- LTEO

Picture of Students
rss picture LTEO News
External News [What is RSS?]

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

e-learning Operational Plan (2009 to 2011)

There are a number of ways to stay informed of developments in e-learning at the University of Bath. One of the best ways is through this news area on this web site.

• Date: 2nd June, 2009
• Version 1.3

Section 1: Introduction

The aim of this document is to outline the broad operational plan for e-learning at the University of Bath, and set targets until 2011.

The document is divided into the following sections;

• the background context
• the consultation
• the operational plan (actions)
• role of evaluation
• role of external bids and national profiling
• the next steps

Section 2: The background context

This section describes the wider picture in terms of the emerging Learning and Teaching Strategy, and the e-learning Team.

A key driver for this e-learning operational plan was a paper presented at the Learning and Teaching Committee (LTC07/08-45) in April 2008.

At the time of writing this plan the University of Bath is finalising its Learning and Teaching Strategy. This contains a number of strategic objectives which this operational plan aims to deliver against;

• support and maintain Moodle as the University's VLE and encourage its use by both staff and students including those based in partner organisations (LT-e1)
• continue to develop a range of e-learning tools that meet both staff and student needs, building up on new technological and pedagogical opportunities (LT-e2)
• develop appropriate and effective e-learning development and support programmes for staff and students (LT-e3)
• seek innovative ways to use e-learning in the support of enhancements of assessment and feedback (LT-e4)

For context, the role of the e-learning Team is;

• helping staff to integrate e-Learning into their programmes
• sharing innovation and good practice
• developing an e-learning community
• promoting and evaluating e-Learning
• developing e-Learning tools
(source: http://www.bath.ac.uk/learningandteaching/themes/e-learning/)

The e-learning team is particularly interested in developing technological and pedagogical approaches to enhance the effectiveness of;

• assessment and feedback
• enhancing face to face teaching
• communication and collaboration

The e-learning team covers a wide range of different skill sets. Roles range from educational software developers to learning technologists. The team is located in a central hub in Learning and Teaching Enhancement Office, while there are also people based in a number of departments. These Departmental e-learning officers tend to be part line managed by the Head of e-learning, but not project managed. Therefore, they dedicate only a small part of their time working on central e-learning initiatives as outlined in this document in exchange for easy access to LTEO skills, knowledge and information. The intention is to encourage those within Departments to develop a Departmental e-learning Operational Plan.

At the time of writing there are 9 people in the e-learning Team (see http://www.bath.ac.uk/learningandteaching/staff/)

Section 3: Consultation and Findings

3.1: The Consultation process

Consultation has been ongoing since April 2008, with a large number of academic departments and professional services to collect views on e-learning at the University, the e-learning team, and local e-learning needs. The consultation has involved meeting individuals, including Directors of Studies and Directors of Teaching.

3.2: The Findings

The key messages from these consultations are;

3.2.1: e-learning Tools

• there is continued support for the mixed economy approach of software provision. There is consensus for multiple tools to be provided and supported by a central team to enable those at the local level to use these and other tools. A common view was, although e-learning is not just Moodle, however, Moodle is very important (mission critical) and should be supported appropriately. They didn’t always feel consulted about ongoing developments.

• currently staff do not feel involved in the process of e-learning software development and provision

• staff are generally very positive about Moodle and plan to increase their use of Moodle in the future. In particular, for managing the online submission of assignments. A common observation was people felt that they knew only a fraction of what Moodle could offer.

• a common perceived barrier to the adoption of technology enhanced teaching was the lack of small scale pilots at the local (departmental) level. There was an awareness of the Teaching Development Fund. However, many did not require money, as the tools existed. It was more staff development, assistance with evaluation and a stated commitment to the tool for a number of years.

• there was particular interest in e-learning tools and approaches for e-assessment. This was for both summative and formative uses. This ranged from objective testing (multiple choice) to online submission of assignments. However, there appeared to be confusion over what was available at the University and the degree to which they could use e-assessment within their units.

3.2.2: Staff development

• people were unclear of the role of the e-learning team in relation to staff development. Especially, in terms of what staff and students respectively could expect from them. The e-learning team has an excellent reputation for being able to support staff using Moodle in terms of supporting tools. However, commentators suggested there was a need to explain why colleagues should use it and how others at the University have been using it effectively in their learning and teaching?

