- Open University
Walton Hall
Milton Keynes
UK
Dr. Katy Jordan
University of Cambridge, Faculty of Education, Department Member
- City, University of London, Learning Development Centre, AlumnusLondon Knowledge Lab, TEL Programme, Department Member, and 2 moreadd
- Education, E-learning, Learning and Teaching, Web 2.0, Social Media, Higher Education, and 15 moreSemantic Web Technologies, Mycology and Plant pathology, Technology Enhanced Learning, Early career academics, Social Network Analysis (Social Sciences), Interdisciplinarity, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), Open Education, Educational Research, Action Research, Plant Pathology, Wikis, Educational Technology, Academic Development, and Academic Social Networkingedit
- Research Associate with the EdTech Hub, at the Faculty of Education and Darwin College, University of Cambridge. Prev... moreResearch Associate with the EdTech Hub, at the Faculty of Education and Darwin College, University of Cambridge.
Previously, visiting research fellow at the Institute of Educational Technology, the Open University, UK. Working on a range of projects in relation to social media in Higher Education, and Open Education.edit
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Hello all - as part of the Society for Research in Higher Education Newer Researchers Award, I’m currently conducting a research project into the information that academics share on social media, and their perceptions of high impact... more
Hello all - as part of the Society for Research in Higher Education Newer Researchers Award, I’m currently conducting a research project into the information that academics share on social media, and their perceptions of high impact interactions on the sites.
If you work in Higher Education (including PhD students), please consider taking part in my online survey - it usually takes around 10 minutes to complete:
https://openuniversity.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/sharing-social-media
Participants can be entered into a draw to win a £50 Amazon voucher & survey will close on 14th May 2018. Thanks!
If you have any queries about the project, please do get in touch. Many thanks! Katy
If you work in Higher Education (including PhD students), please consider taking part in my online survey - it usually takes around 10 minutes to complete:
https://openuniversity.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/sharing-social-media
Participants can be entered into a draw to win a £50 Amazon voucher & survey will close on 14th May 2018. Thanks!
If you have any queries about the project, please do get in touch. Many thanks! Katy
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Carmichael, P. and Jordan, K. (2009) 'CamTools: Using Sakai to Support Teaching and Learning in a Research-Intensive University' in: Berg, A.M. and Korcuska, M. (Eds) 'Sakai Courseware Management: The Official Guide' (Packt Publishers)
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
The need to demonstrate the impact of research has become an important issue in the Higher Education sector in the UK. This has been taken care of through the introduction of ‘impact case studies’ as part of the research excellence... more
The need to demonstrate the impact of research has become an important issue in the Higher Education sector in the UK. This has been taken care of through the introduction of ‘impact case studies’ as part of the research excellence framework (REF). The aim of the study presented in this paper was to understand the role that educational technology (and related terms) played in the 2014 REF impact case studies, using the public online database of case studies as a data source. Searches for 11 educational technology-related terms yielded a sample of 125 unique case studies. Although this represents only 1.9% of the total case studies, educational technology is clearly playing a role. The cases comprised two major subgroups: those where educational technology was the focus of the research (mainly associated with cases in education and computer science), and those where educational technology was used as a route to achieving impact (mainly in health-related subjects). The findings have i...
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Research Interests:
Academics are increasingly encouraged to use social media in their professional lives. Social networking sites are one type of tool within this; the ability to connect with others through this medium may offer benefits in terms of... more
Academics are increasingly encouraged to use social media in their professional lives. Social networking sites are one type of tool within this; the ability to connect with others through this medium may offer benefits in terms of reaching novel audiences, enhancing research impact, discovering collaborators, and drawing on a wider network of expertise and knowledge. However, little research has focused on the role of these sites in practice, and their relationship to academics’ formal roles and institutions. This paper presents an analysis of 18 interviews carried out with academics in order to discuss their online networks (at either Academia.edu or ResearchGate, and Twitter) and to understand the relationship between their online networks and formal academic identity. Several strategies underpinning academics’ use of the sites were identified, including: circumventing institutional constraints, extending academic space, finding a niche, promotion and impact, and academic freedom....
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The term open education has recently been used to refer to topics such as Open Educational Resources (OERs) and Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). Historically its roots lie in civil approaches to education and open universities, but... more
The term open education has recently been used to refer to topics such as Open Educational Resources (OERs) and Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). Historically its roots lie in civil approaches to education and open universities, but this research is rarely referenced or acknowledged in current interpretations. In this article the antecedents of the modern open educational movement are examined, as the basis for connecting the various strands of research. Using a citation analysis method the key references are extracted and their relationships mapped. This work reveals eight distinct sub-topics within the broad open education area, with relatively little overlap. The implications for this are discussed and methods of improving inter-topic research are proposed.
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Web link mining has been previously used as a way of gaining insight into how the Internet may be replicating or reshaping connections between institutions within the higher education sector. Institutions are increasingly active on social... more
Web link mining has been previously used as a way of gaining insight into how the Internet may be replicating or reshaping connections between institutions within the higher education sector. Institutions are increasingly active on social media platforms, and these connections have not been studied. This paper presents an exploratory analysis of the network of UK higher education institutional accounts on Twitter. All U.K. institutions have a presence. Standing in recent university rankings is found to be a significant predictor of several network metrics. In examining the communities present within the network, a combination of ranking and geolocation play a role. Analysis of a sample of tweets which mention more than one U.K. higher education institution provides an indication of why the topics of tweets would reinforce prestige and location in the network structure.
