Jon Rosewell | The Open University (original) (raw)
Papers by Jon Rosewell
Open Learning: The Journal of Open and Distance Learning, Sep 1, 2022
A zip file of 5 excel workbooks
Accurate species identification is fundamental to biodiversity science, but the natural history s... more Accurate species identification is fundamental to biodiversity science, but the natural history skills required for this are neglected in formal education at all levels. In this paper we describe how the web application ispotnature.org and its sister site ispot.org.za (collectively, "iSpot") are helping to solve this problem by combining learning technology with crowdsourcing to connect beginners with experts. Over 94% of observations submitted to iSpot receive a determination. To date (2014), iSpot has crowdsourced the identification of 30,000 taxa (>80% at species level) in > 390,000 observations with a global community numbering > 42,000 registered participants. More than half the observations on ispotnature.org were named within an hour of submission. iSpot uses a unique, 9-dimensional reputation system to motivate and reward participants and to verify determinations. Taxon-specific reputation points are earned when a parti! cipant proposes an identification that achieves agreement from other participants, weighted by the agreers' own reputation scores for the taxon. This system is able to discriminate effectively between competing determinations when two or more are proposed for the same observation. In 57% of such cases the reputation system improved the accuracy of the determination, while in the remainder it either improved precision (e.g. by adding a species name to a genus) or revealed false precision, for example where a determination to species level was not supported by the available evidence. We propose that the success of iSpot arises from the structure of its social network which efficiently connects beginners and experts, overcoming the social as well as geographic barriers that normally separate the two
The Cisco Networking Academy programme (NetAcad) supports education and training in network engin... more The Cisco Networking Academy programme (NetAcad) supports education and training in network engineering worldwide. NetAcad works with diverse educational institutions to offer an educational ‘vertical’ from beginner to advanced network engineer. However, as recognised by employment stakeholders, skills shortages in networking remain (Tech Partnership, 2016), particularly at the entry point (vocational levels two/three). NetAcad has been seen as a closed community based on the use of proprietary (Cisco) technology, but since 2013 it has moved towards openness through the release of APIs, free-to-use software/content, and the adoption of open standards. This has been, in part, enabled via scalable engagement projects with diverse stakeholders, including the UK Open University (OU). The OU is an Academy Support Centre (ASC) within NetAcad, supporting the growth and academic development of network engineering. In collaboration with Cisco and funded by the Ufi Charitable Trust, the OU is...
The new Open University course T184 Robotics and the meaning of life: a practical guide to things... more The new Open University course T184 Robotics and the meaning of life: a practical guide to things that think is an introductory course on robotics. It is an undergraduate course taught at a distance over 10 weeks. The course is centred around a web site containing most of the ...
and other research outputs Bayesian keys: biological identification on mobile de-vices Conference... more and other research outputs Bayesian keys: biological identification on mobile de-vices Conference Item How to cite: Rosewell, Jonathan and Edwards, Marion (2009). Bayesian keys: biological identification on mobile de-
For guidance on citations see FAQs. c © 2014 Not known Version: Version of Record Link(s) to arti... more For guidance on citations see FAQs. c © 2014 Not known Version: Version of Record Link(s) to article on publisher’s website:
For guidance on citations see FAQs.
This paper describes the E-xcellence methodology for the quality assurance of e learning. It outl... more This paper describes the E-xcellence methodology for the quality assurance of e learning. It outlines the E-xcellence process, and describes the main supporting resources: a set of 35 benchmarks, a quality manual and the ‘Quickscan’ self-assessment tool. The manual expands on the 35 benchmark statements, offering performance indicators and supporting discussion. The Quickscan is available online and is intended for use as an initial self-assessment. A key part of the E-xcellence approach is the ‘local seminar’. This is a collaborative workshop where an interdisciplinary team of staff from a higher education institution discuss the quality of their e learning with visiting expert assessors. The paper describes the processes involved in the local seminars and discusses their value to participants. We conclude that the E-xcellence methodology, and in particular the local seminars, provide valuable opportunities for reflection and discussion among staff with different roles, supported b...
