Virtual Learning Network – Webinar

I saw this a few days ago at http://www.vln.school.nz/pg/blog/read/301891/virtual-learning-network-webinar.  So I’m posting a day or so in advance for my Kiwi colleagues.  In case any of my North American colleagues are wondering, if translates into 6:45pm on Thursday, 23 February.

Webinar: How to use Enabling e-Learning communities / VLN Groups

When: 24 Feb 2012

Venue: Blackboard Collaborate online tool

Fees: free:-)

Organiser: Karen Melhuish – Enabling e-Learning Community

Contact: enabling.elearning@tetoitupu.org

Just joined the VLN Groups and/or Enabling e-Learning? Feeling a little lost?

This is a short lunchtime session for anyone who is new to VLN Groups / Enabling e-Learning communities.

Date and time: 24 February, 12.45pm – 1.15pm.

Karen will explain:

• how the VLN and Enabling e-Learning is organised – and how to organise it for yourself
• how to present yourself professionally
• managing your inbox
• tips on making it work for your own learning

There will be some time for a few questions during this short session – and also afterwards, in the Enabling e-Learning: Professional Learning group. Register below…

EDTalks – Michael Barbour: New Zealand’s Virtual Learning Network

My colleagues down at CORE Education in New Zealand sent me a quick note to indicate that the first of my two EDTalks that I did with them have been posted.  So for the second bit of self-promotion for this Monday…

Michael Barbour: New Zealand’s Virtual Learning Network

Michael Barbour, Assistant Professor in Instructional Technology at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, was recently in NZ researching the Virtual Learning Network (VLN). Michael describes specific examples, “pockets of innovation”, that offer glimpses into the future of NZ’s networked schools, and demonstrate how flexibility of scheduling opens opportunities to change the nature of schooling.

DEANZ – Summary Report In Relation To The Virtual Learning Network Primary And Secondary e-Learning: Examining The Process Of Achieving Maturity

I discovered earlier today that the final report I submitted as a part of the research study that I conducted during my sabbatical in New Zealand is posted on the Virtual Learning Network website.

http://www.vln.school.nz/mod/file/download.php?file_guid=114023

The executive summary of the report reads:

This report describes a research study into the development of virtual learning in New Zealand, specifically the obstacles that e-learning clusters of schools face or have faced in their journey to sustainability and maturity through the lens of the Learning Communities Online Handbook. The project has collected and produced 14 case studies and digital stories to illustrate the matrix that describes the process that clusters of schools progress through as they evolve organizational structures and procedures to support and enhance the education of students within and beyond their cluster of schools. A total of 14 illustrations for the Matrix of the Learning Communities Online Handbook have been produced: six case studies (with a careful selection of transcriptions, video, documents, and/or other materials) four digital stories (video clips selected from an interview); plus an addition four digital stories recorded by Michael Barbour. In addition synthesis has been presented in the form of a webinar with a recording that remains available through the DEANZ web site (http://www.deanz.org).

The project also sought to answer the following research questions:

1. What common barriers do e-learning clusters face in their development towards maturity and sustainability? And, how have mature and sustainable clusters overcome those barriers?
2. What are some examples of how networked schools are emerging in the New Zealand context?

Using a variety of data collection methods, the researchers identified three common barriers, including a lack of a coherent vision, difficulty in securing the necessary funding and resources (particularly concerning the role of the ePrincipal), and a lack of collaboration and cooperation within clusters and between clusters.

In addition, there were several examples of ways in which the e-learning clusters have acted as a change agent to reform the way in which classroom instruction is designed and delivered, along with how schools are organised. There were many instances where the act of teaching in the virtual learning environment changed that teachers’ classroom pedagogy, and in some instances the classroom teaching of other teachers at their school. There were other examples where the strategies that had evolved to connect different schools together for the purposes of distance education were being applied within the school environment to allow students to enroll in courses regardless of when the course was being “taught” by the teacher. At a structure level, there were some schools that had transformed the role of the school-based teacher from a subject matter specialist responsible for teaching a course to generalist responsible for facilitating students’ learning of courses being taught by virtual teachers. Finally, there was at least one example of a school that was re-considering the physical learning space to accommodate student learning in a twenty-first century networked school.

Based on these findings, it is recommended that individual e-learning clusters develop specific strategies to encourage greater collaboration between clusters and work towards greater consistency between their activities, including professional and organizational development and also of the approaches to virtual learning. Second, the Ministry of Education continue to provide and expand synchronous and asynchronous virtual learning tools the e-learning clusters are able to use free of charge. Third, the VLN lead the creation of a central repository of asynchronous course content that all e-learning clusters and any school in New Zealand could adopt and adapt. Fourth, the Ministry of Education explore providing some support for the administration and coordination of e-learning based on larger geographic regions. Finally, virtual learning stakeholders in New Zealand consider supporting national research to examine the activity, scope, participation, administration, management, and success of all of the different distance education providers for the schools sector.

