Student Data Collection – Update

Following the pre VC experience questionnaire carried out with first year undergraduates in semester 1, a follow-up post VC experience questionnaire is being carried out. The questionnaire was designed collaboratively with staff across academic schools. A post VC experience focus group has also been carried out.

Post VC questionnaire template (N=500)

Post VC focus group schedule (N=5)

Cohort 2 (Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry)

• Student interviews have been completed as part of a study of the impact of Telematic lectures and video streaming on undergraduate student learning. The sample was selected at random from the PCMD register from the four sites (Exeter, Plymouth, Truro and Torbay).· See the PCMD student interview template (N=20)

Cohort 3 (GeoVid)

• A focus group has been carried out with 8 students to find out the impact of this cross-institutional multi-way VC activity on their learning. Please visit the GeoVid blog entry to read about the student focus group: http://www.as.ex.ac.uk/eeu/vcproject/?p=260

Cohort 4 (Great Western Research)

• One student interview has been completed and two further interviews scheduled with Postgraduate Mathematics students who regularly access remote seminars using the GWR Training Network.
• GWR student interview schedule (N=3)

GeoVid

One of Exeter’s Pathfinder Project objectives is to research both large and small group teaching using VC technologies. A mini-project within our research is GeoVid. This is a multi-way VC teaching activity involving the departments of Geography at Exeter, Coventry, Edge Hill and Bath Spa Universities. It comprises of small group VC teaching and enquiry-led learning. A GeoVid pilot activity took place during December ‘07- January ‘08 with students at Exeter, Coventry and Edge Hill Universities. At each site students were given one component from a data set, and worked collaboratively to bring the three components together, using multi-way VC software (iChat), in order to understand the complete data set.

Following the activity, 8 students at Cornwall campus took part in a focus group to discuss their experiences and expectations of using multi-way VC for small group learning. Three interviews have also been carried out with the staff ‘lead’ at each institution, focussing on the impact of videoconferencing this activity on their teaching. This study will form part of a case-study on the use of multi-way VC for teaching and learning.

GeoVid Focus Group schedule (N=8) GeoVid staff interviews schedule (N=3)

Staff Data Collection – Update

The VC project team have been working with staff across the 4 different cohorts of the Pathfinder Project, to survey current practice and experiences of teaching using video-conferencing.

Cohort 1 (academic schools) and Cohort 2 (PCMD): 

·         9 (out of 10) academic staff interviews have been carried out with staff from schools currently and previously using VC for teaching and learning (English, Biosciences, Geography, Law, and History and Politics). Participants have very different experiences of teaching and varying experiences of using VC for cross-campus teaching, and represent lecturers who are new to the institution as well as those with significant experience of working within the instituion.  Four (out of 4) PCMD staff interviews have been completed. See academic and PCMD staff interview schedule (N=13).

·         3 (out of 3) audio-visual support staff interviews have also been completed and transcribed. See AV support staff interview schedule (N=3).

Cohort 3 (GeoVid):·        

·         3 (out of 4) interviews have been completed with staff across 4 HE institutions: Exeter, Coventry, Edge Hill and Bath Spa Universities. Participants were asked about their experience of leading this pilot cross-institutional teaching activity where students used Internet collaboration software (iChat) to communicate three parts of a data set (Exeter, Coventry and Edge Hill each had 1 component). See interview schedule for GeoVid staff (N=3).

Cohort 4 (Great Western Research):·        

·         The first of two interviews has been scheduled with staff who have used the GWR Training Network.

Additional Interviews – School of Education and Lifelong Learning

·         The first of two interviews has been scheduled with staff about their experiences with using recently acquired internet collaboration software, Adobe Connect Professional. Whilst the use of this software for teaching is in its infancy at the University, there is significant interest in the potential of this desktop software for use with PGCE students and others.  It is also beginning to be used to stream cross-campus presentations by members of senior management. 

