Teaching Matters

4 - Julie Davidson

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Teaching Matters 2016 | Presentation Details | 7 DecemberDec 2016

Title

Developing student capacities to engage in online/blended experiential learning


Author(s)

Julie Davidson*, Discipline of Geography, School of Land and Food, Faculty of Science, Engineering and Technology
Andrew Harwood*, Discipline of Geography, School of Land and Food, Faculty of Science, Engineering and Technology
Vishnu Prahalad*, Discipline of Geography, School of Land and Food, Faculty of Science, Engineering and Technology
Michael Lockwood*, Discipline of Geography, School of Land and Food, Faculty of Science, Engineering and Technology


Subtheme

Blended Learning


Presentation Type

World Café


Room

Meeting Room


Time

13.20-14.20


Abstract

The move to online coursework delivery has emerged as a serious challenge in disciplines where field- and practice-based learning activities are central. Application of the hybrid pedagogy of online/blended experiential learning (EEL) often implicitly assumes that students:
i) can engage consistently in online learning;
ii) have a sense of agency and are independent learners;
iii) have the technical competence for online learning;
iv) come with developed interpersonal and communicative skills for working in teams online; and
v) will automatically develop a sense of belonging to a learning community.
During a 2-year trial application of EEL, we found that students’ grasp of the particular skills and abilities required was quite variable. This session seeks to initiate a discussion on students’ capacities for EEL and to investigate the scaffolding, that is, support and resources, needed to develop them. The discussion will focus on three classes of capacities relevant to EEL – (i) educational (e.g., critical thinking skills, adaptive learning, active learning, cooperative learning, collaborative problem-solving), (ii) social (e.g., team skills, communicative competence, group leadership, independent learners), and (iii) technical (IT competence and confidence) and will explore ways and pathways to equip diverse student cohorts with these capacities.
The session will be structured around the following questions:
1. Do participants agree with our suggested student capacities for online/blended experiential learning?
2. In participants’ experience, do students have these capacities?
3. What kinds of support and resources (scaffolding) are needed to develop student capacities for engagement in online/blended experiential learning activities?
4. Are colleagues interested in furthering the discussion and how?

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