JISC

The e-Learning Independent Design Activities for Collaborative Approaches to the Management of e-Learning (eLIDA CAMEL) project collected a series of individual and collaborative case studies on the implementation and evaluation of tools and systems to support design for learning in a range of post-16/HE contexts. Activity sequences and processes were tested by practitioners in different post-16/HE institutions and brought together into the ‘CAMEL’ model of a collaborative e-learning community organised with JISC infoNet and ALT, to reflect on, synthesise and disseminate developments in Design 4 Learning (D4L) within a community of practice.

The project trialled Design 4 Learning (D4L) sequences with practitioners in London, South East, Leeds and Loughborough post-16 institutions using LAMS V1.1, V2, Moodle and, in limited ways, RELOAD. The project built a community of practice for critical evaluation of and feedback on practitioner use of D4L software and pedagogical practice. The project was structured into the following components:

• Design for Learning evaluation Development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of D4L activities by practitioners in post-16/HE: London and South East, Leeds and Loughborough
• Collaborative on-line e-learning community activities Development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of practitioner’s use of design for learning tools and systems in collaborative activities using CAMEL JISC infoNet model

Executive Summary

Project Aims

Contribute to JISC Design 4 Learning programme theme 'Implementing and evaluating learning design projects' (May 2006 – Dec 2007) focusing on:

• D4L strand 'Carrying out user evaluations on innovative tools with a learning design functionality'
• D4L activities collecting case studies & sequences on D4L implementation and evaluation in post-16/HE in collaborative community of practice

Project Objectives

• Contribute to theme C by trialling and evaluating D4L sequences with post-16/HE practitioners in London, South East, Leeds & Loughborough using LAMS V1.1, V2, Moodle and RELOAD
• Deliver DfL training and activities, collect individual and collaborative case studies, sequences and an evaluation report
• Bring together, monitor and evaluate 10-20 DfL case studies and sequences from post-16/HE partners into ‘CAMEL’ e-learning community of practice with JISC infoNet, ALT, to reflect on, synthesise and disseminate results
• Build a community of practice for critical evaluation of/feedback on practitioner D4L software use and pedagogical practice using a project Moodle and face-to-face visits

The eLIDA CAMEL Design for Learning Approach

The eLIDA CAMEL community of D4L practice approach built on prior JISC Learning Design work, LAMS evaluation, DfL pedagogy, JISC-funded LD (LAMS evaluation, RELOAD) open source development (LAMS V1.1, LAMS V2, Moodle) using a CAMEL community of e-learning practice model, building on eLISA Project findings and pedagogic practitioner work.

Strategy, methodology, structure and processes

Design for Learning evaluation using a grounded ‘seed-bed’ methodology: development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of DfL activities by practitioners in post-16/HE.

Collaborative e-learning community activities strategy to implement & evaluate practitioner e-learning in a community of practice in the CAMEL JISC infoNet model. Project sub-processes were:

• Set up overall programme structure, complete project plan and work package overview
• Project initiation agreements, Moodle set up; planned structure for collaborative visits/activities
• D4L training for practitioners, mentoring, support Phase 1 May-Oct 2006
• Trials of LD sequences and student evaluations Phase 2 Sept/Oct, 06 – Dec 07
• Summative evaluation Phase 3 (Dec, 07: formal end, final evaluation Jan 08)
• Dissemination Phase 4 – carried out continuously June 2006 – 2008-09
• CAMEL visits - throughout phases 1-4, CAMEL team visits interwoven throughout
• JISC-funded DeL eLISA pedagogic approach led by Helen Beetham was developed
• The project built on earlier successful JISC infoNet CAMEL and ALT work linked with CAMEL

Findings

The eLIDA CAMEL successfully produced design for learning sequences, 14 comprehensive individual case studies and 7 collaborative case studies to illustrate effective pedagogic use of LAMS V1.1-V2, Moodle and related tools, investigating re-use of learning designs and sharing effective practice in D4L via a community of users. Limited uses of RELOAD were considered. eLIDA team members collaborated in evaluating practitioner DfL pedagogic practices in visits carried out in the programme.

Achievements

The project achieved its aims, collecting 14 DfL practitioner and 7 collaborative case studies, including process-based user reflections and examples of LD processes. These include case participants’ evaluations of 14 learning activity sequences run in four participating Post-16/FE/HE institutions. Overall, the 14 comprehensive D4L case studies included 5 three-part case studies and 9 two-part case studies, plus 7 case studies on collaborative aspects of the project. Case studies incorporated web-based materials, diaries of practitioner reflections, designs for and examples of learning design sequences, video-clips and examples of student work. Case studies described the context, learning and teaching situation, pedagogic intentions, design for learning processes, results and evaluation of the trialling of learning design tools in the classroom. The project investigated online and offline e-learning in terms of, i.e., blend, simple and complex branching, manual groupings rather than random, teacher/learner control. Technologies and resources used in the project included tools within LAMS and Moodle: chat, forums, quizzes, web pages, journals, presentations, labels, glossaries as well as external resources. Worksheets, NLN objects, Flash, PowerPoint, podcasts, video, word and PDF documents, hot potatoes quizzes, QUIA quizzes, interactive material from other sites, Camtasia, scorm activities, assets from JORUM, images and Quick Topic were all cited by partners in the project wiki.

Conclusions

The eLIDA CAMEL produced a range of rich, useful case studies and design for learning sequences, including feedback from practitioners trialling D4L and reflections from key partners ALT, JISC infoNet and Staffordshire University. Overall, the project resulted in some very useful D4L outcomes and processes. Feedback from participants & students was excellent. The CAMEL e-learning community of practice model was effectively trialled and extended in innovative ways to D4L pedagogic contexts.

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