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Online Learning and its Users: Lessons for Higher Education
Online Learning and its Users: Lessons for Higher Education
Online Learning and its Users: Lessons for Higher Education
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Online Learning and its Users: Lessons for Higher Education

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Online Learning and Its Users: Lessons for Higher Education re-examines the impact of learning technologies in higher education. The book focuses particularly on the introduction and mainstreaming of one of the most widely used, the virtual learning environment (VLE) or learning management system (LMS). The book presents an activity theoretic analysis of the VLE’s adoption, drawing on research into this process at a range of higher education institutions. Through analysis and discussion of the activities of managers, lecturers, and learners using the VLE, lessons are identified to inform future initiatives including the implementation of massive open online courses (MOOCs). A replicable research design is included and explained to support evaluation and analysis of the use of online learning in other settings. The book questions accepted views of the place of technologies in higher education, arguing that there has been a repeated cycle of hype and disappointment accompanying the development of online learning. While much research has documented this cycle, finding new strategies to break it has proved to be a more difficult challenge. Why has technology not made more impact? Are lecturers going to be left behind by their own students in the use of digital technologies? Why have we seen costly and time-consuming failures? This book argues that we can answer these questions by heeding the lessons from previous experiences with the VLE and early iterations of the MOOC. More importantly, we can begin to ask new and different questions for the future to ensure better outcomes for our institutions and ultimately our learners.

  • Presents institution-wide analysis of the adoption of a key educational technology for higher education, validated across multiple sites, to support deeper understanding of the use of learning technologies in context
  • Describes Activity Theory and presents a replicable model to operationalise it for investigations of the use of online learning in higher education and other settings
  • Provides a unique perspective on the historical experience of VLE adoption and mainstreaming to identify important insights and essential lessons for the future
LanguageEnglish
Release dateApr 25, 2016
ISBN9780081006337
Online Learning and its Users: Lessons for Higher Education
Author

Claire McAvinia

Claire McAvinia is a Learning Development Officer at the Learning, Teaching and Technology Centre (LTTC) in Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT), Ireland. Her current role involves teaching on DIT’s Postgraduate Diploma in Third Level Learning and Teaching, MSc in Applied eLearning and MA in Higher Education, also contributing to CPD modules and academic development workshops, curriculum development, research, and supervision of Master’s and doctoral students. Claire has worked as an educational technologist and academic developer in Ireland and the UK since 1998, gaining extensive experience in the integration of new technologies in teaching and learning in a wide range of settings. She holds a BA in French and English from Trinity College Dublin, and MA in Applied Language Studies from the University of Kent. Claire has completed Postgraduate Certificates in education at University College London and the UK Open University, and was awarded her Doctor of Philosophy from Trinity College Dublin in 2011.

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    Online Learning and its Users - Claire McAvinia

