peninsula Medical and Dentistry School
………………………………… ……. .
Wiki Blog Mashup: Aggregating Social Software to Promote Interactive

Learning
Steve Wheeler
Recently teachers have been using wikis, blogs and other social web (Web 2.0) tools to support and
encourage student interaction within formalised learning settings. Wikis are useful to promote
collaborative learning, and act as repositories for user generated content. Blogs encourage greater
reflection on learning and enable students to enter into dialogue on specific topics. Wikis represent
community spaces, whilst blogs can be conceived as beginning within an individual’s personal
domain. There is growing interest in how social software tools can be used to provide added value
to the learning process, and this is reflected in the emerging literature. Less is known about how
wikis, blogs and other Web 2.0 tools can be combined to create dynamic new learning
environments.
In this paper, combining Web 2.0 tools is explored, with reference to two case studies of recent
teacher education programmes where blogs and wikis were combined within the same virtual
learning spaces. Students speak about their experiences using these tools, and reflect on the
strengths and weaknesses of this approach. There is also discussion about aggregation of content
and a theorisation of how community and personal spaces can create tension and conflict. A new
learning spaces model will be presented which aids visualisation of the processes, domains and
territories that are brought into play when content and Web 2.0 tools are mashed up within the same
space.
………………………………… ……. .
53
Wiki Software and Educational Principles of Communicative Action: Case
study of the Czech electronic environmental encyclopedia (EnviWiki)
Jana Dlouhá, Jiří Dlouhý, Laura Macháčková Henderson and Martin Zahradník
Charles University
This article presents a case study of e-learning courses developed within a Czech higher education
institution (Charles University Environment Centre) which focused on innovation in terms of theme
(sustainable development), institutional milieu (involvement of numerous actors with an
interdisciplinary principle) and teaching method (e-learning technology involved). The courses
focused on environmental and sustainability issues, are used in interdisciplinary settings based on
communication of actors (teachers and students) who have different disciplinary backgrounds and
who derive their individual teaching/learning process from diverse and specific approaches,
viewpoints and discourses. The e-learning design of the courses 1 allows the development of a
flexible framework for a non-traditional approach: no pre-prescribed knowledge is being trained as
the course is based on an individual learning path and constructivist approach. Collaborative
competences and communication skills needed for active citizenship and professional carrier are
practiced. Learning materials take advantage of non-linear texts (based on hypertext) which accent
the complex nature of the presented problems: Enviwiki electronic environmental encyclopedia is
used as a knowledge base and also an interactive medium for students’ creative contributions in the
field of environmental sciences and sustainable development.
The educational objectives of the courses are closely linked to the specific character of sustainable
development (which is considered to be social process based on multi-stakeholder communication
rather than the sum of diverse political activities) and critical social theory, particularly Jugen
Habermas’ theory of communicative action. According to this theory, the possibility to express
different rational views and the mutual understanding of agents are essential conditions for success
rather than instrumental or strategic problem solutions. In the educational sphere, communicative
actions (with emancipatory consequences for those involved, especially students) might be
promoted by e-learning technology and its diverse tools. These tools are designed or adjusted
