LTC13-P14
21 March 2013
University E-learning Implementation Plan 2011-13
Update on Progress
Introduction
The University E-learning Strategy and Implementation Plan were approved by Learning
and Teaching Committee on 29th September 2011. In the first year, progress was monitored
by the now-defunct E-learning Advisory Group.
The E-learning Implementation Plan (ELIP) lists a range of actions, grouped by themes, and
categorised as Essential, Highly Desirable, and Desirable.
The table set out over the following pages provides notes summarising progress against
each action. Below are some of the key points that emerge:
Curriculum Design and Delivery

The majority of work undertaken by the Teaching Centre E-learning team
could still be described as ‘retrofitting’ or ‘firefighting’ – not curriculum
development. Although the revised documentation for programme / module
approval requires colleagues to consult us, our input is not sought. This is
despite the fact that, as part of the Teaching Centre, we work closely with the
Quality Enhancement Officers and colleagues in schools are made aware of
the support that we can jointly provide. This was one of the main aspirations
of the E-learning Strategy but it has not come to fruition.
Policy


There is a need for a group with both academic and technical representation
to cover those parts of the remit of the E-learning Advisory Group that are
missed by the current group structure.
There is widespread awareness among academic staff (and, increasingly,
among students) of the Minimum Presence Policy, and there has certainly
been progress since the audit in summer 2012, but it is likely that the followup audit we will be undertaking after Easter will still reveal significant noncompliance, despite the removal of contact details from the requirements.
Continuing Professional Development


Engagement with scheduled E-learning CPD workshops and events including
the Showcase has been disappointing. Where the offer of bespoke sessions
has been taken up by schools, attendance has been variable.
The New Lecturers’ Course does provide an effective way of exposing staff to
the range of learning technologies on offer.
E-learning Support

There are only a couple of active School E-learning Networks. It is particularly
important to get these going given the difficulty of engaging staff in central
workshops / events.
Student Perspective

It has been very useful this year to have an active and enthusiastic LSU VP
Education, Lazar Zindovic, who has been committed to the promotion of
learning technologies. He has acted as a channel for student views back to
the E-learning Team, in areas such as Minimum Presence.
Technical and Estates

There is a lack of clarity over how proposals for e-learning developments are
prioritised, agreed and resourced.
IPR


There is still widespread copyright infringement with regard to resources
uploaded to Learn. There is also a pervasive attitude among academic staff
that this is not important. The message that academic staff are individually
responsible needs to be continually restated.
The revised Academic Conditions of Service, with new clauses on IPR in
teaching resources, have still not been agreed.
Funding

