Start date: 1 April 2000
End date: 28 February 2001
Funding programme: JISC Organisational Support programme
JISC theme(s): e-Administration
The learning technology career development scoping study was undertaken by
a team from the Institute for Learning and Research Technology, University
of Bristol, University of Plymouth and University of Glamorgan, funded by
the JISC CALT. The study investigated the roles, skills and activities of
learning technology staff in the UK and the impact of learning technologies
are having on institutions. The study used an institutional audit
methodology to gather the data and allow people across an institution to
work together to examine their progress and development of learning
technology and the people involved in this.
The original study was funded by the JISC between 2000 and 2001. Follow up
funding has been provided until 31 March 2003. The follow up funding was
provided to write a series of briefing papers targeted at different HE
audiences, for example, academic staff, librarians, managers of learning
technology staff. Each of the briefing papers presents findings from
the very substantial study which are of particular relevance to each
audience. These briefing papers are available here. In
addition, the original methodological tools have been reviewed and reworked
and are available though the ELTI
project to assist institutions in undertaking institutional audits to
inform the process of embedding learning technologies, assist in developing
institutional structures, culture and expertise and to encourage cross
boundary collaboration and groupings.
Available Outcomes
A series of briefing papers have been written to disseminate the findings
of this major study to key audiences in higher education. These
papers are available as attachements at the foot of this page. The
available papers are listed here:
-
A senior management briefing paper
-
Learning Technology: Key implications for Educational Developers
-
Learning Technology: Key implications for Learning Technology Staff
-
Learning Technology: Key implications for Library Staff
-
Learning Technology: Key implications for Managers of Learning Technology
Specialists and Heads of Personnel
-
Learning Technology: Key implications for IT Services Staff
-
Learning Technology: Key implications for Academic Staff
-
About the ELTI institutional audit methodology
Full Report
The full report from the study is available as well as the executive
summary as an attachment.
In addition to these briefing papers, the original audit methodology has
been piloted with other institutions and is now available through
the ELTI
project .
Aims and Objectives
The Objectives of the Scoping Study were:
1. to describe the various staff functions and activities associated
with the embedding, development and support of learning technologies in HE;
2. to describe the different categories of staff to whom these
functions and activities are typically devolved;
3. to audit the number of staff in each of the categories across a
representative range of UK HEIs;
4. to reveal patterns of staff recruitment and deployment across the
audited institutions and, where possible, relate these to critical
institutional factors;
5. to produce a number of case studies providing a rich picture of the
roles and responsibilities of individual staff members within each of the
categories identified, and across a range of different HEIs;
6. to make recommendations for further areas of study and strategic
focus by the JISC CALT;
7. to provide guidelines for institutions on staff recruitment,
deployment and development for effective support of ICT for learning and
teaching.
8. to provide a picture of the strategic institutional and human
resource environment in which UK HE institutions are employing and
deploying learning technology staff.
The objective of the follow up funding were to:
9. to consult with original study participants on the final report and
recommendations
10. to further refine the data and audit tools.