especially for communication and support of individual expression and contribution (e.g. knowledge
“creation”, possibility for its publication etc.), while other tools provide opportunities for very specific
methods of assessment.
The courses are currently being evaluated with respect to the added value they bring to the learning
environment from the viewpoint of students’ experiences. A series of questions that prove
transferability of the e-learning tool to various disciplinary contexts and assess the subjective
reflection of attained knowledge (especially its system thinking component), skills, attitudes and
values are tested. The first results prove students’ interest in the provided method, and satisfaction
particularly with its ICT component. High quality results in terms of students’ portfolios (especially
delivered essays and expert reviews), improving communication aspects and students’ solutions to
higher order thinking tasks (such as independent work with resources) provide evidence of usability
of the presented pedagogical tool at university level where excellence is monitored but narrow
disciplinary objectives are considered to be insufficient.
………………………………… ……. .
Language Learning 2.0 in Action: Web 2.0 tools to enhance language learning
Mourad Diouri
Edinburgh University
1
Teaching is based on cooperation of two electronic environments: Learning Management System – Moodle
with basic instructions, where students also deliver their first assignments etc. – and EnviWiki encyclopedia
(running on Mediawiki software) providing open space for independent work and communication.
54
This paper aims to explore the potential usage and educational benefits of Web 2.0 tools for
foreign language learning and teaching, from both the practitioner's and student's perspective. The
paper will highlight the findings of a case study of experimentation with Web 2.0 tools in the learning
and teaching of the Arabic language and culture. The case-study is based on a three-year project
to investigate how well a language could be taught using a blend of (TELL) technology-enhanced
language learning and traditional methods.
Web 2.0 is a term used to describe the second generation of the World Wide Web which allows
information sharing and collaboration amongst online users (O'Reilly, 2005). Language teachers
can optimise and adopt these innovative tools to engage learners actively in the learning process
within and beyond the classroom. Teachers can also use these tools to promote and facilitate
autonomous learning amongst students outside the classroom.
As a result of using Web 2.0, "Language Learning 2.0" will provide learners and teachers access to
a revolutionary type of learning which is creative and interactive. Learners will have access to a
wealth of authentic, up-to-date and multi-media materials which can maximize their
learning opportunities, and re-enforce their ability to master languages at speed and efficiently. This
learning is facilitated and empowered with online social interaction, collaboration and collective
intelligence, using the web as a platform.
This paper will introduce and highlight eight types of tools, considered by experimentation, as the
most efficient and pedagogically sound tools recommended for usage to teach, and help learners
self-teach, the four key language skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing). The types of Web
2.0 Tools discussed in the paper are:
1. Wikis
2. Micro-blogging
3. Social Networking
4. Social Bookmarking
5. Podcasting
6. Live streamed Media
7. Video sharing
8. Photo sharing
9. Learning resources sharing
Finally, the paper will summarize the key findings of the project and suggests recommendations of
good-practice for effective use of Web 2.0 in language learning and teaching.
………………………………… ……. .
55
Workshop 10 & Parallel Session 5B: Student Feedback .
Venue: Babbage 109 Time: 14:00-15:30
Session Chair: Priska Schoenborn, University of Plymouth
………………………………… ……. .
Rethinking Feedback
Vivian Neal and Priska Schoenborn