HEA Pathfinder Programme Meeting

In February, two members of Exeter’s Pathfinder team attended the two-day JISC/HEA Pathfinder Programme meeting in York. A key part of the event was for cluster groups A-G to give a presentation on their projects. Click on the thumbnail below to see Cluster F’s presentation:

Proposed dissemination activity planned for Cluster F:

• Mini conference/workshop at Wolverhampton on 16th April 2008: Cluster F members will each give a presentation/workshop to showcase their work. The current working title is Technology and staff development for new teaching and learning and pedagogy.
• ALT Conference on 9th- 11st September 2008: a joint submission by Cluster F to ALT as a symposium around the theme of digital divide was proposed. The title is Exploring the Pedagogy of Visual, Auditory and Kinaesthetic engagement with learning through technology. Themes that could be addressed are:

· Pedagogies of Visual, auditory and kinaesthetic engagement with learning · Models and methods of staff development · Non-text digital literacy · Technical issues · The student experience · Learning activities with evolving VAK input and output · Curriculum design and assessment · Existing, new and emerging technology

• A ‘product’ or output stemming from work as a cluster F: Outputs that could be created as a result of Cluster F’s work were discussed. The Wolverhampton conference may be videoed, and papers / presentations etc may be put on a wiki or a website.
• Discussion on what the cluster F would like to raise as an issue from this event: some concerns were raised about sustainability, continuation funding, and being absorbed into bigger projects. Each project team felt that the HEA Pathfinder Programme branding had enabled them to raise their profile and achieve more within their institutions. However all the institutional reports illustrated that the current focus is very much on text-based materials/products, and therefore the use of the non-textual to support learning and teaching needs to be explored.
• Future collaboration between institutions: Exeter is investigating the potential for future collaboration with the University of Kingston regarding the use of voting systems and/or Internet collaboration software (Adobe Connect Professional) to help facilitate more interactive lectures and student activities, particularly where videoconferencing is being used for cross-campus teaching.

Cluster F Meeting

A second CAMEL meeting was held at the University of Exeter in January. Each institution gave a summary of their latest project developments. Presentations focused on (i) one teaching or other technology idea that was stimulated by the Pathfinder experience, (ii) one main output that we anticipate coming from our project that other institutions will be able to capitalize on, and (iii) some preliminary indicators of institutional impact, including how the projects are feeding into institutional change strategies.

Exeter’s presentation:

In preparation for a group presentation at the HEA Pathfinder Programme meeting on 12th-13th February, each institution shared one PowerPoint slide, showing key points about their project. Internal and external dissemination was discussed, including journals and conference papers. Betty stressed the importance of ensuring regional and institutional dissemination. The next CAMEL meeting (16th April, Wolverhampton), will include an opportunity to give a presentational seminar to the JISC’s regional group. Thanks to Megan Lawton for organising this event.

Steering Group Meeting

The second Steering Group meeting was held in January. Members included Allan Davies (HEA Senior Adviser) and Betty Collis (critical friend). Key points were as follows:

• 2nd HEA Progress Report: discussion focused on dissemination and data collection. Abstracts have been submitted for DIVERSE 2008 and Plymouth e-Learning conference 2008.*   A presentational workshop will be delivered at JISC Regional Support Centre SW HE conference 2008: Innovation Through Partnership. Curriculum design maps have been created to show modes of teaching delivery and where VC fits within teaching timetables. See http://www.as.ex.ac.uk/eeu/vcproject/?p=184  

• Presentation of preliminary project findings: to show student expectations of VC’d teaching, the perceived benefits and drawbacks, and findings surrounding staff experiences of teaching through VC (click on thumbnail below).
  
  
  

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  Multi-dimensional framework: shows Exeter’s position in relation to the current use of VC technologies (usually a lecture-led presentation via VC). It also shows how usage could be broadened to include student led activities/video streaming/podcasting etc (click on thumbnail below).
  
  

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  Case Studies: frameworks for 3 case studies have been developed. 
  
  

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  Continuing professional development - VC workshops: over 50 staff have participated in “VC for beginners” workshops, and positive evaluation feedback received from participants. Key issues are staff time and appropriate spaces for carrying out the training. A valuable development of the training session would be to include newer video and conferencing technologies in order to show staff what is possible.
  
  

• Observations from critical friend: Betty Collis reported that she was happy with the progress of Exeter’s Pathfinder Project.  She welcomed the broadening context of the research (considering other video and conferencing technologies beyond traditional VC teaching). 

• *On 21st February, we received confirmation that our paper, Using video and conferencing technologies for cross-campus teaching, has been reviewed very positively and accepted to be presented at the Plymouth e-Learning Conference 2008 - Digital Learning: Repurposing Education on 4th April 2008.