Teaching Matters

34 - Nazlee Siddiqui

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Teaching Matters 2016 | Presentation Details | 7 DecemberDec 2016

Title

Many brains make student learning lighter work: investigating peer-to-peer synchronous engagement to engage the postgraduate online student


Author(s)

Nazlee Siddiqui*, Australian Institute of Health Services Management; Tasmanian School of Business and Economics (TSBE)
Kerryn Butler-Henderson, Australian Institute of Health Services Management; Tasmanian School of Business and Economics (TSBE)
Kathy Eljiz, Australian Institute of Health Services Management; Tasmanian School of Business and Economics (TSBE)
David Greenfield, Australian Institute of Health Services Management; Tasmanian School of Business and Economics (TSBE)


Subtheme

Locally and Globally Engaged Learning and Teaching


Presentation Type

Spotlight on Practice


Room

Academy Gallery


Time

11.30-12.30


Abstract

Collaborative learning is known to be an important element for student’s engagement (Reese 2014). In this presentation, the presenters will share insights about an online collaborative practice, that is, peer-to-peer synchronous engagement (PPSE). PPSE refers to engagement between students that is operated through online media (e.g. Collaborate Ultra at University of Tasmania), allowing students to work collaboratively in real-time, in one–to-one or small groups. The overall objective of the session is to analyse PPSE for its capacity to enhance student’s engagement in a blended postgraduate course.  In this course, most students are working full-time whilst studying three units a semester.
The presentation will discuss the rationale of how specific factors such as the nature of task in a PPSE, right placement of PPSE in the curriculum and student’s characteristics may influence student’s engagement. These rationales will be explored from the perspective of academics versus the students, as drawn from one to one interviews with respective cohorts.  Particular point of discussion will be, how online PPSE may address discipline specific interests (local engagement) and facilitate learning to create value beyond the context of the classroom (global engagement).  Furthermore, in this session, the linkage between PPSE and student engagement will be examined with the literature of situated learning (Lave and Wenger 1991) and social constructivism (Powell and Kalina 2009).  The purpose of which is to derive understanding of how PPSE may aim for student engagement, accommodating the varying learning capacity of students with diverse age, work experience, life cycle stages and funding arrangements.
Session Goals
* To explain the factors that may influence the linkage between PPSE and student engagement.
* To assess the role of PPSE in the development of locally and globally engaged students.
* To relate to the literature of situated learning and social constructivism and share understanding of how PPSE may accommodate the varying learning capacity of students.
References
Lave, J. & Wenger, E. 1991. Situated Learning: Legitimate Peripheral Participation, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.
Powell, K. C. & Kalina, C. J. 2009. Cognitive and Social Constructivism: Developing Tools for an Effective Classroom. Education, 130, 241-250.
Reese, S. A. 2014. Online learning environments in higher education: Connectivism vs. dissociation. Education and Information Technologies, 20, 579-588.

Resource

Download presentation (requires University of Tasmania login) (PDF)

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