http://www.winchester.ac.uk/blog/archive/tags/Blended%20Learning/default.aspx

This course is due to run on Monday 28th February, and gives participants the opportunity to discuss the pros and cons of sharing their teaching/research materials online, and some idea of the tools available to do so.

HJB21
Investigate how using social media can enhance your online reputation and assist with job hunting

2-3pm Social media: workshop

HJB21
A follow-up to the above session, for those interested in enhancing their online reputation further

Session run by Bex Lewis as part of Employability Week, and see the Prezi here.

Marina Janetsky (University of Middlesex)

Winchester BODGIT (Marina Janetsky)

What do we mean by IT & therefore what do people think they are dealing with?

• IT, often ringfences itself in jargon, which makes it less accessible to those outside.
• People don’t want to hear the phrase ‘Going Forward’, which has been tainted by ‘management speak’.
• What is in it for them: enhancing teaching? A lot of use of technology is tied up with ‘identity’. What you spend time on, identifies who you are. e.g. Academics want to teach, not learn technology unless they can see clear benefits. Bluntly: What is the reward mechanism?
• Most students are comfortable in the electronic environment. Staff can feel nervous about engaging, but it’s important to know the language of the student.
• There’s a clear pinchpoint when a mismatch of values is seen. May be sold by ‘public good’, but can be tainted by ‘must use’.
• Need clear overall policies which include implementation, which also offer choice where appropriate. Otherwise it’s not clear where new projects can fit within a multiplicity of new initiatives.
• Have been comments that people would rather use Skype (IT reports security issues) rather than Wimba Pronto, but how would people feel if all were forced to use Skype? 

What other policies need to change to help embed what seems like a simple ‘technical’ implementation.

Most projects are focused on a journal output/some kind of ‘product’, rather than on embedding and engaging throughout.

What’s there & how does it relate to what we already use? Tell me then let me decide, and support me as I learn. Make it relevant to me, and don’t make assumptions about how I’m going to use it.

Recognise may be a necessity but may not make things easier. Often out of ITS hand too.

What’s essential – & what’s luxury?

Don’t make it hard to use – network restrictions!!

Help on demand = online, not a substitute.

Tell us what we need to change/why and preferably early on. Don’t undo what we’ve just done.

Should technology drive it?

Can we assume a core minimum knowledge? Help selves & others.

Get people involved at early planning stages

• Bex has been doing this in her other role with @bigbible involving others since July 2010, for a project launching March 2011)
• Example from previous experience is that a 12 week course was extended to 13, with the first week focusing on demonstrating how to use asynchronous materials, so e.g. using the VLE/videos were all built into the front of the course.
• How do we make the commitment easier?
  • More local relevance! Fits with local identities
  • Give people time within their workload
  • Avoid one-off training. Provide reinforcement session.
  • By the time that people are desperate to learn (e.g. Wimba Classroom in the snow), it’s usually too late.
  • Build in systematically, provide sessions on pedagogy/e-learning. Talk how it fits into the teaching material.
• A feeling at present that it’s all a bit too much. We work in the business of learning, but we don’t model of it. If we can see the advantages/that it works, we will take the time. Decisions have to be made, but needs to be a sustained follow through, and suffifcient dissemination.

DR ANDY WILSON (University of Loughborough)

Has Masters in both elearning and coaching, with much experience of Organisational Change

Talked about social issues taking into account alongside IT changes… Most have not reached the idea that IT is a change project…

Masses of literature on change…  Burning platform – used to be encouraged by change managers – engineer a story that means Change HAS to happen. Leads to desperate activity rather than well planned activities, which has poor consequences.

Dilbert (the knack). Change is good, you go first. Generates anxieties.

Peter Senge – people don’t resist change, resist being changed. (x/y… Y – individual motivated…)

Kubler-Ross. Sense of loss… In death. Coach – have to give things up, some things have to die to allow new things in. Ties in with definition of what really enjoys/self. Whenever you choose something you’re not choosing something else so if do X, what else cannot do.

Language used – taking it personally. Recognise curve of change. So what can you talk to people about when? You can never communicate enough – will never say enough, and no substitute for f2f. Top management engagement is key indicator of success, or undermines commitment to the process.

Change – both a personal and an organisational experience. Is there enough organisational resource, eg release from other duties? Visible commitment by top team or won’t carry. Affect (emotional energy) as well as rational energy. Need debates that work at both levels. And need emotional intelligence to know which work at which levels… A person or a team who can pull theses together…

Expectations in academia where ‘leave emotions’ at the door… Many do … Which is damaging/dangerous, because we’re driven by who we are…  People work in academia for  deep meanings, rather than earning loads everywhere. Interesting – named emotional but we tend not to name it/frightened of it/ rational discourse is our language but driven by lots of irrational emotions.  ESP when reject technology. We now say ‘coping with change’ but left out of management plan… Human effects not seen & the motivational drivers… Not seen. Deal with it as a ‘professional’ is equated with ‘don’t bring emotions into it’. (Academia needs more coaching impact – all about this aspect).