Again, the complete report is available at http://www.vln.school.nz/mod/file/download.php?file_guid=114023 and a recording of the webinar that describes the report is available at http://www.deanz.org.nz/home/index.php/online-seminars/recorded-webinars (although I believe the recording is only available to DEANZ members, as it requires a login).

If folks have any specific questions after reading the report, I would be happy to address them.  Also note that some of the DEANZ executive (such as Niki Davis and Derek Wenmoth) and I are continuing to analyze the data and hope to produce some academic pieces from this data in the near future.

Sabbatical Research – Virtual Learning Network

I wanted to post this information today, so that I could inform my readers that everything over the next two or three days will be entries that have already been loaded into the queue. Essentially, everything I have received over the past day or two is slated for release between now and Thursday because I will be traveling to New Zealand.

As many of you know, I have been on sabbatical this semester and one of the projects I have been planning for some time is to visit and do some work with the Virtual Learning Network in New Zealand.  Over the next ten weeks I will be in various locations throughout New Zealand, working with Derek Wenmoth of CORE Education and Niki Davis of the University of Canterbury (and President of the Distance Education Association of New Zealand).  The actual project I will be working on, as described by the formal proposal submitted by CORE and DEANZ, is:

The purpose of this research is to capture, in a range of ways, information that will contribute to the knowledge base about the development of virtual schooling in New Zealand, in particular, how the Learning Communities Online handbook is being used to assist and inform this development.

The focus of the project will be to:
(a) provide understandings of how schools involved are collaborating, and the impact and contribution of the LCO handbook to their development and success;
(b) to capture a series of case studies to help illustrate aspects of the LCO handbook guidelines, and to provide examples of effective practice.

For those unfamiliar with the Virtual Learning Network and K-12 online learning in New Zealand, here is some information from the background portion of the proposal:

Beginning with the CANTAtech project in 1994, there has been a steady development of virtual learning in NZ schools, predominantly in regional and rural settings, as a means of providing access to curriculum. In 2002 the first cluster linking via video conferencing began, and in 2003 the Virtual Learning Network (VLN) was established as a collaboration between the various clusters that had been developing independently through the country. The primary focus of the VLN was to provide a brokerage service for the sharing of courses and programmes between clusters.

In 2004 the initial version of a handbook to assist schools in forming virtual learning clusters was published with support from the Ministry of Education. Called “Learning Communities Online: A handbook for schools”, this publication contained a matrix to guide development through the phases from initial conception to implementation.

The number of clusters and participating schools has grown significantly. In addition, schools in urban areas have begun to explore opportunities for collaborative activity and the sharing of curriculum and resources through being linked to Ultra Fast Broadband.

During 2010 the LCO handbook has been extensively revised, with an additional dimension added to the matrix addressing issues of sustainability and maturity. This handbook will be released in final version for use by schools and clusters in 2011. The Ministry of Education have an interest in finding out how useful this guide is, and what further supports may be required for schools as they venture into the virtual learning world.

I guess this is my way of both announcing this new research project and informing my readers of what will seem like some irregular blogging habits over the next ten weeks.  By irregular I mean that there may be times when this blog is silent (which is not the norm for me, but there may be times when I simply don’t have Internet access) or I may be posting things at odd hours (New Zealand is 17 hours ahead).  Either way, I’ll do my best to continue to maintain this space in the manner that you’ve become used to.  In the meantime, I’ll catch you all sometime on Thursday (which I guess will still be Wednesday night here in North America).

Article Notice: Video Conferencing In Distance Learning: A New Zealand Schools’ Perspective

A while back I mentioned one K-12 online learning article in the recent issue of the Journal of Distance Learning (see DEANZ Notes), but I failed to mention the other one.

Roberts, R. (2009). Video conferencing in distance learning: A New Zealand schools’ perspective.  Journal of Distance Learning, 13(1), 91-107.

The description provided by editor, Mark Nichols is:

Finally, Rachel Roberts of Stratford High School summarises the development of video conferencing in New Zealand’s secondary school sector. Roberts gives insight into the rich availability and use of video conferencing, and she reveals the collaboration that is taking place across schools to make it all possible. Using synchronous video conferencing makes it easier to match teaching expertise with student needs across the country. However, synchronous video is not without its challenges, which range from operational to strategic. (p. 4)

Having just thumbed through it myself, I would recommend it as a nice overview of what is going on in New Zealand – and particularly the activities of the Virtual Learning Network.