High goals

Effortless roll-out

Jones has been using it’s learning for about a year. Here is her tip to colleagues:

Discussion and assessment tools for activating students

"I have started using it's learning for my GCSE drama students to submit their written portfolio work on. In the past, in each class there would be one or two pupils who would choose to improve the written work after my marking and giving feedback on it. Now that I use it's learning not only am I not printing off written work support sheets but I am also finding that roughly a third of the group are choosing to improve their work. Each time they are improving their mark out of 20 by roughly 2/3 marks. As the grade boundaries for drama are high, for some this will mean the difference between grades.

I have found that students really engage well with the instant nature of the feedback and sometimes find that whilst I am marking other people's work that they are online so they read my comments, improve the work and then submit it again for me to remark. My top tip would be for the first time that you get them to submit a piece of work, get the whole class to improve the piece using your feedback. This gets them into good habits and shows all of them the difference that just a little bit of time makes to their final mark for that piece."

Good assessment is all about day-to-day work, variation and systematic effort. " The portfolio in it's learning offers students and teachers an arena for collaboration", says Bjersand. "In addition, active use of the work and e-portfolios is an excellent way of documenting a student's progress and development."

Helene Kløcker, Principal at Nesheim Primary School, says all her staff had become fully involved with it's learning within a week of completing the initial start of the project. "They had no choice! The curriculum requires us to provide the children with digital skills, and at our school it's learning is a key tool in this respect," she explains.

Informed principals

The educational specialist Trond Skeie explains that projects such as the one he has been overseeing in the district of Arendal serve two purposes: To make principals and departmental heads aware of what being a school prncipal in today's digital school entails, and to help each employee to get started with using it's learning as an administrative tool. "This way they can initiate processes to make the school better equipped to meet the requirements for digital skills laid down in the national curriculum," says Skeie. Specific and binding plans describing what individual employees should do to make progress are drawn up when working with a school.

Also an administrative management tool

Kløcker believes it is crucial that school principals lead the way by setting a good example. "The project helped me understand how I could benefit as a manager from using it's learning." At Nesheim it's learning has become the main communication channel for staff. "Everyone must log in at least once every day to obtain necessary information," says Kløcker. "Important documents are also stored there. This way teachers can access everything from home as well - as opposed to when everything is stored on the school server."

Pedagogy is key

The academic benefits of the project are of the utmost importance to the schools, and Kløcker got a good idea of the possibilities offered to teachers by it's learning. The use of assessments to measure the effects of learning, the provision of adapted teaching methods and station work in the classroom were among the topics addressed. "I can see that teachers will save time by putting this into use," she says. "And it's learning is so simple and uncomplicated that everyone can use it!"

Kløcker stresses that there is still room for improvement at the Nesheim school. "For example, we should share more with other schools in the district. We are also looking forward to start using it's learning for early learners, and we want to provide access for parents, too. This has to be the way forward," says Kløcker

By Anita Monty, E-learning Consultant, IT Learning Center, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen

Climate change is a hot topic, and all over the world people are discussing the impacts of climate change. But the e-learning course also focuses on how to mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change. The course is developed in close cooperation between University of Copenhagen, the Danish Meteorological Institute, UC Berkeley and Australian National University and involves members of the Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change (IPCC).

Discussion and assessment tools for activating students

The discussion tool in it's learning is a key tool in our online courses. Our teaching method builds upon a model developed by Professor Gilly Salmon from the University of Leicester. This "five stage model for online teaching" makes students highly involved and very active in online courses.

Students work collaboratively and use the discussion tool in it's learning to solve tasks, assisted by literature and other learning resources. Generally they have to carry a number of highly collaborative tasks in this online course.

In each module they will take part in discussions and make one or two assessments. The assessment tool in it's learning is important because it ensures students understand the concepts of the discipline.

Good feedback

We get very positive feedback on it's learning from our online students. They like the discussion tool because it is modern and similar to other discussion forums available on the Internet. They also find it easy to use. Moreover, students appreciate the possibility of showing pictures. This helps them feel as though they belong to a community online.

Minimizing our carbon footprint

Another good reason for using it's learning is that the carbon footprint is kept low by replacing flight travels between Denmark, the US and Australia by online discussions and meetings. Similarly, the number of car trips is reduced.

In the beginning of the course the students are asked to calculate their carbon footprint from following the online course and compare it to what it would have been if the course had consisted of traditional face-to-face classes. The difference is substantial!

Why is this? According to Magali, the pedagogical tools and the multimedia communication available in it’s learning engage the students: “When I ask them to do an assignment in it’s learning, the results are always better. Their investment in work handed in on paper is never as good.”

