LEARNING FUTURES PROGRAMME. Blending In motivating, monitoring and tracking students working online

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1 LEARNING FUTURES PROGRAMME FINAL REPORT Blending In motivating, monitoring and tracking students working online Lewisham Southwark College This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 UK: England & Wales License.

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Project title... 3 Name of lead organisation... 3 Project summary... 3 Who should read this report and why... 3 CPD resources developed... 4 Project lead contact details... 4 Members of partnership... 5 What the project set out to do and why... 5 The process... 5 The results... 8 Key learning points Resources Page 2 of 14

3 Project title Blending In motivating, monitoring and tracking students working online Name of lead organisation Lewisham Southwark College Project summary This project was inspired by the Driving Value into Learning Technology Support Programmes Report 2014 which referred to the fact that the new 10% target for online learning by 2015, will be testing for many providers ; and by one of the key headlines of the FELTAG report that stated The entire workforce has to be brought up to speed to fully understand the potential of learning technology. This project is designed to deliver a staff CPD programme to develop teachers skills in designing and applying blended learning tools and techniques. A key component of the programme includes the redesign of curriculum content into blended learning outputs. The programme has the following core components: an Individual Skills Audit; an online Moodle course called BlendingIn that introduces the concept and principles of Blended Learning; a CPD programme including a Moodle course featuring "how to" guides. The programme is delivered as blended learning with supplementary one-to-one sessions. Who should read this report and why This report will interest those who: are looking at ways to deliver their curriculum via blended learning; wish to improve and enhance the skills and technology capabilities of their workforce; aim to deliver training on the use of blending learning to monitor, motivate and track learners working online; wish to improve staff skills and confidence in the use of Moodle and Google tools for blending learning; aim to deliver blended learning CPD sessions to teachers. Page 3 of 14

4 CPD resources developed We have created a staff CPD programme to develop teachers skills in designing and applying blended learning tools and techniques with a focus on how to monitor, motivate and track students working online. A key element of the programme includes the redesign of curriculum content into blended learning outputs. It has the following core components. BlendingIn Moodle course Individual Skills Audit This has been designed to identify staff skills in a variety of areas relating to the use of technology and generates a personalised with a PDF attachment containing their responses along with recommended actions and links to online resources. The results are also used to inform our CPD training programme. This introduces the concept and principles of Blended Learning and consists of six topics with the suggestion that one is completed each week. It models best practice through the use of Moodle tools and contains interactive learning resources created using Xerte Online Toolkits and a course audit created using Google forms. It also uses Moodle Badges and Certificates to motivate and reward achievement. Tools for Blended Learning Moodle course This course has been designed to complement the BlendingIn course as it provides instructions and how to guides for the tools referenced in BlendingIn. It is supported by a series of face-to-face sessions that staff can also attend. For further details please see the resource section at the end of this report. All of the resources can be viewed or downloaded from the project website: Project lead contact details Lewisham Southwark College is a further education college with three campuses across South East London (Lewisham, Deptford and Waterloo) with over 13,600 learners. For further information about this project contact: Patricia Forrest, Head of Learning Technologies patricia.forrest@lesoco.ac.uk Page 4 of 14

5 Jo Burbidge, elearning Projects and Innovations Manager Website: Members of partnership Not applicable. What the project set out to do and why This project set out to raise standards in the adoption of technology skills across the organisation with a particular emphasis on developing teachers skills in designing and delivering blended learning programmes. We wanted to build staff confidence through a fresh approach and develop a culture of innovation across the organisation. Our aim was to ensure that teachers understood the core principles and processes that underpinned the design of blended learning programmes as well as to fully immerse themselves in the process. We exposed teachers to a range of tools and techniques to help them identify learning opportunities and motivate and monitor students working online. Whilst all of our teachers have some experience of using technology for teaching, learning and assessment, we are taking these skills to a new level by introducing them to innovative ways of monitoring the use of their resources online, exploring collaboration and communication techniques, and motivating students to use online resources outside of the classroom. Over the last few years, we have run a Bronze, Silver and Gold programme rewarding teachers for their use of eme, our student portal combining Moodle, Google, Mahara and an eilp. This has been incredibly successful, with 100% reaching at least the Bronze level. The criteria for these awards were designed around creating and uploading content and using quizzes and online assignments, but we had not included how to design and deliver blended learning effectively. In light of the need to provide online content for students to work through independently, we are now extending this to include tracking and monitoring students progress and rewarding their achievements with a series of digital badges. We want our teachers to fully understand the capabilities and processes associated with blended learning and to be supported in this by mentors and forums. The process As this was an action research project we followed a fairly simple cyclical model: Plan, Action, Observe, Reflect. PLAN. To start the project, we carried out two key tasks: Page 5 of 14

