All of our cities occupy just 3% of land on Earth but account for 60–80% of all energy consumption and 75% of carbon emissions.¹ This environmental pressure has taken a toll. We’re facing growing social inequality and resource scarcity, more natural disasters, and 90% of urban dwellers are breathing oxygen that doesn’t meet the World Health Organization’s air quality guidelines.² This is why Goal 11 of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is crucial: Making cities inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.

Why collaboration is key in creating sustainable cities

The definition of a sustainable city is one that’s able to retain the supply of natural resources while achieving economic, physical, and social progress and remain safe against environmental risks.³ There are many factors that affect this, from affordable housing and green transport to big data and smart city applications.

Research from GetSmarter’s global survey, Sustainability: The Meaning, Changing Perceptions, and Expanding Agendas, shows that 66% of respondents say that individuals, private companies, and the public sector need to work together for success in sustainability. By creating a sustainable business, you’re fulfilling a small but vital step in building a sustainable city. Your triple bottom line – people, profit, and the planet – will also benefit from going green.

There are large-scale business benefits to building sustainable urban environments. It can create jobs, utilize resources more efficiently, unlock green investment and government grants, and engage an increasingly eco-conscious consumer market.⁴

Some of the most sustainable cities in the world can be found in Europe and the UK with business and government working together to build green solutions. A large part of this has to do with their consumer demand. According to GetSmarter’s findings, in countries like Germany, 75% of people say an organization’s commitment to sustainability currently impacts their decision to purchase their products or services. In the UK this number goes up to 90%. This highlights the greater economic potential for businesses selling sustainable products in these major cities.⁵

Sustainability can also upgrade your business productivity by strengthening your most important resource: your employees. Sustainable cities directly benefit businesses by attracting a smart and diverse workforce. Working in one of these progressive cities will improve your bottom line by ramping up your business’s performance through people-based benefits. You’ll have greater access to talent, more productive and healthier employees, increased time efficiency with better public transport and city planning, and, lastly, your company will be more innovative thanks to an increase in diversity.

20 cities leading in sustainability

This list of pioneering cities corresponds with the leading regions featured in GetSmarter’s report; 65 countries participated with a high density of green professionals from European countries. The list features 10 top cities that offer key lessons in sustainability as well as 10 others that are making notable progress.

Top 10 sustainable cities

1. Copenhagen

Turning waste into power and profit.
Denmark was the highest-rated country on the Environmental Performance Index (EPI) in 2020, and the green jewel in its crown is Copenhagen.⁶ It’s already reduced its carbon emissions by 50% since 1995 and is on track to become the first major carbon-neutral city by 2025.⁷ One of its most innovative businesses is the Amager Bakker clean-burning incinerator which converts 534,600 tons of municipal waste a year into energy – enough to electrify 30,000 homes and heat 72,000. Less than 2% of the city’s waste goes to a landfill. The plant also doubles as a recreational destination, with an all-season ski slope and hiking and running trail on its roof, and a 280-foot climbing wall on the side – the world’s tallest.⁸ The energy cost savings created through the waste conversion and the income made from the activities are two major economic benefits for the city’s finances.

2. Frankfurt

Harnessing teamwork to innovate faster.
Frankfurt, Germany is the latest winner of the Sustainable Cities Index. One-third of the city is covered by 8,000 hectares of trees and over half of the city is made up of protected green areas. However, the real success lies beyond the eco-city design. Frankfurt has the highest number of environmentally related technology patents,⁹ and it leverages a program called the ECOPROFIT Plan.¹⁰ This plan gives companies access to more efficient energy and waste management systems and operates as a partnership between private companies and the public. It pools resources, hosts training workshops, and shares the latest science to create greener solutions faster and more affordably, especially for small to medium enterprises.

3. San Francisco

Focusing on local production to offer global savings.
This progressive city was the first in the US to make recycling required by law, banned plastic bags in 2007, and is still leading from the front with 77% of all waste being recycled. Its current success lies as a city of sustainable sourcing and locavores, which are people who only eat food that is grown or produced locally. In San Francisco, farmer’s markets and produce hubs cut down on transport, storage, and wastage.¹¹

4. Reykjavík

Collaborating to unlock cheaper renewable energy.
An impressive 99% of this Icelandic city’s electricity production comes from a combination of hydropower and geothermal power, which is not only cheaper and more eco-friendly than fossil fuels, it’s also more reliable. It’s now also home to the world’s biggest and most cutting-edge carbon-removal plant which removes carbon dioxide from the air.¹² The main reason for this city’s success: a cohesive collaboration between municipalities, government and the public; and innovations led by entrepreneurs.¹³

5. Singapore

Harnessing greener designs that work for people and the planet.
It’s a fast-growing, densely-populated city that relies on versatile ‘living’ architecture to use space more effectively. Urban planners weave nature into everything, from green roofs and cascading vertical gardens through to verdant walls, as businesses are incentivized to replace greenery lost on the ground with greenery in the sky.¹⁴ One of the best examples of their eco-design: the 18 man-made Supertrees in Marina Bay generate solar power, collect rainwater, and act as air venting ducts and vertical gardens for conservatories. But it’s not just about aesthetics and eco-friendly credentials, it has a brilliant affordable housing policy. More than 90% of the citizens own their homes, which is one of the highest home-ownership rates in the world. It also looks after its elderly: it has created ‘therapeutic gardens’ for them to enjoy.¹⁵ This is a vital example of how sustainable cities can’t just be measured predominantly on environmental and economic progress; it’s vital to understand how cities are serving their citizens socially. Innovative cities like Singapore are making changes that put the health and lifestyles of their citizens first.

