Understanding the Constraints and Benefits of Different Technology

Improved digital literacy is a challenge facing all educators and students that can be addressed by introducing relevant software and integrating them into the learning experience. These tools should complement face-to-face interaction and not override learning outcomes. I approach the use of technology enhanced learning by listening carefully and delivering tools that serve the educators’ objectives and learners’ needs.

Description

Support Guidance Webpages

When I started in my current role I learnt that, due to a decentralising policy and the increase in remote teaching caused by the pandemic, there had been a proliferation of guidance material across various webpages and Moodle pages and I was asked to pick up on a project intended to curate this material for my College.

The solution they were working on was to use an MS Team. Each Channel was addressing a different area (e.g. Moodle, Zoom, etc.), the files area within each channel had folders of subcategories of the Channel’s topic, and within those folders there were Word documents with links to the existing resources in the university. They had decided on this solution because they wanted a searchable database of how-to guides, and the opportunity to discuss them in a community of practice.

I showed how this was not using Teams in an efficient manner and tended to bury the relevant information below a series of clicks. As an alternative, I first explored using the SharePoint site associated with the Team and determined that a ‘Communication Site’ was the best option. The project team liked this adaptation of their Team, but it transpired that university IT policy does not allow Communication Sites yet. In discussions, IT suggested using the university website instead, where I could be given editing rights to a searchable portion of the website. I did the requisite internal training, built a proof of concept which was approved by the project team, and we also repurposed an existing MS Team to be a community of practice hub.

I developed the webpages (Technology Enhanced Learning @ CoSS) in two phases: first, drawing upon existing internal and external content, curating and providing it in one searchable location; second, adding new material based on staff requests and needs. Based on the brief I had been provided with, the content focuses on specific functions, and is short, clear, accessible, and with a variety of modalities (on-screen, downloadable, video). Where new content is needed, I record videos using Camtasia, hosting them on Kaltura which can divide the videos into chapters for easy viewing; for downloadable how-to documents I use Word and Snagit, hosting them on OneDrive where they are updateable and more accessible through the immersive reader.

Since 1 July 2021, there have been 2,436 page views (1,933 unique views), with an average time spent on it of 2m21s. The most popular page is the Moodle Activities, with 390 page views (305 unique views) and an average time spent on it of 4m15s. This shows a reasonable amount of traffic, and the average time spent is enough to read one or two of the guides, and download or watch a video. The webpages are also very useful when I want to share guidance via email or MS Teams as I can share the link, making it easier for me to share targeted resources that help to communicate best practice.

ESOL and Learning Technology

In my prior role in a further education college, I worked with a colleague to design and distribute a staff training needs survey faculty that we shared responsibility for, and I analysed and summarised the findings in a report ('Training Questionnaire Report' - below). A clear finding was that amongst teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) there was a much lower use of the college’s Moodle platform. I spoke to the ESOL curriculum head and other lecturers, and it transpired that this is because of the common use of textbooks and worksheets by lecturers, and a combination of frequent lower digital literacy amongst learners as well as a difficulty reading the English language used on websites and in Moodle. This is a good example of how technological use has to be understood within a cultural framework and a lesson in how important it is to listen and learn from colleagues whose experience is different from my own.

Reflection

Support Guidance Webpages

Due to the lockdown, MS Teams was rolled out in an accelerated manner in the university, and anyone can create their own Team. There was a lack of preparation and support regarding how to use Teams, and they are often used in non-optimal ways. In this case, I was able to demonstrate the suitability of alternatives by working on prototypes to demonstrate other ways in which their objectives could be achieved. I also understood how the IT team who had to provide more resources to deal with the consequences of allowing anyone to create a Team without understanding what alternatives could equally serve them – for example, sometimes a Team had been created to be able to collaborate on documents, when this could be done via OneDrive.

At first, I was the only Learning Technologist there and this project was also a very useful learning process for me because curating existing resources allowed me to do a survey of what was available and what gaps needed filling, as well as engaging with other departments and policies of the university. I learnt to provide both video and downloadable documents wherever possible, as there are often clear preferences for one or the other option amongst users.

ESOL and Learning Technology

Regarding the survey in the further education college, I was surprised by how I had not thought of the fact that English language learners would have difficulties reading websites in English. In discussions with the lecturers, I also learnt more about how and different levels of language and digital literacy constrain uses of learning technology – reflecting the importance of cultural and personal contexts.

I reflected that there needs to be a greater use of images and videos on the Moodle pages to be able to engage and support the ESOL students. I introduced some lecturers to the ClickView platform that has pre-recorded content aimed at ESOL learners, including interactive elements, and showed them how to include it in their Moodle pages. I also reflected on how many students may be more familiar with their smartphones than computers and developed a lesson plan ('Digital Skills and Direction Language Class Plan' - below) that integrates learning about some basic navigational tools on their phones and with a class on language associated with asking for and giving directions.