6 We reviewed around 160 courses on our VLE and in Google Classroom to identify where elements of blending learning were already in use or where they could be introduced into courses. Following research into existing blended learning toolkits, we concentrated on six categories: o Course administration; o Course content; o Communication and collaboration; o Assessment; o Monitoring and tracking; o Motivation. We used a Google form to record the results and help us to analyse the levels of interactivity and blended learning components within each course. In parallel, we wanted to identify the starting levels of teachers skills prior to the course. We reviewed a range of audits already available online (including the Edtech Assess digital literacy tool) and identified four areas of interest: o General use of technology; o Use of technology in teaching and learning; o Using learning technology in assessment; o CPD practice and learning styles. This enabled us to start building a new model for elearning staff CPD. We concentrated on the first two elements and created a new Individual Skills Audit to identify general use of technology and developed the BlendingIn online course to explore the use of technology in teaching, learning and assessment. ACTION. We then moved on to the designing and developing stages: Individual Skills Audit: This was created using Google and enabled us to provide an automated response including feedback and suggesting ways in which respondents could improve their skills via direct links to resources. BlendingIn: This was created in Moodle as an online course that introduces teachers to the concepts of blended learning covering all six of the categories we audited and featuring activities on: What is blended learning; what to blend; the flipped classroom; and signposting. We used a mixture of in-house resources and resources sourced from the Internet. We also gave participants an opportunity to earn three digital badges: For scoring 100% in an online assessment; for posting to an online noticeboard (linoit); and for completion of the course. A key component of the course is to redesign an existing course or module to facilitate blended learning (self-paced online learning). The course was designed to make participants aware of the tools available to them and directs them to the Tools for Blended Learning course to find out how to use them. Page 6 of 14

7 Tools for Blended Learning: This is a Moodle course set up to complement the areas covered in the original course audit and provides instructions on how to use different tools in both Moodle and Google classroom. OBSERVE. The Pilot. At this point, we piloted these resources with a group of six teachers selected from amongst our VLE power users. This included the completion of the Individual Skills Audit and participating in a four-week online course, at the end of which they were expected to redesign at least one module of their existing courses to facilitate blended learning. At the end of the course, our pilot participants were asked to give us comprehensive feedback, and we used that to make modifications before opening up the programme to a larger cohort. REFLECT. Look at the feedback. The feedback from the pilot enabled us to build upon and develop our original CPD model. Participants were particularly interested in awarding badges to reward and motivate students. Before opening the programme to a wider audience, we added additional training support for those participating in the BlendingIn course and provided more opportunities for both face-to-face and self-paced learning. ACTION. Apply changes based on the feedback. Individual Skills Audit: The feedback helped us to refine and improve the structure of the questions. Individual Training Plan: We also developed the design to allow us to send each respondent (on submission of the form) a personalised with a PDF attachment containing their responses along with recommended actions and links to online resources. BlendingIn: As a result of the feedback, we modified the online course to include a weekly webinar where participants could join in and ask questions or participate in online discussions. We also extended the duration of the course from four to six weeks, set deadlines for each activity, and sent weekly messages to participants who were falling behind. Finally, we changed the course layout and made it more visual to help participants navigate more easily. Tools for Blending Learning: The nature of the technology and tools we are using means that the software or platform is frequently updated. Because of this, we decided, where possible, to use materials supplied by the provider (i.e. Google or Moodle) and link directly from the course resources. We also developed an online Page 7 of 14