E-learning licences have been rationalised but the institution must continue to
invest in services that have been ‘mainstreamed’ such as ReVIEW.
E-learning Implementation Plan 2011-13
Page | 2
University E-learning Implementation Plan 2011-13
Theme
Curriculum design
and delivery
Policy
Required actions
Status (E,
H, D)
Responsibility
Notes on progress 03/13
Revise documentation for new
programme/module approval to
ensure use of e-learning is addressed
E
Head of E-L; CSC;
Academic Registry
This was done in 2012. But see below.
Support programme/module
leaders/teams to incorporate elearning approaches into the design of
new programme/modules
E
E-L Team; QEOs;
Programme/Module
Directors/Teams;
CEDE
Process in place – but still not being taken up.
Seek opportunities to work with
School-based staff to strengthen the
use of e-learning within existing
programmes/modules
E
E-L Team; CEDE;
QEOs; ADTs;
Programme/Module
Directors/Teams
Happening – but still mainly at module level.
Promote and seek to embed use of
the online reading list system and
Library Catalogue Plus by academics
E
Academic Librarians;
ADTs
Happening. But still not all modules have reading
list on LORLS, and a few colleagues have
questioned whether reading lists are necessary for
eg project modules. To be discussed at LTC.
E-learning Advisory Group to be
reconstituted with new Chair,
membership and Terms of Reference
E
PVC(T); Chair of
ELAG; Head of E-L
Learning and Teaching Futures Group was set up
for 12/13. But there is still a need for a group to
cover remit of old ELAG.
Agree, implement and monitor new
module minimum online presence
requirements
E
ASPSC; Academic
Registry; ADTs
E-L Team audited every module on Learn against
revised minimum presence in summer 12. Followup audit to be done after Easter 13; report to LTC
6th June.
E-learning Implementation Plan 2011-13
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Continuing
professional
development
Review institutional policies on key
aspects of e-learning (online
coursework submission; Turnitin;
online assessment) and ensure
alignment with School/Departmental
policies
E
Head of E-L; ASPSC;
Academic Registry;
ADTs; SAMT
Process has started within E-L team.
Publicise and continue to develop
Web 2.0 guidelines for Teaching and
Learning
E
Head of E-L; Head of
Internet Services;
ELAG
Now embedded in Tools for Teaching section of Elearning Blog. Further work is required, eg around
Facebook. Presentation to LTC to follow.
Review policy on student personal
recording of lectures
E
Head of E-L; ASPSC;
Academic Registry;
ADTs
Not done. The increased availability of the
ReVIEW lecture capture service is relevant to this.
Undertake ongoing evaluation of
effectiveness/efficiency of selected elearning applications in specific
disciplinary contexts and
develop/disseminate new case studies
E
Head of E-L; E-L
Team; QEOs; Head of
CEDE
Yes – there are many case studies on E-learning
Blog.
Develop an online resource
summarising how specific
technologies can support identified
teaching and learning activities
E
Head of E-L; E-L
Team; APDA; Director
of TC
Yes – Tools for Teaching section of E-learning
Blog, which is used as part of New Lecturers’
Course and has been well received.
Develop and introduce online delivery
for agreed elements of Teaching
Centre provision
E
Director of TC; Head of
E-L; E-L Team; other
TC colleagues as
appropriate
In progress – includes ‘Teaching to large groups’.
We have also launched the new Teaching and
Learning Blog, which is becoming established as a
way of alerting colleagues to initiatives /
resources. See for instance
http://blog.lboro.ac.uk/teachingandlearning/?p=479
E-learning Implementation Plan 2011-13
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E-learning support
Revisit role/responsibilities of the
Faculty E-learning Officers (and other
members of the E-L Team as
appropriate) to ensure appropriate
links to new School structure
E
Head of E-L; Director
of TC; HR
Done. E-learning Officers had new job
descriptions in 2012.
Student perspective
Consult with Student Union with a
view to securing support for
Loughborough’s E-learning Strategy
and the associated Implementation
Plan
E
LSU President; LSU
VP (Education); Head
of E-L; Director of TC
Head of E-L has worked closely with this year’s
VP Ed.
Consider how best to secure
appropriate student representation
and engagement in shaping and
promoting the e-learning agenda
E
LSU VP (Education);
PVC(T); Head of E-L;
Director of TC
As above. The VP Ed and President of LSU have
been involved in discussions around Minimum
Presence, and the VP Ed has been heavily
promoting the further use of lecture capture.
