E-mail comments to the Editor

Download the complete PDF of this issue

Setting Everyone Up for Success 
Part IV

International Program:
Duquesne University and University of Ulster

Our focus here is on the final phase of the International Masters in Instructional Technology Program: Distance Learning Strand that partners Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA with the University of Ulster in Northern Ireland. This phase culminates in a graduation ceremony and celebration of learning on July 3, 2002 and brings closure to this enlightening experience.

In this issue, the design of the Distance Learning Strand, which includes the philosophy, framework and research that supports and strengthens the core courses, will be addressed. In addition, this article discusses the high stakes of designing well-planned, high quality courses that demonstrate tangible evidence of pedagogical course design skills which contribute to moving forward Northern Ireland’s strategic plans for online education and professional development.

For distance learning programmes, the belief of this author is that a pilot study is necessary to demonstrate to participants that their course design is more than a theoretical approach to online teaching and learning. Answering the question, "Did anybody learn anything?" is vital to demonstrating that online courses can achieve results that are equal to or greater than those achieved in traditional classrooms. Without a pilot study as a capstone experience, online educators could not be sure that their course produced viable results. Without writing their stories, the lessons learned would not be shared and the ability to move distance learning forward and assisting others to experience its value would take much longer.

Specific courses that will be discussed in this final issue are:

1. Assessment of Instructional Technology, which was taught in a totally online format by Duquesne University faculty and covers assessment issues, theory and research, and
2. Collaborative Learning Online: Building On-Line Learning Communities- taught by University of Ulster faculty

The culminating stages of the programme, highlighting excerpts of participant course work including some of the transcript dialogues and case stories, will be told by each of the seventeen cohort participants from Northern Ireland. Individually, and in alphabetical order, they will share their pilot projects and experiences: Angela Bell, Byron Evans, Vivien Kelly and Heather Thompson (co-authored article), Jacqueline Lambe, Mary Mallon, Siobhan Matthewson and Richard Hanna (co-authored article), Carol and Paul McAlister (co-authored article), Colin McAuley, Norma Perceval-Price, Anne Rowan, Fiona Synnott, Geraldine Taggart, Richard Wallace and Brian Yeats.

Marie Martin from Northern Ireland brings this extraordinary experience full circle in her article "Putting People First." She reviews the connections and links that made this programme possible. Marie captures the essence of online teaching and learning by highlighting the most important part of this and any other programme . . . the people. Educators must always keep in mind that technology should remain seamless and transparent highlighting online interactions that are the driving force for sustainability of any quality online course. When participants are able to see value in sharing and receiving information from others, which would not otherwise be obtained by using technology alone, will online teaching and learning reach the highest goals and achieve long-lasting sustainability.

The final writing will share a graduation reflection for the participants and a few Kodak moments to keep this experience forever in our minds and hearts. Please join me in congratulating all members of this truly extraordinary partnership who have taken the time to write and share their experiences so that others may benefit from them.

All the best . . .

Instructional Design
with High Stakes for All

Linda Wojnar

Setting the stage: Providing the interest and background to the thinking and value of proposing a Distance (Online) Learning Strand to the Instructional Technology Program

While my children, Bunni Lynn and Richard Alscott, who are now young adults were in school, I was a learner along with them as I pursued my college education. Like many other families, we made a lot of sacrifices so that I could continue my education. Because the college courses were only offered face-to-face and because faculty factored attendance into the course grade, I had to make decisions that I have always regretted having to make: choosing to get low marks in school because of attending events that would mean a lot to my children or to my husband, Richard, or choosing to go to school and miss attending events that meant a great deal to my family-- events that occur only once in their lifetime. To me, this was a "win-lose" method of delivering education.

I wanted to design a "win-win" method of delivering education to adults who wanted to be with their families and attend school simultaneously and at their convenience. I also wanted my students to have tangible evidence of learning. While enrolled in a Master of Science Degree in Education, I began to design the structure and provide the framework for such a program after enrolling and participating in my first master’s course, Instructional Techniques, designed and taught by Dr. Bonita Wilcox. Dr. Wilcox’s course was reading intensive, writing intensive and thinking intensive. Many students would agree that the course was a lot of work, but what I saw was a course well designed, emphasizing a strong pedagogical framework that I believed could serve as an example. Online teachers could mirror this design to ensure that their courses would be pedagogically sound. Recollections of my early online teaching experiences can be viewed in a co-authored article with Dr. Wilcox called "Best Practice Goes Online (http://www.ira.org)."

Upon entering a doctoral program in 1997, I knew from the first day of the program that my cognate area would focus on distance learning. I set forth to design a Best Practice Model of Online Teaching and Learning as a visual representation that other teachers could replicate. Even though the Model was originally designed as an Online Model, the components of the Model are equally applicable to on-site classes. I attribute my success in designing the Distance Learning framework to being a student in Dr. Wilcox’s class. I benefited from her mentoring skills throughout the doctoral program.

While designing the Distance Learning Strand, I conducted a thorough literature search, and lurked in other online classes. I compiled and synthesized this information, along with my own online teaching experience, to structure triangulated methods of learning the content to ensure that what my students were learning was in-line with what was applicable all over the world.

The core courses for the Distance Learning Strand took approximately one year to design. I proposed the Distance Learning Strand core courses and taught the first course in the spring of 2000 at Duquesne University. The Distance Learning courses expanded the current audience of K-12 teachers to include higher education faculty, post-secondary educators, corporate trainers, and medical educators who were interested in moving their learning from an on-site location to an online environment. Instructional Design was not new to me. I had already designed a variety of credit and non-credit courses from allied health to auto mechanics for women in the early 1980s while teaching for the Community College of Allegheny County-South Campus in West Mifflin, PA.

What sets Duquesne University’s Distance Learning Strand apart from other Distance Learning Programs is the

• underpinning philosophies and monitoring of continuous critical reflective practice;
• Best Practice Model - Principles of Best Practice and Cognitive Taxonomy Applications;
• research-based framework for conducting productive on-task synchronous and asynchronous discussions that build communities of learners. Online interactivity has the potential to show visible evidence of raising all literacies, and it is also the factor that sets online learning courses apart from correspondence courses;
• value of differentiation of instruction whereby classroom participants learn core content and then construct their online courses as the content experts;
• attention to context and emphasis on the participants in the program and not on the technology;
• teacher as facilitator, coach or guide with a high degree of online interactivity (both synchronous and asynchronous) where all members of the class are heard;
• constructivist approach to teaching and learning offering choices and asking participants to create projects that are meaningful and relevant to their workplace;
• triangulation of instruction so that participants learn from the tutor, each other, online guest authors, Distance Learning LISTSERV participants, other online tutors, and also through their own practical experience teaching online and piloting their work; and the
• gentle leadership approach to conducting online classes with a high degree of interactivity throughout the program of instruction.

This variety of methodologies guarantees that participants are learning the most up-to-date and state-of-the-art skills that will set themselves and everyone else "Up For Success."

Past and even some current business and higher education initiatives that have not considered this philosophy before engaging in online teaching and learning venues have learned that without the proper foresight and planning and without planning for the success of everyone involved in the initiative, their initiatives may be destined for a rough course ahead or at the worst "Setting Everyone Up For Failure."

An example of how the philosophy would work best is the following:

1. Administrators or headmasters set their principals and vice principals up for success;
2. Principals or vice principals set their teachers up for success; and
3. Teachers, through exemplary teaching, set their students up for success.

When all of these steps have been carefully explored, using my 90/10 rule (90% planning with 10% implementation), then and only then can one be reasonably assured that everyone will be "Set Up For Success" and that the initiative should be permitted to proceed with "full steam ahead." It seems that today everyone wants to jump on the "online learning band wagon," but no one knows how to steer the wagon, where the wagon is headed or when he or she will know when the wagon will arrive at its destination. This is how it is when teachers are expected to teach online without any online teaching experience or administration isn’t aware of the need for their teachers to attend formalized classes in order to be successful. Chances are, if all factors are not considered with as much forethought and preparation as they warrant, there is a grave danger that the return on the investment of time, people and resources will not occur and job security for some, if not all, may be lost within a relatively short period of time. What may seem like a worthwhile and exciting new pioneering initiative can turn very quickly into a nightmare of unhappiness and grief if pupils do not learn, assessment does not mirror the expected results, and if there is a decrease in the retention rate of online teachers or online students.

