Other Articles and Posts by colin Loughlin
ALT Online Newsletter, Jun 1, 2015
Summary of presentations at M25 Learning Technology Group meeting, hosted by CDE, Senate House, M... more Summary of presentations at M25 Learning Technology Group meeting, hosted by CDE, Senate House, March 2015
Report of the July 2014 meeting of the M25 LTG at Imperial College London.
By Voce, Julie and ... more Report of the July 2014 meeting of the M25 LTG at Imperial College London.
By Voce, Julie and Havemann, Leo and Grussendorf, Sonja and Coombs, Antony and Loughlin, Colin
Papers by colin Loughlin
European Conference on e-Learning
This paper explores the evolution of research methodology in the study of student notetaking in h... more This paper explores the evolution of research methodology in the study of student notetaking in higher education (HE) and its impact on pedagogic approaches. While acknowledging the importance of notetaking for student learning, the paper argues that the overreliance of randomized control trials (RCTs) has led to some potentially misleading conclusions about lectures in HE and the notes students make during them. The paper traces the historical development of research methodologies in student notetaking, highlighting the shift from early observational studies to experimental research focused on identifying effective notetaking styles. However, the paper contends that these experimental studies often failed to capture the complex real-world factors that influence student note taking behaviour and learning outcomes. Contradictory findings between experimental and observational research are presented, challenging the assumptions drawn from RCTs. Observational studies suggest that the q...
The impact of lecture recordings on HE student approaches to learning Note-taking as a study-skil... more The impact of lecture recordings on HE student approaches to learning Note-taking as a study-skill amongst students in Higher Education (HE) is acknowledged as a fundamental component of academic success. Intrinsic factors such as cognitive capacity, motivation and epistemological beliefs effect note-taking quantity and quality (e.g. Kiewra, 1985). However, this study looks at the extrinsic influences of the provision of lecture recordings and lecture slides. There is little published research into the impact of lecture recordings on student approaches to note-taking during lectures, although, previous studies have suggested that that the ubiquitous availability of lecture slides has a material effect on the quantity of notes-taken during lectures (Loughlin, 2015). This ongoing mixed methodology study set out to observe the influence that the availability of lecture recordings has on: student note-taking practices, revision strategies and learning outcomes. Students at a Higher Education Institution in the UK were observed during twelve, two-hour long, lectures. These lectures were recorded, and the recordings made available to students on the VLE later the same day. The whole Cohort were asked to complete an online. The usage data from the lecture recordings were then analysed and compared with student note-taking practices and module test scores. Early results from this pilot study indicate, predictably, that lecture recordings are accessed predominantly just after the lecture itself and again during revision periods. The availability of lecture recordings appears to have less of an impact on approaches to studying than the availability of lecture slides. However, the combined effect on note-taking during the lecture itself is considerable, and it is these student behaviours, which are the result of emerging technologies, that will be discussed in this paper. (Less)
Most instructional design (ID) models, of which arguably the most prominent are ADDIE and the Dic... more Most instructional design (ID) models, of which arguably the most prominent are ADDIE and the Dick & Carey System Approach, envisage an iterative process in the development of Learning Objects (LOs) between the objective, context, design, development and evaluation, to ensure that the LOs are fit for purpose. However, the literature suggests that instructional designers give less attention to the evaluation of usage than is desired to generate meaningful improvements in content delivery (e.g. Ozdileka & Robeck, 2009). The intention with Kingston University’s Plagiarism Tutorial was to develop the LO in an iterative way, incorporating learning from a combined evaluation process and assess its impact on instances of plagiarism within specific cohorts of students who had used the resource. The resource was developed to enhance existing material on plagiarism and referencing; one aim of which was to improve academic skills in first year students. The content of the Plagiarism Tutorial was redesigned to take advantage of HTML5 mobile technology and was accompanied by examples, tips, links and FAQ’s to provide a pertinent, concise and attractive LO. In order to enhance engagement, short videos in which students explain elements of plagiarism in their own words were included for each topic. The resource contains an online test which provides students with a personalised certificate