Scaffolding students'
collaborative learning with etivities and social media
- Blackboard Teaching and Learning Conference, Leeds 2011
Inger-Marie F. Christensen
E-Learn Project Coordinator
[email protected]
Collaborative learning online
• The challenges
– How do you design activities that
motivate and engage students?
– How do you build in progression and
facilitate higher order learning?
• A solution
– Scaffold your students’ learning
• Use Gilly Salmon’s 5 stage-model and
• E-tivities concept
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Gilly Salmon’s 5-stage model
Time for reflection and own initiatives
From this stage the effort becomes more
collaborative
Exchange study relevant
knowledge
Find your online identity
Interact with others
Log on to the system
The teacher’s role
The technical part
Source: http://www.atimod.com/e-moderating/5stage.shtml
E-tivities
• An e-tivity provides students with
– A frame
– Role(s)
– Requirements
• Key features
– A small piece of information, stimulus or challenge (the
‘spark’)
– Online activity which includes individual participants
posting a contribution
– An interactive or participative element - such as
responding to the postings of others
• Read more:
– http://www.atimod.com/e-tivities/intro.shtml
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A case study
• Elective course: Digital communication in
action, Media Studies
• Taught by Anette Grønning, Assistant
professor, PhD, Institute of Literature,
Media and Cultural studies
• 72 BA students, third or fifth semester
• 10 ECTS
5
Course programme (13 weeks)
Blended learning
Week F-2-F lessons Live, online lessons (E-tivity 3)
E-tivities 1, 2 & 4
1
3x45 minutes
E-tivity 1: Our Cafe
2
3x45 minutes
E-tivity 1: Our Cafe
3
3x45 minutes
E-tivity 1: Our Cafe
4
6
E-tivity 3: Intro to Adobe Connect
E-tivity 2: Our Blog
5
3x45 minutes
E-tivity 2: Our Blog
6
3x45 minutes
E-tivity 2: Our Blog
7
E-tivity 3: Virtual group presentations
E-tivity 2: Our Blog
8
E-tivity 3: Virtual group presentations
E-tivity 2: Our Blog
9
3x45 minutes
E-tivity 2: Our Blog
10
3x45 minutes
E-tivity 4: Our Wiki
11
3x45 minutes
E-tivity 4: Our Wiki
12
3x45 minutes
E-tivity 4: Our Wiki
13
3x45 minutes
E-tivity 4: Our Wiki
E-tivities
1. Our Café (Discussion forum) – Contributing and responding
351 different posts and replies
2. Our Blog – Finding, validating and discussing resources
74 blog posts and 237 comments
3. Live, online group work in Adobe Connect – Presenting and
discussing theoretical perspectives
Recordings of presentations (14 groups)
4. Our Wiki – Creating an overview of
the accumulated knowledge
8 themes based on the blog content
• Evaluation of and individual
feedback on each e-tivity
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Benefits - teacher perspective
• A variety of:
– Media: text, pictures, audio
– Settings: online, offline
– Modes: asynchronous and synchronous
• Enhance student learning - supplement to f-2-f
• Encourage higher order thinking
– responsibility for own learning, analysis and critical
reflection
• Enable students to be productive when and
where they prefer
• Access to explicit signs of students' participation,
progression and reflection
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Benefits – student perspective
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Motivation and variation
More active between the f-2-f lessons
Higher level of preparation
New forms of collaboration
Sceptical but convinced
More serious group work
Less nervous during own presentation
Enhanced digital competences
More demanding = more rewarding
How do the students rate their own learning?
0%
To what degree have you
achieved the competences
described in the curriculum?
11%
15%
High
Some
Small
Not at all
74%
2%
To what degree has the course
qualified you for your further
studies?
15%
32%
Some
Small
Not at all
51%
10
High
How do the students rate their own learning?
To what degree has the course qualified you in other
ways, e.g. collaboration, communication and study
skills?
0%
12%
High
48%
Some
Small
Not at all
40%
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Student response
“E-tivities where you decide when to do
what – that’s super.”
“We study many interesting topics. The blog
is a great place to elaborate and find out
more.”
“Independent work – yes, I feel inspired”
Students about the live, online e-tivity:
• “Online meetings require more concentration and
your full attention..”
• “Presenting online is easier, more relaxed than in
real life. You don’t get as nervous online.”
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Summary of success factors
• Provide a framework for students’
collaborative learning
– 5-stage model and e-tivities
– Make explicit roles and requirements
• Use formative evaluation
– Assess activity and interactivity
• Teacher’s back up and support of
students – enthusiasm
• E-learning support – back up and
support of teacher
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Questions?
Thank you for listening 
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