TEL Me More Initiative
While many Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) training initiatives are focused on inculcating knowledge and skills, long-term effectiveness can be limited within the confines of general, one-to-many training approaches. Specific individual requirements around module set-up and design, student engagement, communication, support, Universal Design (UD) and the use of Canvas and Zoom are often neglected through such approaches and implementation and long-term change to teaching practices are rarely fully realised.
The “TEL Me More” initiative, designed and delivered by the Dept of TEL, aims to help MTU teaching staff to make use of a range of digital learning features in a sustainable and personal manner. The initiative combines self-assessment, one-to-one live online training and follow-up training via online asynchronous courses.
The initiative is based around two digital frameworks, including Student outcome-led design (SOLD) and “ADKAR” Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability and Reinforcement. Common areas often covered as part of these training sessions include:
Saving time and energy with communication and information design
Supporting UD principles via digital design and accessibility
Supporting Authentic Assessment with TEL Tools
Increasing engagement using video and audio recording
Creating interactive teaching resources
One-to-one live online sessions are carried out online using Zoom, in which teaching staff receive a personal session to help address specific problems they are having in using MTU’s digital learning infrastructure, or to help them enhance their existing practice through innovating specific aspects of their teaching (i.e, student engagement, use of additional media, learning experience design, UD, etc.).
Prior to the zoom session, teaching staff can book for a time and date that suits them by using a customised version of the Office365 booking system and are asked to complete a self-assessment form prior to the session. This self-assessment form helps teaching staff to identify their own self-perceived level of expertise in digital teaching as well identifying areas where they are struggling or may wish to improve. This process also helps to inform staff in the Dept of TEL of the lecturer’s current practice, what they would like to do differently, etc.
To date, 88.2% of TEL Me More participants have marked the overall user experience as “very positive” (with the remaining 11.8% marking it as “positive”). 94.1% of participants marked the usefulness of the initiative as “very useful? (with the remaining 5.9% marking it “useful”).
