1. Moving blended learning beyond learning management systems
Peres P., Mesquita A.
Polytechnic Institute of Porto / ISCAP / CICE, Porto, Portugal

2. Master model to gain time in your classroom
ES01-KA
Paula Peres and Anabela Mesquita

3. Agenda
Social media Personal Learning Environment Learning Management System Blended Learning Case study
Paula Peres and Anabela Mesquita

4. Social media
Structure that combines individuals, communities, companies or organizations that can share their interests, attitudes, values, lifestyles, visions and friendships.
In the field of education this environment can be used in many ways and through different web tools. Social media provides educators with an opportunity to engage learners in the online classroom, as well as to support the development of learners’ skills and competencies.
Nevertheless, social media is still young, universities are beginning to reflect on how to use it in the classroom.
Paula Peres and Anabela Mesquita

5. PLE
Teachers are trying to use social media as a promising pedagogical approach.
This idea leads us to the concept of Personal Learning Environment (PLE).
It is a promising pedagogical approach for the integration of formal and informal learning, using social media and supporting student self- regulated learning, mainly in higher education contexts.
PLE represents the implementation of web 2.0, the power and autonomy of users, the openness and sharing, continuous lifelong learning, the importance of informal learning and the potential of web environment for socialization and knowledge sharing.
Paula Peres and Anabela Mesquita

6. LMS
The e-Learning systems that are confined to a LMS (learning management system) and to a closed learning objective, connected to a traditional view of teaching-learning, may not meet the needs of todays’ students, who require the integration of institutional environments with lifelong learning focused on personal interests.
It is important to find bridges between formal and informal learning in order to reach the cognitive learning objectives, allowing users to integrate their experiences in a variety of contexts, in a social construction of knowledge
Paula Peres and Anabela Mesquita

7. Blended learning
The growing of the internet applications, the use of social media and PLE leads us to the concept of the blended-learning.
Blended learning represents learning environments that occurs through face-to-face class and online class.
Students meet the teacher from time to time and meanwhile they interact online with contents, others students and teachers, using streaming video, , chats, forums, and others tools.
Blended learning can take a wide variety of forms, depending on the strategy (how the teacher formulate the use of the blend) and the technology that are being used
Paula Peres and Anabela Mesquita

8. Taking into consideration the relevance of social media for education, blended learning and PLE, a research was conducted in order to study the role of social media in promoting cognitive and meta cognitive learning development.
Results
Paula Peres and Anabela Mesquita

9. Case Study
Objective - Role of social media in promoting a flipped classroon approach that explores the cognitive and meta- cognitive development using a constructivist teaching and learning approach
Applied – in a subject in a degree course at ISCAP / IPP
Objectives of the course – Use excel and access to manage information
When – 2015/2016. One semester. Moodle support
The case study explored in this paper explains the role of social media in promoting a flipped classroom approach that explore the cognitive and meta-cognitive learners development while using a constructivist teaching and learning approach. This learning approach was applied in a subject in a degree course at the School of Accountancy and Administration of Porto, which belongs to the Polytechnic Institute of Porto (Portugal). The general objectives of this subject are: Use the Excel and Access applications to manage information.
The experience was implemented in the academic year (2015/2016). This practice took one semester. This course is supported in the moodle platform (figure 1). The creative learning environment supported the unit of Technology Applied to the Business Communication within the Business Communication program of studies of the Polytechnic Institute of Porto.
Paula Peres and Anabela Mesquita

10. Case Study
Learning environment took advantage of the potential of online contents (studied at home) and class activities and laboratories were customized and supported socialization – based on Flipped Classroom
Objective – build innovative learning environments where the potential of information, communication, technology is fully embedded
"Flipped classroom“ - follows a reversed teaching and learning model: watch lectures and participate in webinars at home; classroom time used to interact with classmates and teachers.
In each class - use a learning activity based on the gamification theory. E.g. at the end of the class students should answer up to 3 closed questions about what they had learned
This learning environment took advantage of the potential of online contents (that were studied at home) and class activities and laboratories were customized and supported the socialization. This is a new way of thinking in higher education. This approach is based on the “Flipped Classroom“ in the transformation of traditional classes into Creative Classrooms, namely by building innovative learning environments where the potential of information, communication, technology is fully embedded, in order to innovate learning and teaching practices in formal, non-formal and informal settings and to create open education resources. The "Flipped classroom" approach follows a reversed teaching and learning model: learners watch lectures and participate in webinars at home and use the classroom time to interact with classmates and teachers, especially through the use of educational games in the classroom. In order to do this, in each class we use a learning activity based on the gamification theory. For instance, at the end of the class students should answer up to 3 closed questions about what they had learned (see Figure 2).
Paula Peres and Anabela Mesquita

11. Case Study
The Moodle system gives them an immediate feedback and they could move up in a ranking system
The Moodle system gives them an immediate feedback and they could move up in a ranking system (see Figure 3).
Paula Peres and Anabela Mesquita