    Online Learning and its Users

    Lessons for Higher Education

    C. McAvinia

    Table of Contents

    Cover image

    Title page

    Series Page

    Copyright

    List of Figures

    List of Tables

    About the Author

    Foreword

    Acknowledgment

    Introduction

    Reasons for Writing

    Aims and Scope

    A Note on the Study

    A Note on Terminology

    An Overview of This Book

    Chapter 1. Enter the VLE

    1.1. Introduction

    1.2. The Development of Online Learning in Higher Education

    1.3. Virtual Learning Environments

    1.4. How Has the Virtual Learning Environments Been Mainstreamed and Supported?

    1.5. Conclusion

    Chapter 2. Challenges and Disappointments

    2.1. Introduction: The Virtual Learning Environment at the Crossroads

    2.2. The Literature of Disappointment

    2.3. A History of Disappointment

    2.4. Explanations and Proposed Solutions

    2.5. Critiquing Disappointment: The Case of the Virtual Learning Environment

    2.6. Conclusion

    Chapter 3. Activity Theory

    3.1. Introduction

    3.2. What Is Activity Theory?

    3.3. Important Concepts in Activity Theory

    3.4. What Is the Relationship of Activity Theory to E-Learning?

    3.5. Operationalising and Applying Activity Theory

    3.6. Conclusions

    Chapter 4. Lessons for e-Learning Management and Support

    4.1. Introduction

    4.2. The Adoption and Mainstreaming of the Virtual Learning Environment: The Activities of Managers

    4.3. The Adoption and Mainstreaming of the Virtual Learning Environment: Activities of Central Supporters

    4.4. Discussion: Learning from Contradictions

    4.5. Conclusion

    Chapter 5. Lessons for Teaching in Higher Education

    5.1. Introduction

    5.2. Lecturers’ Use of the Virtual Learning Environment

    5.3. Discussion: An Unshared Object Between Lecturers and Central Supporters

    5.4. Conclusion

    Chapter 6. Lessons From Our Learners

    6.1. Introduction

    6.2. Students’ Use of the Virtual Learning Environment

    6.3. Discussion: An Unshared Object Between Students and Lecturers

    6.4. Conclusions

    Chapter 7. Learning to Break the Cycle

    7.1. Introduction: Revisiting Contradictions and Unshared Objects

    7.2. The Story of the Virtual Learning Environment

    7.3. Identifying Points for Development

    7.4. Recasting the Debate About Online Learning in Higher Education

    7.5. Conclusion

    Chapter 8. Lessons for the Future – The VLE and the MOOC

    8.1. Introduction

    8.2. What Is the MOOC and What Is Its Significance?

    8.3. Does the MOOC Work?

    8.4. Modelling the MOOC

    8.5. Discussion

    8.6. What Can the Virtual Learning Environment Really Tell the MOOC?

    8.7. Conclusion

    Chapter 9. Conclusions

    9.1. Introduction

    9.2. Five Lessons for Higher Education

    9.3. Why It Matters

    9.4. Conclusion

    Index

    Series Page

    Chandos Information Professional Series

    Series Editor: Ruth Rikowski

    (email: Rikowskigr@aol.com)

    Chandos’ new series of books is aimed at the busy information professional. They have been specially commissioned to provide the reader with an authoritative view of current thinking. They are designed to provide easy-to-read and (most importantly) practical coverage of topics that are of interest to librarians and other information professionals. If you would like a full listing of current and forthcoming titles, please visit www.chandospublishing.com.

    New authors: we are always pleased to receive ideas for new titles; if you would like to write a book for Chandos, please contact Dr Glyn Jones on g.jones.2@elsevier.com or telephone +44 (0) 1865 843000.

    Copyright

    Chandos Publishing is an imprint of Elsevier

    50 Hampshire Street, 5th Floor, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA

    The Boulevard, Langford Lane, Kidlington, OX5 1GB, UK

    Copyright © 2016 by C. McAvinia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

    No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Details on how to seek permission, further information about the Publisher’s permissions policies and our arrangements with organizations such as the Copyright Clearance Center and the Copyright Licensing Agency, can be found at our website: www.elsevier.com/permissions.

    This book and the individual contributions contained in it are protected under copyright by the Publisher (other than as may be noted herein).

    Notices

    Knowledge and best practice in this field are constantly changing. As new research and experience broaden our understanding, changes in research methods, professional practices, or medical treatment may become necessary.

    Practitioners and researchers must always rely on their own experience and knowledge in evaluating and using any information, methods, compounds, or experiments described herein. In using such information or methods they should be mindful of their own safety and the safety of others, including parties for whom they have a professional responsibility.

    To the fullest extent of the law, neither the Publisher nor the authors, contributors, or editors, assume any liability for any injury and/or damage to persons or property as a matter of products liability, negligence or otherwise, or from any use or operation of any methods, products, instructions, or ideas contained in the material herein.

    British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

    A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

    Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

    A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress

    ISBN: 978-0-08-100626-9

    For information on all Chandos Publishing publications visit our website at https://www.elsevier.com/

    Publisher: Glyn Jones

    Acquisition Editor: Glyn Jones

    Editorial Project Manager: Harriet Clayton

    Production Project Manager: Roshmi Joy

    Designer: Vicky Pearson Esser

    Typeset by TNQ Books and Journals

    List of Figures

    Figure 3.1 Engeström’s Extended Activity System (1987). 63

    Figure 3.2 Potentially shared and unshared Objects. 65

    Figure 3.3 Three mediated systems within one activity system as suggested by Kuutti (1996). 69

    Figure 3.4 The research design and data set. 91

    Figure 4.1 The formal stages leading to adoption of the virtual learning environment (VLE) in a higher education institution. 102

    Figure 4.2 The activity of selecting a virtual learning environment (VLE). 104

    Figure 4.3 The activity of supporting mainstreaming of the virtual learning environment (VLE). 108

    Figure 4.4 Different activities using technology, and enhancing teaching and learning (T&L). 110

    Figure 4.5 The activity of supporting mainstreaming of the virtual learning environment (VLE). 118

