Employing the 3E Framework to underpin institutional practice in the active use of technology Stephen Bruce & Keith Smyth Edinburgh Napier University

1. Employing the 3E Framework to underpin
institutional practice in the active use of
technology
Stephen Bruce & Keith Smyth
Edinburgh Napier University

2. Outline
1. Adoption of previous minimum WebCT presence and the new
university benchmark for use of technology in all modules
2. Underpinned by a 3E framework as a way of thinking about
technology and sharing examples
3. “Meet Moodle” online staff development to encourage adoption of
the new benchmark

3. 2004: Roll-out of WebCT Vista
“…a minimum presence to be established for every module,
and that this be input by either the module leader or a
school administrator using central information and
information provided by the module leader.”

4. Exceeding the minimum presence ?
Faculty A
• One school embraced technology and saw the value for
engaging students. No administrator input, and recognised
their support needs and proactively sought Professional
Development
• Other school quietly embraced technology without
administrator input or seeking central support

5. Exceeding the minimum presence ?
Faculty B
• Initial use of WebCT coincided with a move to purpose
built campus with IT facilities in each teaching room –
impetus and a cohesive approach across schools
• Largely file repositories, but also quizzes and assignment
submissions
• Efforts made to move beyond minimum presence and
administrator input help meet the requirement.

6. Exceeding the minimum presence ?
Faculty C
• Huge variation in the subject disciplines with pockets of
very good practice
• One school relied on school administrators to meet the
requirement
• Another school already established websites and often
combined WebCT and their own web resources
• Another school lacked administrator input and uptake
was more patchy

7. MLE Evaluation 2009
• Focussed mainly on WebCT, and also included other
technologies used in the support of learning

8. Executive Summary
• Overall student learning experience is perceived to have
been enhanced
• Students now expect WebCT as a normal part of module
support
• Staff are more confident and are interested in using
interactive features

9. Range of issues
• Significant quantity of students studying modules that lack
effective WebCT support or have no support at all.
Negative perception of staff skills and awareness.
• Embedding effective and innovative use of WebCT and
other technologies has a significant resource implication.
• The importance of local support: Learning Technologists for
practical support, and Online Learning Advocates for
advice and assistance, and sharing of effective practice.
• Students need to recognise their own responsibility to fully
engage with the resources and activities provided.

10. New benchmark 2010
To make active use of technology to meaningfully enhance the
learning, teaching and assessment experience across all modules.
• Few subjects can be taught fully online, but all subjects can
be enhanced by the use of technology
• 3E Framework of examples to illustrate how technology
can be used to meaningfully support learning, teaching and
assessment across a range of contexts.
• Mapping of example modules from a selection of
undergraduate and postgraduate modules in different
disciplines.

11. 3E levels of examples
To make active use of technology to meaningfully enhance the learning,
teaching and assessment experience across all modules.
Enhance Extend Empower
Adopting technology in simple Further use of technology that Developed use of technology
and effective ways to actively facilitates key aspects of that requires higher order
support students and increase student’s individual and individual and collaborative
their activity and self- collaborative learning and learning that reflects how
responsibility assessment through increasing knowledge is created and used
their choice and control in the professional environment
eg. Seminar participation
Provide a discussion board for Encourage more equal Have students work in pairs or
students to post follow-up engagement in seminars by small groups to design and lead
comments (queries, issues that having students take turns (in online seminars for particular
are still not clear) to that week’s pairs or small groups) to units, with guidance from tutor
seminar to be picked up during produce a summary of that on their proposed topic and
first part of the next week’s week’s seminar to be posted approach
lecture online, perhaps with a follow-up
question to be tackled

12. Illustrative and real examples
• 3E Framework of enhanced, extended and empowered
learning activities
• Published under a Creative Commons license for potential
re-use and adaptation.
http://staff.napier.ac.uk/services/academicdevelopment/TechBenchmark

13. Implementing the 3E Framework
• Embedding within Professional Development events, and
as theme for 2012 institutional staff conference
• Initial focus of the new Teaching Fellows Special Interest
Group in Technology-Enhanced Learning (SIG-TEL), and
of the work to be undertaken by staff being sponsored to
complete our Pg Cert Blended and Online Education
• Dissemination via LTA Resource Bank (tagging of case
studies and development of new case studies)
• Alignment with move to new institutional VLE (Moodle)

14. Implementing the 3E Framework
• Meet Moodle Online Staff Development
• Explore examples and share practice via Database activity

15. Implementing the 3E Framework
• Meet Moodle - sharing real example module mappings

16. Thank You
Dr Stephen Bruce
Academic Development Advisor
Information Services
Edinburgh Napier University
s.bruce@napier.ac.uk
Dr Keith Smyth
Senior Teaching Fellow and Senior Lecturer in Higher Education
Programme Leader MSc Blended and Online Education
Office of the Vice Principal (Academic)
Edinburgh Napier University
k.smyth@napier.ac.uk
Skype and Twitter: smythkrs