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This commentary presents an account of a recent project as an example of engaged research. The project focused on collecting and analysing the completion rates of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). It began informally, through blogging,... more
This commentary presents an account of a recent project as an example of engaged research. The project focused on collecting and analysing the completion rates of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). It began informally, through blogging, and developed into a funded research project with formal academic outputs. In addition to its formal outputs, the project is also cited as an example of the benefits of conducting an 'open' research project. This reflective piece tells the story of the project, and discusses the lessons learned about the value of openness and the interplay of different social media tools in the research process.
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Research Interests:
ABSTRACT This paper draws upon the experience of an interdisciplinary research group in engaging undergraduate university students in the design and development of semantic web technologies. A flexible approach to participatory design... more
ABSTRACT This paper draws upon the experience of an interdisciplinary research group in engaging undergraduate university students in the design and development of semantic web technologies. A flexible approach to participatory design challenged conventional distinctions between ‘designer’ and ‘user’ and allowed students to play a role in developing technological and pedagogical insights as well as their own domain knowledge. The use of semantic web technologies in particular facilitated student engagement with issues around the classification, structuring and representation of knowledge, the relationships between data and concepts, and data quality and standardisation. Through the presentation of two case examples of the development of semantic web tools, it is argued that this is an effective means by which student learning can be aligned with research activity and with models of learning as knowledge construction: not only in the subject domains of their study, but in relation to learning and learning technologies as well.
Research Interests: Education, Instructional Design, Educational Technology, Participatory Research, Participatory Design, and 15 moreEducational Research, Learning Technology, Content Analysis, Case Studies, Pedagogy, Knowledge Creation, Cooperative Learning, Interdisciplinary research, Data Quality, Knowledge Construction, Domain Knowledge, Participant Observation, Design and Development, Curriculum and Pedagogy, and Internet
The Plant Sciences Pedagogy Project began in the autumn of 2005 sponsored by the Cambridge-MIT Institute (CMI). The project objectives within the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of Cambridge were twofold: to conduct... more
The Plant Sciences Pedagogy Project began in the autumn of 2005 sponsored by the Cambridge-MIT Institute (CMI). The project objectives within the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of Cambridge were twofold: to conduct research into undergraduate teaching and learning within the Department; and to develop online resources to support student learning. The research focused on the second year
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Haßler, B., Nicolai, S., McBurnie, C., Jordan, K., & Wilson, S. (2020). EdTech and COVID-19 response (#SaveOurFuture Background Paper No. 3). Education Commission.
Research Interests:
The Department of Plant Sciences at the University of Cambridge uses a range of learning and teaching environments including lectures, practical laboratories and small group tutorials'. Under the auspices of the Cambridge-MIT... more
The Department of Plant Sciences at the University of Cambridge uses a range of learning and teaching environments including lectures, practical laboratories and small group tutorials'. Under the auspices of the Cambridge-MIT Institute's Pedagogy Programme, a two-year research and development project concerned with the development of small-group teaching is being undertaken. The research element of this project endeavours to illuminate current practice and identify areas in which evidence-based development might take place. The development element will include professional development activities and the production of curriculum resources including appropriate online material. This is a multi-method study including a series of student questionnaires; focus groups of students; semi-structured interviews with staff members; and the collection of video of small group teaching. In this paper we report selected findings from the 'student data' of the first year of this pro...
http://ubi-learn.com/the-latest-news/mooc-completion-rates-the-data Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have the potential to enable free university-level education on an enormous scale. A concern often raised about MOOCs is that although... more
http://ubi-learn.com/the-latest-news/mooc-completion-rates-the-data Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have the potential to enable free university-level education on an enormous scale. A concern often raised about MOOCs is that although thousands enrol for courses, a very small proportion actually complete the course. The release of information about enrollment and completion rates from MOOCs appears to be ad hoc at the moment - that is, official statistics are not published for every course. This data visualisation draws together information about enrollment numbers and completion rates from across online news stories and blogs. How big is the typical MOOC? - while enrollment has reached up to ~180,000, 50,000 students enrolled is a much more typical MOOC size. How many students complete courses? - completion rates can approach 20%, although most MOOCs have completion rates of less than 10%. Clicking on data points on the chart will display further details about each course, incl...
Carmichael, P., Johnstone, K., Tracy, F., Jordan, K., & Truscott, H. (2007). Developing evidence-informed practice in undergraduate teaching and learning at the University of Cambridge. In: D. Good, S. Greenwald, R. Cox and Goldman, M. (eds.) University Cooperation for Innovation: Lessons from th...more
Activity: We have developed an online, interactive timeline tool to help students studying the topics of Plant Evolution. It allows users to visualise the circumstances and factors contributing to the current diversity of plant life.... more
Activity: We have developed an online, interactive timeline tool to help students studying the topics of Plant Evolution. It allows users to visualise the circumstances and factors contributing to the current diversity of plant life. Student Group: The Timeline Tool is used at Cambridge with First Year Natural Sciences students, and also with Third Year students who have chosen to specialise in Plant Sciences. Although it was constructed with the needs of Plant Scientists in mind, aspects of the tool could be useful throughout undergraduate teaching; for example, in Earth Sciences or Zoology. We have made the tool publicly available so students in any year or setting worldwide can access it for free. Aim: The aim was to create an interactive time-line tool which would allow students to be able to visualise the trends in various different biotic and abiotic factors across geological time, to expose the relationships between different factors and allow students to investigate the circ...
