This design pattern is derived from the case study’s success that can be applied to our Covid-19 response. The case study showed the experiences of 10 faculty members to transition from face-to-face teaching to online teaching and how the transition can be applied successfully.
Chiasson et al (2015) found that it required more time and workload was increased for faculty when they developed their courses for online teaching (p. 234) compared to face-to-face courses. Standing in front of a class allows to discover ambiguities in instructions and allows for immediate feedback. Therefore, teaching staff “spent more time on planning, designing, delivering and evaluating online instruction” (Chiasson et al, 2015, p. 232) and provided “more detail regarding the process, structure, and evaluation, along with the interactive components of the course” (p. 237). Instructions need to be concise as the feedback mechanisms in classroom are not given in the online environment. Additionally, in preparation, they also found that “[l]earning to use technology tools in a proficient manner takes time” (Chiasson et al, 2015, p. 232). However, support for teaching staff “vary widely” (Chiasson et al, 2015, p. 232).
Developing online courses requires more time and workload increases compared to face-to-face courses. Additionally, time and effort to use technology tools for course development need to be taken into account. Support often varies and some teaching staff face this transition process on their own.
Time: In the Covid-19 setting, teaching staff have to transition to teaching their courses online quickly, due to lockdown measures that make face-to-face teaching impossible.
Support: Online requires different instructions and layout than classroom teaching. Support varies, so some teaching staff need to develop their courses without further support. Tools need to be learned and mastered to be able to develop their content online. Educational practices adapted.
Online learning: Teacher’s role changes to the “guide on the side” (Chiasson et al, 2015, p. 234), not centre-stage anymore. Students in online learning need to be kept interested in the material and need to learn on their own. Feedback mechanisms differ in an online setting. Courses need to be kept interesting. Instructions clear and concise, otherwise students get confused/bored/cannot follow/lose track. Students working at a distance and in isolation.
Material
Accessibility to technology and online materials and educational resources
Technical skills: Experience with technology tools
Access to support
Social
Used to teaching face-to-face, now more guide than centre-stage
Educational practices change for online teaching
Enthusiastic and committed, long professional practice in face-to-face teaching, to convey and deliver that in online teaching needs different educational practices
Reaching out to and engaging with students in online setting different
Intentional
Supportive of students' circumstances, learning and research
Becoming confident.
Need to stay tuned to new developments
According to Retalis et al, 2006, p.4 “[d]esign patterns are all about reusability”. “This is a recurrent objective of elearning systems, that focus on reusability, tailorability” (p. 4). “Design patterns, according to Alexander’s work (Alexander, 1997), capture both (i) problems which recur in their environment and (ii) design guidance” (p.4). Therefore, support in form of an open educational repository with open educational resources and practices, with guidance to technology tools and open education, can help as part of “a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS)” (Chiasson et al, 2015, p. 238). This gives teaching staff access to guidance and support that is contributed and shared by other teachers, in order to adapt, reuse and tailor it specifically to their courses and their own educational practice.
Also, good guidance on usage of tools help to pick up the right technology tools efficiently to develop in manner that include good open educational practices and keep students in isolation interested and engaged with the course.
Chiasson, K., Terras, K., Smart, K. (2015) 'Faculty Perceptions Of Moving A Face-To-Face Course To Online Instruction', Journal of College Teaching & Learning, Third Quarter 2015 Volume 12, Number 4 [Online]. Available at https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1067275.pdf (Accessed 02 June 2020).
Chiasson, K., Terras, K., Smart, K. (2015) Faculty Perceptions Of Moving A Face-To-Face Course To Online Instruction, Journal of College Teaching & Learning, Third Quarter 2015 Volume 12, Number 4 [Online]. Available at https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1067275.pdf (Accessed on 02 June 2020).
Retalis, Symeon & Georgiakakis, Petros & Dimitriadis, Yannis. (2006). 'Eliciting design patterns for e-learning systems', Computer Science Education. 16. 105-118. 10.1080/08993400600773323 [Online]. Available at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/240953696_Eliciting_design_patterns_for_e-learning_systems (Accessed on 02 June 2020).
Name
Techpath
Summary
This pattern is derived from the success achieved by 4 secondary school science teachers as they learn to integrate technology into their teaching.
Problem
One of the reasons why teachers struggle with the integration of technology into their teaching is lack of professional development (Hyndman, 2020). Therefore, there is the need for more and continuous technology exposures for teachers. Not a one-time solution but,
“….an approach to ICT professional development with different layers to handle the many various situations teachers find themselves in and to handle varied levels of teaching experience and confidence”. (Hyndman)
Synopsis
The solution to the problem is not a one-time affair but continuous.
