Feedback from participating ALs over two phases of the programme Janet Haresnape Senior Lecturer and Staff Tutor LHCS Fiona Aiken Staff Tutor EEES Nirvana Wynn AL LHCS eSTEeM Conference 8 ID: 800377
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Slide1
Situated learning via the STEM-ByALs-ForALs programme:Feedback from participating ALs over two phases of the programme
Janet Haresnape, Senior Lecturer and Staff Tutor, LHCS
Fiona Aiken, Staff Tutor, EEES
Nirvana Wynn, AL, LHCS
eSTEeM
Conference, 8
th
April 2019
Slide2ByALs-ForALs programme of online events
Aims and rationale
Aims
To provide STEM ALs with opportunities to share good practice and hence improve their online interactions with their students
To help strengthen the AL community in STEM
Rationale
It provides a supportive environment in which ALs can exchange ideas and share practice
ALs working remotely are likely to feel isolated, especially now that much tuition is delivered online
Many HE Institutions now deliver online tuition and/or are located on multiple sites and/or are undergoing restructuring and/or employ hourly paid lecturers on insecure contracts. A programme such as this would be a valuable addition in any such institution
Slide3ByALs-ForALs programme of online events
Key concepts
online staff development
peer learning
situated learning (Lave and Wenger, 1991)
communities of practice (Wenger, 1999)
online community
Slide4ByALs-ForALs programme of online eventsPhases of the programme
AL Cohort invited
Dates
Online room used
Sessions
Phase 1
Science ALs
(approx.
500)
Feb 2015 – Jun 2016
OU Live
12Phase 2STEM ALs(approx. 1500)Oct 2016- Jul 2017OU LIve10Phase 3STEM ALs(approx. 1500)Oct 2017 – Jul 2019Adobe Connect18
ByALs-ForALs
is a tutor-led programme:
ALs submit suggestions for a session – on anything they think would be of interest to other STEM ALs, and the programme is put together from the submissions received.
Slide5Phase 1
Title of Session
Date
Sharing best practice in marking Tutor marked assignments (TMAs) in science
Feb 2015
Making online tutorials a positive experience for science students (OU Live tips)
Mar 2015
What could a MOOC and a bit of money do for you as a science tutor?
Apr 2015
Supporting geographically dispersed student groups
May 2015
Managing student expectations – retention and progression of science students
Jun 2015
Informal drop-in session
Oct 2015
HEA recognition via the independent routeDec 2015Tutorial design – linking theory with practice Feb 2016Supporting and motivating science students – the key role of tutorsMar 2016Managing online student group projects in scienceApr 2016Making reasonable adjustments for science students with additional requirementsMay 2016Helping students engage with online module materials in the Science FacultyJun 2016
Sessions with particularly good feedback are shown in bold
Slide6Phase 2
Title of Session
Date
Getting to grips with breakout rooms
Oct 2016
Developing techniques for online tutorials
Nov 2016
Use of BOCs (badged open courses) and MOOCs (
FutureLearn
) to support OU students in STEM
Dec 2016
Motivating learners with video
Jan 2017
Individual support sessions – what works well for our STEM students?
Feb 2017
Helping students engage with online module materials in the STEM FacultyMar 201720 ways to engage your studentsApr 2017Adobe Connect to deliver STEM tutorials: maximising advantages and avoiding pitfallsMay 2017The use of evaluations as low cost and valuable ‘research’ activities, particularly in Health SciencesMay 2017Supporting students with autism on OU modules in the STEM FacultyJuly 2017
Slide7ByALs-ForALs programme of online events
Participation data – phases 1 and 2
Phase 2
STEM tutors
OU Live
Phase 1
Science tutors
OU Live
Slide8Participants surveyed after each session:Phase 1: 115 respondents (response rate 41%) 6 of the first 9 presenters 7 of 13 identified regular participants Phase 2: 82 respondents (response rate 27%)
Quantitative analysis - Respondents reported:
Phase 1
Phase 2
Useful or very useful
95%
86%
Enjoyable or very enjoyable
94%
96%
Met or surpassed expectations
87%
82%
Were likely to participate in future
97% 97% ByALs-ForALs programme of online events Feedback:
Slide9Qualitative analysis (using NVivo) – Themes to emerge:
Empowering
– felt
stimulated, inspired, enriched or empowered
having participated
Community
– participation helped participants to identify as part of a community (especially from phase 1)
Community of practice
Reassuring
– felt
reassured, encouraged or renewed enthusiasm
having participated
Sharing – opportunity to share practice/enhance skills and/or pick up tips and ideas from other tutorsSituated learningPeer learningIt was really reassuring to see that my practice was in keeping with that of other ALs. One hour invested; many hours saved in the futureVery nice to have the opportunity to hear other ALs experiences and feel more part of a community ByALs-ForALs programme of online events Feedback continued:
Slide10ByALs-ForALs programme of online events:
Feedback continued
Slide11Programme was particularly valued by some newly appointed ALs, who became regular participants
Useful to experience use of online room from learner perspective
ByALs-ForALs programme of online events:
Feedback continued
Until recently, I hadn't met a single soul from the OU (I was recruited online for an online course) and so the chance to find out the thoughts of other ALs was invaluable
It was really useful as a new tutor for picking tips on distance and online tutoring and hearing opinions of tutors in other disciplines……. others also have low numbers (of students attending tutorials, so) it’s not personal
Realised how disorientating it can be when the tutor moves you back and forward in breakout rooms
Slide12Phase 3
Title of Session
Date
Referencing and avoiding plagiarism - helpful hints and top tips
Oct 2017
Online Tutorials - making reasonable adjustments for students with sensory impairment
Nov 2017
TMA feedback - sharing our ideas!