6. Amsterdam

Wasting less to save and earn more.
While this eco-friendly city is famous for having over 500km of bike lanes and is second globally for having the most walking and cycling commuters, it’s how it handles food waste that’s truly remarkable. One-third of all food produced annually in the world is lost or wasted, and it amounts to a major squandering of resources, including water, land, energy, labor, and capital; and causes high greenhouse gas emissions.¹⁶ Amsterdam spearheads the movement to reincorporate waste food into new meals with groundbreaking restaurant chains like Instock, which alone has saved over 480,000 kilograms of food from being wasted in the last four years. The Dutch have decreased food waste by 29% since 2010.¹⁷

7. Canberra

Providing greener, group-friendly, city-wide connections.
In Australia, 87% of Canberra’s transport infrastructure is powered by renewable energy, and it has a very successful local ride-sharing service called GoCatch.¹⁸ It’s one of the greenest cities globally with a low-scoring pollution index of 13.89, and 48% of its energy comes from sustainable sources.

8. Stockholm

Using sustainability credentials to capture a new market.
Like its Scandinavian sibling in Denmark, the capital of Sweden is run almost exclusively on renewable resources and very little is sent to landfills. However, its outstanding feature is that it has the highest number of certified eco-hotels; it leverages its eco status to earn higher tourism income.¹⁹ It does this by attracting more discerning customers who want to support eco-tourism and travel more responsibly.

9. London

Switching to electric.
London is innovating on several fronts, from using hybrid double-decker buses and the world’s first hydrogen-powered buses to being the global leader in green finance such as carbon trading, green bonds, venture capital investment, and is second only to Silicon Valley for cleantech IPOs. It has also made huge strides with the creation of the world’s first Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) to cut down on carbon emissions.²⁰ One of the most important features: it has the most electric car charging stations in Europe with 5,900 (Amsterdam is second with 3,404).²¹

10. Vancouver

Making space work.
It has the lowest per capita greenhouse gas emissions of all major cities on its continent thanks to a long-standing carbon tax, and has planted more than 125,000 trees since 2010. Single-use plastics will be banned in the next two years, and over 50% of commuting happens on foot, by bike, or on public transport. It also cleverly harnesses all available space: five-star hotels in the city grow vegetables and house bees on their roofs.²² All these changes are supported by an eco-focused population: GetSmarter’s research shows 69% of these citizens’ buying decisions are driven by a commitment to sustainability.

CAMBRIDGE CISL
Business Sustainability Management

More Notable Sustainable Cities

11. Vienna

This city was awarded the Greenest City in 2020 according to an index created by Resonance Consultancy.²³ A large part of the success is attributed to exceptional city planning. Over half of the city’s population has an annual transit pass and use it regularly, and there is roughly 120m² of green space per resident.²⁴

12. Berlin

A leader in water conservation and recycling, this city uses the least water per capita in Europe, and has smart recycling incentives, such as offering €0.25 for every plastic bottle you recycle. Since 1990, the German capital has cut its CO₂ emissions by one-third.²⁵

13. Zurich

A past winner of the most sustainable city award, Zurich has plenty to celebrate: in 2019, 82% of their electricity was derived from renewable sources, 43% of the city waste was recycled, and over 74% of their hotels were certified in sustainability.

14. Grenoble

The winner of the European Green Capital award for 2022,²⁶ this French city has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 25% since 2005, has added 320km of additional bicycle paths, and has ensured that all household energy needs are covered by renewable energy.²⁷

15. Portland

It’s the poster child for the sharing economy, as it emphasizes thrift shops, free book and tool libraries, zero-waste pop-ups, and repair workshops to fully embrace the reduce, reuse, and recycle mentality.

16. Ljubljana

Over 75% of Slovenia’s capital city is made up of parks and green spaces, and it has a fleet of free electric taxis called Kavalirs to help people easily navigate the urban landscape. It also has a cutting-edge waste management system that sends 80% less waste to landfills.²⁸

17. Oslo

This city uses close to 100% renewable electricity, and it offers a national subsidy for solar panels and electric and hybrid cars. It’s making a difference: in March 2021, diesel and petrol-powered cars together only made up 8.2% of all new cars sold.²⁹

18. Lisbon

Thanks to ingenious city planning and ambitious recycling and composting programs, Lisbon was awarded the 2020 European Green Capital of the year. Almost all (93.3%) people in Lisbon live within 300m of a public transport service and 76% of people live within 300m of green areas.³⁰

19. Montevideo

Uruguay leads Latin America in eco-friendly policies, and this city harvests 97% of its electricity from renewable sources – mainly hydroelectric and wind parks.³¹

20. Masdar City

You may not have heard of this city yet, but it’s a massive project being built in Abu Dhabi, and while it isn’t complete, the city block that is finished offers a glimpse into the future. It’s home to cleverly designed LEED-certified buildings crafted from low-carbon cement and 90% recycled aluminium, which use 40% less energy and water.³² LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is the most widely used green building rating system in the world. Available for virtually all building types, LEED provides a framework for healthy, highly efficient, and cost-saving green buildings.³³

Climate change is accelerating our need for sustainable cities. We’re facing the heightened effects of pollution, resource scarcity, and social inequality. It’s not just up to governments and large corporate companies to solve this challenge; we all need to be catalysts of positive change as entrepreneurs, consumers, and business owners. This collaboration and teamwork is what helps to build these successful cities we’ve listed.

No matter your industry or location, you have the opportunity to help build a more sustainable city. But to do so, you and your employees will need the right skills. GetSmarter has partnered with leading universities and sustainability experts to offer you the latest industry insight, research, and tools. By closing your sustainability skills gap through online learning, you’ll be able to contribute to finding more sustainable solutions, and you’ll unlock a better, more successful future for yourself, your employees, and the environment.

Learn more about creating a greener, more successful future for you and your business with GetSmarter’s portfolio of online sustainability courses.

Discover how disruptive technology can bring dramatic improvements to urban living and sustainability in the Beyond Smart Cities: Emerging Design and Technology online program from MIT Media Lab.

Stay competent, confident, and informed

The post Learn How to Innovate From the 20 Leading Sustainable Cities appeared first on GetSmarter Blog.

