JISC infoNet - Teaching and learning practice

8.2. Teaching and Learning Practice

This section and the next address questions of course design and pedagogy and how the the development and delivery of quality e-learning experiences can be organised and embedded into the practice of educators, support staff and learners as part of the use of an MLE.

This section addresses questions of:

How can new methods of course structuring, delivery and assessment be approached?
How can staff embed new pedagogic approaches into their practice?
How can new methods of assessment be embedded?
How can learners integrate the use of MLEs into their experience?
These two sections are the only place in in the MLE infoKit where issues of Teaching and Learning are discussed in any depth. However this does not mean that the editors of the infoKit do not recognise that teaching and learning are the centrally important activities - the issues involved are well discussed elsewhere and some of the resources in these sections will help follow up such issues. Sadly, much evidence indicates that pedagogic innovation and/or novel approaches to assessment in the use of MLEs/e-learning is the exception rather than the rule.

Enhancing the quality of teaching and learning is the key driver, identified by almost every institution, for MLE development. However, the reality appears to be that the student experience is being enhanced through improved delivery of teaching materials and course announcements, improved access to learning resources and better communication. Pedagogical issues are not (yet) a part of this, and, indeed, appear to have been of secondary concern until now. (JISC MLE Study Report, 2003)

Much of the following discussion refers to VLEs rather than MLEs. It is important to remember that an MLE is a host of interworking systems (some software, some manual) which provide management of the overall process of managing learning in all its aspects, whereas a VLE is (usually) a single software system designed to provide for the management, facilitation and delivery of the actual learning process.

When considering the embedding of MLEs in teaching and learning practice, you should perhaps ask the following question:

'Are we seeking to make the use of an MLE embedded in the sense of getting staff and students to see them as merely a natural extension of traditional practice, or do we wish to use our MLE as an agent to effect real innovation in teaching and learning practice, regardless of whether delivery is 'e', blended or traditional?'

If you are content to see your MLE used just to reflect traditional teaching and learning practice, you should first question if you are doing it to get staff on board and then ask if what you want to embed in your institution is a culture which is content to ignore new practices in teaching and learning.

When staff DO successfully address novel pedagogies when using a VLE, they can find that it has real impact on their traditional practice. Indeed this is perhaps an indication that embedding has started to take place.

Much useful information on computer aided assessment is available from such sites as the CAA Centre, but remember that computer-aided does NOT equate to innovative, and there is a wealth of innovative assessment practice that can be incorporated into the use of MLEs albeit not necessarily automated.

Ultimately getting learners to adopt new approaches and integrate them into their learning experience will require first that staff do the same. This involves cultural change and will be linked to staff development and internal sharing of good practice.

8.2.1. Management of Teaching & Learning

This part raises issues around the various institutional policies and processes covering the creation and conduct of courses, including such questions as:

8.2.2. New Courses

Most institutions have some form of mechanism for dealing with 'I've got an idea for a new course'. Questions you might want to consider in the context of MLEs/e-learning include:

How do you know there is a demand for the course?
What additional documentation is needed for the validation?
What service levels should apply?
How can you assess intended learning strategies?

8.2.3. Courses changing to e-Delivery

This can be a very difficult issue. Most institutions have procedures to be followed when a course changes its learning strategies, mode of delivery or learning outcomes.

How much of a change to, or introduction of, e-learning or e-resources will require a course review, re-validation or re-approval?

8.2.4. Quality Assurance

You now need to address the questions:

How will you quality assure 'e'courses?
What does the QA need to cover?
To what extent do 'e' courses impose additional QA effort?

8.2.5. New Approaches to Course Structure, Delivery mode, Calendar & Timetable

These issues can impose considerable challenges to institutional administrative procedures. e-learning tends to break down the convenient system of categorising and administering courses adopted by most institutions by:

Breaking the distinction between full and part-time courses
Leading to courses which operate on start and finish dates outside the organisational rhythm of the institution
Offering roll-on and roll-off courses with no clear cohorts
Confusing the distinction between awards, credit bearing, non-credit bearing and commercial courses

The use of e-learning for consortium courses such as Foundation Degrees compounds these problems even further. These issues are explored further in the section on Administrative issues.

8.2.6. Assessment

The use and administration of CAA (Computer Aided Assessment) is well discussed on a number of websites. Areas which can be more problematic arise when MLEs/VLEs are used to collect and administer traditional assessments such as written essays, projects and examinations. Some areas you might want to consider are:

How will blind marking be done?
How do you confirm authorship of material submitted?
What additional mitigating circumstances might arise?
What is the role of external examiners in this context?
How do you administer assessments (and exam boards) for roll-on roll-off courses?

These issues are discussed further in the section on Supporting Course development and Delivery.

8.2.7. Course Monitoring and Teaching Quality

Here, there are questions to address such as:

What course content, student activity and evidence of learning do you need to retain?
In what form will you retain such material, and for how long?
How will the course be evaluated by learners and tutors?
Do you have a common evaluation approach across the institution?
How will you present your e-learning course for inspection/teaching assessment?
How will you assess teaching quality internally - for example how does one practice peer observation for e-learning?

Advice on addressing these can be found in the Key Resources for this section

Follow this link for key resources for this section (these open in a new window)

Follow this link for more resources for this section (these open in a new window)

Creating an MLE