1.2. Where are we now?

Whilst the concept of an MLE appears to offer solutions to a wide range of our problems, it is evident that there is still no clear model for either technical integration nor organisational change; this is new territory for everyone, and the complexity of the task and the implications for organisations are rarely fully recognized. However a number of lessons have been learned by pioneering projects in the field, resulting in the problem domain becoming better defined.

The first phase of implementation projects funded by the JISC are complete, and they have produced a rich range of experiences and materials, which can be seen as the outcomes of a process of action research. A number of studies and reports were commissioned alongside the JISC funded projects themselves to observe the process and draw out the lessons being learned. Very often the most valuable lessons may be those where things did not go to plan but capturing these important insights may involve risks to those prepared to be open about this. It is therefore a tribute to these pioneers that they have often been so generous with their experience and reflections.

A key study was Jos Boys' review for the JISC of the Building MLEs in HE programme which identified and summarised lessons learned, identified generic themes and provided a number of recommendations including a proposal that a guide should be produced which would capture the rich experience of the programme for the benefit of the wider community. This guide follows up on one of her recommendations:

'MLE development inherently demands a level of cross-institution collaboration and commitment far beyond other ICT projects. It is thus essential that the HE/FE sector both has guidance on the implications of MLE development in terms of organisational, pedagogic and technical re-structuring, and that any future projects are more firmly embedded in their institutions from the start.'

(Boys 2002)