Hi

In my opinion, and following a number of years trying to do it, the key
to moving staff down the e-learning road (vle or non-vle) is by
identifying levers for change. Management may be driven by inspection,
quality issues, cost saving; teaching colleagues may be driven by
pedagogy, but are often driven by more mundane issues such as making
assessment easier to manage, managing large groups of students,
reducing bureaucracy and so on; support groups (e.g. libraries, staff
dev., student services) are driven by wider issues - key skills,
accessibility etc. etc. Technology has a role to play in all of these
issues potentially, but often it's not in the elegant and visionary way
in which originally thought - for every departmental 'champion' doing
great things (and more power to them..) there are many more staff who
would be convinced by a much 'dirtier' solution that changes what they
do, for the better..

Quite often it's a case of identifying what these issues are and acting
accordingly - there are a range of tactical methods for achieving
engagement but I  have always felt that finding out where a department
or staff grouping are really going is the only way of really unlocking
strategic planning. Institutionally, these issues can be even more
complex, particularly if you are on the inside, but if you can step
back from day to day issues, it's well worth it.

Anyway, good luck!

best rgds

simonf


On 30 Jun 2004, at 15:03, Geoff Minshull wrote:

> At 13:01 30/06/2004 +0100, Mandy Elkerton said:
>> Hi everyone,
>>
>> We are slowly phasing in Learnwise at Birkenhead Sixth Form College,
>> and are
>> trying to 'sell it' to our teaching staff. I was wondering whether
>> anyone
>> had any examples of how they had successfully engaged some (more
>> reluctant)
>> staff to embrace using the VLE, or examples of what hasn't really
>> worked?
>>
>> Any suggestions or examples very gratefully received!
>
> The publication resulting from the VLE online conference earlier in the
> year should be available imminently (i.e. a week or two, I'm promised).
> Much of that deals with staff development. We'll notify the list when
> it
> can be downloaded.
>
> Geoff Minshull
> Direct Learn Training
> Main web site:   http://www.directlearn.co.uk/
> Online conference site: http://www.online-conference.net
> Tel:   01629 540386
> Mob: 0771 264 7600
>
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>

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