This article provides a summary of the paper I presented at ALT-C 2004 (15 September 2004). The hyperlinks at the end of the article provide access to an extended version of the paper as well as the slides I used during my presentation.
My ALT-C 2004 paper E-Learning Flexible Frameworks and Tools: Is it too late? – the Directors Cut, is based on, and extends, some of this author’s earlier contributions to Auricle on this theme. Again, I consider what is likely to happen when the JISC’s vision as promulgated in the various documents and calls supporting both the JISC E-Learning Programme and the JISC Information Environment meets the reality of e-learning infrastructures as already being built at the coalface. I suggest that because key decisions and investments are already being (or have been) made, the widespread adoption by institutions of the current generation of MLE/VLEs is in danger of creating a de facto global e-learning monoculture.
Institutional inertia is now likely to be extremely high.
The irony in all of this is that it's only now, after a few years of experience, that we are all in a better position to make informed decisions. Whilst it's gratifying to see the quality of JISC thinking about what's required it will now be very difficult for institutions to reverse earlier decisions.
Why?
Some institutions have been doing more than gathering experience and have made a full-blown strategic commitment to products which represent only one way of offering e-learning. How many have thought about exit strategies? How many exit strategies will work? How many will now be willing to allow 'different e-learning tools' that don't fit into the licensed, and therefore supported, vendor's product? Is it possible to think beyond the monolithic VLE model? In the full paper I support my arguments with some of the alternatives to the status quo.
The full ALT-C 2004 article and presentations can be downloaded below.
Downloads
ALT-2004 conference paper (PDF, 2.7 MB).
ALT-C conference slides (PDF, 415 KB)
