Next Steps for LAMS and Developing
Scenario Learning with Branching
James Dalziel
Professor of Learning Technology &
Director, Macquarie E-Learning Centre Of Excellence (MELCOE)
Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
james@melcoe.mq.edu.au
www.melcoe.mq.edu.au
Keynote Presentation for 9th International LAMS and Learning Design Conference,
NTU, Singapore, 26th November, 2014
Overview
• What is Learning Design?
• LAMS
• Next Steps for LAMS
• Developing Scenario Learning (with Branching)
• Conclusion & Discussion
What is Learning Design?
• The field of Learning Design is trying to develop a
language/framework for describing teaching and
learning activities
– What is the arrangement/sequence of activities in a class?
– Applicable to online education, face to face & blended learning
• By describing “good teaching ideas”, these can be
shared with other educators
– Like the role of music notation among musicians
– Help educators go beyond simply “delivery” of content
– Sharing via online repositories such as the LAMS Community
What is Learning Design?
• Recent summary of the field by international experts
“The Larnaca Declaration on Learning Design”
– www.larnacadeclaration.org
• I’m please to announce a major new book, building on
the Larnaca Declaration, to be published by Routledge:
“Learning Design: Conceptualizing a Framework for
Teaching and Learning Online”
(provisional title)
– Edited by James Dalziel, aiming for late 2015, some chapters to
appear in JIME during 2015.
– More details to come in LAMS Community newsletter
Learning Design
Learning
Design
Conceptual
Map
(LD-CM)
Learning
Design
Framework
(LD-F)
Learning
Design
Practice
(LD-P)
The Larnaca Declaration on Learning Design:
New Definitions for the future of the field
Challenge
Creating learning experiences aligned to particular pedagogical approaches and learning objectives
Teaching Cycle
Educational Philosophy
All pedagogical approaches
All disciplines
Design
and Plan
Theories & Methodologies
Level of Granularity
Engage
with
students
Program
Module
A range based on assumptions
about the Learning Environment
Learning Environment:
Characteristics & Values
External Agencies Institution
Educator Learner
Session
Professional
Development
Learning Activities
Reflection
Core Concepts of Learning Design
Guidance
Representation
Sharing
Implementation
Tools
Resources
Learner Responses
Feedback
Assessment
Learner Analytics
Evaluation
Vittorio Sciosia CC http://www.flickr.com/photos/7504140@N04/472279792/
LAMS
• LAMS - Learning Activity Management System
– World’s leading Learning Design system, development led by
LAMS International Pty Ltd, working with Macquarie University
• LAMS is used by thousands of educators in 80+
countries, translated into 33 languages
– Freely available as open source software
• Sharing of over 2,000 LAMS sequences via
LAMS Community – www.lamscommunity.org
• I’m pleased to announce that the LAMS Community
has just gained its 10,000th member!
Next Steps for LAMS
• Ongoing support for blended learning, flipped
classrooms and large scale use (including MOOCs)
• Robust and highly scalable with Amazon Cloud
infrastructure
• Integration with Declara for advanced learning
analytics and personalised learning
– Thanks to James Stanbridge & Declara as Platinum Sponsors
– LAMS+Declara: The next generation of learning technology?
Next Steps for LAMS
Next year will include:
• Major LAMS internal infrastructure upgrade – much
faster and more stable with latest server-side Java
• Completion of Non-Flash LAMS – replace Author
• New “teaching strategy” layer over Author – support
customisation for particular approaches, eg TBL
Mockup of LAMS Teaching Strategy Template layer in LAMS Author
LAMS Teaching Strategy Templates
• See 3 at www.practicaleteachingstrategies.com
– Predict-Observe-Explain
– Role play
– Problem Based Learning
• I’m pleased to announce that the book to accompany
these strategies is now freely available from the website
• Detailed Example: 2 versions of Developing
Scenario Learning (DSL) & use in Blended Learning
– Developing Scenario Learning – Teacher Training
– Developing Scenario Learning with Branching: Values
LAMS – Author: Predict Observe Explain example
Developing Scenario Learning (DSL)
•
A hybrid of Problem Based Learning (PBL) and role play
•
Uses authentic problem idea and research from PBL
•
Uses scenario idea from role play, but response to
scenario is as yourself (not a role)
•
Key element is reflecting on scenario with peers to
understand situation and share ideas on how to interpret
–
•
Rationale for possible future action
Then – scenario evolves
–
May require changes to action; and reconsider original
assumptions
14
Examples 1: Developing Scenario Learning
15
Developing Scenario Learning (DSL)
•
Example: You are a head teacher in a typical secondary
school, trying to encourage staff to adopt a new
teaching technique (role plays). An older male teacher,
who is known to be quite conservative, is proving
difficult to engage in the process – he seems to want to
just continue as in the past. He seems not to be
enjoying his teaching (he even complains he doesn’t
enjoy his newspapers anymore – which he was famous
for always reading in the staff room), but does not seem
willing to try new ideas. When you ask him directly about
trying this new approach, he is uncomfortable, distant
and non-committal about what he will do.
16
Developing Scenario Learning (DSL)
•
What are your initial thoughts?
