Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Development Research study: initial positioning paper Rhona Sharpe

Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Development E-learning research Practitioners experiences Effective e-learning practice E-learning experts Whats the problem?

Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Development

How would you choose between them? Which representations are likely to be most influential? Are some representations likely to be more influential in certain groups? Are some representations likely to be more influential at different stages of a teachers career? Are there common features of such representations which make them more likely to inform or improve practice? Are there certain ways of using or supplementing some of these representations that make them more effective? Are there other representations to add to this list?

Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Development Scope of the positioning paper What have been effective resources and interventions for staff in FE/HE using technology in their teaching? What types of interventions might be worth exploring in the extended reviews of the research study? Is there anything we already know about representations which can inform our recommendations to the programme?

Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Development Its not just our problem (in e-learning)

Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Development Its not just our problem (in e-learning) Teaching in HE becoming more scholarly and evidence based. Drive to integrate this theory into practice, e.g. Professionalisation of teaching demands that scholarship underpins practice Funded projects must now not only produce deliverables but also evidence their use and impact But this knowledge can be inaccessible to practitioners.

Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Development Sources Literature on how professionals learn Experiences of staff development initiatives e.g. evaluation of Ferl Practitioners Programme, Becta ILT in FE report, EFFECTS. Experiences of effectiveness of teaching and learning projects Emerging literature in educational development on representations of knowledge and practice The experts: feedback from our last meeting

Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Development What makes for a good resource? Accessibility Specificity and contextualisation Emphasis on learning and learning design Authenticity Adaptability and ownership

Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Development E-learning research Practitioners experiences Effective e-learning practice E-learning experts Whats the problem?

Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Development What makes for a good intervention? Allows for knowledge construction through use Learning from experience in informal settings Located within an appropriate community, culture and context

Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Development Key issues arising People rarely learn from resources alone: encouraging practitioners to work in groups Cycles of reflection, linked to action: building in opportunities for reflections, abstractions and generalisations. Motivators and rewards Living, active artefacts and collaborative resource development

Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Development Some problematic issues Theres little agreement about what makes for a good resource Some resources are difficult to create Practitioners and developers value different things Practitioners may not follow our recommendations!

Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Development E-learning research Practitioners experiences Effective e-learning practice E-learning experts Whats the problem?

Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Development Possible discussion questions 1.Do you agree broadly with the perspective and conclusions of the positioning paper? 2.Explore some of the problematic issues. 3.What could be added to the reviews? 4.What empirical work could usefully follow on? 5.Are we nearing some recommendations?