8 module for students introducing them to badges, and we made this available on the tools course together with links to sites that show how to create them. Face-to-face: We used the results from the Individual Skills Audit to inform our programme of face-to-face training. With these changes in place, we launched BlendingIn to all teaching staff through a series of briefing sessions during which we recruited sufficient participants to allow us to run the course with two cohorts during the summer term. OBSERVE. The programme goes live. We recruited 28 members of staff for the first cohort and 24 for the second cohort. The programme ran during the latter part of the summer term. Each cohort was split into two groups and allocated a mentor from the elearning team. All participants were asked to complete the Individual Skills Audit prior to starting the programme. We used the results to inform our monthly programme of face-to-face CPD, and we also used the built-in communication tools within Moodle to promote them. Some of the sessions that were developed in response to this were: Using Moodle blocks to engage and motivate students; Moodle tracking and monitoring; Using the Moodle group tool. REFLECT. Where do we go next? At the end of the course, members of staff were asked to complete the Individual Skills Audit to identify the distance travelled and provide feedback on the course. Having run the programme with two full cohorts, we had plenty of feedback to reflect upon: Should the course be split into learning time and assignment time? Although a six week duration appears to be a reasonable time for participants to complete the learning and activities, we found that it took far longer for some to complete the assignment (developing a blended learning module or unit within their curriculum). Should we establish entry criteria? The course was open to everyone, but limited Moodle skills slowed some down despite mentoring and one-to-one support. How do we make sure everyone understands what is expected of them? Although we explained during our briefing sessions what staff would be expected to do (and by when), some participants still expected to be taught how to create content. Standardisation? As more people enrolled on the course and more tutors were allocated, we realised that marking the final assignments involved a degree of subjectivity. We may need to consider some form of internal verification in future. These reflections are expanded upon in Key learning points (p.10). The results Challenge Page 8 of 14

9 Our key challenge was to develop teachers skills in designing and delivering blended learning programmes of study. In order to achieve this we had to address issues that arose such as unfamiliarity with the flipped classroom model, meeting completion criteria and general understanding of the concept of blended learning. Solution From the feedback we have received, we feel that we have been very successful in achieving this. When asked if they would recommend the BlendingIn Programme to other teachers, 100% said yes. We were really pleased with the positive attitude and enthusiasm shown towards the programme. Overall, staff viewed it as a great opportunity to start to future proof their practice. Solution The criteria set for completing the course (and getting a certificate) included the redesign of at least one module to be delivered as online learning. As a result of this, we have increased the volume of content readily available for blended learning delivery. We are also confident that not only have participants put their learning into practice, but they better understand the long-term benefits to both teachers and students: The course is very useful and provides practical tips about making a blended learning course. The practical assignment ensures that the theories learnt are put to use, and I am still revisiting those concepts after completion of the course. Teacher Cohort 2. Solution We were surprised at how many members of staff were not aware of the concept of the flipped classroom, and this proved to be a significant learning point for many teachers. It has also been encouraging to see teachers who fully understand the concept of blended learning becoming so enthused in applying what they have learnt specifically flipped classroom opportunities for their learners I am more convinced about the usefulness and benefits of flipped learning and hope to use it more. Teacher Cohort 2. At the end of the BlendingIn course we asked participants for their reflections, and from the responses we received we are confident of the success of the project. Here are some of the responses we received: Click here to see Patricia Forrest, Head of elearning, Innovation and Learning Centres at Lewisham Southwark College, give her views on the success of the project and how it will be embedded. Impact identified 52 members of staff participated in the programme. Of those, 30 have completed the course and we anticipate a further 15 will do so before half-term. Although the programme was primarily targeted at teachers, we also included 5 staff members from other areas such as Additional Learning Support, Tutoring, and Learning and Development. Page 9 of 14

