LTI Grants

The LSE Language Centre Project Day

To celebrate the success of various teaching and research projects, the Language Centre hosted a Project Day on Friday 18th September. Several LSE Language Co-ordinators presented their experiences of experimenting with innovative technologies in language learning. The Day provided the opportunity to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of online learning systems, the merits of e-marking, and the ways in which video production can aid language learning.

Lang1

Dr.Peter Skrandies: Reading for Academic Purposes with Annotated Texts

The Day started with Dr Peter Skrandies (Language Co-ordinator: German) offering his views on how the online annotation of texts can assist traditional teaching methods. The benefits of this online learning system were clear to many Project Day attendees. The online annotation of texts by language teachers can compensate for limited contact hours. It also complements the learning objectives of in class activities. The development and use of the Moodle-integrated annotation tool was made possible through an LTI innovation grant and that the software  tool was developed by Steve Bond from LTI.

On the other hand, one attendee suggested that this teaching method may only be appropriate for higher ability students. Dr Skrandies’ presentation reminds us that the use of online learning systems is not a ‘one size fits all’ solution.

In the context of UK Higher Education, language teachers often find it difficult to develop students’ grammar skills. Limited class teaching time and the pressure to develop communicative skills are just two of the challenges which language teachers face. In order to overcome these obstacles, Dr Lijing Shi (Assistant Language Co-ordinator: Mandarin) introduced Chinese Online Self-assessment (COS). COS is defined as a dynamic assessment that aims to assess potential for learning. It does not provide a static indication of achievement. COS carries a particular advantage. It enables teachers to quickly pinpoint gaps in students’ learning:

‘From my experience with level 5, COS is the quickest way for me to identify the problems students have in grammar or common mistakes made. I can then focus on specific areas of teaching to sort out these problems.’  Hongyi Xin, Co-ordinating Language Teacher (Mandarin)

Lang2

Dr. Catherine Xiang: From ‘Current Affairs in Mandarin’ to ‘Students as Producers’, Catherine Xiang

As was the case with Dr Skrandies’ project, COS has certain drawbacks. The potential for technical hitches is problematic. Instead of focusing on language learning, Mandarin teachers may attend to the technical maintenance of COS, or liaise with IT services, when they could otherwise be planning seminar activities.

Towards the end of the Project Day, Dr Catherine Xiang (Language Co-ordinator: Mandarin) presented her project, titled ‘From Current Affairs in Mandarin to Students as Producers’. Dr Xiang emphasised the specific benefits of video production. Past students of Mandarin have produced short videos which allow them to focus on a topic related to the social sciences. However, these shorts film, interviews and documentaries are all conducted in Mandarin. The production of a TV style interview or short film provided students with the opportunity to gain confidence. By listening to their interview responses, students determined how much progress they have made. They could highlight areas for improvement, including pronunciation and grammar. However, Project Day attendees noted that this non-traditional form of learning was time consuming.

The final project was presented by Dr Xiang and Lourdes Hernandez-Martin Language Co-ordinator (Arabic) and Co-ordinator for Spanish Projects. They discussed their experimentation with e-marking. Approximately 60 participants (students and teachers) contributed to a pilot scheme. Programmes such as ‘iAnnotate’ and ‘Snagit’ were used. The benefits of using e-marking software were manifold. Students noted that having video and audio evaluation added clarity.

Assessed pieces of work could even be used for revision purposes:

“Video – it’s much better to hear something directly rather than having to try and work things out from comments or notes written down. Also allows things to be explained much more easily – you can learn from home, rather than having to come in for office hours.”

“The video feedback is very helpful especially for language courses because often ‘word’ feedback is not enough to understand grammatical mistakes. Besides, you can replay it for revision”.

On the other hand, e-marking carries certain complications. The ability to readily edit and review comments may incentivise teachers to add unnecessary advice which, ironically enough, may confuse students.