The primary purpose of this manual is to provide a set of benchmarks, quality criteria and notes ... more The primary purpose of this manual is to provide a set of benchmarks, quality criteria and notes for guidance against which e-learning programmes and their support systems may be judged. The manual should therefore be seen primarily as a reference tool for the assessment or review of e-learning programmes and the systems which support them. However, the manual should also prove to be useful to staff in institutions concerned with the design, development, teaching, assessment and support of e-learning programmes. It is hoped that course developers, teachers and other stakeholders will see the manual as a useful development and/or improvement tool for incorporation in their own institutional systems of monitoring, evaluation and enhancement.
The Open University (OU) module Robotics and the meaning of life: a practical guide to things tha... more The Open University (OU) module Robotics and the meaning of life: a practical guide to things that think (T184) was an introductory course on robotics which ran from 2003-2011 and continues to run in an updated form. This is taught online but contains a strong practical element. Practical activities in the initial plans for the course were designed around the Lego Mindstorms RCX robotics kit. Students would build and program an autonomous wheeled robot able to carry out a range of tasks of increasing complexity. A new programming environment, OU RobotLab, was developed at the Open University to support the needs of adult learners with no previous experience of programming and to make extended use of the capabilities of the Mindstorms kits. However, it was not practical for the Open University to provide Lego kits for student use at scale in this module. Instead, RobotLab was extended to include a simulation of the robot. Students were thus offered the choice of carrying out practica...
In this paper we report on the development of the OpenupEd Quality Label, a self-assessment and r... more In this paper we report on the development of the OpenupEd Quality Label, a self-assessment and review quality assurance process for the new European OpenupEd portal (www.openuped.eu) for MOOCs (massive open online courses). This process is focused on benchmark statements that seek to capture good practice, both at the level of the institution and at the level of individual courses. The benchmark statements for MOOCs are derived from benchmarks produced by the E xcellence e learning quality projects (E-xcellencelabel.eadtu.eu/). A process of self-assessment and review is intended to encourage quality enhancement, captured in an action plan. We suggest that a quality label for MOOCs will benefit all MOOC stakeholders.
An increasingly connected society demands people who can design, set up, monitor and maintain net... more An increasingly connected society demands people who can design, set up, monitor and maintain networks of computers and devices. Traditional classroom instruction cannot keep pace with demand, and networking hardware costs can be too high for widespread classroom use. This paper presents the Open Networking Lab, a new UK initiative for supporting handson vocational learning in computer networking. The Open Networking Lab will facilitate the development of introductory practical networking skills without using hardware, through the provision of a web-based network simulation package integrated into learning resources and activities. These learning resources will be evaluated by students and lecturers from a cluster of Further Education colleges in the UK and will subsequently be made available to learners worldwide via free and open courseware. Keywords—vocational learning; further education; computer networking; network simulation.
The Open Networking Lab project (https://onl.kmi.open.ac.uk/) aims to provide open online resourc... more The Open Networking Lab project (https://onl.kmi.open.ac.uk/) aims to provide open online resources to enable anyone to learn the basics of computer networking. The project is hosted at The UK Open University and is supported by funding from UfI (www.ufi.co.uk) as part of their ‘VocTech Impact 2017’ funding initiative for vocational learning using digital technologies. Central to the project is the PT Anywhere network simulation software (Mikroyannidis et al. 2017) based on Cisco’s powerful Packet Tracer simulator. Learners can use PT Anywhere to develop their skills in solving computer networking problems. The ultimate aim is to enable as many learners as possible, regardless of prior educational background, to access employment in computer networking - an area which is in high demand from industry. The Open Networking Lab project is developing a Badged Open Course, which will be hosted on the Open University’s OpenLearn platform, where it will be accessible without cost to any lea...
Identification of biological species is traditionally done by working through a paper-based dicho... more Identification of biological species is traditionally done by working through a paper-based dichotomous key: Q1 Does it have six legs? Yes go to question 2 No go to question 3. Such keys assume either/or characters about which there can be no error and tend to produce keys that are cumbersome and error-prone in use. Dichotomous keys do not match the way people actually approach the task of identification: in practice people are more likely to note distinctive characters, to relate an unknown species to a known one, or to make a tentative identification and then check it. We have developed computer-aided keys, based on simple Bayesian statistics, that can support these methods of working. These keys are multi-access (characters can be used in any order or skipped), use Shannon information to suggest ‘best’ identification characters, can give higher prior probability to commonly-encountered species or to species known to occur locally, and are robust to occasional errors. The interfac...
