empowering, encouraging and engaging staff with learning technology: a case study of flexible and...
TRANSCRIPT
Empowering, encouraging and engaging staff with learning
technology:
A case study of flexible and developing modes of staff
development
Rachel Challen, Jon Rhodes and Paul Towers, University of Wolverhampton
JISC RSC
24th February 2012Online Webinar
Todays team
Rachel
Jon
Paul
Todays session
• Background to UoW and where BLU sit in the Institution
• Three approaches to staff development• Building blocks• Menus• Blended Learning weeks
• Lessons learnt
• Future plans
Background to the University of Wolverhampton
• 23000 students
• 2500 staff
• 8 academic schools
• 4 teaching campuses
• Support departments, including IT services, LIS, Marketing and ILE
The Institute for Learning Enhancement
The Blended Learning Unit(BLU) Advisors
• 5 BLU Advisors
• All qualified teachers and all with Certified
Membership of the Association of
Learning Technologists
(CMALT)
Law, Social Sciences and
Communications
School of Art and
Design
School of Applied
Science
School of Education
Wolverhampton Business School
School of
Technology
School of Sport,
Performing Arts and Leisure
School of Health and Wellbeing
Learning Works: Refocusing the Curriculum Aims
• Focused on student need and demand
• Supported by consistently good teaching
• Underpinned by effective resources, physical and virtual
• Integrated with technology
To improve the student experience
Opportunities of LW for staff development
• Building up communication channels
• Shifting perception of BLU
• Access to discipline-based module teams
Questions from the floor
Approach 1: Building Blocks
platform-related
activity-based 'learner-centric'
Questions from the floor
Approach 2: Menu of Choice
Questions from the floor
Approach 3: BL weeks.
• Whole-team intervention, entitled ‘Blended Learning Weeks’
• Migration of all BLU members
• Pooling resources, knowledge and expertise.
The School of Art & Design
• 30 staff attending sessions
• Undergraduate and postgraduate teaching staff
The Wolverhampton Business School
• 50 staff attended sessions
• Undergraduate and postgraduate teaching staff
• An undergraduate BL week followed by a postgraduate
BL week
Unexpected and exciting outcomes that have evidenced the weight of change within the University and individual Schools has been:
The staging of School ‘BL Festivals,’ in which staff showcase innovative practice for adoption by others.
Unexpected and exciting outcomes that have evidenced the weight of change within the University and individual Schools has been:
The staging of School ‘BL Festivals,’ in which staff showcase innovative practice for adoption by others.
The introduction of staff e-Mentors, supporting the development of early adopters.
Unexpected and exciting outcomes that have evidenced the weight of change within the University and individual Schools has been:
The staging of School ‘BL Festivals,’ in which staff showcase innovative practice for adoption by others.
The introduction of staff e-Mentors, supporting the development of early adopters.
The development of School-specific BL strategies.
Unexpected and exciting outcomes that have evidenced the weight of change within the University and individual Schools has been:
The staging of School ‘BL Festivals,’ in which staff showcase innovative practice for adoption by others.
The introduction of staff e-Mentors, supporting the development of early adopters.
The development of School-specific BL strategies.
Ongoing relationships which were initially built with staff during the BL Weeks.
Unexpected and exciting outcomes that have evidenced the weight of change within the University and individual Schools has been:
The staging of School ‘BL Festivals,’ in which staff showcase innovative practice for adoption by others.
The introduction of staff e-Mentors, supporting the development of early adopters.
The development of School-specific BL strategies.
On-going relationships which were initially built with staff during the BL Weeks.
Building new relationships with other staff following the ‘ripple-effect’ of impact felt from the BL Weeks.
Unexpected and exciting outcomes that have evidenced the weight of change within the University and individual Schools has been:
The staging of School ‘BL Festivals,’ in which staff showcase innovative practice for adoption by others.
The introduction of staff e-Mentors, supporting the development of early adopters.
The development of School-specific BL strategies.
Ongoing relationships which were initially built with staff during the BL Weeks.
Building new relationships with other staff following the ‘ripple-effect’ of impact felt from the BL Weeks.
The continued engagement of staff already adopting blended approaches to learning and teaching and also the engagement of academics for whom blended learning is a new approach.
Questions from the floor
Challenges
• Resistance
•Sharing
•Fear
Engaging staff in Blended Learning: lessons learnt
• Enhance
• Unpack
• Integrate
• Trust
• Understanding
• Buy-in
Questions from the floor
Conclusion
• Constant reviewing
• Reflective and reflexive nature
• Embedding numerous factors
Questions from the floor
