Daniel Churchill,
Jie Lu,
Tianchong Wang 

University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Abstract:

The increasing popularity of mobile computing devices such as tablets gives rise to the teaching and learning “on the move”.  In addition to mobility, new features afforded by the current generation of mobile devices, such as large screen size, multi-channel connectivity, easy multimedia production and sharing, and multi-touch operation, have driven many educators and policy-makers to explore the potential benefits for teaching and learning. This presentation will report two case studies exploring how teachers and students understand educational affordances of these devices respectively. The first case study reports on an ongoing investigation of how a sample of teachers from different disciplines at a university in Hong Kong adopting iPads in their teaching practice and how their perceptions change through the process. It is attempted to understand teachers’ private theories that may impact on the integration of mobile technology in their teaching practice. The second case study reports another investigation with nine sample students attending a postgraduate course at the same university in Hong Kong. The students were surveyed regarding their perceived affordances of mobile technology for learning.  Students’ learning behaviours with the mobile technologies were observed as well. A mismatch between how teachers integrate the technology into their pedagogical design and students’ preferences of how the technology should be applied for learning was identified from the preliminary findings of two case studies. A set of practical recommendations for teachers and students are provided.

Liu Ling

Peking University, China

Abstract:

Information technology brings chances and challenges to teaching and learning in University. On the one hand, information is much easier to share and spread; on the other hand, students are becoming more and more lazy to think for themselves. It is very urgent to explore how to use information technology to enhance effective learning.

Effective learning means pedagogic adjustment should be made correspondingly. “Innovation of teaching” is such a program of Peking University. This program started in 2009. Every semester, about 20 teachers participate, totaling 177 teachers by now. During a semester, teachers are offered training, coaching and financal support. Then they redesign their lessons to explore and experiment how to use information technology to enhance effective learning. Here, information technology includes PowerPoint, Flash, video, Course Management System, Interactive Response System and so on. Teachers in this program have had a lot of exploration about using Course Management System, especially online discussion. Some exploration indicates success and some may not be so successful.

This presentation will share some effective innovations designed by teachers in this program, surrounding the topic of online discussion.

Sze-wan Ngai (1,2)
Charlotte Chow (3)
Ken Wong (4)

(1) Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong( till April 2013)
(2) BNU-HKBU United International College, China (Current)
(3) University of Bristol, United Kingdom
(4) The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong

Abstract:

This presentation reflects an 8-year long e-Portfolio pioneering project, embracing the vision of creating the foremost home-grown e-learning system in Hong Kong higher education landscape. The captured information technology tool serves as a learning platform, on the one hand, enhancing the level of understanding of student learning, especially developing students as deep learners and, on the other hand, vividly demonstrates a holistic approach to curriculum design and delivery for fostering students’ whole person development and personal skills which captivates the spirit and essence of university general education. 

Margot Hirsch
Travis Sowders

Blackboard Connect, United States

Abstract:

In this session, you’ll learn about the latest communication trends globally for students throughout Asia and the Pacific region, as well as the EU and North America.  Is SMS still foremost amongst university students? Or are new technologies – social media, over-the-top (OTT) messaging apps, and so on – ready to supplant texting? Learn what the latest data from regulators, analyst and other organisations tell us about adoption rates for various technologies, where they’re headed over the next five years, and what that means for student enrollment, retention and engagement.

Jun Xiao
Xiaoxiao Zhu
Yaxing Yu

Shanghai Distance Education Group, China

Abstract:

The educational resource center is a resource management & service system, which gather all kinds of educational resources; it is a necessary support for learning management system. In this research, the research on the use efficiency evaluation model for the educational resource center is given under the balanced scorecard theory, and through a lot of investigation & references from different countries. The use efficiency evaluation model covers dimensions of user, resource center running, development & social impact, and finance. In the research, it is also revealed how, and how much, these four dimensions have impact on each other, thus the comprehensive assessment can be given to the educational resource center, and support for further development can be provided. The performance evaluation model has been applied in the famous “Shanghai Educational Resource Center”; real data is used to get the result on how these dimensions have impact on each other. It is expected to reveal the law on how the educational resource center supports education, and thus to make some improvement in the running of the educational resource center.

Rajani Shankar
Monica Tan

Nanyang Polytechnic, Singapore

Abstract:

The introduction of mobile learning tools has brought about the phenomenon of “unwired classroom” and a whole new dimension of education. As Keegan (2002) anticipated, “mobile learning is a harbinger of the future of learning”. Technologies are transforming learning materials into more engaging and interactive resources in which instructions can be customized to suit students’ learning needs and styles. The use of mobile technologies has grown to such an extent over recent years that they now overtake the proliferation of personal computers in modern professional and social contexts (Attewell, 2005).

