ESCalate Second Forum for Heads of Department
6 July 2004
Flip chart summary from session on
E-learning and Education Departments
Professor Angela McFarlane, University of Bristol
Is elearning important in your department? Why?
Positives
Negatives
Keeping up
Equal ops
Widening access
External funders
Power  flexibility
Student demand
Graduate employability
Tutor stress
Enthusiasts/champions
Information management
Plagiarism
Spin factor
Resource
Organisational expectation
Triumphs?
First class award winning teaching & learning resources
Improved access to information  comprehensive
Formative assessment - including peer assessment
‘Privacy to succeed’
Scaling e.g. roll out of SAS programme
Disasters?
Too much flexibility  re-invention of wheels as everyone tries to do the same thing
at the same time
Unreliable – it does not always work
Death by Power Point – but only when used badly
Never be first!! Innovation with technology takes time and effort
Pilot  roll out, without adequate testing leads to failures