Key points: Technology can help mitigate the effects of the educational crisis and closures of schools, but ed-tech is not a silver bullet and governments need to have realistic expectations about what it can achieve The digital divide... more
Key points:
Technology can help mitigate the effects of the educational crisis and closures of schools, but ed-tech is not a silver bullet and governments need to have realistic expectations about what it can achieve
The digital divide means that internet and mobile network access varies greatly in middle- and low-income countries
Governments can provide immediate support by informing teachers about simple grassroots platforms where they can share their own ed-tech solutions
Educational TV and radio broadcasts in combination with SMS are effective communication channels between educators and students when the internet connectivity is poor or not available
It will be important for education authorities to begin planning how in 12-months’ time they will diagnose and treat the learning gaps that have emerged during the crisis.
Technology can help mitigate the effects of the educational crisis and closures of schools, but ed-tech is not a silver bullet and governments need to have realistic expectations about what it can achieve
The digital divide means that internet and mobile network access varies greatly in middle- and low-income countries
Governments can provide immediate support by informing teachers about simple grassroots platforms where they can share their own ed-tech solutions
Educational TV and radio broadcasts in combination with SMS are effective communication channels between educators and students when the internet connectivity is poor or not available
It will be important for education authorities to begin planning how in 12-months’ time they will diagnose and treat the learning gaps that have emerged during the crisis.
Research Interests:
This analysis is based upon enrolment and completion data collected for a total of 221 Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). It extends previously reported work (Jordan, 2014) with an expanded dataset; the original work is extended to... more
This analysis is based upon enrolment and completion data collected for a total of 221 Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). It extends previously reported work (Jordan, 2014) with an expanded dataset; the original work is extended to include a multiple regression analysis of factors that affect completion rates and analysis of attrition rates during courses. Completion rates (defined as the percentage of enrolled students who completed the course) vary from 0.7% to 52.1%, with a median value of 12.6%. Since their inception, enrolments on MOOCs have fallen while completion rates have increased. Completion rates vary significantly according to course length (longer courses having lower completion rates), start date (more recent courses having higher percentage completion) and assessment type (courses using auto grading only having higher completion rates). For a sub-sample of courses where rates of active use and assessment submission across the course are available, the first and second weeks appear to be critical in achieving student engagement, after which the proportion of active students and those submitting assessments levels out, with less than 3% difference between them.
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This paper presents a response to the paper ‘A critical look at the ResearchGate score as a measure of scientific reputation’ (Kraker & Lex, 2015). Following up on arguments presented by the authors, which argue that the ResearchGate... more
This paper presents a response to the paper ‘A critical look at the ResearchGate score as a measure of scientific reputation’ (Kraker & Lex, 2015). Following up on arguments presented by the authors, which argue that the ResearchGate score is irreproducible and dependent upon Journal Impact Factors, a small-scale exploratory analysis of ResearchGate scores was undertaken to examine correlations between ResearchGate score and profile metrics. The importance of the Journal Impact Factor in determining ResearchGate score is confirmed, and insights gained into the relationship. A model which significantly predicts ResearchGate score is described. The findings are discussed in terms of the three arguments outlined in the original paper, and in relation to academic practice.
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The semantic web is the concept of an internet where all data is stored in machine readable formats, facilitating machine reasoning and encoding meaning (Berners‐Lee, Hendler and Lassila, 2001); offering many new possibilities to explore... more
The semantic web is the concept of an internet where all data is stored in machine readable formats, facilitating machine reasoning and encoding meaning (Berners‐Lee, Hendler and Lassila, 2001); offering many new possibilities to explore and
reason across heterogeneous data sources and types. This paper tells a story about a hybrid object known as the ‘Semantic Spider’ that was born out of need to illustrate
the concept of semantic web within a large and interdisciplinary research and development project, Ensemble. Through examining the diagram as part of the various practices it is being engaged in within the interdisciplinary team, the work that the diagram does as part of these emerges as more important than what the diagram 'is'. The paper concludes by suggesting that it would be useful to conceptualise the diagram as Practice Negotiating Artifact.
reason across heterogeneous data sources and types. This paper tells a story about a hybrid object known as the ‘Semantic Spider’ that was born out of need to illustrate
the concept of semantic web within a large and interdisciplinary research and development project, Ensemble. Through examining the diagram as part of the various practices it is being engaged in within the interdisciplinary team, the work that the diagram does as part of these emerges as more important than what the diagram 'is'. The paper concludes by suggesting that it would be useful to conceptualise the diagram as Practice Negotiating Artifact.
Research Interests:
The rapid rise in popularity of online social networking has been followed by a slew of services aimed at an academic audience. This project sought to explore network structure in these sites, and to explore trends in network structure by... more
The rapid rise in popularity of online social networking has been followed by a slew of services aimed at an academic audience. This project sought to explore network structure in these sites, and to explore trends in network structure by surveying participants about their use of sites and motivations for making connections. Social network analysis revealed that discipline was influential in defining community structure, while academic seniority was linked to the position of nodes within the network. The survey revealed a contradiction between academics use of the sites and their position within the networks the sites foster. Junior academics were found to be more active users of the sites, agreeing to a greater extent with the perceived benefits, yet having fewer connections and occupying a more peripheral position in the network.
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Academic online social networking has received increasing focus in recent years with the development of a number of services aimed specifically at academics. There has, however, been little empirical work on the subject. This study... more
Academic online social networking has received increasing focus in recent years with the development of a number of services aimed specifically at academics. There has, however, been little empirical work on the subject. This study seeks to understand the structure and role of academics’ ego-networks on social networking sites in relation to developing an academic identity and becoming professional in their disciplines. To this end, a mixed-methods social network analysis approach will be used. Current outstanding issues relating to analysis and reporting, ethics, and the role of theory, will be outlined for discussion.
