The Scottish joint FE/HE E-Learning Working Group report was published in July 2003. How the Scots intend to implement the recommendations of the report is described in Circular letter HE/09/04 - 5 March 2004. If you want 'factoids' and 'micro-commentary' read on. HIGHLIGHTS
- Continued investment in the national IT infrastructure, e.g. ongoing SuperJanet developments
- A systematic approach to staff development.
- Development of good practice advice, e.g. e-learning investment appraisal, risk management ‘toolkits’.
- Ensure national agencies which support learning are well equipped to help institutions with e-learning and will collaborate with other relevant agencies.
Re-engineering and Transformation
- The Scottish Funding Councils aren't aiming to fund the creation of large quantities of new online content. They assert that there is already enough 'stuff' out there “and that the main challenges in this area relate to identification, collation and deployment of content in ways which improve the quality of provision.”
- Strategic development funding (top-sliced £3 million for HE and 3 million for FE over 2 years) to support those institutions which are prepared to embark on a process of transformational change in order to embed e-learning within their core functions. Projects are expected to begin in December 2004.
- Development of e-learning to be led by student needs rather than technological potential.
- Institutions are being invited to analyse their own operations using specified criteria and to identify ways in which their provision might be re-engineered in order to embed e-learning within their core business processes. This striking similar to the ethos which drove the Program in Course Redesign study (Twigg C (2002), Improving Quality & Reducing Costs: Designs for Effective Learning Using Information Technology p3, The Observatory on Borderless Higher Education). A seminar was held in London last year during which Carol Twigg (the primary author) gave a presentation.
I like the lack of spin in the following quote:
“It is not relevant for all institutions. It can only be successful if participating institutions are seriously committed to engaging in this transformational process as part of their own strategic development, and are prepared to sustain this process through their own funding beyond the lifetime of the initiative.”
- There is scepticism about the value of wholly online provision, and recognised that ‘blended learning’ models, involving a mix of delivery methods, were normally more appropriate.
- But is there a bit of 'double speak' here?
“We wish to ensure that potential bids are based on sound pedagogic principles which are consistent with the culture and values of the institutions involved.”
So if institution X's 'sound pedagogic principles' translates to lots of online lectures without interaction because that's consistent with their culture and values then where exactly is the re-engineering and transformation in that?
Overall it's a fairly clear statement of intent which is closer to the concept of CETLs than a UK eUniversities Worldwide.
£3 million over 2 years, however, doesn't seem an awfully large sum to catalyse whole institutional transformation over the whole country, but will undoubtedly provide a welcome boost to institutions who were perhaps planning to go down the transformation path anyway. It will be interesting to see how the Scottish FE/HE experience unfolds over the next couple of years.