Material
Probeware tools for measuring pH, temperature, concentration of solutions, blood pressure, and respiration rate
mind-mapping tools, and
Internet applications (computer simulations, digital images, and movies)
Social
Accessibility to information and collaboration
Commitment to learning
Intentional
To be successful teachers
To be tech savvy
Solution
Continuous exposure of teachers to professional development in technology is the way out. This has been tested and found to be effective. This pattern is reusable (Retalis et al, 2006).
Examples
Guzey, S. S., and Roehrig, G. H. (2009). Teaching science with technology: Case studies of science teachers’ development of technology, pedagogy, and content knowledge. Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 9(1). Retrieved from https://citejournal.org/volume-9/issue-1-09/science/teaching-science-with-technology-case-studies-of-science-teachersdevelopment-of-technology-pedagogy-and-content-knowledge
Data and References
Hyndman, B. (2020) Ten reasons teachers can struggle to use technology in the classroom. The conversation [Online]. Available at
https://theconversation.com/ten-reasons-teachers-can-struggle-to-use-technology-in-the-classroom-101114#:~:text=Lack%20of%20adequate%20ICT%20support,are%20major%20challenges%20for%20teachers. (Accessed 5 June 2020)
Retalis, S., Petros, G. and Dimitriadis, Y. (2006). Eliciting design patterns for e-learning systems. Computer Science Education. 16. 105-118. 10.1080/08993400600773323. [Online]. Available at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/240953696_Eliciting_design_patterns_for_e-learning_systems. Accessed on 02 June 2020.
This design pattern is derived from the success of a case study of a repository of materials for language teaching at the OU. Although not conducted during the Covid-19 crisis, the success of this repository can point us toward functions that aid engagement with the platform.
A repository houses a large amount of materials and resources from different disciplines. For a repository to be useful for educators, the right resources need to be easy to find. While categorisation by discipline can be useful, it is not enough. Items need to be organised using keywords to describe them, enabling categorisation across disciplines. Additionally, users need to be able to label their own contributions appropriately to ensure continued consistency and quality or materials provided.
Educators cannot spend too much time looking for the right resources to deliver tuition online. They need to find the right resources or inspiration without clicking through lengthy pages of content.
A fundamental premise of design is that problems and solutions are rarely universal. The scope of any statement needs to be qualified if it is to be meaningful.
Material
· The number of resources available
· Access to technology and technological competencies
· Time constraints
Social
· Unfamiliar with OER and OEP
· Committed to find solutions to the current situation
· Not used to sharing resources with others
Intentional
· Continued professional development and awareness of OER
· Find inspiration and new ways of doing things
· Find new resources, not necessarily tied to their own discipline
Users need to be able to find resources useful for their domain, but they also should be able to find related materials. By letting contributors to associate resources with multiple different topics. While a hierarchical differentiation is necessary, it is not enough. Tagging resources with topic, domain, student level etc. can improve discoverability and overall ease of use.
· Adding a tagging ability to the website
· Enabling search by keyword
Comas-Quinn, Anna and Fitzgerald, Alannah (2013). Open Educational Resources in Language Teaching and Learning. Higher Education Academy (HEA), York. [Online] Available at http://oro.open.ac.uk/id/eprint/37550
Toxboe, A., 2020. Tagging Design Pattern. [online] User Interface Design Patterns. Available at: <https://ui-patterns.com/patterns/Tag> [Accessed 6 June 2020].
Vuorikari, R., Põldoja, H., and Koper, R. (2010). Comparison of tagging in an educational context: Any chances of interplay?. International Journal of Technology Enhanced Learning. 2. 111-131. 10.1504/IJTEL.2010.031263.
This design pattern is derived from the case study’s success that can be applied to our Covid-19 response. The case study showed that chatbots are effective in reducing student transition challenges from a teacher-centred educational system to an independent learner-led university environment and how the transition can be applied successfully.
