Academic staff development in the area of technology enhanced learning in the UK HEIs

This paper reports on a study on staff development in the area of technology enhanced learning in UK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) that took place in November 2011. Data for this study were gathered via an online survey emailed to the Heads of e-Learning Forum (HeLF) which is a network comprised of one senior member of staff per UK institution leading the enhancement of learning and teaching through the use of technology. Prior to the survey, desk-based research on some universities’ publicly available websites gathered similar information about staff development in the area of technology enhanced learning. The online survey received 27 responses, approaching a quarter of all UK HEIs subscribed to the Heads of e-Learning forum list (118 is the total number). Both pre-1992 (16 in number) and post-1992 Universities (11 in number) were represented in the survey and findings indicate the way this sample UK HEIs are approaching staff development in the area of TEL. The survey’s main research question was ‘what provision do UK HEIs make for academic staff development in the area of technology enhanced learning’. Twelve questions, both closed and open-ended, were devised in order to gather enough information about how staff development needs in the area of technology enhanced learning are addressed by different UK institutions. Following the justification of the adopted research methodology, the findings from the online survey are analyzed and discussed and conclusions are drawn

MOOCs: A first-hand experience on EDC MOOC and a speculation of their future impact in Higher Education

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) – a term coined by Dave Cormier back in 2008 when the first experimental MOOC ran - came to prominence in 2012 with the launch of Coursera, EdX and Udacity platforms in the United States. Most often MOOCs are short courses with duration varied between a couple of weeks to a couple of months, and at the moment, they do not provide academic credit, but some do provide a certificate of completion or statement of accomplishment. MOOCs are currently free for participants and are funded by public and/or private sources. However, there is speculation that in the near future, Universities involved may profit by providing certification to successful participants and by building hybrid courses around MOOCs that carry academic credit (Lederman 2013, Young 2012). This short article summarises my personal reflections from participating in a MOOC and provides a brief evaluation of the connectivist MOOC (cMOOC) learning design. Following that, MOOCs’ future sustainability in general is discussed and a speculation of their future impact in HE is attempted. In lieu of a conclusion, important questions raised by MOOCs and the ways they may impact Higher Education are provided, with an aim to open up the discussion around MOOCs to include their socio-political dimension alongside its pedagogical one

Staff development and institutional support for technology enhanced learning in UK universities

This paper presents the findings of a mixed methods study conducted in the context of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). More specifically, it focuses on the staff development needs of tutors who teach in blended and online environments, th e ways HEIs in the United Kingdom (UK) address these needs and institutional issues around the deployment and support of Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) by campus‑based institutions. The informants in both phases of this research were the heads of e‑learning in various UK HEIs. Using an online questionnaire, quantitative data were gathered on the various ways that the staff development needs of the lecturers in blended and online learning have been addressed by UK HEIs. During the second phase of t his research, eight semi‑structured interviews were conducted. The findings from both phases are integrated in the results section of the paper

OER for Blended Learning

The purpose of the 'Developing the Online Experience' module is to increase participants' awareness of blended and online learning techniques so that they become familiar with the various ways in which technology can be used to enhance the students' learning experience. Increasing awareness about OER enables lecturers to enrich their materials further and focus more on the ways in which students engage with the materials and in facilitating learning. OER have been used in various ways in the module 'Developing the online learning experience'; OER were integrated with other subject-related learning resources such as journal articles, book chapters and presentations from the face-to-face sessions. To encourage participants’ own use of OER, they were featured in a face-to-face session, - link to the Introduction to OER session: http://mycourse.solent.ac.uk/mod/book/view.php?id=160120 - in which participants were asked to work in groups to evaluate the use of some of the most common OER material on websites such as OpenLearn, Jorum, MIT Courseware and more. Furthermore, learning activities - both group and individual - were based around Open Educational Resources as participants were asked to search, identify and evaluate an online, publicly available, structured activity that could be relevant to their subject area

Using a mixed methods research design in a study investigating the ‘Heads of e-Learning’ perspective towards technology enhanced learning

