Perceptions of online tutorials for distance learning in mathematics and computing

We report on student and staff perceptions of synchronous online teaching and learning sessions in mathematics and computing. The study is based on two surveys of students and tutors conducted 5 years apart, and focusses on the educational experience as well as societal and accessibility dimensions. Key conclusions are that both staff and students value online sessions, to supplement face-to-face sessions, mainly for their convenience, but interaction within the sessions is limited. Students find the recording of sessions particularly helpful in their studies.

The three people you need for distance learning

Presentation at M25 Learning Technology Group, FutureLearn, 15 November 2017

Learning analytics from distance learning

Presentation at M25 Learning Technology Group, FutureLearn, 15 November 2017

Operational issues and plans for distance learning at UCL

Presentation at M25 Learning Technology Group, FutureLearn, 15 November 2017

Some aspects of grading Java code submissions in MOOCs

Recently, massive open online courses (MOOCs) have been offering a new online approach in the field of distance learning and online education. A typical MOOC course consists of video lectures, reading material and easily accessible tests for students. For a computer programming course, it is important to provide interactive, dynamic, online coding exercises and more complex programming assignments for learners. It is expedient for the students to receive prompt feedback on their coding submissions. Although MOOC automated programme evaluation subsystem is capable of assessing source programme files that are in learning management systems, in MOOC systems there is a grader that is responsible for evaluating students’ assignments with the result that course staff would be required to assess thousands of programmes submitted by the participants of the course without the benefit of an automatic grader. This paper presents a new concept for grading programming submissions of students and improved techniques based on the Java unit testing framework that enables automatic grading of code chunks. Some examples are also given such as the creation of unique exercises by dynamically generating the parameters of the assignment in a MOOC programming course combined with the kind of coding style recognition to teach coding standards.

Engaging distance learners

Presentation at M25 Learning Technology Group, FutureLearn, 15 November 2017

Portfolios for learning; course design and platform choices

Presentation at M25 Learning Technology Group, FutureLearn, 15 November 2017