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Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) allow students to study online courses without requiring previous experience or qualifications. This offers students the freedom to study a wide variety of topics, freed from the curriculum of a degree... more
Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) allow students to study online courses without requiring previous experience or qualifications. This offers students the freedom to study a wide variety of topics, freed from the curriculum of a degree programme for example; however, it also poses a challenge for students in terms of making connections between individual courses. This paper examines the subjects which students at one MOOC platform (Coursera) choose to study. It uses a social network analysis based approach to create a network graph of co-studied subjects. The resulting network demonstrates a good deal of overlap between different disciplinary areas. Communities are identified within the graph and characterised. The results suggests that MOOC students may not be seeking to replicate degree-style courses in one specialist area, which may have implications for the future moves toward ‘MOOCs for credit’.
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The past two years have seen rapid development of massive open online courses (MOOCs) with the rise of a number of MOOC platforms. The scale of enrolment and participation in the earliest mainstream MOOC courses has garnered a good deal... more
The past two years have seen rapid development of massive open online courses (MOOCs) with the rise of a number of MOOC platforms. The scale of enrolment and participation in the earliest mainstream MOOC courses has garnered a good deal of media attention. However, data about how the enrolment and completion figures have changed since the early courses is not consistently released. This paper seeks to draw together the data that has found its way into the public domain in order to explore factors affecting enrolment and completion. The average MOOC course is found to enroll around 43,000 students, 6.5% of whom complete the course. Enrolment numbers are decreasing over time and are positively correlated with course length. Completion rates are consistent across time, university rank, and total enrolment, but negatively correlated with course length. This study provides a more detailed view of trends in enrolment and completion than was available previously, and a more accurate view of how the MOOC field is developing.
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This paper describes a novel application of semantic web technologies to support undergraduate students’ learning in Plant Sciences. The pedagogical context focuses upon a field trip, seeking to enhance students’ familiarity with plant... more
This paper describes a novel application of semantic web technologies to support undergraduate students’ learning in Plant Sciences. The pedagogical context focuses upon a field trip, seeking to enhance students’ familiarity with plant species they will encounter in the field and making links to over-arching concepts in the wider taught course. Semantic web technologies were selected as a potential match to support this learning context because of the well-defined plant taxonomy underpinning plant classification. The paper will conclude with reflections on the affordances, challenges and issues surfaced by this approach and its alignment with pedagogical theories.
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In this synoptic paper, the authors describe how the transformative potential of semantic web and linked web of data technologies for educational systems has been identified, but highlight the fact that there are few accounts of the... more
In this synoptic paper, the authors describe how the transformative potential of semantic web and linked web of data technologies for educational systems has been identified, but highlight the fact that there are few accounts of the pedagogical applications of these same technologies. The papers in this special issue provide accounts of these technologies in use in teaching, learning and curriculum development in higher education. Several of the papers suggest that these new web technologies have important roles to play in changing pedagogical practices in higher education settings in which teachers and students are seen as designers of their own learning technologies and as producers of new knowledge. The authors argue that the theorisation, development and adoption of Semantic Web and linked data technologies would be well served by a ‘turn to practice’ and a focus not on learning technologies in higher education but on the meaning-making practices, discourses and controversies around technologies in higher education.
Research Interests:
This paper draws upon the experience of an interdisciplinary research group in engaging undergraduate university students in the design and development of semantic web technologies. A flexible approach to participatory design challenged... more
This paper draws upon the experience of an interdisciplinary research group in engaging undergraduate university students in the design and development of semantic web technologies. A flexible approach to participatory design challenged conventional distinctions between ‘designer’ and ‘user’ and allowed students to play a role in developing technological and pedagogical insights as well as their own domain knowledge. The use of semantic web technologies in particular facilitated student engagement with issues around the classification, structuring and representation of knowledge, the relationships between data and concepts, and data quality and standardisation. Through the presentation of two case examples of the development of semantic web tools, it is argued that this is an effective means by which student learning can be aligned with research activity and with models of learning as knowledge construction: not only in the subject domains of their study, but in relation to learning and learning technologies as well.
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While much attention has been given to the changing spaces of education introduced by new technologies, the impact of spatial theory on the discussion of such education is less well developed. Drawing upon empirical evidence from the... more
While much attention has been given to the changing spaces of education introduced by new technologies, the impact of spatial theory on the discussion of such education is less well developed. Drawing upon empirical evidence from the Ensemble research project, this article examines spatially some of the possibilities and constraints that arise in the introduction of semantic technologies into case-based learning in higher education. While the affordances of the semantic web provide a technological basis for the development of flexible tools and associated pedagogies in ways that could enhance case-based learning, there are many tensions in this process. In this article, we draw upon certain aspects of spatial theory to examine the ways in which the mobilities and openings made possible by the introduction of semantic technologies also entail mooring and boundary marking in order to give the technologies specifically educational purposes. We suggest how educational practices can be considered theoretically as spatial orderings and some of the implications.