Acceptance is rational, commitment is emotional. Does acceptance ever reach same level as denial? (Gallileio’s ball). Better to say things otherwise it’s rumbling away underneath … Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs - IT may threaten their security…  Threatened by student knowledge of social networking…

Talk so share entire life, important to feel has been heard. Rather than compliance in a performance review, talk over, then can move through cycle… Get coaching knowledge!

Drivers. CD – satisfying/minimalist. AB – are stronger but b = strongest a individually /organisationally.  FAQ – why doing it & what are the consequences of not doing.

The language of minutes is not ‘true’…. Force people into clear statements of consequences.

Hard change.

Dice!  Underlined – double weighted. Integrity: do have expertise & time to implement etc. Is a fractional post enough to implement a new initiative?

Change – recognise time it takes to work through the system. E.g. Loughborough – have been discussing this for 4 years, etc. Although, there is danger of internal working groups who have rationale in their head… But don’t feel the needto pass this knowledge on…

Want – where want to be/a vision. Specification. Support. Safe space in which to share our anxieties (not appear on appraisal)… Then know what real changes need to deal with. Usually if 1 has a question, someone else does – needs someone to voice it. Used for everybody’s benefit. (no ‘elephants in the room’ - big too uncomfortable to talk about – big to get round). (Manchester – action learning). Loughborough has been running sessions on coaching/managing change etc.

Acknowledgement = very important. Allows to deal with professionally as have dealt with emotions.

The different worlds that we inhabit. For IT e-tools have a day to day impact. For academics, is this less so?!

Group think – more likely in tech matters as tech expertise – creates boundaries. Create own little group. Technical experts – think no one else has the knowledge they have. IT change – being done to you ..

Thinking through your stakeholders – includes friends/family (as if you’re spending time on learning/preparing, you’re not spending time with them)!! 1st envelope – blame previous govt. 2nd envelope – restructure uni (diverts attention). 3rd envelope – it’s time to write 3 envelopes.

Learn to allocate appropriate time to allocating project management. Failing projects – usually tied into lack of engagement from stakeholders.

Dr Bex Lewis (University of Winchester)

Announcing Call for Presentations
Submission Deadline: March 11, 2011

The Call for Presentations is now open for our first annual Blackboard Collaborate Connections Summit 2011!
Put your institution in the spotlight! Share your experience, expertise, and examples at the 2011 Blackboard Collaborate Connections Summit, our first-ever combined Wimba and Elluminate user conference. Customers representing all academic disciplines and departments are welcome to submit proposals for concurrent session presentations.

Potential Topics:

• Comprehensive use of Blackboard Collaborate for instruction, help, and meetings
• Adoption, implementation, and faculty training
• Newest uses of Elluminate Live!® V10, Wimba Classroom™ V6.1, Wimba Pronto™, and Wimba Voice™
• Lecture capture via MP4, MP3, high-resolution archives, and more
• Non-instructional uses of Blackboard Collaborate
• Best practices and/or tips and tricks
• Lessons learned
• Effective instructional and/or curriculum design

Don’t wait. Proposals are due by March 11. Submit your proposal NOW here! 
Online registration opens soon. For inspiration, see papers from 2010.

Used or heard these phrases?

• “… but this is the way we’ve always done it”
• “but it was a good deal…”
• “why do I have to change?”
• “why is progress not faster?”
• “what are the benefits?”

Come along to a session and discuss some of the findings of the JISC-funded BODGIT (Bringing Organisational Development Guidance into IT) project we have recently been engaged in.

Discover what kind of user you are when it comes to technology (but recognise the wider implications of change management):

• Enthusiast?
• Pragmatist?
• Traditionalist?
• New Luddite?

Identify and discuss those factors that are important in implementing change, whatever the project. Information should be of interest to all in Management positions, and those who are on the coal-face of implementing change. What will encourage people to partake, and how do we measure progress?

When:

Tuesday 1^st February. Lunch 1-2pm. Discussion 2-4pm
Please advise of attendance by Thursday January 27^th to bex.lewis@winchester.ac.uk

Where:

West Downs 3

With Who:

• Dr Andy Wilson (Director of Capability Enhancement, University of Loughborough). Andy worked with Jose Chambers in the area of Organisational Development, has run workshops around the world, and has been involved in numerous externally funded projects.
• Marina Janetsky (University of Middlesex), co-implementer of change in this project.
• Bex Lewis (University of Winchester)

Is there more information?

• Executive Summary of Report: http://wblb.wordpress.com/2010/11/15/executive-summary-organisational-development-in-it-bex-lewis/
• Event Discussion: http://wblb.wordpress.com/2010/07/14/embed-it-discussions/
• Project Brief: http://wblb.wordpress.com/2010/06/01/bringing-organisational-development-guidance-into-it/

A new year, and I have finally made a couple of things happen that had been in the pipeline for a while… I made my first ‘webcam’ video, see above, and applied a new ‘theme’ to the Blended Learning blog to not only make it look more up-to-date, but give better functionality… let me know what you think!

