International perspectives on e-learning: mapping strategy to practice Gráinne Conole [email_address] Towards a pan-Canada e-learning research agenda http://scope.lidc.sfu.ca/course/view.php?id=56rs? 13th May 2008

Increasing impact of technologies Funding drivers “ ICT catalysts” National policy Organisational structures Roles, skills & practice Teaching, learning & assessment

Contemporary perspectives in e-learning Mapping the field Current research & development Methodological issues Historical perspective & policy timeline Discourses & tensions

Emergence of a research field Pre-subject area – no perceived interest Beginnings – questions arise Emergence – more researchers Diversification – different schools Establishment – defined community and alignment with other fields

Pre-subject area – no perceived interest

Beginnings – questions arise

Emergence – more researchers

Diversification – different schools

Establishment – defined community and alignment with other fields

Current status E-learning - Between stages 3 and 4 Influx of researchers into the area Growth of new units and research centres Specialised journals Dedicated conferences Community for fostering debate

E-learning - Between stages 3 and 4

Influx of researchers into the area

Growth of new units and research centres

Specialised journals

Dedicated conferences

Community for fostering debate

The e-learning landscape Organisational issues Changing roles Strategy & policy Structures & processes Staff development Pedagogical aspects E-literacies New pedagogies Models of practice Case studies of innovation Learning design Experiences & perceptions Underpinning technologies Mobile & ubiquitous technologies The Grid: E-Science Personalised & adaptive Standards Infrastructures Mobile & ubiquitous technologies The Grid: E-Science Personalised & adaptive Standards Infrastructures

Contextual factors Funding and policy drivers Cultural dimensions Subject-specific aspects Current hot topics Accessibility Widening participation Lifelong learning E-business Plagiarism, digital rights, IPR

Funding and policy drivers

Cultural dimensions

Subject-specific aspects

Current hot topics

Accessibility

Widening participation

Lifelong learning

E-business

Plagiarism, digital rights, IPR

Underpinning technologies New and emerging technologies mobile and ubiquitous intelligent agents Understanding the media multiple forms of representation different characteristics of media A distributed electronic environment standards and interoperability infrastructure and architectures Access to information structuring and distributing information integrating different portals, gateways and resources exploiting the different communication mechanisms

New and emerging technologies

mobile and ubiquitous

intelligent agents

Understanding the media

multiple forms of representation

different characteristics of media

A distributed electronic environment

standards and interoperability

infrastructure and architectures

Access to information

structuring and distributing information

integrating different portals, gateways and resources

exploiting the different communication mechanisms

Pedagogical aspects Student and staff experiences Best methods of representing information Designing and accessing resources encouraging communication and collaboration integrating with other learning and teaching methods Development issues new forms of literacy mechanisms for skills updating and development Understanding the affordances of technologies Exploring the potential for new forms of pedagogy

Student and staff experiences

Best methods of

representing information

Designing and accessing resources

encouraging communication and collaboration

integrating with other learning and teaching methods

Development issues

new forms of literacy

mechanisms for skills updating and development

Understanding the affordances of technologies

Exploring the potential for new forms of pedagogy

Organisational issues Developing models for mapping institutional structures supporting institutional processes sharing knowledge distributing information supporting change engaging different stakeholders Awareness of external factors Understanding changing roles and identities Linking strategy and practice

Developing models for

mapping institutional structures

supporting institutional processes

sharing knowledge

distributing information

supporting change

engaging different stakeholders

Awareness of external factors

Understanding changing roles and identities

Linking strategy and practice

Common characteristics Change Political dimension Interdisciplinary Access and inclusion Convergence and interoperability Interactivity

Change

Political dimension

Interdisciplinary

Access and inclusion

Convergence and interoperability

Interactivity

Themes The good and the bad of ICT Speed of change New collaborations and discourses User focussed Changing practice Wider impact

The good and the bad of ICT

Speed of change

New collaborations and discourses

User focussed

Changing practice

Wider impact

Theme I The good and the bad of ICT Institutional vs. loosely coupled systems The affordances of technologies Appropriateness, fit for purpose Ownership vs. open source Simplifying the complex Balance of content and activity

