Lessons Learned

What are the lessons learned from the project?

The overall approach was collaboration, collaboration, collaboration between the regional Universities and FE Colleges, and within these groups between learning technologists, educationalists, administrators, executives, managers. This allowed the project to reprioritise quickly and decisively when it became clear that the original plan was no longer the most appropriate.

The experience of the project made clear that the main issues were not just technical, but were about pedagogy, organisation and governance.

The project demonstrated that e-portfolio data can be transferred between systems and institutions and there is more work required to ensure that no data is lost in the process, and to ensure the processes are compatible with other e-portfolio tools, both open source and commercial.

The project however, was much too short to bring all the necessary negotiations and relationship-building required to deliver a project of this magnitude. There was also insufficient engagement with FE partners, with their very different needs and worldviews.

A clear message

e-Learning projects aren't just about e, or even just about e-student-learning. At their most effective, they are (in very good ways) highly disruptive. They throw up the need for organisational change: changes to governance; changes in the roles of many staff and the consequent need for staff development; changes to pedagogy , the curriculum, and the consequent need for educational development support; changes to the student's 'contract' with their university or college; even changes to learning spaces (build another lecture room or more quiet and noisy study spaces, or install wifi everywhere or more servers?) If they are to deliver maximum effect, e-learning projects must accept and embrace all of these areas, and no doubt others.

Building effective regional collaboration needs time and a particular project or focus, or (perhaps better) an evolving sequence of projects and foci/infrastructure/services over time. Projects provide a jolt of energy and resources, and sweep in new people, and achieve valuable short- to medium-term progress. Foci (e.g. NorMAN) underpin regional projects and give sustainability. We are not sure that we yet have the most productive relationships between 'projects' and 'foci/infrastructure/services'.