As the four projects discussed above demonstrate, use of language learning technology is not always a move in the right direction. Nevertheless, teaching staff at the LSE Language Centre continue to experiment with technology which can provide a diversified learning experience. Tailored according to individual teacher needs, technological innovations can significantly improve the teaching of Modern Foreign Languages in higher education.

 

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For more information on how LTI Grants can help your projects or to see what projects we have helped visit our Grants page on the blog.

LTI have just closed the first Grants call of the year however a second call will be announced in the near future.

January 19th, 2016|Assessment, Events & Workshops (LTI), innovation, LTI Grant Winners, LTI Grants, Student projects|Comments Off on The LSE Language Centre Project Day|

Five reasons why using technology could make your teaching and learning better!

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The use of technology is an issue that is danced around quite a lot, especially here at the LSE. Technologists, academics, students all debate the notions of pedagogy before technology and how we can avoid the pitfalls of technological determinism or the replacement of every one of us with the robot Sheldon from the ‘Big Bang Theory. The reality is that this should never have become a polarised debate, where the choice was either the unregulated and ill-defined change agenda driven by technological adaptation or the last line of defence of the ‘way it has always been’. Technology (if such a concept can be simply defined) is a means; a society changing and generation shaping means for sure, but a means nonetheless. LTI are here to be part of your approach to engaging with technology to enhance learning and teaching. From the simplest innovation to the most transformative intervention and at a pedagogical or instructional level, technology is a critical part of modern teaching. So, if you are thinking about whether you should use ‘technology’ in your teaching or learning, contemplating a change in pedagogy or simply finding out what your colleagues or learners are doing with their technology, then maybe these five reasons might help shape your thinking.

1. All your students are already using technology to a wide variety of degrees
This is a simple assertion. All of us are using technology; from cash machines, to smartphones, to laptops to tablets to our oyster card. Each of these pieces of technology serves a purpose. They change the way we do things. They change the language we use and they shift core practices around processes (such as paying, communications, processing and thinking). There are no universal rules about this. Generations after us are not naturally better than their parents at being technologically adept. These technologies are simply there. They develop, change and progress like most other means. In your classroom you have an array of devices more powerful than any of the ones that went before. There are ways to use that technology for the benefits of learners and learning. Instant communications, collaborations, interactions outside the classroom, annotations, engagement with readings, critical thought, right down to managing the calendar. These skills are not native, nor are they uniform. Learners and teachers may need support, training, mentoring and practice. That’s where we can help.

2. All the jobs students will do are shaped in part by technology
We use technology to do all our jobs. You are reading a blog now. Almost every discipline has been impacted by technology; from research practice to visual rhetoric through to open access. How do we integrate these changes into curricula, teaching and assessment? Like any other programme/design process, we are research informed, we maintain rigour and we understand what skills and knowledge graduates will need to be develop expertise and understanding. Technology is just another part of that. Technology can help simulate real world employment situations, global phenomena or inter-personal scenarios. Technology can develop the communication, collaboration, identity or teamwork skills required in most modern workplaces. Technology skills such as media making, coding, social media or searching are critical trans-disciplinary concepts. Either inside or outside teaching and learning, having access to these skills enhances the employability of your graduates. LTI have a number of great cases where courses and programmes have embedded these skills. Maybe some of those practices will work for your course/programme or have an impact on your student satisfaction?

3. Technology is not a scorched earth approach to teaching
No institution wants to replace you with robots after recording your lectures. There is no replacement for the interaction and engagement face to face contact supports (either live or facilitated). However, you can add aspects of innovation to your teaching that build on and magnify that impact. Encouraging students to interact and engage through collaborative assessment, support each other and provide peer feedback, comment and discuss your lectures and tutorials or annotate and debate your PowerPoint slides. Technology does what it says on the box. It enhances, it adds, it disrupts and it transforms. Whether this is technology students use outside the classroom, or the innovative, flexible spaces were are looking to create within; Technology does not teach. Technology does not make people learn. You do. Students do. We want to work with you to enrich the student experience through innovative approaches to pedagogy, to the embedded use of technology such as Moodle, lecture capture and social media and through encouraging your students to use their own technologies to enhance their own learning.