Allows for individual follow-up

Magali puts all her notes on it’s learning and students will ask for help when there is something they don’t understand. Magali will reply – to single students or groups – with additional details or exercises adapted to their level. “it’s learning provides me with tools and opportunities to efficiently differentiate my teaching, and the students get stimulating formative assessment.”

“We want to make progress”

In order to get her students’ opinion of it’s learning, Magali did a survey – in it’s learning, of course. Without exception they all said they felt they were better followed up, as if they were individually coached. “We want to make progress”, one of them underlined. Magali feels her relationship with her students has vastly improved: “The working atmosphere has never been better”, she says.

The students now put pressure on other teachers to start using the learning platform. The lycée Jean Moulin being on a pilot contract with it’s learning, the platform hasn’t been fully implemented. So far, three of Magali’s colleagues have given in to their students and adopted the learning platform, “and they love it”, Magali reports.

After a demonstration of the product, we quickly realised the potential of the Platform and arranged for a demonstration account to be setup.  Working groups then began to look at various aspects on the system and concluded that it's learning contained a well designed set of pedagogical tools that would help us to achieve our school's vision: "To raise standards and achievements through the use of e-Learning".

Daily use
Our students will use it's learning on a daily basis. At present, we have around half of all college subjects online. The students have an expectation to use the platform and now rely on it to access learning content and key course information.

The main benefits we see are that:

• Students can access course information at anywhere and anytime where they have an internet enabled device;
• Students can access a wide range of resources designed to supplement their current curriculum content;
• Staff are able to create and maintain their own courses and do not need specialised IT skills to do so;
• Different types of rich media can be combined to provide an enhanced learning experience.

Major successes
The major successes of it's learning have been the speed in which staff have been able to get going with the platform. In general terms, after a couple of hours training, staff are able to create and upload simple resources. This has given them confidence to explore and develop the platform for their subject.
In subjects where it's learning is used regularly, there has been an increase in student achievement, especially when the platform has been used to promote and provide assessment opportunities and self study extension work.

See Lutterworth College case studies:

• Peer Assessment
• Student-Created Tests
• Pathway Guide
• Evaluating Practical Tasks

Use pictures
The noticeboard is crucial in getting pupils to log in more often. An active noticeboard shows that the teacher is present, and pictures make it lively. I never upload messages without adding a picture. Selected icons represent different types of content. This generates a sense of recognition and helps pupils with reading difficulties to find their way.

Look back
it’s learning gives pupils a unique opportunity to monitor their own progress. Try going back to a task the pupils performed two–three years ago, and ask them to improve on it. A useful exercise! I’m certain that my pupils learn more English grammar now than they did before we started using it’s learning because they are able to work systematically.

Listen and learn
Audio is a fantastic tool when trying to learn a foreign language. Listening to the correct pronunciation of words and expressions is useful. With it’s learning pupils can also record and listen to themselves, get comments from the teacher and practice and improve. Added value: improved self-confidence and increased participation in class.

Discussions for all
Class discussions are usually dominated by the same pupils. I find that the discussion forum in it’s learning coaxes comments out of even the shyest of pupils. I set discussion tasks such as “Is reading useful or just a waste of time?” and learn a lot about my pupils by reading their comments!

Include the parents
Teenagers can be very introverted and often don’t tell their parents about what they get up to at school. I use it’s learning to give parents an insight into their children’s school life. In a separate “parents’ classroom” I upload practical information, examples of tasks, pictures from school trips etc. I have found that a mixture of useful information and “nice-to-know” material generates the highest number of log-ins.

E-friends
When teachers present themselves they do so not only with a professional profile. Each teacher also makes a video in which they address personal issues and give an insight into life at the academic institution where they work. Students are also encouraged to give a presentation of themselves in their e-portfolio in it’s learning.

VIRCLASS e-portfolios can be accessed by all participants. This means that everyone can see everyone else’s work as well as comments from teachers. Many are initially surprised at this, but they soon see the effects on learning that can be gained from it. It is of course also a way in which to get to know each other better.

Discussion forums are used in the teaching process, but VIRCLASS also has a forum dedicated to social contact. “It’s our café,” says Ms Larsen, “and it attracts a lot of visitors. Participants enjoy chatting about nothing and everything with fellow students from other countries.”

Ms Larsen and her colleagues have been positively surprised by the effects of such initiatives. “We find that the students are becoming good friends. They actively seek each other out and spend time together online.”

Visual tools
In order to make it’s learning an attractive place to be, Larsen makes active use of pictures. “I have created my own picture archive on the platform and use them to make a virtual noticeboard. The pictures also help visualise new content.”