So, to reach the page above (which displays the most recent blog entry, so will change depending upon the latest story), click on http://wblb.wordpress.com, and you will be within this blog!! Most of the content is produced as ‘blog posts’, so material published on the date to which it is relevant! There are also a number of pages at the top of the site. About gives more information about the site and it’s purpose, Quick Links gives links to the entries that I refer to others most often. Workshops gives information on the year’s workshops as planned (and is the place to check that the date hasn’t been changed, etc.), with Events for bigger ‘one off’ events and external speakers. Recommended Reads are where we will start to build a series of reviews of appropriate materials from books, websites, conferences, etc. On the right hand menu, there’s a “logo” for Blended Learning, a link to a Welcome video, and the opportunity to ‘search’ for materials on the site (use any string of words, but if you’re looking for “a particular phrase” place it within quote marks).

Down the right hand side is a list of Categories (which we will try and keep succinct) . Clicking on any of these will provide a list of headlines for each of the pages within that category. Clicking on any of those headlines will take you to that specific blog entry. Tags are a ‘looser’ entity, but the more that a tag is used, the larger that it will appear. Clicking on any of the tags will also provide a list of headlines. Below the tags there is an option to sign up to receive an email each time that a new blog entry is added.

With the new theme, we have gained extra functionality at the base of the page. These areas are really very clearly titled. Videos are linked from ‘VodPod‘ (which allows you to draw videos from multiple platforms), with the most recent showing first (these are a mix of ‘favourited videos’, and Blended Learning ‘productions’). The latest Twitter entries show in the next column, and clicking on ‘Follow @blwinch on Twitter’ will take you to the account in Twitter itself. The list of recommended blogs are a great selection of materials from other e-learning specialists. To access stories from previous times, either use the search function, or browse through the archives.

Hope you enjoy it, feel inspired to contribute, and let me know if any of it’s not clear!!

The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads This blog is doing awesome!.

Crunchy numbers

A Boeing 747-400 passenger jet can hold 416 passengers. This blog was viewed about 1,500 times in 2010. That’s about 4 full 747s.

In 2010, there were 49 new posts, growing the total archive of this blog to 61 posts. There were 99 pictures uploaded, taking up a total of 18mb. That’s about 2 pictures per week.

The busiest day of the year was October 11th with 54 views. The most popular post that day was Twitter: The Basics (Re-Edit).

Where did they come from?

The top referring sites in 2010 were myportal.winchester.ac.uk, networkedblogs.com, en.wordpress.com, slideshare.net, and statistics.bestproceed.com.

Some visitors came searching, mostly for blended learning questionnaire, blended learning blog, 21st century learner, blended learning blogs, and prezi canvas.

Attractions in 2010

These are the posts and pages that got the most views in 2010.

Twitter: The Basics (Re-Edit) September 2010

Workshops August 2010
2 comments

Drop-In Day, 22nd November 2010 November 2010
2 comments

PebblePad December 2010

Wimba & Elluminate: The RoadMap October 2010
1 comment

Donald Clark’s speech ‘Don’t Lecture me!’ at ALT-C 2010 (September).

“Donald’s ALT-C keynote speech caused controversy at the time, and has been viewed over 3000 times on ALT’s YouTube channel since. ALT is pleased to announce that Donald has kindly agreed to run a free lunchtime webinar focusing on the evidence that unrecorded lectures fail the learner.”

With the use of Wimba (and a handsfree kit), lectures can easily be recorded and archived for later use by staff/students.

Background

Pebble Pad EPortfolio is an online software programme which centres on the learner. The software has easy functionality and attractive usability, which makes it suitable for staff and students to engage with. Some capabilities of the software include, CV building application, reflection on tasks/assignments, webfolios, blogs, forward planning facilities and a central information bank. Most importantly, with a individuals permission, assets created on PebblePad can be shared with anyone with an email address, for example personal tutors; establishing holistic relationships and dialogue which promote personal progression and confidence.     

Why PebblePad

• Over 100 HEI’s use the software, with 500,000+ users
• Learners own environment
• Multi-functionality
• Limited university access/control of personal accounts
• The software can be accessed externally – do not need to go through university systems
• Fun, easy, and engaging

Benefits for the University of Winchester

• Does not require extensive IT training or ‘Techy’ individuals to use the software
• A institutional wide licence, which is free to members of the university
• Information bank for asset sharing and communication
• Building rapport and better relationships between staff and students
• Ability to monitor course and career development
• Ideal for distance learners/staff working off campus
• Helps facilitate life-long learning

Some advantages for Staff

• Staff can have their own private accounts with no access by the university
• No need to have an account if don’t want to – can still communicate with PebblePad users
• Emails don’t get clogged up
• Can be used as an information bank, keeping work in one place off campus

Some advantages for Students

• Personal space to record their career and academic development
• Access to answers (generic information) 24/7
• Free access to PebblePad which can be transferred to a personal account when they leave for a fee of £20 per year.
• A number of university schemes use this software

Getting started with PebblePad

Glossary (PebblePad)

PebblePad Book: Effective Use of PebblePad has been purchased for the LTDU for staff to borrow/read/look at/photocopy articles.