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Executive Summary

1 Introduction

2 Context

3 Methodology

4 - 9 Findings, Analysis and Discussion

10 Summary of Findings

11 Discussion of Findings

12 References

13 Case Studies

Acknowledgments & Partners

Case Study Map 

Institution H2

6 Impact of networked learning on infrastructure and support services

The infrastructure in relation to networked learning requires examination of both the technological aspects of networked learning and also the support that is required by both staff and students.

The infrastructure in relation to networked learning requires examination of both the technological aspects of networked learning and the support that is required by staff and students.

Technology

The technological aspects that were identified by the participants in this study mainly explored issues in relation to software platforms and the interoperability of different systems.

Robustness

The robustness of the system was not a subject of comment from the respondents. Although two people mentioned that there had been problems with the system in the past, this could indicate that the problems have been resolved and that there are no serious problems with the current system.

… but when I came here, the network was absolutely lousy, we were getting complaint after complaint after complaint about network failure… [Learning Support Services] provided the spine and then people built all sorts of stuff in their department, and it kept falling over, and everybody was moaning about it, all this sort of thing. So [that was] the first big project … and actually it became really reliable and it just never, never let us down. (H2I4A)

This view is supported by written comments within the questionnaires.

Campus has been re cabled over the last 18 months to ensure robustness and reliability. (H2I4A questionnaire)

Much more development of resilience in the network and systems. (H2I4B questionnaire)

Interoperability of the MLE

Work on integration of the virtual learning environment with information systems is noted by several of the respondents. One respondent explained the purchase of many new systems and how they are accessed via the university portal. The systems mentioned were: the student record system, the finance system, the library system, the HR (human resources) system, and the staff record system. Another respondent spoke in detail about the online student registration system that was currently being introduced.

… to give you an example, last year we piloted continuing students registration across the web … using the student portal. And we made it live in, I think it was June… and developments that we would like to make are possibly things like payment across the portal. Currently you can’t actually pay… So that would be one thing that would … complete the registration for us… and our finance office could get that information immediately. (H2I1)

At the moment we are allowing continuing students to register online and we made that mandatory last year so that unless there was a problem with their accounts they weren’t able to register for the next year in any other way but online… the university has invested in a number of systems to take over from our old student record system, our old finance system and they are all been put on this big server cluster which is going to use the Portal on its own server from now on, which should be more than capable of dealing with anything. (H2I5)

But it would appear that as yet there is some way to go before full integration is achieved, as these comments suggests:

… this incoming academic session [we are] going to test it to see whether our systems could actually cope with simultaneous access of say 1000 students doing an objective test online at the same time. We don’t know whether it will. And even if we did … the assessing and marking and giving the feedback to students [online], we have no way of getting that information from the managed learning, at the moment. (H2I3)

… we have an Oracle portal and I think that integrates with the registration system and then we integrate [the VLE] with that and we’re moving … towards a single sign on system. (H2I2A)

Centralisation of services

This was an important change; the centralisation of ICT services was referred to by all of the respondents. It appeared clear from the responses that there was centralisation in terms of support for infrastructure and user support. The university Computing Services now provide central support whereas this was previously the responsibility of individual departments.

… it’s led to changes in the way we organise our technical support in the institution so we’ve now got a completely different centralised help desk approach … Individual departments don’t have their own [ICT] support. (H2I4B)

Access to the network, computers and support

Networked learning in the campus environment brings with it a need for access to computers. H2 has made a significant investment in this area in terms of the network. However, one problem identified by respondents is the reluctance of employers to allow their employees to access the Internet from their work, a particular issue for part time and continuous professional development delivery. The university supports student access by providing loans of laptop computers for some students, and by organising a scheme to allow students to buy their own computers. There is also a new learning centre under development that will incorporate a new Internet Café.

… we are finding now … that many employers will not let their employees access the internet and particularly not these placement students and therefore there is a dilemma about access. I’m not really terribly sure how it has been resolved but it has gone from asking employers to allow them to have access, to buying laptops which we will loan to students to take on their placements. (H2I3)

… but what [the students] can buy a computer over three years for a monthly payment, including the software and comprehensive insurance, so that if they leave it on the bus they get a new one. [It also] includes a three year maintenance agreement which covers on site support from a student association, and it’s a bargain actually… (H2I4A)

… and the university is about to build a learning centre … a rather ambitious new project which will probably end up costing in the region of 20 to 30 million and the concept of the cyber café is something that is going to be part of that learning centre, open space, computers, the ability for students to learn… (H2I6)

Support

The technology itself is an important aspect of the development of networked learning but along with that goes a need for people to be able to use it effectively and to develop new skills.

Staff training

A range of different forms of voluntary training, both technical and pedagogical, has supported networked learning developments. An ICT training unit provides technical training, and the centrally supported ‘how to...’ courses are generally well attended by staff, although the voluntary nature of these courses might mean that a number of people do not sign up for them.

