JISC

Region: East of England

Overview

The aims of the project focus on the creation of a repository of Reusable Learning Objects comprising of existing HE and FE teaching materials and the HE Progress File, together with guidance on students’ Personal Development Planning.  In order to share material across multiple Virtual Learning Environments - WebCT, Blackboard, Moodle, Fretwell Downing etc, there will be technical issues to resolve. We will be exploring transferring material between platforms using existing tools, branding individual college portals, sharing and developing templates and authenticating students. The resolution of interoperability issues and the challenges of repurposing materials and using them in a variety of teaching and learning environments will demand considerable staff development support and activity.  The project will support this through on-line courses for staff, on-line mentoring, on-line Communities of Practice and opportunities for staff across the region to meet both face to face and through video conferencing.  Evaluation will be built into the project and is expected to take an action research approach.  The project will initially be focussed upon the discipline areas of computing and media studies and will consider the adoption of on-line support for Personal Development Planning within these curriculum areas.  

Project Aims & Objectives

Aims and Objectives include:-

• To explore how eLearning systems, tools and resources can be used cross-institutionally within a region
• To develop practical guidelines for implementing eSystems and sharing eLearning content to support widening participation and regional partnerships
• To identify the issues which need to be addressed in order to offer regional, cross-institutional eLearning systems and services
• To develop and evaluate alternative models to show how local, regional and national systems will work together to provide coherent access to eLearning resources

Project Methodology

The Project Methodology will be action-enquiry/action-research based.  Examples of intended approaches by some of the Mini-Projects include:-

• Exploring the needs for profiling and portfolios in FE/HE and access to HE processes.  This approach would also consider Students as co-researchers within the project.
• Resource-auditing to identify non-copyright-protected resources, with a view to re-purpose or use original materials to support named topics.
• Development of a common standard when creating online staff development modules to ensure interoperability and accessibility.

Aims of Mini-Projects

• To explore how e-Learning systems, tools and resources can be used cross-institutionally within a region.  Also, to develop practical guidelines for implementing e-Systems and sharing e-Learning content to support widening participation and regional partnerships.
• To identify the issues which need to be addressed in order to offer regional, cross-institutional e-Learning systems and services.
• To develop the use of e-Portfolios for individual students’ progress files and to research the ways in which these can be developed for use in HE/FE transfer and access to HE across the regional partnership.
• To produce materials based on QAA’s current requirements for students’ reflection on personal development and the forthcoming requirements for HE use of PDP in 2005/06.
• To research the feasibility and/or pilot implementation of wireless access to PDP within an FE environment.
• Resource auditing to identify and re-purpose original, non-copyright material to support named topics.  This would also provide opportunities to engage academic staff and develop knowledge of e-Learning and pedagogic design for e-Learning.
• To create an online staff development module which employs online tools to enhance learning and teaching (not solely e-Learning), across both HE and FE sectors.

Deliverables

Key Deliverables include:-

• publication of existing FE and HE teaching materials through institutional VLEs,
• sharing of such materials across different learning platforms;
• piloting of shared access and authentication to multiple VLEs;
• evaluation of alternate methodologies
• advice on issues relating to licensing and IPR
• indicative guides to good practice
• establishment on online mentoring for teachers and learners.

Evaluation

In addition to ongoing deliverables, a project evaluation will also be carried out.  The evaluation will be undertaken by City College Norwich through its Research Centre. The Research Centre specialises in independent evaluation using qualitative methodology. This approach is effective for a range of project stakeholders and can facilitate an understanding of the processes and functioning of project work, illuminate attitudes and perceptions and represent degrees of complexity.   Formative evaluation, within an action research approach, can illuminate a project's strengths and weaknesses and facilitate understanding for future development.  It can also highlight areas of good practice. The evaluation aims to provide an in-depth qualitative representation of the project’s development in the interim stages and the impact this has had on participants, to complement ongoing monitoring by the Project Manager. By this process the project will be able to remain responsive to changing client needs as well as be reflective of its own practice. 

It is hoped that, in addition to the Deliverables, the evaluation will be of particular value for dissemination to the wider JISC community.

The project's draft final report at March 2006 is available from the foot of this page. The project has been awarded a continuation phase, and will now finish on 31 May 2006. The draft final report will be updated and expanded on project completion.