• The e-learning staff development programme and support model did not represent all staff and student's needs. This was in terms of content, which focused on an introduction to Moodle, and delivery type, which involved central workshops. A number of questions were common; how do I find out what e-learning might do for me? what is effective practice? where is the evidence of success? how are staff to know this? The prevailing opinion was the e-learning staff development programme did not empower staff to be able to answer these questions.

• A specific request for inclusion in our staff development programme was for e-assessment and feedback.

Section 4: The operational plan (actions)

Taking into account the outcomes of the consultation, the emphasis of this operational plan will be on

• ensuring individuals feel some degree of ownership over the emerging e-learning tools

• focus on the development of a more active and self sustaining community of practice within e-learning at the University of Bath

• provide more opportunities for people to explore a wider range of supported tools

• re-design the staff development programme to reflect the identified wider needs

The intention of this section is to outline the broad targets and include some background to how these will in be implemented and who is responsible. A summary of the identified work packages are in Appendix 1.

4.1 Community ownership and engagement

A central aim of the operational plan is to ensure that colleagues at the University of Bath feel ownership of the emerging e-learning software and staff development programme. This will involve the creation of various user groups to enable staff and students more involvement within the decision making process.

4.1.1: e-learning advisory group

The aim of this group is to advice on our proposed software developments over the forthcoming academic year and the e-learning staff development programme. The terms of reference include the need for this group to ensure key developments in Moodle and other e-learning tools are inline with local needs. This group will meet twice a year. There will be representatives from each Faculty / School, the LTEO, and other professional services.

This group will input on the emerging policy documents concerning Moodle and other e-learning Tools. For instance, a Moodle Course Archive Policy.

Action (A1) Create Group by December 2009
Owner Head of e-learning

4.1.2: Moodle User Group

The aim of this group is to create a forum for dialogue about the use of Moodle, including the dissemination of case studies and gathering reflections on our future service plans. This group will meet three times a year, and be open to all Moodle users. The primary online support for this group will be via the current Moodle Staff Area course on Moodle.

Action (A2) Create Group by December 2009
Owner VLE Operational Manager

4.1.3: e-Learning Practitioners Forum (eLPF)

This group already exists with the aim of disseminating good practice in technology enhanced learning. The group will be scaled up to become the focal point of the University's e-learning community of practice. This will include three meetings a year, and the creation of an active online community.

Action (A3) Develop and implement the eLPF plan by September 2009
Owner Head of e-learning

Note: the difference between the Moodle user Group and the e-learning Practitioners Forum is;

• Moodle User Group will be expected to comment and feedback on Moodle development plans, while the eLPF will not.

• e-learning Practioners Forum will include non Moodle exemplars

4.2: Enhancing Communication

It is evident from the consultations the previous dissemination approaches for e-learning had not been effective for all members of the University. The following outlines how the process will be streamlined and made more effective. The key to success is capturing the practitioner experience (staff and student) of successes and failures and disseminating this within a vibrant e-learning community.

4.2.1: e-Learning Communication Plan

There needs to be an e-learning Communication Plan which details what is being communicated, when and how. Also, it will include ongoing evaluation to ensure it is effective.

Action (A4) Write the e-learning Communication Plan by September 2009
Owner Head of e-learning

4.2.2: A more proactive role in existing Fora.

• Inclusion of an e-learning item and/or demonstration at every Director of Studies Forum

• Arrange a regular 6 month individual catch up with all DoS / DoT (for those who would like to)

• Inclusion of e-learning updates at Departmental Meetings

• Regular communication with key groups at the University, including School for Health, BUCS, Web Services, and Audio Visual

Action (A5) ongoing

Owner Head of e-learning

4.2.3: Online communication

4.2.3.1: The e-learning web site.

The e-learning web site needs a shift in emphasis to reflect this new phase. Therefore, it needs to shift from delivering static content to being much more focused around the role of aggregating news and updates and acting as the first point for information. This process as been ongoing over the last year. For instance,

Action (A6) ongoing
Owner Case Studies (a member of e-learning Team), How to Guides (a member of e-learning Team), Web site (a member of e-learning team), newsletter and hot topics (Head of e-learning)

