International perspectives on e-learning: mapping strategy to practice

International perspectives on e-learning: mapping strategy to practice

Gráinne Conoleg.c.conole@open.ac.uk

Towards a pan-Canada e-learning research agenda http://scope.lidc.sfu.ca/course/view.php?id=56rs?

13th May 2008

Increasing impact of Increasing impact of technologies technologies

Funding Funding driversdrivers ““ICT catalysts”ICT catalysts”

National policyNational policy

Organisational Organisational structuresstructures

Roles, skills & Roles, skills & practicepractice

Teaching, Teaching, learning & learning &

assessmentassessment

Mapping the fieldMapping the field

Current research Current research & development& development

Contemporary perspectives in e-learning

Methodological Methodological issuesissues

Historical Historical perspective & perspective & policy timelinepolicy timeline

Discourses & Discourses & tensionstensions

Emergence of a research fieldEmergence of a research field

1. Pre-subject area – no perceived interest

2. Beginnings – questions arise

3. Emergence – more researchers

4. Diversification – different schools

5. Establishment – defined community and alignment with other fields

1. Pre-subject area – no perceived interest

2. Beginnings – questions arise

3. Emergence – more researchers

4. Diversification – different schools

5. Establishment – defined community and alignment with other fields

Current statusCurrent status

E-learning - Between stages 3 and 4 Influx of researchers into the area Growth of new units and research centres Specialised journals Dedicated conferences Community for fostering debate

E-learning - Between stages 3 and 4 Influx of researchers into the area Growth of new units and research centres Specialised journals Dedicated conferences Community for fostering debate

Organisationalissues

Changing roles

Strategy & policy

Structures & processes

Staff development

Pedagogical aspects

E-literacies

New pedagogies

Models of practice

Case studies of innovation

Learning design

Experiences & perceptions

The e-learning landscape

Underpinningtechnologies

Mobile & ubiquitoustechnologies

The Grid: E-Science

Personalised & adaptive

Standards

Infrastructures

Mobile & ubiquitoustechnologies

The Grid: E-Science

Personalised & adaptive

Standards

Infrastructures

Contextual factorsContextual factors

Funding and policy drivers Cultural dimensions Subject-specific aspects Current hot topics

Accessibility Widening participation Lifelong learning E-business Plagiarism, digital rights, IPR

Funding and policy drivers Cultural dimensions Subject-specific aspects Current hot topics

Accessibility Widening participation Lifelong learning E-business Plagiarism, digital rights, IPR

Underpinning technologiesUnderpinning technologies New and emerging technologies

mobile and ubiquitous intelligent agents

Understanding the media multiple forms of representation different characteristics of media

A distributed electronic environment standards and interoperability infrastructure and architectures

Access to information structuring and distributing information integrating different portals, gateways and resources exploiting the different communication mechanisms

New and emerging technologies mobile and ubiquitous intelligent agents

Understanding the media multiple forms of representation different characteristics of media

A distributed electronic environment standards and interoperability infrastructure and architectures

Access to information structuring and distributing information integrating different portals, gateways and resources exploiting the different communication mechanisms

Pedagogical aspectsPedagogical aspects Student and staff experiences Best methods of

representing information Designing and accessing resources encouraging communication and collaboration integrating with other learning and teaching methods

Development issues new forms of literacy mechanisms for skills updating and development

Understanding the affordances of technologies Exploring the potential for new forms of pedagogy

Student and staff experiences Best methods of

representing information Designing and accessing resources encouraging communication and collaboration integrating with other learning and teaching methods

Development issues new forms of literacy mechanisms for skills updating and development

Understanding the affordances of technologies Exploring the potential for new forms of pedagogy

Organisational issuesOrganisational issues

Developing models for mapping institutional structures supporting institutional processes sharing knowledge distributing information supporting change engaging different stakeholders

Awareness of external factors Understanding changing roles and identities Linking strategy and practice

Developing models for mapping institutional structures supporting institutional processes sharing knowledge distributing information supporting change engaging different stakeholders

Awareness of external factors Understanding changing roles and identities Linking strategy and practice

Common characteristicsCommon characteristics

Change Political dimension Interdisciplinary Access and inclusion Convergence and interoperability Interactivity

Change Political dimension Interdisciplinary Access and inclusion Convergence and interoperability Interactivity

ThemesThemes

The good and the bad of ICT Speed of change New collaborations and discourses User focussed Changing practice Wider impact

The good and the bad of ICT Speed of change New collaborations and discourses User focussed Changing practice Wider impact

Theme ITheme I The good and the bad of ICT

Institutional vs. loosely coupled systems The affordances of technologies Appropriateness, fit for purpose Ownership vs. open source Simplifying the complex Balance of content and activity

