Navigating Digital Transformation - Engaging Students through the VLE Hub and Spoke Model.pptx

The Virtual Learning Environments (VLE) used in universities serve as the central platform where students can access course materials and manage their learning activities. Its core functions are typically as a central repository for educational resources e.g., lectures, readings, multimedia content and supplementary resources; a platform for course management e.g., schedules, assignments and grades, and for communication e.g., announcements, email and discussion forums.

This keynote will consider how a hub and spoke model can help to develop the VLE as a central and valued hub students go to and provide scope for digital innovation, signposting to student support services and empower students to engage in meaningful communication and collaborative learning.
#digitaled24

1. Navigating Digital Transformation: Engaging Students through the VLE Hub and Spoke Model Sue Beckingham NTF, Associate Professor Learning and Teaching Sheffield Hallam University Digital Horizons: Navigating Transformation in Higher Education

2. Navigating Digital Transformation: Engaging Students through the VLE Hub and Spoke Model The Virtual Learning Environments (VLE) used in universities serve as the central platform where students can access course materials and manage their learning activities. Its core functions are typically as a central repository for educational resources e.g., lectures, readings, multimedia content and supplementary resources; a platform for course management e.g., schedules, assignments and grades, and for communication e.g., announcements, email and discussion forums. This keynote will consider how a hub and spoke model can help to develop the VLE as a central and valued hub students go to and provide scope for digital innovation, signposting to student support services and empower students to engage in meaningful communication and collaborative learning.

3. Sue Beckingham Sue is an Associate Professor (Learning and Teaching), National Teaching Fellow, Principal Lecturer in Digital Analytics and Technologies, and a Learning and Teaching Portfolio Lead at Sheffield Hallam University. She is also a Certified Management and Business Educator, a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, a Fellow of the Staff and Educational Development Association, and a Visiting Fellow at Edge Hill University. Her research interests include social media for learning and digital identity, groupwork, and the use of technology to enhance learning and teaching; and has published and presented this work nationally and internationally as an invited keynote speaker. She is a co-founder of the international # LTHEchat ' Learning and Teaching in Higher Education Twitter Chat ' and the Social Media for Learning in HE Conference @ SocMedHE . Publications: https://www.suebeckingham.com/p/publications.html Twitter: @suebecks Bluesky: @suebecks.bsky.social Blog: http://socialmediaforlearning.com/  LinkedIn:  linkedin.com/in/suebeckingham Email: [email protected] 2022 Author of book chapters 2024

4. What do we mean by... I’m going to start by exploring some of the terminology we use: Digital Transformation and the VLE Learning Environment Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) Learning Management Systems (LMS) Personal Learning Environment (PLE) Multimodal Learning Environments (MMLE)) Next Generation Digital Learning Environment (NGDLE) Innovative Learning Environments (ILE)) Digital Learning Environments (DLE)

5. Digital transformation?

6. “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire” said someone that wasn’t actually Yeats. As the old saying goes...

7. “ Digital transformation of Higher Education is not possible without supporting the development of digital competences of all staff who teach or support learning.” (Flynn, 2022) Sharon Flynn

8. Achill Oral Histories led by Dr Angela Maye-Banbury recording and archiving of life on Achill Island, Co Mayo Ireland as told by the people 1-2-1 student meetings as their academic adviser/personal tutor Fun quiz to demystify the assessment brief Social Media connecting people, communicating, collaborating, creating and curating ideas About me videos Digital transformation can have an impact one person, a few or many. Sheffield Hallam alumni Iain Dodsworth

9. LEARNING

10. Formal learning Non-formal learning Informal learning Semi-formal learning INTENTIONAL LEARNING UNINTENTIONAL LEARNING They may learn during courses or during training session in the workplace. The activity is designed as having learning objectives and individuals attend with the explicit goal of acquiring skills, knowledge or competences . They may learn during activities with learning objectives but learn beyond these . Individuals have the intention of learning about something and, without knowing it, learn also about something else. They may learn during work or leisure activities that may have learning objectives, but individuals are aware they are learning . Individuals observe or do things with the intention of becoming more skilled, more knowledgeable and/or more competent. They may learn in activities without learning objectives and without knowing they are learning . Adapted from Werquin (2007:5)

11. LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

12. Learning environment  refers to the diverse physical locations, contexts, and cultures in which students learn . Since students may learn in a wide variety of settings, such as outside-of-school locations and outdoor environments, the term is often used as a more accurate or preferred alternative to classroom, which has more limited and traditional connotations—a room with rows of desks and a chalkboard, for example. The Glossary of Education Reform, 2014

