Towards Collaboration as Learning: Evaluation of an Open CPD Opportunity for HE Teachers

• Published in: Research in learning technology Vol. 23; pp. 1 - 14
• Main Authors: Nerantzi, Chrissi, Gossman, Peter
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Jarfalla Co-Action Publishing 01.01.2015; Association for Learning Technology
• Subjects: Academic Achievement; academic development; College Faculty; Communities of Practice; Cooperative Learning; Course Descriptions; Distance Education; Distance learning; Educational Environment; Educational Practices; Educational Resources; England; Foreign Countries; Higher Education; Institutional Cooperation; Learner Engagement; Learning Processes; Online Courses; Online instruction; Online Surveys; Open Education; open educational practice; phenomenography; Phenomenology; Praxis; Problem Based Learning; Small Group Instruction; Teacher Education Programs; Teachers; Teaching; Teaching Methods; Theory Practice Relationship; Time Factors (Learning); United Kingdom (England); United Kingdom > UK; Sweden
• ISSN: 2156-7069; 2156-7077
• DOI: 10.3402/rlt.v23.26967

Flexible, Distance and Online Learning (FDOL) is an open online course offered as an informal cross-institutional collaboration based on a postgraduate module in the context of teacher education in higher education. The second iteration, FDOL132, was offered in 2013 using a problem-based learning (PBL) design (FISh) to foster collaborative learning. How this was experienced by participants and how it affected learning within facilitated small groups are explored in this paper. Findings show that authentic learning in groups can be applied directly to practice, and greater flexibility and a focus on the process of collaborative learning has the potential to increase engagement and learning.