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The Plant Sciences Pedagogy Project conducted research into undergraduate teaching and learning in the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of Cambridge and has translated the research findings into interventions to improve... more
The Plant Sciences Pedagogy Project conducted research into undergraduate teaching and learning in the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of Cambridge and has translated the research findings into interventions to improve support for student learning. A key research objective for the project was to investigate how teachers within the Department support student learning in small group tutorials. This was undertaken using questionnaires, focus groups and interviews. During focus groups students reported that they valued tutors who were able to anticipate topics that they found difficult to master. The threshold concepts framework provided a medium for discussion about these troublesome areas in this discipline area and a number of threshold concepts were identified by interviewing teaching staff. The topics that emerged from this were used as focal points for development of new online resources for students. As threshold concepts are typically difficult to teach, they are challenging to one’s own practice as a teacher. Threshold concepts may provide a good focus for continuing professional development of teaching staff.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
We have developed an online, interactive timeline tool to help students studying the topics of Plant Evolution. It allows users to visualise the circumstances and factors contributing to the current diversity of plant life. The Timeline... more
We have developed an online, interactive timeline tool to help students studying the topics of Plant Evolution. It allows users to visualise the circumstances and factors contributing to the current diversity of plant life. The Timeline Tool is used at Cambridge with First Year Natural Sciences students, and also with Third Year students who have chosen to specialise in Plant Sciences. Although it was constructed with the needs of Plant Scientists in mind, aspects of the tool could be useful throughout undergraduate teaching; for example, in Earth Sciences or Zoology. We have made the tool publicly available so students in any year or setting worldwide can access it for free.
Research Interests:
The University of Cambridge is one of the oldest Universities in the UK, and has a reputation for excellence in both research and education. It is a collegiate university; undergraduate students typically live and have small-group... more
The University of Cambridge is one of the oldest Universities in the UK, and has a reputation for excellence in both research and education. It is a collegiate university; undergraduate students typically live and have small-group tutorials within college, but the broader content of a course and syllabus is managed and delivered by lectures in research-led academic departments. The Department of Plant Sciences teaches lecture courses to undergraduate students studying within the Natural Sciences Tripos (NST). The Plant Sciences Pedagogy Project has been running within the department since Autumn 2005, and focuses upon the second year course the department runs within the NST, known as ‘Part IB Plant and Microbial Sciences’ (IB PMS).
Part of the Plant Sciences Pedagogy Project remit was to enhance existing, and create novel, online learning resources for IB PMS students. From initial research findings with staff and students, one of the main considerations when designing the new virtual learning environment (VLE) and resources within it was to give students a better overview of the course as a whole, and how it is linked to the wider Plant Sciences community. To achieve this, we wanted to create an easier, more explicit link between lecture topics and individual research papers (which can seem rather abstract to a student if considered in isolation); to create an online library of references appeared to be an elegant solution.
Part of the Plant Sciences Pedagogy Project remit was to enhance existing, and create novel, online learning resources for IB PMS students. From initial research findings with staff and students, one of the main considerations when designing the new virtual learning environment (VLE) and resources within it was to give students a better overview of the course as a whole, and how it is linked to the wider Plant Sciences community. To achieve this, we wanted to create an easier, more explicit link between lecture topics and individual research papers (which can seem rather abstract to a student if considered in isolation); to create an online library of references appeared to be an elegant solution.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
The University of Cambridge is one of the oldest Universities in the UK, and has a reputation for excellence in both research and education. It is a collegiate university; undergraduate students typically live and have small-group... more
The University of Cambridge is one of the oldest Universities in the UK, and has a reputation for excellence in both research and education. It is a collegiate university; undergraduate students typically live and have small-group tutorials within college, but the broader content of a course and syllabus is managed and delivered by lectures in research-led academic departments. The Department of Plant Sciences teaches lecture courses to undergraduate students studying within the Natural Sciences Tripos (NST). The Plant Sciences Pedagogy Project has been running within the department since Autumn 2005, and focuses upon the second year course the department runs within the NST, known as ‘Part IB Plant and Microbial Sciences’ (IB PMS).
Part of the Plant Sciences Pedagogy Project remit was to enhance and create online learning resources for IB PMS students. Although there is a very wide range of online learning technology now available, we wanted to make sure that students would find our new resources genuinely useful, and to avoid the pitfall of using technology for its own sake. Right from the start of the project, a range of research activities – including dual-scale questionnaires, focus groups and semi-structured interviews – were carried out to elicit staff and student opinions and expectations of teaching on the IB PMS course. We then sought to use this research evidence to inform development of novel online learning resources to complement and support the taught course.
Part of the Plant Sciences Pedagogy Project remit was to enhance and create online learning resources for IB PMS students. Although there is a very wide range of online learning technology now available, we wanted to make sure that students would find our new resources genuinely useful, and to avoid the pitfall of using technology for its own sake. Right from the start of the project, a range of research activities – including dual-scale questionnaires, focus groups and semi-structured interviews – were carried out to elicit staff and student opinions and expectations of teaching on the IB PMS course. We then sought to use this research evidence to inform development of novel online learning resources to complement and support the taught course.
Research Interests:
Structural biology is an essential component of current molecular bioscience teaching. However, it requires students to develop an understanding of 3-dimensional (3-D) structures that is difficult to acquire from conventional teaching... more
Structural biology is an essential component of current molecular bioscience teaching. However, it requires students to develop an understanding of 3-dimensional (3-D) structures that is difficult to acquire from conventional teaching methods using 2-dimensional images, in either books or lecture slides. As of November 2007, there are 47,283 crystal structures of biological molecules publicly available in the Protein Data Bank (www.pdb.org) as well as a number of open source tools available to render these structures into 3-D models which can be visualised on standard computer platforms. This provides a valuable opportunity for the development of new teaching approaches which enhance student learning and engagement.
In the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of Cambridge, we have used a 3-D molecular visualisation program called Jmol (www.jmol.org) in a virtual learning environment, as well as in lectures, to embed structural biology into plant science teaching.
In the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of Cambridge, we have used a 3-D molecular visualisation program called Jmol (www.jmol.org) in a virtual learning environment, as well as in lectures, to embed structural biology into plant science teaching.