Today, pupils are faced with two choices for attending schools: schools that are totally online or schools that are totally on-site. Tomorrow’s future is a hybrid school where the most appropriate times for pupils to be in the classroom will be planned and where pupils will come to class prepared to learn with pre-existing knowledge of the content so that active engagement of learning can occur at a higher level. This flexibility in learning is a "win-win" situation for everyone. Tutors may have more professional development time during the workday and pupils and families will also have more flexibility so that learning can take place when it is best for the pupil and not through prescribed times. Pupils may perform at higher levels if they are permitted to learn when learning is best for them . . . some pupils learn better in the morning while others learn better in the evening. This consideration is not factored into the school days for on-site classrooms.

There is no way for students, especially seniors, to regain time lost for poor administrative planning or for bad administrative decisions. Because so much has been written about "what not to do" before becoming involved in online teaching and learning, administrators cannot claim ignorance nor afford to make the same mistakes that others have made and have written about in the literature. Neither teachers nor students can put their lives on-hold for a year or put their faith in a new initiative where they will not be "Set Up For Success." Once an initiative fails, it is always easier to look back to identify the reasons why it failed (Monday morning quarterbacking), but there are ethical decisions to consider before undertaking these initiatives to reasonably ensure their viability during the next year with no loss of jobs to those who believed in the initiative. Students must be able to continue to learn and to progress without any interruptions in their studies as they would in a traditional classroom. Unfortunately, many administrators "don’t know what they don’t know" until they are already well into new initiatives. Many people think that online teaching and learning is the same as traditional teaching and learning, but the literature contends that they are different and that they are not meant to mirror each other. Online teaching requires new skills that traditional teachers have not received in their initial teacher education.

There were high stakes for all since the programme involved participants from one country and several tutors from another country, two Universities from different countries and with differing methods of assessment, and re-designing the course design to meet a government’s strategic plans for Information and Communication Technology. The highest stake was to re-design a program to set the administrators who made the decision that this was the best program to help Northern Ireland move its strategic ICT plans forward "Up For Success."

• In order to tailor the strand of courses to a totally international perspective for Northern Ireland participants, I chose to
• visit the participants to learn about the people, the culture and the context where the learning needed to occur as addressed in the April 2002 Issue;
• re-adjust the program to the needs of the Northern Ireland participants within the context of the Northern Ireland ICT strategy following what I had learned on my visit to each participant and with administrators and educators;
• ensure that the work participants would complete in each course was "a part of" the participant’s final project and building in a holistic approach to learning;
• allow unlimited administrative guests (government officials, other faculty, and interested parties) in our classes while the classes were taught even though the guests were unknown to the tutor. Tutors must be comfortable with their teaching before this can be attempted;
• evaluate participant work to be sure that it would meet the needs of each University; to meet or exceed the expectations of the Northern Ireland Government and their educational system, to meet the needs of their employers so that their projects would further their workplace, and to share their work to wider audiences especially within the five Library Boards or across the 17 Colleges in Northern Ireland.

From the first time I met the participants, they expressed their thoughts about their selection and were aware of the high stakes involved. The participants took pride in selection to the program (17 participants selected from 150 applicants-including a few participants who felt that they didn’t deserve the selection). In the words of Mary Mallon, "I felt as though I was representing Primary School Teachers" since there were only two primary school teachers selected as a part of the programme. The participants had a keen awareness of their responsibility and accountability since, upon completion of the programme, their projects would need to meet the expectations of their government and their employers. Their projects would further the Northern Ireland Strategy of ICT (Information and Communication in Educational Technology)

Continuous self-reflection was an underpinning strategy of the Distance Learning Strand from its inception, and even though this was the first time in this programme that it was added as its own separate course, the core strand of courses for the Distance Learning Strand of the programme had always included this as thread visible in each course. It is only through deep commitment to self reflection of one’s teaching that any improvement in teaching can take place. One of the highest compliments that I have received by any student was from Richard Wallace, Vice Principal of Ballyclare High School and winner of the BECTa Management Award in the UK in January 2002. He has stated on many occasions that what he has learned in the programme has changed the way he had been teaching. His words had a major impact since Richard has been teaching for 33 years and has gained recognition in Northern Ireland and the UK for his work in ICT. It’s impressive to think that the content, assignments, and particulars within the programme could impact and change the way a teacher of 33 years would teach.

Another key strategy of the Distance Learning Strand is to incorporate a pilot study into the programme to demonstrate results of the online teaching and learning course and to determine whether or not this teaching was geared to professional development or for pupils in schools. It is only by conducting research and testing theories of course design that Distance Learning will be seen to reach its full potential. For the Northern Ireland Cohort, the pilot study was separated into its own course; otherwise, for the American students, it is a requirement of the final capstone or Practicum course. The evaluation of lessons learned through the pilot studies and the evaluations and analyses of the online synchronous and asynchronous discussions were discussed in-depth in my class as part of the requirements of the Practicum course in June 2002 just prior to graduation.

Most professors would like to believe that at the time they are designing their programmes, they are offering the most current and accurate content to set their participants above all others as they compete for selective jobs within any community and workplace. Designing courses takes much thought and preparation if the course is to have a lasting impact on one’s career and to make a difference in the selection of one participant over another. In the past several years, corporate America has been going through many changes where workers need to remain marketable with their skills and to show their value in order to remain employed. Having the edge of possessing skills that other educators do not have makes those educators more marketable and sets them above their peers.

It is vital that everyone takes his or her learning seriously by learning as much as possible and by choosing to create and complete relevant, meaningful projects that will take him or her somewhere in the future. Many teachers have changed their teaching to meet the needs of corporate America where employees are expected to "think at higher levels" and to "problem solve and make decisions" since middle management is lean with downsizing or "right-sizing." They are also expected to critically " analyze and evaluate" data and to "interact" with those individuals culturally different from themselves, and much, much more.

Lecturing as the primary or main source of teaching will not prepare participants for today or tomorrow’s workplace. Teachers who become facilitators of learning offer the best possibilities for students to learn and to personally grow since this changes the way students have been asked to learn. The strand was designed for students to take more responsibility for their own learning. Lecturing as the sole teaching strategy in a classroom enables students to become dependent upon the teacher and to expect that all teachers should " tell them" everything they need to know!

Several years ago, I observed guests from another country asking questions of students. I was glad that I was not the teacher in this class. When asked by the visitors how much reading was done in preparation for this class, one student proudly raised her hand and said that she didn’t need to do any of the reading since the teacher did such a good job of "telling" her everything that she needed to know! She said that there was no need to open the book, even though there was only one more class before the end of the term. What will our teaching legacy be? Would it not be better to be known as a teacher who challenges and "stretches" thinking, who raises the bar and expects participants to be prepared as they enter the class so that the content will be retained longer and transferred well beyond the classes that they take in school?

• What becomes more rewarding when designing classes is to think about what your participants will remember far "beyond your classroom" and "beyond the course content."
• What values and life-long learning skills will your participants gain by attending your courses or programmes?
• How will your content impact the participant’s learning? Can participants make the connections between their classroom work and its applications in the real world?
• For what reason and for how long will your participants remember you?
• What quotes will your participants take away from your class and use in theirs if your participants are educators?
• What messages will you model to your participants through your teaching?
• What modeling will your participants choose to replicate or choose to forget?

On a final note for instructional designers, the true test of one’s instructional design may go well beyond designing a course for your classroom and for your school or University . . . a design that may need to stand the test as it is reviewed by strategic planners and governments for its value and contribution to moving education forward. So the next time that you design a course, think about designing it as if there were high stakes for all so that the design potential would be for the world to evaluate its value and one that will set everyone "Up For Success."

Assessment Module Reflections

On the wall above my computer monitor is a simple framed piece of paper, given to me by my dissertation advisor that states the following: "If it weren’t for students impeding our progress in the race to the end of the term, we could certainly be sure of covering the material. The question however, is not whether we as teachers can get to the end of the text or the end of the term, but whether our students are with us on that journey." As I spent many hours in front of my computer monitor during the teaching of the assessment module for the International Masters ICT program, I was never more aware of the meaning and significance of this subtle message. For even though the assessment module had been carefully constructed, course materials painstakingly selected, and thought given to every possibility that could occur, having the cohort actively participate and help guide the journey was tantamount to the module success.

