Developing Strategies to support staff in the delivery of blended / online learning

Judith Smith, Department of eLearning

21 April 2005

Challenges for Education Today

• Rapid pace of technological development• Drive towards a more global marketplace within the “knowledge

economy”• The need to respond more quickly and flexibly to learning

demands (not only “just in time” but “just for me”)• Changing student profiles• More demanding marketplace

Developing the university into a learning organisation

• Changing the culture • Allowing the marketplace to influence change within the

University• Programmes of professional development for staff to enable

them to understand new ways of delivering teaching and technological developments

• Learners not students• The Knowledge Economy & changing demographics• Continued Professional Development

Creating an Online University

• Build the skills and enthusiasm of people as well as the physical infrastructure to support the initiative

• Embed online learning within the organisation’s strategy• Embed online learning “within the hearts” of those who will use it• Get buy in to idea that online learning is not different but merely

a linear progression in the way we have developed our ability to deliver and absorb ideas

• People-driven rather than technology-driven• VLEs providing a “wrapper” for a complete learning experience

Supporting the Learning Environment

• Requires strategic support from the top• Requires Champions to develop content and foster culture that

is biased towards this means of delivery• Requires adequate funding for VLE and supporting technology• Requires ongoing staff training • Requires ongoing development of new learning tools and

technologies

The RGU experience

• A stable online environment that has been supporting virtual learning since 1999

• Currently has nearly 17000 members on our distance learning Virtual Campus and supports a further 10,000 students on campus

• Nearly 30 MSc programmes delivered fully online, a range of blended courses and various short courses and CPD programmes

• Members from over 150 countries worldwide

Planning for e-learning

• What ICT skills do staff have?• Is there course content which will find a market?• What are the costs (both actual and hidden) in developing

materials for online learning?• Technological issues• Who are competitors• What is the basis for competitive advantage?

Implementing online learning programmes

• Supporting staff as they become familiar with teaching in an online environment

• Pastoral and cultural issues• Geographical / temporal issues• Quality assurance of the staff / student relationship• Ensuring integrity in assessment

Strategic implementation

• Top down approach

• Bottom up approach

• Mixture of both

Centralise or decentralise?

• Centralisation provides a focal point for communication• Acts as a host for liaison with all partners• Ensures quality & standards are maintained• Central support with economies in terms of resources and scale• Decentralisation provides opportunities for more varied

developments• More subject specific content design• The closer academic authors are to the content creation the

more ownership they feel for the course

Opportunities

• Development of new working relationships across the university

– Library and Dept. of eLearning

– Cross departmental collaboration

– Working with the Centre for the Enhancement of Learning & Teaching

New Skills

• Staff understand the ways in which their specific student market learns, and how this learning can be achieved online

• Staff have relevant ICT and “soft” skills to work competently in an online environment

• University markets courses appropriately so that recruitment can be carried out effectively

Finally ...

• Different mode of delivery but with the same outcome – appropriate learning content and support for students

• Requires continued investment, development and resource – not just initial financial investment in the technology

• Resource intensive in terms of staff training and staff contribution to courses if it is to work

• Creates new ways of working for academic staff (e.g. at home in evening on e-mail) which needs to be recognised and incorporated into more traditional timetabling and programming