13. Learning environments are broader than just the physical components (such as classrooms, lecture theatres and labs), or on the technologies used to  to create online learning environments such as learning management systems. They will also include: the characteristics of the learners and their means of inter-communication; the goals for teaching and learning; the activities that support learning; the resources that are available, such as textbooks, technology, learning spaces, and human support (teachers, librarians, etc.); the assessment strategies that will best measure and drive learning; the culture that infuses the learning environment. Bates, 2022

14. MULTIMODAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

15. Learning styles anyone? https://vark-learn.com/ A well-known approach cited is the VARK learning styles...

16. The learning styles neuromyth persists... See: Papadatou-Pastou M, Touloumakos AK, Koutouveli C, Barrable A. The learning styles neuromyth: when the same term means different things to different teachers. In: Eur J Psychol Educ. 2020. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-020-00485-2 Patil, A., Newton, P.M. What Happens to the Principles of Evidence-Based Practice When Clinicians Become Educators? A Case Study of the Learning Styles Neuromyth. Med.Sci.Educ . 33, 1117–1126 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40670-023-01849-1

17. Multimodal learning (MML) can be defined as learning environments [that] allow instructional elements to be presented in more than one sensory mode (visual, aural, written) (Sankey et al. 2010: 853)

18. Interactive Multimodal Learning Environments Five Types of Interactivity in Multimodal Learning Environments (Moreno and Mayer, 2007:311)

19. VIRTUAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

20. Virtual Learning Environment A Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) is a system specifically designed to facilitate the management of educational courses by teachers for their students. It predominantly relies on computer hardware and software, enabling distance learning. In  North America , this concept is commonly denoted as a "Learning Management System" (LMS). Wikipedia

21. VLE VIRTUAL Online and accessible from anywhere with internet LEARNING Interactions with the content and activities ENVIRONENT The chosen platform

22. Metaphorical Concepts Straightjacket Behemoth Digital Carpark Safe Space Smorgasbord Pathfinder VLE Metaphors 2004-2019 (Farrelly et al, 2020:4)

23. e.g., lectures, readings, multimedia content and supplementary resources . Central repository for educational resources e.g., schedules, assignments and grades A platform for course management e.g., announcements, email and discussion forums. Communication The VLE

24. The metaphor of the fortress and the open city Classification of the components The FORTRESS is characterised by limited freedom and an aim for standardisation. This standardisation enables a flexible approach to the digital learning environment. In the CITY , research, studying, learning and working take place with the help of information from the fortress. There is more freedom in the city, and management is often decentralised (taking place within services, faculties, degree programmes and teams). However, the institution still sets criteria that must be met. In the COUNTRYSIDE surrounding the fortress and the city, it is users themselves who decide what they do, with no interference from the institution. (de Wit and van Dompmseler, 2017)

25. Chapter 9: The LMS (2022) 2007

26. LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

27. Learning Management Systems Gartner defines higher education Learning Management Systems (LMSs) as the central hub for teaching and learning technologies, offering access to a variety of tools and services both inside and outside of the platform.

28. Learning Management Systems The LMS directs learners to learning resources, provides tools for developing and tracking assignments and assessments, and can generate reports and analytics on learner performance. The LMS is designed to support the various roles involved in teaching and learning, and facilitates online collaboration and communication among learners, instructors and administrators. Gartner https://www.gartner.com/reviews/market/higher-education-learning-management-systems

29. The evolution of the LMS – from management to learning (Davis et al, 2009:2)

30. Abandoned and closed...

31. PERSONAL LEARNING ENVIRONENTS

32. Web 2.0 Fever (Weller 2007) The VLE/LMS Is Dead

33. A technology-based personal learning environment Image: Jason Hews, Flickr (In Bates, 2023 )

34. Resident Visible (leaves a social trace) Personal use Institutional use Visitor Invisible (no social trace left) Where are your personal learning spaces online? Activity towards the middle of the continuum is in ‘closed’ groups or communities. personal email work email PhD student email Group DMs Author #VandR mapping See White and Le Cornu, 2011 (critique of Prensky's Digital Natives)

35. NEXT GENERATION DIGITAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

36. Next Generation Digital Learning Environments (NGDLE) They must of course be digital, given that digital technology has become a component of virtually all teaching and learning practice. It must be about learning, since learning ties together learner and instructor. Finally, it must be an environment or ecosystem — a dynamic, interconnected, ever-evolving community of learners, instructors, tools, and content. (Brown et al, 2015) ” “

37. INNOVATIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

38. Innovative Learning Environments (ILEs) ILE Categories and sample technologies and pedagogies of ILEs (Rhoo, J. and Winkelmann, K. 2021: p2)

39. DIGITAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

40. Digital Learning Environments https://online.scu.edu.au/blog/digital-learning/

41. Digital Learning Environments https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/news/pr-features/digital-learning-environment

