Dear Rod
Given that we work in neighbouring universities and that, in the past, I have
been involved in delivering management courses to health care professionals, I
read your email on the e-university with particular interest.
I have mixed feelings on this issue. While I support the improvements that
technology can make to the student learning environment, I am concerned that
its major role will be, in practice, to reduce contact between tutors and
learners. In view of the continued importance attached by employers etc to the
development of interpersonal skills, I feel that further reductions in the
already limited time we have with learners would be retrograde step. That said,
I am not a Luddite and I am keen to embrace e-learning initiatives where they
genuinely add value. I am currently getting a project off the ground which
involves the development of an e-learning application for first year
undergraduates in business and public sector studies.
I am very much in agreement with your comment about changes in staff roles.
Another dimension of this is the interface between academic staff and those
with the technical expertise (eg web designers). I am not sure that we yet have
the shared vision and mutual understanding across professional boundaries to
make collaboration as effective as it will need to be.
On a personal note, one problem I find is making sufficient time available to
keep abreast of developments on the technological front. There is always the
danger that this will be at the expense of ones subject expertise. I would be
interested in hearing how others are coping with this dilemma.
Best wishes.
Roger
[log in to unmask] writes:
>Hi all,
>
>Following Alison's encouragement;
>
>>to the many list members who haven't
>> introduced themselves to send a short introduction and suggest some topics
>> for debate.
>
>I'm a lecturer in Nursing at Sheffield University teaching
>undergraduate, postgraduate and continuing professional development
>courses, modules and study days as part of a team focusing on nursing
>informatics.
>
>We have students from a very wide range of backgrounds and with widely
>varying qualifications and experience ( and also very large numbers of
>students). I have been using a variety of on-line teaching methods, and
>software tools, both for face to face full time courses, and various
>open and distance learning initiatives.
>
>Since August 50% of my time has been working on a HEFCE funded project
>as part of the Resources Discovery Network (RDN) http://www.rdn.ac.uk/
>developing a gateway to high quality internet resources for Nurses,
>Midwives and Allied Health Professionals (NMAHP). This will form part of
>the BIOME hub http://biome.ac.uk/ and specifically integrate with OMNI
>http://omni.ac.uk/ "Your guide to quality Internet resources in health
>and medicine".
>
>Further info, CV etc. available from http://www.rodspace.co.uk
>
>In today's Guardian there is a feature on current initiatives towards a
>British e-university which discusses both pedagogical and organisational
>issues. Particular challenges are highlighted to current university's
>assessment models and range of tools to truly encompass technology based
>courses. I do not feel enough emphasis is given in the piece to changes
>in staff roles, as online navigator and counselor, as well as course
>developer, for electronic learning.
>
>The full text of the article is at:
>http://www.educationunlimited.co.uk/higher/story/0,5500,379675,00.html
>
>It is written by Tim O'Shea, Provost of Gresham College and trails his
>inaugural lecture "New Technologies for the New Learning" at 6pm
>tomorrow (Weds Oct. 11) http://www.gresham.ac.uk - it would be nice if
>this lecture were available as some sort of webcast - to use the
>technology rather than just talking about using it !
>
>There are complimentary articles by Donald MacLeod pointing out the
>reluctance of leading universities to participate at:
>http://www.educationunlimited.co.uk/news/story/0,5500,379950,00.html
>and an idea of how it might work & the sorts of courses and students at:
>http://www.educationunlimited.co.uk/higher/story/0,5500,380138,00.html
>
>The HEFCE press release is at:
>http://www.hefce.ac.uk/news/default.asp?Page=HEFCE/2000/euniv2
>and from there the 2 reports being announced today can be downloaded
>
>Further information about the e-University is available at:
>http://www.hefce.ac.uk/Partners/euniv/
>
>I would be interested to know the thoughts of list members on the
>implications for these proposals for learning & teaching in the UK and
>anything about the progress of the ILT in preparing & supporting it's
>members through this transition.
>
>
>
>
>--
>Cheers
>Rod
>[log in to unmask]
L
>ecturer, School of Nursing & Midwifery, University of Sheffield
>http://www.rodspace.co.uk
>
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