This paper outlines the research design, methodology and methods employed in research conducted in the context of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and focuses on the Heads of e-Learning (HeLs) perspective about Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) by campus-based UK institutions. This paper aims to expand on the research design and the research methodology that was followed as part of this research, making a justified argument for mixed methods approaches in e-learning contexts. The background of this research and its research questions is outlined first to provide the context of this research. Following a review of the literature on TEL that informed this research, this paper provides an explanation of the researcher’s worldview before discussing the chosen research design. The status of the findings and their generalisability based on the chosen methodology are then discussed. The research findings show that most universities represented in the survey offered various staff development opportunities to their academic staff in the effective use of TEL and that examples of innovative use of technology are evident in some areas in all participating institutions. Staff’s digital skills and competencies coupled with a pedagogical underpinning as well as a supportive institutional culture were found to be the enablers for the effective implementation of TEL, according to the HeLs’ expert informed responses. The paper is summarised and concluded making a case for the adoption of Mixed Methods Research (MMR) in e-learning settings

One size doesn’t fit all: rethinking approaches to continuing professional development in technology enhanced learning

Despite extensive investment, levels of enthusiasm for technology enhanced learning (TEL) are notoriously varied amongst the key stakeholders. A growing body of research shows that TEL is often expected by students and, when used effectively, has a positive impact on engagement and outcomes. Despite this, transmissive models of continuous professional development (CPD) that focus on the technology and systems over the pedagogic underpinnings can feel like a compliance mechanism ripe for resistance. We argue that a more effective approach utilises simpler, cloud based tools to highlight pedagogic approaches and that adaptations in the way CPD happens provide an environment within which exploration, utilisation and even transformation in practice can occur

Student and staff perceptions in the impact of lecture capture

This paper summarises interim research findings from a pilot project on lecture capture. The background and the objectives of the pilot are described, followed by a literature review on the subject in order to contextualise the research focus of the project. The methodology followed is outlined, and the project findings with a focus on staff and student perceptions of lecture capture’s impact on satisfaction, attendance and performance are subsequently described and discussed. The main outcomes from the research are summarised and ideas for further research on the subject are indicated in the conclusion

Staff development and wider institutional approaches around technology enhanced learning in higher education institutions in the United Kingdom from the heads of e-learning perspective

This thesis presents the findings of a mixed methods study conducted in the context of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). More specifically, it focuses on the Heads of e-Learning (HeLs) perspective of the needs of tutors who teach in blended and online environments, the ways HEIs in the United Kingdom (UK) address these needs and on institutional issues around the deployment and support of Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) by campus-based institutions. The HeLs’ perspectives are also compared to Laurillard's conversational framework for the effective use of learning technologies. The literature review in the area of staff development on TEL offers an analysis of the key issues and provides a useful backcloth for this research; the TEL context in UK HEIs is discussed, the terminology is clarified and learning theories are briefly looked at, prior to the more detailed description of staff development models and approaches around TEL. The research design follows a mixed methods approach. The informants in both phases of this research were the HeLs in various UK HEIs. Using an online questionnaire, quantitative data were gathered on the various ways that the staff development needs of the lecturers in blended and online learning have been addressed by UK HEIs. Simple frequencies and cross tabulations were applied to the data. During the second phase of this research, thirteen semi-structured interviews were conducted. The questionnaire findings – interviews’ outline chapter describes and analyses the research findings from the online questionnaire and provides information about the interviewees and outlines the way the interview questions were developed over time. Further discussion, integration and interpretation of both phases of this research takes place in the discussion – integration of findings chapter. The study concludes by re-addressing the research questions and by pointing out its achievements as well as its limitations

Re-engineered continuing professional development and modelled use of cloud tools and social media by academic developers

#Intermediate #Twitter #CPD Transforming Lecturer Practice and Mindset Academic Developers (a.k.a. Lecturers in Education, Teaching Fellows or Educational, Faculty or Staff Developers) may work in discrete units, within faculties, from within a broader education faculty or closely aligned to Human Resources or Quality departments. Their own values and the organisational structures and culture they work within will likely lead them to exhibit a particular ‘orientation’ such as ‘internal consul..

Proposing a Framework for Blended and Flexible Course Design

This paper proposes a Framework for Blended and Flexible Curriculum Delivery. Following a brief introduction about how this project came together, a literature review is undertaken where various terms related with learning and teaching through technology are explained and distinguished. The proposed Blended Learning Framework is explained, discussed, analyzed and mapped to educational practices and their underpinning learning theories. The paper is then summarized and concluded