42. Digital Learning Environment The Digital Learning Environment is a suite of technologies that can be used to facilitate and promote good teaching practices and extend your teaching and the learning experience for students beyond the confines of standard teaching spaces in-class and online. vle blended and hybrid teaching video and audio online exams assessment and feedback forums audience response and polling https://warwick.ac.uk/services/academictechnology/dle/ student module feedback ePortfolios reading lists automated lecture capture exam scanning and marking interactive content collaboration

43. BACK TO VLEs

44. Overall market share of VLEs based on 247 UK HEIs (Mosley, 2023)

45. UCISA 2022 TEL - 2022 TEL -  Pulse Survey PDF  

46. Current favourites Canvas LMS by Instructure Moodle by Moodle Blackboard Learn by Anthology Brightspace by D2L

47. The importance of modality SPaM – A Framework to support the Development of Hybrid Education. (Thomson, 2022) 

48. ” “ Common Language Remote teaching, online teaching, hybrid, hyflex , flexible and blended teaching are all terms that are increasingly being used to mean different things in different contexts, causing a lot of confusion and conversations at cross purposes. A simple, common framework, such as that described by Sue Beckingham, needs to be adopted at institutional level so that management, students and all staff can be confident they are talking about the same thing. Flynn, 2022

49. Beckingham S. (2024) Re-defining Modes of Learning. In G. Ó Súilleabháin, D. Lanclos and T. Farrelly (Eds) How to Use Digital Learning with Confidence and Creativity: A Practical Introduction (pp. 168-177). Edward Elgar Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781035311293.00034 Chapter 20: Re-defining Modes of Learning

50. Where and how the VLE is accessed

51. THE DIGITAL LEARNING HUB

52. Work in progress A hub and spoke model can help to develop the VLE as a central and valued hub students go to and provide scope for digital innovation, signposting to student support services and empower students to engage in meaningful communication and collaborative learning

53. learning materials, learning activities summative and formative tasks, tutor/peer/client feedback student voice, you said we did, discussion, chat collaborative spaces student support (people), support resources (guidance), support services co-curricular and extracurricular activities, reflective eportfolio The Digital Learning Hub, Beckingham 2024

54. LEARNING ASSESSMENT & FEEDBACK COMMUNICATION & COLLABORATION SUPPORT About this module Learning materials Pre-class activities / in class activities / self-directed activities Reading and resource lists Assessment brief Assessment criteria / marking rubric Formative activities Generic feedback Personalised feedback Welcome announcements Reminders and nudges Q&A section Discussion boards Chat and social networking Student feedback / early module evaluation You said we did Collaborative workspaces Meet the module team Academic Adviser /Personal Tutor Student Support Adviser Employability Adviser Support resourc es Support services such as wellbeing, disability, careers PDP Co-curricular activities Suggeste d extracurricular activities Reflective-portfolio Skills log The Digital Learning Hub, Beckingham 2024

55. 02 04 Give your students ‘’walk throughs’ of your space and a rationale that shows it is a place that is useful to engage with. Introduce Provide students with opportunities to give feedback and showcase ‘you said, we did’ examples to close the loop Reflect 01 03 Adopt a consistent template for key information across your course and ensure content is inclusive and accessible. Create Show the students how you will expect them to use this space and engage with the activities. Interact Steps to consider when developing your learning space within a VLE

56. GENERATIVE AI SUPPORTED LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

57. Imagine ... Every student has effective access to GenAI , inside and outside the HE institution. All staff have effective access to GenAI . Every student and staff has their own ‘personal assistant’ and/or ‘agent’ using GenAI developments.

58. Hartley, 2024

59. Hartley, 2024

60. Using Generative AI Effectively in Higher Education:: Sustainable and Ethical Practices for Learning, Teaching and Assessment. 2024 Edited By  Sue Beckingham ,  Jenny Lawrence ,  Stephen Powell ,  Peter Hartley Check out this chapter! 7.  Re-imagining Student Engagement in an AI-Enhanced Classroom: Strategies and Practices by Hazel Farrell

61. LEARNING COMMUNITIES

62. The defining characteristics of learning communities, representing different ways of defining the boundaries of a community (West and Williams, 2017: 1571)

63. See: DigitalEd22 ‘Learning as a Partnership - The Building Blocks of Multimodal Learning Communities‘ https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/learning-as-a-partnership-the-building-blocks-of-multimodal-learning-communities-pptx/251720518