The Assessment module of the International Masters ICT program was designed to accomplish three goals:

1. Examine current thought and issues of assessment through collegial discussions of essential (overarching) questions using the text "Knowing What Students Know: The Science and Design of Education Assessment" as the foundation for these discussions.
2. Construct an evaluation plan for the online learning programmed community which cohort members were developing in the Collaborative Learning Online-Building Online Communities module.
3. Develop an appropriate and rigorous set of rubrics, which would be used for self/peer and tutor assessment of the presentation which was part of the Collaborative Learning Online-Building Online Communities module.

In this reflection I will focus on the manner in which the course was delivered and the emergence of two related themes: change and leadership. These themes were very much the undercurrent that supported and carried the discussions on issues related to assessment.

The assessment module was taught completely online using Blackboard as the virtual learning environment with no face-to-face contact between the instructor and the cohort members. The absence of face-to-face contact provided a new and unique learning environment for the participants who were very accustomed to face-to-face interaction and had never experienced a course that was completely online. While some cohort members expressed initial concern over the lack of face-to-face interaction and the cues that could be picked up by seeing the instructor in person, these concerns quickly subsided through encouraging emails sent out by the instructor and posting of photos by both the instructor and cohort members.

In order to facilitate discussion and learning opportunities, weekly discussions were carried out through a series of whole class asynchronous discussion forums and small "study/work" groups of 3-4 members per group. Since cohort members had been working in small groups during other modules, the assignment of individuals to these groups was left to the cohort. These groups were used for brainstorming activities, discussions and for breaking down the readings so everyone was not burdened with incredible online times. The small groups were given access to the complete array of communication tools provided by Blackboard. Each group was given complete leeway as to how the communication tools could be used. Throughout the duration of the module, all groups utilized the virtual chat, threaded discussions, digital drop-box and email capabilities for communicating and interacting with fellow group members and the instructor. As an instructor it was refreshing to observe the degree of transfer that was obvious from other classes in which netiquette and protocol for using these communication tools were taught. The participants were very adept at effectively using the communication tools without instructor interference or coaching.

Through the incorporation of essential or overarching questions in large group discussion forums, the student cohort was empowered to take the theory and practice presented in the text "Knowing What Students Know: The Science and Design of Assessment", and apply it within the context of the educational culture of Northern Ireland. Meaning was generated from within the student group through out these discussions and not imposed by the instructor. As the instructor, it was my goal to provide an environment in which the participants could freely exchange and explore ideas and topics that were relevant to their unique culture. The creation of this environment encouraged the formation of a learning community in which the instructor was not the sole expert and purveyor of knowledge. All members of the online learning community were able to contribute based upon their experiences and level of understanding. As discussions progressed, it became quite apparent from my standpoint as instructor, while not explicitly stated outcomes for the course, emergence of the role of change and leadership became inherent themes throughout the module.

While looking at the ideas of assessment it became quite evident through the discussion threads that the cohort was very much aware of their emerging role in helping people to change not only the use of technology, but in assessment practices as well. As I participated in and read the threaded discussions, I was reminded of the ideas of Fullan (1991) that suggest immersion of oneself in the "fascinating world of educational change where the simplicity of common sense and the complexity of personal and political forces intermingle". Throughout the threads, common sense, personal and political forces were indeed intermingling due to the variety of educative positions cohort members held within the educational community of Northern Ireland. Each member of the cohort brought to the discussion his or her own unique perspective of how assessment practices could change, and strategies for bringing about those changes. It will be interesting follow up to see how the cohort will be able to influence practice and policy with regard to assessment.

Along with the theme of change was the emergence of technology leadership that like change is inherently linked to innovation. Embedded within technology leadership is the essential element of being able to develop and articulate a vision of how technology, and in the case of this particular module, assessment, could help produce change. Through the exchanges that took place in the small group discussions as well as the large group forums, the cultural view of leadership was demonstrated by all members of the cohort. The cultural view of leadership suggests that the success of leaders is determined by their ability to articulate and influence cultural norms and values. This was very much evident in a series of discussion that took place on the role of assessment and the need to begin facilitating changing the views of stakeholders and politicians with regard to assessment practices. The exchanges and ideas that resulted from the discussions demonstrated that the cohort members were indeed leaders engaged in building shared values and beliefs and ultimately using these shared ideals to sustain the cultural system with social and technical support systems. What was obvious was the over whelming idea that change must be supported by a firm belief in what is being attempted, otherwise the initial energy generated by the innovation quickly disappears. The fact that members of the cohort represented many different levels of the Northern Ireland educational system demonstrates that change, not only in assessment practices, but also in instructional technology practices can and were taking place at the school level, the district level and the national level.

As I have had the opportunity to sit back and reflect on the experiences of teaching this module, I am not struck by the hiccups that occurred, or the need for the members of the cohort to be experts on assessment at the conclusion of the module. Instead I am overwhelmed by the idea that I was in some little way a part of something much greater. Through out the discussions, emails, and sleepless nights, I have learned the following: Caring for children and caring for oneself and one’s colleagues are one and the same. Change, be it in the format in which a course is delivered or in the manner in which learning is assessed does not occur in some safe and easy plan. The energy that is needed is that of human beings, in order to overcome the major impediments we face imposed by ourselves.

Collaborative Learning Online
building online learning communities

Rationale

This module sought to allow students to build upon their work of earlier modules within their own professional contexts in Northern Ireland. The students had each already taught a lesson within the BlackBoard VLE; this module would afford them the opportunity to design, implement and evaluate a short course involving some Collaborative Learning Online (CLO).

It is important that the IMSc has continuing benefits for education in Northern Ireland, so it was hoped that each student’s pilot course would be situated within a ‘real’ context and would be sustainable. Thus, students were also required to reflect upon the potential for sustainability of their course and, in this context, were invited to consider the importance of building online communities. There is a plethora of literature focussed on online communities (Smith & Kollock, 1999) and communities of learners (Palloff & Pratt, 1999, Kim, 2000). There is increasing evidence that building an online learning community is particularly important in sustaining such online courses (Salmon, 2000, McConnell, 2000, Paloff & Pratt, 1999). Etienne Wenger (2001) has recently begun the process of moving his seminal work on communities of practice (Lave& Wenger, 1991, Wenger, 1998) into the digital age by examining the potential of technology for supporting online communities of practice (Wenger, 2001). Students were also asked to consider how they might develop an online community of learners or an online community of practice within their courses.

THE COURSE

The initial session contained both face-to-face and online components. The face-to-face meeting in Coleraine set the context for the module, looking back to Duquesne and looking forward to Northern Ireland. The students were given an opportunity to use a table of characteristics of collaborative learning in online and F2F environments (developed by Prof. David McConnell of the University of Sheffield) to compare collaborative learning in these contrasting environments. Online, the focus of the session moved to the pilot course and students were asked to complete a SWOT analysis, identifying the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats inherent in their planned work

Work in week two was again intended to look back and look forward. In 1996 Bill Gates (1996) suggested that learning via the Internet would mean that:

‘People everywhere will be able to take the best courses
taught by the greatest teachers’

This session was intended to give students access to two great teachers. The online component required students to watch Linda Wojnar’s Horizon Live Webcast ‘Setting Everyone up for Success in Online learning’. Students were invited to discuss both the content and the mode of delivery. The other ‘great teacher’, David McConnell (all of the cohort had been given copies of his book) had agreed to come over to Northern Ireland to speak to the cohort. Unfortunately, his plane was delayed by over four hours and the F2F session had to be cancelled. David appreciated our great disappointment and agreed to come online and answer student questions in an online discussion that we scheduled for week four. The entire group engaged in this session and David provided some useful and pragmatic insights into online learning and pointed members of the cohort towards useful papers, books and online materials. Just one of David’s responses will serve here as an exemplar of his contribution:

‘I've found that keeping people involved online is quite an art!! On our courses we find that phasing the online work during a module, and designing-in scaffolding that supports and sustains collaboration works quite well. Overall though, the idea of community (community of learners, or community of practice) is a central aspect of design that I think works effectively in sustaining participation. If people feel connected, and feel they have some kind of real ownership of what is going on they usually then feel engaged and in some ways feel they want to sustain the community. As time develops we find that this becomes more natural to participants and they themselves provide the structures for participation through discussions, sharing, collaboration etc.

