Learning Transformations Unit

Throughout March and April 2014, the Learning Transformations Unit at Swinburne University of Technology (Melbourne, Australia) developed and delivered the Carpe Diem MOOC (CD MOOC) via the Blackboard CourseSites platform (coursesites.com). The CD MOOC, which attracted 1426 registrations, provided participants with the opportunity to learn about the Carpe Diem learning design process and to apply it to their own educational practice. We discuss the challenges and opportunities faced by the CD MOOC designers and moderators in offering participants the opportunity to obtain digital badges for recognition and reward of their participation and completion of tasks in the CD MOOC. Here we present findings of research into the impact of badges on the completion of learning tasks and the motivation of participants. We demonstrate that many of the CD MOOC participants, who were generally well-educated and mature professionals, were motivated by digital badges – some through to course completion.

The use of educational technology is changing traditional methods of learning and teaching (Kirkwood & Price, 2013; Van Dusen, 2014). Our study demonstrates the importance of developing and implementing streamlined approaches for the integration of educational technologies, and reflecting on practice to understand how these developments affect the learning environment. This paper presents a case study of the organisational experience of implementing the Echo360 lecture recording system as a teaching and learning tool at Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia. In 2014, Swinburne introduced the Echo360 lecture recording system as an opt-out model, that is, a formal request was required from the academic to prevent their lecture from being recorded. This approach differed significantly from the previous opt-in model where academics specifically requested recording services using Lectopia. The opt-out Echo360 model required a streamlined system which used time-tabling data to generate fully automated lecture recordings. Recordings were then made immediately available to students through the Learning Management System without any need for intervention by academic staff. It is imperative that universities implement technological change in the most effective way to support the intended users of technology ‘academics and students ‘to help them achieve their teaching and learning goals. Technological advances change how education is delivered and received. While research into lecture-recording models and their role in enhancing educational experiences and student outcomes is growing (McNaught, Lam, Chan, Yuen, & Ho, 2012; Secker, Bond, & Grussendorf, 2010; Toppin, 2011; Woo et al., 2008), there appears to be no case studies about the seamless integration of Echo360 or similar opt-out systems. Our case study is addressing this knowledge gap. The case study methodology adopted in our research enables a holistic perspective of the organisational experience as a complex system (Patton, 2002), and allows the presentation of evidence from which others can understand the experience and develop their own conclusions (Stake, 2000). Interviews conducted with Swinburne technical support staff and surveys with academics generated rich data on the process of full institutional integration of the Echo360 lecture-recording system. Key learnings that emerged included the importance of institutional communication during all stages of the implementation process; technical challenges encountered during the integration phase; the importance of adequate training resources for academic staff; and the need to manage the growing demand for Echo360 recordings when the system is not available in all teaching spaces. The evidence from this Case Study informs the ongoing implementation of Echo360, and provides a base from which to consider the implementation of future technologies to enhance learning and teaching.