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Executive Summary

1 Introduction

2 Context

3 Methodology

4 - 9 Findings, Analysis and Discussion

4 Institutional Development

5 Infrastructure and Support Services

6 Staffing and Collaboration

  6.1 Changes In Role and New Roles

  6.2 Changes To Working Practices

  6.3 Workload

  6.4 Research

  6.5 Collaboration

  6.6 Communication

  6.7 Discussion

7 Teaching, Learning and Assessment

8 Quality Assurance, Monitoring and Evaluation

9 Access to Learning

10 Summary of Findings

11 Discussion of Findings

12 References

13 Case Studies

Acknowledgments & Partners

6 Impact on staffing and collaboration

This section reports on the findings relating to the impact of networked learning on staffing and collaboration. Networked learning has led to a number of changes both in terms of changes to existing roles of staff and to the creation of new roles and new members of staff being appointed. For some staff although there has been no official change in their role, the nature of the work they carry out has changed.

6.2 Changes to working practices

The data in Figure 6-2 below indicate that there have also been changes in the way that staff work and their day-to-day working practises. Seven HE and five FE intuitions commented on these changes and they seem to have occurred mostly in relation to administration staff. Registration of students, where online registration is available is noted as affecting working patterns. Other changes noted are that new skills are required by technical staff to deal with new systems and software, and that academics have to develop new skills in e-moderation and preparation of materials.

CS Change in working practices
H2 Changes in working patterns were noted in Technical and Student Registration areas; work is different, and more careful planning is needed for online registration.
H6 New skills in relation to use of systems and software.
H8 The nature of queries changed in one support unit.
H10 Complete change for academics: materials preparation needs to be done in advance; new skills needed in e-moderation; expectation that staff will be online daily.
F3 Changes in administrative roles were noted in relation to online registration and assessment tracking procedures.
F4 Some changes noted for online tutors and staff in Student Registry where rather than a major increase in workload, the workload seems to be spread out differently over the year, and involves reorganisation of time. Academics taking on the role of online tutor are finding that they need to work in a different way.
F8 Adopting e-learning develops new skills and will change work; also changes in practices for administrative staff.
F9 Staff write own handouts (not given to secretaries); online access to student records.
F10 Changes noted in timing of delivery (from time depended face-to-face) and in communication between staff and students. Administrative staff and managers work differently (eg secretarial changed - boss writes own reports etc).

Figure 6 2: Changes in staff working practices
(Institutions not included did not mention any changes in staff working practices)