Facilitated by EDaLT staff, participants in this workshop will explore a selection of technologies to
enhance the feedback process and to increase student engagement and learning. Several
technologies will be discussed and demonstrated, focussing on how they can be used to address
specific pedagogical requirements. Participants will consider their own instructional goals and how
one or more of the demonstrated technologies can enhance the effectiveness of feedback and the
learning experience of their students.
By the end of the workshop participants should be able to:
1. Identify areas of their own practice where learners could benefit from technology-enhanced
feedback
2. Experiment comfortably with a selection of technologies for giving feedback
This is a hands-on session and participants will be active learners.

………………………………… ……. .
Webcasting in Undergraduate Education: Evaluating Students’ Participation

and Satisfaction
Graham R Williamson
Background: interactive live webcasting allows students to view a video window of a presentation
and synchronously interact with presenter and peers via comments typed in a chat room from any
internet connected computer. Undergraduate nursing and midwifery students at this English
university previously were offered only face-to-face classes at four centres spread over 150 miles.
Aim: to evaluate students' choices and experiences of module attendance by webcasting.
Methods: All 129 students in one 3rd year undergraduate module were invited to participate in four
evidence based practice sessions by either webcast or face-to-face lectures. Students opting for
webcasting watched at home or at university alone or in small groups. Each webcast included the
opportunity to discuss issues in 'break out' chat rooms. After each webcast students were emailed
inviting attenders to complete an online evaluation questionnaire.
Results: about two-thirds chose webcasts. Of 47 webcast attenders who responded to the first
questionnaire (about 60% response rate) 35 (76%) preferred future sessions by webcast rather than
face-to-face. On average students saved 1.8 (range 0-6) hours travelling time and 10.7 (range 0-
28). In the four sessions students contributed approximately 5400 written 'purposeful interactions'.
Questionnaire responders also commented on four issues: method of delivery including the benefits
56
of webcasts, technical issues, sessions' content, and presentation issues such as the fast pace of
sessions.
Conclusion: Although nursing and midwifery students are normally not early technology adopters a
majority chose webcasting; those who did found it a satisfactory and interactive experience and they
participated well, as shown by the levels of written interaction in the sessions. Time and travel cost
savings were notable. Further work should explore how webcasting might combine with other
methods for all students, and associated costs and benefits.
Parallel Session 5C: e-Tutoring .
Venue: Roland Levinsky 09 Time: 14:00-15:30
Session Chair: Janice Gibbs, University of Plymouth
………………………………… ……. .
Extending e-pedagogical approach for professional online learning

Anjali Shegunshi
University of Bedfordshire
Lack of human interaction is one of the most discussed issues in the e-learning technology. There
has been an argument that a significant percentage of the learners develop a sense of isolation. E-
Learners need to be more mature and self-disciplined than traditional learners. MBA being HE
qualification involves mature and experienced learners. MBA also covers variety subjects covering
stream of psychology, sociology and economy. It demands different learning methodologies and
hence is more challenging task in online environment. MBA students learn more through sharing
knowledge and experience and this important aspect of knowledge networking is at stake in an e-
learning environment.
With today's massive growth in the field of information technology there is substantial increase in
the popularity of e-learning. It is appearing as viable learning option for the future, especially for
distance and lifelong learners.
As more and more organisations are getting e-enabled the availability of the tools and technology
has become the secondary issue. The primary issue is to establish a symbiotic partnership between
organisation, learner and tutor. In order to establish this relation, High-quality ICT training and
support (to teachers and learners), Quality assurance policies and balancing the socio-cultural
differences are the key factors.
This paper explores how traditional methods of pedagogy can be blended into online learning in
order to overcome some of the disadvantages inherited in the e-learning. The approach for
developing online learning would as follows:
1. Providing social networking opportunity as that of traditional classroom using asynchronous

communication tools.
2. Developing online learning content, following instructional system design principles.
3. Providing 'Offline teachers' as part of learning strategy as opposed to teacher-less online
education
4. Developing Learner centric-Learning activities on the foundation of motivational theory
(ARCS model)
5. Planning of assessments not only to assess individuals' subject knowledge, but also to test
personal and social development.
57
The University of Bedfordshire's MBA provides an opportunity to investigate the effect of above
mentioned approach on the learning experience and level of satisfaction amongst the MBA
students. The MBA online learning content is being systematically modified and enhanced in
multimedia richness. The content quality is being enhanced based on Instructional system design
approach (ADDIE model). Learning activities are being reconstructed with learner centric approach
and to provide social networking opportunities as well. Availability of dedicated online synchronous
contact hours for each learning unit has been assigned, in order to overcome total absence of direct
communication.
Development of resource pools or library for learning/teaching assets is under progress: These
pools will be used to generate knowledge objects and includes Podcasts, Vodcasts, presentations,
interactive games, graphics, animations and case studies.
A number of ICT training assets are being already developed and made available to the students
and tutors. This paper will discuss some early findings and implications for further research to
develop effective online experience for professional students undertaking online MBA course.
………………………………… ……. .
Hold the Dream

