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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 F1

1 Executive Summary

The case study reported on here forms one element in a set of twenty studies conducted as part of the JISC funded INLEI study into the impact of networked learning on FE and HE institutions.

Purpose of the study

The main aim of this project is to explore the impact of large scale networked learning on HE and FE institutions based on the experiences and perceptions of key members of staff involved in the development of networked learning. For the purpose of this project we define networked learning as

Learning in which Information and Communications Technology (ICT) is used to promote connections: between one learner and other learners, between learners and tutors; between a learning community and its learning resources. (networked learning in Higher Education Project, 2001)

The findings from this project, along with the case studies, provide a set of recommendations and resources for policy makers and institutions that are involved in developing networked learning and e learning.

Context and Participants

Institution F1 is a college located in a rural community in Scotland, which is 2500 square miles in size, with 30% of the population living outside towns or villages. The college offers a wide range of campus-based courses, as well as flexible, open and online learning opportunities. The approximate full-time equivalent student population during session 2002-2003 was 3,500, and approximately 40% of them used virtual learning environments (VLEs). Out of these students around 20% were distance learners. A total of about 26,800 modules or units were delivered during that same session, 5% of which actively used VLEs. The college has four departments and all of these used VLEs during 2002-2003.

This case study is based on evidence gained from four interviews with staff in different roles and positions. Two people had dual roles and thus each covered two of the positions. Also used are questionnaire returns from all four of these people, and significant documentary evidence. The respondents represented the following roles:

• Academic staff implementing networked learning,
• Quality manager,
• Registry staff responsible for student records,
• Senior management with responsibility for networked learning and academic quality,
• Support staff providing a range of services for academic staff and students engaged in networked learning,
• Technical staff with responsibility for infrastructure support for networked learning.

The institution caters for students living in very remote rural areas and sees networked learning as a means of reaching those that find accessing college difficult. The college strategy documents set out a student entitlement to ICT, including provision of laptops for those with access problems, and extends the students’ right to an ICT induction to include all students: full-time, part-time, and those with learning difficulties and disabilities.

Institutional development

There is considerable evidence that the college seeks to achieve its aims of improving access, widen participation and increasing flexible and blended learning opportunities, through the use of technology to support learning and teaching. The rural location poses special problems for students who wish to access learning opportunities and there is a perceived need to take the learning out to the community. However, this is also seen a potential market waiting to be tapped. The opportunities have been substantially enhanced as a result of the growth of networked learning.

There is a general consensus that the college is still at a relatively early stage in its development of networked learning. The main drives to introduce networked learning have been centrally driven by senior management and the Principal.

The college has developed a five-year, phased strategy for the introduction of networked learning. Factors that were identified as crucial to its success include identifying and realising external funding opportunities to resource the necessary infrastructure and support; and developing a positive attitude in staff to the benefits of information and communications technologies and networked learning. The college has successfully sourced funds from Europe, the Scottish Further Education Funding Council and NOF.

The college has invested in developing two intranets to support administration and learning. Management structures have been changed to support these developments including the establishment of a new cross institutional ‘intranet team’ to oversee and manage this development. This Intranet team comprises senior members of staff representing academic, technical, administrative and library functions within the college. The college has also set up new support teams and new appointments have been made, eg an e-learning coordinator.

A particular challenge for the college is the tension raised by a fundamental mismatch between two different aspects of Government policy: the audit procedures that affect the funding available to FE college students which is based on ‘contact teaching hours’; and the promotion of the development of e-learning which is outcomes based. Essentially the more an FE college engages in networked learning, the more student funding they are likely to loose. This is perceived as the major threat to continued development of networked learning.

Infrastructure and support services

The technological aspects that were identified by the participants in this study explored issues in relation to the security of the system, the development of the college VLE, centralisation of technical services, and the development of a managed learning environment (MLE). The college is investing in developing its own VLE.

There has been an increase in technical support and changes in support for staff and students. Investment has been made in staff training, some of it compulsory, and in providing additional support in using the intranet to develop flexible learning materials. The college has provided staff whose job is to support academic staff in the development of teaching materials; secretarial and technical staff are available to help in transferring teaching materials onto the VLE, and an e-skills coordinator has been appointed to work with academics in the production of more interactive online materials.

The college provides support and training for all students groups, including training in ICT and online learning, and providing laptops for those students who would not otherwise have access to a computer.

It is clear that the infrastructure – both in terms of technology and support to staff – has been affected by the introduction of networked learning. Training is provided for staff, but is not always taken up. Support for both staff and students has increased.