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The course teaches an integrated view of Plant and Microbial Sciences, which incorporates molecular, cellular and ecological approaches to the subject. The lectures address current understanding of the relevant processes at the cellular... more
The course teaches an integrated view of Plant and Microbial Sciences, which incorporates molecular, cellular and ecological approaches to the subject. The lectures address current understanding of the relevant processes at the cellular and molecular levels, and explore their relevance to the major issues and ideas which arise from studying plants and microbes in the field. Teaching focuses on plants in their physical environment, on plants and their interactions with microbes, and on plant ecosystems in the Autumn, Spring and Summer Terms respectively. Key concepts are further explored through tutorials, laboratory work and a field course.
Research Interests:
The Plant Sciences Pedagogy Project began in the autumn of 2005 as part of the Cambridge-MIT Institute (CMI) Education Programme. The project objectives within the Department of Plant Sciences at Cambridge were two-fold: to conduct... more
The Plant Sciences Pedagogy Project began in the autumn of 2005 as part of the Cambridge-MIT Institute (CMI) Education Programme. The project objectives within the Department of Plant Sciences at Cambridge were two-fold: to conduct research into teaching and learning of undergraduates within the department and to develop supportive on-line learning resources. Research focused on the second year undergraduate course called ‘Plant & Microbial Sciences’ (IB PMS). Technical support for use of the University’s instance of the Sakai Virtual Research Environment (VRE) platform, known as CamTools, was provided within the university from the Centre for Applied Research in Educational Technologies (CARET). CamTools provides a number of optional tools for implementation within any course or work site. Wikis have been heralded as one of a number of new and powerful forms of software capable of supporting a range of collaborative ventures and learning activities. The Sakai wiki tool, implemented by CARET, was originally designed to support participants in collaborative research projects. We immediately saw an opportunity to use the wiki tool to structure the content of the IB PMS course site within our Sakai based Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). This enabled the site to contain searchable wiki formatted lecture notes with links to glossary pages and to a wide range of other learning resources. However, we initially restricted the access and editing rights of the site members so that lecturers have edit but not administration rights and students are unable to edit any pages. Are we breaking the rules? We put across our case that the wiki is a more versatile tool than the developers originally envisaged, and that it is not necessary to allow full editing rights to all members of a VLE in order to support the teaching and learning of students in higher education.
Research Interests:
In the past decade, a number of online social networking sites (SNS) have been introduced. As a result of their popularity, several SNS aimed at the academic community have been launched. This poster focuses upon one affordance of... more
In the past decade, a number of online social networking sites (SNS) have been introduced. As a result of their popularity, several SNS aimed at the academic community have been launched. This poster focuses upon one affordance of academic SNS: the utility to pose questions to the wider community, by analysing a sample of questions from the Academia.edu platform. This study set out to explore the types of questions academics pose to a specifically academic SNS, in terms of both the topics and question types.
Research Interests:
Jordan, K. (2013) Emerging and potential learning analytics from MOOCs. Presentation given at 'Let the Learners Speak for themselves: The Potential of Learning Analytics and Big Data', 8th 'What the research says' seminar, London... more
Jordan, K. (2013) Emerging and potential learning analytics from MOOCs. Presentation given at 'Let the Learners Speak for themselves: The Potential of Learning Analytics and Big Data', 8th 'What the research says' seminar, London Knowledge Lab, 21st March 2013.
Research Interests:
Jordan, K. (2011) What is social bookmarking? Lunchtime talk given at London Knowledge Lab, 9th November 2011.
This lunchtime seminar aims to give a brief introduction for beginners to the concept of the semantic web, what is meant by the term semantic technologies, and reviewing a selection of tools which have been created by educational... more
This lunchtime seminar aims to give a brief introduction for beginners to the concept of the semantic web, what is meant by the term semantic technologies, and reviewing a selection of tools which have been created by educational practitioners using the Simile toolkit.
Jordan, K. and Johnstone, K. (2009) Exploring 3D Molecular Structures with Exhibit. Poster presented at Ensemble Project seminar, 8th January 2009, St John's College, Cambridge
The learning object which is the focus of the presentation was subsequently awarded first place in the Jorum leaarning and teaching awards.
"Ensemble: Semantic Technologies for the Enhancement of Case Based Learning" is a major project within the ESRC/EPSRC's Technology Enhanced Learning Programme. An interdisciplinary research team is working with teachers and students at... more
"Ensemble: Semantic Technologies for the Enhancement of Case Based Learning" is a major project within the ESRC/EPSRC's Technology Enhanced Learning Programme. An interdisciplinary research team is working with teachers and students at the University of Cambridge and City University, London, to explore the potential of the Semantic Web 'vision' and of specific 'semantic technologies' in supporting and enhancing teaching and learning in areas where case based learning is used to address complex, controversial or rapidly changing learning domains.
The Semantic Web (or "Web 3.0") is envisaged as "an extension of the current Web in which information is given well-defined meaning ... data on the Web [is] defined and linked in a way that it can be used for more effective discovery, automation, integration, and reuse across various applications" (Semantic Web Activity Statement, 2001). However this vision has yet to have significant impact on teaching and learning activities and environments; the 'Educational Semantic Web' is, as Allert (2004) describes it, a "space ready to be filled with meaning".