•
Share thoughts with group
•
What knowledge issues might be at play?
•
What attitude issues might be at play?
•
What emotional issues might be at play?
•
What do you see as the problem, and what is your plan
of action to address this problem?
•
What additional information/research might you need
(either for yourself, or to address the situation)
17
Developing Scenario Learning (DSL)
•
One week later: You receive a letter from a psychologist
who is treating the staff member for serious depression.
The psychologist notes that his patient is a private
person who would rather not raise his troubles at work,
but recognises that he is not coping with the idea of
changing his teaching approach, especially for a
strategy that can be quite emotional for students. The
idea of changing his methods is causing a lot of anxiety.
At the same time, he finds little pleasure in his teaching
as it is. The staff member wishes to continue teaching,
but is finding change difficult.
18
Developing Scenario Learning (DSL)
•
•
What are your new thoughts?
–
How did your initial assessment of the situation fit with the
letter?
–
How do you need to revise your strategies in the light of the
letter?
–
What additional information/research do you need?
–
What is your revised plan of action?
–
What are your reflections on the whole scenario?
Download LAMS teacher training example & template
–
Teaching: http://lamscommunity.org/lamscentral/sequence?seq_id=1856812
–
Template: http://lamscommunity.org/lamscentral/sequence?seq_id=1856800
–
Article: http://lamsfoundation.org/lams2012sydney/docs/Dalziel.pdf
19
Examples 1: Developing Scenario Learning
20
Example 2: Developing Scenario Learning with Branching
LAMS and Teacher Training: Values
• Teacher Training Example
Initial Scenario: Your school has a “3 strikes = suspension”
policy regarding significant class disruption. You are teaching
a class of 16 year olds. A student who already has two strikes
is being restless and difficult in your current class. After a clear
warning, he later pushes the books off another student’s desk.
Before you can respond to this action, he says he is sorry.
• You take him outside the class to talk to him. Do you:
– A: Discuss with him that his action is not appropriate, and that he had
been warned, but you accept his sorriness, and choose not to report him
for disruption (so he will not be suspended).
– B: Tell him that although he is sorry, he disrupted the class after a clear
warning, so you will report him for disruption, which will lead to a
suspension.
LAMS and Teacher Training: Values
• Scenario – Option A (not report disruption)
• After returning to class and being quiet for awhile, while your back
is turned the student has an altercation with the student whose
books were pushed off the desk, and he pushes the other student
off his chair. You take him outside to reprimand him, and he is in
tears as he pleads with you saying he is sorry, and if he gets
suspended he will get in big trouble at home.
• Do you:
– A1: Tell him that pushing the other student is completely unacceptable, and
the next time he does anything like that he will be reported immediately, but
due to his tears and his home fears, you choose (with some reluctance) not
to report him (which means he will not be suspended).
– A2: Tell him that he was given two clear warnings before, and he has not
responded to these chances to behave better, so you will have to report him
(which means he will be suspended).
LAMS and Teacher Training: Values
• Scenario – Option B (report disruption)
• After you tell the student you will report him for disruption, he
becomes very upset, and in tears tells you that he is really
sorry, and if he is suspended, he will face big trouble at home.
He says he will accept any other punishment, but pleads with
you not to formally report him for disruption because of the
consequences if he is suspended.
• Do you:
– B1: Tell him that he has clearly broken the rules, and deserves to be
reported for disruption and suspended, but that you are willing to withhold
reporting him if he does a different punishment and stops disrupting
class. He agrees, so you choose a different punishment, but decide not to
report him for disruption (which means he will not be suspended).
– B2: Tell him that he had a clear warning beforehand, and he knew the
consequences of a suspension for his home life, so he should have not
pushed the books off the other student’s desk in the first place. You
report him for disruption (which means he will be suspended).
LAMS and Teacher Training: Values
• In terms of values, it is a two staged Care vs Fairness
scenario
A1: Extreme
Care
A: Prefer Care
A2: Care
modified by
Fairness
Scenario: Care
vs Fairness
B: Prefer
Fairness
B1: Fairness
modified by
Care
B2: Extreme
Fairness
Example 2: Developing Scenario Learning with Branching
View inside
Sequence at http://lamscommunity.org/lamscentral/sequence?seq_id=1874090
Branching.
Template at http://lamscommunity.org/lamscentral/sequence?seq_id=1874100
Thank You
• To Paul, Huaqing, Alan, Gary and all at LKC Medicine
for help in co-hosting this conference, and Ridwan and
others at CITS for assistance – my great thanks!
• To Ernie, Renee and Leanne for conference help
• To James Stanbridge from Declara, Platinum Sponsor
• To Ernie, Marcin, Andrey, Anna and Marek for the
awesome work of the LAMS Technical Team
• To all the presenters and attendees for making this a
great conference!
Conclusion & Discussion
• We’ll keep making LAMS better and better, and we’re
keen to hear your suggestions
– Especially for new “Teaching strategy” layer over Author
• We’re keen to support Singapore and surrounding
countries in getting the most out of LAMS
– Different sequence structures for different learning needs
• We’ll keep developing the concepts of Learning Design,
not just the technology
– Upcoming Routledge book on Learning Design (Ed J Dalziel)