NEWI TOWARDS A RESEARCH INFORMED, STRATEGIC APPROACH TO E'LEARNING

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NEWITOWARDS A RESEARCH INFORMED, STRATEGIC
APPROACH TO E.LEARNING

• Colin Heron
• Colette Bleakley

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Envisioning the future

• Rethinking University Teaching is not the
  responsibility of Government. It is the task of
  professional educators to change education, not
  politicians.
• Laurilliard,D., (2002) Rethinking
  University Teaching a framework for the
  effective use of learning technologies. 2nd
  edition, RoutledgeFalmer
• It cannot be left to chance or to dreamers.
  HEIs need to work strategically and
  collaboratively to achieve effective change.

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E.Learning in Wales

• Delivering the highest quality learning and
  related support - Deal for Students section of
  the HEFCW Corporate Strategy
• ICT is likely to be amongst the areas that could
  benefit from innovative approaches being
  developed and tested HEFCW remit letter(2006-07)
  Statement of the Position of E-Learning in
  Higher Education in Wales. It emphasises the
  importance of e-learning.
• Skills and Employment Action Plan (SEAP) for
  Wales includes a commitment from the Welsh
  Assembly Government to develop proposals for an
  integrated e-
• learning network in partnership with HEFCW,
  the Sector
• Skills Councils (SSCs), and other agencies.
• The position of e-learning in higher education
  will
• be key in taking forward these proposals.
  (p 5 19)

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NEWIs Strategic Developments

• Corporate Strategy, 2006-11 - informed
• by commitment to Excellence and the Deal for
  Students section of the HEFCW Corporate Strategy
• Agreement to embed e-learning as a central
  component of the LTA strategy for 2007-2010.
• LTA priorities commensurate with the Statement
  of the Position of E-Learning in HE in Wales
  (2007).
• Change Academy project - digital technologies
  to support LTA and encourage research informed
  practice.

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Aligning strategic intent in NEWI

• NEWI Strategic Plan
• HR Strategy
• Learning, Teaching, Assessment (LTA) Strategy
• Local LTA Strategies
• Staff and Educational Development Strategy
• Local SED Strategies
• Widening participation and access

• Internal support
• Commissioned teaching fellow to research
  different VLEs
• Foundation degree case study.
• IT support/ senior managers
• Agree infra-structure costs and staff time
• External Support
• Academy Subject Centres
• Change Academy
• LFHE
• JISC/RSC

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Drive of the Fellowship

• Overall penetration of the technology
• Usage patterns between disciplines
• How IT expertise influenced adoption

• Was e-learning really happening?
• What was the impact upon learning and teaching?

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Initial findings

• Pockets of advanced usage
• Majority of staff utilised VLE as a depository
  for materials

• Little use of communications tools
• Poor application of assessment capabilities

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Cultural factors inhibiting adoption

• e-learning technologies follow a standard
  technological adoption cycle
• Perceived divide between IT competence levels
  hindered adoption

• Technology was not driven by pedagogy
• Web2.0 technologies changing student perceptions
  about social interaction

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Introducing cultural change

• Carrot Vs Stick approach
• Embracing the hidden environment
• Creating environments that are centered around
  pedagogy rather than technology

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E-learning needs to be contextualised within
Institutional infrastructure

• Shared understanding that learning is the
  driver and not technology.
• Content needs to be delivered in pedagogically
  appropriate ways
• Blended learning will continue to be developed in
  NEWI

• Collaborative engagement between IT support,
  Estates and academics to ensure infrastructure
  supports innovation, creativity and new
  technologies.
• e-learning is not a replacement for traditional
  learning methods

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Enhancing the students learning experience

• The Burgess Report, Measuring and recording
  student achievement (2007), Recommendation 6,
  (p5) indicates the importance of PDPs.
• PDPs in line with the QAA Guidelines and the
  Leitch Review.
• Increasing the use of supportive and responsive
  VLEs and e.based PDPs as piloted through the work
  of the Teaching Fellows.

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Way forward- Research

• Ways e-learning can prove an innovative way to
  achieve targets set by the Welsh Assembly
  Government.
• Effective ways of using e.based approaches to
  Learning, Teaching and Assessment.
• E-learning to effectively support bilingual
  provision
• Introduction of Welsh language interfaces to PCs
  and VLE.

• Encourage collaborative research between staff
  and students to create a more personalised,
  student learning experience, particularly in
  relation to assessment?
• Draw on JISC and the Academy research into
  current practice that is pedagogically informed.
• Monitor and report on outcomes

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Further actions

• Create opportunities to share knowledge support
  development of pedagogically informed practice
  (workshops/
• conferences/on-line / digital conversations)
• Accessible e.based resources

• UK PSF for Teaching Supporting Learning in HE
• Monitoring reporting on impact outcomes
• Coaching mentoring
• Collaborative projects e.g. Academy funded
  digital assessment project (NEWI, NEWPORT UWIC)

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• Great Expectations? Enhancing and personalising
  the student experience
• NEWI, Wrexham
• 30 November 2007
• All welcome