Staffing and collaboration

The growth of networked learning has had a considerable impact on staffing; a number of new posts were been created, and additional staff were recruited in the information systems team, intranet team, and flexible access centres, and an e-learning coordinator has been appointed. The other impact on staffing has been the need for some staff to change their role; in particular the formation of a new intranet group and team managers, and the designation of ICT champions. The questionnaire responses suggest some increases in workload for technical staff but little change elsewhere.

Attitudes to the using intranet appear to be fairly positive, and attitudes to networked learning are generally improving. However, in interviews three of the respondents felt that, for some members of staff, the attitudes towards networked learning were not entirely positive. At the same time as the college was increasing staff to support he expansion of networked learning they were reducing staff in other areas to address a funding deficit. The expansion of networked learning along with funding difficulties had set up some tensions within the college relating to staff concerns regarding changing roles and practices. This expansion has resulted in a change in focus and delivery methods for academic staff, eg changing from direct contact with students to developing online flexible learning materials. Staff had concerns about their contact hours and their professional status and possibly being replaced by networked learning. One of the respondents understood clearly that to change staff attitudes would be the most difficult task because moving to network learning involves a major cultural change. The college is proactively tackling these issues and has set up a working group to address staff concerns and agree new ways of working and supporting students.

The impact of networked learning on collaboration is apparent in the questionnaire responses where all respondents indicated that both internal and external collaborations had increased as a result of networked learning. External collaborations were with local schools and community groups and with local universities.

Teaching, learning and assessment

There are strong indications that networked learning has had an impact on teaching and learning. Respondents agreed that networked learning had changed the balance or nature of staff work significantly, and had added value to teaching and learning.

Respondents mentioned staff concerns about changes in their roles and teaching practices, but made little mention of actual changes that have occurred in the teacher’s role. The main change in the role of the teacher seems to be a shift in focus from face-to-face contact with students to the production of flexible, online learning materials to enable a move to a blended learning approach.

There was some discussion of changes in assessment practices. One respondent mentioned online assessment in relation to staff concerns about contact with the students, and the changes practice in summative assessment in some subject areas; and a second respondent mentioned the use of online formative assessment.

All respondents agreed that networked learning had changed their students’ learning experience; their written comments suggest that networked learning offered more flexible learning opportunities to students.

Quality assurance, monitoring and evaluation

The questionnaire responses indicate that there has been some initial evaluation of staff and student experiences of networked learning and also regular monitoring of student experiences. They also suggest that there have been only minor changes in quality assurance procedures. However, in interviews three respondents suggested that the college places a major emphasis on quality and standards in both administrative processes and materials development, and that these are influencing the production of online materials. The college had also implemented some summative online assessments and these required new administrative processes.

Particular benefits noted by respondents included improving the tracking of materials and students. One respondent also pointed out that the increased visibility enabled student attendances to be monitored more easily so that students in difficulties could be helped more quickly, and also that this improved support mechanism had improved retention figures.

Access

The institution caters for students living in very remote rural areas and sees networked learning as a means of reaching those that find accessing college difficult. The college strategy documents set out a student entitlement to ICT, including provision of laptops for those with access problems, and extends the students’ right to an ICT induction to include all students: full-time, part-time, and those with learning difficulties and disabilities.

Summary

During 2002-03 institution F1 was just beginning to engage in networked learning, and this engagement was not considered to be large-scale or even partially large-scale. This engagement was being supported by the development of in-house intranets for administration and learning and was seen as being driven from the top-down.

F1 has been planning their involvement in networked learning since 1999 and has an e-learning strategy in place. F1 has implemented structural changes to facilitate the engagement with networked learning but did not offer incentives to staff to engage in this process and had not at that time appointed Champions to support the development of networked learning. However, F1 had put a central team in place to support the development of online materials

Five aspects of the overall findings for this study: communication; collaboration; overall staff attitudes; evidence of cultural change; and evidence of a more interactive and student centred approach were used to build up an ‘effectiveness score’ for the case study institutions (Brichno, Higgison and Weedon, 2004). The findings have been condensed to encapsulate the main changes (if any) that were noted from the interviews and questionnaires. These summary words were then given a numerical value and these were added together for each institution to produce a total effectiveness score. It must be noted that this is an arbitrary scoring system at the moment and is used only to give an indication of effectiveness. F1 scored zero (out of a possible eight) for institutional effectiveness. Although there was evidence of networked learning being used to support a more student-centred approach to learning there was no evidence that networked learning was being used or to support discussion and interaction or collaboration. Overall the staff appeared to have a negative attitude towards networked learning and there was no reference to a changing culture within the institution.