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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 H6

7 Impact of networked learning on staffing and collaboration

Networked learning has the potential for changing roles and new ones to emerge, and it offers opportunities for collaboration; however, this may also impact on workloads and thus on attitudes to this form of learning. In addition, the technology allows for new forms of communication to emerge.

Staffing – change of role

In relation to staffing and changing and new roles there were some developments that were commented on by the respondents. For example the institution now has new roles for members of staff:

I can give the example from the… school where a member of staff from here has been working, coming out and staying in the... school one day a week and I think that has been incredibly beneficial because he has actually engaged with staff at their point of delivery. And I think it has been beneficial in two ways, (1) he has gained an enormous amount because he has been exposed to the practical[ities]... of what we are trying to teach. (2) And the staff have gained enormously by having him there at one level to hold their hand to suggest ideas, to suggest new approaches, both at the pedagogic and the technical both are important… still... I wouldn’t say it was general across the university. (H6I3)

… what I and a member of staff... are doing is to set up a network of e-learning advisors and again that is partially funded through TQEF and the man who was going to do it, the person from the school, we were going to buy out half his time and he couldn’t get a research assistant so we had to abandon that plan and instead we are going for a different model which is we are going to have a senior, a core e-learning advisor for every Faculty plus him so that is a core group of seven plus [the two of us]. (H6I6)

Yes, well certainly [our central unit]. They have managed to actually create two posts and in particular we are trying where possible to bring academics into a role where they are assisting other academics so there are now two people who have come out of academic departments to then work as a central resources and as I said this idea of a faculty network of e-learning sort of liaison people but part of that is these hopefully, with some funding, to provide for sort of resource that goes out into faculties where required. So it is a case of sort of networked but yes so there that sort of networking role has certainly emerged. (H6I4)

Finally for those supporting networked learning it was stated that there has been a need to develop new skills:

… the staff we have got have had to learn about new things… probably their gut skills which were applicable in this area anyway because it is to do with configuration of systems and software... so they have to learn something that is significantly new to them... (H6I5)

Staffing – workload

Staff workloads and time spent on various tasks was an issue that emerged amongst the respondents.

… yes there has certainly been an increase in workload. I think we had some people who were able to take this on and had a bit of capacity to take it on but yes there has overall been an increase in workload, which somehow we have fitted in. (H6I5)

Also the biggest barrier and I am sure this is common elsewhere is time for staff, they don’t have the time to actually devote to this... (H6I2)

However, it was also noted that ultimately networked learning might provide some solutions in terms of workload:

… so when our academic staff are finding out that, for instance multiple choice or matching index question are enabling them to test students’ abilities and what they have learned better than asking them to write essays... they find that their marking load is at least halved so there are benefits in all directions. (H6I6)

I think the key issue is you have to generally be able to demonstrate to colleagues, academic colleagues is that the quality of their teaching is enhanced by this approach and eventually it becomes more cost effective of their time. (H6I3)

Research

The above section suggests that there are no strong sentiments in terms of excessive workload; however, there does seem to be a tension between engaging with issues in relation to teaching and developing relevant skills in this area and undertaking research:

… we have been talking about motivation of academics to engage with this process [networked learning] and particularly in a research-led university where we have RAEs looking at the quality of our research and so on, particularly somewhere like [...]. The pressure is on us to be excellent in research, overwhelming... so if you are a junior lecturer and you are looking at your own career progression, which you do you invest time in? (H6I3)

But I can only see that the effects of the research strategy are going to be to make teaching less important. We are developing an education strategy but the research strategy has been approved already for a year. (H6I6)

... there’s loads of pressure on research here you know… that is probably one of the biggest barriers... (H6I2)

It is the pressure on teaching staff or if I say it the pressure on academic staff, if they are going to spend time they are probably going to need to spend it on research rather than developing electronic learning. (H6I4)

Collaboration

Collaboration between members of staff has already been noted in relation to the new roles that have been developed within the institution. Other forms of internal collaboration was also identified:

