The main objective of the workshop is to explore the gamut of options available in virtual learning environments, including their pedagogical underpinnings. It is anticipated that participants will be able to choose two different workshops to attend on the day, based on occupancy of the ICT labs and/or presenters preferences for each practicum, based on a first in, first served enrolment list.
All who are interested in developing or enhancing virtual learning spaces. A degree of expertise is not essential for any aspect of the workshop since the focus is both informational and hands-on. More detailed information could be provided by the presenters in full papers at the conference and via individual contact at a later time in the conference.
At the early stages of this workshop proposal, there are a number of experienced educators working with virtual environments who have either confirmed participation or who have indicated their interest in participating. These are: Julie Willems, Iain Doherty, Barney Dalgarno, Steve Chapman, Luke Bracegirdle, Lloyd Reed, Peter Browne, Scott Grant, and Debbie McCormick.
Julie Willems is a qualified educator with experience in face-to-face contexts in Upper Primary, Secondary, Community, and TAFE sectors of Australian education, in addition to distance and face-to-face settings in the Tertiary education sector. She has qualifications in Nursing; Communication Studies; Society, Philosophy and Politics; and Education. Her published research interests include: distance education, equity issues in learning, e-learning, learning styles, multimodal communication, learning design, and student-centred learning. Her doctoral research focus has been on the impact of learning styles in e-learning, with a consideration of learning design within these environments. This research has also led to a tangential interest in the issue of visual copyright.
Iain Doherty is Director of the Learning Technology Unit, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland. As Director of the Unit he is responsible for meeting the flexible and distance learning requirements of a large and diverse faculty. Iain has over 10 years experience working in the tertiary education sector in roles ranging from teaching computing and multimedia skills, developing flexible and distance learning materials, designing and delivering workshops for academics on teaching with technologies, and, most recently, running the Learning Technology Unit at the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences. As part of his current role, he was recently involved in randomised control trial of a cognitive simulator to teach trainee interns clinical skills and presented the research at EdMedia 2008.
Barney Dalgarno is an Associate Professor in the School of Education and Senior Research Fellow with the Centre for Research in Complex Systems (CRiCS) at Charles Sturt University (CSU). He has been researching in the field of educational technology for the past 14 years and has published over 50 papers in the area. His primary research interests relate to the educational value of 3D virtual environments and the relationship between interactivity and cognition in online learning environments. His innovations in the use of technologies for teaching have been recognised nationally through a Carrick Citation and an ASCILITE Award. His research on Learning in 3D Virtual Environments began in 1998, with a study exploring motion control interfaces in computer games and 3D environments. His PhD, awarded in 2004, examined the characteristics of 3D environments and their potential contributions to spatial learning. The design and development of the 3D virtual chemistry laboratory used as a research instrument in the study received an ASCILITE Award for Exemplary use of ICT in Tertiary Education.
Stephen Chapman is Professor of Prescribing Studies and Head of the School of Pharmacy at Keele University. As well as providing the academic lead on issues such as implementing evidence based medicine, prescribing databases and health service prescribing policies, he heads a unit which provides prescribing advice to the West Midlands Strategic Health Authorities and PCTs. His current projects include decision analysis support, outcome guarantees for medicines, and virtual patients for training of healthcare professionals. Professor Chapman's career spans the pharmaceutical industry, the Health Service and academia. He has published widely in peer group reviewed journals and edited 75 bespoke prescribing reports. He is co-editor of the book "Medicines Management" published by the BMJ Press, and contributed chapters to books on ‘Nurse Prescribing’, ‘Influencing demand by professional education and information’ and ‘Pharmacoeconomics’. He was recently part of the benchmark developing team for the National Audit Office, and on the expert panel for the Office of Fair Trading report into value for money from medicines. He is a member of the core scientific committee for the European Quality Indicators Group. He has undertaken international consultancy work in Albania, Belgium, Bosnia, Russia, Sweden, Poland, Denmark, USA HMOs, Canada and South Africa.
Over 12 years experience in IT and software development, leading to the development of a Virtual Learning Environment and bespoke educational software tools to support academic staff. Current development work on the Virtual Patient eLearning system for the MPharm programme provides a 3D immersive virtual environment for the training of communication skills in a clinical setting. As a member of the University's eLearning Fellow group, this has involved shaping the strategic direction with regard to the application and development of new technology to support University teaching and learning requirements. The development and delivery of undergraduate modules, distance learning interactive materials and classroom based workshops for healthcare students now involves the design and implementation of specialist systems across School's undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.
Lloyd Reed teaches podiatric medicine, and biomechanics of the lower extremities in the School of Public Health at Queensland University of Technology (QUT). His research interests include plantar pressure measurement, computer-aided learning, peer-assisted learning, work-related foot and lower limb disorders. He is the Chair of the Podiatrists Registration Board (Queensland), an examiner for the Australasian Podiatry Council Overseas Skills Recognition Assessments, a member of the Australasian Journal of Podiatric Medicine Advisory Committee, a member of the Council of the Australian Podiatry Association Queensland, and a member of the Continuing Education Committee, Australian Podiatry Association Queensland.