once a minimum score is attained; this is also used as part of a compliance procedure, providing proof of completion by students who have been accused of plagiarism. The Plagiarism Tutorial was therefore developed with evaluation in mind and includes applied client side data collection methodology as well as other forms of evaluation; such as, an online survey and qualitative interviews which were used to obtain the student perspective. Web-analytics to improve user engagement with websites sites have existed within industry for many years and consist of two main methods: server-side or, client-side data collection and analysis. The latter has, in recent years, become more sophisticated, easier to use and affordable (e.g. Ledford et al., 2010), providing a feasible alternative as an evaluation tool in an educational setting. After a moderate investment of time spent in applying page-tags and event-tracking etc., data for user interaction with the learning object and its elements are instantly available. The results offer a rich insight into the visitor’s behaviour, with engagement indicators such as; time spent on the site, page visits, learning elements used, and the pathway of pages visited. This presentation will explore the results of the evaluation of the Plagiarism Tutorial and show how the page-tagging and event-tracking were useful to determine which pages, objects and links were most effective and, how this information has/will inform further development. References Ledford, J., Teixeira, J. & Tyler, M.E. (2010). Google Analytics (3rd Ed). Indianapolis (USA): Wiley Publishing. Ozdileka, Z. & Robeck, E. (2009), Operational priorities of instructional designers analyzed within the steps of the Addie instructional design model, Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences 1: 2046–2050.
Nursing Ethics, Sep 30, 2018
In the 1700s, Frederick the Great of Prussia had a dilemma. His people were in danger of starvati... more In the 1700s, Frederick the Great of Prussia had a dilemma. His people were in danger of starvation and they were resisting one nutritious food on offer, complaining: 'the things have neither smell nor taste, not even the dogs will eat them, so what use are they to us?' Frederick tried threats to begin with-anyone who refused to plant the crop in question would have their noses and ears cut off. And then he tried another approach. He ordered his soldiers to mount a visible guard around the fields where the crop was grown so his people would be aware of the high esteem in which the crop was held. Before long, they were stealing and planting the 'royal crop' and the potato became the salvation of the Prussian people. Frederick's change of tactic is highlighted as one of the earliest examples of a shift from 'shove' to 'nudge'. 1 The academic beginnings of nudge theory are credited to a book by Thaler and Sunstein 2 in 2008. The theory was embraced by politicians and policy-makers leading to the setting up of the Behavioural Insights Team or 'Nudge Unit' in the United Kingdom. 1 The approach has been embraced in public health, markets, medicine and even in public toilets. The positioning of a fake fly in the Amsterdam airport urinals, an example of what has become known as 'choice architecture', is cited by Thaler and Sunstein. The fly, strategically placed in the urinals, reduced spillage by 80%. 2 How then might nudge theory impact on some of the challenges encountered in professional education? Is an educator well-placed to be a 'choice architect'? How might we discern between ethical interventions that come under the umbrella of 'nudge' and those that would be better described as 'shove', manipulation or coercion? We three authors are involved in a range of educational initiatives-face to face, online and blended approaches-designed to enhance student engagement with professional education. It will come as no surprise to readers that students do not always engage as well as hoped and are not always as enthusiastic about educational innovations as educators are. Some educational innovations which, for example, use online teaching materials are under-used and accessed only near assessment time. So what to do? Could we use some of the insights from nudge theory to encourage more engagement? Which strategies are ethical? And which are unethical? It might be argued that ethical nudge strategies include those which are respectful of student autonomy, those which are beneficial in promoting learning and those which are fair. It might be argued that unethical strategies are those which are disrespectful of student autonomy, those which are harmful, those which are overly burdensome and coercive and those which are unfair. In professional education, such as with undergraduate nurse education programmes, student autonomy is curtailed, whether or not 'nudges' are used, so that learning outcomes are achieved and regulatory requirements are met. Students are required to read (or listen) and reflect on professional knowledge, they are required to engage in educational activities at the university and to complete assessments to demonstrate that they are able to apply knowledge to health and social care practices.
