University of Warwick - Team-based approach to developing e-resources

University of Warwick

Case Study – Team based approach to developing e-resources

Background and context
This case study looks at the development of staff training in relation to e-learning tools and materials used. The project came about when a different project highlighted the issue of lack of staff confidence and awareness of e-learning and its connection and use with face to face learning.

The programme this project is aligned to is within the Institute of Clinical Education (University of Warwick) and specifically working with a large group of practitioners (1000) studying part time on a wide range of modules (over 80). The training involved was a series of practical hands on sessions for teaching and support staff to introduce them to the theory, tools and how to embed e-learning with their current (and I assume) future work. Deliberately set up to be collaborative and share ideas, worries and understanding the series used a VLE to report each weeks sessions (again it does not say but one assumes not everyone could attend every session so the VLE would have been useful for these people), the additional attraction of a good lunch added as a good way to encourage people to attend.


The Technology used
The sessions appeared to cover a range of technologies that Warwick IT teams support for the use of teaching and learning. This included synchronous and asynchronous discussion forums quizzes, blogs, personalised content pages. The sessions also highlighted the benefits of e-learning including the flexibility of working students who need to have access to learning when it suites them (not the institution).


Tangible benefits
The case study reports a number of staff related development improvements, for example understanding, enthusiasm and confidence. They also note the uptake of IT and e-learning related activities on modules taught within the institution. They also note that were IT was not introduced related directly to groups of staff who did not attend the training.

Disadvantages
· The cost of the lunch – perhaps not a disadvantage but a consideration when money always needs to be accounted for
· The resource requirements in relation to training were high as there was a lot of duplication (Esites, face to face session and hard copy of session notes)
Lessons Learnt
Noted is the benefit of bringing staff together – (I think this is really important not only for training for a single issue in this case e-learning, it generates collaboration at institutional level and can lead to other development opportunities).
The relation between the staff and students in relation to staffs own learning

Kathryn’s thoughts
I think this is a nice case study of the slow but sure staff development achievements within many institutions (I would guess). I really like the comparison between this particular group of staff and their own students, both working professionals trying to add yet another tool to their armoury that in the long run will help them both, but all struggling with their other demands.

I think as noted above bring staff together in a formal training environment but adding informal elements (in this case lunch) is a really valuable activity for staff to network and find out about each others interests. It builds a wider since of community of practise and has other non measurable benefits.

I was interested to read about the module structure at the start where students get the hard copy etc and then come to the university for a whole week’s face to face session. This is a different method to the one we established at Lancaster where students come to the university at the start then go away …. So, something for me to think about there.

Overall I thought it was a nicely written case study that put forward the genuine but not exaggerated benefits of e-learning for staff development that focused on in-house IT resources and did not try to sell the benefits of other maybe better (maybe not) tools with lots of whistles and bells.