LONDON’S GLOBAL UNIVERSITY
E-learning strategic statement 2005-2010
UCL encourages staff to adopt a reflective, experimental and innovatory approach to
their teaching. New technologies provide an important range of opportunities for this.
The e-learning strategic statement reflects this forward looking spirit.
Purpose of this document
1. To supplement the UCL Institutional Learning and Teaching strategy, and to
present a set of aims for the development of e-learning at UCL;
2. To outline the opportunities and challenges presented by e-learning, and its
future role in supporting the delivery and enhancement of learning and teaching
at UCL;
3. To guide investment in e-learning;
4. To present an implementation plan to underpin the support of effective and
appropriate use of e-learning across UCL.
Background
5. In 2000, Academic Committee established a Working Party on Distance
Learning under the chairmanship of Professor Stan Newman. The Working
Party’s report emphasises the importance of “capacity building” in departments:
namely the development of appropriate expertise among teachers for the new
IT-based technologies to be used for distance learning.
6. Many of the issues highlighted by this working party remain the same today
though our understanding has advanced considerably through our experience
with WebCT.
7. The UCL Institutional Learning and Teaching Strategy (ILTS) (2005-2010) called
for development of a UCL e-learning statement that supplements and supports
the ILTS. An E-learning Forum was convened in September 2004 to consider
UCL’s priorities e-learning, and e-learning working groups were established to
take forward the development of the statement.
8. This statement has been developed following consultation with and surveys of
academic and support staff, and taking into account the preliminary work of the
working groups.
UCL E-learning Strategic Statement
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Definition of e-learning
9. For the purposes of this statement, e-learning is defined as ‘learning facilitated
and supported through the use of information and communications technology
(ICT)’. It involves, for example:
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provision of teaching materials and activities online;
on-line assessment;
tools for student-student and student-teacher communications;
use of Internet resources;
and other learning activities involving IT and the Internet.
10. E-learning should not be regarded as a separate form of learning; it must be
integrated with wider curriculum planning and informed by the principles of good
teaching and learning.
11. It encompasses activities across a broad spectrum, from the improved provision
of support for learners through the blending of traditional and online learning
(which characterises most of the e-learning activities at UCL) to learning that is
delivered entirely online.
Guiding principles
The principles underlying the aims presented in this document are that:
12. E-learning can enhance the learning experience for students by providing
flexibility, more interactive and constructive learning, new interdisciplinary and
international approaches, and new opportunities for preparing for classroom
activities and for reinforcing learning.
13. Educational rather than technical considerations will guide the use of e-learning,
and desired learning outcomes will determine the appropriate choice of
technology.
14. E-learning provision is an element of UCL’s competitive edge because students
increasingly expect e-learning to be a standard feature of their educational
experiences.
15. If it is to continue to provide the progressive, high quality learning experience
commensurate with its position as a global university, UCL must take advantage
of the opportunities offered and address the challenges posed by e-learning.
Aims
16. To include e-learning in the portfolio of pedagogical tools at UCL, to be
deployed wherever its advantages can be realised;
17. To raise staff awareness of e-learning and the range of e-learning tools
available at UCL, and to equip them with the technical and pedagogical skills to
use them effectively and appropriately in their teaching;
18. To provide and facilitate ongoing support for staff, students and
faculties/departments in their use of e-learning;
19. To use e-learning to foster a culture of innovation, experimentation and
reflection on teaching and learning across UCL;
20. To seek out good practice in the use of e-learning, both inside and outside UCL
and to disseminate it across UCL;
21. To provide an appropriate infrastructure for the development and use of elearning systems and tools.
UCL E-learning Strategic Statement
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Opportunities offered by e-learning
Experienced UCL staff have identified a wide range of potential benefits which can
be attributed to e-learning.