As part of preparation for the main project which begins in October 2008, a series of pilot projects have taken place, involving students, teachers, software developers and researchers who have used and evaluated the SIMILE Semantic Web Toolkit developed at MIT. The majority of the presenters are student researchers employed under the 'Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programme' (UROP), who used their perspective as 'expert learners' to engage critically with the curriculum content of their courses and to participate on equal terms with teachers and software developers as part of an extended, interdisciplinary 'community of enquiry'.
This symposium/workshop will present the results of some of these pilot projects. An initial overview of the background to the project and some of the emerging issues and themes will be followed by short presentations of four demonstrator projects (details of each of these are included as separate abstracts). These include examples drawn from across disciplines and demonstrate different applications of semantic technologies.
Participants in the symposium/workshop will the have an opportunity to engage in discussions with the presenters in a 'round-table' format which will be further supported by a poster display. Rather than having a formal discussant role, a chaired 'panel discussion' will allow participants to offer responses to the presentations. We expect that this session will initiate a continuing dialogue about the potential, nature and scope of 'Web 3.0' for education.
The Semantic Web (or "Web 3.0") is envisaged as "an extension of the current Web in which information is given well-defined meaning ... data on the Web [is] defined and linked in a way that it can be used for more effective discovery, automation, integration, and reuse across various applications" (Semantic Web Activity Statement, 2001). However this vision has yet to have significant impact on teaching and learning activities and environments; the 'Educational Semantic Web' is, as Allert (2004) describes it, a "space ready to be filled with meaning".
As part of preparation for the main project which begins in October 2008, a series of pilot projects have taken place, involving students, teachers, software developers and researchers who have used and evaluated the SIMILE Semantic Web Toolkit developed at MIT. The majority of the presenters are student researchers employed under the 'Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programme' (UROP), who used their perspective as 'expert learners' to engage critically with the curriculum content of their courses and to participate on equal terms with teachers and software developers as part of an extended, interdisciplinary 'community of enquiry'.
This symposium/workshop will present the results of some of these pilot projects. An initial overview of the background to the project and some of the emerging issues and themes will be followed by short presentations of four demonstrator projects (details of each of these are included as separate abstracts). These include examples drawn from across disciplines and demonstrate different applications of semantic technologies.
Participants in the symposium/workshop will the have an opportunity to engage in discussions with the presenters in a 'round-table' format which will be further supported by a poster display. Rather than having a formal discussant role, a chaired 'panel discussion' will allow participants to offer responses to the presentations. We expect that this session will initiate a continuing dialogue about the potential, nature and scope of 'Web 3.0' for education.
In October 2006 the Department of Plant Sciences at Cambridge University began running its first undergraduate course based in a Sakai environment. Here, we will reflect on what we've learnt from this year and share our tips, focusing on... more
In October 2006 the Department of Plant Sciences at Cambridge University began running its first undergraduate course based in a Sakai environment. Here, we will reflect on what we've learnt from this year and share our tips, focusing on trends in usage by students from site stats and student feedback.
The Plant Sciences Pedagogy Project at the University of Cambridge is seeking to develop evidence-informed practice in small-group teaching and learning. Sakai, and particularly the wiki tool, has been used effectively to support... more
The Plant Sciences Pedagogy Project at the University of Cambridge is seeking to develop evidence-informed practice in small-group teaching and learning. Sakai, and particularly the wiki tool, has been used effectively to support research, staff development and student learning. This may be a useful development model for other institutions.
This poster visually summarises the experiences of two research associates within higher education who have worked through a cycle of collaborative action research, with the aim of improving the teaching and learning outcomes of small... more
This poster visually summarises the experiences of two research associates within higher education who have worked through a cycle of collaborative action research, with the aim of improving the teaching and learning outcomes of small group tutorials at the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge.
With a background in the academic study of plant science we have been developing our knowledge of educational research theories and strategies during this research project, through our relationships with educational researchers at the Centre for Applied Research in Educational Technologies (CARET).
Within the research project we take on the role of mediators between plant science lecturers, tutors and students in the Department of Plant Sciences and educational researchers at CARET and several other national and international university departments. This role has given us an insight into the value and nature of brokerage in higher education.
Our previous academic study has enabled us to develop skills in IT, statistics, and several forms of communication which, have been very valuable for the success of this collaborative project and have been used to create links within and between several academic networks.
This experience has highlighted the essentiality of occupying a liminal state within both the educational research and the plant sciences discipline in order to maintain the freedom to translate, coordinate and align the research objectives between both fields.
Our relationships and exchanges with academics within both disciplines are depicted in the light of our previous academic backgrounds and we try to acknowledge how our beliefs and theoretical perspectives affect these associations.
Within higher education short term contracts add a complexity to the mediator role as there is an additional need to maintain the flexibility to make future career moves back into the heart of our chosen disciplines. The process of analysing and confirming our role within the higher education community has alleviated our tendency to feel disconnected with our past and potential future academic communities, and we hope that this poster works towards developing shared mediator practices for academics in higher education.
With a background in the academic study of plant science we have been developing our knowledge of educational research theories and strategies during this research project, through our relationships with educational researchers at the Centre for Applied Research in Educational Technologies (CARET).
Within the research project we take on the role of mediators between plant science lecturers, tutors and students in the Department of Plant Sciences and educational researchers at CARET and several other national and international university departments. This role has given us an insight into the value and nature of brokerage in higher education.
Our previous academic study has enabled us to develop skills in IT, statistics, and several forms of communication which, have been very valuable for the success of this collaborative project and have been used to create links within and between several academic networks.
This experience has highlighted the essentiality of occupying a liminal state within both the educational research and the plant sciences discipline in order to maintain the freedom to translate, coordinate and align the research objectives between both fields.