4. Technology can make things possible that you previously thought impossible
One of the great potentials of technology is change. Technology for education represents a wonderful catalyst for change. One department commented to us recently that they have been waiting for the technology to catch up with their thinking. Maybe thinking about technology will change the way you think about assessment, challenge some of your assumptions about feedback, maybe it will open a door or close another. Maybe technology will shift the lecture from being bounded by transmission pedagogies to being discursive and interactive. We advocate for technologies to be more than an economic replacement of one practice with another. They are a chance for a rethink, a chance inspiration or a series of experiments that allow you to embed some play and fun into your teaching and learning. One of the most important roles here at LTI is innovation, thinking about and making available cutting edge ideas, practices and platforms in order to provide all staff with opportunities to rethink and experiment with their teaching.

5. Technology does enhance learning
Give it a go. The gap between what our learners see and understand as their online learning experience and the face to face experience is narrowing. It is all just learning. The capabilities required to search quickly, determine the veracity of information and do this whilst doing three other things are developing rapidly. These skills are by no means universal or natural, but they are developing and they are shaping how people learn. From students being able to re-watch lectures 8 or 9 times to make sure they understood concepts to being able to access a support network at 4am through twitter (or just to know when the Library lift is out of order @LSELibraryLift) technology is enhancing learning right now. LTI are here to help you, offer ideas and a critical (but friendly) perspective. We can offer you money, technology and expertise. We are happy to share with you all our experiences, knowledge and coffee. But most of all we share our confidence that we can help you make your teaching and learning better.

Want to get in touch? Drop us an email lti.support@lse.ac.uk

‘Assessment and Feedback with technology’ project 2014/15

Over the academic year 2014/15 LTI have led several projects  in order to try and improve assessment practices with technology at LSE.

The following are the outcomes of the work carried out as part of the assessment and feedback with technology project:

Research

e-Assessment Practice at Russell Group Universities report Read e-Assessment Practice at Russell Group Universities report

A survey distributed to Russell Group universities to identify level of engagement with e-Assessment practice and factors conductive and critical to e-Assessment engagement.

Assessment and Feedback with technology at LSE report Read Assessment and Feedback with Technology at LSE report – please request a copy of the report.
Interviews with LSE Departments were carried out to identify the level of engagement with e-Assessment practice and understand the factors that encourage participation as well as barriers involved in this regard.

Pilots

A series of pilots with various departments to explore pedagogical benefits of assessment and feedback with technology 

Government e-assessment Pilot study report Read GV100 e-Assessment pilot study
Government (GV100)
Characteristics:
Timed, on-campus invigilated and typed formative exam, followed by online Self/Peer review and face-to-face Student-Teacher feedback
Technologies used: Exam4, Bring Your Own Device (BYOD), Moodle-TurnItIn (TII) PeerMark
Law e-assessment Pilot study report Read Law e-assessment pilot study
Law (LL205 & LL4K9)
Characteristics:
Timed, take-home and typed formative mock exam
Technologies used: ExamSoft
LSE100 portfolio assessment Pilot study
Read LSE100 portfolio assessment pilot study
LSE100
Characteristics:
e-portfolio for summative assessment
Technologies used: Moodle assignment
Moodle- TII integration Pilots  

Read Moodle-TII integration pilots report
Moodle – TurnItIn integration

  • Statistics (ST327)
    Characteristics: Originality checking
    Technologies used: Moodle-TII integration
  • Philosophy (PH400 & PH201)
    Characteristics: Originality checking, TII GradeMark
    Technologies used: Moodle-TII integration, ipads
  • Media and Communications (MC425 & MC419)
    Characteristics: Originality checking, TII GradeMark
    Technologies used: Moodle-TII integration
  • Government (GV100)
    Characteristics: TII PeerMark
    Technologies used: Moodle-TII integration

DECISIONS MADE for Moodle-TII integration: Where the Moodle-TII integration worked, the feedback was largely positive.  In the instances where the integration did not fully work, the issues identified were significant and cannot be ignored.  In most cases, workarounds provided solutions; however as a result of the relative uncertainty associated with the functionality of the plug-in, LTI will not scale Moodle-TII integration but continue supporting the integration in the form of pilots.  As such, the plug-in will be made available upon request to those who want to use it (i.e. teachers will have an opportunity of requesting the plug-in from LTI for any given Moddle course(s)).

