Wednesday, 4 February 2009
'New and extraordinary insights' at ELESIG
Rhonas Sharpe has made a couple of posts about ELESIG (one of the academic networks I manage the online space for) on her blog. She asked members what benefit they found from the experience of being a member of the community, and got some great answers:From Esyin Chew's "I have experienced something new and extraordinary insights that have challenged my preconceptions about digital literacy and learners' experience through ELESIG.”
to Jana Dlouha's "ELESIG is the working group with great potential for changes in higher (and other) education system as it works with learners' perspective - this is not as usual as it should be! Access to this research (and meta-research, researching the ways of research itself) is available through ELESIG work - often providing free methodological and other resources."
I'm pleased too that Amanda Jefferies was able to say that "The online NING network for ELESIG has been an excellent way to keep in touch 'virtually' with other researchers into the Student Experience and to be inspired by examples of innovative practice. "
More on Rhona's blogLabels: communities of practice, e-learning, elearning, elesig, HE, learner experience, onlne communities, Reach Further, research
posted by Helen Whitehead 12:45 PM
Tuesday, 4 November 2008
Join us at our Digital Literacies Symposium
ELESIG - the Special Interest Group for those interested in Evaluating the Learner Experience of elearning is having one of its occasional face to face events on November 20th in Birmingham. here are the details:Impact of learner experience research – digital literacies
Thursday, 20th November 2008
Evolution Suite, Longbridge Technology Park, 1 Devon Way Birmingham B31 2TS
http://www.longbridgetechnologypark.org/innovation.html
Building on previous successful on-line and face-to-face events, ELESIG is now organising a series of ‘Impact Symposia’ in collaboration with colleagues currently undertaking research into selected areas of the student experience. At each of these events, as well as receiving input from key researchers in the field and engaging in developmental activities, there will be opportunities to share your own research and practice related to the topic under investigation. The first of these symposia concerns digital literacies.
The event is free to members of ELESIG and membership is free to anyone interested in the learner experience and the learner voice.
Labels: birmingham, conferences, elearning, elesig, learner_voice, seminars
posted by Helen Whitehead 2:44 PM
Saturday, 31 May 2008
Your first experience of computer technology?
There's been an interesting discussion over at the ELESIG community (ELESIG is the HEA Special Interest Group for researchers into the learner experience of elearning),
about "What was your first experience of computer technology?" and how it affected people's subsequent ventures into using computers for work and learning.
I’ve been interested for many years in the expectations and attitudes to technology that learners bring to elearning, and find that establishing their early experiences can throw quite a light on the kind of support and encouragement they need.
As elearning professionals we can tend to assume that everyone knows the basics these days – but there are still numbers of people, especially but not exclusively adult learners, for whom computer technology is still a monster they haven't tamed.
In the ELESIG discussion Various experiences of early computers from VAXs to BBC micros to Sinclair ZXs and Spectrums, writing early programs in BASIC and using punched cards.
There were few negatives - as you might expect for a group so closely involved in technology - although even in this group some admitted that their early struggles influenced their now tentative approach to new technologies.
Obviously some posters were fascinated by computing itself - programming and playing with the technology - but a larger group had become more interested in the possibilities that computers represent, for communications and interaction, and particularly for learning: 'imaginative and cutting edge ideas then that revolutionised some students’ learning', 'something so inspirational and motivational that I wanted to give up my own time for learning'.
One particular comment I liked was about the person who said many years ago 'one day everything would be done by computers and they would be small, throw away items' - and she didn’t believe them. What predictions could we make now - especially about uses of technology for learning - that would be equally unbelievable?Labels: computers, early experiences, elesig, technology
posted by Helen Whitehead 10:57 AM
Wednesday, 12 March 2008
E:LESIG - for researchers of the student experience
I've just welcomed the 71st member to the new Ning community for ELESIG. It's great to see so many e-learning researchers and practitioners who have an interest in the learner experience. The take up for the community and for the inaugural workshop - was it only last week? - has been excellent and just shows what a need there is for a network of practice in this area.
Next job will be to get the directory of projects up and running - that's in pbwiki so that those associated with each project can edit and update the information about their work.
If you are interested in this Special Interest Group for studying the student's experience of e-learning, join us at ELESIG.NingLabels: elesig, learner experience, Ning, online community, social networking
posted by Helen Whitehead 10:48 AM
Thursday, 6 March 2008
ELESIG - a community for researchers into learners' experiences of e-learning
The inaugural ELESIG workshop takes place today in Birmingham. ELESIG is a Pathfinder network project: the Experiences of E-Learning Special Interest Group is intended for those involved in investigations and evaluations of learners' experiences of e-learning.The three collaborating institutions: Oxford Brookes University, University of Bradford and University of Greenwich are all actively involved in research in this area. Other investigators and practitioners are cordially invited to join our network.
ELESIG will support the investigators as they develop their research, building capacity within the sector as well providing rigorous research to support evidence informed practice. The work of ELESIG will be made public, the benefit of practitioners and researchers throughout the sector.
More about ELESIG: https://mw.brookes.ac.uk/display/elesig/About
Join the ELESIG community: elesig.ning.comLabels: elesig, learner experience, learners, Ning
posted by Helen Whitehead 9:29 AM