By Gareth Langdon

Determining the true goal of a good education is difficult. Should an accumulation of knowledge be sufficient to justify a qualification? If a student can recite facts verbatim, is that enough to deem them qualified for a certain career? Where does that leave critical thinking skills or practical, creative skills? As Part 1 and Part 2 of this blog series demonstrated, learning at the level of recollection and understanding alone is not enough to indicate that a student has achieved a tangible learning outcome.

Furthermore, in the particular educational space in which GetSmarter functions – that of providing applicable workplace skills for career growth – the need for students to gain practical skills from their participation on short courses is paramount. For this reason, learning is scaffolded beyond the level of Analyse, and through the levels of Evaluate and Create, as defined by Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy.

Tangible outcomes

What is a tangible outcome? How does it support practical learning, or applied learning? According to Saenger (2013), a tangible outcome relates to specific artefacts or products that “record, prompt, and reinforce student engagement with key course material”. Here, the emphasis falls on the physical evidence of a given learning outcome. For example, a student may be required to map out a line graph on paper or in MS Excel, or they may be required to write an essay on a specific topic. The creation of these artefacts demonstrate higher-order thinking skills required at the Evaluate and Create levels. The benefits of this are two-fold.

Firstly, any task where a student is required to work with something tangible is bound to be assessing the student on the higher levels of Bloom’s. Designing a learning path to end with a creative or evaluative task ensures that students are scaffolded to the top of Bloom’s. When students are required to physically create something, they will naturally begin to apply the learning they have gained along the way, through the previous levels, in the creation task.

Secondly, and especially so in a market catering to working professionals, these kinds of tasks create demonstrable evidence of learning. If, for example, a student is able to walk away from a unit or module with a carefully marked-up document, or indeed one which they themselves have created, they are able to clearly show what they have learnt. These are often referred to as portfolios of evidence and are useful for students and educators alike.

The post Unpacking Bloom’s Taxonomy | Part 3 appeared first on GetSmarter Blog.

By Gareth Langdon

In the first part of this blog series on Bloom’s Taxonomy, the usefulness of Bloom’s levels in the context of online learning were explored and some of the reasons why we use this tool at GetSmarter were explained. The first two levels of Bloom’s, Remember and Understand, were also unpacked. In this second part, we will begin to explore the next two levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy, the Apply and Analyse levels.

The importance of applied learning

As discussed in Part 1, traditional approaches to education have focused on building a strong theoretical understanding for students, mostly through the use of didactic instructional tools. The more interactive, practical uses of this knowledge often get less attention. If we follow the analogy of learning a musical instrument once again, this would be like learning how to read musical notes, and understanding musical theory, without ever picking up the instrument. It seems intuitive that this would not be a successful way to learn. In addition, in an increasingly globalised and competitive world, the more practical, applicable workplace skills are paramount to success, making the importance of these higher Bloom’s levels more apparent.

Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy provides
more nuance in the levels that can account for this necessity, which are focused around the verbs “Analyse” and “Apply”. These are defined as follows:

• Apply – Use existing knowledge to solve new problems or apply acquired knowledge in new situations.
• Analyse – Examine and break information into parts to explore relationships.

In instructional design, the term “scaffolding” is used to describe the process of learning incrementally. In the same way that a scaffold builds up to higher levels, relying on the foundational support structures to keep the upper levels steady, so too do the levels of Bloom’s “scaffold” learning up to the level of “Create”. Once the student has mastered the higher-level verbs, the scaffold can be “removed” and new skills can be built up from that point.

The purpose of the Apply and Analyse levels is to shift students away from a purely theoretical, cognitive understanding of a topic, and into a more applicable and practical use of knowledge, without making the jump directly into creation. This assists the students in gradually developing a clear competency in a certain area, especially when given the correct guidance through scaffolded learning, or peer interaction.

For GetSmarter, this is particularly useful because our promise to students is that they will develop verifiable competencies that are directly applicable to their work and career. However, any student will find it challenging to move directly from “Understand” to “Create” without having seen some examples of theory in practice, or having had a chance to apply the theory to a given case or example. This is the function of the middle levels of Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy.

Apply

The Apply level of Bloom’s is concerned with the execution of tasks or the implementation of specific tools or skills. At the Apply level, students begin to use the knowledge they have gained across the Remember and Understand levels in given scenarios. Some of the verbs included under Apply are:

Figure 1: Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy.

• Change
• Demonstrate
• Dramatise
• Illustrate
• Interpret
• Practice
• Predict
• Sketch
• Solve

One of the most easily recognisable examples of a learning outcome pitched at the Apply level is the classic mathematical problem, “Solve for x”.

Imagine that a student has worked through a module and has learnt about the Pythagorean theorem. They are able to “Recall the Pythagorean formula” and “Explain how to use the Pythagorean theorem to determine the length of the hypotenuse of a triangle”. The student is then presented with the following in the second module:

The student is asked to “Solve for x” in this example. This is a direct application of the Pythagorean theorem and demonstrates clear practical use of the theory which they encountered on the previous levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy.

In this example, the student is required simply to apply new knowledge to a given scenario, the extent of their thinking not going beyond procedural skills. However, once students begin to move beyond “Apply” and into “Analyse”, the metacognitive skills become more involved.

Analyse

Once students reach the “Analyse” level, they are required to rely less on theoretical knowledge for answers, and begin to think more conceptually, strategically and creatively. This is often referred to as “higher order thinking” or metacognitive ability. The Analyse level is meant to transition students from simple application to more complicated forms of application, prompting them to think laterally or strategically.

Some of the verbs associated with the “Analyse” level are:

• Categorise
• Classify
• Contrast
• Criticise
• Differentiate
• Discriminate
• Examine
• Interpret

From this list of verbs it is clear that “Analysis” is about more than procedural or conceptual knowledge and requires the application of theory to a higher level of thinking.