The good and the bad of ICT

Institutional vs. loosely coupled systems

The affordances of technologies

Appropriateness, fit for purpose

Ownership vs. open source

Simplifying the complex

Balance of content and activity

Theme II Speed of change, the Web in 2010 Explosion of Web 2.0 (and 3.0 and…) Immense amounts of information New tools and resources The Web for nomads Predicting the unpredictable Researching where the light is A world beyond the Web

Speed of change, the Web in 2010

Explosion of Web 2.0 (and 3.0 and…)

Immense amounts of information

New tools and resources

The Web for nomads

Predicting the unpredictable

Researching where the light is

A world beyond the Web

Theme III Supporting new collaborations and discourses New distributed Communities of Practice Self-sustaining Communities of Practice Interacting with the media Tailored and contextualised Making sense of it all - new forms of digital literacy and the power of narrative

Supporting new collaborations and discourses

New distributed Communities of Practice

Self-sustaining Communities of Practice

Interacting with the media

Tailored and contextualised

Making sense of it all - new forms of digital literacy and the power of narrative

Theme IV Harnessing needs, understanding end users Adaptive and personalised Ethnographic approach to users The (semantic) web of meaning Supporting the whole learning cycle The perpetual beta Developing for the unknowable

Harnessing needs, understanding end users

Adaptive and personalised

Ethnographic approach to users

The (semantic) web of meaning

Supporting the whole learning cycle

The perpetual beta

Developing for the unknowable

Theme V Changing practice Reflective research/practitioner Changing roles Passive to interactive technologies The need for new organisational structures and processes How do you motivate people to do this? New methodologies for design and evaluation

Changing practice

Reflective research/practitioner

Changing roles

Passive to interactive technologies

The need for new organisational structures and processes

How do you motivate people to do this?

New methodologies for design and evaluation

Theme VI Wider impact New models for society Blurring of boundaries Distributed cognition ‘ Compelling’ experiences A changing world Technology is here and will continue to have an impact

Wider impact

New models for society

Blurring of boundaries

Distributed cognition

‘ Compelling’ experiences

A changing world

Technology is here and will continue to have an impact

Discipline issues Variety of feeder disciplines education research, cognitive psychology, instructional design, computer science, business and management, philosophy, semiotics, critical discourse analysis Benefits wealth of methods and approaches different perspectives Drawbacks no shared language and understanding lack of cohesion to the area

Variety of feeder disciplines

education research, cognitive psychology, instructional design, computer science, business and management, philosophy, semiotics, critical discourse analysis

Benefits

wealth of methods and approaches

different perspectives

Drawbacks

no shared language and understanding

lack of cohesion to the area

Choice of research methods Tension between Focus on evaluation or research Quantitative vs. qualitative approaches Choice of methodologies Has an impact on outcomes Tends to be based on previous experience, favoured methods Approaches Exploring individual case studies Developing generic models Undertaking systematic reviews Applying specific theoretical perspectives Active involvement and action research Accounting for context - Activity theory, Actor Network Theory

Tension between

Focus on evaluation or research

Quantitative vs. qualitative approaches

Choice of methodologies

Has an impact on outcomes

Tends to be based on previous experience, favoured methods

Approaches

Exploring individual case studies

Developing generic models

Undertaking systematic reviews

Applying specific theoretical perspectives

Active involvement and action research

Accounting for context - Activity theory, Actor Network Theory

Methodological issues Lack of rigour theoretical basis ‘ academic credibility’ Tensions between policy makers and practitioners stakeholders with conflicting agendas efficiency gains/effectiveness vs improving learning Research vs. roll out to policy and practice

Lack of

rigour

theoretical basis

‘ academic credibility’

Tensions

between policy makers and practitioners

stakeholders with conflicting agendas

efficiency gains/effectiveness vs improving learning

Research vs. roll out to policy and practice

Methodological issues Feeder disciplines Wealth of methods No shared language Tension between quantitative and qualitative Lack of rigor, anecdotal and case based Methodological innovations? New theoretical frameworks

Research Practice Informs Resources Improves Learning Enhances Networks Builds Strategy Guides Policy Shapes Theory Develops Development Consolidates

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