My feeling is: if you work at getting a real sense of community, then much else follows (though still with hard work at times for all involved). But if it's enjoyable people will want to participate.’

Session three focused on sustainability and students were asked to discuss their reading of some chapters from McConnell (2000) and Salmon’s (2000) chapter on ‘Boosting CMC (Computer Mediated Communication) Participation’. Students were also asked to post a brief progress report about their pilot course. Session 5 also required a progress report while online discussion focussed on E Moderation via a light hearted article by Salmon (2000) which had a serious lesson - ‘What shall we call ourselves?’ Suggestions included ‘E-moderator, E-Ringmaster, Online priest, Agent provocateur, Devil’s advocate.’During the following weeks students were given time to work on their online courses and on Lou Nagy’s Assessment module.

A CELEBRATION OF LEARNING

The group came back together at the beginning of June for a ‘Celebration of Learning’ in which they would present their courses to the rest of the group. The students had posted the PowerPoint presentations (and brief Executive Summaries) within their group online discussion areas and received feedback from their group members. The members of the cohort had agreed in Duquesne that they wished to present their work in this way and they had also worked together online on creating a rubric for assessment this work. Based on student suggestions, the final drafting of the rubric (see Appendix 1) was undertaken by the course tutor, Lou Nagy and Linda Wojnar. It had been intended that the assessment process would include elements of self and peer assessment but, in reality, this was perhaps over ambitious. It was agreed that, in order to ensure fairness, there would have had to have been a great deal more groundwork - a lesson learned. Each student’s work was jointly assessed jointly by the course tutor and Linda Wojnar, using the agreed rubric. All of the students gained excellent scores that reflected the high quality of their work. However, comparisons of marks within the group led to some bitterness among some members of the group. Fortunately, this was short-lived, but, on reflection, perhaps there is a need for another model of assessment that might, for example, be based on competence. Pilot courses could, perhaps, in future, be assessed on a ‘competent/not-competent’ basis (a mechanism which works very successfully in assessing student teachers in Northern Ireland) against a list of criteria that might usefully be based on those within our existing rubric.

The members of the cohort were a range of highly qualified and experienced members of the education professions throughout Northern Ireland. They were chosen to represent all sectors of education (further, higher, primary post primary, school inspectorate, advisory service, and library service) - hence the focus online courses that created reflected this diversity (Figure 1). Some of the students worked collaboratively on their pilot courses - a model particularly fitting for this module.

Figure 1. The Pilot Course
summaries may be found on the course website
at www.imscet.org

The course tutor has sought to be innovative and transparent, and to give students the opportunity to push back the boundaries of online education in Northern Ireland. Many of the students relished this opportunity. It is particularly important with such pioneering work, that we reflect critically upon the ways in which the module worked well and not so well. Writing this article has been the beginning of a formalisation of this ongoing and invaluable learning process. The late Cardinal Basil Hume suggested that the greatest challenge facing western civilization was ‘to become as wise as it is clever’. One cannot help but see this challenge as being particularly great for those who would use the wondrously clever technologies of online education to further the wisdom of mankind.

References

Gates, B (1996) The Road Ahead, London: Penguin Books

Kim, A. J. (2000) Community Building on the Web. Peachpit Press (a Pearson Education Company).

McConnell D (2000) Implementing Computer Supported Cooperative Learning (2^nd Edition). London: Kogan Page.

Palloff, R. & Pratt, K. (1999) Building Learning Communities in Cyberspace. Jossey Bass Wiley.

Salmon, G. (2000) E-Moderating: the Key to Teaching and Learning Online. Kogan Page.

Smith, M.A. & Kollock, P (1999) Communities in Cyberspace, London: Routledge.

 Wenger, E. (1999) Communities of Practice: learning meaning and identity. Cambridge University Press.

Wenger, E. (2001) ‘Supporting Communities of Practice: a survey of community oriented technologies’ online at www.ewenger.com

Wojnar, L. ‘Setting everyone up for success in online learning’ http://lecture.horizonlive.com/launcher.cgi?channel=wojnar001_200_1031_1601_20

17 Cohorts, International Program
Northern Ireland

In the next section, all 17 of the cohort members provide Executive Reports about themselves and programs they researched and implemented. The titles, introductory materials, web and email links are published as part of this article. Each cohort produced a detailed report of his or her activities. For the entire set of reports, please go to http://DLglobal.org/.

(1)

INFORMATION LITERACY: SEARCHING THE WEB

CONTEXT:

Needs Analysis

The original aim of this project was to design a course that would enable Key Stage 2 and early Key Stage 3 pupils (11 - 12 years) to develop an understanding of information literacy particularly the information handling process. As the context is the School Library Service the emphasis was on accessing information.

My initial intention was to design a course that would contribute towards empowering pupils to become self-directed lifelong learners. My work in the summer of 2001 in Pittsburgh was targeted at an audience of pupils aged 11 to 12 years. The experience of teaching that lesson to my IMScET colleagues changed my thinking because it demonstrated that the course could also serve as a resource for everyone concerned with developing the transferable skills needed to find and manage information. I therefore selected colleagues, mainly from the school library sector, as the audience for my pilot course because I believe that the focus for this work should be the school library and that collaboration between the teaching staff and the school library staff is essential so that the information process can be contextualised in authentic learning tasks.

Globally, the enormous growth of ICT based information and the growth of online learning are revolutionising the role of the school library. The ability critically to evaluate information is now an essential life skill. As pupils undertake more responsibility for their own learning the roles of teachers and school librarians are becoming more facilitative. School libraries are no longer just a place to borrow books. They are about enabling children to engage effectively with the vast world of digital information by providing them with the knowledge and skills to do so.

In the local context there is a need for such a course because information literacy standards in schools are low. (DE, 2000) This is being addressed by embedding the skills of finding and managing information into Developing Critical and Creative Thinking Skills in the programmes of study for the proposed new curriculum. (CCEA, 2002:80)

The rapid expansion of information means that young people need to develop skills in clarifying issues or problems, identifying and accessing information, evaluating the information and selecting and summarising what is relevant.

(2)

Byron Evans
The Professional Qualification for Headship (Northern Ireland) Partnership between Duquesne University, USA and the University of Ulster, Northern Ireland, funded by Northern Ireland Department of Education and the Department of Employment and Learning
Teaching Context Subject area The professional development of aspirant headteachers. Context The introduction of a new approach to the Professional Qualification for Headship (N. Ireland) Participants 153 candidates and 53 potential PQH(NI) ‘tutors’ Methodology The Blackboard VLE is being used to support a constructivist approach to building a learning community online within which candidates and selected tutors can interact asynchronously in the first instance. This is part of the ‘supported self study’ approach behind the PQH(NI). The online dimension is meant to support and enhance the face to face elements of the programme. Materials Web based resources and materials used to supplement the self study approach Assessment This formative evaluation has been based on observations and evidence provided through the Blackboard environment supplemented by personal observations Duration This is part of an on-going and cyclic process Results and Reflections While a good start has been made much needs to be done to revised and tighten up the scaffolding. Implications for education Has provided a model, applied in a real context, to test and revise approaches to supporting professional development. Reflections on the IMScET programme The programme has provided the structure, stimulus, challenge and companionship to help plan, introduce, support and begin the process of critical evaluation of an innovative approach to supporting the professional development of school leaders in N. Ireland		Abstract This paper describes the design and early stage development of the online learning environment aspect of a hybrid programme of supported self study designed to support the professional development of aspirant headteachers in N Ireland. Contact Details Byron Evans Regional Training Unit Black’s Rd, Belfast BT10 0NB N. Ireland bevans@rtu.nine.org.uk About the author Byron Evans is the ICT Adviser for the Northern Ireland Regional Training Unit. Starting as a Geography teacher in the early 70s he has been involved in the promoting the use of ICT in curriculum and professional development for the last twenty years for organizations in N Ireland and Scotland.

