Elizabeth Heaps and Sue Roberts

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The Shape of things to come 6 - 8 April 2005The
Old Ship Hotel, Brighton
The future for libraries in the blended learning
age

• Elizabeth Heaps and Sue Roberts
• On behalf of the SCONUL e-Learning Taskforce

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• The evolution of learning and teaching
• and libraries role to influence and
• develop this must be at the heart of our
  professional strategic focus

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Structure

• Setting the scene
• The SCONUL e-Learning Taskforce
• The blended learning landscape and its impact on
  libraries
• A vision for libraries and e-Learning
• Exploring the issues (group discussion)
• Lessons learnt
• Future actions and possibilities

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• E-learning is learning facilitated and supported
  through the use of information and communication
  technologies (LTSN Generic Centre)
• Concept of Blended learning or Supported Online
  Learning a spectrum along which different
  models can be placed
• Process focused not tool and technology focused
• E-learning should seek to enrich the learning
  experience

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The SCONUL e-Learning Taskforce

• Aim to identify and assess e-Learning issues for
  SCONUL, focusing on the learner and learning
  rather than technologies
• A sharing of perspectives
• An iterative and creative process
• Linked to SCONUL strategic context and
  repositioning
• Why a separate position and strategy?

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The SCONUL e-Learning Taskforce

• Develop a vision and position statement
• Develop key strategic objectives
• Assess how e-Learning is currently addressed by
  existing SCONUL activity (and how this can be
  built upon)
• Explore strategic partnerships

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The blended learning landscape - Drivers
Digital libraries
Political imperatives
National initiatives
Learner
Technology Whats possible
New roles
New learning spaces
Local developments
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Blended Learning Developments

• Political context
• DfES Towards a Unified E-Learning Strategy
• HEFCE Strategy for e-learning (2005)
• Embedded and diverse
• Strands see Strand 4 Strategic Management, HR
  and capacity development
• Demise of the UKeU
• HEFCE capital funds for e-learning (2005-2006)
• Role of the JISC and HE Academy
• Rising profile of learning teaching generally
• HE Academy - E-learning research
• Centres for Excellence in Teaching and Learning
  (2005-2010) 12 with e-Learning as pedagogic
  focus

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Blended Learning Developments

• Blended learning concept adopted
• VLE adoption and use (UCISA survey)
• overall picture is one of evolutionary
  consolidation. Centralisation is increasing..
• Establishment of E-Learning Development Units and
  teams
• New role of the Learning Technologist
• E-learning as a force of change (LTSN e-Learning
  Guides, 2003)
• will require change at all levelsand for all
  categories of staff.

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E-Learning Developments and Libraries

• Diverse roles, wide variation
• Resource discovery and embedding (digital
  library)
• Design of materials (learning objects)
• E-support and e-tutoring (pedagogy)
• See SCONUL Information Support for e-Learning
  principles and practice (2004)
• Exploiting new technologies to reinforce their
  existing position
• OR
• Developing new roles, partnerships and
  repositioning
• OR
• Libraries can and will be bypassed in e-Learning
  developments

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e-Learning Developments and Libraries Other
considerations

• Who is responsible for e-learning developments?
• Wider converged services
• Territoriality
• Partnership working
• New forms of learning and learning spaces
• JISC Learning Spaces project
• Flexibility and responsiveness
• Shift from Services Learner Support

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A vision for libraries and e-Learning

• (SCONUL/Libraries) will aim to enrich the
  learning experience through the development and
  embedding of e-Learning
• Principles
• E-Learning in its widest sense
• Embedding and Integration
• Innovation the art of the possible
• Partnership
• Learner-focused
• Underpinned by research and scholarship

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Exploring the issues group discussion
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Lessons learnt

• Blended not E-learning but political dimension
• Integrate as much as possible
• Refocus SCONUL strategy
• eg. From Buildings Learning Spaces
• From Information Learner support and
  literacy skills
• Partnership and multi-professional approaches
• Lead and influence

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Future actions and possibilities Where are we
going?

• A very political agenda locally and nationally
• Its really just about learning
• Towards the e team
• See CETL examples SOLSTICE (Edge Hill) and CILASS
  (Sheffield University)
• Action plan from Taskforce report
• ALT/SCONUL/USICA joint group
• November conference
• E-learning strategy through partnerships the
  art of the possible

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Additional Resources

• Beetham et al (2001) Career development of
  learning technology staff a scoping study
• http//www.jisc.ac.uk/index.cfm?nameproject_care
  er
• Bonk, C. (2004) The Perfect E-Storm
• http//www.obhe.ac.uk/products/reports
• Currier (2002) INSPIRAL INveStigating Portals
  for Information Resources And Learning final
  report
• http//inspiral.cdlr.strath.ac.uk/
• Generic LTSN E-learning series (2003)
• http//www.ltsn.ac.uk/genericcentre/index.asp?id
  17117
• HEFCE strategy for e-learning (2005)
• http//www.hefce.ac.uk
• SCONUL e-Learning Taskforce Final Report (2005)
• http//www.sconul.ac.uk