Change+strategies

=Change Strategies= toc I have been tasked to tackle change strategies and here is some stuff I've come up with. I've divided the strategies into phases. Here's my page script: Read ==> express initial suggestions/criticism on this page's discussion forum ==> follow up discussion can be via forum or adobe ==> arrive at consensus ==> gilbert edits page

__Strategies for adoption/pre-implementation__
1) Frame it not as an adoption of an LMS but as a wholesale re-designing of courses and adoption of modern pedagogies in which the LMS plays an integral role.   2) Privileging just-in-time information/training over traditional mass seminar style training.

Rationale: 1) This is a lesson learnt from Chao (2008), where the replacement of a new LMS involved re-design of courses rather than a simple transfer from the old to the new. What more the adoption of an LMS by a faculty who never had experience with it? The medium influences the pedagogy.

2) Chao (2008) observed that during the Moodle implementation process, there was a constant need for bug fixing and implementation of new features as technology constantly progresses. My interpretation is that having mass seminars would be more useful as an introduction to Moodle and for communicating how and where to access just-in-time training and information since mass seminars can only communicate a stuck-in-time snapshot of the state of Moodle. Thus the instructors would need further updating very quickly so why waste time on time consuming seminars? Furthermore it has been my experience and Chao’s (2008) as well that people have different technology acceptance rates, thus mass seminars would have little use on people who have not opened their minds to the idea. Having well designed and accessible just-in-time training would allow each individual to approach the technological content when he/she is ready and this would greatly increase the efficiency of the training.

Implication: 1) This would mean technical training for moodle will not be sufficient. Professional development for the paedgogies which suit Moodle should also be carried. E.g. seminars in constructivism, asynchronous project work etc. The mission statement would also have to be less specific to elearning or technology adoption but to a general yearning to be as updated as possible in all aspects of education.

2) Expending the necessary resources and manpower towards just-in-time style training and information even if it seems more troublesome and costly. The returns are worth it.

Reference:

Chao, I. T. (2008). Moving to Moodle, (3), 46-52.

__**Strategies for implementation**__
Under construction

Strategies for Evaluation
__ Summative Evaluation __  1) Content analysis for asynchronous discussion forums

Asynchronous discussion forums have tremendous benefits in elearning contexts especially if the facilitator is skilled at designing leading questions and leading/focusing the discussion via strength of personality or questioning tactics like Socratic questioning (Yang, Newby & Bill, 2005).

To ascertain whether the beneficial affordances are fully taken advantaged of, the content analysis model formulated by Yang, Richardson, French & Lehman (2010) shall be our guide. Previous/other attempts at content analyzing asynchronous discussion forums focus on cognitive aspects like thinking skills and because it takes into account both knowledge factors as well. (Model shall be reproduced on change manual)

Note: Evaluation agents should be reminded not to get into too much detail. Broad strokes will do as too much detail leads to slow decision making and hence the course might not be re-designed in time for the next semester.

 2) Augmented Fuzzy Cognitive Maps (AFCM) are a high level social computing modelling concept which could be used to evaluate LMS success in its totality after a few years of its implementation. A Fuzzy Cognitive Map is basically an interconnected map of causal factors that are interrelated, with nodes having different weightings in relationships to other nodes. An AFCM includes inputs from experts. Salmeron (2009) has already identified several critical success factors for LMSes using FCMs and AFCMs which could be a reference but we should do our own (AFMC) to model for our context and contrast the factors discerned by the model to our situation. Ideally this should be done beforehand to identify success factors for us to work towards. But the lack of experts internally (as nobody had experiences with LMS use or implementation) would entail hiring outside experts which would be too costly. Hence, after Moodle has been implemented a few years, certain members of the staff who have gained moderate expert status can be the ‘expert input’ in the AFMC.

__**Formative Evaluation**__

 3) Moodle Data mining

Macfadyen & Dawson’s (2010) concept of data mining as an “early warning system” is consistent with the concept of formative evaluation, i.e. intervening with course design issues, including Moodle issues, in the midst of the course rather than at the end of it.

“….higher education institutions could harness the predictive power of Learning Management System (LMS) data to develop reporting tools that identify at-risk students and allow for more timely pedagogical interventions.” Macfadyen & Dawson’s (2010, p588)

The above quote summarises the use of data mining. While technical aspects of Moodle or course design may not be that easily changed during the conduct of the course, other simple strategies like grouping at-risk students with stronger students or even a simple phone call/email to ask the students if they’re having any difficulty could be of some help.

Note: The protocols and personnel choice for this should be done before implementation and technical tests carried out beforehand to ensure minimum glitches and high accuracy of data. references:

Yang, D., Richardson, J. C., French, B. F., & Lehman, J. D. (2010). The development of a content analysis model for assessing students’ cognitive learning in asynchronous online discussions. Educational Technology Research and Development.

Yang, Y. C., Newby, T. J. & Bill, R. L. (2005). Using Socratic Questioning to Promote Critical Thinking Skills Through Asynchronous Discussion Forums in Distance Learning Environments. American Journal of Distance Education, 19(3), 163-181.

Salmeron, J. L. (2009). Augmented fuzzy cognitive maps for modelling LMS critical success factors. Knowledge-Based Systems, 22(4), 275-278. Elsevier B.V.  Macfadyen, L. P., & Dawson, S. (2010). Mining LMS data to develop an “early warning system” for educators: A proof of concept. Computers & Education, 54(2), 588-599.