JISC RSC 24 th February 2012 Online Webinar

1. Empowering, encouraging and engaging staff with learning technology:A case study of flexible and developing modes of staff development  Rachel Challen, Jon Rhodes and Paul Towers, University of Wolverhampton JISC RSC 24th February 2012Online Webinar

2. Todays team Paul Rachel Jon

3. Todays session • Background to UoW and where BLU sit in the Institution • Three approaches to staff development • Building blocks • Menus • Blended Learning weeks • Lessons learnt • Future plans

4. Background to the University of Wolverhampton • 23000 students • 2500 staff • 8 academic schools • 4 teaching campuses • Support departments, including IT services, LIS, Marketing and ILE

5. The Institute for Learning Enhancement

6. The Blended Learning Unit(BLU) Advisors • 5 BLU Advisors • All qualified teachers and all with Certified Membership of the Association of Learning Technologists (CMALT)

7. School of Applied Science Law, Social Sciences and Communications School of Art and Design School of Education School of Technology School of Health and Wellbeing Wolverhampton Business School School of Sport, Performing Arts and Leisure

8. Learning Works: Refocusing the Curriculum Aims • Focused on student need and demand • Supported by consistently good teaching • Underpinned by effective resources, physical and virtual • Integrated with technology To improve the student experience

9. Opportunities of LW for staff development • Building up communication channels • Shifting perception of BLU • Access to discipline-based module teams

10. Questions from the floor

11. Approach 1: Building Blocks platform-related activity-based 'learner-centric'

12. Questions from the floor

13. Approach 2: Menu of Choice

14. Questions from the floor

15. Approach 3: BL weeks. • Whole-team intervention, entitled ‘Blended Learning Weeks’ • Migration of all BLU members • Pooling resources, knowledge and expertise.

16. The School of Art & Design • 30 staff attending sessions • Undergraduate and postgraduate teaching staff

17. The Wolverhampton Business School • 50 staff attended sessions • Undergraduate and postgraduate teaching staff • An undergraduate BL week followed by a postgraduate BL week

18. Unexpected and exciting outcomes that have evidenced the weight of change within the University and individual Schools has been: • The staging of School ‘BL Festivals,’ in which staff showcase innovative practice for adoption by others.

19. Unexpected and exciting outcomes that have evidenced the weight of change within the University and individual Schools has been: • The staging of School ‘BL Festivals,’ in which staff showcase innovative practice for adoption by others. • The introduction of staff e-Mentors, supporting the development of early adopters.

20. Unexpected and exciting outcomes that have evidenced the weight of change within the University and individual Schools has been: • The staging of School ‘BL Festivals,’ in which staff showcase innovative practice for adoption by others. • The introduction of staff e-Mentors, supporting the development of early adopters. • The development of School-specific BL strategies.

21. Unexpected and exciting outcomes that have evidenced the weight of change within the University and individual Schools has been: • The staging of School ‘BL Festivals,’ in which staff showcase innovative practice for adoption by others. • The introduction of staff e-Mentors, supporting the development of early adopters. • The development of School-specific BL strategies. • Ongoing relationships which were initially built with staff during the BL Weeks.

22. Unexpected and exciting outcomes that have evidenced the weight of change within the University and individual Schools has been: • The staging of School ‘BL Festivals,’ in which staff showcase innovative practice for adoption by others. • The introduction of staff e-Mentors, supporting the development of early adopters. • The development of School-specific BL strategies. • On-going relationships which were initially built with staff during the BL Weeks. • Building new relationships with other staff following the ‘ripple-effect’ of impact felt from the BL Weeks.

23. Unexpected and exciting outcomes that have evidenced the weight of change within the University and individual Schools has been: • The staging of School ‘BL Festivals,’ in which staff showcase innovative practice for adoption by others. • The introduction of staff e-Mentors, supporting the development of early adopters. • The development of School-specific BL strategies. • Ongoing relationships which were initially built with staff during the BL Weeks. • Building new relationships with other staff following the ‘ripple-effect’ of impact felt from the BL Weeks. • The continued engagement of staff already adopting blended approaches to learning and teaching and also the engagement of academics for whom blended learning is a new approach.

24. Questions from the floor

25. Challenges • Resistance • Sharing • Fear

26. Engaging staff in Blended Learning: lessons learnt • Enhance • Unpack • Integrate • Trust • Understanding • Buy-in

27. Questions from the floor

29. Conclusion • Constant reviewing • Reflective and reflexive nature • Embedding numerous factors

30. Questions from the floor

32. Rachel Challen r.k.challen2@wlv.ac.uk Jon Rhodes j.rhodes2@wlv.ac.uk Paul Towers Paul.towers@wlv.ac.uk