Lessons Learned

What are the lessons learned from the project?

It was very difficult to get work-based mentor buy-in. If workplace mentor participation was absent it didn't prevent valuable communication and oversight by tutors from taking place. It become clear that there was potential to hamper the development of Elgg as an important 'reflective and analytical tool if its use was over emphasised or restricted by requiring involvement of a third party, external, work-based mentor.

In training, emphasis had been placed on the use of the blog for specific modules of courses. It was an unintended consequence that in some cases when the module was complete, activity in Elgg stopped.

The initial project members came from a culture that was comfortable with the use of technology. The project failed to fully understand however that the project involved real cultural change for other groups.

Initially the Project relied too much on goodwill and enthusiasts; this is great but it is important to widen the base of expertise and motivate others as soon as possible.

One course dropped out of the project as a result of a tutor, who had been particularly supportive of the project, leaving and no other tutor on the course feeling able to pick up the use of Elgg. This highlights the need for team rather than individual involvement. Training must be given to whole course teams rather than just the enthusiastic individual volunteer.

Several staff changes in another course impacted upon the progress of the project. Reflecting on this at the end of the project the Project Team appreciated that some of the seeds for subsequent problems were sown by allowing the pilot to draw from too narrow a base.

Initial training should go beyond simply showing how to use the technology.

The Project regretted having to use the term 'social networking' but it is rather easier than 'computer mediated communication' and so the team looks forward to the development of better terminology.

It is important to survey both staff and student skills and provide the necessary support.

For most students the problems were not with the technology but with reflection itself.

Some interesting lessons were learned about user acceptance - tutor attitude is key to students' acceptance.

The project team believes that it overstressed the advantages of the blog when communicating with academic staff and this may have underlined the assumed relationship with social networking sites.

Students need practice on how to comment on others work - but this may not be necessary for all courses.

Feedback from lecturer to student is vital.

It is important to manage expectations - many students were disappointed to discover that Elgg was not like other social networking sites!

Guidelines are needed about student behaviour on and course expectations of the forum.