Future learning environments and what they tell us Martin Weller

Outline What are VLEs like now? How did we get here? What are future VLEs like? What does it mean for us?

What are VLEs like now?

How did we get here?

What are future VLEs like?

What does it mean for us?

Current state of play OECD/OBHE 2004 survey in 13 countries All had VLE 37% have institution-wide VLE 90% expect to have single VLE in next 5 years 52% use commercial system Rest use combination of in-house and open source No institution had just OS 31% had portal 6.6% had CMS

OECD/OBHE 2004 survey in 13 countries

All had VLE

37% have institution-wide VLE

90% expect to have single VLE in next 5 years

52% use commercial system

Rest use combination of in-house and open source

No institution had just OS

31% had portal

6.6% had CMS

Democrats vs revolutionaries staff development academic staff innovation tradition critical mass cottage industry mainstream Robustness Reliability Ease of use Flexibility Excitement Technological flair Rigour Usabilty New tools New approaches

What’s wrong with VLEs They are content focused They have no strong pedagogy They are based around a teacher-classroom model They combine a number of average tools, but not the best ones They do not feature a particular tool They operate on a lowest common denominator approach They do not meet the needs of different subject areas It is difficult to exchange content between them, despite claims to interoperability

They are content focused

They have no strong pedagogy

They are based around a teacher-classroom model

They combine a number of average tools, but not the best ones

They do not feature a particular tool

They operate on a lowest common denominator approach

They do not meet the needs of different subject areas

It is difficult to exchange content between them, despite claims to interoperability

Why have VLEs been adopted? Because they do not require big changes in practice A content management system requires: Most content is available digitally Content is in appropriately sized chunks Reuse of material is encouraged E-learning plays a significant role in the overall educational strategy

Because they do not require big changes in practice

A content management system requires:

Most content is available digitally

Content is in appropriately sized chunks

Reuse of material is encouraged

E-learning plays a significant role in the overall educational strategy

Plant succession

Technology succession “ technological environments are not merely passive containers of people but are active processes that reshape people and other technologies alike” (McLuhan 1962)

Future LE – why? A proxy for social and technological change Reflect changes in HE Engage learners New models of learning New audiences? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pyjRj3UMRM

A proxy for social and technological change

Reflect changes in HE

Engage learners

New models of learning

New audiences?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pyjRj3UMRM

Students inhabit the online world

Possible dimensions Future LE Open content iTunesU Openlearn Slideshare Social Network Facebook LastFM 43Things PLE Stringle Blog Pageflakes Learning design LAMS Compendium Virtual worlds SecondLife World of Warcraft Virtual Presence Gabbly Medium User generated content Wikiversity YouTube Flickr Devices Mobile tech MS Surface Nintendo Wii

What does it mean? Not educational tools We need to go out to them Mixing and mashing Usability is high After centralisation – decentralisation! Content isn’t everything – but it’s not nothing They don’t come to us for content anymore – need to add more

Not educational tools

We need to go out to them

Mixing and mashing

Usability is high

After centralisation – decentralisation!

Content isn’t everything – but it’s not nothing

They don’t come to us for content anymore – need to add more