If you want to take part in Phase 2 of Moodle-TII integration (i.e. use the plug-in for your Moodle course(s)) please email us on lti.support@lse.ac.uk

Visit our Moodle site for details of the Moodle-TII integratin phase 2, database of issues identifies and participating pilot users

LTI Grants

The following LTI Grant projects are related to e-Assessment. Find out more about the LTI Grants (e-Assessment innovation strand) and  LTI Grant winners or apply for an LTI Grant.

  • The social construction of human rights violations: e-Bricolage project,
    Pete Manning, Department of Sociology
    Use of peer assessment for an e-bricolage project, using resources produced for exam preparation and essay preparation.
  • From E-marking to E-feedback: training, applying and evaluation,
    Catherine Xiang & Lourdes Hernández-Martín, Language Centre
    Exploring new ways of marking and giving feedback (Moodle, iPads+annotation apps, Snagit).
  • Integrating offline marking and online moodle feedback using iPads,
    Ellen Helsper, Media & Communication
    Teachers using iPads and the Moodle-Turnitin integration to mark and give feedback on formative coursework (uploaded by students on Moodle).
  • Global perspectives via documentary and peer-assessment,
    Catherine Xiang, Language Centre
    Use of videos in continuous assessment with peer review of the documentaries created  – fully embedded in the continuous assessment.
  • Using film in urban planning analysis,
    Nancy Holman, Geography
    Creations of short interpretative films along with written work and presentation following fieldwork. The student produced films are formatively assessed by a panel of staff in the department. The films are part of the presentation students make at the end of the course.
  • Moodle-based group assessment for regression analysis using the R software,
    Sarah Geneletti, Statistics
    A project looking into replacing written report with a three part assessment: i)R Script ii) stats Moodle quiz iii)Moodle quiz report based on the analyses.
  • Electronic marking and feedback with iPads (Phase II)
    Lourdes Hernandez-Martin & Mercedes Coca, Language Centre
    Explore iPad apps to improve assessment and feedback

Guidelines

The following guidelines were produced to cover needs of innovative practic:

Testing and evaluation of technologies and tools

October 30th, 2015|Assessment, eAssessment Events, eAssessment News, innovation, LTI Grants, Reports & Papers, Teaching & Learning, Tools & Technologies|Comments Off on ‘Assessment and Feedback with technology’ project 2014/15|

How effective are e-Marking and e-Feedback?

Catherine Hua Xiang

There are numerous methods and tools to mark and provide feedback using technology. Catherine Hua Xiang and Lourdes Hernandez-Martin from LSE’s Language Centre run an LTI-funded project* aimed at ‘exploring and comparing three distinctive e-marking methods and e-feedback as a result of three marking tools’

Lourdes Hernandez-Martin

More than 20 members of staff at the Language Centre were offered training on using Moodle, iPads with e-pens and Snagit to mark and provide feedback on students’ written work. They applied the three different marking methods to the same group of students throughout the academic year on different pieces of work (usually long essays).

They were then asked to write a reflective diary on the impact of these methods on the way they mark while students answered a survey to explore their perception of video and written feedback. The findings demonstrated a clear preference for video feedback using Snagit, which Catherine and Lourdes explained by providing the following reasons:

  1. Linguistic enhancement – Students have found being able to listen to teacher’s correct helps both pronunciation as well as overall listening skills.
  2. Personal approach – Students preferred the personal approach of a video feedback as it creates the style which is most similar to a face to face interaction. The teacher’s voice helps engage the students.
  3. Quality of the feedback – Students have commented on the details that verbal feedback could offer as opposed to the written feedback.
  4. Others – Students also commented on the usefulness of having both – the fact that they can come back and listen to the feedback at any time they wishes. It offers great materials for revision purposes.