Susan Collins
This paper reflects on my e-tutoring experience and how it almost became a dream come true.
People would ask if I enjoyed my job; I would reply, 'I love the job; I get a lot of satisfaction from it. I
want to log-in and see who's contacted me'.
The problem is that my third experience of tutoring the same set of courses has ended. Undaunted,
I am still enthusiastic about e-learning and want to remain with it; having tasted my dream, where
and how will I finally achieve my goal? This paper is a reflection on my experience to consider what
would make good distance learning as e-learning to fulfil my vision: What would make a sound
business case and who would ideal customers be? In essence:
1. Identify the strengths and weaknesses of my experience

2. consider who benefits from an e-learning experience
3. propose an ideal 'customer' and identify their likely needs
My vision of e-learning is complete freedom from traditional boundaries and learning spaces, where
limits of time and place of tutors and learners are of no consequence. I see e-learning being a truly
satisfying experience for both tutors and learners; where tutors make individualised learning
possible through a traditional mentoring and guiding role. How can this be a viable business? The
story will unfold as a critique of experience and an outline of a desired future direction.
………………………………… ……. .
Integrating M-Learning Concepts with the Atlantis Virtual University Approach

Markus Doehring, Jean-Philippe Neumann and Bartlomiej Polakowski
Atlantis Project
The value of mobile technologies as a complementary component within eLearning systems has
recently been recognised by the research community (Anaraki, 2007), although it rarely goes
beyond the provision of text, visual or audio content for mobile use. The Atlantis project aims at
researching innovative concepts for a future virtual university.
58
One subtask is to combine classic eLearning and mLearning approaches and to extend the learning
system employed within Atlantis with context awareness with respect to the location of a mobile
user. As a first step, this includes an analysis of typical mobile learning scenarios where geodesic
information is of potential value, with a special focus on multimedia content.
Furthermore, a demonstrator is currently being developed to show how information objects used
within Atlantis can be delivered to mobile devices depending on geographic context, concretely the
current location of a mobile user. An information object in this respect can include learning content
or alternatively information about learning supporting resources (as for example the location of
books or experts).
Starting from a small proof of concept, the next steps should include a user case study, where user
observations (while using the system) or surveys may help to find indicators for additional useful
functionality, e.g. regarding the extended provision of the need for an adjusted graphical user
interface on the mobile device.
………………………………… ……. .
59
Parallel Session 5D: e-Pedagogy .
Session Chair: Mark Townsend, University of Plymouth
………………………………… ……. .
Multi-tasking and the Development of e-Learning: Just a Distraction?