In terms of academic content the biggest boost for the e-studies scheme has been the “virtual book” developed by Ms Larsen and her colleagues in co-operation with the Bergen University College Media Center. It contains on-screen lectures as well as audiovisual case studies and triggers to encourage reflection and discussion. “The virtual book has made a vast difference,” she says. “Students can see, hear and read the lecturer, and the presentation method engages and retains their attention.”

Human contact in a virtual space therefore seems to be the key to success. “But it is crucial that provisions are made in order for this to happen”, stresses Ms Larsen.

Several teachers have been telling us how they use audio in it’s learning. English homework, multiplication tables and homework for pupils with writing difficulties are but a few examples.

“Audio provides great opportunities for language teachers,” says it’s learning educational specialist Elisa Bjersand, but it is also useful in subjects where it is difficult to document oral abilities. For pupils struggling with writing, the option of submitting a sound file rather than text can be a good idea.

Magnhild Hakestad from the Fyllingsdalen high school, Norway, writes: “Sometimes you can let students submit sound files instead of text. That way you reinforce the oral requirement as a basic skill. It is also very useful for foreign languages. Pupils with writing difficulties also get a better chance to show what they can do. The teacher can sit down in peace and quiet and listen to it, giving them a better basis for evaluating oral skills.”

Useful for foreign languages
Inger Juel Sukke teaches years 5–7 at the Østgård school, Norway. She says: “I have been teaching English for a number of years. During this time I have frequently encountered the problem when going through English homework in class that students forget how to pronounce a certain word once they get home. Many parents are also unsure about pronunciation and find it difficult to help their children. When I started using it’s learning I realised I could solve this by recording English homework as a sound file. The students sit at home with the book in front of them and read along with me.” Sukke says she has noticed her students making good progress since she started doing this.

Also for maths
Sukke also uses sound recordings in maths. She records the multiplication table so that students can experience it aurally when practising – at home or at school:

“I first give the factors in the right order, then pause before giving the answer so pupils have a chance to say the answer before they hear me say it. Next I record the same multiplication table but with the factors in a random order (e.g. 8 x 3 = ...; 8 x 8 = ...). I then use the work schedule to ask some students to go and practice the 8 x table if this is the table they feel unsure about. It is very useful. it's learning is a great tool to have!”

How they do it
The Rich Text editor in it’s learning can record sound directly. Some also use Audacity or MP3myMP3 and then upload the sound files to it’s learning.

This was not necessarily the outcome in all cases. It wasn’t always true that those who designed the tests knew more than their classmates. But for teacher Trond Skeie this was a positive experience. When the “answer book” turned out to be incorrect, pupils were simply stimulated further. Pupils who were told their answer was incorrect, when they thought they were right, wanted to challenge those who had designed the test. “Discussions ensued, and pupils revisited the source together to find the correct answer. This added another dimension to the task,” says Mr Skeie.

Presenting the project
it’s learning was also used to share the work with others, including parents. Drawings were scanned, literary texts were written, pictures and facts added. Mr Skeie has had good experiences with pupils disseminating their work in this way: “They are proud of what they have created, and that generates an important feeling of achievement.”

Learning from each other
The most important thing when getting started with it’s learning is to implement routines for how to work with the tool, according to Mr Skeie. Once pupils know their way around the platform they quickly become independent. “My experience is that pupils only need a basic introduction. They soon acquire knowledge and experience when co-operating with others.”

“As a mental starter for our numeracy lesson on quadrilaterals I set up a course with a link to the website I wanted the children to use. What would have normally taken ages for either me or the children to find on the internet could be reached within a few clicks. Valuable numeracy time was saved!”

Ms Richards says that her school, St Andrew's and St Mark's Junior School, uses it’s learning for setting homework assignments. The school has also set up an it’s learning after-school club for those without internet access at home.

Encouraging revision
Svend Andreas Horgen is a lecturer at the Sør-Trøndelag University College, Norway. He has had positive experiences using investigations after completing a scheme of work with his students:

“Revision and verbalisation are important elements in most disciplines. Investigations can help encourage all students to revise. Here are a few examples of ways to formulate questions – albeit not all of them at once :-)

• What did you just learn?
• Explain why, using your own words, [something that has been covered in the lesson].
• What do you feel is the purpose of [topic]? Provide your answer without looking it up.
• What is your understanding of [topic]?
• Did you find any of the tasks difficult? Why?
• If you could ask the teacher to expand on one specific topic, which topic would you choose? Provide reasons for your choice.
• By using open questioning the students are given time to express themselves in writing and to reflect on the subject matter. Note that investigations can also be carried out during lessons, provided the students have laptops and access to a wireless network.”

Many thanks to all three for the advice. Now we are looking forward to hearing your tips!

Submit your tip here