The 3E Framework with illustrative examples
3E Framework: Enhance, Extend, and Empower
The 3E Framework was originally developed as a means for thinking about and introducing technology-enhanced opportunities for increasing student autonomy in the redesign of courses.
The 3E Framework below provides illustrative examples for a range of common learning and teaching activities.
Essays
Enhance
Create a series of short weekly announcements (e.g. using the VLE pop-up announcement tool) that tell students where you expect them to be in the essay research/writing process by the end of that week.
Extend
Create a short 4 or 5 item self-test quiz on a particular topic that ‘releases’ an example of a good essay on successful completion.
Provide online spaces for formative tutor and peer review of drafts.
Empower
Have students engage critically and directly with the public knowledge base in their area by having them write accurate scholarly pieces for online resources like Wikipedia
Groupwork
Enhance
Make the group working more manageable and ‘visible’ by having each group post a weekly update of progress to a private discussion board visible to the group and tutor
Extend
Consider the use of wikis for the authoring of group reports to aid version control, provide a space for formative feedback and to see the pattern of individual contributions
Empower
Use wikis and other online spaces to allow peer review and assessment of group reports (e.g. reviewing a report online, then completing a peer review survey in the VLE)
Lectures
Enhance
Provide skeleton notes online for students to explore ahead of the next class, and to assist with their note taking in the lecture itself
Extend
Have students work individually or in small groups to prepare a mini presentation slot on a particular topic as part of a lecture
Empower
Provide skeleton lecture slides for small groups of more advanced students to research and complete as the basis for a lecture they facilitate or co-facilitate for students at earlier stages
Tutorials (preparation and participation)
Enhance
Provide links to online case studies for students to explore ahead of discussion in class
Extend
Have students work individually or in pairs in sourcing relevant case studies to be shared online (via a discussion board, wiki, or social bookmarking’) prior to a tutorial
Empower
Have students work individually or in small groups to produce a online case study on an allocated topic to be presented and discussed in class and within the VLE
Seminar participation
Enhance
Provide a discussion board for students to post follow-up comments (queries, issues that are still not clear) to that week’s seminar to be picked up during first part of the next week’s lecture
Extend
Encourage more equal engagement in seminars by having students take turns (in pairs or small groups) to produce a summary of that week’s seminar to be posted online, perhaps with a follow-up question to be tackled
Empower
Have students work in pairs or small groups to design and lead online seminars for particular units, with guidance from tutor on their proposed topic and approach
Making teaching more interactive
Enhance
Use copyright cleared online video and multimedia clips to reinforce points and examples in class
Extend
Bring guest experts into discussion forums or live virtual classrooms
Empower
Have groups of students to make short audio or video recordings relating to the main topics to be covered
Supporting large cohorts
Enhance
Direct students to use ‘problems forums’ to handle any general questions about the subject matter or coursework, so that the tutors answers to common questions are there for all to see and to encourage peer support in large groups
Extend
Online spaces are used to bring more experienced peers into the cohort as part of a student mentoring arrangement
Empower
Where possible use online tools and spaces to support creative and authentic projects that drive collaborative learning from the outset, thus reducing the reliance on teacher-led instruction in large groups