“It is very helpful having the teacher guide me through the corrections as it is more personal and can allow me to see not just what is wrong but why it is wrong

“It’s much better to hear something directly rather than having to try and work things out from comments or notes written down”

“you can learn from home, rather than having to come in for office hours”

 

Snagit

Snagit Features

 

* From e-Marking to e-Feedback: Training, Applying and Evaluation, project funded by a Learning Technology and Innovation Grant. You can also find some information and updates on this project in the LSE Language Centre website.

 

A guide on teaching with tablets

NASA Visulization Explore (APP)By 2017, half of the British population will use a tablet*. The device has found its place in many households, but how is it – or can it be used in the context of teaching and learning? Prof. Frank Cowell, winner of an LTI grant, and his Research Assistant, Xuezhu Shi looked into how tablets could be used by teachers in their lectures and devised a guide to help them select the right material and tools to use them as a “virtual chalkboard”

May 20th, 2015|innovation, LTI Grants, Teaching & Learning, TEL Trends, Tools & Technologies|Comments Off on A guide on teaching with tablets|

Interview with Dr Suki Ali about course design and LTI grants

rsz_1ltig-logoLTI grants allow academics and students to integrate the use of new technologies in teaching and learning.   We are currently accepting applications for projects for the academic year 2015/16.

In order to get people thinking about how they could use the grants to innovate their courses we spoke to USSC Chair Dr Suki Ali about her experience and advice regarding innovative course design.

Q1. As Chair of the Undergraduate Studies Sub Committee (USSC) you see all new course proposals for Undergraduate students at the school.  What type of innovative course designs or uses of technology have impressed you most?

I’m most impressed by the willingness of people to try new things and to think about different forms of teaching and assessment.

“I am most impressed by courses that have moved to include active modes of learning and which employ less traditional models of assessment.”

There is of course great variety of teaching and assessment practices across the disciplines, so it’s not like only one stands out.  I am pleased to see courses that have moved to include active modes of learning and which employ less traditional models of assessment.  You can tell they’ve been thought through!  I like seeing course proposals with a clear rationale that informs the whole course design, including the aims of the course, the learning outcomes and the final assessment, and which incorporate feedback properly, from formative tasks to summative assignments. Those courses also utilise technology to engage students in creative ways and to enable giving more comprehensive feedback to students.  For example I think there are exciting possibilities for e-portfolio assessment which ask students to build their work in a formal way over the span of a course.

Q2. Have you noticed any trends in course design (including assessment) between departments and over time?

Yes, there appears to be an increased number of half unit courses which reduces the amount of contact time that students receive and makes the issue of getting students to engage early on and attend even more vital.  There has also been a move away from the traditional model of 100% exam and towards more essay assessment and some new types of assessment.  New course designs from many departments have included assessment such as projects and case studies or group work.

Q3. What are the key challenges and opportunities in creating innovative course design? 

One of the key challenges is being aware of inclusivity issues when designing courses and reconsidering or rethinking forms of assessment.  It is extremely important to involve students and explain why they are they being asked to complete tasks and how they meet the aims of that specific course.  Students need to be given guidance and support particularly with regards to alternative forms of assessment that they may not have experienced before.  You need to give students freedom to take risks and get excited about learning but you can’t make assumptions about what they already know.  It can raise anxieties if it is not clear what is what is expected of them.

One of the key opportunities is to explore possibilities to refresh and innovate your own teaching.  You shouldn’t be afraid of making changes as there is lots of support and guidance to help in the process.  Also I would point out that innovation doesn’t have to be on a huge scale as quite small changes can make a big difference to the students’ experience of a course.

“One of the key opportunities is to explore possibilities to refresh and innovate your own teaching”

Q4. What advice would you give to those thinking about submitting an LTI grant application?

