NETWORKED LEARNING 2002
SYMPOSIUM: Change for networked learning
Overview
of Symposium
This symposium aims to bring together research on the
management of change issues in the introduction of elearning in higher
education. Networked learning has thrown many challenges to the current
structure and organisation of higher education. Universities have been variously attempting to make use of
opportunities of the new technology and at the same time to respond to the
inevitable consequence of rapid system changes. The volatile nature of change
in higher education has prompted many experiments and the papers in the
symposium will report on research from major change initiatives within
institutions and across institutions.
The research papers report on the effects of strategic
management and policy direction. The
research has mainly been conducted as action research and case study
research. The findings are based on
longitudinal analyses of implementation of strategies over a period of three to
four years. Two of the three papers
are based on individual institutions in England where different approaches have
been taken to the introduction of elearning and the third is based on an
analysis of trans-institutional change fostered in Scotland through the Virtual
Learning Space (VLS) initiative.
The Symposium will
contribute to the conference themes of elearning, and the e-University, and to
methodologies for researching networked learning. In relation to the first theme this symposium will focus on
institutional level issues of management and policy and consider the aims and
appropriate structure for universities in a networked world. The research reported will also offer a
contribution to issues of researching the management of change in networked
learning. The case studies reported are
of a wider scope than many existing case studies and have data related to an
era of unprecedented change, which may in time be viewed as transformational.
Chair person: Professor Liz Beaty CHED, Coventry University
e-mail: e.beaty@cov.ac.uk
PAPER 1: Introducing networking learning via a community
network: a teaching and learning strategy in action – Liz Beaty, Frances
Deepwell and Glynis Cousin, CHED
Coventry University
e-mail: e.beaty@cov.ac.uk
PAPER 2: Developing institutional
readiness for implementing networked learning
-
Sheena Banks and Adrian Powell, University of Sheffield
e-mail: s.b.banks@sheffield.ac.uk
PAPER 3: Trans-institutional
implemention of peer to peer networked learning – the Virtual Learning Space
case study – Rachel Harris, University of Glasgow.
e-mail: r.harris@udcf.gla.ac.uk
PAPER 1
TITLE
Introducing networking learning via a community network: a
teaching and learning strategy in action.
AUTHORS
Liz Beaty, Frances Deepwell & Glynis Cousin.
INSTITUTION
Coventry University
SESSION TYPE
Contribution to a symposium
NAME OF CONTACT PERSON
Prof. Liz Beaty, CHED, Coventry University, Priory Street Coventry, CV1 5FB
TELEPHONE
02476 88 7595
EMAIL
Number of words
Five Key Words
Management
Change
Strategy
Evaluation
Community
Proposal
Introducing networking
learning via a community network: a teaching and learning strategy in action.
In 1997 Coventry
University adopted a teaching and learning strategy which aimed to make the
best opportunity offered by new information and communication technology
(ICT). Over the past four years a task force of seconded academic staff has
been used as a development community to evaluate, experiment on and support the
implementation of an online learning environment. Over this time research has been concurrent on the activities of
the task force and their perceptions of the changes. Evaluation of the use of online learning by staff and students
has been collected and fed into decision making process at each stage of
development. The process of the change
management has been the focus of the action research reported on here. The paper analyses the stages of change in
the way the task force group has acted alongside the focus of strategic change
management.
Developing institutional readiness for networked learning:
University of Sheffield case study
AUTHORS
Sheena Banks
E-Learning Research Associate
School of Education
University of Sheffield
388 Glossop Road
Sheffield S10 2JA
TELEPHONE: 0114 222 8155
e-mail: s.b.banks@sheffield.ac.uk
Dr Adrian Powell
Learning Advisor
Learning Media Unit
University of Sheffield
TELEPHONE: 0114 222 2475
e-mail: a.powell@sheffield.ac.uk
INSTITUTION
University of Sheffield
FIVE KEY WORDS: strategy, impact, evaluation, realignment,
mainstream
Proposal
The development of networked
learning at the University of Sheffield has been an evolutionary process which
nevertheless has over a period of 3-4 years led to major realignment of human
and technology resources and considerably progressed the opportunities for high
quality implementation of networked learning, while at the same time reduced
constraints.
There have been a number of drivers for change which have
contributed to this state of institutional readiness for networked
learning. These have been the
implementation of the learning and teaching strategy, the introduction of WebCT
as the main delivery platform for ICT-based learning and the consolidation of
support services into a central unit – the Learning Media Unit. A national TLTP project in computer
supported collaborative group work (CBCGW) which ran from 1998-2001 has been
another driver of change, occurring simultaneously with these other strategic
developments. Evaluation studies have
been carried out in the Project on the readiness of the institution for implementing
ICT-based learning and teaching. These
have examined a number of factors relevant to institutional readiness and in
addition, an evaluation study was carried out at the end of the Project which
assessed the impact of institutional strategies on implementation of networked
learning. This paper identifies and
reflects the factors which constitute ‘institutional readiness’ for networked
learning within a learning and teaching framework, and gives some examples of
networked learning implementation within courses at the University of
Sheffield. There will be a particular
focus on the educational issues of using new technologies – rather than just
the technologies themselves.
Title of
proposal: Trans-institutional implementation of peer to peer
networked learning - the Virtual Learning Space case study
Theme: Symposium on Networked Learning Policy -
Implementing Networked Learning in a Policy Framework
Contact
Details:
Dr Rachel Harris,
Scottish
Centre for Research into On-Line Learning and Assessment
University
of Glasgow
Florentine
House
53 Hillhead Street
Glasgow,
G12 8QQ
0141 330
2878
r.harris@udcf.gla.ac.uk
Abstract:
The Virtual Learning
Space (VLS) is a collaborative online environment where communities of interest
can meet to share experience and understanding of C&IT in relation to
learning and teaching. The Scottish
Higher Education Funding Council financed the original project, within their
Scotcit programme. The scope of the
project was very much based in Scotland, and aimed to establish the use of VLS
in three institutions in the Aberdeen area – The Robert Gordon University,
University of Aberdeen, and Aberdeen College. The project partners thus
included a ‘new’ and ‘old’ university, as well as a further education college. It therefore seemed likely that the kinds of
challenges facing different kinds of institutions would be represented in this
project. Although the partner
institutions were all based in one city, which may have presented its own
particular conditions.
The development of the VLS included using focus groups, an online Delphi
technique, online discussion and brainstorming sessions with staff from all
partner institutions. Great care was
taken to connect with staff at all levels in order to engage the potential
target audience in the project, as well as aligning the development of the
environment with their particular needs.
Some differences amongst the institutions and staff groupings were found
at the early stages.
The project has
progressed such that initial implementation, evaluation and second stage
implementation have been completed. The
VLS is now an active collection of almost 1700 individuals who share
experiences within an online learning community. The scope of the project has widened considerably, with people
joining the VLS from over 800 organisations.
The majority of the membership is drawn from the UK (1160), with the
three partner institutions being represented by more than 270 members.
The paper will reflect on some of the strategic developments
that were being undertaken within the partner institutions at the time of the
project, and discuss perceived differences encountered in the three
institutions. The latter will include
reference to technical, pedagogical and organisational issues.
The VLS: http://itlearningspace-scot.ac.uk/