To continue with the earlier example of Pythagoras, we may imagine an engineering student who is working on plans for a bridge. They would now need to think not only about how to calculate the length of the sides of a triangle, but also whether or not the Pythagorean theorem is at all applicable, or even whether structures using right-angled triangles are the most sound. It is at this point that decision-making based on theoretical understanding becomes important – beyond simple calculation. An example of a learning outcome may be to “Examine the structural integrity of a given bridge design” and then to “Criticise the use of right-angled triangles in the structure, using the Pythagorean theorem to calculate this”.

From cognitive to metacognitive

The “Apply” and “Analyse” levels play a central role in moving students beyond theoretical knowledge to more strategic and creative ways of thinking – an important bridge to the higher order “Evaluate” and “Create” levels. It is at this stage that students are carefully transitioned from relying on factual and procedural knowledge, and begin applying their knowledge.

During this transition period, it is important that Instructional Designers and educators are thoughtful in their choice of relevant case study examples and manageable exercises that will prepare students for practical thinking in their own work.

The third and final part of this series will deal with the highest order verbs on Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy: “Create” and “Evaluate”.

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Further reading:

E-Learning Faculty. 2015. Scaffolding Learning for Novices, Amateurs, and Experts. Available: http://elearningfacultymodules.org/index.php/Scaffolding_Learning_for_Novices,_Amateurs,_and_Experts [2016, November 21].

Iowa State University. 2016. Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy. Available: http://www.celt.iastate.edu/teaching/effective-teaching-practices/revised-blooms-taxonomy [2016, November, 21].

Krathwohl, D. R. 2002. A revision of Bloom’s taxonomy: An overview. Theory into Practice, Vol. 41 No. 4. Available: http://rt3region7.ncdpi.wikispaces.net/file/view/8+Perspectives+on+RBT.pdf [2016, November 21].

McLeod, S. 2010. Zone of Proximal Development. Available: http://www.simplypsychology.org/Zone-of-Proximal-Development.html [2016, December 15].

The post Unpacking Bloom’s Taxonomy | Part 2 appeared first on GetSmarter Blog.

In 2016, Lead Learning Designer, Chris van Der Westhuyzen and his team were tasked with the challenge of creating a functional peer assessment framework for a global online short course with over 950 students.

Module projects on this particular online short course would rely on the teamwork of students for achievement of learning outcomes. It was, therefore, important to design a peer rating system with the key purpose of holding multiple group members accountable when working on the projects.

In his White Paper report, Chris comments on the overall learning experience, and how through the use of instructional design strategies and course delivery teams, a successful peer assessment model was implemented into the teams of students scattered behind screens in different time zones.

Click on the image below to download this Smarter White Paper.

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By Gareth Langdon

Have you ever had a sticky problem that you just couldn’t solve on your own? You thought about it for hours, and the solution just didn’t present itself. Then, after a few minutes discussing it with a friend or with a colleague, it all came together – all you needed was a fresh perspective. This is the power of collaboration.

Collaboration and discussion has been demonstrated to be an effective way of problem-solving and learning, and as a way of fostering new subjectivities and constructing knowledge in groups. Stacey (1999) notes that “the process of communicating electronically enabled the learners actively to construct their own perspectives, which they could communicate to the small group”. It also helps to keep students motivated through encouragement from peers. As social creatures, it stands to reason that we learn and engage better through interaction with others.

With this in mind, it isn’t a difficult leap to imagine that discussion forums, as have become widely used in online learning, could also function as a way of scaffolding learners before they begin to explore course content. In educational parlance, this is called a “pre-test”.

What is a pre-test?

A pre-test is quite simply a short test given to students before they begin to engage with course content, used mainly as a way of gauging their existing knowledge and then, in conjunction with a post-test or assessment, gauging the success of the course content in passing on new knowledge. Studies have shown, however, that pre-testing has another less-obvious function, in that it allows students to fail so that they may self-identify gaps in their knowledge and be better prepared to fill those gaps as they engage with the course content.

By presenting a group of students with a case or scenario, and asking them to solve it, they are forced to seek information and solutions on their own. They may surprise themselves with what they know, but it’s also likely that they will identify gaps in their own knowledge, or realise that certain preconceptions they have are wrong or misplaced. This kind of realisation creates a firm foundation on which to approach new theoretical knowledge, as the student is now fully aware of their need for new learning, and is able to self-direct for the right results by focusing on their own knowledge gaps.

This kind of learning is proven to be highly successful and leads to improved understanding of the subject matter as well as greater motivation and a sense of achievement upon success.

Why use small groups?

Traditionally, pre-tests are conducted in the form of multiple-choice quizzes, but this kind of pre-testing fails to produce the kind of critical thinking and practical application required to scaffold learners for mastery.

As mentioned previously, and in various studies, small group discussions have the benefit of creating interactivity, fostering critical thought and engagement through writing and allowing for the objectivity of peers to influence a single student’s understanding of a knowledge area. This collaborative element further bolsters the pre-existing benefits of long-form answers, resulting in improved critical thinking, increased motivation, and quite simply, making the learning experience more fun and social for students.

Because of these added benefits, small group discussions can function as a better way of pre-testing and preparing students for the information they are due to receive. Students are forced to critically engage with real-life problems before being handed the theoretical knowledge they can use to help them solve those problems. In a sense, they are “warming up” their minds in order to be better prepared to receive knowledge and apply it.

In a learning context where transferable, practical skills are key, this kind of pre-testing can go a long way in aiding students in truly engaging with their work at a critical and problem-solving level.

At GetSmarter, this approach has been tested on the UCT Graduate School of Business course in Values-Based Leadership and it was found that creating a space for students to engage with real-life problems before encountering the theories that would help them solve these problems increased their interest in the actual course content.

Figure 1: An example of a small group discussion forum situated early in the learning path on the
GetSmarter Online Campus for the GSB Values-based Leadership short course.

