Childs, Elizabeth

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Elizabeth Childs is interested in the design, creation and implementation of flexible learning environments that incorporate the affordances of information and communication technology (ICT) and provide learners with increased choice, flexibility and opportunities for co-creation. With expertise in educational technology, instructional design, adult education and online learning, her research interests include topics such as the changing face of distance education; models for online synchronous problem based learning; creation of online communities and digital habitats; the use of social media in problem based learning environments; and, models for professional development. Childs consults nationally and internationally in the areas of online and blended learning, online communities, professional learning, instructional design, and capacity development for technology enabled learning environments. She has worked with client groups across K-12, post secondary, government and industry to develop and implement blended learning environments and online learning communities in their organizations. The majority of projects that she has been involved in were done at a distance and online project teams are the predominant way in which Elizabeth collaborates with others to complete projects. She is looking forward to her role as core faculty in SET for the MA in Learning and Technology program. Childs holds a PhD in Educational Technologyfrom the University of Calgary. Her dissertation topic was The Impact of Online Professional Development on Teaching Practice: A Case Study. She holds a master of education in Educational Technology from the University of Calgary. Her master’s topic was A Learning Centre: On the Path to a Learning Organization: A Conceptual Framework for Development. She also holds a Bachelor of Education (junior-intermediate science education and art) and a Bachelor of Science from Queen’s University.

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Recent Submissions

Now showing 1 - 5 of 6
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    Developing a university learning, teaching and research framework through practice conversations
    (Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, 2021) Harris, Brigitte; Childs, Elizabeth; Axe, Jo; Gorley, Charlotte
    This project engaged faculty, students, alumni, and staff in re-visioning their university’s learning, teaching, and research framework. An extensive consultation process allowed participants to explore, discuss, and critically reflect on effective practice. This action research project provided a process for university community members to engage in practice conversations. In phase 1, focus groups and campus community discussions elicited the diverse perspectives of the community. The design-thinking process of discovery, ideation, and prototyping aligned with the action research cycles to help a working group create a learning and teaching framework prototype based on the findings. In the second phase, surveys were used to elicit community members’ responses to the prototype, which was then refined. The prototype was organized into three overarching categories, each containing several attributes. The attributes of the “Applied and Authentic” category were: interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary; experiential and participatory; flexible and individualized; outcomes based; and openly practiced. The attributes of the “Caring and Community-Based” category were: inclusive and diverse; community-based; supportive; team-based; co-creative; and place and virtual space-based. The attributes of the “Transformational” category were socially innovative; respectful of Indigenous peoples and traditions; impactful; and reflective. This article should interest higher education institutions seeking to engage faculty, staff, students and others in practice conversations to develop a learning, teaching and research strategy. This research demonstrated that fostering practice conversations among diverse community members can be a powerful process for creating a common and integrated vision of excellent learning, teaching, and research practice.
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    Fostering openness within a higher education institution: Tensions, opportunities and a work in progress
    (Brill | Sense Publishers, 2020) Childs, Elizabeth; Axe, Jo; Veletsianos, George; Webster, Keith
    At our institution, the authors have engaged in open practices and have sought to promote a culture of openness. In this chapter, we discuss factors that we have identified as fostering a culture of openness at school, faculty, and university levels, and we investigate the tensions and challenges experienced in developing a culture of openness. We approach openness as a dynamic and negotiated space which encompasses “collaborative practices [including]… the creation, use and reuse of OER, as well as pedagogical practices employing participatory technologies and social networks for interaction, peer-learning, knowledge creation and empowerment of learners” (Cronin, 2017, ¶ 10). Though openness is often assumed to be a democratizing approach to education, scholars have noted that its practice appears to be complicated and unequal (Gourlay, 2015; Veletsianos & Kimmons, 2012). This chapter contributes to the conversation about what openness looks like in practice. We believe that openness in practice is much more complex than advocates note, and we anticipate that by sharing our experiences, other practitioners who are exploring open practices at their own institutions will benefit. This chapter is divided into four sections: context, factors contributing to a culture of openness, tensions and challenges encountered in enacting openness, and the conclusion.
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    Team and community building online: Using technology to enhance the student experience
    (EdMedia: World Conference on Educational Media and Technology, 2016) Axe, Jo; Childs, Elizabeth; Eib, B.J.
    With the ongoing move toward blended and team-based learning in post secondary education, there is a need for greater understanding of how to support virtual teams in their work and as they build learning communities online. This paper outlines a study that examined the student experience in an online module which used various virtual collaboration tools to facilitate effective collaboration in team-based course activities and foster the development of a learning community. Likert scale and open-ended questions were used to collect students’ perceptions of their experience in the online module. In addition, team reflections on the use of assigned virtual collaboration tools were analyzed. While positive comments were received about activities that gave participants the ability to connect with each other in real time and asynchronously, it was clear that anonymous participation in module activities was not highly valued.
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    Self-assessment of online participation: Using a reflective approach to enhancing student experience
    (E-Learn: World Conference on E-Learning in Corporate, Government, Healthcare, and Higher Education, 2017) Axe, Jo; Childs, Elizabeth; Fearon, Lois
    The use of online technology in education continues to grow (Canadian Virtual University, 2012; Kanuka, 2008; White, Warren, Faughnan, & Manton, 2010) and student engagement is critical to their successful achievement of educational goals It is therefore valuable for educators to understand how to support student engagement in online environments As self-assessment has the potential to increase student engagement (Kearney, 2013), a component of the final grade in an online master’s course was determined through the use of a student self-assessment log After the conclusion of the course, students completed a survey in which they reflected on how the log affected their feelings of engagement with peers and with their instructor This presentation will discuss the study findings, including the sense of responsibility to others, social participation, and motivation, and will conclude with recommendations on how to include self-assessment of participation in graduate-level courses.
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    Learning outcomes and program mapping: Tools for transparent assessment
    (EdMedia+ Innovate Learning, 2018) Axe, Jo; Childs, Elizabeth; Palahicky, Sophia
    Program mapping (PM) provides a method to examine curriculum alignment, the assessment of learning outcomes, and to determine if program goals are aligned to learning activities and assessments. At a higher education institution in Western Canada, the Centre for Teaching and Educational Technologies (CTET) provides support to academic units using PM techniques to determine how learning outcomes are being implemented. The School of Education and Technology partnered with CTET to examine how to implement learning outcomes in a meaningful way for students and faculty and how to utilize program mapping as a means to evaluate success. To inform this work, a meta-synthesis research project was undertaken. Four main themes were identified in the literature: (1) faculty/student engagement; (2) organizational culture; (3) constraints, and (4) intentional process. Examples of a PM approach are shared and the implications for students and faculty of moving to outcomes-based learning approaches are discussed.