E-learning – Why bother?

A view from RSC Wales

“Donkeys with computers in Greece” by davesag available on Flickr under Creative Commons

• e-Learning is ‘learning facilitated and supported through the use of information and communications technology’

• e-Learning is fundamentally about learning and not about technology

• “A powerful addition to a person’s stock of mental tools. Nothing is given up in return”. (Seymour Papert, Mindstorms, 2nd ed. 1993)

RSC Wales HE activities• Work with key staff on e-learning development

– FE, smaller HE, HE-in-FE, ACL, WBL– Advice on e-learning, e-resources, technical issues– Advise on, and broker, staff development

• Events open to all• Online forums open to all

– http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/ITT-WALES-POST16.html– http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/elearning-wales

• Website www.rsc-wales.ac.uk (blogs are coming…)• Signpost resources: eg. memory stick• Work in partnership with JISC, the Academy and other

organisations to share good practice

LLUK minimum core requirements for ICT (June 2007)

Minimum core document

“…. Learners and teachers make very good and

innovative use of virtual learning environment

materials…”

A recent (2006) Inspection Report for a Welsh FE College commented…

• HEFCW Enhancing Teaching and Learning Through Technology (2008)

– “Our vision is that enhancing learning and teaching through the use of technology should be considered a normal part of mainstream provision, processes and practices.”

Increasing numbers

Flexibility of time and place

Recruitment and retention of Generation Y

Recording achievement and reflection

Skills and employability

Institutional strategy

Quality

Continuity if staff change

Common drivers

In their own words: learner voices

Findings:• students use

technologies to personalise and manage their learning

• Often do not register the “e” – in “e-learning”

• Still need their tutors

• Exploring tangible benefits of E-learning

• 37 case studies• Explores diversity of e-

learning in HE• Identifies where benefits

are being found

http://www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/publications/info/tangible-benefits-publication

Cost savingsFlexibility of time and place

Recruitment and retention of Generation Y

Achievement

Skills and employability

Staff development

Quality

Inclusion

Making Higher Education visible

Research communities

Improved pedagogy

Tangible benefits

• VLEs – Virtual Learning Environments

• Online ‘store’ and much more

• Increasing emphasis on communication tools and integration with other systems

Students can take more control of their own learning…

…with good quality learning resourcesFirst World War Poetry Archive

http://www.nln.ac.uk/

Mind maps

Interactivity…

…engagement

Above image: Copyright HEFCE 2005

Web 2.0• youTube

(www.youtube.com )• Flickr• Del.icio.us• Instant messaging• MySpace• Blogs

(www.blogger.com)• Facebook• Wikis

http://edu.blogs.com

mobile technology helps learning in many scenarios

Above image Copyright HEFCE 2005

Accessibility and inclusion

www.techdis.ac.uk

e-PortfoliosA way of gathering a range of different types learning evidence including text, spreadsheet, video, audio, blog• http://www.pebblelearning.co.uk/• www.elgg.net

http://www.careerswales.com/progressfile/tour/pfotour.asp

http://www.jisc.ac.uk/aboutus/partnerships/he_academy/assessment.aspx

Assessment and managing plagiarism

“Samba in style” by Carf, available on Flickr under Creative

Commons

• Building a Community of Practice – example: Swansea University’s Learning Lab

• http://learninglab.swan.ac.uk/

Wiki-based web space

Personal support

Bite-sized staff development tailored to needs

Social dimension

• Some more JISC-funded advisory services and resources:

http://www.jisc.ac.uk/services/• Techdis (Accessibility)• TASI : Images (& Moving Images and Sound)• JISC Legal• JISC IPAS - Internet Plagiarism Advisory Service• JISC Collections – subscription and free resources• Intute and Virtual Training Suite

• Effective Practice with e-Learning– Emphasis on “Design for

Learning”– “Designing in” the technology

where appropriate

JISC projects produce useful publications (including video case studies) atwww.jisc.ac.uk/publications

” True computer literacy is not just knowing how to make use of computers… it is knowing when it is appropriate to do so.” Seymour Papert

Active, enjoyable learning that raises motivation

Voting Systems (aka personal response system or ‘clickers’)

Video clip:http://www.elearning.ac.uk/

innoprac/practitioner/strathclyde.html

http://phoebe-app.conted.ox.ac.uk/

What technology can I use to…articulate and communicate knowledge / understanding?

Download full Phoebe report athttp://www.jisc.ac.uk/publications/publications/phoebefinalreport.aspx

• No need to go it alone…• Keep talking to your

Subject Centre• Contact your local RSC• http://www.jisc.ac.uk/rsc• Talk to the e-learning

person in your institution• Enlist help from your staff

development unit• Make friends with your

librarians• Look out for project

opportunities• Collaborate

Next steps?

• Some forthcoming events

• Workshops 10-11 June– Change management– Managing Multiple Projects

• Promoting Innovation through Virtual Learning - Merthyr Tydfil College conference 1 July

• Wales Moodle Moot 2 July

• Swansea University and other Swansea staff - E-Learning and Beer social - 12 June – The Wig

• More details available from RSC Wales

Lis Parcell e.j.parcell@swansea.ac.uk

01792 513261

Christine Daviesc.p.davies@swansea.ac.uk

01792 602511

www.rsc-wales.ac.uk

(videos, and pictures of people and places, in this presentation were obtained from JISC Case Studies, © 2004/5 HEFCE)