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Student engagement from online learning design quality perspectives. The role of learning analytics

Format: Presentations and discussions

Description:

The session is organized in the framework of Erasmus+ DigiProf project to introduce the research – based concept of learning analytics as a metacognitive tool for teachers in HE, supporting them to reflect upon and change their learning design on the basis evidence – based decisions. Moreover, the theoretical background to student engagement in online and blended learning will be introduced that is the key link to successful academic achievements and student behaviour and self-confidence in learning.

Moderator

Airina Volungevičienė

Airina Volungevičienė has been working among leading researchers, methodology specialists and education policy makers in the area of technology enhanced learning (TEL) development in Europe and Lithuania since 1997. Having established the national network for distance and e-learning in the country, then Lithuanian Distance and e-Learning association (2010), she continued as a leader in research and project work to promote the development of TEL in in HE, schools, VET and adult learning. Her main concern at Vytautas Magnus University is to direct Institute activities to implement its mission: to advise University teachers to design online learning and teaching, to ensure the quality of online and blended learning on the course level, to consult how to organize online studies successfully, and to lead continuous professional development of HE and school teachers to develop their digital competences. She is involved in EDEN Governance since 2010, as the Board member, Vice President for Research (2016 – 2019) and the President (2016 – 2021). Collaboration with UNESCO IITE in application of technologies in education, OER development, as well as UNESCO IBE for Collaborative Master study program of “Curriculum development“ allows mainstreaming of expert knowledge and the development of open professional collaboration of teachers and academia on global level.

Speakers

Lourdes Guàrdia

Lourdes Guàrdia is Deputy Dean of Teaching and Associate Professor at the Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences at the Open University of Catalonia (UOC). She has been teaching courses of the Master’s degree in Education and ICT since 2004 and was the academic director from 2012 till 2020. Researcher and member of the Edul@b Research Group at UOC. Her main areas of research are Learning Design, Technology Enhanced Learning, Educational Technology, Teacher Training, e-Portfolios, e-Assessment and Teaching Models related to the use of digital technologies in different educational contexts (Schools, University, VET). Research teaching internships at Wisconsin University (USA) & Leicester University (UK).She has participated and coordinated Work Packages in various research and innovation projects, both nationally and internationally, among them and recently; CRISS (K-12 digital competence assessment and certification), ECO4LEARN (K-12 teachers learning ecologies), EPICA (near graduation employability skills), AMED (transforming university model to blended learning), European SLP’s for continuous professional development and lifelong learning, eFeedSkills (technology scaffolded regulatory skills in undergraduate students, using Chatbots and Learning Analytics).

Marcelo Fabián Maina

Marcelo Fabián Maina is an associate professor of educational technology, Department of Psychology and Education, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Barcelona. He is the director of the Master in Education and ICT (e-learning) where he teaches courses on technology-enhanced learning, and on quality in the Master of Quality Assessment and Management in Higher Education. He is also a member of the Edul@b research group. His research interests focus on open education, competency-based education, 21st-century skills, e-portfolio, learning design methods and tools, learning analytics, emerging digital pedagogies. He regularly participates in European and national projects regarding education innovation and technology:  CRISS, ECO4LEARN, EPICA, AMED, ESLP, eFeedSkills. He is currently a Fellow of EDEN. Author of Improving online teaching. Practical guide for quality online education (2022)

Giedrė Tamoliūnė

Giedrė Tamoliūnė is a lecturer at Education Academy, Vytautas Magnus University. Next to this, as a researcher, she is actively involved in European and national scientific and applied projects that focus on different aspects of technology-enhanced teaching and learning, e.g., Open online learning for digital network society, Active Class, DigiProf, Digital micro-credentials in higher education. Her research interests focus on technology-enhanced teaching and learning in higher education, lifelong learning, open education, and adult education. She is a director of an online bachelor study program “Education and information technologies” and gives classes to BA and MA students on e-learning technologies, concepts of adult education, open education policy, and tools and systems of TEL. For the last several years, she has been actively engaged in research on how learning analytics may inform teaching and learning. Being a senior specialist at the Institute for Study Innovations, Education Academy, Vytautas Magnus University, Giedrė creates and delivers teacher training courses for both VMU teachers and educators from other formal and non-formal educational institutions.

Maria Luisa Malerba

Maria Luisa Malerba is a researcher of educational technology at the Department of Psychology and Education, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Barcelona. She is also a member of the Edul@b research group. Her research interests focus on online education, lifelong learning and foreign language learning and teaching. She has years of experience as a researcher, manager and coordinator in European and national projects regarding education innovation and technology among which are: Speakapps, Amed, Digiprof and Fluent. She has experience as a language teacher and she speaks four languages fluently.