22. Pedagogic benefits: Many aspects of UCL’s Learning and Teaching Strategy
can be supported by e-learning provision, and in some cases e-learning may be
the only realistic approach.
a. Internationalisation – the effective exploitation of the internet as an
integral part of the UCL experience will be vital for the achievement of
the aspirations in this strand. It will allow international experts to
contribute to courses; staff and students can communicate and
collaborate with those in foreign institutions; and the technology will
support UCL students studying abroad.
b. Curriculum – e-learning tools offer opportunities for more flexible
curricula, innovative learning experiences, improved interdisciplinary
working, and the development of autonomous learning skills.
c. Assessment – technology can not only facilitate the development of
more effective summative assessment tools, such as the use of eportfolios, but can also simplify learning-oriented and diagnostic
assessment.
d. Employability – IT skills are increasingly important in today’s job
market. The embedded use of IT will ensure that these skills are
developed as part of the UCL experience.
e. Learning support – IT-based tools can improve opportunities for
student-tutor and student-student interaction, as well as stimulating
student reflection and learner independence. E-learning can also offer
conduits to digital learning resources (online journals, library catalogues,
simulations, digitised museum objects, etc.) thereby enriching the
learning process.
f.
Innovation – E-learning tools can be extremely effective in encouraging
and supporting pedagogical innovation. By changing and challenging
traditional roles and techniques, they shine a bright light on current
practice and promote reflection and experimentation. In this way, elearning can act as a catalyst for staff training and development.
g. Widening participation – the flexibility to deliver learning experiences
‘any place, any time’ will allow more non-traditional students (such as
part-time students or those with family responsibilities, etc.) to follow
UCL courses. Assistive technologies can also improve access to
students with disabilities.
23. Administrative benefits: these include greater flexibility in course organisation,
the dissemination of teaching materials and the ability to track student activity
(such as tasks attempted, the time taken, the use of help, etc.).
24. Efficiency: in the longer term, the use of technology could lead to the more
effective use of classroom space, the re-use of digital teaching materials, and
the freeing-up of tutor time. However, e-learning is unlikely to save money in the
short to medium term, given the other costs associated with such provision.
UCL E-learning Strategic Statement
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Challenges of e-learning
For these benefits to be fully realised, the following challenges raised by e-learning
need to be recognised and addressed.
25. Pedagogic challenges: new pedagogic skills will be required in course and
curriculum design (e.g. the creation of suitable content, use of appropriate
activities); in the facilitation of learning on a day-to-day basis (e.g. online
tutoring, managing autonomous learning, the use of formative feedback, etc.);
and in integrating e-learning with face-to-face provision. In addition, staff will
need skills in the development of suitably valid and reliable assessment
methods for use in e-learning environments. UCL as a whole will need to
develop its own approach to e-learning pedagogy, drawing on examples of best
practice from inside and outside UCL, and develop appropriate quality
assurance procedures.
26. Staff training and support challenges: Staff will need to be persuaded of the
benefits of e-learning and mechanisms found to provide high quality training and
support to busy academics. This will be essential if e-learning is to be fully
embedded into the teaching and learning repertoire of UCL staff. Both
innovation and the adoption of best practice need to be encouraged and
recognised.
27. Technical challenges: educational technology continues to advance very
rapidly, and it will be a major challenge to provide a reliable e-learning
infrastructure with the flexibility to incorporate new tools quickly and to support
innovation. To keep pace with user expectations, it will also need to support a
wide variety of media (audio, video, animations, etc.) with access from any
platform, at any time, from anywhere, and by an increasing number of users.
Compliance with accessibility requirements will be mandatory.
28. Financial challenges: although e-learning could save money and staff time in
the longer term, investment is needed in the transition to teaching and learning
that makes best use of the advantages presented by new technologies and
pedagogies. While keeping these costs to a minimum is desirable, underinvestment carries its own risks. Funding is needed for staff training and
support; for the development and maintenance of the technical infrastructure;
and for encouraging the innovative deployment of e-learning approaches.
29. Other challenges: e-learning has other implications across the organisation.
For example, further policies will need to be developed on copyright (in regard
to both the ownership of materials produced by UCL staff, and the use of third
party materials). This will require the investigation of new models of copyright
(e.g., Creative Commons) and their relevance to UCL. In addition, the various
elements and technologies involved in e-learning require close collaboration
among staff with a variety of skills and blur the boundaries between technical,
academic and administrative activities.
Implementation plan – see Appendix 1
Risk assessment – see Appendix 2
Ownership and review
30. The Director of EISD is responsible to the Vice-Provost (Academic and
International) for the development and implementation of this Statement. This
Statement will be reviewed by AC every three years and monitored annually by
Academic Committee's Executive Sub-Committee on Innovations in Learning,
Teaching and Assessment (ESCILTA).