Scott's extensive experience in Chinese language and culture began when he spent four years living and studying in China in 1980’s. After returning to Australia Scott worked for a Victorian Government corporation that specialised in competing for and implementing international development projects around the world, and was heavily involved in project negotiation and implementation in China. In addition to frequent business trips to China, Scott also spent one further year in China establishing and running a representative office for his company. In 1997 Scott moved into the field of language education and translator training, teaching at Monash full-time for four years, at Monash and RMIT part time for 2 years, and at Monash full-time again since 2004. Since joining Monash Scott has added a Master of Translation Studies to his qualifications and is currently pursuing a PhD.
Debbie McCormick commenced her academic journey as a mature age student at Monash University in 2000 seeking new challenges after a successful career in IT Sales and Marketing management. She graduated in 2006 with an Honours Degree of Bachelor of Arts (H1) in Behavioural Studies and is currently undertaking a PhD at Monash University Caulfield. Debbie’s major research interest is the ways people use avatars as representations of the ‘self’ in virtual worlds. She has been exploring and researching various virtual environments since 2006 with a particular emphasis on Second Life. Debbie’s other research interests include: the effects of technology on society, culture, and identity construction (particularly social software & online environments); technology and religion; comparative religion; and personality (innate/constructed). When she is not studying Debbie can usually be found consuming popular culture in the form of ‘reality’ TV and women’s magazines, or attempting to have a social life.
Peter Browne is an eLearning Educational Designer and LMS administrator at the University of Sydney. He has been involved in designing and developing interactive learning materials for VET and higher education over the last 16 years. In 1992 Peter was employed as a multimedia designer at Edith Cowan University where he helped to shape the University’s earlier forays in eLearning. After completing a Master of Professional Communications (Interactive Multimedia Technologies) at Edith Cowan University, Peter worked at Central TAFE in Perth looking after the College’s LMS as well as designing and developing custom learning environments outside of the LMS using LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL and PHP) technology. Prior to moving to the University of Sydney, Peter was employed at Charles Darwin University (CDU) where he helped design and develop the Charles Darwin vHospital. Whilst at CDU, Peter also designed and started development on a Problem-based learning environment for the National Prescribing Service (NPS) in the Continuing Professional Development of Nurse Practitioners in the Quality Use of Medicines. Peter is currently completing a Graduate Diploma in Education (Tertiary and Adult) part-time at Murdoch University. In his spare time he can be seen working on the NPS program as an independent contractor and enjoying the more temperate Sydney climate with his family.
The workshop will commence with a theoretical overview on the educational uses of virtual learning, and touch on the wide variety of approaches that are subsumed by the title. Julie Willems will introduce the terrain. Then representatives of each of the practical streams will give a brief general overview of their specific area of virtual learning, providing examples (maximum 50 minutes in total). This will be the specific introduction for the streamed hands-on participation to follow in Practical Session A through to Practical Session D. The four anticipated streams for focus:
On the basis of their group rotation allocation, participants will then be allocated to two small groups of up to twenty participants. They will rotate through each of the four practical sessions in their group. With sessions of 50 minutes, this allows for immersive hands-on involvement in each of the four exemplars.
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Virtual Spaces |
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Time |
Overview |
Presenter |
Venue |
9.30am |
Welcome (5 minutes) |
J.W. |
Auditorium, |
9.35 |
Brief Introduction to practical sessions |
S.C. + L.B.; |
Auditorium |
10.25 |
Summary and participant rotation lists (5 minutes) |
J.W. |
Auditorium |
10.30 |
Tea + coffee/Networking (30 minutes) |
All |
Reception space |
11.00 – 11.50 |
Practical Session A (50 minutes) |
All |
ICT Labs or breakout rooms |
11.55 – 12.45 |
Practical Session B (50 minutes) |
All |
ICT Labs or breakout rooms |
12.45 – 1.45 |
Lunch (60 minutes) |
All |
Reception space |
1.45 – 2.35 |
Practical Session C (50 minutes) |
All |
ICT Labs or breakout rooms |
2.40 – 2.50 |
Tea + coffee/Networking (10 minutes) |
All |
Reception space |
2.50 – 3.40 |
Practical Session D (50 minutes) |
All |
ICT Labs or breakout rooms |
3.40 – 4.10 |
Panel Discussion and Summary |
I.D., J.W., S.C., L.B.; |
Auditorium |
4.10 – 4.15 |
Workshop Conclusions + Acknowledgements (5 minutes) |
J.W. |
Auditorium |
4.15 |
Conclusion of day + Pack up |
All |
ICT Labs or breakout rooms |