… it’s voluntary, it’s offered all the time year in, year out at all levels from beginners right through. But people have to sign up for that… [and] I suspect a lot of people will say… that the motivation is there, they do want to do it but there are just so many things that they need to do. It’s just yet another one on top of everything else and they have the intention of doing it, but they either never get round to it or other things take priority (H2I3)

An academic development team offer programmes on pedagogical development addressing the pedagogical aspects of networked learning, the relevance of e learning to pedagogy, and the rationale behind the introduction of the VLE. The academic support team were also exploring alternative approaches to training; for example using a rapid development task force model; and working with schools to meet their individual needs. In addition, specific e learning training is embedded into the development programme undertaken by new staff.

… there is this issue of raising awareness about why we are using technology, this is the key thing and we have decided we have to do that through the schools, we have failed to do that centrally, our attempts have met with indifference basically. This is the old story about staff development and academics. They don’t recognise that they have anything to learn in that sort of pedagogy area. (H2I4B)

… whenever we promote it or talk about it… it’s always [the] pedagogical aspect, and how it can help with learning and teaching. … over the last couple of months we felt we had to step back a little bit and rethink how we were presenting this to staff, and we thought it would be a good idea to develop an e learning model, which… would explain in a very short and simple way what the pedagogical underpinning was and how e learning could be used in the different teaching and learning approaches in that module. … Another thing that we’re working on is a set of e learning guides, (H2I2B)

Support for staff

The support team offer academic staff immediate help over the telephone, and this is directly linked to the university help desk. Occasionally they also help staff produce materials, but it was noted that the purchase of the VLE has meant that the support requirements for staff in this area are considerably less. It was felt that the particular VLE selected was easy to use and required less support than if they had bought an alternative VLE. Two schools have appointed a funded champion who can provide support specifically for e learning, in addition to the LTA co ordinators discussed earlier. The Nursing school has set up a ‘buddy’ system where more experienced members of staff help those less experienced.

We also provide general consultancy. [If] someone phoned up, [they get] advice and help immediately over the phone or [via email or someone will] meet them and give what’s called elbow support sit with them and work through [a task or problem] with them. [This support is] linked into the university’s helpdesk so calls come in to the helpdesk and they’re fed out to [the e learning support group]…. As well as making sure [the e learning support team] get all the relevant calls it means [they] can log [the calls] and … can [review] what help they’ve been asked for. (H2I2A)

Yes and certainly with [the VLE] one of the reasons we chose it was it is so easy [the staff] can do it themselves. I know a lot of people with WebCT they have a big department of people … supporting it. We don’t have to do that. The support we give is much more about the pedagogy. … and if we can do that then the actual developing it is easy for the staff. (H2I2A)

… there are other isolated examples of different approaches to this, for example in Nursing, they set up a buddy system, so more experienced staff in e learning team up with a new member of staff, or less experienced member of staff to help them along the road. (H2I2B)

Support for students

Ensuring that all students have sufficient IT skills is seen as a basic requirement and all students at the university are required to take and pass an IT course. If further support is then required there is a help desk service available, which offers both face to face and telephone help.

[the university has] now introduced a policy where all our students have to achieve a certain competence with IT in order to graduate and to try and encourage them in the first year we have a [ICT] skills certificate…. That’s mandatory they can’t graduate in anything, even podiatrists or whatever without passing this minimal standard IT certificate. (H2I4B)

Library and learning resources

The learning resource centre is seen as a way of providing good access to resources for students and also as a way to promote a learning community. Respondents identified the Internet Café as a particularly successful development.

The [internet café] was a major development for us… the most successful thing [in the new learning centre] is the Café, there’s no question about that. The Café is based downstairs, and used to be reading space… And we’ve had two or three evaluations with the students and they’ll say ‘it’s a fantastic environment, they really like it’ … And it’s part of the network learning strategy in a way because network learning has to be about what you do on campus as well as what you do off campus, and the way in which you use it I think is absolutely crucial, and if you can build it into a learning paradigm that’s about social constructivism, it’s just so much more powerful, than if you just stick your head in a box. (H2I4A)

This support is being developed through significant investment in an expansion programme to provide a new learning centre and new Internet café both of which have been previously mentioned.

Summary

The infrastructure – both in terms of technology and support for staff – has been affected to a considerable extent by the introduction of networked learning. ICT support has been centralised, and there has been major investment in upgrading the technical infrastructure. Work on integrating the virtual learning environment with other university systems including the information systems and the new student portal is ongoing, for example students are now able to register online. However, it would appear that as yet there is some way to go before full integration is achieved.

A range of technical and pedagogical training and support has been put in place to support these networked learning developments. Students are required to take and pass an IT course, and staff have access to a range of technical and pedagogical workshops to support their use of e learning.