Note-taking and subsequent review are viewed as important study skills for students participating... more Note-taking and subsequent review are viewed as important study skills for students participating in Higher Education. Literature shows that students develop individual note-taking strategies that require a broad range of cognitive abilities. These note-taking skills (or lack of them) can have a significant impact on academic progression and performance, even affecting the level of active engagement during lectures. Various technologies, such as passive audio recordings of lectures, have been shown to be of benefit; however, there is often a disjunct with the written notes. Notes taken during lectures with e-pens that synchronously capture handwriting and audio are expected to enhance students’ note-taking practices (Van Schaack, 2009). This paper reports on a case study whereby students trialled an e-pen to assess its ability to enhance their note-taking practices. Semi-structured interviews were used to capture current and previous note-taking techniques and, their personal, contextual, experiences during and after the trial. The results indicate an apparent divide between those who found the e-pen a useful addition in their note-taking strategy and those who did not. While most thought the e-pen an excellent idea in principle, in practice, existing habits and routines proved hard to break with some surprisingly strong emotional attachments to specific pens or notepads. Also, although participants perceived note-taking and revision as an important skill, for some, the lecturing and disciplinary context created a passive environment, without a clear need for note-taking. For others however, the e-pens clearly triggered a change and, although anecdotal, a few students reported enhanced academic grades and even improved concentration levels during lectures as a result. For these participants, their note-taking became more structured and, together with the integrated audio, more accessible and meaningful. This presentation explores the twofold reaction in more detail and, how current practices of delivering information to students contribute to passive learners.
This study looks at academics' perceptions of, and attitudes to, educational technologies in the ... more This study looks at academics' perceptions of, and attitudes to, educational technologies in the context of the intrinsic and extrinsic barriers to adoption which confront them. Academic and support staff at a university in the south of England were surveyed, in part, to establish the reasons given by staff for non-engagement with Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL). What emerged was a mismatch between self-reported barriers and the reality of abilities demonstrated in other areas, for instance the personal use of social media. Our study findings were consistent with those such as, Reed (2014) and Bertolo, (2008), which have indicated that staff cited 'lack of time', 'lack of equipment' and a 'lack of skills' for the failure of educational technologies to act as the transformational tool that many educators believe them capable. Yet, those same staff, in other sections of the survey, indicated far greater technical competency than would be required for most TEL initiatives. While this dissonance resonates strongly with Ertmer's (1999) work on first-and second-order barriers to the adoption of new technology amongst practitioners, we also noted a more active resistance which appears to be linked to resentment of the perceived institutional imposition of new technology, combined with professional performance metrics which fail to reward innovation in learning and teaching. We also found evidence to support the idea of a Slow Revolution (Drucker, 1999) in technology enhanced learning, wherein technology is becoming embedded in teaching practice over a number of years, often long after the hype of its original introduction and expected overnight impact. In light of these findings we discuss ways in which institutions might embrace the Slow Revolution, while at the same time attempting to address the second order barriers which hinder progress.
Higher Education, Mar 12, 2022
This case study of large-class teaching at a UK university focuses on the place of largescale lec... more This case study of large-class teaching at a UK university focuses on the place of largescale lectures in academics' approaches to teaching, their use by students in their studies, and their relationship to institutional quality assurance policies. The case is a second-year module comprised of 180 students, and it includes two-hour lectures as the primary mode of teaching. The data is drawn from a range of sources including observations, interviews, focus groups, institutional documentation, and a student survey. Observations revealed largely transmissive lectures with little student interaction. The analytic framework of constructive alignment and outcome-based education is used to examine the promoted educational values and the practice experienced by students. The results are further explored in relation to two texts celebrating 50 years since publication: Donald Bligh's What's the Use of Lectures and Benson Snyder's The Hidden Curriculum, Both highlight the dissonance of espoused approaches to teaching, and the realities of large-class environments. While the institutional literature foregrounds student-centred, 'active learning' approaches, the teacher-centred practice observed would have been very familiar to Bligh and Snyder; the principles of constructive alignment were visible only at the policy level. The implicit reward mechanisms of the hidden curriculum ensure that the majority of students succeed and are satisfied with the educational offering. The students who attended the lectures appeared to enjoy them and indicated that the primary benefits are the structure offered by live lectures and the support of the peer networks which develop as a result of attendance.