The Professional Qualification for Headship
(Northern Ireland)

Context

The Regional Training Unit (RTU) has a responsibility within N Ireland to provide support for the professional development of aspirant, new and serving school leaders and leadership staff within the wider education service. It is funded by the Department of Education for N Ireland. My role as the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Adviser is to contribute to the Unit’s strategic planning and to help build an appropriate online dimension to the Unit’s provision.

The opportunity to take part in the Masters programme was one that I eagerly anticipated as it offered the chance to develop skill, competence and experience in the company of colleagues drawn from across the N Ireland education service. The account of part of my journey which follows focuses on the main tangible outcomes for my organisation and myself, developed during and influenced by the programme. It briefly describes the attempt to implement the lessons learned in the planning and early implementation of an online environment to support the professional development of aspirant school leaders through one of the RTU’s programmes, the Professional Qualification for Headship (Northern Ireland) PQH(NI). I am also conscious of how much it reflects what still has to be done.

The PQH (NI) is an award recognized across the UK, which will become mandatory for all those wishing to become headteachers. It has been available in N Ireland since 1999. The RTU is responsible for all aspects of the design and delivery of this programme for the N Ireland education service. Potential candidates go through a rigorous selection process for the publicly funded places available. In 2001, following changers in England and Wales, planning began for a 'new model'. These changes saw a significant move from a teaching model, in which tutors delivered content, to a supported self study model with a new role for tutors as facilitators. It sees a move from a more traditional didactic approach to one aiming at developing transformative learners. It also incorporates an online dimension as part of that facilitative process. An early decision was taken that the online dimension would be one element of a hybrid approach incorporating face-to-face elements. The online dimension is my main area of responsibility. I work as one member of a team of eight professional staff responsible for PQH(NI). We, as a team, in the public sector, have to work within a framework conscious of principles of best value. The whole programme consists of many interlinked elements and I have to be aware that my colleagues consider the elements that they are responsible for to be just as important as I think the online dimension is!

(3 & 4))

Learning for Success

Context

Our course "Learning for Success" aimed to connect current research on learning and teaching in the traditional classroom with developing knowledge and skills of the virtual classroom. We hoped our participants would share teaching and learning strategies and relate and evaluate recent research on learning to classroom practice and on pupil achievement.

Our short three-week course aimed to provide an opportunity for 17 Curriculum and Advisory Support Service (CASS) colleagues to experience and develop their knowledge and understanding of online learning. We hoped they would further develop skills and competence in effective learning, while and at the same time develop their awareness of the potential of online learning. Curriculum and Advisory Support can be a very isolated job with officers working in specific subject or theme areas with perhaps little opportunity to work collaboratively with their colleagues. An important aim of our course was to foster a community of online learners who would support each other through online discussions and chats. We felt this would be a valuable preparation for a possible future role as online tutors and agents for change within the Northern Ireland education service.

This pilot was relevant to the changing context of education in Northern Ireland.

Changes include:

• A revised Education Technology strategy
• a review of the Northern Ireland curriculum
• a new focus on online learning within our Education and Library Board’s business plans
• "Transforming the Way we Learn - A vision for the future of ICT in schools"
• National Grid For Learning (UK Education network online)
• "Education for the 21st Century" Strategic proposals for the future of education in Northern Ireland

Our pilot course aimed to:

• relate recent research on learning to classroom practice
• share teaching and learning strategies to increase achievement
• evaluate the impact of effective learning strategies on pupil achievement
• set effective learning within the context of school improvement
• develop knowledge and understanding of online learning
• develop competence in using an online learning environment
• foster a community of online learners who can support each other through online discussions and chats
• prepare CASS colleagues for role of online tutors and agents for change within the education service

Learning Outcomes

By the end of our pilot course we expected our participants to have:

• demonstrated their understanding of effective learning strategies and their impact on the classroom
• understood the place of effective learning within the context of school improvement
• become confident and more competent online learners and have some understanding of the potential of online learning
• become a closer community of online learners
• be keen to engage in online learning in the future

Fig 1: graph showing levels of engagement

Fig 2: graph showing levels of engagement

(5)

Art and Design Education -- Online

Context

Growing numbers of universities, including my own institution The University of Ulster, now offer a range of online courses. These are often, through not exclusively, based in business and e-commerce programs, which are intrinsically suited to using the Web as the main teaching tool. Less obvious in the pedagogical sense, might be the reason to develop on-line teaching in courses that are recognised as encouraging social and physical interaction, and indeed use the effectiveness of the student’s interactive qualities as a major contributor to his or her success on the course. Initial Teacher Education leading to a career in the classroom is such a course.

How can the notion of a course for training teachers, particularly in the subject of Art and Design Education, and the requirement for such a course to develop strong interpersonal and interactive qualities, be reconciled with the idea that such qualities can also be developed without the obvious environment of a strong and physically present group dynamic?

This was the specific question I asked myself prior to engaging in the Distance Education module of the IMScET program. The idea of using an online learning environment as a means to teach what is quite a practical course seemed incongruous. Yet, as I read, engaged in many discussions and studied more about the pedagogy at the heart of online learning I began to see the possibilities of using a Virtual Learning Environment in such a way as to develop successfully some of the learning competences that I had once thought could only be achieved face to face. Developing the skills needed to promote collaborative learning, collegiality, problem solving, critical reflective practice, analysis and higher order thinking and questioning is at the heart of the Post Graduate Diploma in Education (PGCE), a one year full time program which prepares graduates in Art and Design for a career in teaching pupils aged between 11 and 18.

This paper outlines the design and implementation of a short online course, which was created specifically to support and develop the normally face-to-face PGCE program.

 (6)

Slideshow Pilot Story for USJDL

The Multimedia Literacy module saw the creation of the C2k Schoolbox support website http://c2kschoolbox.granada-learning.com and I felt it important that the site would grow and people would continue to take ownership of it and provide resources which could be housed on it to share. For as Duncan Grey (2001) says,

‘It’s not enough to write a set of pages, then sit back and feel smug. Websites need constant maintenance . . . checking for broken links, updating content, adding new pages and erasing old ones.’ p 134

This was the context in which the idea for the Slideshow pilot was born; I saw an opportunity for this and several other objectives to be achieved with this pilot. BlackCat Slideshow, a simple and easy to use tool for creating multimedia presentations, is one of thirty Granada Learning titles that have been supplied to all primary schools in Northern Ireland as part of Classroom 2000. Since it is a new piece of software the pilot had the potential to provide feedback on the use of Slideshow in primary schools whilst at the same time offering me an opportunity to draw together all that I had learned over the course of the Masters program in an online teaching practice, where I would design, build and teach an online course. My objectives were:

• To support the effective use of Slideshow by teachers and pupils
• To build an online community of Key Stage one and two teachers to produce of a resource library of sample Slideshows
• To encourage teachers to share their resources, as well as, highlight good practice
• To evaluate the effectiveness and sustainability of this type of online support.

Proactive evaluation (Sims, 2001) at each stage of the journey from design, through development to implementation and evaluation helped me to clarify my thinking and also highlight any potential flaws. It involved experimentation, discovery and growth, as I created the course materials (Wood, 1988), and involved identifying an area where there was a need for change and then, subsequently, trying to provide a remedy through an evaluative process (McNiff et al., 1996).

(7 & 8)

Needs Analysis and Context

"Classroom 2000 will provide a comprehensive managed service for ICT for 1,224 primary, secondary and special schools, which will include the infrastructure needed by every teacher to develop their competence in using the technology for teaching and learning"

(Anderson, Education 2020 A Millennium Vision, 2001)

Devising a strategy for the educational inclusion of all in our learning community is paramount to the success of our Managed Learning.

Environment (MLE). It is crucial that all feel ownership of that environment and have confidence to participate and ultimately to contribute. Moreover, awareness of the possibilities associated with the provision of education through this media must be brought to those in our system who may have the motivation to participate but may not have the information they require to make an informed decision about the potential added value of an MLE.