Our relationships and exchanges with academics within both disciplines are depicted in the light of our previous academic backgrounds and we try to acknowledge how our beliefs and theoretical perspectives affect these associations.
Within higher education short term contracts add a complexity to the mediator role as there is an additional need to maintain the flexibility to make future career moves back into the heart of our chosen disciplines. The process of analysing and confirming our role within the higher education community has alleviated our tendency to feel disconnected with our past and potential future academic communities, and we hope that this poster works towards developing shared mediator practices for academics in higher education.
Sudden Oak Death Syndrome (SODS) is used as a prevalent and topical case within the second year undergraduate Plant Sciences course at Cambridge to illustrate concepts in plant disease epidemiology. This disease has only appeared in... more
Sudden Oak Death Syndrome (SODS) is used as a prevalent and topical case within the second year undergraduate Plant Sciences course at Cambridge to illustrate concepts in plant disease epidemiology. This disease has only appeared in recent years, and research is ongoing to gain a better understanding of its biology and epidemiology.
Our project focused on applying the SIMILE toolkit - and specifically the 'Exhibit' web interface to the spatial representation of data associated with SODS. The Google Maps API was used as the basis of a scalable map which was overlaid with reported occurrences of the disease and other potentially significant factors, such as elevation and climatic conditions.
Our semantic tool was designed to allow learners to explore existing data related to the disease. The semantic elements of the tool allow the incorporation of new datasets into the map visualisation tool as they become available, which is particularly important given the contemporary nature of the case in question.
The development of this prototype tool yielded an insight into the challenges which face teachers and learners who wish to develop both Semantic Web data sources and the teaching and learning tools which make use of them. 'Exhibit' was successfully used by students working in a collaborative environment (along with teachers and software developers) to develop a potentially valuable and reusable tool for use by other students and teachers.
Our project focused on applying the SIMILE toolkit - and specifically the 'Exhibit' web interface to the spatial representation of data associated with SODS. The Google Maps API was used as the basis of a scalable map which was overlaid with reported occurrences of the disease and other potentially significant factors, such as elevation and climatic conditions.
Our semantic tool was designed to allow learners to explore existing data related to the disease. The semantic elements of the tool allow the incorporation of new datasets into the map visualisation tool as they become available, which is particularly important given the contemporary nature of the case in question.
The development of this prototype tool yielded an insight into the challenges which face teachers and learners who wish to develop both Semantic Web data sources and the teaching and learning tools which make use of them. 'Exhibit' was successfully used by students working in a collaborative environment (along with teachers and software developers) to develop a potentially valuable and reusable tool for use by other students and teachers.
'Critical questions for open educational practices' is a special issue of the journal Distance Education (41/2, 2020, https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/cdie20/41/2). On 16 June 2020 an 'issue launch webinar' was hosted by ODLAA featuring... more
'Critical questions for open educational practices' is a special issue of the journal Distance Education (41/2, 2020, https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/cdie20/41/2).
On 16 June 2020 an 'issue launch webinar' was hosted by ODLAA featuring the special issue editors and authors. The recording is available here: https://youtu.be/32O9eTRfRW4
The slides also contain the links the published versions and the open access accepted versions of each paper.
Moderator: Som Naidu
Guest editors: Suzan Koseoglu, Aras Bozkurt and Leo Havemann
Contributing authors: Taskeen Adam / Shironica Karunanayaka & Som Naidu / Evrim Baran & Dana AlZoubi / Marcelo Maina, Gema Santos, Federica Mancini & Lourdes Guàrdia / Kyungmee Lee / Remi Kalir / Helene Pulker & Agnes Kukulska-Hulme / Conchúr MacLochlainn, Mairéad Nic Giolla Mhichíl, Elaine Beirne & Mark Brown / Beck Pitt, Katy Jordan, Beatriz de los Arcos, Robert Farrow & Martin Weller / Benjamin Croft & Monica Brown
On 16 June 2020 an 'issue launch webinar' was hosted by ODLAA featuring the special issue editors and authors. The recording is available here: https://youtu.be/32O9eTRfRW4
The slides also contain the links the published versions and the open access accepted versions of each paper.
Moderator: Som Naidu
Guest editors: Suzan Koseoglu, Aras Bozkurt and Leo Havemann
Contributing authors: Taskeen Adam / Shironica Karunanayaka & Som Naidu / Evrim Baran & Dana AlZoubi / Marcelo Maina, Gema Santos, Federica Mancini & Lourdes Guàrdia / Kyungmee Lee / Remi Kalir / Helene Pulker & Agnes Kukulska-Hulme / Conchúr MacLochlainn, Mairéad Nic Giolla Mhichíl, Elaine Beirne & Mark Brown / Beck Pitt, Katy Jordan, Beatriz de los Arcos, Robert Farrow & Martin Weller / Benjamin Croft & Monica Brown
Research Interests:
Academic genealogy describes the representation of academic mentorship relationships in a manner akin to a family tree (Montoye & Washburn, 1980). It has acquired renewed interest recently through development of novel online platforms to... more
Academic genealogy describes the representation of academic mentorship relationships in a manner akin to a family tree (Montoye & Washburn, 1980). It has acquired renewed interest recently through development of novel online platforms to crowdsource data and map relationships at scale (David & Hayden, 2012). This poster will present an ongoing informal work-in-progress to visualise the past and present PhD student-supervisor relationships within the Institute of Educational Technology (IET). Representing information in this way provides a novel way of representing IET’s rich history, and could be developed further as a way of exploring the interdisciplinary nature of Technology-Enhanced Learning as a field (Scanlon, 2015).