European journal of higher education, Sep 15, 2020
Constructive Alignment (CA) is neither the panacea, nor the unalloyed evil depicted in the majori... more Constructive Alignment (CA) is neither the panacea, nor the unalloyed evil depicted in the majority of higher education discourses. But rather, the theory is a heuristic and accessible representation of commonly agreed upon aspects of modern curriculum and educational theory, designed explicitly to support learning and teaching. However, when imposed top-down for accountability purposes, or used as a quality assurance tool, the seemingly step-by-step simplicity that gives it an administrative potential can also diminish or even destroy its relevance as an educational tool. For these reasons CA and particularly learning outcomes are often vilified amongst academic staff as a pernicious influence on learning and teaching. It has been argued that the mechanistic use of alignment and learning outcomes for validation and audit purposes can create an illusion of quality control which bears little relation to the reality of teaching practice and student learning. This paper explores the tensions that have been created as constructive alignment has journeyed and expanded from an educational theory into Higher Education teaching policy and practice. The purpose is to reclaim its original perspective as a tool for professional academic teaching.
This study looks at academics’ perceptions of, and attitudes to, educational technologies in the ... more This study looks at academics’ perceptions of, and attitudes to, educational technologies in the context of the intrinsic and extrinsic barriers to adoption which confront them. Academic and support staff at a university in the south of England were surveyed, in part, to establish the reasons given by staff for non-engagement with Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL). What emerged was a mismatch between self-reported barriers and the reality of abilities demonstrated in other areas, for instance the personal use of social media. Our study findings were consistent with those such as, Reed (2014) and Bertolo, (2008), which have indicated that staff cited ‘lack of time’, ‘lack of equipment’ and a ‘lack of skills’ for the failure of educational technologies to act as the transformational tool that many educators believe them capable. Yet, those same staff, in other sections of the survey, indicated far greater technical competency than would be required for most TEL initiatives. While thi...
Higher Education, 2022
This case study of large-class teaching at a UK university focuses on the place of large-scale le... more This case study of large-class teaching at a UK university focuses on the place of large-scale lectures in academics’ approaches to teaching, their use by students in their studies, and their relationship to institutional quality assurance policies. The case is a second-year module comprised of 180 students, and it includes two-hour lectures as the primary mode of teaching. The data is drawn from a range of sources including observations, interviews, focus groups, institutional documentation, and a student survey. Observations revealed largely transmissive lectures with little student interaction. The analytic framework of constructive alignment and outcome-based education is used to examine the promoted educational values and the practice experienced by students. The results are further explored in relation to two texts celebrating 50 years since publication: Donald Bligh’s What’s the Use of Lectures and Benson Snyder’s The Hidden Curriculum, Both highlight the dissonance of espous...
Enhancing Student-Centred Teaching in Higher Education, 2020
This chapter considers findings from a research project that explored the meaning and implication... more This chapter considers findings from a research project that explored the meaning and implications of “engagement”, and the strategies used to promote engagement, in a blended ethics education module. The module, for students of nursing, midwifery, paramedic and operating department practice, comprises face-to-face teaching and an online component containing video and written resources and activities. This was a small-scale qualitative study whereby the student researcher collected data from staff following a student–staff liaison meeting and from students following a focus group with seven participants. Three main themes emerged as key to engaging students in a blended approach: good communication between staff and students, articulating the roles of student and teacher in a consumer climate and developing social and emotional connections between students, and between staff and students.