Distance learning modules (particularly low-cost introductory and enrichment modules) may show po... more Distance learning modules (particularly low-cost introductory and enrichment modules) may show poor retention compared to traditional campus courses. The perceived difficulty of exams and end-of-module assessments (EMA) appears to deter some students from submitting. In contrast, interactive computer-marked assignments (iCMA) are typically attempted by most students. Can retention therefore be improved by changing the format of part of the final assessment to an iCMA? 'Robotics and the meaning of life' is a 10-point, 10-week general-interest Open University module. The assessment comprised a mid-module iCMA and a final written EMA. The iCMA (a Moodle quiz) provided detailed feedback only after the submission deadline. The EMA included short-answer questions, a programming question and an essay. The EMA was script-marked and feedback limited to overall score and performance profile provided well after the end of the course. The intervention simply replaced the script-marked s...
The E-xcellence methodology for quality assurance of e-learning in higher education has developed... more The E-xcellence methodology for quality assurance of e-learning in higher education has developed into a flexible and effective approach to quality assurance. It has proved suitable to meet the needs of a diverse range of institutions and national quality assurance regimes, and is applicable to both distance and blended modes. The E-xcellence resources (http://e-xcellencelabel.eadtu.eu/) include a quality manual, guidance for institutions and assessors, and an online Quick Scan self-evaluation tool. The manual was updated in 2012 and 2016 to reflect evolving changes in practice. The E-xcellence methodology provides 35 benchmark statements, grouped under six headings: Strategic Management, Curriculum Design, Course Design, Course Delivery, Staff Support and Student Support. Higher education institutions self-assess their capabilities against each of the benchmark statements on a four-point scale. They also prepare a roadmap of future actions which can be mapped to benchmark statement...
The European Association of Distance Teaching Universities (EADTU) is Europe’s leading associatio... more The European Association of Distance Teaching Universities (EADTU) is Europe’s leading association for Lifelong Open and Flexible (LOF) learning in distance Higher Education (HE) (www.eadtu.nl). As well as e-learning, the model of LOF learning embraces a range of other characteristics such as open learning, distance learning, online learning, open accessibility, multimedia support, virtual mobility, learning communities, and dual mode (earn & learn) approaches. This manual is the main product of a suite of EU funded projects undertaken under the auspices of EADTU: E-xcellence (2005-2006), E-xcellence plus (2008-2009) and E-xcellence Next (2011-2012). The overall aim of these projects has been to develop a methodology and supporting resources for the quality assurance of e-learning in higher education. The E-xcellence projects involve a core pool of experts from six European Universities with a stake in e-learning developments (see below), and an extended group drawn from a total of ...
Peer feedback, where students evaluate and give comments on each other's work, is a valued fo... more Peer feedback, where students evaluate and give comments on each other's work, is a valued form of learning activity. Giving and receiving peer feedback, particularly if assessed, encourages students to engage with the assessment criteria and reflect on their work, promoting a deeper understanding. This paper introduces a project to investigate approaches to using peer feedback in shared online spaces, as part of distance learning courses. One approach uses a wiki, where students each contribute their work and other students provide evaluative comments and advice. The other approach uses OpenStudio, a 'studio' environment where students upload self-produced media objects, such as photographs and presentations, and comment on each other's work. Both approaches have produced high levels of student engagement. An initial examination of peer feedback in a wiki indicates that the quality of feedback is high, but students do not make as much use of it as they might. Survey...
There has recently been a flurry of interest in supporting the idea of using ‘badges’ to recognis... more There has recently been a flurry of interest in supporting the idea of using ‘badges’ to recognise learning, particularly due to the Mozilla Open Badges project (http://openbadges.org/) and the funding channelled through the 2012 Digital Medial and Learning Competition (http://www.dmlcompetition.net/). Badges offer the potential of rewarding informal learning and reaching non-traditional learners. This paper speculates on ways in which badges for learning could fit into the offering of the UK Open University, and exposes some of the tensions that badges raise.