I suppose it goes back to the first question, about good course design.  Innovation and technology should be appropriate to a need, don’t just try and fit something in, go back to the course design and ask yourself what are the course aims? Do your learning outcomes match the aims? and how are you assessing the learning outcomes?  Then consider how this changes for each stage of learning.  Innovation should not be a ‘stick’ to beat people with, but something useful that enhances learning experiences and outcomes.

Course design does involve some trial and error so you perhaps use formative tasks to test out alternative forms of assessment and lessen the risk to students as you find out what works before making changes to summative assessment.

LTI grant applications  now open until Friday 29th May.

More information about the different types of LTI grant projects can be found on the grants section of the LTI blog or by clicking on the images above.

 

May 19th, 2015|Announcements, innovation, LTI Grants, Teaching & Learning, Tools & Technologies, Uncategorized|Comments Off on Interview with Dr Suki Ali about course design and LTI grants|

Show and tell on students creating and sharing content

LTI show and tell on students as producers projects took place on the 30 April. Some common themes emerged amongst all the presentations which highlighted the importance of integrating the academic with the practical and embedding the projects into the assessment process.

Lecture capture of the event can be watched online and a summary of the presentations with the slides can be found below.
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BillProfessor Bill Callahan from International Relations presented on the changes to the Visual International Politics course IR318. Students were asked to work in small groups to produce and edit their own documentaries in order to combine academic analysis with the practical skills of documentary film making and give students an insight into the visual politics of IR. Professor Callahan worked with LTI to deliver five seminars on film production and gave students access to editing facilities. The final films were shared on a Vimeo group and showed in a final ‘film festival’ seminar. Feedback from the students was positive but many would like to increase the weighting of the film component from 25% to 50% of the final mark.

Slides from Dr Bill Callahan’s presentation

‘I have really enjoyed this course. The topics were very intellectually stimulating. I enjoyed the practical aspect the most although it was very challenging.’

Chinese New YearAn intergenerational story

 

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LeeDr Hyun-Jung Lee from the department of Management discussed the use of video in group work projects. Students on the post graduate courses ID419 and MG463 were put into groups with mixed backgrounds and had the option to create a short video to demonstrate case studies and theories on cross-cultural management.

Slides from Dr Hyun-Jung Lee’s presentation
The films from the projects can be seen online and by clicking on the picture below

Cross cultural management

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SarahSarah Paterson from the department of Law talked about her use of Moodle to develop students critical writing skills.

Moodle Wiki
Sarah used the Moodle Wiki to enable students to write collaboratively. This worked well although it took some time to check and edit student responses once they had completed their submissions.

Peer assessment using Moodle workshop tool
She used the workshop function on Moodle to get students to provide peer feedback on assessment. Each student was randomly allocated another students work and asked to mark it using the course assessment criteria.

Online feedback via the assessment tool

She also gave students the option of uploading writing exercises that they had done in class to a online assessment in order to receive feedback. The students really enjoyed being able to develop their writing skills in class but were reluctant to submit their assessments online. There was some discussion on how they could be encouraged to submit (by making the assessment anonymous for example).

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Dr Peter ManningDr Pete Manning from the department of Sociology shared his experiences of getting students to produce and curate material as part of their group presentations. Students used Prezi and Padlet to collect material on virtual pin-boards. The resources could then be used for exam revision and essay preparation. The students were asked to peer assess each presentation and were also asked to submit a self reflection on the exercise. The students enjoyed being given freedom to explore a subjects of their choice and it allowed them to share real world examples of concepts in a very theory heavy course. However the task did not count towards their final mark and did require extra work so ideally it would replace a summative task in the future.

Slides from Dr Pete Manning’s presentation

Torture-padlet-smallRight-to-vote-padlet-small

 

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CatherineDr Catherine Hua Xiang from the Language centre was awarded an LTI grant with kit to enable students studying Mandarin Chinese on LN808 and LN814 to work collaboratively to produce news reports on a global event or an interview on a current issue topic. The students were required to film themselves speaking Mandarin Chinese and then apply English subtitles to their finished project as part of their continuous course assessment. This project was very successful and the films can be used as a resource for future cohorts.