12. Case Study Example of the contents used in the unit
Paula Peres and Anabela Mesquita

13. Results - Questionnaire
In order to assess the success of the course we took into consideration the subjective elements of the framework developed and according to this a questionnaire was prepared and administered to students.
We present here the questions asked.
Results - Questionnaire
Did you like the interface of the technical structure?
Were you satisfied with the technical infrastructure?
Did you really use the technical system?
Did you get your personal and professional goals with the course?
Do you think that the competences that you got are useful?
Did you improve your performance in your workplace?
Did you learn effectively with the course?
Were you satisfied with the institutional support?
Did you ask for institutional help with the system?
Were you satisfied on what you got related to the cost-saving?
Were you satisfied on what you got related to the time-saving?
Would you suggest the use of the system/course to others?
Would you have the tendency to use a b-learning system again?
Was the workload demanded appropriated?
Was the number of face to face sessions appropriated?
Was the number of synchronous sessions appropriated?
Overall opinion
In order to assess the success of the course we took into consideration the subjective elements of the framework developed (Peres P., Mesquita A., 2014) and according to this a questionnaire was prepared and administered to students. Below we present the questions asked.
The questionnaire comprised questions concerning to the technical, pedagogical and institutional dimensions as these are those that measure the quality of the educational process and have impact in the learning success (REF). The questionnaire ended with a question about the student’ overall opinion concerning the course.
Paula Peres and Anabela Mesquita

14.   Results Obtained
“I am satisfied (a) with the Moodle platform to support the learning process”
25 students participated in this study. In this section we present the results obtained in the questionnaire.
To the question: “I am satisfied (a) with the Moodle platform to support the learning process”, students answered as shown in the graph below. As we can see, all of them are satisfied with the use of the Moodle as support platform to the learning process.
25 students participated in this study
Paula Peres and Anabela Mesquita

15.   Results Obtained
Achieved the objectives established at the beginning of classes
The majority of students agree (and strongly agree) that they have achieved the objectives established at the beginning of classes
Paula Peres and Anabela Mesquita

16.   Results Obtained
Agree that the teaching and learning strategy was useful
Students also agree that the teaching and learning strategy was useful.
Paula Peres and Anabela Mesquita

17.   Results Obtained
Work required (in class and outside of class), students refer this was adequate, considering the set program
Concerning the work required (in class and outside of class), students refer this was adequate, considering the set program (25 answers)
Paula Peres and Anabela Mesquita

18.   Results Obtained
The number of online classes was adequate for the program
They also consider that the number of online classes was adequate for the program set (25 answers)
Paula Peres and Anabela Mesquita

19.   Results Obtained
The number of regular classes, the majority also think this was appropriate
Concerning the number of regular classes, the majority also think this was appropriate
Paula Peres and Anabela Mesquita

20. Results Obtained The teaching-learning methodology was helpful
The teaching-learning methodology was helpful (25 answers)
Paula Peres and Anabela Mesquita

21.   Results Obtained
“I've improved my flexibility in the application of knowledge”
I've improved my flexibility in the application of knowledge (25 answers)
Paula Peres and Anabela Mesquita

22.   Reflections
Online teachers’ skills are very different from those required of a “traditional” teacher
The adoption of this approach and methodology helped teachers to
strengthen their e-skills and the adoption of practices of collaborative learning
adopt an approach based on learning outcomes and using new tools to stimulate creativity and innovation in the learning process.
Social media provided an opportunity to engage learners in the online classroom and to support development of learner skills and competencies.
The learning environment created shows that is necessary to change the way we teach in higher education.
Students acquired cognitive competences and developed social and technical competences.
Social competences - when they used social network do get knowledge in order to solve the challenges made on the online contents
Technical competences - used the moodle platform, and online learning environments.
As online teachers’ skills are very different from those required of a “traditional” teacher, this new environment for higher education implied a new experience and mentoring of an online and face-to-face course (blended-learning). This environment demanded also the improvement of the professional profile of teachers/tutors through digital teaching methods related to OERs.
The adoption of this teaching approach and methodology has been helping teachers to strengthen their e-skills and the adoption of practices of collaborative learning. It also helped teachers adopting an approach based on learning outcomes and using new tools to stimulate creativity and innovation in the learning process. Social media provided educators with an opportunity to engage learners in the online classroom, as well as to support development of learner skills and competencies. The learning environment created shows that is necessary to change the way we teach in higher education and we can move learning beyond learning management systems and engage students in an active use of the web as a resource for their self-regulated study, for problem solving and collaborative activities. Students develop a Personal Learning Environment (PLE) where they integrate formal and informal learning, using social media and supporting student self-regulated learning in higher education contexts.
Students that were involved in this learning environment not only acquired cognitive competences but also developed social and technical competences. The social competences were acquired when they used social network do get knowledge in order to solve the challenges made on the online contents. They acquired technical competences since they used the moodle platform, and online learning environments.
This article argues that it is necessary to move blended learning beyond learning management systems and engage students in an active use of the web as a resource for their self-regulated study, for problem solving and collaborative activities.
We are far from times where teaching was teacher driven and centred and where education was the “same” for all students, ignoring their idiosyncrasies. Thanks to e-learning platforms, social networks and web 2.0 as well as the recognition of the need to move student to the center of all the process and those students are different and learn in different ways and steps, new models of learning environment are emerging. Learning does not only occur in the classroom. And so, the LMS should also take into consideration informal learning, valuing and assessing it.
Paula Peres and Anabela Mesquita

23. It is necessary to move blended learning beyond learning management systems and engage students in an active use of the web as a resource for their self-regulated study, for problem solving and collaborative activities.
Thank you
Paula Peres and Anabela Mesquita

24. Contacts Paula Peres – pperes@iscap.ipp.pt
Anabela Mesquita –
Paula Peres and Anabela Mesquita