64. PARTNERSHIP: The Building Blocks of Learning Communities Alignment PLACE personally, and physically inviting, accessible, multiple ways to participate ALIGNMENT clear articulation of shared common goals, learning objectives and anticipated achievements RELATIONSHIPS collaborative, cooperative, interdependent TRUST a safe space to share, to explore and experiment, to learn from mistakes NURTURE supporting, human centred, culture of care and compassion ENGAGEMENT reading, watching, listening, questioning, discussing, doing, making REFLECTION being reflective and reflexive, acting on feedback SOCIAL LEARNING social interaction, active, collegiate and connected, open and closed groups and forums HARMONY respecting and valuing diversity, relational and culturally responsive, inclusion and equity IDENTITY individuality, self-expression and self-belief, empowered, sense of belonging PRACTICE co-created, sharing implicit and explicit learning and interrelated knowledge @suebecks 2022

65. References Bates, A. W. (2022) Teaching in a Digital Age: Guideline for teaching and learning 3rd Edn . https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/teachinginadigitalagev3m/ Beckingham, S., Beggs, R., Hinton, D., Varga-Atkins, T. and Watson, D. (2022) Modes of learning: a practice guide. Edited by Kay Hack. Advance HE. https://www.advance-he.ac.uk/knowledge-hub/beyond-flexible-learning-practice-guide Beckingham S. (2024) Re-defining Modes of Learning. In G. Ó Súilleabháin, D. Lanclos and T. Farrelly (Eds)  How to Use Digital Learning with Confidence and Creativity: A Practical Introduction (pp. 168-177). Edward Elgar Publishing.  https://doi.org/10.4337/9781035311293.00034 Beckingham, S., Lawrence, J., Powell, S. and Hartley, P. (2024) Using Generative AI Effectively in Higher Education: Sustainable and Ethical Practices for Learning Teaching and Assessment. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003482918 Brown, M., Dehoney , J. and Millichap, N. (2015) The Next Generation Digital Learning Environment: A Report on Research. Educause. https://library.educause.edu/-/media/files/library/2015/4/eli3035-pdf Caprara , L. and Caprara , C. (2022). Effects of virtual learning environments: A scoping review of literature. Education and Information Technologies, 27, 3683–3722. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-021-10768-w Davis, B., Carmean , C. and Wagner, E. D. (2009) The evolution of the LMS – from management to learning. The Elearning Guild https://www.cedma-europe.org/newsletter%20articles/eLearning%20Guild/The%20Evolution%20of%20the%20LMS%20-%20From%20Management%20to%20Learning%20(Oct%2009).pdf

66. References Farrelly, T., Costello, E. and Donlon, E. (2020) VLEs: A Metaphorical History from Sharks to Limpets. Journal of Interactive Media in Education , 20(1), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.5334/jime.575 Flynn, S. (2022) Digitalisation in International Higher Education. Academic Cooperation Association. https://aca-secretariat.be/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Think-Piece-2.pdf Heick , T. ( nd ) The Characteristics Of A Highly Effective Learning Environment. Teachthought . https://www.teachthought.com/learning/effective-environment/ Longo, M. C., Glaccone , S. C. and Garraffo , F. (2013) Applying the hub-and-spoke model to virtual communities: the IBM innovation approach. International Journal of Technology Marketing , 8(2). https://doi.org/10.1504/IJTMKT.2013.054077 Moreno, R. and Mayer, R. (2007) Interactive Multimodal Learning Environments. Educational Psychology Review , 19, 309–326. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-007-9047-2

67. References Rhoo, J. and Winkelmann, K. (2021) Innovative Learning Environments in STEM Higher Education: Opportunities, Challenges, and Looking Forward. Springer. Thomson, S. (2022).  SPaM – A Framework to support the Development of Hybrid Education.  SPaM Framework. https://spam.digisim.uk Weller, M. (2007) The VLE/LMS is dead https://blog.edtechie.net/web-2-0/the-vlelms-is-d/ Weller, M. (2020). 25 Years of Ed Tech . Athabasca University Press. Weller, M. (2024) Things I was wrong about pt2: The Death of the VLEhttps://blog.edtechie.net/vle/things-i-was-wrong-about-pt2-the-death-of-the-vle/ W erquin, P. (2007) Terms, Concepts and Models for Analysing the Value of Recognition Programmes. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development https://www.oecd.org/education/skills-beyond-school/41834711.pdf West, R.E., Williams, G.S. “I don’t think that word means what you think it means”: A proposed framework for defining learning communities. Education Tech Research Dev 65, 1569–1582 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-017-9535-0 White, D. and Le Cornu, A. (2011) Visitors and Residents: a new typology for online engagement. First Monday , 16(9). https://firstmonday.org/ojs/index.php/fm/article/download/3171/3049 de Wit, M. and van Dompmseler , H. (2017) How to create a digital learning environment consisting of various components and acting as a whole? Eunis - European University Information Systems. https://www.eunis.org/download/2017/EUNIS_2017_paper_16.pdf