    Figure 4.6 The activity of reacting to departments’ needs. 124

    Figure 4.7 The activity of carving out credibility. 126

    Figure 5.1 The activity of teaching the language module efficiently. 147

    Figure 5.2 The activity of teaching the content module. 150

    Figure 5.3 Georgia’s Activity—publishing to foster student engagement with the course. 156

    Figure 5.4 Liz’s Activity—publishing to make a reading list accessible. 157

    Figure 5.5 Jo’s Activity—publishing to reduce stress on students. 159

    Figure 5.6 An unshared Object between Lecturers and Central Supporters. 161

    Figure 6.1 The activity of keeping up to date. 169

    Figure 6.2 The activity of undertaking and completing coursework. 172

    Figure 6.3 An unshared Object between students and lecturers. 184

    Figure 7.1 VLE activities, actions and operations. 192

    Figure 8.1 The activity of learning in the cMOOC. 217

    Figure 8.2 The activity of learning in the xMOOC. 217

    Figure 8.3 The activity of implementing the cMOOC. 219

    Figure 8.4 The activity of implementing the xMOOC. 219

    List of Tables

    Table 3.1 Students Participating in This Study 94

    Table 5.1 Attitudes Towards the VLE and Towards Increasing Use of the VLE, n = 30 144

    Table 6.1 What Did Students Expect to Find in the VLE? n = 56 167

    About the Author

    Claire McAvinia works as a Learning Development Officer at the Learning, Teaching & Technology Centre (LTTC) in Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT), Ireland. Her role involves teaching on and coordinating DIT’s Postgraduate Diploma in Third Level Learning and Teaching, and contributing to the MSc in Applied eLearning and MA in Higher Education, as well as the LTTC’s workshops, research, and developmental projects. Claire was previously Learning Technologist at Maynooth University, mainstreaming the adoption of a virtual learning environment across the institution, and managing a wide range of projects in teaching and learning. Before joining Maynooth in 2004, Claire worked in the United Kingdom at the University of Surrey and University College London, gaining extensive experience in the use of e-learning integrated with learning and teaching development. She holds a BA and PhD from Trinity College Dublin, an MA from the University of Kent, and postgraduate certificates in learning and teaching from University College London and the Open University. Her research interests are in curriculum design, the development of academic practice, Activity Theory, digital literacies and computer-assisted language learning.

    Foreword

    There is a reason why, at the end of many stories, the hero rides off into the sunset. It’s because staying would be hellish. After their work has been done, they would get in the way, disrupt the peace, remain discontent; and who could live with that?

    This book is important because it is not about heroes. Too much research in the field of educational technology has a hero, and typically, it’s the technology. The claims are grand; the stakes are high. Pantomime villains are lined up to be knocked down, often by fairly flimsy flourishes. People seem to go along with it all, though, because who doesn’t enjoy a rousing tale?

    The trouble is, research that valorises technology, research that grants it the power to determine educational futures, has relatively little to say about the everyday lives of the people who actually do education. The experiences of learners, teachers, managers and other professionals is much more complex than these tales of valour allow. The message of this book—that our institutions are living communities, not merely systems to be impacted by technology—is a salutary reminder not to lose sight of the realities of peoples’ experiences.

    This book is all about those realities. It is about what actually happens when technology is adopted in Higher Education. As a result, it gives us the stories we need, rather than the ones we might most enjoy. These stories are not always easy to hear: they call into question what matters to us, why we have made the choices (and mistakes) we have, and why we continue to make the same choices (and mistakes) over and over again, whether that be with Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs), MOOCs or some other new, shiny innovation.

    What is particularly wise about this work is that we know VLEs, and most of us are pretty clear: they’re not heroic. The wisdom of looking closely at this familiar, almost invisible technology, is that it is no longer so new and so shiny, and no longer blinds us to the actions of the people who make it, use it, struggle with it, reject it, and so on. As a result, studying VLEs allows us to understand change, and how people make those changes, rather than holding up technology as some kind of fetish, as if by purchasing it or taking out an institutional subscription, we could buy all the changes for which it has come to stand.