Open Learning: The Journal of Open and Distance Learning, Sep 1, 2022
A zip file of 5 excel workbooks
Accurate species identification is fundamental to biodiversity science, but the natural history s... more Accurate species identification is fundamental to biodiversity science, but the natural history skills required for this are neglected in formal education at all levels. In this paper we describe how the web application ispotnature.org and its sister site ispot.org.za (collectively, "iSpot") are helping to solve this problem by combining learning technology with crowdsourcing to connect beginners with experts. Over 94% of observations submitted to iSpot receive a determination. To date (2014), iSpot has crowdsourced the identification of 30,000 taxa (>80% at species level) in > 390,000 observations with a global community numbering > 42,000 registered participants. More than half the observations on ispotnature.org were named within an hour of submission. iSpot uses a unique, 9-dimensional reputation system to motivate and reward participants and to verify determinations. Taxon-specific reputation points are earned when a parti! cipant proposes an identification that achieves agreement from other participants, weighted by the agreers' own reputation scores for the taxon. This system is able to discriminate effectively between competing determinations when two or more are proposed for the same observation. In 57% of such cases the reputation system improved the accuracy of the determination, while in the remainder it either improved precision (e.g. by adding a species name to a genus) or revealed false precision, for example where a determination to species level was not supported by the available evidence. We propose that the success of iSpot arises from the structure of its social network which efficiently connects beginners and experts, overcoming the social as well as geographic barriers that normally separate the two
The Cisco Networking Academy programme (NetAcad) supports education and training in network engin... more The Cisco Networking Academy programme (NetAcad) supports education and training in network engineering worldwide. NetAcad works with diverse educational institutions to offer an educational ‘vertical’ from beginner to advanced network engineer. However, as recognised by employment stakeholders, skills shortages in networking remain (Tech Partnership, 2016), particularly at the entry point (vocational levels two/three). NetAcad has been seen as a closed community based on the use of proprietary (Cisco) technology, but since 2013 it has moved towards openness through the release of APIs, free-to-use software/content, and the adoption of open standards. This has been, in part, enabled via scalable engagement projects with diverse stakeholders, including the UK Open University (OU). The OU is an Academy Support Centre (ASC) within NetAcad, supporting the growth and academic development of network engineering. In collaboration with Cisco and funded by the Ufi Charitable Trust, the OU is...
The new Open University course T184 Robotics and the meaning of life: a practical guide to things... more The new Open University course T184 Robotics and the meaning of life: a practical guide to things that think is an introductory course on robotics. It is an undergraduate course taught at a distance over 10 weeks. The course is centred around a web site containing most of the ...
and other research outputs Bayesian keys: biological identification on mobile de-vices Conference... more and other research outputs Bayesian keys: biological identification on mobile de-vices Conference Item How to cite: Rosewell, Jonathan and Edwards, Marion (2009). Bayesian keys: biological identification on mobile de-
For guidance on citations see FAQs. c © 2014 Not known Version: Version of Record Link(s) to arti... more For guidance on citations see FAQs. c © 2014 Not known Version: Version of Record Link(s) to article on publisher’s website:
For guidance on citations see FAQs.
This paper describes the E-xcellence methodology for the quality assurance of e learning. It outl... more This paper describes the E-xcellence methodology for the quality assurance of e learning. It outlines the E-xcellence process, and describes the main supporting resources: a set of 35 benchmarks, a quality manual and the ‘Quickscan’ self-assessment tool. The manual expands on the 35 benchmark statements, offering performance indicators and supporting discussion. The Quickscan is available online and is intended for use as an initial self-assessment. A key part of the E-xcellence approach is the ‘local seminar’. This is a collaborative workshop where an interdisciplinary team of staff from a higher education institution discuss the quality of their e learning with visiting expert assessors. The paper describes the processes involved in the local seminars and discusses their value to participants. We conclude that the E-xcellence methodology, and in particular the local seminars, provide valuable opportunities for reflection and discussion among staff with different roles, supported b...