10 Although the elearning Skills Audit was not initially part of the BlendingIn course, we asked staff to complete it both before and at the end of the course so that we could get an overview of how staff skills levels had changed. The link below shows the percentage of respondents who now feel confident performing the activities listed. At the beginning of the programme they had either claimed to have no knowledge or had expressed an interest in learning more about each of the activities listed on the survey. Click here to see the full results of the post programme Skills Audit. As both of the full cohorts took place at the end of the summer term, most staff were not able to use their new modules/courses with learners. Teachers participating in the pilot did, however, use what they had produced with learners. We asked two groups to give us some feedback and the chart below shows (from left to right) how strongly they agreed with each statement. Students benefited by having access to online resources such as quizzes and discussion activities, in some instances the students themselves were involved in the creation of the resources. Here is some of the qualitative feedback we received from them: eme helped me a lot with my coursework and with getting ready for exams. The practice for the English exams was really useful because it showed me exactly what I had to do to pass the exam which I really wanted to do. I did too! I passed my L2 English and a lot of it was because of the really good resources on eme. Student, Cross College English course I helped make some of the stuff on eme - I am in a video for an English class. I passed my English this year and it's because of the good stuff on eme (and because I am brilliant too!). Student, Cross College English course Page 10 of 14

11 "I could quickly find all my homework do it from home. Thank you for all the materials from the web and from eme." Student, Business course Click below to see all the student comments: The three CPD elements of our project (listed below) were open to all staff across the college to increase awareness of the project. The face-to-face and one-to-one sessions had the following attendance: Blended Learning 146 Google 74 Moodle 57 Key learning points The key to any successful project is having the right team in place with everyone aware of their individual responsibilities and taking ownership of them. Some of the lessons learned as we worked through the project include: Planning Although it can be time consuming when all you want to do is to get started, it pays dividends if you are able to work through and agree all the elements of the plan at the outset. It is much harder to change things later, so get it right first time round where possible! Creating an online/blended course Consider different learning styles in the design of the course and incorporate face-to-face opportunities. Despite clear signposting, we found that not everyone understood all of the instructions (didn t read the course handbook available via the course preview), so, for the live course we incorporated weekly webinars, regular messaging and face-to-face briefings prior to enrolment on the course. It is not just teachers who benefited from the BlendingIn programme. We have seen some really good results from staff who need to provide training and support to learners in other areas such as Additional Learning Support. Set deadlines for when to complete activities. Learning from the pilot, we added completion dates to all our activities and sent gentle reminders through the inbuilt communication tools to keep people on track. Allow plenty of time for staff to complete the assignment. Completion of the course was dependent upon staff redesigning a module or unit of their curriculum to be delivered as blended learning. This took much longer to complete than anticipated. Skills Audit Page 11 of 14

12 CPD Consider having a before and after audit to measure distance travelled. Review how the results are presented and how you are going to use them. Make sure the data is easy to interpret without the need for significant manual intervention. Test, test and test to make sure that everything works before starting to collect responses. Creating customised resources is great but there is a risk that, once completed, the tools or software will be updated. Consider using material that already exists, preferably freely available from the provider. When we set out on this project we were using Moodle 2.6 and planned to create instructional videos/handouts for the Moodle tools we were promoting. However we realised that midway through the project we would be upgrading to Moodle 2.8 meaning that although not significantly different, any resources we had created would need to be updated. For this reason we decided to source our instructional resources from Moodle/Google directly. Collating appropriate resources that already exist has many benefits but is time consuming. Doing this, however, will make them more sustainable as links will only need to be updated when new versions are introduced. After we had upgraded our Moodle site we were able to quickly update the links to point to 2.8 rather than 2.6 instructions. Target training and development opportunities directly to individuals. Direct communication with those who will benefit from any face-to-face sessions boosts attendance and ensures training is relevant to attendees. For example, advertising a session through college-wide publicity channels resulted in so few bookings that we considered cancelling the session. After sending direct s, however, the session became oversubscribed. What next? Sustainability. Include the Skills Audit as part of teachers induction programmes; Work with curriculum managers, using the training plan generated by the skills audit, to agree staff development priorities and include as appraisal targets; Use the results of the audit to inform standard CPD programmes; Continue to run the BlendingIn online course ensuring all teaching staff complete; Explore the possibility of embedding the course into teacher training courses; Consider whether to develop an entry criteria or a beginners course introducing staff to the principles of blended learning and the Flipped classroom: The programme was open to teachers and support staff, but support staff did not fully understand the concepts and principles due to their lack of teaching experience; Pilot online badges within the curriculum. This is already being done with students on Study programmes in Business. Page 12 of 14