This presentation describes the use of in-house developed learning eBooks in the teaching and delivery of courses for the engineering diploma. This has enabled enriched student learning on mobile devices which they are most likely to own. The eBooks support the School of Engineering vision of access to knowledge anywhere and everywhere – even when the mobile device is offline and connection to the Internet is not possible. The eBooks can be used off-line and online and is platform independent. The strong pedagogical framework allows instructors to develop rich content to achieve self-paced learning and build student competency over time.

The student feedback has been encouraging with 100% of the students rating the eBook as excellent or good. The rating for provision of module material and overall module feedback has also been 100% excellent or good.

The 2010 JISC mobile review aptly summarizes that mobile learning presents the potential to drive innovation in education. (Belshaw, 2010)  The development of the eBooks has resulted in integrated, interactive and improved learning outcomes which are being measured. The eBooks enable the student to view and visualize difficult concepts through simulations.The student acquires a repertoire of learning strategies and practices which help in developing confident and self-directed learners.

Terrence Quong

Jockey Club Ti-I College, Hong Kong
HK Institute of Education, Hong Kong

Abstract:

Online Smart refers to working smarter not harder to improve student achievement.  This paper describes how eLearning is being used to improve student outcomes through evidence based practice in a secondary college in HK.  This study serves as a model for practicing school leaders and an illustration of a principle for educational researchers.  The paper will explore how the college has developed its own unique indices – the Assignment Performance Index (API) and the Quiz Management Index (QMI) – and how these are embedded into its Online Learning Management System.  The paper will report on the success of this system in bringing about student improved outcomes through creating ‘instant’ communications with parents (allowing them to continuously monitor their childrens’ progress online and through feedback), motivating students by enabling them to chart their own progress and plan targeted learning, and persuading teachers that the use of eLearning systems not only enhances student motivation but reduces workload.

William Lee
Fleming Woo
Terence Kwok

Lingnan University, Hong Kong

Abstract:

Every institution is unique and has its own goals, objectives, and specific needs for evidence collection of student learning.  Lingnan University has acquired an academic analytics solution that could help pull data collected from different academic departments and functional units into a single system for reporting and analysis.  The session will cover the implementation process, how data is transformed to information for decision making by senior management and what are the challenges encountered.

Cheryl Reynolds
Cath Ellis

University of Huddersfield, United Kingdom

Abstract:

Based on the use of electronic assessment and feedback across a large, geographically dispersed cohort, this paper argues that the use of technology presents educators and their institutions with some important, novel opportunities.  Assessment data that has hitherto been hidden or inaccessible can now be harvested and utilised for a number of key purposes.  Not least of these is the scope to monitor, analyse and report on progression and achievement across multiple sites, large cohorts  and different academic years.  The affordances of electronic assessment management allow this monitoring at macro, meso and micro level, establishing student achievement against broad aims and outcomes for the course but also at a very granular level with regard to individual competences such as punctuation and referencing.

The benefits that accrue are dual-facing:  it becomes possible to convey to students a sense of comprehensive and detailed treatment of their achievements in relation to other learners on their course and it also allows for highly efficient and effective reporting to professional and government bodies and inspectorates.  Data can be used to inform curriculum development such that the status and significance of assessment data is foregrounded as a way to raise quality and esteem. This paper offers some preliminary proposals as to how this dual-facing learning analytics strategy may function in practice, paying particular attention to the decisions that need to be made in the design phase and how these can be operationalised across even the largest and most complex modules.

Nannette Commander (1)
Peggy Gallagher (1)
Yali Zhao (1)
Yongheng You (2) 

(1) Georgia State University, United States
(2) Sichuan Normal University, China

Abstract:

Universities are seeking techniques that create international experiences for students so they become more globalized in their perspectives. One method of fostering global competence is creating cross-national asynchronous on-line discussions with students from different countries within courses.  The purpose of this study was to explore how participation by American and Chinese graduate students in asynchronous online discussions on classroom case studies promotes construction of new knowledge and greater understanding of the impact of culture on education. Participants were American and Chinese students enrolled in an online section of a learning theory class in an urban research university in the southeastern United States. Student transcripts were analyzed according to the Interaction Analysis Model (IAM) developed by Gunawardena, Lowe, and Anderson (1997) to determine evidence of construction of new knowledge. Additionally, student transcripts and responses to open-ended questions on their perceptions regarding participation in the online discussions were analyzed according to the content analysis and constant comparative method (Glaser & Strauss, 1967) to determine reoccurring themes.  Results indicate that construction of new knowledge occurred and that asynchronous online discussions on case studies are very beneficial to both American and Chinese students for fostering a more globalized perspective.  The discussions provide an exciting forum for communication about learning theory and the culture behind instructional practices.  Importantly, this study also adds to the knowledge base about cross-national online courses and serves as a guide for those who wish to create international online courses.