The primary purpose of this manual is to provide a set of benchmarks, quality criteria and notes ... more The primary purpose of this manual is to provide a set of benchmarks, quality criteria and notes for guidance against which e-learning programmes and their support systems may be judged. The manual should therefore be seen primarily as a reference tool for the assessment or review of e-learning programmes and the systems which support them. However, the manual should also prove to be useful to staff in institutions concerned with the design, development, teaching, assessment and support of e-learning programmes. It is hoped that course developers, teachers and other stakeholders will see the manual as a useful development and/or improvement tool for incorporation in their own institutional systems of monitoring, evaluation and enhancement.
The Open University (OU) module Robotics and the meaning of life: a practical guide to things tha... more The Open University (OU) module Robotics and the meaning of life: a practical guide to things that think (T184) was an introductory course on robotics which ran from 2003-2011 and continues to run in an updated form. This is taught online but contains a strong practical element. Practical activities in the initial plans for the course were designed around the Lego Mindstorms RCX robotics kit. Students would build and program an autonomous wheeled robot able to carry out a range of tasks of increasing complexity. A new programming environment, OU RobotLab, was developed at the Open University to support the needs of adult learners with no previous experience of programming and to make extended use of the capabilities of the Mindstorms kits. However, it was not practical for the Open University to provide Lego kits for student use at scale in this module. Instead, RobotLab was extended to include a simulation of the robot. Students were thus offered the choice of carrying out practica...
In this paper we report on the development of the OpenupEd Quality Label, a self-assessment and r... more In this paper we report on the development of the OpenupEd Quality Label, a self-assessment and review quality assurance process for the new European OpenupEd portal (www.openuped.eu) for MOOCs (massive open online courses). This process is focused on benchmark statements that seek to capture good practice, both at the level of the institution and at the level of individual courses. The benchmark statements for MOOCs are derived from benchmarks produced by the E xcellence e learning quality projects (E-xcellencelabel.eadtu.eu/). A process of self-assessment and review is intended to encourage quality enhancement, captured in an action plan. We suggest that a quality label for MOOCs will benefit all MOOC stakeholders.
An increasingly connected society demands people who can design, set up, monitor and maintain net... more An increasingly connected society demands people who can design, set up, monitor and maintain networks of computers and devices. Traditional classroom instruction cannot keep pace with demand, and networking hardware costs can be too high for widespread classroom use. This paper presents the Open Networking Lab, a new UK initiative for supporting handson vocational learning in computer networking. The Open Networking Lab will facilitate the development of introductory practical networking skills without using hardware, through the provision of a web-based network simulation package integrated into learning resources and activities. These learning resources will be evaluated by students and lecturers from a cluster of Further Education colleges in the UK and will subsequently be made available to learners worldwide via free and open courseware. Keywords—vocational learning; further education; computer networking; network simulation.
The Open Networking Lab project (https://onl.kmi.open.ac.uk/) aims to provide open online resourc... more The Open Networking Lab project (https://onl.kmi.open.ac.uk/) aims to provide open online resources to enable anyone to learn the basics of computer networking. The project is hosted at The UK Open University and is supported by funding from UfI (www.ufi.co.uk) as part of their ‘VocTech Impact 2017’ funding initiative for vocational learning using digital technologies. Central to the project is the PT Anywhere network simulation software (Mikroyannidis et al. 2017) based on Cisco’s powerful Packet Tracer simulator. Learners can use PT Anywhere to develop their skills in solving computer networking problems. The ultimate aim is to enable as many learners as possible, regardless of prior educational background, to access employment in computer networking - an area which is in high demand from industry. The Open Networking Lab project is developing a Badged Open Course, which will be hosted on the Open University’s OpenLearn platform, where it will be accessible without cost to any lea...
Identification of biological species is traditionally done by working through a paper-based dicho... more Identification of biological species is traditionally done by working through a paper-based dichotomous key: Q1 Does it have six legs? Yes go to question 2 No go to question 3. Such keys assume either/or characters about which there can be no error and tend to produce keys that are cumbersome and error-prone in use. Dichotomous keys do not match the way people actually approach the task of identification: in practice people are more likely to note distinctive characters, to relate an unknown species to a known one, or to make a tentative identification and then check it. We have developed computer-aided keys, based on simple Bayesian statistics, that can support these methods of working. These keys are multi-access (characters can be used in any order or skipped), use Shannon information to suggest ‘best’ identification characters, can give higher prior probability to commonly-encountered species or to species known to occur locally, and are robust to occasional errors. The interfac...