The philosophy behind the design of the course was that there must be a beginning experience for all in the learning community - from the decision maker to the individual teacher, pupil and parent. In order to illustrate how a managed learning environment can use technology to form and develop relationships between all in the learning community, it was felt that a short online course would be an appropriate medium for presentation. The course is designed to provide this beginning experience and to explain through the vehicle of online learning the potential for the use of technology to enhance and further develop life long learning.

(9 & 10)

Reflection on our (IMScET) Course
Feb’01 - June ’02

The International Master of Science in Education Technology (IMScET) course was jointly provided by University of Ulster, Northern Ireland and Duquesne University, Pittsburgh. The course was publicly advertised in the Northern Ireland press during the autumn term of 2000 - 2001. Interviews of teachers and lecturers and appointments of individuals to represent educational bodies followed, resulting in a cohort of seventeen course members. The course began in February 2001. The rationale behind the setting up of this course was informally outlined to the participants, as follows: 

• to assemble a group of people with considerable experience in education and educational technology;
• to build their skills and understanding of the context and challenges relating to the implementation of the ET Strategy for Northern Ireland;
• to avail of expertise in other education systems (particularly United States of America) to learn how others have addressed similar challenges;
• to learn (by doing) about on-line learning, the principles which underpin successful on-line learning and the key characteristics of a successful on-line learning course;
• to assist the Educational Technology Strategy Group for Northern Ireland (ETSGNI) in various tasks, including:
  1. the review of the Educational Technology Strategy for Northern Ireland (1997);
  2. the review of the Northern Ireland Network for Education (NINE);
  3. writing a Diploma Course in ICT for teachers and;
  4. the investigation of how on-line learning might improve the accessibility and quality of professional development for educators in Northern Ireland as well as supporting learning in and beyond our schools and colleges.

The residential weekends, relating to Module 2, proved to be important team-building experiences. The care taken by the Duquesne University teaching staff to visit each of the course participants (where possible in their place of work) helped to ensure the success of these modules. The Educational Technology Strategy Co-ordinator (NI) provided a valuable link between the Duquesne University staff and the cohort members in advance of and during these weekend sessions.

The Pittsburgh experience (relating to modules 3 and 4) involved considerable work from the participants. The pre-reading for these modules included 5 books and numerous articles relating to instructional technology and on-line learning. It was clear that Duquesne University, University of Ulster, The Ireland Institute of Pittsburgh, the Department of Education (NI) and the Western Education and Library Board had co-operated and gone to great lengths to make appropriate arrangements in order to ensure the success of the Pittsburgh-based part of the course. The quality of the accommodation, the pre-arranged Internet access in the participants’ hotel rooms, the access to university facilities and staff, and the proactive friendliness of all the individuals and groups involved, contributed much to the experience of the course participants.

The intensity of the work stretched all participants to their limits - a tremendous amount of work was covered, but quantity was clearly surpassed by the quality of discussion, debate, on-line chat and writing. The quality of tuition during the four weeks was of the highest calibre. The whole course was conducted in an ethos of sensitivity and mutual respect. This was very important given the pressure that some (perhaps many) of the course participants experienced from the intensive nature of the work.

Following the Pittsburgh-based modules, the participants had a much greater awareness of the exciting initiative in which they are involved and an increased understanding of what characterises good teaching. Some articulated the view that were they never to go on-line, this course would have helped them become better classroom teachers. The need to take time and effort to get to know your audience, to be flexible, to ‘set others up for success’, to set high standards for others and yourself, to promote purposeful interactivity, setting clear goals and providing support which allowed room for growth, had all been clearly demonstrated by example in the teaching of the Pittsburgh-based modules. Concepts such as Bloom’s Taxonomy and the Best Practice Rules for On-line Learning were skillfully integrated into the teaching and learning. Evidence of learning can been seen in the transcripts of on-line chats and in the quality of the various postings associated with the course.

Subsequent modules taught by Jerry Slamecka, Victor McNair, Lou Nagy, Linda Clarke and Linda Wojnar, built on the solid foundation that had been laid in Pittsburgh. By the summer of 2002, the course had brought the whole cohort to focus on an agreed vision with a common purpose to contribute, as best we can, to the further development, in Northern Ireland, of the use of technology in education generally and online learning, in particular.

 (11)

ICT Developments
within the Further Education Sector

Context

In Further Education, and indeed education as a whole, students are being offered a greater choice in the modules they can study, and increasingly they expect to be given the flexibility to work anytime anywhere. The notion of a Virtual Learning Environment within the Further Education sector has been going around for the past 12 months and probably longer, but unlike the school sector where a common VLE is being considered, each of the 17 colleges are looking at the potential and benefits of application software to meet their individual needs. The individual needs of colleges vary according to their focus and centres of excellence, eg: some colleges may specialise in Engineering or IT, whilst others in Hospitality or Catering. That being the case one VLE may not be appropriate across the sector, but for this pilot programme the Blackboard VLE was used.

The context of the pilot was to build on the foundations of the need for colleges to implement a VLE, and raise awareness of the potential as well as the limitations of such a tool within each college. As part of the Masters Programme I had already devised a needs analysis in Pittsburgh whilst studying at Duquesne in summer 2001. This needs analysis identified the need for ICT tools to be explored and also a need for staff to be trained on how to use the tools and how to troubleshoot when they went wrong. Time has progressed rapidly and the needs analysis has developed with a clear need now to respond to the changing needs of education in the sector. On reflection of the original needs I felt there was opportunity to give college staff a ‘free’ evaluation of the Blackboard product in a real-life situation, and to raise awareness of online learning and it’s potential. The course therefore had a theme of ‘learning about online learning’ with the content directed at how to use the environment as a teaching tool, as well as focussing on ICT developments within the FE Sector.

(12)

SLD Network for Special School Teachers
Norma Perceval-Price

Context | Needs analysis | Intended Learning outcomes | Map of Northern Ireland | Implementation | Results and Reflections modes of communication | Analysis of Synchronous chat | Feedback | Were the outcomes achieved? | Implications for Education | References | Abbreviations | Appendix 1 Salmon’s 5 stage model | Reflections on the IMScET programme

CONTEXT

Northern Ireland special schools (Severe Learning Difficulties) represent 1.5% of the school population. Although they follow the national curriculum, few students progress beyond level 2. Most pupils remain within level 1, despite the fact that they leave school at 19. In comparison, an average 16-year-old student is expected to attain level 8.

Teachers in special schools have a variety of academic backgrounds - all have degrees but none have training in severe special needs. They learn their skills by classroom experience, adjusting to suit the pace of pupils’ learning.

Teachers adapt material or create individualised resources to suit the students. Their ideas might act as stimulation for others engaged in similar areas but at present each teacher works in isolation.

Needs analysis

The 1998-2000 Survey of special schools by D.E. (Department of Education, Northern Ireland) identified the need for the collation and dissemination of good practice between the schools.

In the early 90’s the Education Boards set up cluster groups where teacher representatives met to collaborate on new curriculum areas. Teachers still comment sadly on their demise and yearn for further opportunities to share ideas.

An online community for SLD teachers could go some way towards providing regular meetings without the need for substitute teacher cover and travelling costs. The aim was to share good practice, collaborate on common themes and solve problems by discussion.

Intended Learning Outcomes

• An online interactive network for 13 special-school teachers was designed with the following learning outcomes.
• Participants should be able to post a message in the asynchronous forum and respond to other messages.
• Participants should meet others in the synchronous classroom (chat) to discuss pre-arranged topics.
• Quality of dialogue should demonstrate higher order thinking.

Map of Northern Ireland. Star indicates the distribution of the 13 participants

 (13)

The European Dimension In the Primary School

South Eastern Education and Library Board
Belfast, Northern Ireland

Subject Area

The pilot was a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) opportunity for the participants to experience a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) and online learning from a learner’s perspective.

Context

For this pilot I designed and implemented an online course that would further develop the European Dimension in the Primary School. With ongoing consultation on the Northern Ireland Curriculum Review and the advent of initiatives like the Primary 1 Enriched Curriculum, I see major changes ahead in the Primary School. I believe that the European Dimension could provide a valuable vehicle for further curriculum development and I intend to continue to build this course. Post-NOF opportunities may provide the experience of online learning that teachers will need to access such courses.