Jennie Winter, Debby Cotton, Joan Gavin and John Yorke*
University of Plymouth, *Curtin University of Technology
This paper reports the findings of a small-scale study which explored the e-learning experiences of
a group of postgraduate students and sought to identify attributes of the ‘expert’ e-learner (Creanor,
et al, 2006b) Our findings support current knowledge about novice and expert e-learner
characteristics but also highlight a less researched but potentially important issue in developing e-
learning expertise: the ability of students to manage online distraction. Although multi-tasking is
often cited as a beneficial attribute of so-called ‘digital natives’ (Bennett, et al, 2008), there is
evidence that many students found switching between competing activities highly distracting. There
is little empirical work which explores the kinds of strategies students use to mitigate the impact of
distractions (Brown, 2000; Sweller, 1988), but the evidence from our study suggests that students
who are expert at managing distractions are those who can more effectively separate out learning
from non-learning activities. This may have implications for students’ and tutors’ appropriation of
web 2.0 technologies for educational purposes, which is an important caveat in an increasingly
techno-centric HE environment.
………………………………… ……. .
I’ve got the Theory, What Now? Connecting Theory to Practice in the Helping
Sciences
Tara Alexander
This presentation demonstrates the use of technology for linking theory to skills in the helping
professions. One of the primary goals of education in the helping professions is to help students
develop a reflective practice in which the use of theory underpins the application of skills. Most
commonly, students have a strong skills set but are unable to articulate their rationale for clinical
decisions. The literature in most disciplines indicates, unfortunately, that educators find it difficult to
help students bridge this gap between the abstract and the concrete.
Technology is one tool that can allow the student to become “practitioners” operating from a specific
theoretical framework. This can be the first step in helping students to understand the differentiation
between theories and models. For example, students were asked to research a particular theory
and the model which resulted from that theory. Then, a video was created specifically for a theories
class in which the instructor used a variety of models during the single session. The students were
asked to watch the video of the interaction between the “clinician” and the “client” from their
theoretical framework, and apply the correct model, assess the nature of the problem, create goals,
and provide a rationale for their decisions.
Student answers were posted on a bulletin board (such as BlackBoard or WetPaint), and then
students were required to comment on the postings of other students using prescribed questions.
Finally, a classroom discussion was held where the instructor discussed where she deliberately
used techniques from specific models (i.e., cognitive behavioural, solutions-focused, person-
60
centered, and so on). Students reported this exercise was illuminating, as they finally saw that
one’s theoretical framework shaped the entire context of the helping relationship, including which
skills were employed. The exercise was used twice per class.
This workshop is most appropriate for instructors in the helping sciences who have a background in
theories, models, and skills. Some experience with technology is expected (i.e., how to manage a
web-page), as the content of this session will focus on pedagogy via e-learning and not on web-
page design, accessibility, or overcoming technical problems. The latter topics are best left to
experts. In order to demonstrate the pedagogy, the video created for this class will be shown, in
addition to the student postings and the grading matrices created for class.
Aims:
1. Participants will gain an understanding of how video technology can be useful for helping
students to apply theoretical understanding to the helping relationship.
2. Participants will understand the creative use of bulletin boards, and live “chat” in order to
help students differentiate the theoretical frameworks based upon the observed skills.
3. By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to name three ways that technology can
assist them in applying theory to skills using the technology available at their own
institutions.
………………………………… ……. .
Generating Secure and Reusable e-Learning Content

Farzane Kabudvand
Azad University
This paper aims at presenting a method for product e-learning content has three distinctive features:
1. it conforms to SCORM standard

2. the content is reusable
3. the content is secure and safe
First, we will go over the advantages attained by the features mentioned above. Next, then we will
introduce some ways for raising the methods. In this paper we will begin by dividing the content for
e-learning objects into smaller units called learning object. Next we will generate each object
separately ( in four format: text, animation, slide, voice) After that we will make a metadata for each
object which will define the object using the key words and put the learning objects into a databank.
We will do the searches according to the field of the metadata, so that they can be used again and
again.
In other words, in order to produce contents which have already been produced, all we need to do a
search in the databank. Therefore, the content has been produced before, so there is no need to
produce it again. Finally by new methods we will produce content having security and watermarked,
at the end we will package then according to SCORM standard and present them using LMS.
………………………………… ……. .
61
Parallel Session 5E: MUVEs and 3D Environments .
Session Chair: Shirley Williams, University of Reading
………………………………… ……. .
Sir LANCELOT and the Mists of AVALON, the Virtual Saga Continues...
Heike Philp
Lancelot School
Sir LANCELOT and the mists of AVALON denote two European funded projects, both development
project aimed at exploring language learning with state-of-the-art synchronous Internet
Communication technology.
LANCELOT (LANguage learning with CErtified Live Online Teachers) focused on teaching in virtual
classrooms and successfully completed in 2007. During the 2-year project 23 Partners joined to
develop a 3-month course for language trainers. This course is certified and accredited by ICC
Europe and immerse language teachers into a virtual world that is second to none. www.lancelot.at
AVALON, which stands for 'Access to Virtual and Action Learning live ONline', is about language
learning in Second Life and has just begun its 2-year development with 26 partners in 8 European
countries, 11 of whom are Universities. From January 2009 until December 2010 scenarios for
language learning are going to be developed to facilitate communication, interaction, simulation,
role-play for the purpose of practising the language. A certified and accredited teacher training
course too will be developed towards the end of the project. Prior to this we will see tools piloted,
which allow any user to enter Second Life with minimal technical skills and with medium size
equipment. (no URL as of yet)
This presentation invites the listeners to enter a virtual journey and lists the benefits of language
learning in the 21st century. Learning in real-time, effective and fun. It also outlines the learning
curve for language trainers to utilise these new environments in a pedagogically sound manner.
………………………………… ……. .
Lifelong Learning in 3D worlds

