II Workshop on Web Enabling Technologies & Strategies for Scientific e-Learning - April 2004

II Workshop on Web Enabling Technologies & Strategies for Scientific e-Learning

Background

Brian Kelly gave three 2-hour lectures at the II Workshop on Web Enabling Technologies for Scientists held in Trieste from 14^th-23^rd April 2004. Note the Web page is no longer available but the home page is available on the Internet Archive.

Brian Kelly gave the following sessions on the first 3 days of the workshop 14-16^th April 2004:

1. Approaches to e-Learning: Introduction
   [Wed 14 April 2004, from 15:40-18:00 (with 30 minute coffee break)]
2. Approaches to e-Learning: The Users' Perspective
   [Thu 15 April from 15:40-18:00 (with 30 minute coffee break)
3. Approaches to e-Learning: Developing An E-Learning Strategy
   [Fri 16 April 2004 from 09:00-11:10 (with 30 minute coffee break)

Jon Maber (University of Leeds) gave sessions from 19-21 April 2004. Jon's sessions built on the initial sessions given by Brian Kelly.

1. Approaches to e-Learning: e-Learning as a Form of On-line Collaborative Working
   [Mon 19 April 2004, from 11:10-12:00 and 14:00-14:50]
2. Approaches to e-Learning: Services for e-Learning
   [Tue 20 April 2004, from 14:00-15:40]
3. Approaches to e-Learning: Strategies for Development of e-Learning Academic Department View versus Academic Services View
   [Wed 21 April 2004, from 09:00-11:10 (with 30 minutes coffee break)]

Summary

The lectures were be on the theme of providing e-learning. The following scenario were be used:

Delegates are assumed to be seeking to develop an e-learning strategy for their scientific organisation. The strategy will address:

• The content areas to be covered.
• A profile of the user groups within the organisation and any specific needs.
• The potential for use of elearning services provided by external bodies.
• Recommendations on whether the organisation should seek to implement a local elearning environment.
• If a local elearning environment is to be implemented, recommendations on the requirements needed and examples of tools to be evaluated in more depth.

The following lectures will be given:

Session 1

Introduction

An introduction to the series of session to be given by Brian Kelly (and Jon Maber in the following week).
Slides: [HTML] - [MS PowerPoint]

Key Standards And Technologies

This talk will provide background information of the importance of standards, specific standards which need to be considered and key application areas relevant to e-learning.
Slides: [HTML] - [MS PowerPoint]

Session 2

E-Learning - The User's Perspective

This talk and hands-on session will provide delegates with an opportunity for to have hands-on experience of a range of e-learning environments. Delegates will be encouraged to give their feedback on aspects they found valuable and areas in which concerns were noted. These experiences will help to inform delegate's plans for when they consider the development of e-learning.
Slides: [MS PowerPoint] - [HTML]
Exercises: [MS Word]

Session 3

Developing An E-Learning Strategy

This session will outline the strategic challenges in deploying e-learning and provide group exercises in which the delegates will outline the requirements of an e-learning environment to be deployed within their organisation.
Slides: [HTML] - [MS PowerPoint]
Exercises: [MS Word]

Conclusions

Conclusions to the presentations and a summary of the issues to be addressed in the second series of lectures, to be given by Jon Maber.
Slides: [HTML] - [Conclusions]

Jon Maber's Sessions

In the second week Jon Maber will run the following sessions:

Session 1 - eLearning as a form of on-line collaborative working

Description

In this session Jon Maber will:

• Present a number of learning and teaching scenarios and demonstrate technologies that supports an on-line approach.
• Give due emphasis to the use of low technology solutions in combination with eLearning (e.g. use of printed materials).
• Argue the case for blurring the boundaries between learning and teaching activities and other scholarly activities on-line.
• Provide a hands on session using various tools in the VLE developed at the University of Leeds.

Session 2 - Services for eLearning

Description

In this session Jon Maber will discuss:

• Provision of reliable C&IT services to support eLearning.
• Running virtual learning environment to a professional standard.
• Cost of providing services.
• The importance of authentication and authorisation infrastructure.
• Provide a hands-on session which will provided experience with the management functionality of Leeds VLE followed by group discussion.

Session 3 - Strategies for development of e-Learning: Academic department view versus academic services view

Description

In this session Jon Maber will discuss:

• Is the eLearning strategy a learning and teaching strategy or an IT strategy?
• Accessibility for users with different personal needs and preferences and users with different access to technology.
• Open debate of issues arising from all three sessions.

If possible Brian Kelly will participate in this session using a Webcam

URLS Used In Workshop

The following URLs will be used in the workshop.

Hands-on Session On Using E-learning

Group Session On E-learning Strategies

Software Requirements

The following software will be used in the workshop:

• Virtual Training Suite
• Blog
• MSN Messenger
• Webcam
• Orkut
• Browser Plugins

Use Of Online Tutorial Prior To Workshop

The workshop organisers will request that participants make use of an online tutorial prior to departing for the workshop. This has several aims:

• To ensure that participants have an understanding of information gathering skills on the Internet.
• To allow participants to gain practical experience of an e-learning environment.
• To allow participants to gain an understanding of the limitations of e-learning environments.

The workshop organisers will ask participants to access the online tutorial at http://www.vts.rdn.ac.uk/tutorial/ict/. Participants should seek to gain an understanding of the structure of the tutorial, its approach to learning, the navigational structure and the interactive elements provided. Participants should aim to spend about an hour on this tutorial.

Workshop participants who are experienced in online tutorials and in the content covered in the tutorial should seek to make use of one of the subject-based tutorials available from http://www.vts.rdn.ac.uk/.

Workshop participants will be asked the following questions:

• Did you use the tutorial? If not, why not? Note it is appreciated that not everyone will find it possible to access the tutorial. Please do not be too concerned if you cannot access it, but please try to, if possible.
• What were the three best aspects of the online tutorial?
• Give up to three aspects of the online tutorial which you felt could be improved or you were unhappy with.

Use Of Blogging Software

Subject to confirmation, we will provide access to a "Blog" which can be used by workshop participants. We will encourage workshop participants (and speakers) to use the Blog to provide a personal diary.

Speakers such as Jon Maber, who will not be in attendance at the start of the workshop, will also have access to the Blog in order to gain an understand of how the workshop is developing and issues which the participants are raising.

The Blog is available at http://www.bath.ac.uk/dacs/cdntl/pMachine/gateway.php. Username and password details will be provided at a later date.

It should be noted that the Blog will be provided on an experimental basis. The University of Bath reserves the right to withdraw the Blog in case of any problems, misuse, etc. We can also not guarantee that information submitted to the Blog will continue to be available on a long term basis.

The Blog will provide workshop participants with experience of an Internet collaboration and publishing environment which is growing in popularity. However in order to provide participants with a variety of tools, Jon Maber will provide access to a 'learning log book' which will provide a similar function. Making use of two different tools will help delegates to gain an understanding of common aspects and of how different applications may implement features differently.

Instant Messaging

Subject to further discussion, we hope to provide workshop participants with access to instant messaging software (probably MSN Chat, as this is widely used, but it would be helpful if a Jabber client was also available). We will use this to provide instant messaging between the participants and Jon Maber, prior to his arrival at the workshop.

Webcam

We will also seek to make use of Webcam software and microphones so that Jon Maber can talk to us while he is still in England and we can see him.

Orkut

Brian Kelly will invite delegates to join Orkut. In order to do this it would be helpful if the participants were to be asked to email Brian with there email addresses.

Browser Plugins

It would be helpful if SVG and SMIL browser plugins were available from the browsers.