The aims were

• to build a community of practice by introducing colleagues to the experience/reality of learning online and to create an opportunity to develop Collaborative Learning Online (CLO) in a sustainable fashion in their professional context,
• to identify areas in KS1 + 3 in particular, where the European Dimension can be identified and exploited,
• to write up suitable activities in KS1 + 3 to further develop the website built previously

The Expected Learning Outcomes were that the participants would be able to

• discuss their experience of CLO using appropriate vocabulary in context
• evaluate their experience of CLO by comparing their initial thoughts from Week 1 with their final thoughts in Week 4
• reflect on the potential for CLO in their professional context
• participate effectively in any future online learning community that would be established.
• identify activities within their area of expertise to exploit the European/ International Dimension

(14)

EVALUATION OF STAFF INDUCTION AND MENTORING PROGRAMME

CONTEXT

Needs Analysis

East Down Institute had an Extended Inspection during 2001 and one of the areas identified for improvement is the Academic Staff Induction Programme. The Report stated that "new part-time staff require more support in developing their pedagogical skills". The ETI also reported that part-time staff felt isolated from other staff in the Institute. This is due to the fact that part-time staff often teach at night and could be at any one of 5 campuses or 35 outcentres spreading over a radius of approximately 35 miles.

At present, in Further Education, part-time staff are not required to hold a teaching certificate. The current induction arrangements are that the Training Officer invites new part-time staff to attend induction sessions at the start of the academic year. However, only a small number of staff participate and it is likely that they do not attend for a number of reasons. For example:

• They may be teaching on that particular evening. Some staff teach 2-3 evenings per week and to give up another evening may be too difficult to organise;
• Full-time or other job commitments;
• Family commitments.

The Institute needs to consider more "flexible" induction and mentoring arrangements in order to fit in with the other commitments of part-time staff. As a result of this needs analysis and the potential of a VLE to provide flexibility in the delivery of a structured and coherent course I decided to develop an online induction programme. According to Palloff and Pratt "it is widely acknowledged that non-traditional students {that is, working adults returning to school or students who are unable to attend classes on campus for other reasons} make up a rapidly growing population in education today. Their educational needs and demands are different from those of traditional students and it is these students to whom online distance education is geared." {Palloff and Pratt page 3}

Aims

The aims of the whole course will be:

• To support part-time staff in developing their pedagogical skills and improve the quality of teaching and learning.
• To provide a mentoring and support network for part-time staff to reduce the feeling of isolation by creating an online learning community.

Objectives of pilot programme

Within the 5 week time span of the pilot my objectives were:

• To participate in online discussions in order to encourage self-reflection and re-evaluation of current teaching practice and methods.
• To complete a review and evaluation of the pilot in order to assess the quality of course materials and the visibility and support provided by the tutor.

REFLECTIONS

Whereas I believe I had learnt the essential elements of design, planning and implementing an online course before I started the pilot, I feel that, by implementing the pilot, this reinforced what I have read, learnt from being an online student and from Linda Wojnar. For me the pilot has brought all the learning from the units together. I believe that the lessons learnt from implementing the pilot cannot be truly appreciated by reading a book but needed to be experienced in order to complete the learning.

(15)

Western Education and Library Board (WELB) Professional Certificate in ICT for Educational Advisory Officers Staff Development Programme (PC)

Reflections on the International Masters in Educational Technology (IMScET) Programme

In November 2000, I was invited by my line manager, Mr. Paddy Mackey, Assistant Senior Education Officer, and Mr. Joseph Martin, Chief Executive of the Western Education and Library Board to participate in the first International Masters in Educational Technology (IMScET) Programme, which was to be run jointly by the University of Ulster and the University of Duquesne, Pittsburgh, PA. I was flattered to be offered the opportunity but thought long and hard before accepting. I had been appointed Adviser for ICT for the Western Board, with a starting date in January 2001 and was conscious of the heavy commitment required by the post. Two major Northern Ireland-wide ICT initiatives were in train: all practising teachers were undertaking an ICT staff development programme supported by the Education and Library Boards (ELBs) and ‘Classroom 2000’ (C2k), an integrated Northern Ireland wide ICT solution was being implemented in our schools. In addition, I had recently enrolled on a traditional distance learning PhD programme and was concerned about the potential combined workload.

However, accept I did and I could not have envisaged the emotional and educational roller coaster ride the subsequent 18 months would become.

When reflecting on the IMScET course with fellow students in the final week of the programme, I was not surprised to find myself saying that I could no longer consider undertaking a traditional Masters/PhD programme. Having been made aware of the potential of online learning I now knew that it could be a more powerful and effective learning medium.

I would like to pay tribute to all those who had the vision, stamina and perseverance to make the dream of this course a reality and afford me the singular honour of being a participant. It is rare to be at the cutting edge of developments in Education.

(16)

Richard Wallace
Information Communications Technology On-line Course Partnership between Duquesne University, USA and the University of Ulster, Northern Ireland, funded by Northern Ireland Department of Education and the Department of Employment and Learning
Teaching Context Subject area Information Technology Context General Certificate in Secondary Education Participants 16 year old pupils in a selective co-ed school Methodology Originally trialled with pupils in normal schooling. Materials Web based materials, on-line activities, chat and discussion group Assessment Paper based theory exam and project assignment Duration 100 minutes per week for 40 weeks Results and Reflections Pupils enjoy learning through technology Implications for education Pupils can share an expert. Pupils have access from home Technical Context Computer mediated communication using Blackboard and LearnWise		Abstract The case Study describes the use of on-line web based VLE materials with pupils in a GCSE class for ICT. Staff training is also included Contact Details Richard Wallace, Vice-Principal Ballyclare High School, 31 Rashee Road, Ballyclare, Co Antrim, BT39 9HJ, Northern Ireland r.Wallace@ballyclarehigh.co.uk About the author Richard Wallace is Vice Principal in Ballyclare High School. He is Principal Moderator for IT and Chief Examiner for ICT with CCEA www.ccea.org.uk . He is a BECTa ICT in Practice Award Winner www.becta.org.uk

‘The Product of the Experience’
The GCSE On-Line Course

I have continued to work on my on-line General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) course since I returned from Duquesne last July. Many aspects of it simply met the needs of the pupils and our school departmental scheme of work. One of the strengths of the whole Master’s programme for me has been its coherence and in the previous article (June 2002) outlined how the Multimedia Literacy unit gave me a chance to make a comprehensive website that dealt with the coursework assignment requirement for the syllabus. The Garden Centre website also contains much of the theory that is required for the course and so its inclusion has allowed me to cover that along with its assessment in a realistic context. This document recalls my work from the collaborative learning unit.

I have used the various items from the whole programme to teach two different year groups of pupils. Ballyclare High School is a large, selective co-educational establishment in a prosperous part of Northern Ireland. Almost 90% of the 1220 pupils have access to computers. Each of the classes had 100 minutes of class time per week. The school has a network of 180 machines in 3 rooms and spread throughout the campus. My aim of building an on-line community with these sixteen year old pupils, with whom I had so much face to face interaction, was indeed a challenge. I have always had this concern and awareness to ‘do no harm’ (Schoenfeld-Tacher et al, 2001) to my pupils by trialling many of these new ideas with them.

The major strengths of this type of learning lie in the motivation of the pupils, the 24/7 availability of the resources, the opportunity for interactivity and the fact that the whole course can be kept in an organised fashion. The most significant weakness is that an effective on-line course requires so much time, effort and ingenuity is required to write. There is a danger in assuming that one can just post the work and hope:

‘No matter how much technology - it is the learners willingness or ability to learn that is paramount. In other words, you can lead a child to a computer but you can’t make him or her learn.’
 Mellon (1999)

Among the concerns for me in a school situation is the issue of ownership and copyright, the creation of an information rich and information poor community and the potential resistance and resentment of other members of staff who may feel under pressure to produce the same type of course.