Review accessibility of current elearning provision for DANS users,
highlighting and responding to areas
requiring immediate attention
E
E-L Team; DANS
Not done but we are not aware of any particular
issues. Learn has locally developed accessibility
features. The increasing use of ReVIEW is a
benefit to many DANS students.
Agree and implement new
arrangements for maintenance and
further development (including road
map) of WebPA, Co-Tutor and
Attendant
E
Director ITS; Head of
CEDE; ELAG; SISG;
SAMT; Manager E-L
Systems
Done in 2011, although arrangements may need
to be looked at again.
Technical and
estates
E-learning Implementation Plan 2011-13
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IPR
Funding
Ensure effective interface between the
ITS E-L Systems Team and Teaching
Centre E-L Team with regard to
technical support/further development
of systems
E
Director ITS; Head of
E-L
Yes – this happens daily. The Learn helpdesk
system makes the shared support for academic
colleagues seamless.
Migrate to version 5 of Questionmark
Perception and associated DB
upgrade
E
ITS E-L Systems
Team; E-Assessment
Officer
Done. The licensing model for QMP has changed
in the last year, effectively becoming more
expensive, and partly for this reason we have
been steering colleagues towards using Moodle
Quiz where possible.
Amend new academic conditions of
service to clarify that copyright in
learning materials belongs to the
institution not the individual
E
HR; Copyright Officer;
Librarian; Head of E-L
Done - but the CoS have been held up, and are
currently with the PVC(E)..
Advise all academic staff of their
responsibility for ensuring there is no
infringement of third party IPR in Learn
modules and F2F teaching
E
Deans; ADTs
Done, but the message needs to be repeated
regularly. Head of E-L and Copyright Officer run
scheduled workshops but these do not recruit well.
Establish central approval system for
proposals to publish as Open
Educational Resources (OER) any
learning resources developed at
Loughborough, whether in advance or
retrospectively
E
Head of E-L; University
Web Manager
A mechanism was agreed in 2011. There is no
evidence of any widespread desire to create and
publish OER. The new MOOC agenda supersedes
this.
Review spending on and effectiveness
of all current e-learning and related
licences
E
Head of E-L; Head of
Internet Services
Done, and several licences (including SecondLife
and TxtTools) were dropped.
E-learning Implementation Plan 2011-13
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University E-learning Implementation Plan 2011-13 (Highly Desirable / Desirable)
Theme
Curriculum design and
delivery
Policy
Research-informed
Required actions
Status (E, H, D)
Responsibility
Ensure that School development plans address need
to promote and further embed e-learning approaches
at School/ Department level
H
PVC(T); Deans; ADTs
?
Audit distance learning provision with respect to use of
online delivery
H
Head of E-L; ELOs;
Academic Registry
Initial audit done;
further work required.
Develop and implement plans to migrate distance
learning provision from print-based to online delivery
where possible
H
Head of E-L; Programme
Directors/Teams
Not done. We need
to be clear about how
the University’s
strategy around
distance learning is
going to evolve first.
Integrate into annual review processes audits of
compliance with module minimum online presence
requirements
H
PVC(T); Registry; ADTs;
ELOs
?
Respond to compliance audit as required
H
Programme Directors;
Module Leaders; School
E-L champions; ELOs
This has been
happening, but
perhaps not
consistently.
Explore possibility of new annual school prize for ‘Best
Use/Promotion of Learning Technologies at
Loughborough’
D
PVC(T); Head of E-L;
Director of TC; ELAG;
Head of CEDE
Not done.
Establish new Staff E-learning Forum to provide both
D
Head of E-L
University Network
E-learning Implementation Plan 2011-13
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practice
Continuing professional
development
face-to-face and online spaces for the exchange of
ideas relating to best practice in e-learning
was set up and met
twice. Low turnout.
The Learn Staffroom
forum is used to this
end, and there is
sharing of
experiences / ideas
in New Lecturers’
Course Learn
forums.
Identify and promote best practice for use of Google
Apps
H
Head of Internet Services;
Head of E-L; E-L Team
Google Apps now
covered in staff
development
sessions (eg
Introduction to Online
Collaboration)
Review and re-launch e-learning related CPD
provision, comprising functionally- and pedagogicallyoriented elements, with a particular focus on Learn