4.2.3.2. Services, Pilots and Project Blogs

All services, pilots and projects will have a blog (or wiki) hosted by the University of Bath. The aim is to inform people about the particular tool or pedagogy and act as a focal point for the emergence of special interest groups. This will enable better support for local pilots. The hope is some of these may evolve into larger scale TDF bids. Updates will be automatically feed into the e-learning web site. Ownership of these is devolved to members of the e-learning team. Individuals will develop a set of annual targets for these projects, pilots and services.
An example is the Moodle Service Blog (http://blogs.bath.ac.uk/moodle) This includes;

Action (A7) ongoing
Owner Individuals within the e-learning team designated to specific pilots, projects and services.
Action (A8) Annual targets for projects, pilots and services
Owner Individuals within the team who have responsibility for the services, projects and pilots

4.2.3.3. New communication approaches

To account for a widening diversity in how people like to be kept up to date, the e-learning team will be introducing a set of new approaches over the duration of this operational plan. This will include an e-learning SMS alert service, a Twitter Service (eatbath) and a monthly podcast. The intention is for these to act as nudges and hooks to encourage people to visit our web site and other communication channels. For example;

Action (A9) Implement regular podcasts by September 2009
Owner Head of e-Learning

4.3: e-Learning staff development programme

Our staff development programme will need to change in terms of content and delivery style. There is a need to shift our support towards being able to answer questions concerning effective use and impact (based on local implementations), and change the delivery mechanism to including more variation and re-use of material. In particular, a re-design of our just in time online support.

4.3.1: Online (just in time) support

The e-learning team will provide a range of online support material. In an attempt to make these more accessible we've clustered them as follows;

4.3.1.1. Raising awareness and sharing ideas

• The e-learning practitioners forum Moodle course
• Case studies from the University of Bath - http://www.bath.ac.uk/learningandteaching/themes/e-learning/casestudies
• Working Papers written by the e-learning team - http://www.bath.ac.uk/learningandteaching/themes/e-learning/publications

4.3.2.2. FAQs & How to Guides

• The Moodle FAQs - http://moodle.bath.ac.uk/faq/
• How to Guides - http://www.bath.ac.uk/learningandteaching/themes/e-learning/howto

4.3.2.3. Desktop conferences (coffee break)

A coffee break is a desktop conference (similar to Skype) which lasts for 15 minutes. The aim is to act as a heads up for staff. The format is a 10 minute presentation followed by 5 minutes for questions. Questions can be submitted either using the text chat area of through a microphone. The topics for 2008/09 will include;
• Using Moodle for diagnostic assessment
• Online group role play with distance learners
• Gathering student feedback using the Audience Response System
• What are QR Codes and why might I use them?

4.3.2: Face to face support

4.3.2.1. Generic Workshops

E-learning will focus on 6 core workshops delivered in the BUCS IT Training Rooms. These will be run between September and April (see http://www.bath.ac.uk/learningandteaching/events-workshops/). The workshops are;
1. Introduction to Moodle - 3 hour
2. Further developing your Moodle Skills - 3 hour
3. Using technologies to support large group teaching - 2 hour
4. An introduction to e-assessment - 2 hour
5. Exploring collaboration, communication and group work - 2 hour
6. What can e-learning do for me? - 1 hour

The frequency of these workshops vary over the time period. These can all be quickly developed for delivery at the local level.

4.3.2.2. Online Courses

The e-learning team will run a number of blended (face to face and online courses).
These will last three weeks, and you will be expected to spend 5 hours a week on the completing the activities and contributing to discussions. The courses will use a number of different technologies and approaches. Therefore, they are a really good way to experience the use of virtual meetings, forums, online submission, wikis and blogs. The topics for 2008/09 will include;

• An introduction to e-moderating
• Podcasting for Learning and Teaching
• Creating online tutorials using free authoring software

4.3.2.3. Summer Seminar Series

These are lunchtime seminars on topics around emerging technologies and pedagogies which will be of interest to staff at the University. The topics for 2008/09 include;

• Using technologies to enhance face to face teaching
• Moodle for Peer Review & Peer Assessment
• Digital Stories for Learning and Teaching
• Using Twitter for Learning and Teaching
• Why you might want to use desktop conferencing in your Learning and Teaching

Action (A10) Publish the e-learning Staff development programme by September 2009, March 2010, Sept 2010 and March 2011
Owner Head of e-Learning
Action (A11) Implement a evaluation plan for our staff development programme (Oct 2009)
Owner Head of e-Learning

4.3.2.4. PGCAPP

The e-learning team runs the Unit 6 on the University's PGCAPP. This is a very practical M Level Unit which requires staff to design, implement and evaluate an e-learning activity. Their outcomes will (when appropriate) be disseminated through the eLPF and online case studies

4.4: e-learning Tools

The following are the list of e-learning Tools that e-learning will be supporting until the end of the academic year 2010/11. The degree of support will vary depending on the tool. Many of them will be used in small scale pilots. Before the end of this period we will consult and disseminate the tools we'll support after 2010/11. More tools may emerge over the period.