Because students could see how the work actually applied to their daily working lives, they were more inclined to study it carefully and apply it more readily to their work. This is especially applicable to more “soft skills” subjects, like values-based leadership, but could also be readily adapted to more rigorous subjects, simply by adapting the cases presented to students as part of the pre-test.

This method of pre-testing also provided the tutors with upfront information on which students may require additional remediation, which resulted in a more engaged learning experience as the tutors adapted to individual students.

A consistent challenge in online learning is making sure that students remain engaged with course content and motivated to self-direct to meet required learning outcomes.

Furthermore, the course designer’s number one goal is creating the best learning experience for students while ensuring that they master the subject matter.

Small group discussion forums are a proven asset to online learning, when properly administered. Taking the known benefits a step further, these forums can also be used to pre-empt and prepare students for new knowledge by allowing them to engage with real-life scenarios before encountering theoretical solutions. They are made to think critically and engage socially around a problem, preparing themselves for the work ahead.

Whether they succeed in finding a solution to their problem or not, the small group discussion should set them in good stead for the learnings in the course content.

Want to gain certifiable expertise from world-leading universities?

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Further reading:

Dooly, M. 2008. Chapter 1: Constructing knowledge together. In Telecollaborative Language Learning: A guidebook to moderating intercultural collaboration online. Available: https://books.google.co.za/books?id=gbSTsLlsYysC&redir_esc=y [2016, May 23].

The Great Schools Partnership. 2015. Scaffolding. Available: http://edglossary.org/scaffolding/ [2016, May 23].

GetSmarter. 2016. Values-based leadership online short course. Available: http://www.getsmarter.co.za/courses/uct-gsb-values-based-leadership-online-short-course [2016, May 23].

MindEdge, Inc. 2014. The value of pretesting. Available: http://learningworkshop.mindedge.com/2014/11/30/the-value-of-pretesting/ [2016, May 23].

Stacey, E. 1999. Collaborative learning in an online environment.  Available: http://web.mit.edu/acs/faq/Online-collaboration/collab-learning_files/stacey.htm [2016, May 23].

University College London. 2015. Teaching and learning with discussion forums. Available: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/teaching-learning/case-studies-news/e-learning/discussion-forums [2016, May 23].

Weimer, M. 2011. Helping students develop problem-solving skills via online discussions. Available: http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/effective-teaching-strategies/helping-students-develop-problem-solving-skills-via-online-discussions/ [2016, May 23].

Quinn, C. 2008. The case against pre-testing for online courses. Available: http://elearnmag.acm.org/featured.cfm?aid=2139006 [2016, May 23].

The post Small group discussions as pre-testing in online learning appeared first on GetSmarter Blog.

By Gareth Langdon

Rigorous curriculum design grounded in sound pedagogy is a cornerstone of successful learning, in both online and offline settings. The online space provides a unique challenge, however, in that the curriculum designer will often be relatively detached from the student and, on a practical level, must rely on intuition and learning analytics to craft the best possible learning experience. In this context, a sound theoretical framework for design becomes distinctly useful. The chosen framework for many learning and instructional designers, and for GetSmarter, is Bloom’s Taxonomy.

Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy is a pedagogical tool that uses verbs to define learning outcomes at both the course and module level. It is based on a constructivist approach to learning, which emphasises the importance of building knowledge and skills through “doing”.

Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy is best understood as a pyramid, with the top levels being the highest order of metacognitive skills. The pyramid analogy reinforces a core assumption of Bloom’s, which is that lower-level skills are a broad foundation upon which more advanced and specialised skills can be built. The levels of Bloom’s are, from bottom to top, Remember, Understand, Apply, Analyse, Evaluate, and Create. Each level has a series of corresponding verbs that can be used to articulate clear and specific learning outcomes.

Figure 1: Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy.

In this three-part blog series, we will unpack how Bloom’s Taxonomy can be best applied to online course design, and why it is often the pedagogical tool of choice.

What is constructivism?

The constructivist approach advocates a majority interactive approach to learning, with only minimal emphasis on didactic tools, allowing students to explore and learn through active application of new knowledge and skills in creative ways. Where possible, even the didactic elements can be made interactive, where possible. This is especially true in online learning, where interactive videos and notes are a possibility.

Figure 2: An example of a poll that can be used to add an interactive element to a set of notes.

While traditional methods of education emphasise didactic instruction and written assessment – consider the “sage on the stage” approach still common in most universities – a constructivist approach favours students learning through doing and interacting with each other. For this reason, Create is at the top of the Bloom’s pyramid. The goal of this approach, also referred to as “scaffolding”, is to build knowledge and skills in the student by working through the levels of Bloom’s, until they can produce new or original work. When a student is able to create an artefact – for example, write an essay or proposal, create a program, or plan a strategy – they are then understood to have gained that competency, or achieved that course’s exit-level outcome.

Take, for example, learning how to play a musical instrument, like the guitar. First, the student must learn the names of the various notes, how they go together and how the scales work. This is the musical theory, and is mostly learnt didactically. They then apply this knowledge by learning to play the scales on their instrument, practicing for hours. After a given period of time, they will be able to make chords and melodies, and hopefully write their own music. Based on this, the learning outcomes for learning how to play the guitar may look something like this:

1. Remember the notes that make up the musical scales.
2. Understand how the notes are grouped together to form patterns and scales.
3. Apply the theory by learning to play the notes in order as scales.
4. Analyse a piece of music to see how the notes fit together to make a melody.
5. Evaluate a piece of music to see where notes can be changed to improve the melody.
6. Create your own song.

In this way, the student is “scaffolded” towards being able to play the guitar and write a song. So, in order to understand how musical notes are grouped together to form patterns, students must first remember what these notes are. Then, to apply this theory, they need not only remember but also understand how notes are grouped together to form music. This continues on to the create level, with each level assuming a grasp of the previous one. This is central to effective scaffolding.

