Mini Tracks – Calls for Papers

Using e-Learning to Support Health and Social Care

Using Web 2.0 in Higher Education
ePortfolios
eLearning in a global context

If you would like to suggest a topic and head up the resulting stream please contact the Conference Director Sue Nugus.

Mini Track on Using e-Learning to Support Health and Social Care.

Track Chair: Dr Pam Moule University of the West of England, Bristol, UK

 Download MT in .PDF

Pam Moule

Internationally, health and social care is engaging in a range of e-learning tools, using the media to support pedagogy within Higher Education Institutions and in the workplace. The range of tools in use identified in a recent survey in the UK (Moule et al, 2007) suggests there is a pre-dominance of e-learning employed to support existing methods of delivery and that the field is starting to exploit social networking tools that enable constructivist learning.  Virtual learning environments (VLEs) are used by nearly all providers as repositories, with some expanding use to include discussion boards and e-portfolio functions. Other technologies in use include podcasting, SMS texting, individual voting systems, re-usable learning objects, wikis, blogs and Second Life, amongst others.  With the employment of new technologies come issues of effectiveness and evaluation, also of cultural and organisational change. Issues of access, training, IT skills, usability, are also evident. Additionally, the potential for challenging existing teaching and learning power relations in the generation of knowledge are evident, as more constructivist approaches to learning are supported through some of the emerging technologies.

The development and use of e-learning and issues of use are acknowledged in this call for papers. Papers are invited from educationalists, practitioners and researchers working in the health and social care field using e-learning to support pedagogy.

Though not exhaustive, topics might include the use of a range of e-learning tools : 

• e-portfolios,
• online discussion forums,
• VLEs,
• Web 2.0 technologies (podcasts, weblogs, wikis),
• virtual worlds,
• interactive online communities
• Re-usable learning objects

Or consider aspects such as:

• Student experience
• Staff experience
• Patient and user involvement in development and use
• Issues of use
• Expected developments
• Barriers and enablers to use
• Power relationship in the generation of knowledge

Moule et al (2007) Scoping e-learning use and development http://www.health.heacademy.ac.uk/projects/miniprojects/executivesummary_pmoule

For mini track submission details, see the call for papers page

Mini Track on Using Web 2.0 in Higher Education.

Track Chair: Richard Hall De Montfort University, Leicester, UK

 Download MT in .PDF

Web 2.0 or read/write web applications underpin opportunities for: social networking; social bookmarking; user-generated content; virtual representation; the syndication of content including multimedia; and innovative approaches to content and application-handling, including mash-ups and aggregation. The impact of these tools has prompted practitioners to re-evaluate curriculum delivery in light of the interplay between applications and people

For education practitioners critical themes in this field surround: whether students already have the awareness and reflexivity to engage with these tools in a productive manner; the nature of the relationships that students form between their informal and formal learning contexts and networks; and the control of, and participation within, the curriculum by students. Papers that address any of these themes would be extremely relevant to this mini-track.

We would welcome papers that highlight the use of Web2.0 in higher education. In particular, we encourage the submission of papers that focus upon:

·         the curricula advantages of social networking tools like Facebook and Ning.com, social bookmarking tools like del.icio.us and Ma.gnolia, and virtual worlds, like Second Life;

·         the impact on curriculum delivery of embedding both user-generated content, for instance using blogs and wikis, and innovative approaches to content and application-handling, including mash-ups, syndication and aggregation;

·         the methods for assessing student work produced in new, non-institutional environments, and possibly presented in new, innovative formats. This might encompass diagnostic, formative or summative modes of assessment; and

·         the ways in which the use of Web2.0 tools affects the relationships between student(s) and both their peers and tutor(s).

We are particularly interested in case studies, research in-progress and position papers that investigate the ways in which Web 2.0 tools can be used to enhance student engagement, motivation and decision-making.

For mini track submission details, see the call for papers page

Richard Hall

Mini Track on ePortfolios.

Track Chair: Mark Brown, Massey University, New Zealand

 Download MT in .PDF

Over the past 12 months significant ePortfolio activity has continued throughout the world at all levels of education. Europe is no exception and the open source ePortfolio system Mahara has established a strong following. Since its creation in 2001 EIfEL has made Europe an important hub and leader of ePortfolio activity and this Mini Tack aims to build on the momentum already established by the EIfEL community.

Importantly the Mini Track acknowledges that portfolios are nothing new in education. Zeichner and Wray (2001) identify three different types of portfolio: (a) a ‘learning portfolio’ which documents student’s learning over time, (b) a ‘credential portfolio’ which is used for registration or certification purposes, and (c) a ‘showcase portfolio’ which students can present to prospective employers. An ePortfolio can be designed to fulfill one or all of these roles and is essentially an online collection of digital artifacts and reflections that learners can use for different purposes depending on the purpose and audience.

The benefits of ePortfolios are many and varied. A perceived strength of ePortfolios is their ability to place more ownership of growth in the hands of the learner. In particular, the ePortfolio offers greater opportunity for students to highlight their strengths and provide authentic evidence of life-long and life-wide learning. They also offer potential for students to document a broader range of attributes and dispositions than simply meeting conventional learning outcomes. Despite these benefits, and a rapidly growing body of literature on ePortfolios in the wider context of life-long learning, many questions remain over their use in educational settings.

This mini track seeks to address some of these questions, including:

• How do ePortfolios contribute to life-long learning?
• What principles should underpin the use of ePortfolios?
• What is the relationship between ePortfolios and assessment?
• How should teachers embed ePortfolios in their learning design?
• How should institutions implement and support the use of ePortfolios?
• How does the design of ePortfolios differ across academic disciplines?
• How do you encourage reflection in the design and use of ePortfolios?
• What factors contribute to the successful adoption of ePortfolios by learners?
• Are we ready to introduce a national and international ePortfolio for learners?

Papers are invited on these questions and a wide range of issues related to the use of ePortfolios in education. The Mini Track aims to share and bring together some of the innovative activities occurring across Europe and from a wider international perspective.

For mini track submission details, see the call for papers page

Mark Brown

Mini Track on eLearning in a global context.

Track Co-Chairs: Anders Advic and Mathias Hatakka, Örebro University, Sweden

 Download MT in .PDF

This mini track is dedicated to research about e-Learning in a global context. Students are no longer restricted by the boarders of their countries to receive education. International and global e-Learning courses and programs are now delivered from respected universities all over the world. The benefits of this are plentiful and of special importance for students from developing countries where education opportunities often are scarce. International degrees are highly sought after in developing countries, but the cost of travelling and living in other countries often restricts these opportunities to students with an already fairly high living standard. Students originating for poorer conditions often miss out on the opportunities and have to rely on highly competitive scholarships. Delivering global and international e-Learning courses has the potential to change this inequality, but global e-Learning is not without its own problems. Issues such as poor infrastructure, low IT literacy, and cultural mismatch are still major obstacles for global education. If e-Learning is going to live up to its potential these challenges needs to be dealt with.

The purpose of this mini track is to share research in the field in order to gain more knowledge on how e-Learning in a global context can be improved. Authors are invited to share their research and experiences from international and global e-Learning. Both empirical research and conceptual articles are being sought.

Suggested topics include but are not limited to:

§         e-Learning issues specific for development

§         Challenges with global education

§         Pedagogical considerations

§         Reusability, standards and learning objects

§         Infrastructure, personal pre-requisites, social and cultural conditions

For mini track submission details, see the call for papers page

Anders Advic



Mathias Hatakka

Updated 16 March 2009