UCL E-learning Strategic Statement
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Appendix 1: Implementation Plan
Objective
Target date
Responsibility
(primary first)
1
To embed e-learning as a standard pedagogical tool at UCL
a
To develop a ‘UCL e-learning pedagogy’ in the UCL tradition as an excellent provider of quality faceto-face education, which takes account of best practice from both inside and outside UCL, and
makes best use of the opportunities afforded by e-learning.
Sept 2008
EISD
b.
Consider the opportunities offered by e-learning, with the explicit inclusion of e-learning in
departmental and faculty planning and strategy documents.
Sept 2008
Faculties,
Departments
c.
Use a standardised web-based approach to enhance course management and student support
through provision of course handbooks, core reading lists, timetables, assessment dates and staff
contact information etc. for all courses, even where there is no explicit e-learning component in the
course.
All courses by
Sept 2008
Departments,
Library Services
d.
Review existing quality assurance procedures, including the annual course review and monitoring
process (Internal Quality Review) and adapt them to include e-learning where necessary.
Ongoing
Academic Services,
Registry, EISD
2
To raise staff awareness of e-learning and the range of e-learning tools available at UCL,
and to equip them with the technical and pedagogical skills to use them effectively and
appropriately in their teaching;
a.
Include e-learning in the new lecturer’s programme (CLTHE) run by CALT.
Ongoing
EISD
b.
Provide programmes of training in the use of specific technologies.
Ongoing
EISD
c.
Provide training, support and advice in effective pedagogic practice for e-learning.
Ongoing
EISD
d.
Promote the use of e-learning tools via workshops, open days, attendance at faculty awaydays, etc.
Ongoing
EISD
3
To provide and facilitate ongoing support for staff, students and faculties/departments in
their use of e-learning;
a.
Develop and make available supporting materials and resources for both staff and students
(technical and pedagogical documentation, scenarios, case studies, course templates etc.)
Ongoing
EISD
UCL E-learning Strategic Statement
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b.
Encourage guest access to on-line courses in order to promote good practice and the sharing of
ideas.
c.
Provide funding to ‘buy in’ support (e.g. external developers, Media Resources, postgraduates) for
material/activity development.
d.
Deliver supplementary learning and training in core skills such as IT and information literacy to all
students via e-learning, in preparation for academic study at higher levels and for the world of
employment.
Ongoing
Library Services,
EISD
e.
Provide staff with support in integrating digitised licensed materials into e-learning modules.
Ongoing
Library Services
f.
Include e-learning responsibilities in the definition of relevant staff roles, especially for new lecturers.
Sept 2006
Heads of Depts
g.
Address the medium term issue of resource and time investment needed for academic staff to
develop e-learning skills and to create appropriate learning materials and activities.
Sept 2006
SMT/HR
h.
Provide ongoing funding to provide high quality support and training for e-learning across UCL.
July 2006
SMT
4
To use e-learning to foster a culture of innovation, experimentation and reflection in
teaching and learning across UCL
a.
Facilitate and maintain communities of practice that will share ideas and build innovations in learning
and e-learning (both discipline-based and inter-disciplinary).
Ongoing
EISD
b.
Provide pump-priming funding for innovative uses of e-learning (ESCILTA grants).
Ongoing
ESCILTA
c.
Support small-scale and fast return e-learning pilots (support provided by the LTSS and CALT).
Ongoing
EISD
d.
Embed evaluation, reflection and dissemination of results in the planning of pilot studies.
Ongoing
EISD
e.
Increase the use of secondments to support exploratory e-learning projects.
Ongoing
EISD
5
To seek out good practice in the use of e-learning, both inside and outside UCL and to
disseminate it across UCL
a.
Provide funding for EISD e-learning support staff to attend e-learning conferences and workshops to
identify trends and keep abreast of technical and pedagogical developments
Ongoing
EISD
b.
Contribute submissions on e-learning activities to the biennial UCL Teaching and Learning
conferences.
March 2006,
then ongoing
EISD
c.
Instigate a series of seminars and workshops on specific e-learning topics, led by central staff, UCL
January 2006
EISD
UCL E-learning Strategic Statement
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Ongoing
EISD, individual
staff
ESCILTA
academics or external contributors
d.