    There is, however, a subtle but important caveat. One nice point within this work hangs on the very idea that technology can come to stand for innovation. All of us who are responsible for education face the ongoing anxiety caused by the seemingly endless stream of unfamiliar, sometimes overwhelming, new developments. The radical promise of each new technology is hyped up, all the way to its inevitable collapse. The analysis here, however, reveals the ways in which institutions claim to be innovative simply by adopting a new system, even though teachers and students continue to use successful, tried-and-tested approaches, refusing to abandon everything they know works just so they can jump onto the latest pedagogic bandwagon. The literature in the field may hold a sense of disillusionment about the unfulfilled potential of technology, but this sleight of hand is a skillful and impressive achievement: it allows educators the space for pedagogic evolution while saving face for institutions that want to offer students a cutting-edge experience.

    To work, this rhetorical flourish relies on a wider trope in the educational technology literature: the idea that technology has revolutionised society. The printing press is dragged out time and time again as a point of comparison, positioned as an epoch-defining technology to persuade us that such things are possible. We all know that technological development has enabled global communication; intensified business; let people meet and talk and learn and even fall in love, despite the barriers of geography. Fewer people remember, though, that the technology that let this happen was the telegraph. Or the telephone. Or even the postal service. Of course, it would be disingenuous to suggest there is nothing new about the Internet—but it is just as disingenuous to pretend that nothing like this has ever happened before, and that we have nothing to learn from the past.

    One of the great strengths of this particular account is that we get that wider picture: placing the study reported here into a wider historical context, complete with stories of disillusionment, shows why this work is so important. This is not about something that happened long ago, in a galaxy far, far away. Using the VLE is something that has a history, one that explains how we came to be in the situation we find ourselves in. It something that is happening now—each and every day—to the majority, if not the totality, of our staff and students. And what could be more important than that?

    Martin Oliver,     Professor of Education and Technology, UCL Institute of Education, UK

    Acknowledgment

    This book was inspired by the very kind and constructive feedback I received from my doctoral examiners Robin Goodfellow and Lorna Carson, and my doctoral supervisor Breffni O’Rourke. I am very grateful to them for encouraging me to undertake the project of returning to the thesis and changing it into a text that might be useful to a wider audience. Robin Goodfellow provided insights into how I might adapt the research, but more importantly helped me to see that it could have potential practical use for other people. His positive encouragement has been greatly appreciated. It was my great good fortune to work with Martin Oliver some years ago. He originally suggested that I undertake doctoral research long before I considered it myself, and he has now very generously written the Foreword to this book. I am indebted to him for his support as a colleague and friend and thank him sincerely here.

    Many other people have helped and encouraged me along the way, particularly my colleagues at the Learning, Teaching & Technology Centre (LTTC) and elsewhere in Dublin Institute of Technology. I would particularly like to thank the Director of the LTTC, Jen Harvey, for her support and kindness in facilitating completion of this book. Although it is some time ago, my previous employers at Maynooth University facilitated two periods of study leave in the latter stages of the research which were invaluable, and which are acknowledged once again here. I would also like to acknowledge particularly the participants in the research across all of the sites involved. They gave of their time willingly and cheerfully, and many continued to provide positive words of encouragement even after their participation had concluded.

    Colleagues and friends have provided constant help and support to me, and some have also generously read draft sections of this work at various stages. I would like to thank very sincerely Alison Farrell, Mary Delaney, Terry Maguire, Maeve Martin, Jane Secker, Colleen McKenna, John Keating, and Tom Murphy. I would also like to thank Claire McDonnell, Orla Hanratty, Roisin Donnelly, Pauline Rooney, Frances Boylan, Dolores McManus, Linda Boyd, Daphne Mulvey, Kevin O’Rourke, Damian Gordon, Fred Mtenzi, and Ciarán O’Leary for the many formal and informal conversations about all aspects of the development of teaching in a digital age which have enabled me to think through the issues raised in this book. Harriet Clayton, Glyn Jones, and George Knott at Chandos/Elsevier have been so helpful throughout each stage of the proposal, reviews, and eventual writing of this book. They have been meticulous in their advice and in the editing, and therefore any errors remaining in this text must be my responsibility.

    Finally, I would like to thank friends and all my family, Caroline, Deirdre, Joanne, and Fidelma, and most especially my father Oliver, Ruth, Neil and Louise, Romy and Naoise. They have all been at my side throughout the years of this research in all its forms and it would quite simply have been impossible to undertake any of this work without their support. I dedicate this book to my parents, Oliver and Brenda.

