Technology enhanced learning environments refers to the specialist area that encompasses virtual and physical technology enhanced learning environments (incorporating physical learning spaces, institutional virtual learning environments, personalised learning environments and mobile and immersive learning environments). Aim: To explore and develop effective practice in the delivery of flexible, seamless and personalised services to learners, focussing on the technological interface between the learner and their learning environment
TELE definitions: Detailed overview of the context and definition for the 4 key areas
Recently published JISC funded studies/reports
Current studies
JISC work-to-date
Although it has not previously been referred to as TELE, JISC has already undertaken and is undertaking work that is covered by this activity area. A table has been compiled which brings together current and recently funded JISC projects and other related activities, including workshops, reviews and other outputs. This maps the activites against the three e-Learning Programme cross cutting themes of Strategy & Policy, Learning & Teaching Practice and Technology & Standards and against the key areas of personalised/ institutional learning environments, mobile & immersive learning environments and physical learning spaces in the technology enhanced learning environment activity area. Some of the projects/activities appear within more than one cross-cutting theme, as it was found that they encompass more than one theme. The mapping allows us to evaluate potential gaps in provision as well as providing a useful overview.
TELE work-to-date table
Priority areas
Please note that a range of individuals are still being consulted to inform the priorities identified below, therefore these should not be seen as a definitive ‘final’ list of priorities for this activity area.
Strategy and policy
Planning for the learning spaces of the future
Challenge
As institutions become better at supporting adaptive technologies and the range of technologies used by students increase, institutions are going to need to gain a better understanding of how to develop, alter and design the spaces within their institutions (not just classrooms and designated learning areas). This will enable the institutional environment (in the physical sense) to most effectively utilise and support the technologies that users will require and those that users bring with them to the institutional context.
Approach
JISC has funded a number of activities in this area, including the publication Designing Space for Effective Learning, which provides a good background into thinking around how to design classrooms or designated learning spaces, this is providing a good starting point. Building on this publication, four workshops were held in partnership with the Higher Education Academy and JISC InfoNet concerning designing technology-enabled learning spaces. JISC is also currently funding a review of the management of technology-rich open plan learning and teaching spaces in HE and FE, which is due to report (and produce guidelines) during August 2007. Additionally, JISC InfoNet have just launched the Planning and Designing Technology-rich Learning Spaces Infokit, which adds further to the body of knowledge in this area.
Institutions as service providers
Challenge
The transition from the more traditional role of an institution as a system provider to service provider (supporting user-owned technologies and tools) will inevitably impact on the policy and strategies of institutions, as well as their culture, in order for them to manage such a transition. Furthermore, institutions need to understand, and be able to put into context, the institutional risks associated with the use of web 2.0 technologies.
Approach
JISC is funding a small group of pilot projects (user-owned technology demonstrators) that in addition to piloting the support of user-owned technologies will also be evaluating the impact of this upon the institution. The outputs of the pilot projects will feedback to the JISC team. It is also hoped that the Learner Experience projects will also have some valuable input in this area. However, more work is needed in this area and the issue of risks associated with web 2.0 technologies is not likely to be particularly well covered by either of these two sets of projects.
Quantifying the value of Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs)
Challenge
To justify the investment (both in terms of time and money) in VLEs, institutions need to be able to evaluate the value for money that using and supporting such a system provides (e.g. as an effective was to manage and administer courses, track students and deliver content).
Approach
JISC currently funding a CAMEL -style study, which includes an analysis of the cost/benefit of VLEs to institutions.
Learning and teaching practice
Learners and their technology
Challenge
Students are using, and bringing into institutions, an increasing variety of personal devices (mobiles, PDAs, mp3 players, portable gamestations) and web 2.0 technologies. Therefore there is a need for institutions to have a much better understanding of these technologies and tools, and how their students are using them.
Approach
To understand what support the learners need in relation to the technologies they are using, there needs to be a dialogue with the learner. JISC has recently funded two key strands that should help address some of these issues – the Learner Experiences of e-Learning (LEX) projects - they will investigate the role that technology plays in individual learners’ journeys through further and/or higher education. The projects will be gathering learner experiences of e-learning across a range of disciplines, levels of study and types of technology. In addition, the user-owned technology demonstrator projects will also be of value here, as they are piloting the use of user-owned technologies within their institutions.
Technology and standards
Personalisation and service delivery
Challenge
Currently many institutions provide learning management systems, which are proprietary, requiring the learner to learn how to use them and adapt what they do in order to fit with the requirements of the system. With personalisation emerging as a key driver for UK educational institutions, the growth of web 2.0 technologies and portable personal devices, institutions are going to need to move away from being system providers to becoming providers of services to their learners. In particular there is an increasing need to respond to learner-led personalisation, i.e. accessibility provision and support for the learner e.g. to create, write, collaborate and direct content and activity within the contexts of their own choosing (dynamic personalisation). In addition, to support greater flexibility required there is a need to comply with service-orientated architecture and the JISC e-Framework, the challenge here is to move towards a more flexible service-orientated approach that can support greater diversity of technologies and applications.
Approach
Institutions need to be supported to use their existing technologies in new and innovative ways to aid the transition from system provider to service provider. In the current Capital Call, JISC is funding five user-owned technology demonstrator projects to develop and pilot interfaces that can work between learner-owned technologies and institutional systems and will investigate the issues that arise. In addition, it is also expected that the Use of Web 2.0 technologies study, commissioned by the Information Environment Programme Team, and the forthcoming UCISA VLE survey will both be gathering information, which will provide useful information on the use of user-owned/social software by students and the pressing issues emerging. The service orientated approach in compliance with the JISC e-Framework will also help to support this greater diversity of software applications and services.
Interoperability of systems and services
Challenge
Many learning management systems used by institutions do not easily integrate (if at all) with the other systems that are in use within institutions, for example library resources, student records, etc. To increase the value of the learning management systems in use, this lack of interoperability across systems needs to change.
Approach
JISC is already actively involved in the e-Framework and is very supportive of a SOA approach. Several projects and toolkits have been funded in the area of interoperability in support of this wider approach.