JISC

This project co-ordinates a small team of consultants, who collectively have the full range of experience to cover all sectors (HE, FE, ACL & Sixth Form), to produce the ten case-studies in e-learning practice that demonstrate different approaches to effective e-learning. This team was compiled to also address the need for ongoing collaboration with the JISC and relevant concurrent projects in realising the projects aims. All members have high-level experience of working collaboratively and in consultation with other projects, teams and organisations, and each consultant has particular expertise that is directly relevant across this project and complements the broader aims of the e-learning and pedagogy programme (e.g. the collaborative development and testing of a generic toolkit framework). The studies, consultative mechanisms and consultant activities are managed through a co-ordinating consultant at the Learning Technology Research Institute (LTRI) of London Metropolitan University, who ensures that the project properly fits with the JISC directives and that tasks are conducted and deliverables achieved within the agreed timescales.

The approach, methodology and work-plan for this project has been carefully devised to address the terms of reference of the e-learning and pedagogy programme and facilitate full and appropriate collaboration with other concurrent projects (i.e. the e-learning models Desk Study). It will be suitably managed and monitored to ensure its operations and outputs evidence pedagogically sound, learner focussed and accessible activities that demonstrate the thoughtful and effective application and/or development of modular tools, environments (e.g. MLEs) and standards.

Aims and Objectives

The overall aim of the project is to validate the instruments developed be the e-learning models desk study – through producing four formative case studies, and produce an additional six case studies aimed at supporting practitioners in realising innovative e-learning practice.

The specific objectives are to:

• provide early validation of the instruments arising from the e-learning models desk study
• produce four formative case studies in e-learning practice
• comment and report back to JISC about 1 and 2 above
• produce six case studies in e-learning practice as enabling representations for practitioners
• report to JISC and the user community about the case-studies and the processes engaged in their production (e.g. collaboration with the e-learning models desk study)

Project Methodology

Whilst a work programme for the project is given in the proposal, the precise details of the approach and methodology are being decided through careful collaboration with the JISC and the e-learning models Desk Study during the early stages of the project. This will involve prototyping and where necessary refining the evaluative templates that are emerging from the toolkit framework that is being developed by the Desk Study.  Each consultant will perform an initial ‘examination of fit’ of these templates to their sector, perform a ‘formative case study’ and suggest refinements to these representational instruments (and any others, e.g. representational pro-formas) through collaborating with the Desk Study team. Each consultant will note any refinements to the instruments, and these, along with any important consultative results and the four initial formative case studies will be collated by the co-ordinating consultant and fed back to JISC and the Desk Study to assist the further development and application of the toolkit framework. In brief, through conducting experiential validations, formative case studies and case study inspections each consultant will also be actively piloting, prototyping and evaluating the templates and representational pro-formas emerging from the Desk Study toolkit framework. As full instrument validation will not be possible until the desk study (e-learning models) has completed its work in June 2004, April-June will be devoted to more detailed evaluation of the outcomes of the desk study.

Implications/ Deliverables/ Stakeholders

1. Ten published case-study reports, with publication format tba in collaboration with other funded projects;

2. Project report and recommendations publicly available and on the web (this report and recommendations will be a final output and will build on deliverable 3, following trial with a range of different cases);

3. Recommendations and refinements to the Desk Study templates, pro-formas and toolkit framework (initial interim report to be delivered by end of June, to allow refinement of templates, pro-formas and toolkit framework before further roll-out);

4. Practitioner dissemination seminar sponsored by ALT and appropriate LTSN’s (May be organised collaboratively with the JISC programme team);

5. Publications in relevant practitioner-researcher conferences and journals (ALT-C 05, CAL05, Association for Learning Technology Journal, Computers & Education) and additional dissemination through practitioner networks available through ALT and LTSNs.

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