The good and the bad of ICT Institutional vs. loosely coupled systems The affordances of technologies Appropriateness, fit for purpose Ownership vs. open source Simplifying the complex Balance of content and activity

Theme IITheme II Speed of change, the Web in 2010

Explosion of Web 2.0 (and 3.0 and…) Immense amounts of information New tools and resources The Web for nomads Predicting the unpredictable Researching where the light is A world beyond the Web

Speed of change, the Web in 2010 Explosion of Web 2.0 (and 3.0 and…) Immense amounts of information New tools and resources The Web for nomads Predicting the unpredictable Researching where the light is A world beyond the Web

Theme IIITheme III Supporting new collaborations and discourses

New distributed Communities of Practice Self-sustaining Communities of Practice Interacting with the media Tailored and contextualised Making sense of it all - new forms of digital literacy

and the power of narrative

Supporting new collaborations and discourses New distributed Communities of Practice Self-sustaining Communities of Practice Interacting with the media Tailored and contextualised Making sense of it all - new forms of digital literacy

and the power of narrative

Theme IVTheme IV Harnessing needs, understanding end users

Adaptive and personalised Ethnographic approach to users The (semantic) web of meaning Supporting the whole learning cycle The perpetual beta Developing for the unknowable

Harnessing needs, understanding end users Adaptive and personalised Ethnographic approach to users The (semantic) web of meaning Supporting the whole learning cycle The perpetual beta Developing for the unknowable

Theme VTheme V Changing practice

Reflective research/practitioner Changing roles Passive to interactive technologies The need for new organisational structures and

processes How do you motivate people to do this? New methodologies for design and evaluation

Changing practice Reflective research/practitioner Changing roles Passive to interactive technologies The need for new organisational structures and

processes How do you motivate people to do this? New methodologies for design and evaluation

Theme VITheme VI

Wider impact New models for society Blurring of boundaries Distributed cognition ‘Compelling’ experiences A changing world Technology is here and will continue to have an

impact

Wider impact New models for society Blurring of boundaries Distributed cognition ‘Compelling’ experiences A changing world Technology is here and will continue to have an

impact

Discipline issuesDiscipline issues

Variety of feeder disciplines education research, cognitive psychology, instructional

design, computer science, business and management, philosophy, semiotics, critical discourse analysis

Benefits wealth of methods and approaches different perspectives

Drawbacks no shared language and understanding lack of cohesion to the area

Variety of feeder disciplines education research, cognitive psychology, instructional

design, computer science, business and management, philosophy, semiotics, critical discourse analysis

Benefits wealth of methods and approaches different perspectives

Drawbacks no shared language and understanding lack of cohesion to the area

Choice of research methodsChoice of research methods

Tension between Focus on evaluation or research Quantitative vs. qualitative approaches

Choice of methodologies Has an impact on outcomes Tends to be based on previous experience, favoured methods

Approaches Exploring individual case studies Developing generic models Undertaking systematic reviews Applying specific theoretical perspectives Active involvement and action research Accounting for context - Activity theory, Actor Network Theory

Tension between Focus on evaluation or research Quantitative vs. qualitative approaches

Choice of methodologies Has an impact on outcomes Tends to be based on previous experience, favoured methods

Approaches Exploring individual case studies Developing generic models Undertaking systematic reviews Applying specific theoretical perspectives Active involvement and action research Accounting for context - Activity theory, Actor Network Theory

Methodological issuesMethodological issues

Lack of rigour theoretical basis ‘academic credibility’

Tensions between policy makers and practitioners stakeholders with conflicting agendas efficiency gains/effectiveness vs improving learning Research vs. roll out to policy and practice

Lack of rigour theoretical basis ‘academic credibility’

Tensions between policy makers and practitioners stakeholders with conflicting agendas efficiency gains/effectiveness vs improving learning Research vs. roll out to policy and practice

Feeder disciplinesFeeder disciplinesWealth of Wealth of methodsmethods

No shared No shared languagelanguage

Tension between Tension between quantitative and quantitative and

qualitativequalitative

Methodological issues

Lack of rigor, Lack of rigor, anecdotal and anecdotal and

case basedcase based

Methodological Methodological innovations?innovations?

New theoretical New theoretical frameworksframeworks

ResearchResearch

PracticePractice

Info

rms

ResourcesResources

Improves

LearningLearningEnhances

NetworksNetworks

Builds

StrategyStrategy

Guid

es

PolicyPolicy

Shapes

TheoryTheoryDevelops

DevelopmeDevelopmentnt

Consolidates

Blog: www.e4innovation.comBlog: www.e4innovation.com