infoKit Pathfinder
Manager
This pathway aims to guide managers carrying out a number of different roles within the institution and is primarily aimed at those with administrative and budgetary responsibilities. If you are responsible for Student Administration, Library/Learning Resources or IT then this pathway will highlight key issues for your area. If you are a senior manager responsible for curriculum development or academic quality then your pathway is more likely to be similar to that of the Advanced User because you will need to keep abreast of theory and practice in using a VLE as an integral feature of the academic programme. The pathways do however converge when we come to consider issues of the sustainability of e-learning developments. We are assuming that you come to this with a clear idea of where e-learning sits within your overall learning and teaching strategy and sustainability is of course key to a strategic approach.
We suggest you start your journey with the following sections:
| Main Heading | Sub Heading | Section | |
| Introduction to VLEs | Virtual Learning Environments | Tools in a VLE | Gives you on overview of the types of tool available in a typical VLE. This will help you understand what types pf activity your staff may be supporting now or in the future and you may even find some uses for the tools in your own area. |
| Different VLEs | Gives an overview of the types of VLE available both from commercial vendors and open source developments. There are a lot of useful resources here for anyone contemplating moving to a new system. | ||
| Advantages for tutors | This section considers the ways in which tutors support the learning process in the broadest sense so it considers how the VLE might impact administrative processes as well as teaching practice. | ||
| Using a VLE | This section covers a number of problem scenarios where a VLE may help provide a solution and may be of interest to Library and Learning Resources managers whose staff may give direct support in some of these scenarios. | ||
| Approaches to Course Design with Technology | Theories of learning and teaching | This is background material but it may be interesting reading for those outside the academic community if (only to see how things have moved on since you were a student). | |
| Models of learning and teaching | This is background material but it may be interesting reading for those outside the academic community if (only to see how things have moved on since you were a student). | ||
| Special Educational Needs | All managers need to be aware of their institution's statutory obligations regarding special needs and this section gives an overview of the legislative requirements. | ||
| Making VLEs Accessible | Gives some practical examples of good practice in preparing materials for use by students. It will be of interest to a range of IT and Learning Resource staff as much of the good practice is of wider applicability. | ||
| Moving Forward | Available Resources | This section is of particular relevance to Library and Learning Resources staff as it highlights some widely available resources and discusses the copyright and IPR issues involved. | |
| e-Assessment | What do we need to consider? | Policy Considerations | This and the following section will be of particular interest to IT managers and may also be of relevance to those managing the examination process. |
| Practical Considerations | |||
| Interoperability and Re-usability | Library/Learning Resource managers should be aware of the different types of 'question bank' available and IT managers need to understand the issues involved in reusing these materials. | ||
| Designing for Sustainability | Resource Authoring & Sharing | Digital Learning Resources | This and the following section are of relevance to Library/Learning Resource managers as they highlight a range of digital resources that can be used in an institutional VLE. The resources include materials freely available from bodies such as JISC and well as those requiring some form of subscription. |
| Types of Resource | |||
| Finding Resources | Again of particular interest to Library/Learning Resource managers this section considers the issue of resource quality. | ||
| Digital Repositories | Institutions making large-scale use of a VLE may find that resources are best managed in a searchable database or digital repository. IT and Library/Learning Resource managers need to understand the purpose and functions of a digital repository in order to identify the most appropriate solution for their own needs. There is more on this topic in Managing for Sustainability - System Requirements. | ||
| Reusing, Sourcing and Managing resources | Reusable resources need to be correctly described and not bound to specific contexts. This section will help Library/Learning Resource staff understand how to develop and manage such resources. | ||
| Managing for Sustainability | If e-learning is to play a part in your learning and teaching strategy then developments in this area must be sustainable. Much depends on good course design but this is a management as well as a pedagogic issue. This section is recommended for all senior managers as it identifies tools that can be used to assess the risks and benefits of e-learning developments and ways in which you might go about managing the organisational change involved. |
Next Steps:
If your VLE becomes a core tool underpinning your learning and teaching strategy then the chances are you will soon begin to think about joining it up to other core IT systems and this will necessitate looking at your supporting business processes. This type of integration is often known as a Managed Learning Environment (MLE). If your institution is progressing in this direction you may want to look at the infoKit on 'Creating an MLE'.