‘Scaffolding is a term commonly used in educational design to describe structure that directs the learner’s experience along an effective path of learning’ (Mor, 2017). The concept can be applied to Artificial Intelligence (AI) as ‘it is a fundamental principle in many interactive environments’ (Mor, 2017). While AI in the form of a chatbot has the potential to reduce transition challenges such as social isolation and lack of navigation skills (Carayannopoulos, 2018), there is a need for a balance to be achieved between transition and building independence for learners. Identifying an appropriate time and method to reduce the support provided is an important consideration in the design and an area for further research. Furthermore, technology and support structures should be designed to help students learn the skills required for problem-solving and searching for information. Carayannopoulos (2018, p.119) notes how the current generation of students use technology differently to their parents, and this provides opportunities to find new ‘educational solutions to old educational problems’. But the question remains as to whether technological solutions, such as the chatbot, can aid transition or does it hinder an individual’s ability to succeed through their own coping mechanisms.
How to provide customisable, learner-centred academic and social support to learners in an independent learning environment while ensuring they have the freedom to become independent learners and increase their self-efficacy. The case study aimed to identify a technological tool that could reduce student transition challenges.
However, Mor (2017) notes that although the design of technological tools should aim to scaffold a learner’s progress, taking a learner-centred approach (Quintana et al., 2001, cited in Mor, 2017), they can also stifle learner’s creativity if the interface is too rigid and does not allow user input in the design. He continues that this is why it is important to direct the learner towards a ‘productive path or enquiry’ (Mor, 2017) which is customised towards learners needs rather than following a prescriptive sequence which could lead to risk of failure, as there would be no opportunity to be innovative, make mistakes, explore or follow personal interests. This means learners would be deprived of a ‘voice’ and become demotivated (Mor, 2017).
Many students, including those with disabilities can no longer receive the social and academic support they received prior to COVID-19. Artificial Intelligence in the form of chatbots has the potential to provide the learning support required (McElvaney, 2018). Jones et al., (2009), cited in Carayannopoulos (2018) suggests the key concerns when using a chatbot to support students in the transition to university are: the disconnection from other students and the instructor as well as the difficulty of navigating and finding relevant and useful information in a new learning environment.
Large scale increase in student numbers: As the numbers of students entering university increases, it is difficult for the instructor to connect individually and it would not be possible to offer continuous support even with the support of technology.
Push technology alerts: Edmunds and Morris (2000), cited in Carayannopoulos, (2018, p. 122) note the usefulness of pushing ‘pre-selected information to the user’ as alerts. But they note that this ‘is ineffective if the user does not want information pushed to him or if too much information is pushed to him’ (Carayannopoulos, 2018, p. 122).
Complexity of creating/programming a chatbot: Time and knowledge required to provide appropriate content efficiently. Expertise is expensive.
The challenges identified in the case study are not dissimilar to the current challenges faced by students during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study explores the transition from a teacher-centred school system to an independent, learner-centred university system which requires new skills and adjustments to the new learning and teaching environment. In the same way students and instructors in higher education share similar experiences in the virtual transition from face-to-face to online education during the pandemic. They also face similar issues of disconnection with others as many students, including those with disabilities can no longer receive the social and academic human support they previously received. Exploring ways to provide support to these groups is important for our project as a chatbot will assist our design challenge by enabling access to all in terms of accessibility and inclusivity, as well as providing assistance through automated responses. The ‘push technology’ provided by the chatbot pushes pre-selected information to the user as an alert (Edmunds and Morris, 2000, cited in Carayannopoulos, 2018, p. 122). This could help with time management by navigating through vast amounts of information to find useful and relevant materials. Furthermore, the chatbot will assist with well-being as it can provide immediate feedback alleviating the frustration of having to wait for an asynchronous response. Unlike the chatbot in the case study, which will provide connectivity between peers and instructors, our chatbot is intended to help with navigation and provide automated responses to commonly asked questions.
Chatbots have the potential to transform higher education, but to understand the form it takes, how it is implemented and the effect it has on users requires further research as chatbots are still an ‘unexplored tool’ (Carayannopoulos, 2018, p. 118) .
Material
Accessibility to technology
Technical skills of programming language required
Social
Some students are used to traditional, face-to-face structured systems, but now feel disoriented in an independent system and ‘often struggle to motivate themselves’ (Harley et al., 2007; Briggs et al., 2012, cited in Carayannopoulos, 2018, p. 119).
Instructors in the case study used the chatbot to send jokes to students when they sensed students were suffering with stress and anxiety. This also helped to make the experience more social and keep the learners motivated.
Informal communication assists social bonding, social learning and can increase ‘student motivation and reduces student pressure’ (Rau et al., 2008, cited in Carayannopoulos, 2018, p. 121).
Students feel frustrated when their professors are not online (Rau et al., 2008, cited in Carayannopoulos, 2018).
