John Casey's recommended article fitted our context to a T - reingineering
education inevitably seems to involve reenigineering the institution that
supports it. Unless this is already underway, and strongly championed for
some other purposes, the requests for new online registration procedures etc
on which success will depend are going to take too long, and generate
serious opposition.
There is an interesting parallell in organisations making their services
web-accessible through e-business prtals and so forth. Typically the
technology is designed without a real understanding of how this will change
the natire of the business processes, and the roles of those who manage
them. It is then stalled as it becomes apparent that the business processes
need to be overhauled to fit this new medium, or take advantage of new
opportunities Staff start to register objections to incompatabilities with
their business needs, or lobby for changes(more redesign!) they prefer.
Typically this involves more delay, more money, more complex redesign and
growing dissatisfaction and political intrigue.If this sounds
familiar........
----- Original Message -----
From: John Casey {Information Servic <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, May 22, 2002 9:48 AM
Subject: Re: Networked e-learning manifesto
> Hi Folks
> I have been following the discussion in silence - agreeing with much of
what
> has been said.
>
> Some of you may be interested in this article about the unexpected effects
> of elearning activities on institutions - might be useful. It has
certainly
> accorded with my experience of elearning so far as a designer and support
> worker, and has given me useful ammunition to fire at the asssorted
> carpet-baggers and snake-oil salement that seem to inhabit the elearning
> bubble.
>
> http://www.ariadne.ac.uk/issue24/virtual-universities/
>
> "Theory and Practice of the Virtual University" Neil Pollock & James
Cornford report on UK universities use of new
> technologies
>
> All the Best
> John
>
> John Casey
> Instructional Designer / Multimedia Developer
> Dept. of Film and Media
> University of Stirling
> FK9 4LA
> Tel:+44 1786 466224
> Fax:+44 1786 466855
> e-mail:[log in to unmask]
>
> > ----------
> > From: Jenny Ure
> > Reply To: Networked Learning in Higher Education
> > Sent: Wednesday, May 22, 2002 1:41 am
> > To: [log in to unmask]
> > Subject: Re: Networked e-learning manifesto
> >
> > > 'diverted' into these admittedly very important practical aspects and
> > away
> > from
> > > some of the underlying beliefs and educational philosophy that is
> > reflected in
> > > the manifesto. >
> >
> > In reply to Vivien -
> >
> > I think most people would share the underlying philosophy hence the lack
> > of
> > controversy!
> > My concern was that people developing these systems focus initially (as
we
> > did) on
> > the underlying educational needs, only to find no-one has planned in
> > advance
> > for a budget for the
> > additional computers, support staff, training etc, and the experience of
> > Canadian Universities
> > outlined by Tony Bates underlines this as a factor in the failure of
> > netowrked technology to meet expectations in some quarters.
> >
> > (PS I am neither technical nor practical as my ex colleagues (KW?)
> > will attest - but have been forced to recognise the impact of such
> > practical
> > factors on the
> > educational potential of these systems in other projects)
> >
> >
> --
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