‘Although I spent a lot of time on the project, I really enjoyed it as we have real product and we have also been awarded a grade’

Slides from Dr Catherine Hua Xiang’s presentation

Video example:

CatherineXiangVideos

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SivaSiva Thambissetty from the department of Law gave students the option to submit a short video or series of images on Prezi or Slide share that explains an aspect of copyright infringement. Student feedback was generally positive with 60% recommending that the assignment continues next year.

 

Slides from Siva Thambissetty’s presentation

‘Quite refreshing after three years of essays!’

LL251-video-smallLL251-piktochart-small

 

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If you are interested in developing your own ‘students as producers’ project then you might want to apply for an LTI grant see our blog page for more details and contact us at LTI for some advice and to discuss your idea LTI.Support@lse.ac.uk

May 14th, 2015|Assessment, Events & Workshops (LTI), Images, Audio & Video, innovation, LTI Grants, Show and tell, Teaching & Learning, Tools & Technologies|Comments Off on Show and tell on students creating and sharing content|

Students as producers show and tell event

SAPSThursday 30 April 12:00-13:45 NAB.2.14

On Thursday 30 April LTI will be holding a show and tell event on the students as producers projects that have recently been carried out at LSE, many as a result of the 2014 LTI grant process.  An outline of some of the projects can be viewed on our events page and you can reserve a place at the show and tell event via the online training system.

‘Students as producers’ describes activities which encourage students to create and share material, see Healey, M., Flint, A. and Harrington, K. (2014) Students as partners in learning and teaching in higher education. York: Higher Education Academy

The Learning Technology and Innovation Grants contain a strand for students as producers projects which are those that “encourage the production and sharing of student generated media content, encouraging students to work collaboratively and enhance their learning experience”. https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/lti/lti-grants/students-as-producers/

Applicants can apply for kits of equipment (DSLR’s, iPads and Podcasting) to give out to students to create content.

I first came across the concept in the NetworkED seminar by Helen Keegan on 05/11/14.  You can watch the recording of Helen’s talk on our Youtube channel.  Describing her ‘students as active collaborators’ rather than passive consumers, Helen gave a really inspiring talk detailing various projects which often involved students working collaboratively across various institutions and countries.

You might think that her field of ‘Interactive Media and Social Technologies’ lends itself to this type of teaching more easily than the social sciences. Yet here at LSE students as producers projects have successfully run in the fields of Sociology, Management, Law, Languages and International Relations.

If you are interested in applying for a LTI grant to try out some students as producers take a look at our blog page https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/lti/lti-grants/students-as-producers/ and padlet for some ideas: http://padlet.com/lti_support/SAPs

Introducing the LTI grants and ideas for applications

LTI Grants 2015/2016 – opportunities for funding

LTI Grants logoNow that we have reached the end of term we hope that you have some time to catch your breath and reflect on your teaching in order to think about any changes that you might like to make for the next academic year.

In order to help with this process LTI are currently accepting applications for Learning Technology and Innovation Grants. Funding will be awarded to projects which make effective and innovative use of technology in teaching, learning and assessment.

The deadline for applications is Friday 29 May 2015 and more information about the various application strands can be found on the grants’ page.

Practical advice on using technology in your teaching

LTI are running a number of workshops that give practical advice on using technology in your teaching.  The workshops below will involve working with other academic staff; sharing your teaching practice and selecting and developing new teaching approaches. They will also give you an opportunity to try out some of the technology and ask any questions that you may have.

Flipping lectures
Thursday 26 March 10:00-11:30am 32LG.15

‘Flipping’ is taking content delivery out of the classroom and putting it online so that the students get the content before they meet up and the face to face time can be used to allow them to do something with that content. Participants on this workshop will explore:

  • Alternative ways of delivering course content
  • Interactive use of face to face time
  • Preparing students to get the most out of this new way of learning

Encouraging active learning
Thursday 26 March 11:30-13:00 32LG.17

This practical workshop is an opportunity to explore and evaluate a range of learning technologies and their possible role in fostering active learning in your teaching. These technologies will include: computer based simulations and games, audience response systems and more advanced use of Moodle for active learning including quizzes, use of groups, wikis, glossary tool and discussion boards.