Nov 2017
Review and discussion of student-facing information and advice in preparing for examinations, EMAs
etc
Feb 2018
Online students in distress - A Tutor’s Casebook
Mar 2018
Unlikely Student Success Stories
Apr 2018Engaging with students in secure accommodationMay 2018Supporting students for examinations, EMAs, revision, resits and resubmissionsJun 2018Working together to improve the student and tutor experienceSep 2018Encouraging students to talk in online tutorials – what works? Oct 2018The other side of the coin: studying with the OU as an ALNov 2018Online Christmas party for STEM ALs Dec 2018
Using the polling options in Adobe Connect - A secret ballot?
Jan 2019
OU research projects - What worries students and how we can help
Feb 2019
Collaborating in online tutorials with Google Docs
Mar 2019
Flipped learning in an OU context
April 2019
Mapping the future (& past); the potential of
Digimap
May 2019
Tutoring multiple modules
June 2019
Income Tax refunds – tips for ALs
July 2019
Slide13ByALs-ForALs programme of online events:
Participation data – phase 3
Phase 3
STEM tutors
Adobe Connect
Feedback from these sessions will be analysed at the end of phase 3
Slide14The STEM-ByALs-ForALs Programme:provides friendly, supportive environment in which STEM ALs can share practice, tips and ideas – in the same environment that they use for tutorials – hence in an authentic setting (Situated learning environment, Lave and Wenger, 1991)
provides reassurance
and can be
empowering
hence helps ALs improve their online interactions with students
helps ALs feel less isolated - helps to nurture
community
cohesiveness among STEM ALs – Community of practice.
has been particularly welcomed by some newly appointed ALs – helps them to integrate into the community
is an additional staff development opportunity for ALs (attendance is added to ALAR)
provides a way for ALs to expand their skills portfolio, by presenting a session (presenters are paid 1 DL day)
Successes to date
Slide15Challenges aheadProgramme has had limited reach within the STEM Faculty:
More presenters and participants are from Science than from the rest of STEMPhase 1: 20 % of Science ALs participated (>100 in total)Phase 2: 17% of Science ALs (84), and only 8% of ALs from the rest of STEM (81)
Possible reasons:
Science ALs are more familiar with the programme, since it started in the Science Faculty
Regular online AL Staff Development briefings been held for Science ALs since 2014, so they are more used to attending such online events
Moving forward:
Staff Tutors from across STEM are regularly reminded to promote the programme to their ALs
Now have a Staff Tutor and an AL assistant from E&I helping to run the programme
Currently exploring possibility of introducing a similar programme in other Faculties at the OU.
Slide16Nicola McIntyre – for help getting the programme established
All the AL presenters:Fiona Aiken, Sonia
Bussey
, Mark Campbell, Paige
Cuffe
, Sarah
Daniell
, Andy
Diament
, Jenny Duckworth, Kate Fox, Catherine
Halliwell
, Janet Haresnape, Christine Heading, Isabella Henman, Katharine
Jewitt, Friday Jones, Olivia Kelly, Jane King, Harriet Kopinska, Aoife MacCornac, Susan Matthews, Fi Moorman, Nick Morley, Susan Morris, Patrick Murphy, Karen New, Kay Saunders, Rianne ten-Veen, Peter Thomson, Janette Wallace, Tom Wilks, Helen Wilding, Nirvana WynnCurrent programme organisers:Rupesh Shah and Barbara Jones, who now help alongside Janet Haresnape and Nirvana WynnALSPD – for financial support for the programmeGrateful thanks to:16