Thomas Kretschmer* and Shirley Williams+
*University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, +University of Reading
Within education Massive Multi-User Virtual Environments (MUVEs) are becoming widely used.
MUVEs are also called 3D Worlds and one of the most widely known examples is Linden Lab's
Second Life. Existing educational projects in Second Life are mainly single organisation/institution
centred and there is a general lack of structured support for practitioners in Lifelong Learning,
especially concerning models for learning scenarios.
LLL3D is a 2 year project funded under the EU's Lifelong Learning Programme, and aims to
improve the opportunities for Lifelong Learning and the quality of the experience, by identifying,
developing and sharing best practice in the use of MUVEs in education. There are three main
strands to the project:
1. The development, implementation and test of learning scenarios for five different target
groups within the field of Lifelong Learning (School Environment, Higher Education,
Vocational Training, Adult Education and Intergenerational Learning).
62
2. Establishing a community of researchers, teachers and practitioners interested in using
MUVEs in Lifelong Learning.
3. Promoting, disseminating, raising awareness and increasing acceptance for educational use
of MUVEs.
The project is just completing its first year and has identified a number of case studies, in which
patterns are being identified. These cases range from small individual developed work, to large
projects from multi-nationals which are based on many person-years work. In conjunction with the
MUVEnation project a community of practitioners is developing, and this group is helping identify
priorities for the development of scenarios and artefacts that can be used for educational purposes
within MUVEs.
………………………………… ……. .
To 3D or not to 3D that is the question!

Paul M Russell, Tim Wheeler and Sally Holden
The Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry (PCMD) has a very important role in producing
tomorrow's doctors and dentists. We do not use cadavers or plasticised human parts but students
have access to 'state of the art resources' to aid their anatomy learning. PCMD has been at the
forefront of eLearning since its conception and proud of its evidence based approach to eLearning.
This session explores the use of an elusive third dimension in e-Learning, can we even call it 3D
when we display our voxels on a 2D screen?
There are many important questions that need to be asked when an eLearning development is
instigated such as:
1. What is the added value?

2. Is a 3D learning object more immersive and informative than a 2D version and if so how
much more does it add?
3. Are there areas in the students' learning which often create puzzles that are far more easily
resolved with the use of 3D as opposed to 2D?
4. When these students become professionals will the way they have learned particular
concepts make a difference?
On the design side there are different genres of 3D ranging from the created i.e. an artist's
impression through to the reconstruction from 2D slices to a 3D object. Is going down a tube (eg the
colon) with a miniature fish eye lens a 3D experience? This session explores the use that PCMD
has made of 3D and will demonstrate some of those methods. Participants will be invited to
contribute their thoughts on the usefulness of 3D with a quiz aided by the TurningPoint audience
response system. You might even want to play a 3D game!
………………………………… ……. .
63
Session Chair: Krzysztof Amborski, University of Applied Sciences, Darmstadt
………………………………… ……. .
User Centred Design in an e-Learning Environment using the Example of

Atlantis University
Iris Wegmann
Atlantis Project
Atlantis University as a virtual university represents new pedagogical approaches in education.