13 Resources If you are introducing these resources into your CPD, we recommend you look at the online portal first, here you will be able to see all of the resources in context and download them for your own use. Online Portal: A WordPress site including details about the project, the three main outputs (BlendingIn, Tools for Blended Learning, Moodle courses and the Individual Skills Audit) with introductions, explanations and downloadable assets. Should anyone wish to re-use this, we have created a backup of the site using the Duplicator WordPress plugin. You will need to download the zip file below, extract all files and open the readme file to see how to install. WordPress site backup The next block of resources relate to the BlendingIn online course, start by viewing the course online using the details below, this will give you access (in context) to all of the resources listed. BlendingIn online training module: An online course created in Moodle to support staff to develop the skills to design, deliver and track blended learning opportunities. To view the course, login with the following details. Username: lfguest1, Password: les0c0. A backup of the course can be downloaded as can each of the individual components. All of the resources below form part of the BlendingIn course. Online BlendingIn Moodle Course Readme file: Instructions for downloading the Blending In course and setting it up on your own Moodle installation. Online BlendingIn Moodle Course - Download Backup Blending your course: A Xerte resource that looks at the process of blending. How do you decide which elements of your course to blend and when to deliver your content online? Signposting: A Xerte resource titled What is signposting and why is it important in your blended course? Tracking Monitoring Motivating: Why is it important to track and monitor your students when they are working independently? What tools can you use to do this? This Xerte resource explains why and how. Blended Learning Moodle Course Audit Readme: A Readme file giving instructions on how to preview, copy and edit the Blending In course audits. Blended Learning Moodle Participant Course Audit: A Google form used by participants in the Blending In online course to audit their courses. Blended Learning Moodle Post Course Audit: A Google form used by tutors on the Blending In online course to re-audit participant courses at the end of the programme. Blended Learning Moodle Course Audit Feedback Template: A copy of the template used to create a mail merge using the Moodle BlendingIn Course Audit Form and the autocrat add on. This section contains the training resources for tools in both Moodle and Google Classroom. Page 13 of 14

14 Tools for Blended Learning online training module: A Moodle course created to provide teachers with instructions on how to use blended learning tools in both Moodle and Google Classroom. It is open to guests so you can access it directly via the link above. Tools for Blended Learning Moodle Course - Download Backup If you are interested in creating an online audit, linked to an individual training plan use the links below. elearning Skills Audit Form: A Google form used to identify staff skills in a variety of areas relating to the use of technology. It was created using a combination of Google forms, Google docs and two Google add-ons: autocrat and copydown. elearning Skills Audit - Edit Instructions: A Google doc that contains instructions on how to edit or reuse the elearning Skills Audit form. It contains links to all of the resources needed to do this. elearning Skills Audit - Create Instructions: A Google doc that contains instructions on how to create a Skills Audit and provide immediate personalised feedback through the use of Google forms, Google docs and two Google add-ons: autocrat and copydown. It contains links to all of the resources needed to do this. elearning Skills Audit - Individual Training Plan: A PDF ed to staff when they complete the elearning Skills Audit that gives feedback and links to additional training resources that can be used to help them progress. It is created using a combination of Google forms, Google docs and two Google add-ons: autocrat and copydown. elearning Skills Audit - Feedback response sheets: A Google folder containing a series of documents with suggested links for upskilling in each area of elearning Skills Audit. Links to these documents are included in the Individual Training Plan. This final section includes examples of resources used in our face-to-face training sessions. CPD Session Presentation: An example of a session content presentation used for Google Classroom. Continuing professional development (CPD) sessions are delivered to staff across the college in small curriculum teams and through one-to-one training sessions. CPD Session Plans: An example session plan titled Using Moodle blocks to engage and motivate students. Continuing professional development (CPD) sessions are delivered to staff across the college in small curriculum teams and through one-to-one training sessions. Page 14 of 14