EADTU 2006 Random thoughts from Tallinn

1. EADTU 2006Random thoughts from Tallinn Stanley J Oldfield

2. A few general issues • e-learning is not an economic miracle but an enabling technology • We need to differentiate ourselves from the Wiki-university • We need more evidence-based research on the student experience of e-learning • My overall impression is that the OU is still ahead in managing the whole spectrum of open and distance learning but not in its uptake and use of technology – it isn’t really operating as an e-learning institution

3. Open Educational Resources • Approach appears to be based on the idea of independent learners who don’t need teachers - but do need to interact and collaborate with other learners in ‘learning communities’ • Involves concepts like the ‘pedagogical bandwidth’ of educational materials! • Universities are a ‘content’ industry, just like pop music and video distributors (and subject to similar forms of piracy)!! • Content rather than learner-centred • Presentation rather than pedagogy-driven

4. Benchmarking e-learning • Projects to assess the quality of an institution’s provision of e-learning • Attempts to identify e-learning specific quality assurance criteria, and to determine what makes a successful e-learning provider • Appears to be all about management, products and services • Assumption that ODL has been replaced by e-learning

5. Hope… • Knowledge is the capacity to act, not the reaching of some ultimate truth • By its nature knowledge is free – it should remain so • E-learning offers greater engagement, greater control, and greater empowerment – but it doesn’t guarantee them! • We need to emphasise reflective practice and to develop meta-cognitive skills • Meta-learners make better learners (SJO)