Writing collaboratively with wiki’s and Google docs
Wednesday 13 May 12:30-13:30 R08

Collaborative writing can:

  • improve efficiency of group work & quality of interactions between students in group
  • help with self reflection and critical thinking

This workshop will give participants an awareness of the issues that must be considered when using collaborative writing tools. It will also equip participants with the skills required to enable them to think about how they might incorporate collaborative writing tools into their teaching.

Book a place via the LSE training system

Assessment with technology
(date to be confirmed)

What is online assessment? What are its benefits? How can I move my assessments online? This workshop introduces  online assessment, considering

  • methods of assessing and grading online
  • improving feedback and
  • helping students to avoid plagiarism.

This will be a discursive session and will not cover training in how to set up eAssessment. We will introduce the systems available at the LSE and discuss the best way of bringing them together.

Places for all the LTI workshops can be booked via the online training and development system and any queries should be sent to LTI-support@lse.ac.uk.

We will be publishing more ideas and case studies which contain examples of how technology can be incorporated into teaching, learning and assessment so watch this space for ideas of ways you could use an LTI grant.

March 24th, 2015|Ed-Tech news and issues, Events & Workshops (LTI), innovation, LTI Grants, Teaching & Learning, Tools & Technologies, Uncategorized|Comments Off on Introducing the LTI grants and ideas for applications|

Ideas for course design in the new academic year structure

To complement TLC’s ideas for the new academic year structure, LTI offer some additional ideas for what to do during the ‘reading weeks’ from 2015-16 onwards.

  1.  Students As Producers projects – students can be asked to work collaboratively to create content.  Using technology specifically designed for group collaboration enables students’ to work online and in their own time.  LTI have limited numbers kits containing iPads, iPad mini’s, podcasting equipment and Digital SLR camera’s which can be applied for as part of LTI grants projects. You can also ask students to bring in their own laptops/phones/tablets or other devices or to create collaborate documents and platforms such as Padlet and Paperli. More ideas can be found on our Padlet and from the recent NetworkED talk given by the UK National Teaching Fellow Helen Keegan. Building on TLC’s note on introducing more creative forms of assessment the completed content could count towards an assessment (formative or summative) and depending on how far you want to take the project could be combined with peer marking – with students commenting on each other’s projects.  For example Social Policy carried out peer assessment using WebPA and Teammates and more details can be found in a video with Dr Irene Papanicolas.
  2. Flipped lectures – Ask your students to prepare for week 6 by watching pre-recorded lecture or alternative resource.  The contact time is then used to get students to do something more interactive. LTI run a course on flipping lectures, and places can be booked online

  3. E-Assessment – Use the new academic year structure to rethink how you approach assessment and feedback. LTI are currently running an E-Assessment pilot project with various departments. We would be interested in working with departments to trial new technology for exams in week 0 or in the summer term, and to work on E-Submission and E-Assessment.  To hear some ideas from other academics at LSE and elsewhere, watch the Show and Tell event on E-Assessment we hosted in November this year.
  4.  LTI Grants – we offer Learning Technology and Innovation Grants to encourage individuals and departments to explore the use of new technologies in teaching and learning.  We are seeking applications under the three strands of “E-Assessment”, “Students as Producers” and “Innovation”.  We will hold a third run of grants at the start of the Summer term which will invite applications to be planned over the summer for the 2015/16 academic year.

We look forward to discussing your ideas well in advance of next academic year.  Email LTI.Support@lse.ac.uk

December 16th, 2014|Announcements, Assessment, LSE Innovator, LTI Grants, NetworkED, Social Media, Teaching & Learning, Tools & Technologies, Uncategorized|Comments Off on Ideas for course design in the new academic year structure|