Monday, May 17, 2010
9:00 AM-12:30 PM
Abstract:
The overall aim of this workshop is to provide a hands-on experience in online learning design. Attendees will design their own interactive, collaborative learning activities in LAMS (Learning Activity Management System). It offers educators a highly intuitive visual authoring environment for creating sequences of learning activities and is available as a free download, as OpenSource software. Participants will have the opportunity to practise designing using the LAMS tools, but in particular will explore how images, video, document files, learning objects and group work can be simply incorporated into online learning. This workshop also will go beyond the basic functions of LAMS software and reflect on the design, construction and implementation issues of online learning. The workshop aims to explore ways in which online learning can support collaborative and individualised approaches and the latest research into the area will be discussed.
Objectives:
• Examine current best practice online learning;
• Introduce the concept of Learning Design, using LAMS;
• Participate as a learner in an introductory LAMS sequence;
• Author your own sequence in LAMS;
• Explore existing sequences and discuss pedagogical approaches;
• Discuss learning and teaching issues;
• Explore how students progress can be monitored;
• Evaluate LAMS as a tool for facilitating collaborative, interactive online learning.
Outline:
Introduction
This will provide attendees with an opportunity to discuss their own experience with online learning.
Online learning practice
There will be a review of best practice in online learning. This is an interactive discussion blending content from what the researchers know works, to what attendees have tried. This is then followed by an introduction to the concept of Learning Design.
The Learner Environment
Workshop attendees will participate in a hands-on session as learners in an introductory LAMS sequence, just as their own students would do; They will be introduced to a range of LAMS online activity tools by using them. This exercise demonstrates how online learning can be highly interactive and collaborative. During this time attendees are also introduced to the Monitoring Environment that allows course leaders to monitor student progress.
The Author Environment
The LAMS Authoring Environment is introduced. The Authoring environment is where LAMS sequences are created and modified. Attendees will be introduced to the wide range of online tools available. Using the simple ‘drag and drop’ interface they will be given time to author their own sequence in LAMS, which can be saved for later use. They will experience how they can add images, video, files, learning objects and group work into interactive learning activities.
The LAMS Community
The LAMS Community is a learning activity repository and is the central hub for sharing sequences and collaborating with other people using LAMS.
Issues Arising from using Online Learning
The group will discuss learning and teaching issues that arise from online learning environments, and the integration of LAMS into the current popular Learning Management Systems, eg. BlackBoard, WebCT, Moodle.
Evaluation
Attendees evaluate LAMS as a tool for facilitating collaborative, interactive online learning in their own context.
Prerequisites:
The workshop is designed for lecturers, teachers, instructors and students from any educational context who are interested in designing their own online learning. A basic understanding of how to use a web browser to access the internet and basic computer skills are the only prerequisites required. No prior experience with LAMS is necessary for this workshop.
Intended Experience Level:
Beginner
Instructor Qualifications:
Leanne Cameron is currently working as Head of Educational Development in MELCOE (Macquarie E-Learning Centre Of Excellence), a research centre within Australia’s Macquarie University. She regularly runs workshops throughout the world on online learning and has been doing so for MELCOE for 4 years. She is a prominent researcher in her own right, specialising in Learning Design and the integration of technology in classrooms. Originally employed as a Lecturer in Education (ICT), she moved on to manage the Teacher Education Program’s IT Centre where she maintained teaching responsibility for two courses looking at the integration of ICTs in educational settings. Leanne likes to keep online learning design simple for educators, which is why she initially became interested in LAMS.
An example of the workshops Leanne has conducted can be found at:
http://lams2009sydney.lamsfoundation.org/wkshop_beginner.htm
http://lams2009.lamsfoundation.org/wkshop_beginner.htm
http://lams2008sydney.lamsfoundation.org/wkshop_beginner.htm
http://lams2008.lamsfoundation.org/wkshop_beginner.htm
http://lams2007sydney.lamsfoundation.org/wkshop_beginner.htm
http://lams2007.lamsfoundation.org/wkshop_beginner.htm