Health Sciences and Practice &
Medicine Dentistry and Veterinary Medicine
Higher Education Academy Subject Centres
eLearning in Health 2011 conference
collaboration, sharing and sustainability in the current
environment
Supporting online teaching and smarter working
through a targeted professional development
programme
Linda Martindale, Karen Lee, Caroline Roberts
School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of
Dundee
THE CONTEXT: SCHOOL OF NURSING AND MIDWIFERY
COLLEGE OF MEDICINE, DENTISTRY AND NURSING
Pre-registration nursing 400 p.a.
Post-qualifying division
• BSc (nursing, midwifery, health
studies) 200-300 p.a.
• Masters (MSc, MN, MPC, MRes
100-150 p.a.)
•
•
•
•
•
All online delivery
Local & international delivery
All academic staff teach online
E-Learning academic leads
Learning technology support
Stein et al.’s conceptions of
professional development for elearning
WHAT’S THE EVIDENCE?
•
2003
Training
 Opening up possibilities
 Collaboration
Wilson and Stacey (discussion)
 Relevant and purposeful
Four “levels” of staff; need to understand technology
adoption; development activities emphasising innovation
and use authentic contexts

• Samarwickrema and Stacey (case study)
2007
Need to encourage early adopters; barriers include
technology & organisational; peers influenced adoption,
as did student demand
• Stein et al. (phenomenographic)
2011
Five conceptions of e-learning; four conceptions of
professional development; professional development is
complex and competes with other HE activities
DEVELOPING ONLINE TEACHING CAPABILITY
Understand academic staff
needs
 Upskill academic staff in online
teaching
 Contribute to “smarter” working
 Evaluate the programme using
the “conceptions” model

Support team: Academic e-learning leads; learning technologist
UNDERSTANDING ACADEMIC STAFF NEEDS

“Practice-based evidence”

Survey of My Dundee modules

Online needs assessment (n=32; 32/70)
Scope of survey
 Your own e-learning skills
 Staff development and support for e-learning
 Virtual learning environment: usefulness and development
requirements
 Other e-learning tools
 Generic resources
UNDERSTANDING ACADEMIC STAFF NEEDS
Blog: never used, would like
to 53%
Bb assessment: support /
some support needed 92%
QMP: use frequently
6%
Strong demand for all forms
of support / development
UPSKILLING ACADEMIC STAFF IN ONLINE
TEACHING
Online / print format
help guides
Staff e-learning
In-house
SNM / College
Staff development to
support delivery and
development of online
learning
One to one support, as
required
Workshops and demos
Centrally based
LLC / APD
My Dundee
QMP
Workshops and online
support
UPSKILLING ACADEMIC STAFF IN ONLINE
TEACHING
UPSKILLING ACADEMIC STAFF IN ONLINE
TEACHING
Conceptions of professional development for e-learning

Training
Online resources / print guides
 Face to face workshops
 Small group / one-to-one support


Opening up possibilities
Beyond PowerPoint
 Good practice exemplars


Collaboration
Dissemination within / between module teams
 E-Learning forum / cross College activity


Relevant and purposeful
Staff development reviews
 Good practice exemplars

CONTRIBUTE TO SMARTER WORKING

Why?





Growing student numbers
Decreasing academic staff
Resource constraints
Address growing range of student needs
How?





Generic resources & online sites
Supporting academic staff
Content-light / resources rich
Emphasis on collaboration
e-Assessment
EVALUATE THE PROGRAMME:
CONCEPTIONS

Training
Follow up evaluation of Wordpress
 Google analytics
 Monitoring of online modules


Opening up possibilities
Attendance at events
 Good practice exemplars – numbers / usage


Collaboration


Sharing within School, College, University
Relevant and purposeful
Development review outcomes
 Sharing of resources

Conceptions of professional
development for e-learning (Stein et al.)
CHALLENGES




Training
Opening up possibilities
Collaboration
Relevant and purposeful
Communication
Meeting varied needs
E-learning = “good” learning
Inclusivity and support
THANK YOU
SAMARAWICKREMA G & STACEY E (2007) Adopting Web-Based Learning and Teaching:
a case study in higher education. Distance Education, 28, 313-333.
STEIN SJ, SHEPHERD K & HARRIS I (2011) Conceptions of e-learning and professional
development for e-learning held by tertiary educators in New Zealand. British Journal of
Educational Technology, 42, 145-165.
WILSON G & STACEY E (2003) Online interaction impacts on learning: teaching the
teachers to teach online. IN CRISP G, THIELE D, SCHOLTEN I, BAKER S & BARON J
(Eds.) Interact, Integrate, Impact: Proceedings of the 20th Annual Conference of the
Australian Society for Computers in Learning in tertiary Education (ASCILITE). Adelaide,
ePublications@SCU.
l.martindale@dundee.ac.uk