Three main aspects make up for the concept: Atlantis University is international, it is interdisciplinary
and it combines three pillars for teaching and learning: classical face-to-face learning, e-learning
and project-based learning. Furthermore Atlantis introduces the concept of learner preferences who
receive individual learning content according to their own way of learning.
This short introduction shows that an e-learning environment can easily grow to an extensive
application. To assure convenient use it is increasingly important to provide an intuitive and clearly
represented user interface. The challenge and complexity of creating a user interface for an e-
learning environment respectively for the Atlantis University would particularly be the heterogeneity
of the user group and the new pedagogical approaches. It is necessary to provide a user interface
that can be adjusted by every individual user as he / she prefers. There are several criteria that
have to be considered within the user interface design: the user’s skills, expectations, interests,
affinity and needs. Our results of the user interface we have designed for the Atlantis University will
demonstrate how to combine these aspects in a user interface for an e-learning environment.
………………………………… ……. .
Integration of Intelligent Semantic Web Services in the Virtual Learning

Community of the New Atlantis University Portal
Roland Boeving
Atlantis Project
Semantic Linking of Learning Communities information brings many advantages of the integration of
various data sources, for example documents, collaborative learning units, and the flow of
information into tasks and project processes. It is anticipated that ontologies and semantic web
technologies will influence the next generation of e-learning systems and applications.
The virtual learning community of the Atlantis University Portal will be connected to the web-based
ontology of the University of Applied Science Darmstadt and benefit by the content of this so-called
'Knowledge-Portal'. This Knowledge Portal is a platform in which all the components for
comprehensive support of knowledge processing are synchronised with each other. From the
simple definition of even the most complex knowledge models, through the central and local
maintenance of structures, to the use and distribution of the available knowledge. A knowledge
network of this type does not place words in a statistical context, but understands the context of the
content. It comprehends the semantics of expressions, because it knows knowledge objects that
are linked by means of relations. To understand the positive effects of this semantic technology,
some live-examples are shown by using the semantic search und interactive document uploads.
………………………………… ……. .
64
Blended Labs Integration of practical and laboratory lessons into the Atlantis
University Platform
Ralf Tank
Atlantis Project
The main tasks of this project:
1. Model to operate practical and laboratory lessons

2. Create a software architecture for the introduced model
3. Define a platform to handle all the requirements to provide laboratory lessons within AUP
4. A software prototype implementing a traffic simulation laboratory
For the Atlantis University Project it is necessary to have the possibilities to handle laboratories and
practices. The realisation of such practical lessons will be done in different steps:
1. The first step should emerge all the 'needs and musts' for the planed platform extension.
2. In the second step the project will research the details for the key goals and the ‘nice to
have’ features.
3. In addition the third step will define a platform to realise the different requirements for its
implementation.
4. And finally, the implementation of a simulated traffic cross actuated by data from detectors
should be provided.
At the beginning, it is necessary to have the basic information about typical practical or laboratory
lessons, e.g. every lesson needs an introduction about its theme, perhaps several tools and a skill
description for the workout. These items will normally be created by the course instructor. Perhaps
it is helpful to have some kind of 'chatroom' for the learning groups. This could be a platform
to discuss their experiences.
Another part will be a platform to handle online simulations for practical lessons. In this case, every
student needs an interface to interact with the simulation and process the lessons objectives. This
interface should acts as the gate to access the system. Also version management will be needed to
accomplished efficiency control of the learners. So the course instructor can online evaluate the
results of the lessons. As prototype lessons with a simulation of traffic control should be
implemented. One goal is to run simulations within this simulation based on data from genuine
detectors of an existing traffic cross that will be actuated by a traffic management system. The goal
of this research proposal is to investigate the possibility to integrate practical and laboratory lessons
into the Atlantis University Platform (AUP) shown by examples (traffic simulation).
Research Methodology: Several internet searches to different web home pages with the main target
E-Learning. Contact to different faculties where E-Learning Platforms is in use. Discussions with
tutors, professors, lectors to evaluate the necessaries. Special deep contact with the faculty traffic
engineering to bring the traffic simulation tool running.
………………………………… ……. .
65

Language Learning 2.0 in Action: Web 2.0 Tools To Enhance Language Learning Conference Proceedings 2009

Загружено:

Сведения о документе

Исходное описание:

Оригинальное название

Авторское право

Доступные форматы

Поделиться этим документом

Поделиться или встроить документ

Параметры публикации

Этот документ был вам полезен?

