Using online collaborative
learning (OCL) for sport and
exercise science students
»Geoff Walton, Subject and Learning
Support Librarian, Staffordshire
University
»Jamie Barker, Senior Lecturer,
Staffordshire University
Plan for our talk
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The problem!
Context
Assessment task
Methodology
Structure of IL programme
Student comments
Evaluation: emerging themes
Conclusions
The problem!
• ELICS: Level 1 Core Study skills based module.
• Typically, students have had a negative perception of
the module.
• They over estimate their level of competence on
study skills.
• Need to make the module more appealing.
• Attendance for seminar sessions has been poor.
• Use OCL to allow students to take ownership of
seminar based content.
Context
• Our working definition of IL
– The ability to find, evaluate and use information appropriately
• Embedded:
– Effective Learning, Information & Communication Skills in Sport
& Exercise Level 1 core
– IL one of 5 skills addressed with, statistics, note-taking, essay/
report writing, time management
• Blended learning:
– Face-to-face (F2F) workshop - find information
– Online: collaborative learning via VLE) – evaluate information
– Written assessment – use information
• Why online collaborative learning (OCL)?
– Scaffolded, contributions made by all, available to all, highly
interactive, discursive, iterative, reflective, high learning payoff
rather than mechanical and/or passive (Walton et al, 2007 a
and b)
Assessment task
• Portfolio exercise (written)
– Find 2 books, 2 journal articles & 2 web
sites
– Write short evaluation of each using
criteria which emerged form OCL activities
– Reflective statement of 150 words
– Reflective essay
Methodology
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•
Experimental group of 15 students, control
group and an intermediate group
Range of methods used in this study
– Post delivery Questionnaire
– Content analysis of Focus Group interviews
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•
Whole group
One-to-one
– Pre and post delivery tests
Overview of IL programme
F2F
IRPA 1
OCL Activity 1
IRPA 2
F2F - One hour hands-on
workshop (One hour, one
workshop)
OCL 1 & 2 - Online
Collaborative Learning
Activity (20-30mins, two
workshops for each)
1. Creating evaluation criteria
2. Using criteria to evaluate
web based information
OCL Activity 2
IRPA3
OCL 3 – (20-30mins, one
workshop)
3. Using APA referencing style
OCL Activity 3
IRPA 4
IRPA - Instant Reflective
Practice Activity (5-10mins
after each activity)
OCL Process for Activities in Blackboard
Iteration of
initial Thread in
greater detail
Extracts from
student
postings
Forum
Thread
IRPA
Tutor
summary
Seed
Student
postings
Web
resource(s)
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when
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and
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resources
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and
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do
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awith
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decide
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makes
whether
it page
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judging
a web
can be done
new
knowledge
in
a
reliable,
good
example
a
government
by ‘looking at the URL
the future?
address’.
source’
quality
web page?
Seed instructions using Plain
English
• 1. Have a look at this example: (BBC website
•
•
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on football hooliganism)
2. Go to this webpage for help: (Berkeley
University’s guide to evaluating web pages)
3. Read it carefully and make some notes [...]
5. Select the reply button […]
7. Write down how you would evaluate this
web page
8. Write a brief statement about the website
under each question as suggested by the
Berkeley help site
Student themes: OCL
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Demonstrating that
learning had taken
place by realising the
value of evaluating web
sites
Indicating how learning
is enhanced and
knowledge is extended
through: discourse,
seeing others views,
making comments,
receiving feedback from
peers and promoting
reflection
Student themes: Tutor Summary
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Recognition of
students’ work
Opportunity to see
everyone’s opinions
not just those of
lecturer
Helped in the learning
of new knowledge,
making sense of what
had been learnt
Helped motivate
students
Evaluation: emerging themes
• Students liked being able to contribute in a concrete
fashion:
– ‘You feel that you’ve done something productive afterwards when
you post your reply, something useful like you’ve learnt stuff and
soaked it up and that and then managed to extract it in the reply
for other people to see ’
• They liked being able to see what fellow students had
said:
– ‘you got to see what other people thought of the web site’
• students genuinely realised the importance of evaluating
web information:
– ‘you didn’t realise how many web sites could be frauds because it
gave you the links and the ideas to know that web sites you are
[…] referencing in essays are […] worth looking at […].’
• Students obtained significantly higher scores in the postdelivery knowledge test than in the pre-delivery test
OCL Process for Activities in Blackboard
Iteration of
initial Thread in
greater detail
Extracts from
student
postings
Forum
Thread
IRPA
Tutor
summary
Seed
Student
postings
Web
resource(s)
Revised Process
Final summary
handout
Forum
Final summary online
Iteration of
initial Thread in
greater detail
with new Seed
Thread
Web
resource(s)
Extracts from
student
postings
Seed
Tutor
summary
Student
postings
•
Conclusions
Placing Summary, Thread and New Seed on one page
enables students to engage in active reflection by:
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recalling and making sense of previous learning
seeing how this learning occurred and fits with the ‘wider
perspective’
Whole OCL process promotes:
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Sense of enjoyment - hands-on nature of activity
Motivation
A sense of value by using student output in tutor summaries
Ownership of knowledge produced
Transferability of skills recognised
Critical thinking
Adopting vocabulary of IL
Using online collaborative
learning (OCL) for sport and
exercise science students
»Geoff Walton, Subject and Learning
Support Librarian, Staffordshire
University
»Jamie Barker, Senior Lecturer,
Staffordshire University