Identify and support individual academics as ‘champions’ to monitor and pioneer e-learning in all
departments/disciplines
May 2006,
then ongoing
EISD, Faculties,
Departments
e.
Develop and support inter-institutional collaborations in the development of material (e.g.
Sheffield/UCL’s development of DVDs)
Ongoing
EISD
f.
Encourage individuals and groups to disseminate information on their e-learning activities across
UCL and academia in general, e.g. via workshops, websites or weblogs, etc.
Ongoing
EISD
6
To provide an appropriate infrastructure for the development and use of e-learning systems
and tools
a.
Provide easy access to the virtual learning environment and other e-learning tools for both staff and
students.
Ongoing
EISD
b.
Keep abreast of developments in e-learning technologies and introduce an effective evaluation
methodology which considers ease of use, pedagogic value and total cost of ownership.
Ongoing
EISD
c.
Provide a test-bed environment in which new learning technologies can be investigated, tested and
developed separately from the production environment, thereby ensuring that UCL keeps abreast of
developments in e-learning systems and tools without compromising the stability of the existing
system.
Sept 2006
EISD
d.
Keep abreast of and participate in relevant standards arenas (IMS, reusability, e-portfolios, etc.).
Ongoing
EISD
e.
Establish a ‘one-stop-shop’ for e-learning support and enquiries.
f.
Identify and, where possible, remove technical barriers to the take-up of e-learning.
Ongoing
EISD
g.
Ensure sufficient funding for the development and maintenance of the e-learning infrastructure.
July 2006
SMT
UCL E-learning Strategic Statement
EISD, Library
Services, Registry
7
Appendix 2 - Risk assessment
Nature of Risk
1.
Insufficient funds or space
provided for adequate numbers
of training and support staff
Likelihood of
risk
(high/med/low)
Impact level
(high/med/low)
Medium/high
High
Potential result
Adverse impact on UCL
learning and teaching
quality. E-learning does
not become embedded in
UCL T&L practice.
How the risk will be
UCL officers
minimised (current
responsible
actions/processes/activities)
Budget allocation for elearning support staff.
SMT
Provide additional space.
Detrimental effect on
UCL’s reputation.
Potential loss of revenue.
2.
3.
Demands for support outstrip
central services’ ability to
respond effectively
Medium
Quality of UCL e-learning
provision fails to reach accepted
standards
Medium
High
Staff frustration. Adverse
impact on UCL learning
and teaching quality.
High
Loss of reputation for
UCL.
Support demands monitored.
Methods to ameliorate
demand investigated (website,
FAQs, self-help).
Director of EISD
Comprehensive e-learning QA
process in place in IQR ,
Programme Development
procedures etc.
VP Academic and
International
Numbers of staff attending
courses etc. recorded and
closely monitored.
Director of EISD
Potential loss of revenue.
4.
Insufficient staff take-up of
training opportunities offered
UCL E-learning Strategic Statement
Medium
High
E-learning does not
become embedded in
UCL T&L practice.
8
Procedures for marketing of
training provision kept under
review.
Nature of Risk
5.
6.
7.
8.
Insufficient pump priming funding
for e-learning activities
Likelihood of
risk
(high/med/low)
Impact level
(high/med/low)
Medium
Medium
Potential result
Innovative uses of elearning not
trialled/evaluated
Failure of UCL to keep abreast of Medium
new technical and pedagogical
developments in e-learning
Medium
Insufficient central funding for the Low
development and support of an
appropriate technical
infrastructure for e-learning
High
Low
High
Inadequate quality of e-learning
training
UCL E-learning Strategic Statement
UCL falls behind in quality
of e-learning provision.
Ineffective use of elearning investment.
Adverse impact on UCL
learning and teaching
quality. Loss of reputation.
Loss of revenue.
Staff don’t come to
sessions. Staff leave
without sufficient skills.
Loss of reputation for
providers
9
How the risk will be
UCL officers
minimised (current
responsible
actions/processes/activities)
Monitoring of e-learning
projects undertaken with
ESCILTA grants, and under
CALT secondments.
Chair of ESCILTA
Individual EISD e-learning
support staff attendance at
conferences and workshops;
dissemination of findings
monitored.
Director of EISD
Budget allocation for elearning infrastructure.
Chair of ISC
Feedback sought after each
session, and results acted on.
Director of EISD
Director of CALT
Chair of HRPC