Engagement in educational technologyEngagement in educational technology

What are (your) needs & preferred What are (your) needs & preferred

approaches for professional & approaches for professional &

curriculum development?curriculum development?

Models for staff developmentModels for staff development

• Formally accredited coursesFormally accredited courses

• Loosely-coupled workshopsLoosely-coupled workshops

• Funded projectsFunded projects

• Teaching fellowsTeaching fellows

• Collaboration (staff secondments & learning technologists)Collaboration (staff secondments & learning technologists)

• ConsultativeConsultative

• Informal learningInformal learning

Engaging lecturers, students & Engaging lecturers, students & specialists with the development processspecialists with the development process

The ANNIE Project The ANNIE Project

as an exampleas an example

Developing courses and capabilitiesDeveloping courses and capabilities

• ReviewingReviewing

• PlanningPlanning

• ImplementingImplementing

• SupportingSupporting

• EvaluatingEvaluating

• DisseminatingDisseminating

• TransferringTransferring

Project

development

interweaved with

staff development.

The ANNIE The ANNIE ProjectProject

Description of activitiesDescription of activities

Accessing & Networking with Accessing & Networking with National and International ExpertiseNational and International Expertise

Linking together UK universities and outside experts Linking together UK universities and outside experts

• Universities are Warwick, Kent, De Montfort, Exeter, Universities are Warwick, Kent, De Montfort, Exeter,

Queens BelfastQueens Belfast

• Experts in Kansas, Vancouver, Frankfurt and around Experts in Kansas, Vancouver, Frankfurt and around

UK (BBC, Blast Theory and universities listed above)UK (BBC, Blast Theory and universities listed above)

ANNIE project: activitiesANNIE project: activities

• Provide access to experts for students of Provide access to experts for students of

performance studies in various learning situations.performance studies in various learning situations.

• Evaluate the experience.Evaluate the experience.

• Determine good practiceDetermine good practice

– using technology in learning and teachingusing technology in learning and teaching

– encouraging its implementation.encouraging its implementation.

Case study scenariosCase study scenarios

The scenarios essentially involved three types of approach:The scenarios essentially involved three types of approach:

• accessing of expertise from outside of these institutions, accessing of expertise from outside of these institutions,

• delivery of expertise located within the institutions to students at delivery of expertise located within the institutions to students at

a distance,a distance,

• use of distance learning mechanisms to deliver courses within use of distance learning mechanisms to deliver courses within

the same institution. the same institution.

Formats usedFormats usedSynchronous

communication

Asynchronous

communication

External

resource

Visual Desktop and room-

based video-

conferencing

Uploaded videos

and image

CD-ROMs

Web sites

Audio Audio-conferencing,

Telephone

(VoIP bulletin boards) (wav files)

Text Chat rooms Fora, uploaded texts and

essays, handouts, email

Web sites

Books

ANNIE Project: approachesANNIE Project: approaches

Engagement with academic staffEngagement with academic staff

Pedagogical aimsPedagogical aims

to provide students with diversity of to provide students with diversity of

experience and information;experience and information;

to enhance learning and teaching processes to enhance learning and teaching processes

by incorporation of appropriate new by incorporation of appropriate new

technologies; technologies;

to reflect the changing nature of theatre.to reflect the changing nature of theatre.

Main considerationsMain considerations

• Which technology will best meet the pedagogical aims of the Which technology will best meet the pedagogical aims of the

activity?activity?

• How can we use the technology to best meet the learning needs How can we use the technology to best meet the learning needs

of the students?of the students?

• Will employing technology for this activity have a deleterious Will employing technology for this activity have a deleterious

effect on the rest of the learning activities within the module?effect on the rest of the learning activities within the module?

• Is there any superfluous use of ICT? Is there any superfluous use of ICT?

Factors affecting choice of technologyFactors affecting choice of technology

• Should the engagement with technology be a discrete activity or Should the engagement with technology be a discrete activity or

underpin the entire course? (discrete/continuous)underpin the entire course? (discrete/continuous)

• What is the nature of the students’ relationship with technology What is the nature of the students’ relationship with technology

during the activity? (technology foregrounded/hidden)during the activity? (technology foregrounded/hidden)

• Is the ICT literacy expected of the students high or low?Is the ICT literacy expected of the students high or low?

Concerns regarding technologyConcerns regarding technology

• It may not be reliableIt may not be reliable

• It may not be able to implemented (e.g. through It may not be able to implemented (e.g. through

firewalls, correct plug-ins available)firewalls, correct plug-ins available)

• It may be too difficult to implement It may be too difficult to implement

• It may require too many additional resourcesIt may require too many additional resources

Concerns regarding technology -2Concerns regarding technology -2

• The amount of time spent on the activity is too much The amount of time spent on the activity is too much

compared to its relative importance within the course.compared to its relative importance within the course.

• It may be inappropriate to expect theatre and performance It may be inappropriate to expect theatre and performance

studies students to acquire a high ICT literacy when this is not a studies students to acquire a high ICT literacy when this is not a

required skill for their discipline (“they’ve come here to learn required skill for their discipline (“they’ve come here to learn

how to be a tree, not press buttons”)how to be a tree, not press buttons”)

The ANNIE ProjectThe ANNIE Project

Review of implementationReview of implementation

StrengthsStrengths

Had involvement of a specific schoolHad involvement of a specific school

Academics set agendaAcademics set agenda

Few changes in working practicesFew changes in working practices

Provided a manageable and easily implemented Provided a manageable and easily implemented

technologytechnology

WeaknessesWeaknesses

Central services gatekeepers but not stakeholdersCentral services gatekeepers but not stakeholders

No in-house technical support to continue work No in-house technical support to continue work

Institutional changesInstitutional changes

• IT support integrated into schoolsIT support integrated into schools

• Instigate service culture within service departmentsInstigate service culture within service departments

• Decentralise AV and IT resourcesDecentralise AV and IT resources

• Balance security and communicationBalance security and communication

Engaging with new learning technologiesEngaging with new learning technologies

• Consider the various starting points for lecturers, students and Consider the various starting points for lecturers, students and

the institution (including support depts) as a wholethe institution (including support depts) as a whole

• Determine IT skills, resources & equipment requiredDetermine IT skills, resources & equipment required

• Spend time on (Sub-)Project managementSpend time on (Sub-)Project management

• Involve departmental participation not just individual innovatorsInvolve departmental participation not just individual innovators

• Evaluate and improvement continually not just at the endEvaluate and improvement continually not just at the end

• Identify opportunities to inform strategy and identify further Identify opportunities to inform strategy and identify further

support needssupport needs

• Build on success!Build on success!