It would be easy to dwell on the problems. It is much better to identify and exploit the opportunities. It is my feeling that pupils learn better when they have access to the ‘big picture’ and to the resources outside the timetabled school day as well as in class. The creation of the course has matched the rollout of Classroom 2000 (C2K) and concurs with the Northern Ireland Educational Technology Strategy by ‘piloting an "ICT enriched" syllabus’ (Page 14)

 (17)

Collaborative Learning Online
Building Online Communities

Context

There has been much recent debate around the concept of placing the learner at the centre of the learning process, a trend highlighted in Northern Ireland in the Burns Review of Post Primary Education and the current major Curriculum Review. There have been many outcomes of the debate, but I believe there are three major areas of shifting focus:

• A shift from the ability levels of learners to their needs providing the focus for educational planning;
• A shift in the anticipated balance of curriculum provision from testable content to transferable skills with lifelong currency; and
• A shift from performance to learning as the focus for school improvement.

The emphasis on the needs of learners and the quality of their learning, particularly in the context of lifelong learning, has put independent decision-making skills at the centre of concern. This is gathering pace.

I have been involved in leading several Belfast Education and Library Board initiatives which have thrown independent learning into strong focus, but which experiences have informed me that, although the term is being used more frequently, it is nevertheless used with little shared meaning. This results in much confusion fuelled by misinterpretation.

Whilst working on the Belfast Education and Library Board response to the Gallagher and Smith Report on the effects of the selective system of secondary education in Northern Ireland in November 2000, the central motif for which was the development of the learner as a responsible decision-maker, it became very apparent that much work would be needed to bring about a coherent vision of the motif across the board’s services. Concepts of learner autonomy or independence were expressed in very different ways by individual officers, some of whom clearly interpreted independent learning as private learning. In discussions with teachers during consultation on the response it was apparent that many considered independence to be evidenced by children carrying out their tasks without becoming distracted or requiring supervision.

More recently I have been jointly responsible for leading the development of an education strategy, which is currently nearing completion, and once again witnessed the difficulties that attended discussions on aspects of independent learning. This time the participants in these discussions observed the problem of dealing with a concept for which shared understanding had been assumed but not realised, and they prompted the need for extended work.

Putting People First

On Wednesday July 3, 2002, in the Waterfront Hall, Belfast, seventeen educators from across the Northern Ireland education sector graduated as Masters of Science in Education Technology with a focus in distance and online learning. This groundbreaking programme was designed and delivered to help Northern Ireland meet the educational challenges of the 21^st century.

How could so much have been achieved, against all the odds, in such a short time? Simply stated, it was all about relationships. There was immense good will on all sides, but, at times, issues were raised which seemed insoluble and failure appeared almost inevitable. However, the good relationships withstood the strain.

For everyone involved, the learning curve was steep and the demands on time and energy were heavy. Inevitably, there were at times tensions and crises, but a climate had evolved which allowed these to be met creatively. From the beginning, the human factor had been given pre-eminence over the academics and the technologies. In her letter to the graduates on the day of their graduation, Dr Linda Wojnar of Duquesne University reminded them of the values which had underpinned the academic programme: "placing people first" and "setting everyone up for success."

Few, if any, needed these reminders. Known affectionately as "Wojnarisms," they had become the mantras, which in times of stress had calmed the spirits and maintained the morale of the entire student and teaching group. The students knew that these were not idle words; the teachers had led by example.

Dr Larry Tomei of Duquesne in his letter of congratulations to the new graduates, captured the outworkings of this philosophy when he wrote; "Every challenge was met with enthusiasm and determination. Every obstacle overcome with charm and wit. Every task approached with the resolve of dedicated educators who view all learning from the light of how it may improve their students."

The students themselves experienced a higher level of personal and professional development than what they had brought to the programme. As they "mastered" the pedagogy and the technologies, they became enthused at the potential of the new and exciting world of online teaching and learning that was opening up to them, and, through them, to others. One participant commented, this was "The best learning experience of my life." Another participant vowed, "We can never go back. We must bring others forward with us" which echoed sentiments that were shared by the whole cohort. Through sensitive coaching by their tutors, they gradually realised that this virtual world could be, and should be, people-driven. They experienced themselves as a developing community of learners. Equally importantly, they knew they had become a community of carers and sharers, who were never more than "one click away" from one another and therefore would always be able to set one another "up for success." Although the residentials strengthened the sense of community, the technology provided the medium that held them together. They knew that the online connectedness and sustained interactions between the cohort members would continue after their "Duquesne days" were over.

Graduation day on Wednesday July 3, 2002 marked the completion of what the Northern Ireland Minister for Education called "this unique and truly innovative International Masters Programme in Education Technology." There was much celebration of what had been achieved and well-deserved dedication dinner took place to honour all those who had helped to make this initiative happen. The Minister paid particular tribute to the "outstanding educators" who had worked collaboratively to create and deliver the programme and to those who had helped forge the worthwhile and productive relationships which, he hoped, would prove enduring.

All concerned were keenly aware that Graduation Day was only "the end of the beginning." In the words of John Anderson, Co-ordinator of the Northern Ireland Education Technology Strategy, "the International Masters programme will save Northern Ireland years of trial and error." John has also been instrumental in saying that this programme has helped to put the Northern Ireland strategy light years ahead.

Even from the start of the programme, the cohort members had a true sense of their mission. They always felt responsible in helping to shape the future of education in Northern Ireland and are willing to take online learning forward through their generous open sharing of their expertise by creating innovative partnerships and by linking their current projects. They are now able to share the attitudes and values that were hallmarks of their Master’s Programme and plan to continue to stress the importance of the human factor in education. Their "brave new world" will put people first and will "set everyone up for success."

Dear Graduates,

We began by meeting for the first time at your place of work. Tutors who carefully "listen" to their pupils have so much more to gain than those tutors who attempt to do all of the talking; for in this manner, tutors and learners have the ability to form deeper bonds than any words could ever describe. Critical reflective thinking and placing people first in academics are the premises for "Setting Everyone Up For Success" in this programme, and it is this reflective experience that I wish to dedicate to all of you.

A year ago, the International Master’s in Instructional Technology: Distance Learning began as a new initiative. Even though the programme was taught in an American format, this initiative was tailored to your needs and the needs of Northern Ireland. All worthwhile initiatives face challenges. Knowing how to transform challenges seamlessly to opportunities by altering views of looking at a glass as "half-empty" to one that is viewed as "half-full" is a test that leaders are called upon to achieve. Without road bumps, a true appreciation for what lies ahead cannot be appreciated. Only those who have taken risks and immersed themselves in new endeavors know the true meaning of growth and success.

Each step that you have taken through this programme has moved you forward in achieving goals that will not only move yourselves ahead, but your country as well in the areas of education and ICT. High-stakes learning provides opportunities for the results to be at their highest levels and each of you have conquered the challenge.

Even without expressing words, a tutor’s teaching and learning philosophy, and value system are visible through actions. The following is what can happen when teaching and learning is valued and at their best:

When tutors "raise the bar" for pupils to learn, exemplary pupils will raise it even higher,

When tutors "challenge thinking," pupils will "stretch" to think at higher levels and academic excellence can be achieved,

When tutors "expect the best" from their pupils, pupils will come to expect only the best from themselves,

When tutors "care" about their pupils, pupils will then care to learn from their tutors and from each other,

When road bumps occur, are met, and are overcome, pupils will know how to search for alternative solutions for the rest of their lives,

When barriers to teaching and learning are removed, all learners can learn.

Teaching extends well beyond academics. It’s not only the academics that are important when pupils attend a school. More important are the values and experiences that pupils take with them forever as they apply what they’ve learned to a variety of situations beyond the classroom. It is these life-long memories and experiences that change them as a person; the way they do business (in our situation-the way they teach); the contributions that they add to the knowledge base of their field; and their efforts to advance their country’s strategies forward through their work that are most important.

What began as a foreign language to all of you has now become an intricate part of your vocabulary. Be as proud of all of your accomplishments as we are of you.

It has been my distinct privilege and honour to have learned with and from each of you and to prove that trans-Atlantic ties are as strong as ever. Always remember to set yourself and everyone else "Up for Success" in all that you do and that I am only "one click away" from you forever.

My very Best Wishes are extended to you on this important day in your life, for the milestones that you have and will continue to achieve, and for the changes in education that you will guide in taking online teaching and learning forward.

All the best,

Dr. Linda Wojnar
Duquesne University, USA

In This Issue | Podium | Featured Articles | Student Exchange | Technology Exchange
State Exchange | Positions Available | Calendar | Call For Papers | Past Issues