… we are active in terms of dissemination... we do for example, a learning and teaching exhibition with the teaching support unit but we could probably make better use of case studies that we have… we have somebody working on a learning and teaching kind of website. (H6I2)

… we now have a team who work interestingly on library systems and you can make a connection in a way between library systems and e-learning... (H6I5)

There is one quite good example of informal networking really. We have an email group for the learning and teaching advisors and we use that to communicate with them so we draw to their attention interesting conferences and that kind of thing... But also they use it independently so, for instance a few weeks ago somebody had a query about mentoring and they emailed all the learning and teaching advisors... he had about 12 replies... So that is working quite well, it’s a bit slow but I think it is beginning to be a very good informal support network for the learning and teaching advisors. (H6I6)

In addition to internal collaboration – networked learning has also allowed for some external collaboration as part of the Widening Access programme:

… we have started to put up on our web page a particular section which is targeted at schools and we have two... groups that we are targeting, one is 13 year olds in schools and the other is the teachers in schools. (H6I3)

Finally different models for collaboration were identified:

I mean we have a couple of secondments as well so we have actually been collaborating with lecturers and other technicians to create online learning materials and units, probably in a way that we haven’t actually done before... I think there are different models of how things have worked in different departments, if we take economics for example, we have worked closely with a lecturer there who has then gone on to train his own department... (H6I2)

Communication

One issue to emerge out of the interviews is the potential for new forms of communication that technology provided. There is a sense of a blurred boundary between actual networked learning and the ability to communicate flexibly with colleagues and students.

… they see the benefit of the technology improving the communication with students whereas previously that didn’t necessarily happen. I mean more back to the idea of simply making materials available to them then I think a lot of our departments do that… so that means that students can get access to it virtually wherever they are... (H6I5)

Must be massive change that has taken place just at the basic level of email and certainly a lot of staff and a lot of students would assume now that email is a mechanism for communication on one to one basis… and you said staff... Well again the huge impact of email. (H6I4)

I mean staff use email and they will use email to communicate with their students now but… [it started] about five years ago, four or five years ago... they [staff] will see it as a way of communicating with students rather than using it as a particular tool to deliver learning materials but I really think that is going to change dramatically in the next period. The rate at which learning resources are going up on to the web is quite rapid now and it’s going to accelerate. (H6I3)

I think the assumption now is that people do read their email and if they don’t that is a local problem... I think that the portal development is going to have quite a major impact really... the fact that people will see their computers as being the point of access for what they need to do and know and with whom they wish to communicate and it will be better structured and hopefully more personalised in a way that is more meaningful than now and easier to therefore find your way to your e-learning and networked environment... (H6I4)

There is a recognition here amongst the participants that technology has changed, and is likely to continue changing, the way that people within the institution communicate; however, as noted in the final quote this use of technology does not necessarily amount to networked learning. Interestingly though there is an anticipation that the communication between people will become more ‘personalised’ and ‘meaningful’.

Questionnaire data

The view of all three respondents was that there has been an increase in staffing and collaboration. Two out of the three questionnaire respondents felt that there had also been an increase in workloads for all members of staff with the third respondent suggesting that this was only the case for technical and support staff. This contrasts to some extent with the interview data as there was only limited mention of workload in the interviews. In addition, one member of staff commented on a potential decrease in workload if networked learning was used effectively. The changing balance in the nature of work is commented on – but it is suggested that this is only for those engaged in supporting networked learning and those academics engaging with it. Two of the respondents state that there has been an increase in workload but a decrease in administration is noted by the questionnaire response from one of the respondents.

Summary

There is a perception that technology has changed, and is likely to continue changing, the way that people within the institution communicate There is also anticipation that the communication between people will become more ‘personalised’ and ‘meaningful’ through the use of technology.

The questionnaire data reflecting the views of three respondents suggest that there has been an increase in staffing and collaboration. Networked learning was seen by some of the respondents as adding to academics workload; however, one member of staff commented on a potential decrease in workload if networked learning was used effectively. This slight conflict in perceptions of the different respondents is also reflected in the questionnaires. The changing balance in nature of work is noted – but only for those engaged in supporting networked learning and those academics engaging with it.