    Introduction

    Reasons for Writing

    This book is concerned with reexamining the impact of online technologies on the practices of learning and teaching in higher education. Through an investigation of the virtual learning environment (VLE) and its adoption, the book will challenge some accepted views of the place of technologies in higher education, and will argue that there has been a repeated cycle of hype and disillusionment accompanying the development of online learning in this sector. While researchers have documented this cycle previously, finding new strategies and solutions to the challenge has proved extremely difficult. Why are some people reluctant to use technology, and why have we seen costly and time-consuming failures? Are students going to outpace their lecturers in their use of new technologies? How will technology-enhanced learning affect campus-based education in the next number of years? The book will seek to explore these questions by looking at the experience we have had through the introduction and mainstreaming of the single most widely used educational technology in higher education—the VLE. The evidence presented here will suggest that we can answer at least some of our questions now, and if we ask different and new questions in future, we will have a better chance of breaking the cycle of hype and disappointment.

    Given the range and availability of numerous technologies which interact with education, this book is bounded by the examination of one in particular. The VLE at campus-based higher education institutions (HEIs) will be the focus of the discussion presented. VLEs, also referred to as Learning Management Systems (LMS), or Course Management Systems (CMS), are used pervasively in higher education in the developed world (Educause Learning Initiative, 2014; OECD, 2005; Williams van Rooij, 2011). VLEs and particularly Open Source (www.opensource.org) systems such as Moodle (www.moodle.org) are also widely used in the developing world. VLEs/LMSs/CMSs are web-based systems which are usually password-protected and allow people to make a range of digitised materials and online activities available to students. As such, the VLE offers a valuable lens through which to view the adoption of technologies in higher education.

    The research presented in this book was originally undertaken for a doctoral study examining the adoption of a VLE at an HEI in Ireland. The research encompassed other sites in the Republic of Ireland and captured their experiences in the adoption and mainstreaming of their VLEs. The spur for the research was the observation that, from the mid-2000s onwards, educational researchers were suggesting with some degree of disappointment that the VLE had been used predominantly to store and disseminate course materials. The discourse around this has continued to develop (Brown, 2010; Macfadyen & Dawson, 2012; Phipps, Cormier, & Stiles, 2008; Stiles, 2007; Weller, 2007), and implies that something rather different was anticipated with the introduction of the VLE. Perhaps this was that VLEs should become interactive learning environments, or provide classroom-like activities online ( Conole, 2004; Donnelly & O’Rourke, 2007; Palmer & Holt, 2009; Stiles, 2007), or failing that, that they should support more interactive teaching in class in some ways. At the time of undertaking the research, my professional role related to the support and management of an institutional VLE. Annual evaluation surveys had shown that the predominant use of the system at that institution was indeed to carry course notes and supporting materials. However, the usage of the system was also pervasive amongst staff and students. Their feedback about it was overwhelmingly positive, and usage data indicated that visits to the VLE were growing rapidly each year. If the system was offline for any reason, even for brief periods, huge numbers of user queries were immediately received. This experience conflicted with the literature, and with an apparent disillusionment amongst e-learning researchers. The reasons for this were unclear. However, literature investigating the use of other educational technologies suggested similar patterns of disillusionment at the lack of exploitation of the technology (Conole, 2009; Kirkup & Kirkwood, 2005; Mayes, 1995; McMullin, 2005). Examinations of the uptake and use of the VLE had been undertaken to find out how people were using these systems in practice (Browne & Jenkins, 2003; Heaton-Shrestha, Edirisingha, Burke, & Linsey, 2005; McGill & Hobbs, 2007; Vogel & Oliver, 2006) but there were no institution-wide studies that could clearly account for different patterns of adoption (Coates, James, & Baldwin, 2005; Graham, Woodfield, & Harrison, 2013).