Distance learning modules (particularly low-cost introductory and enrichment modules) may show po... more Distance learning modules (particularly low-cost introductory and enrichment modules) may show poor retention compared to traditional campus courses. The perceived difficulty of exams and end-of-module assessments (EMA) appears to deter some students from submitting. In contrast, interactive computer-marked assignments (iCMA) are typically attempted by most students. Can retention therefore be improved by changing the format of part of the final assessment to an iCMA? 'Robotics and the meaning of life' is a 10-point, 10-week general-interest Open University module. The assessment comprised a mid-module iCMA and a final written EMA. The iCMA (a Moodle quiz) provided detailed feedback only after the submission deadline. The EMA included short-answer questions, a programming question and an essay. The EMA was script-marked and feedback limited to overall score and performance profile provided well after the end of the course. The intervention simply replaced the script-marked s...
The E-xcellence methodology for quality assurance of e-learning in higher education has developed... more The E-xcellence methodology for quality assurance of e-learning in higher education has developed into a flexible and effective approach to quality assurance. It has proved suitable to meet the needs of a diverse range of institutions and national quality assurance regimes, and is applicable to both distance and blended modes. The E-xcellence resources (http://e-xcellencelabel.eadtu.eu/) include a quality manual, guidance for institutions and assessors, and an online Quick Scan self-evaluation tool. The manual was updated in 2012 and 2016 to reflect evolving changes in practice. The E-xcellence methodology provides 35 benchmark statements, grouped under six headings: Strategic Management, Curriculum Design, Course Design, Course Delivery, Staff Support and Student Support. Higher education institutions self-assess their capabilities against each of the benchmark statements on a four-point scale. They also prepare a roadmap of future actions which can be mapped to benchmark statement...
The European Association of Distance Teaching Universities (EADTU) is Europe’s leading associatio... more The European Association of Distance Teaching Universities (EADTU) is Europe’s leading association for Lifelong Open and Flexible (LOF) learning in distance Higher Education (HE) (www.eadtu.nl). As well as e-learning, the model of LOF learning embraces a range of other characteristics such as open learning, distance learning, online learning, open accessibility, multimedia support, virtual mobility, learning communities, and dual mode (earn & learn) approaches. This manual is the main product of a suite of EU funded projects undertaken under the auspices of EADTU: E-xcellence (2005-2006), E-xcellence plus (2008-2009) and E-xcellence Next (2011-2012). The overall aim of these projects has been to develop a methodology and supporting resources for the quality assurance of e-learning in higher education. The E-xcellence projects involve a core pool of experts from six European Universities with a stake in e-learning developments (see below), and an extended group drawn from a total of ...
Peer feedback, where students evaluate and give comments on each other's work, is a valued fo... more Peer feedback, where students evaluate and give comments on each other's work, is a valued form of learning activity. Giving and receiving peer feedback, particularly if assessed, encourages students to engage with the assessment criteria and reflect on their work, promoting a deeper understanding. This paper introduces a project to investigate approaches to using peer feedback in shared online spaces, as part of distance learning courses. One approach uses a wiki, where students each contribute their work and other students provide evaluative comments and advice. The other approach uses OpenStudio, a 'studio' environment where students upload self-produced media objects, such as photographs and presentations, and comment on each other's work. Both approaches have produced high levels of student engagement. An initial examination of peer feedback in a wiki indicates that the quality of feedback is high, but students do not make as much use of it as they might. Survey...
There has recently been a flurry of interest in supporting the idea of using ‘badges’ to recognis... more There has recently been a flurry of interest in supporting the idea of using ‘badges’ to recognise learning, particularly due to the Mozilla Open Badges project (http://openbadges.org/) and the funding channelled through the 2012 Digital Medial and Learning Competition (http://www.dmlcompetition.net/). Badges offer the potential of rewarding informal learning and reaching non-traditional learners. This paper speculates on ways in which badges for learning could fit into the offering of the UK Open University, and exposes some of the tensions that badges raise.