The importance of collaboration

Constructivism underpins GetSmarter’s learning design approach, and one way to achieve this kind of learning environment online is to put an emphasis on collaboration, usually in small group discussion forums or, where possible, in real-time live chat rooms or Google Hangouts. The reason for this is that constructivist learning approaches are aided through social interaction. Collaboration or cooperation in groups allows students to aid each other’s learning by filling knowledge gaps, encouraging each other, and solving problems together. Importantly, this also helps to remove the element of isolation from the online learning experience by creating engaged learning communities.

Returning to our musical analogy, a student learning to play an instrument could teach themselves the basics alone at home. But, when you place that student in a room with another amateur musician, they can have fun while making music together and learn from each other.

The base of Bloom’s – Remember and Understand

The two base levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy are formed by the verbs Remember and Understand. These each have associated verbs:

• Remember: Define, recall, recognise, name, quote, label, list, cite, locate, find, and reproduce.
• Understand: Explain, describe, discuss, identify, extend, demonstrate, interpret, outline, predict, paraphrase, convert, summarise, review, and research.

The purpose of these base verbs is usually to provide students with, and have them demonstrate a knowledge of, particular facts or theories. Usually, these levels of Bloom’s are conveyed didactically and are tested using quizzes and written assignments. For example, at the level of Remember, a student might be required to “recall the role of a facilities manager in a small office setting”. This could be explained in a set of notes. In a subsequent assessment, they may be asked to identify the definition of “facilities manager” in a multiple choice quiz. At the Understand level, the student may need to “describe the main responsibilities of a facilities manager”, in which case the assessment would be more detailed, such as a written submission.

In this way, the associated verbs in Bloom’s Taxonomy can be used to guide the learning and assessment of students in online course design. Part 2 of this blog series will discuss the Analyse and Apply levels in more detail.

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In this White Paper, David Klaasen, one of GetSmarter’s Lead Learning Designers, uncovers the complexities behind educational storytelling for an online platform and shares the challenges and understandings that result from the world creation process.

Armed with a comprehensive learning design plan, David explains how creative problem solving is used to immerse a student in the world of an online short course and encourage eager engagement to achieve desired learning outcomes.

Through the use of consistent strategy towards educational programming and course objectives, the experience of creation is showcased by two, very different courses in GetSmarter’s portfolio, the University of Cape Town Compliance Management online short course and the University of the Witwatersrand Teaching with Technology online short course.

Click on the image below to download this Smarter White Paper.

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Whether completing a degree, or taking a short course online, the process of learning should consist of more than merely absorbing information from a screen. Learning in an unconnected environment can cause motivation – and consequently performance – to plummet. True learning and engagement involves learners becoming a part of a learning community, and having a sense of community makes the experience of learning online feel more real, more human, and ultimately, more achievable. The online facilitator has a crucial role to play in establishing this sense of community.

An online learning community can be defined as:

“a group of individuals who collaboratively engage in purposeful critical discourse and reflection to construct meaning and confirm mutual understanding.” (Garrison, 2007:61)

Developing a learning community shouldn’t only be built into the design of an online course, but should be actively fostered by the facilitators and instructors. In fact, students rank instructor modelling and facilitation as the most important element in building an online community (Bloom et al., 2007).

The development of the learning community has two core benefits worth highlighting:

1. Students’ learning improves and is made more meaningful through interaction with other students.
2. Students who feel more a part of their learning community are less likely to disengage or drop out from their course.

In a healthy, active learning community, ideas and experiences are shared, and perspectives shaped, through learner engagement and interaction.

Real learning happens in spaces that promote discussion, reflection, and collaborative teamwork

Spaces like these can exist in discussion forums, tutorial discussions, group work, and live tutorials. Platforms for engagement, however, can also extend to more social environments. For example, students might create groups on Facebook where they can share course material and engage socially.

The relationships developed between students can be beneficial in a multitude of ways. When a student is struggling with their coursework, the strong relationship built with their classmates is vital. Not only can students share their insights and motivate one another, but they might also relate to one another’s experience.

The difficulty in learning online is that students can feel isolated, and the learning process can be an incredibly alienating experience. MOOCs were expected to revolutionise education, and arguably they have. However, students who have enrolled in MOOCs complain of feeling as if they were “learning in a void,” and as if “there was no sense of community”. Students note that they want “a human connection beyond the streamed lecture” (Westervelt, 2013). When students have the added sense that there are others listening and that they are seen by their peers, the learning journey becomes a far more gratifying and rewarding experience. Students should gain value from grappling with the course content with peers in a comfortable and safe social space rather than just using the virtual learning environment as a space to socialise.

By developing learning communities, we move away from the model where the facilitator is the “sage on stage”, to one where the facilitator acts as a guide (Donovan, 2015). This shifts the mode of responsibility; students have a sense of increased accountability for their learning, while course design and facilitators enable learning opportunities.

In facilitating opportunities to learn, it’s important to consider the social complexities of interactions

There are three elements of a learning community to consider (Garrison, 2007):

1. Teaching presence relates to how the course is designed and facilitated. The objective is to direct students to meaningful and educationally-worthwhile learning outcomes. The teacher is always present throughout the presentation of the course, coordinating almost the entire process. The facilitation function is critical to creating the sense of community. Blau and Gorsky (2009) highlight various studies that demonstrate the importance of teaching presence, and emphasise that “the consensus is that teaching presence is a significant determinant of perceived learning, student satisfaction, and sense of community.”
2. Social presence is the capacity for students to relate to the group, and the ability to engage in a trusting and safe environment. Within the learning environment, students should feel as though they are able to develop relationships and express their individuality. Facilitators need to foster an environment that promotes interactivity, participation, dialogue, and reciprocity.
3. Cognitive presence relates to the process of how students move towards a common understanding. Once a question or task is posed to students, it is important to consider how they draw their conclusions. The facilitator is required to create a space where students can correct misconceptions. The facilitator also needs to ask probing questions (and provide additional information) to generate students’ critical thinking. Therefore, progression to the solution requires facilitator direction.