It has been acknowledged that the traditional didactic lecture does not always provide the ideal ... more It has been acknowledged that the traditional didactic lecture does not always provide the ideal learning and teaching experience (Bligh, 1998). Over the last ten years, individuals and institutions have been exploring the pedagogical possibilities of providing more active and engaging alternatives. One model in particular has been influential in sparking change. The use of Active Learning Spaces (ALS) combined with team-based learning (Fink, Michaelsen & Knight, 2004) has been successfully used in initiatives such as TEAL (Technology Enhanced Active Learning) and SCALE-UP (Baepler, Brooks & Walker, 2014). This approach has proved popular in North America, and has attracted growing interest in the UK. The key benefits demonstrated have been improvements in: class attendance; retention rates; levels of conceptual understanding; pace of learning (Beichner, Saul, Abbott, et al., 2007). This ongoing comparative study set out to establish the key drivers and barriers to the development o...
Effective note-taking and subsequent review, are essential skills for students in Higher Educatio... more Effective note-taking and subsequent review, are essential skills for students in Higher Education. Studies have highlighted the diverse range of cognitive abilities required to fully participate in lectures and produce meaningful notes and that although students develop individual note-taking strategies, the resultant product can impact on academic performance and be a significant barrier to learning (e.g. Kiewra, 1985). A possible step towards overcoming the limitations of current technologies that aid note-taking (such as passive lecture recordings) is the use of digital/audio pens. Here, notes are taken in the traditional way, but onto specially printed paper with a digital pen; the digital images are transferred to a PC together with synchronously recorded audio. The notes can then be revised and edited by listening to specific sections of the audio relating to particular notes; alternatively, the file can be manipulated with software to create a more comprehensive set of revis...
Effective note-taking and subsequent review, are essential skills for students in Higher Educatio... more Effective note-taking and subsequent review, are essential skills for students in Higher Education. Studies have highlighted the diverse range of cognitive abilities required to fully participate in lectures and produce meaningful notes and that although students develop individual note-taking strategies, the resultant product can impact on academic performance and be a significant barrier to learning (e.g. Kiewra, 1985). A possible step towards overcoming the limitations of current technologies that aid note-taking (such as passive lecture recordings) is the use of digital/audio pens. Here, notes are taken in the traditional way, but onto specially printed paper with a digital pen; the digital images are transferred to a PC together with synchronously recorded audio. The notes can then be revised and edited by listening to specific sections of the audio relating to particular notes; alternatively, the file can be manipulated with software to create a more comprehensive set of revis...
In 2010 the Mozilla Foundation established the Digital Open Badges concept as a virtual incarnati... more In 2010 the Mozilla Foundation established the Digital Open Badges concept as a virtual incarnation of physical counterparts such as a paper certificate or a youth organisation merit badge. Digital Open Badges offer embedded, verifiable, metadata containing information such as the issuer and award criteria. Open Badges can be used to reward learning, participation or achievement. They can be stored in various online environments, including the Mozilla 'Backpack' and social media platforms. Open Badges have been used to evidence informal learning, professional development, community and voluntary work. This study is part of an ongoing project at a UK Higher Education Institution (HEI) to evaluate the potential of awarding Digital Open Badges in different contexts across the institution. It was decided to trial Open Badges on a programme run by Learning Development staff in the Library to support high achieving students, acknowledging and rewarding soft-skills acquired as part...
A joint meeting of the ALT M25 Learning Technology Group (M25 LTG) and the University of London’s... more A joint meeting of the ALT M25 Learning Technology Group (M25 LTG) and the University of London’s Centre for Distance Education (CDE) in March attracted a record turnout for a programme of high quality, informative and entertaining presentations focused on learning analytics and learning design. The event was opened and organised by Colin Loughlin (University of Surrey) on behalf of the M25 LTG.
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Other Articles and Posts by colin Loughlin
By Voce, Julie and Havemann, Leo and Grussendorf, Sonja and Coombs, Antony and Loughlin, Colin
Papers by colin Loughlin
By Voce, Julie and Havemann, Leo and Grussendorf, Sonja and Coombs, Antony and Loughlin, Colin