The Way Forward

The future use of Learning Technologies

in the University of Brighton

Dr R Stanier

The past & the present

• The past

Bill Atkinson - a man with a vision

• The present

A variety of sophisticated

technologies that allow the creation

of a rich learning & teaching

environment

Mind Reading...

Please mentally select a card and concentrate on it.

I will perform this feat via mind control...

Mind Reading...

And now, whisper the name of your card out loud.Please don't skip this part, it is very important.

Mind Reading...

I have selected your card and have removed it from the pile.

Surprised?

The Human Factor

• It’s the Human input that counts

• Learning technologies are simply a set

of tools for humans to create with

• Bill Atkinson saw the potential for

ordinary people to drive the

technology

So why bother?

• Student expectations

• JISC, QAA & RAE

• Marketing

• Keeping up with other institutions

• Not forgetting learning & teaching &

the student experience!

What have we got already?

• Student Intranet - cheap & cheerful

• Minimal Realisable Expectation

• Standard Technologies

• Lots of enthusiasm

• But we need more...

Consider this...

• All information accessible on & off

campus

• A simple mechanism for creating

online courses, content & assessment

• Discussion groups for student/tutor &

student/student communication

• A student centred environment to aid

information management

Online …

calendars

Discussion groups

Structured content

assessment

Revision systems

Email & News

communities

Student tracking

Information Access

Information Management

Information Management

• Learning is now about information

management as much as it is about

subject matter

• Average 52,000 hits for parasitology

• Huge variety of different information

sources

What’s needed...

• We need to increase staff IT Skills

• We need to be able to make

appropriate choices about the

technology

• To respond to student expectations &

adapt to changes in learning cultures

• All this needs appropriate support...

Learning Technologies Group

• Providing Learning Technology

services

• Academic Liaison

• Training

• Design

• Help define standards

LTSOs

• Facilitating the process

• Local knowledge

• Enthusiasm

Learning Technologies Network

• Drawn from all subject areas

• Early adopters

• Subject-specific knowledge

• Enthusiasm

Site Information Services Support

• Computer Officers & Course Resource

Officers

• Site-based service

• Support academic use of technologies

in the learning & teaching process

What's available outside the University

• JISC - Joint Information Systems

Council

• LTSN - Learning & Teaching Support

Network

• E-University

The importance of JISC as a driving force in UKHE

• DNER

• MLE

• JANET

• Advice

• Support?

• MANs

• Innovation

• International Relations

How do we go forward?

• Big Bang?

or

• Planned Cultural Evolution

The Big Bang Theory - Coventry

• £1m over 3 years

• Driven by directorate

• 30 strong task force

• All modules listed

The Big Bang Theory - Coventry

• Resistance from staff

• Take up greatest where high level of

technical support

• QAA average = 20.1

“I cried when they made me use WebCT”

University of Brighton

• We have £60,000 over 2 years

• Task force of 11 (LTSOs & steering

group)

• Policy of facilitation rather than

dictation

• QAA average = 21.6

The way forward

• Capitalise on what we’re good at -

Teaching

• Planned Cultural Evolution

• Make best use of the support available

-LTSOs & LTG

• Being able to make appropriate choices

• Using content NOT developing it

The future

• Richer and more interactive content &

learning support

• Easier content production & access

• Mobile Communications - the prefered

method of communication

• Digital TV - ubiquitous technology

Your students need you!