Talk by Prof Ido Roll, University of British Columbia

Beyond “Faster Classrooms”: Teaching with Technology to Promote Robust Learning at Scale.

New technological affordances are transforming the reach of online education in terms of scale and diversity. However, this often comes at the expense of the quality of the learning experiences. In this talk I will describe several examples of at-scale instruction that facilitates robust learning that improve sense making, transferable knowledge, and attitudes. These examples span k12, post-secondary education, and MOOCs. Common to these are rich activities that utilize big data and peer support. Identifying commonalities across these, I will suggest principles that can help us shift the focus from efficiency to empowerment.

Ido Roll is the Director of the Institute for Scholarship of Teaching and Learning at the University of British Columbia (UBC). Ido studies how interactive learning environments support students in becoming more competent, curious, creative, and collaborative learners in classroom and online environments. His work focuses on cognitive and non-cognitive factors across different time scales, from minutes (in problem solving environments and simulations) to months (in MOOCs and learning management systems). His research utilizes a variety of methodologies from the fields of education, cognitive science, learning analytics, and human-computer interaction. His publications in these fields have won numerous awards. More can be found on Ido’s website, idoroll.com.