and consideration of need for mandatory requirements
H
Head of E-L; Director of
TC; APDA
Done. A wide range
of scheduled CPD
workshops are
advertised through
SD booking system.
Take-up is relatively
low, with a few
exceptions (such as
Camtasia workshop)
Promote increased staff engagement with specific elearning related events and initiatives, eg annual ELearning Showcase
D
ADTs; School E-learning
Champions; Head of E-L
Attendance at this
year’s Showcase
was, disappointingly,
down on 2012
despite being very
E-learning Implementation Plan 2011-13
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well publicised.
E-learning support
Establish School E-learning Networks and overarching
network
H
Chair (ELAG); ADTs;
Head of E-L
Only 1 school
network (SBE) meets
regularly.
Student Perspective
Monitor effectiveness of structures and processes for
seeking student engagement in promoting the elearning agenda
H
LSU VP (Education);
Head of E-L; QEOs
Regular discussions
with VP Ed this year
have been very
positive.
Technical and estates
Test, pilot and subsequently migrate to Moodle 2.0
H
ITS E-learning Systems
Team
Migration took place
in July 2012. The
migration itself was
successful, although
through Semester 1
there were issues
around the new
approach to file
upload /
management.
Review Moodle-based Learn to ensure this remains
the best option for Loughborough VLE
H
ELAG
Done in 2012
Roll out automated lecture capture facilities to every
pool teaching room
H
ITS; FM Teaching Support
This is now
happening. We have
c. 24 rooms with
E-learning Implementation Plan 2011-13
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‘fixed’ installations;
other rooms are
using a software-only
variant of ReVIEW
called ‘Classroom
Capture’.
Test/pilot/review Matterhorn open-source system, and
other commercial alternatives, to determine whether
and when to migrate ReVIEW from Echo 360
H
E-L Systems Team; FM
Teaching Support; E-L
Team
Matterhorn is actually
in use as a streaming
server solution – but
not currently suitable
for use as basis of
ReVIEW service.
Determine whether or not to complete and launch
Loughborough iTunesU channel (progress if agreed)
H
Marketing/Communication
s; Head of Internet
Services; Head of E-L;
University Web Manager
Decision was made
not to progress this.
There are new
developments
relating to MOOCs
which supersede this.
Review Turning Point to determine whether it remains
the best Electronic Voting System to support
teaching/learning
D
E-L Team; FM; ITS
There is no
compelling reason to
use another
hardware-based
system, given
Teaching Support’s
investment in
handsets. However,
academic colleagues
are starting to use
alternative
approaches including
Twitter-based voting.
E-learning Implementation Plan 2011-13
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IPR
Ensure Turning Point is installed on all podium PCs
D
FM; ITS
Done. Version needs
updating from 4.3 to
5 though.
Review use of Optical Mark Recognition Service
D
ELAG
Not done. There is
increasing
dependence on OMR
service, as shown by
recent stats for
Semester 1 exams
(up 19% from Sem 1
2011/12).
Seek upgrade to full institutional Blackboard
Collaborate Licence
D
Head of E-L; ELAG;
Operations Committee
Licence was renewed
but not on full
institutional basis –
was not required.
Develop (or adapt from public domain content) and
pilot an online copyright awareness module on Learn
H
Head of E-L; Library Head
of Academic Services;
ADTs
Materials have been
developed by Library
for publication on
Learn. There is also
a new University
Copyright Blog which
is the main repository
of guidance
materials.
Make completion of copyright module mandatory for
all academic/academic-related staff with teaching
responsibilities
D
HR; Head of E-L;
Librarian; ITS
Not done and unlikely
to be accepted.
E-learning Implementation Plan 2011-13
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Funding
Produce checklist for colleagues interested in
responding to JISC e-learning funding calls to identify
whether their idea is aligned with institutional strategy
and worthy of consideration
H
Head of E-L; Head of
Internet Services; SISG
Done – but now
redundant, as JISC
funding process
changed.
Mainstream licensing on production e-learning
systems deemed to be of value, and consider case for
mainstreaming the budget allocation for all e-learning
related licences
H
Head of E-L; Operations
Committee
Done. All licences
now included in ITS
E-L Systems budget
submission, except
where a tool is being
piloted (eg Ephorus
originality checking
service, which is
being trialled by / was
paid for by PHIR).
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