Reconceptualising ‘curriculum’ for digital engagement in Higher Education Professor Keith Smyth University of the Highlands and Islands

What we will explore… Out notions of curriculum Exploring idea of ‘digital third space’ in education What’s happening in our schools? Why is it important? Harnessing technology in curriculum design Exploring the broader possibilities for our universities

Two framing propositions The most effective uses of technology in education are about providing spaces to create and engage Our notions of ‘curriculum’ in HE are often bounded by assumptions of space and place within programmes of study and within the VLE

Our notions of ‘curriculum’

A fairly broad view “…all the planned learning opportunities offered by the organisation to learners and the experiences learners encounter when the curriculum is implemented. This includes those activities that educators have devised for learners which are invariably represented in the form of a written document”. Print, 1993, p.9

A step further Fotheringham, J., Strickland, K., and Aitchison, K. (2012) “Curriculum: directions, decisions and debate”, The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education.

Digital third space in higher education

The concept of ‘third space’

Key characteristics of ‘third spaces’ Not work and not home Neutral ground where difference embraced Social status is irrelevant Bringing together those who may not meet Amplifying issues beyond the ‘third space’ Sharing of knowledge for a collective good

‘Third space’ higher education

And a definition for today ‘Third spaces’ are spaces – or annexes – that extend our opportunities for engaging with learners within and beyond the university. ‘Digital third spaces’ are spaces that allow us to make connections between different groups of learners, allow our students to connect with the wider communities they belong to, and allow universities to better connect with their communities.

What’s happening in our schools, and why is it so important to Higher Education?

Curriculum for Excellence…

…and Sawney Bean (Thankfully not a teacher!)

Harnessing technology in HE curriculum design

The TESEP project

The 3E Approach

3E Framework

Benchmarking good practice

A few applications of the 3E Framework

3E Framework in curriculum design Pg Cert Blended and Online Education (Edinburgh Napier)

Enhance – Collaborative content creation

Extend – Student led seminars

Empower – Joining professional communities

Empower - cross-cohort online learning Global Issues in Nursing module providing an internationalised learning experience (courtesy Dr Karen Strickland from RGU)

Other models of technology-enhanced or technology-enabled curricula

Students driving knowledge development

‘Vertical’ and ‘horizontal’ projects

Negotiated open online learning

Exploring the broader possibilities for our universities

Digital Futures at Edinburgh Napier

Conceptual matrix for the Digital University MacNeill and Johnston (2012)

The digitally distributed curriculum? DFWG (Digital Futures Working Group) (2014). Digital Futures Working Group: Recommendations: April 2014 (Final Revision) Edinburgh Napier University.

And at UHI?

The ‘natural laboratory’of UHI * * © Dr Gary Campbell

Our ‘as yet unbuilt’ education lab

Reframing what open education means? Open UHI? A Policy for Public Pedagogy?

The digitally distributed curriculum? DFWG (Digital Futures Working Group) (2014). Digital Futures Working Group: Recommendations: April 2014 (Final Revision) Edinburgh Napier University.

Why is this important? Because learning is about ‘pivotal moments’. When we look to extend and distribute the curriculum across and beyond the university - including through harnessing digital ‘third spaces’ for engaging our learners, wherever they may be - we increase our capacity to create those ‘pivotal moments’ in learning and development, and to enrich and expand the educational experience for all who should benefit from it.

Two concluding provisos We should not conflate ‘digital literacy’ with ‘digital learning literacy’. Many students need support to ‘learn how to learn’ in the ways explored today Similarly we can better support our teachers and lecturers to rethink their own curricula, and harness digital spaces and tools more effectively, if we allow them to experience ‘being a digital learner’

Where are the ‘third spaces‘ in your curriculum, and what will you do there? Thank you

Key references DFWG (Digital Futures Working Group) (2014). Digital Futures Working Group: Recommendations: April 2014 (Final Revision) Edinburgh Napier University. academic/academic/strategyactivity/DigitalFutures/Documents/Paper%20ENU-DFWG- 25%20Recommendations%20Final.pdf [Accessed: 12 January 2015] academic/academic/strategyactivity/DigitalFutures/Documents/Paper%20ENU-DFWG- 25%20Recommendations%20Final.pdf Fotheringham, J., Strickland, K., and Aitchison, K. (2012) “Curriculum: directions, decisions and debate”, The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education. debate.pdf?sfvrsn=8 [Accessed: 1 June 2015] debate.pdf?sfvrsn=8 Gutierrez, K.D. (2008) Developing a sociocritical literacy in the third space. Reading Research Quarterly, Vol. 43, No.2, pp Memarovic, N., Fels, S., Anacleto, J., Calderon, R., Gobbo, F, and Caroll, J.M. (2014) Rethinking third places: contemporary design with technology. The Journal of Community Informatics, Vol. 10, No journal.net/index.php/ciej/article/view/1048/1116http://ci- journal.net/index.php/ciej/article/view/1048/1116 MacNeill, S. and Johnston, B. (2012). A conversation around what it means to be a Digital University (Parts 1 to 5). a-digital-university/ [Accessed: 12 January 2015] a-digital-university/

Oldenburg, R. (1989). The great good place: Cafes, coffee shops, bookstores, bars, hair salons, and other hangouts at the heart of a community. New York: Marlowe and Company. Print, M. (1993). Curriculum development and design, NSW: Allen and Unwin, Smyth, K. (2009) Transformative online education for educators: cascading progressive practice in teaching, learning and technology. In D.Remenyi (Ed), Proceedings from the 8th European conference on e- learning, University of Bari, Italy, 29th-30th October. Academic Conferences International, pp Smyth, K. (2013) Sharing and shaping effective institutional practice in TEL through the 3E Framework. In S. Greener (Ed) Case studies in e-learning. Reading: Academic Publishing International, pp