Full support (where the responsibility of the e-learning team includes training, online material etc.,)

• Moodle
• EduTxt (SMS)
• TurningPoint (Audience Response Systems)
• Online Unit Evaluation
• University of Bath’s QR Code Generator

Partial support for University wide tools (where the responsibility of the e-learning team includes advice on use)

• Confluence (wiki)
• Learning Materials Filestore
• Wordpress (blogs)

Partial Support on small scale pilots (implemented by the e-learning Team)

• eXe & Xerte (e-learning Authoring Tools)
• Megameeting (desktop conferencing)
• Mahara or similar system (ePortfolo)

Both Moodle and Online Unit Evaluation will have a software development plan for each academic year. This will be developed through consultation with key stakeholders, and members of the community.

Action (A12) Develop the OUE Development Plan for 2009/10 by August 2009
Owner Head of e-Learning
Action (A13) Develop the Moodle Development Plan for 2009/10 by July 2009
Owner VLE Operational Manager

Clearly there is need to further explore the potential of e-assessment at the University. It is proposed to work up a project to identify the current use, the needs across the University and potential medium term solutions.

Action (A14) Develop a proposal to further investigate e-assessment to be presented at the LTC by November 2009
Owner Head of e-Learning & Director of LTEO

At this stage, a few placeholders can be set in terms of software developments in the future. However, the intention is not to be the primary development unit for these but to work closely with other groups to achieve an appropriate and sustainable University wide solution. This includes, stream server solutions, lecture capture and podcasting, survey technology, technologies to enhance face to face teaching.

Section 5: Role of evaluation

5.1: Software

A higher importance will be placed on evaluation within this e-learning operational plan. The majority of the tools will be evaluated through small scale case studies which are designed to capture the evolving story of use. This approach has been successfully implemented for the Audience Response Systems Service (http:blogs.bath.ac.uk/ars). However, systems such as Moodle will be evaluated through more rigorous procedures. The aim of the Moodle evaluation is to ensure that it is being used, identify how it is being used, identify where it adds value where it can be improved and if it is fit for purpose. The methodologies of evaluating Moodle will include;

• Student survey (questions within the University's Student Experience Survey)
• Staff Moodle Survey (once every two years)
• Staff & Student focus groups (once every two years)
• Department Snapshot (once a year - student intern)
• User activity on Moodle (ongoing)
• SSLCs & Academic Council (yearly)
• Departmental Visits (ongoing)
• Case Studies (ongoing)

Action (A15) Develop a Moodle Evaluation Plan (2009-2011) by October 2009
Owner VLE Operational Manager & Head of e-Learning
Action (A16) Implement the Moodle Evaluation Plan (2009-2011) ongoing
Owner VLE Operational Manager

5.2: Staff development

The e-learning staff development programme will also be evaluated to identify longer term impact. This will include attendance data and an annual survey of staff who have attended our sessions.

Action (A17) Develop a e-learning staff development programme evaluation plan (2009-2011) by October 2009
Owner Head of e-Learning
Action (A18) Implement the e-learning staff development Evaluation Plan (2009-2011) ongoing
Owner Head of e-Learning
Section 6: Role of external bids & national profiling

The e-learning team will continue to identify and submit proposals for appropriate external funding calls inline with our core themes. An important criteria is they have a very practical impact on our staff and students. These funds will be used to help profile e-learning at the University on the national scene and fund specific developments at the University. This will also include supporting (when appropriate) departmental bids for externally funded projects.

The e-learning team will also promote a higher profile in UK Education through disseminating our work, contributing Moodle developments to the Open Source Community, and participating on national initiatives. This will include a commitment to attending and presenting at National Conferences (ALT C, MoodleMoot, Shock of the Old, IWMW) and emerging Special Interest Groups.

Action (A19) Ongoing
Owner Head of e-Learning
Section 7: The next steps
Action (A20) Write e-learning Operational Plan for 20011/12 to 2013/14, by April 201
Owner Head of e-Learning