Это неприемлемый материал?

Авторское право:

Доступные форматы

Language Learning 2.0 in Action: Web 2.0 Tools To Enhance Language Learning Conference Proceedings 2009

Загружено:

Авторское право:

Доступные форматы

4th Plymouth e-Learning

Roland Levinsky Building

23rd – 24th April 2009

Edited by Steve Wheeler

Conference Co-Chair: Mark Townsend

Reception Manager: Priska Schoenborn

Exhibitor Co-ordination: Mark Townsend / Peter Yeomans

Design Direction: Mark Lyndon

Technical Direction: Dominic Martignetti

Committee Members: Mark Pannell Flea Palmer

Janice Gibbs Debby Cotton

Neil Witt Robert Bennett

Student Help Team: Lisa Chrisp Kerry McCann

Nick Barton Dan Kennedy

Steve Wheeler (Editor) Faculty of Education

Robert Bennett Faculty of Education

Debby Cotton Educational Development and Learning Technologies

Janice Gibbs Educational Development and Learning Technologies

Sally Holden Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry

Mark Lyndon Educational Development and Learning Technologies

Dominic Martignetti Faculty of Education

Flea Palmer Educational Development and Learning Technologies

Mark Pannell Educational Development and Learning Technologies

Mark Townsend Faculty of Education

Neil Witt Higher Education Learning Partnerships (HeLP) CeTL

Peter Yeomans Canterbury Christchurch University

Venue: Roland Levinsky Room 08 Time: 11:15-12:45

Session Chair: Mark Pannell, University of Plymouth

Podcasting in Science Education: Unnecessary Distraction or Valuable

Giving Education a Voice: Lessons from Practical Podcasting Experiences

Venue: Roland Levinsky Room 09 Time: 11:15-12:45

Session Chair: Flea Palmer, University of Plymouth

Blogging as Reflective Practice in Teacher Education

How Did I Become a Blogging Addict at the Age of 42? I started on a

Social Software to Support Mobile Students

1. On the self-sustaining web-based multi-lingual European service for mobile students

More information is available at http://www.mobi-blog.eu

Venue: Roland Levinsky Room 10 Time: 11:15-12:45

Session Chair: Janice Gibbs, University of Plymouth

E-Learning: Profile of the Teacher

• Knowledge of new technologies and the ways to apply them;

Students’ Experiences of eLearning and PBL: Evidence from a Work-in-

• iGoogle to create a personalised UsPaCe page with Google Gadgets;

Venue: Smeaton 100 Time: 11:15-12:45

Session Chair: Debby Cotton, University of Plymouth

Networks, Nuggets & Nonsense: An Introduction to Microblogging

Venue: Jill Craigie Cinema Time: 11:15-12:45

Session Chair: Mark Townsend, University of Plymouth

Building on Strong Foundations: Early Learning in a Digital Age

Confronting Web 2.0 in a Primary Context

Peter Yeomans and Robin Smith

Authoring Spaces: Taking Advantage of Playful Expectations

Venue: Roland Levinsky Room 11 Time: 11:15-12:45

Session Chair: Paul Walsh, Cork Institute of Technology

Atlantis University: The Future of Learning and Teaching

• Extended Blended Learning – a combination of face-to-face learning, e-learning and project-

Atlantis University Platform

CoCoMa: Collaborative Content Manipulation

Venue: Smeaton 100 Time: 14:30-16:00

Session Chair: James Clay, Gloucestershire College

The Wonderful World of Web 2.0

Venue: Roland Levinsky Room 08 Time: 14:30-16:00