Implementing the strategy

2. Implementing the strategy individual institutional departmental

3. Local needs Semi-autonomous schools Local cultures Federated structure Lack of recognition and reward Lack of strategic vision Deans not involved HoDs not involved No Targets No money Portfolio review Initiative overload? semesterisation Dispersed support services Just another brick in the wall?

4. Understanding the context Weaknesses Strategic direction & vision Recognition and reward Deans not involved Ambiguous targets Strengths Brookes Virtual & WebCT Energetic innovators Pockets of good practice Existing eL strategy Opportunities HR Strategy SD planning & PDR process Funding Threats Review of course portfolio Semesterization

5. Implementing the strategy • Harness the energy of our innovators to drive change forward • Make senior managers aware of the groundswell of energy and good practice already occurring • Involve all stakeholders in the continuing process of (re)defining an appropriate strategic direction for e-learning at Brookes.

6. Managing educational change Caldwell, B. & Spinks, J. (1988) The Self-Managing School, London, Falmer Press. Goal setting Policy making Evaluation Implementing Planning Budgeting

7. Implementing E-learning @ Brookes Modes of engagement Exemplar database Targeted staff development School supported projects Course design intensive Learning Technologists & E-learning Champions School strategies E-learning strategy SD/HR funding Annual monitoring & updating Research & evaluation PGDip Embedding Learning Technology module Partnerships in Practice Business Team Challenge

8. Take time to do a SWOT analysis of your own e-learning context Note some of the bricks in your University’s wall(s) some of the levers available to you for breaking open those walls Understanding your context

9. E-learning Champions • Write an e-learning strategy for their school • Identify local areas of action • Manage the learning technologist [in almost all cases] and use that person’s time and skill to shape school actions • Consider staff development needs for the school using a cascade model

10. raises the profile local power base owned, local and relevant eL strategies recognized longstanding activity and rewarded success a named group for dissemination and up-skilling the skills, interests and time allocated vary there is no central resource objection to the name lack of a support group Advantages Disadvantages

11. Learning Technologists • Job description and person spec • JISC/ALT funded project on accrediting learning technologists • Tiny amount of HR strategy funds • Learning technologists forum • Audit of current e-learning operation • Exemplar showcase

12. School strategies • Template to aid strategic thinking and develop action plan • Covering memo explaining why • Linked to staff development planning process • Linked to LT&A strategy • Promoted discussion and debate • Short turnaround time

13. Mode 1: baseline admin and support Mode 2: Blended learning Mode 3: Fully online/flexible

14. School supported projects • Business school - diagnostic testing of large, first year cohorts to improvemodule selection & team challenge • School of Health & Social Care - to enhance two very large multi-professional courses with online activities • Technology - to introduce large scale CAA for formative feedback and diagnosis • Theology - to convert paper-based DL MA to online

15. Targeted staff development • The course (re)design intensive • On-demand in response to specific needs • Course teams involving learning technologists, teaching fellows and administrators

16. Planning tools • Blue skies checklist • Risk analysis template • Critical friend prompts • Storyboarding

17. Storyboarding

18. Monitoring and evaluation • Annual cycle of revisiting school strategies linked to school staff development plans • Annual interviews with e-learning champions • Support in designing, conducting and analysing course evaluations, e.g. • Focus groups with Business Team Challenge students • Interviews with PiP staff and analysis of student feedback • JISC learner experience scoping study

19. Summary of benefits • Schools thinking more clearly about how to use e-learning • Stimulating the growth in the use of the Brookes Virtual Learning Environment (WebCT) from fewer than 250 learners in 2002, to nearly 15,000 today • E-learning activists now working on key ‘school supported’ initiatives • Enabled us to reach and involve parts of the uni who have been difficult to engage before • Made explicit effective staff development

20. What have we learnt? Find opportunities to work with academics earlier Work in wider (no – wider!) course teams Use setting of absolute targets wisely Allow for lumpy development e.g. through schools setting their own agendas Take the support of individuals and their career development seriously Use developers time in targeted staff development. Find some from inside or outside the institution

21. Revised E-learning strategy (2005-8) aims to apply Learning Technology to the provision of flexible, active, collaborative and professionally authentic learning 5 key projects Supporting e–learning through curriculum design and development Developing, enabling and valuing e–Learning practitioners Improving and expanding environments for e–learning Widening participation and creating effective e–learning partnerships Researching and evaluating e–learning

22. Dr. Rhona Sharpe Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Development Oxford Brookes University rsharpe@brookes.ac.uk