    While the VLE is now mainstreamed and an integral part of the technological furniture of higher education (O’Rourke, Rooney, & Boylan, 2015, p. 1), social media have also become prevalent inside and outside higher education (Phipps et al., 2008). Ownership of mobile devices including smartphones has increased exponentially (Pew Research Centre, 2014; Statista.com, 2015). Many writers and practitioners have seen these developments as heralding a revolution in education, and one which our existing educational structures and organisations will not be able to resist (Barber, Donnelly, & Rivzi, 2013). More recently, the advent of the MOOC has captured attention and become a key area of development in e-learning in higher education. It poses the possibility of reinventing university structures, or so we are told (Chiappe-Laverde, Hine, & Martinez-Silva, 2015; Jacoby, 2014; Wilby, 2014). In this book, I will argue that we are overlooking the key lessons learnt from previous revolutions, but that these can help us as we enter a complex phase of the development of online learning. The case of the VLE is key here, and it is the story of this system which forms the central thesis of this book. The VLE is used pervasively, it was the focus of positive discussion in the 2000s as the means to reinvent higher education, and yet it is now regarded with a strong sense of disillusionment. Exit strategies have been openly discussed (Groom & Lamb, 2014; Seery, 2015; Stiles, 2007) even as estimates of spending on VLEs predict much further investment over the next five years ( Dahlstrom, Brooks, & Bichsel, 2014; Initiative, 2014). What implications does this have for the adoption of other technologies in the future? It is not enough to say that each technology is different, and therefore that each experience of adopting that technology is different. This book will examine the adoption of the VLE beyond usage figures and system logs to see how the technology has interacted with learning and teaching practices. The evidence presented leads to a proposal that we examine incoming and emergent technologies for education from a different perspective, and with a more complete evaluative toolkit. Through asking different questions, and by using particular theoretical and methodological frameworks, I will suggest that we can derive lessons for our practice which are transferable and from which we can learn before embracing The Next Big Thing.

    Aims and Scope

    The focus of this book is, therefore, to examine how an older but still pervasive technology currently in place in HEIs has been adopted and used, because such an examination has the potential to inform our next steps at a critical time. The book presents a framework of analysis that can be used in your institution to analyse practice there, and I share the findings from my use of that framework in the research presented here. I argue that through this kind of analysis we can get closer to understanding a lot more about the impact of technologies on teaching and learning, and move beyond data about uptake and use. The aims of this book are theoretical and practical, to give the reader practical methods underpinned by a firm theoretical stance.

    The intention is that this book will be useful to anyone engaged with the development or support of e-learning in an educational institution, and perhaps beyond. The research involved participants in management, academic development, user support, lecturing, and learning. Their experiences and activities have the potential to inform decision-making about the future of online learning in higher education.

    A Note on the Study

    The examples presented in this book are necessarily bounded: I focus on publicly funded HEIs, with the research having been conducted in Ireland. However, the literature provides access to broader fields of investigation and is drawn on as widely as possible to validate the study presented here and test its findings. The dataset analysed and used to present the case studies in this book was collected between 2007 and 2010. The research design was subject to ethical approval following a number of submissions to the relevant institutional research ethics committees. Approval was granted for each phase of the research. Participants were fully briefed as to the purposes of the research and the likely publications deriving from it, and gave their informed written consent at each stage. Given the size of the Irish higher education sector and the small teams working within it to support online learning, particular care was needed to protect the anonymity of the participants and has been a key concern in writing this book. I have taken every measure to ensure this confidentiality and anonymity here. Throughout this book, institutions and individuals will be given pseudonyms. The findings presented are based on aggregated analyses of the data and therefore will not be attributable to any one institution, any individual’s role, or any individual set of working practices. The gap between completion of this research and the writing of this book means that all of the individual interview participants are now in different roles in their organisations. Where it has been unavoidable, I have withheld direct quotation from the data in a case where any individual might be identifiable. I would like to acknowledge here once more the participants’ generous participation in this research.

    A Note on Terminology

    It is useful to define some key terms before progressing into the main body of the book. Terminology describing the use of technology in education is in a constant state of flux, and this can make discussion of the field extremely difficult (Bliuc, Goodyear, & Ellis, 2007; Guri-Rosenblit, 2005; Guri-Rosenblit & Gros, 2011). This book will refer to the use of web-based technologies for learning and teaching in higher education as online learning or (for brevity) e-learning. These terms are selected in preference to learning technology, and technology-enhanced learning as more economical, generic, and practical. However, it is worth noting here that learning technology and technology-enhanced learning are terms widely used by practitioners and informing the labelling of roles such as learning technologist. E-learning is sometimes interpreted as the provision of commercial training software (for example, in Pailing (2002)); the term is not used to have that meaning here.

    The term support will be used to encompass the technical help and pedagogical guidance provided by people working in online learning in HEIs. These people will be understood to be members of a central service, such as a teaching and learning service, in their institutions. Developmental activities focused on enhancing teaching by academics and faculty in HEIs through accredited courses, workshops, projects and research will be referred to as academic development. This work is usually undertaken by academic developers in the teaching and learning service of an institution. As in the case of e-learning support, this may not be the same in every institution and the positions and titles of people involved in this work may vary (Gosling, 2009). E-learning support and academic development will be understood as taking place as part of a central service within HEIs, unless otherwise specified in the text.

    Throughout this book, reference will be made to people teaching in higher

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