proceedings of Student Mobility and ICT: Can E-LEARNING

Enhancing Teaching Through Technology
challenges and possibilities
David Durkee, Stephen Brant, University of East London, UK
durkee@uel.ac.uk, brant@uel.ac.uk
Abstract: The authors’ conducted a live learning lab at the UEL Learning and Teaching
conference in London on June 26, 2008 with the same name. The following provides a
write-up of the methods, technologies, lessons learned and recommendations, in a
hopefully accessible piece. The goal is to produce something that is useful to academics
in the classroom, as well as administrators who would like to incorporate more
technology as a means to enhance their students learning and knowledge acquisition
through distance learning applications. The lab proved successful both in the remote
presentation as well as the visual analogy. The results appear useful for those wishing to
deliver content remotely and especially as in this case, those who have a need to present
from a remote location. The latter would be especially valuable for researchers in the
field that would like to share results, either with fellow researchers or even to conduct
lectures and presentations from the field.
Background
The application of technology in the classroom can significantly enhance learning and teaching
outcomes. However, use in the classroom is circumscribed by the inherent benefits, limits, and even risks
of each technology. Technology can thus be both enabler and limiter at the same time. Furthermore, while
many educators understand the aforementioned in theory, their practical experience proves lacking. Thus,
discussions of technology and education tend to focus on possibilities and to some further extent expected
benefits. However, real risks and limits exist as to the degree technology can enhance teaching.
On the 26th of June 2008 for the UEL Learning and Teaching Conference, the authors conducted a
live learning lab. The presentation aimed to enable participants to experientially explore the challenges and
possibilities of enhancing teaching through technology. Using a vRoom powered by Elluminate and Skype,
the content on interpreting Jisc/TurnItIn results was delivered from Geneva. Therein, the audience enjoyed
a visual analogy due to the media chosen for the presentation. As Professor Andy Pausch said in his last
lecture, it was a headfake. Operating at two levels the goal was to enable participants to better understand
what needs to be done to incorporate the use of technology into teaching, while they were there to see a
presentation about TurnItIn/Jisc.
From the initial audience feedback, the presentation appears to have been a success. However, in
journaling the results and sequence of events, the authors have also found places that can be improved, as
well as ways to overcome some of the traditional limits. The insights are of particular relevance to those
interested in knowledge acquisition in e-learning and distance education.
The Live Learning Lab
Instead of making a generic presentation on the use of a technology and the limits that one could
encounter, the authors’ created an environment where the audience could participate and actually
experience many of the limits. Officially the presentation was about the use of TurnItIn/Jisc (a system for
checking the similarity of academic work). Of course one could have made such a presentation using a
powerpoint, or on the screen by taking the audience through the schools virtual learning environment
(VLE), and demonstrating how jisc works. In fact, such a presentation was originally suggested.
The idea for the live learning lab emerged when it occurred that in fact one of the authors would
have to be in Geneva during the conference and would not be able to attend in person. In discussing the
possibilities for the presentation, it occurred that one of the possibilities would be to do a remote
presentation. Through internet technologies for sending live audio and video Mr. Durkee could participate
in person. The realities of the timing, and the lack of tested technologies at the University for making the
presentation, added a dimension where the audience would experience the feed in real-time.
Conference proceedings of Student Mobility and ICT: Can E-LEARNING overcome barriers of Life-Long learning?” 116