In the above three phases, it is part of the facilitator’s responsibility to establish the appropriate climate for social learning. Conditions need to be created that aim to increase levels of student comfort, and create spaces where students can openly express their opinions and engage with one another. Student engagement, nonetheless, naturally evolves through the weeks of a course’s presentation.

What does the evolution of a learning community look like?

If we consider an 8-10 week course, according to Wilcoxon (2011), there is an evolution of the online learning community. From the beginning of a course, it’s the instructor’s role to be a social negotiator to newcomers. Student collaboration and interaction are not instinctive to those who have been educationally socialised in a lecture-based system. Students will need guidance. In weeks 3-4, students should become more cooperative, while the facilitator engineers conversation and engagement. During these first weeks, the facilitator develops relationships with the students where trust is earned. Moving into weeks 5-6, the instructor moves away from engineering conversations, to facilitating conversation. It is in this phase that students are a part of the process and act as collaborators. In the final 7-10 weeks, the instructor becomes more of a challenger, attempting to cognitively stretch students’ thinking, in light of what they have learnt. Students in the last phases of their course should become initiators, and partners of the instructors in their learning journey.

Online interactions need to be managed effectively

Considering the complexities involved in the evolution of a learning community, management of discussions is vital in achieving smooth transition between phases. Wilcoxon (2011) suggests that instructors need to note how issues arise during the phases of development. Instructors are encouraged to:

• Ask good questions that provide complete initial instructions;
• Monitor group interaction consistently;
• Redirect, clarify, or provide additional information if discussions go off topic;
• Summarise content at key points within the course, promoting the movement towards closure of the topic;
• Privately engage with students who participate too much, do not participate enough, or are netiquette offenders;
• Attempt to manage conflict when it arises, and consider taking those disputes offline; and
• Make the evolution of expectation clear, as they move through the phases of learner engagement.

In developing an online learning community, the facilitator plays a crucial role. Skill is required in recognising when to play the part of reassuring guide, helpful teacher, or challenger who pushes their students to operate outside of their comfort zones. At every step, the facilitator should be focused on building an online learning community that provides support, access to knowledge, and a space to be stretched academically, thereby enhancing the student’s learning experience.

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Further reading:

Donovan, J. 2015. The Importance of Building Online Learning Communities. Available: http://blog.online.colostate.edu/blog/online-education/the-importance-of-building-online-learning-communities/

Garrison, D. 2007. Online Community of Inquiry Review: Social, Cognitive, and Teaching Presence Issues. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks. 11(1):61-72. Available: http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ842688.pdf

Blau, I. & Gorsky, P. 2009. Online Teaching Effectiveness: A Tale of Two Instructors. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning. 10(3). Available : http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/712/1270

Bloom, L., Sherlock, J. & Vesely, P. 2007. Key Elements of Building Online Community: Comparing Faculty and Student Perceptions. MERLOT Journal of Online Learning and Teaching. 3(3):234-246. Available: http://jolt.merlot.org/vol3no3/vesely.htm?utm_source=nov+11+-+Building+Community+In+The+Online+Environment%3A+Essential+Strategies+For+&utm_campaign=Building+Community+In+The+Online+Environment%3A+Essential+Strategies+For+Today%27s+Instructors&utm_medium=email

Westervelt, E. 2013. The Online Education Revolution Drifts Off Course. Available: http://www.npr.org/2013/12/31/258420151/the-online-education-revolution-drifts-off-course

Wilcoxon, K. 2011. Building An Online Learning Community. Available: http://www.learningsolutionsmag.com/articles/761/building-an-online-learning-community

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Online education has opened the doors to high-quality, accessible qualifications to students across the globe. While this revolution in education has many positives, it comes with its own unique challenges too. One of these challenges is the online discussion forum. Forums give students a space where they can communicate directly with their fellow students and teaching team; a space characterised by interactivity and immediacy. How can online facilitators manage this space appropriately and take full advantage of its potential? In my experience, many social media management best practices could apply. Let’s explore.

Immediacy, monitoring, and transparency

Online discussion forums, like social media, are immediate and “always on”. Brands know that social media never sleeps, which is why social media managers constantly need to monitor their various accounts, and respond timeously to posts so that small issues do not spiral out of control.

One of the main challenges of online discussion forums is their public nature. Where, before, an irate student may have vented to a lecturer over email, online students can now post their frustrations on a public platform, accessible to all their peers. If other students share their sentiment, the online discussion forum could quickly get out of hand.

At least one person from the teaching or coaching team should check the discussion forum each day (several times a day, if possible) and respond to student posts immediately. Working professionals completing online courses are likely to be more active on discussion forums on weekday evenings and weekends. Constant monitoring should help to avoid any potential issues spiralling out of control.

When issues do arise, however, it is important that these are dealt with transparently. Transparency is one of the key principles of effective social media management, and applies to online discussion forums too. Transparency, in this case, refers to being open and honest, taking ownership of mistakes, and not concealing information from your consumers. Remember that any reply you make to a student on an online discussion forum will now be considered public knowledge, so think twice before you post. If, for example, you tell a student that you won’t penalise them for a late assignment, because you understand they have had a tough week, other students may expect the same treatment in future. Therefore, it is often wise to take certain conversations off the discussion forum.

Social media managers know that a public recognition and apology of a customer complaint on social media should be accompanied by a request to take the matter offline for further resolution. If a student posts a question or complaint, which is only relevant to their personal situation and not the rest of the class, be sure to publicly acknowledge the post on the discussion forum, and then swiftly take it offline where it can be addressed privately via phone or email. Transparency is important, but so is knowing when to move the conversation elsewhere.

Setting expectations and maintaining consistency

While social media is often seen as a fun, casual, and conversational medium, brands put a great deal of effort and thinking into creating an appropriate and consistent brand voice online. This voice is not only part of the brand’s persona, but it also sets customer expectations.