Students are more likely to persist in finding solutions to their transitional challenges if there are frequent and good quality interactions with instructors. Rau et al., (2008), cited in Carayannopoulos, (2018) states that social presence created by immediate and intimate interactions influences and increases motivation.
Intentional
High volumes of information to sort through can be confusing and frustrating for students ‘leading to information anxiety and diminished performance’ (Eppler and Mengis, 2004, cited in Carayannopoulos, 2018, p. 118) and affect quality of life (Edmunds and Morris, 2000, cited in Carayannopoulos, 2018).
Some students resisted taking ownership of their learning as identified by Carayannopoulos (2018) when the push notifications became less prescriptive over a period. Indicating a need for technology and support to be used judiciously to allow students to learn ‘to self-organize to ensure their success’ (Briggs et al., 2012; Jones et al., 2009, cited in Carayannopoulos, 2018, p. 126).
Learners often suffer from ‘app overload’ as there are too many apps for too many uses and there may be a reluctance to download yet another (Carayannopoulos, 2018, p. 122).
Mor’s (2017) design pattern suggests scaffolding should be used as ‘a guideline, a recommendation…..but states we should leave the choice in the hands of the learner’. Our project intends to use the chatbot to allow learners to make choices using a multiple-selection interface to include an open choice for users to specify their requirements in an ‘other’ box as suggested by Mor (2017). This would enable users to receive what they require, when they require it, in the form of virtual assistance from the chatbot. This will help with navigation of the site as well as quick, easy retrieval of information from the Open Educational Resource repository.
Our chatbot will also fulfil a social as well as academic function as suggested in the case study by allowing the learner to navigate through frequently asked questions using an intuitive, casual and friendly conversation type approach. It will also have the advantage of being available on our repository platform which will be accessible through a computer and mobile technology, not just a mobile phone as suggested by Carayannopoulos (2018). In addition, the chatbot would be pre-programmed for the level of support and accessibility required to meet learner needs. This would help to provide a more inclusive and accessible platform as well as helping learners develop independent learning skills over a period of time. The chatbot could also overcome learners’ feelings of anxiety and frustration from not being able to receive support from the university when needed. There will also be benefits for instructors in terms of time saved by not having to deal with common issues from learners, and not having to provide greater availability.
Independent, self-directed learning could be supported through notifications from the chatbot as suggested by Carayannopoulos (2018). This would increase learner autonomy over time and help reduce the students' dependence on ready-made assistance.
The design of informal conversation-type communication through the chatbot could help with social learning and social bonding (Rau et al., 2008, cited in Carayannopoulos, 2018, p. 121).
Scaffolding is from social constructivist theory and associated with Vygotsky’s,(n.d), cited in Bates (2016) Zone of Proximal Development which maintains that scaffolding ‘can help people safely take risks’ when they are struggling to learn independently, by helping them reach a higher level of understanding (Bates, 2016, p. 46)
The design of the chatbot will be challenging as noted by Carayannopoulos (2018) as the artificial intelligence capabilities of the chatbot are limited. This means the ease and speed of providing answers or accessing answers or content are also limited. In addition, highly technical and specialist knowledge of a programming language is required with a great deal of time and money invested, including the need for later adjustments, which means it is an ongoing commitment.
Carayannopoulos, S. (2018) 'Using chatbots to aid transition', The International Journal of Information and Learning Technology, vol. 35, no. 2, pp. 118-129 [online]. Available at https://search-proquest-com.libezproxy.open.ac.uk/docview/1990762819/fulltextPDF/FBD93D59DF1E4193PQ/1?accountid=14697 (Accessed 01 June 2020).
Bates, B. (2016) Learning Theories Simplified, London, SAGE.
Carayannopoulos, S. (2018) 'Using chatbots to aid transition', The International Journal of Information and Learning Technology, vol. 35, no. 2, pp. 118-129 [online]. Available at https://search-proquest-com.libezproxy.open.ac.uk/docview/1990762819/fulltextPDF/FBD93D59DF1E4193PQ/1?accountid=14697 (Accessed 01 June 2020).
Mor, Y. (2017) Soft scaffolding/OG [Online]. Available at https://www.learningenvironmentslab.org/openpatternrepository/Soft_Scaffolding/OG (Accessed 07 June 2020).
McElvaney, P. (2018) '10 Reasons You Need to Use Chatbots For Learning Support', eLearning Industry, 15 April [Blog]. Available at https://elearningindustry.com/chatbots-for-learning-support-10-reasons (Accessed 07 June 2020).