Peter Bullen discusses his experience with technology enhanced learning (TEL) and the opportunities and challenges it presents. He outlines seven principles of good practice in undergraduate education and how TEL can help achieve them. While TEL provides opportunities to improve learning, it also faces challenges at the sector, institution, discipline, individual, and technological levels. Critical success factors for innovating, sustaining and embedding TEL include having a team with a "can-do" culture, continually developing networks, and adopting a philosophy of continuous improvement focused on student learning experiences.

1. Innovating, sustaining and embedding TEL (Technology Enhanced Learning) Peter BullenEmeritus ProfessorUniversity of HertfordshireUniversity of Ulster -9th annual elearning conference; 20th January 2011

2. My experienceOpportunities and challengesUniversity of Hertfordshire and The Blended Learning UnitSector activity in this area - JISC and HEA programmes. Why this topic?

3. Influenced byPersonal experience in industry and educationColleagues, Educationalists and others, e.g.:John Seddon – Systems thinkingW Edwards Deming – Understanding and managing organisationsTaiichiOhno – Toyota production SystemPeter Senge – Learning organisationsRalph Stacey – Managing complexityAnne Miller – Getting ideas adoptedInitial involvement with e-learning from the mid 1990sMy experience

4. TEL (technology enhanced learning) – an opportunity

5. Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate EducationEncourages contact between students and staff

6. Develops reciprocity and co-operation among students

7. Encourages active learning

8. Gives prompt feedback

9. Emphasises time on task

10. Communicates high expectations

11. Respects diverse talents and ways of learning Chickering and Gamson (1987)

12. StudyNet (University of Hertfordshire’s MLE) Respects diverse talents and ways of learningDevelops reciprocity and collaboration Encourages contact between students and staffWeekly Assessed Tutorial Sheets (WATS)Emphasises time on taskEncourages active learningGives prompt feedbackPeer assessment of laboratory reportsCommunicates high expectationsGives prompt feedbackJust-in-time teachingIWB to encourage collaborative learningOn-line tutorial using ElluminateAn example - A first year engineering modulee-contentblendedlearning

13. TEL (technology enhanced learning) – challenges

14. SectorInstitutionDisciplineIndividualStaffStudentsOther stakeholdersand – technology!Challenges

15. Teachers conference 1703:“Students today can’t prepare bark to calculate their problems. They depend on their slates which are more expensive. What will they do when the slate is dropped and it breaks? They will be unable to write!”Scepticism about technology Martin Bean keynote at ALT-C 2009www.alt.ac.uk/alt2009/keynotes.html

16. Principal’s publication, 1815: “Students today depend on paper too much. They don’t know how to write on a slate without getting chalk dust all over themselves. They can’t clean a slate properly. What will they do when they run out of paper?”

17. Innovations are always resisted (from Anne Miller JISC Online conference 2010)The Telephone“This so called telephone has far too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us” Western Union internal memo 1876Open University“I had heard about [the idea] but regarded it as a political gimmick unlikely ever to be put into practice” Walter Perry, 1st Vice Chancellor of the Open University

18. University of Hertfordshire strategy – a key elementExploitationof computing technology – LRC, MLE development , technology in classrooms

20. A network of StudyNet ChampionsFaculty appointmentsMembers of the StudyNet development group and the StudyNet learning and teaching development groupInnovation in Learning and TeachingLTDF fundA D.I.Y. philosophy not D.I.F.M.

21. Small core groupBlended learning teachers (on average 12, overall 26 different people)Key points:All practitioners All enthusiastic about the use of technologyRepresented 17 different disciplines from all FacultiesContacts (networks) at all levelsBlended Learning Unit (a CETL 2005 -2010) - Who we are?

22. Blended Learning Unit – what we do. We develop, promote and evaluate the combination of established ways of Learning and Teaching and the opportunities offered by technology in order to improve students’ learning and increase flexibility in how, when and where they study

23. What we do:Minimising barriersBL innovation & developmentEvaluationDissemination (communications and engagement)

24. Infrastructure and availability of technologyAcademic staffActualities and perceptionsMinimising barriers

25. Dissemination (communications and engagement)

26. DisseminationTransformation (Changing practice)Changing the emphasisBenchmarking e-learning

27. CABLE (Change Academy for Blended learning Enhancement)

28. Usual (ineffective) starting and finishing pointThe resistance to innovation Resistance is normalDon’t get demoralised, get smartDealing with the 4 stagesBlindness : “What idea?”Frozen : “Its not worth it”Interested : “Tell me about it ”Integration : “We’ve always done it this way”http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/ourwork/universitiesandcolleges/changeacademy

29. CABLE – Change Academy for Blended Learning EnhancementDevelop effective teams across disciplines

30. A focus on needs of the participating Schools

31. Academic-led

32. Student involvement