In the same vein, online facilitators need to carefully plan much of their discussion forum activity. Your teaching team may consist of just you, or it may include a number of people. Either way, you should agree on the tone of your communication on the discussion forum and think carefully about what type of learning environment you want to create. A learning environment that encourages participation and interaction, and has a low barrier to entry, works well. You should aim for a learning environment that is enjoyable, accessible, and relaxed, while still maintaining a professional tone and establishing your position as a subject matter expert.

Administrative queries should be addressed promptly and professionally. When it comes to content, however, you should try and engage with your students in an interactive and encouraging way. Thank them for their contributions by name, so that they feel acknowledged. If you can see they are missing the mark, gently guide them to think of things from a different perspective without discouraging or embarrassing them – this is a public forum after all.

It is important to remember that many students find the online learning environment confusing and intimidating, especially if they are not comfortable with online channels in general. It is therefore important to set clear expectations. Make the purpose and function of discussion forums clear to students from the beginning of the course. Inform them of how they should go about communicating with you and their fellow students, and how questions will be addressed.

If there is something that you anticipate will cause student anxiety, address it beforehand in clear and simple language. Over time, you will learn to start pre-empting the things that cause student anxiety and stress, and address them before they arise.

Building community, engagement, and interest

People use social media for a variety of reasons – some want to be entertained, some want to keep up to date with news, and some want to connect and engage with friends and others. Whatever the motive, people should be getting some kind of value from social media. Similarly, when it comes to online discussion forums, facilitators should look for ways to make participation on these forums valuable, engaging, and enjoyable.

Friedman (2014) discusses how social media in an educational context can be beneficial for students as it fosters a sense of community and allows students and teaching staff to share information with one another. Discussion forums can be an important space for community building in an online course and could assist students in feeling supported in their studies by having a group of fellow students to draw on. Veletsianos and Navarrete (2012) point out that student collaboration in the context of a social network could “mitigate the problems traditionally facing online learners, such as isolation and lack of support, while contributing to a positive learning experience”. Easy methods of replying to posts, subscribing to threads and “like” and “thanks” buttons under each post, can add to this sense of community and interaction. Encourage students to engage with each other, while making sure your presence is still strongly felt.

University of Cape Town (UCT)
Social Media Marketing online short course

In addition to community building, online facilitators should start conversations on discussion forums that are related to the course content and that students find interesting and engaging. As social media managers know, posting good conversation starters can be key to engagement and interaction. Try to post topics that stimulate conversation, debate, and varying viewpoints, rather than a straightforward “agree/disagree” topic. Also encourage students to share their own examples or experiences, as this will foster a more personalised and engaging experience for the whole class.

Furthermore, as most social media managers know, good visual content can often stimulate engagement and interaction better than pure text can (Hendricks, 2014). Sharing relevant images, videos, and infographics on your discussion forums will spark interest and start conversations. Remember to not just dump this visual content on the forum; provide some context and justification as to why this content is relevant to the topic at hand.

Leveraging analytics

Data analytics are key to social media strategy, and most forms of online activity for that matter. Social media managers constantly track and measure the efficacy of their social media efforts and then implement changes to continuously optimise their strategy.

Analytics can be used in online discussion forums to track the efficacy of certain topics or conversations and to assist academic staff in their teaching efforts. Never before have teachers been able to monitor the student engagement on their courses in such a data-driven manner. Teachers can now see how active students are and can be alerted to those students who may need a check-in. Data analytics can also allow teachers to see which conversations and topics saw the most engagement, which posts received numerous replies or likes, and the conversational pathways on the discussion forum, and then view these in conjunction with other student data. This information can then be used to tailor your teaching efforts.

The Forum Graph on Moodle is a powerful tool to understand these interactions. The graph is a visual representation of the forum’s health: number of participants, who is dominating the conversation, and whether students are engaging only with the facilitator, or with each other. Each dot represents a user, and the size of the dot increases based on the number of interactions. The lines and arrows indicate direction of interaction.

Figure 1: Left: Low interaction, primarily one-way, one prominent participant. Right: Higher level of participation, increased interaction between students, multiple prominent contributors.

The Forum Graph is just one example of the types of tools available to translate student data into meaningful information for teaching.

Online education is continuously evolving. Innovative thought is required to improve the experience for students and assist the teaching team in their facilitation. As a method of approaching discussion forum management in an innovative way, the principles of social media management provide a useful starting point.

Further reading:

Friedman, J. 2014. Social Media Gains Momentum in Online Education. Available: http://www.usnews.com/education/online-education/articles/2014/11/05/social-media-gains-momentum-in-online-education [2015, November 5].

Hendricks, D. 2014. 20 Social Media Tips To Rule In 2014. Available: http://www.forbes.com/sites/drewhendricks/2014/05/14/20-social-media-tips-to-rule-in-2014/ [2015, November 5].

Molteno, O. n.d. How to Build an Engaged Online Community. Available: http://resources.getsmarter.co.za/resource-centre/building-an-engaged-online-learning-community?rq=engaged%20online [2016, June].

Moodle. n.d. Reports: Forum Graph. Available: https://moodle.org/plugins/view.php?plugin=report_forumgraph&moodle_version=13 [2016, June].

Veletsianos, G. & Navarrete, C.C. 2012. Online Social Networks as Formal Learning Environments: Learner Experiences and Activities. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning. 13(1). Available: http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/1078/2077 [2015, November 5].

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While summative High School examinations are universally used for making evidence-based admission systems to college programmes, it is also widely recognised that they are inappropriate proxies for college preparedness for candidates who have not followed conventional educational pathways and – particularly – for those who have been in work and are returning to education.

In January 2015, the University of Cape Town (UCT) and GetSmarter collaborated to deliver the first online presentation of “Foundations of Project Management” – the first of four topics making up UCT’s Advanced Diploma in Business Project Management.

In their White Paper, Rob and Natasa used this opportunity to compare performance details of students who were admitted with traditional prior qualifications with those who had been admitted through the South African Required Prior Learning (RPL) national policy process.

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