Engaging staff critically and creatively in technology-enhanced learning’ Webinar

To day I attended  a webinar organised by Technology-Enhanced Professional Learning (TEPL sponsored by HEA) featuring Dr Keith Smyth. 


The website says the webinar is about:
Exploring technology-enhanced approaches to staff development, and inviting participants to discuss where we need to rethink current staff development provision, including Pg Certificates in Learning and Teaching, to encourage educators to engage critically and creatively with the place of technology-enhanced learning in the current HE landscape and their own teaching practice.


There are for challenges which help to frame engaging staff critically and creatively in TEL through technology-enhanced staff development opportunities.

1. Lack confidence, not sure where to start not sure what might work.
2. Lack good understanding of how the students experience blended and online. If they did they would be able to make more informed choices, however staff have limited time to engage.
3. Reaching staff who do not engage in attending staff development.
4. By providing a PG Cert related experiences of online learning (provides safe collegiate environment).

Suggested Solutions:


Modelling

• Examples of low risk and easy to implement approaches in a safe way (does not detract from student experience)
• Students as creators, co-creators collaborating on class glossaries/bookmarks, wiki, Google Doc, delicious
• Question forums for general queries - this years problems into next years FAQ
• Online guest expert sessions - student driven (used within staff development session)

Bite Sized online staff development 
Online taster course 15-30mins hands-on in particular areas of TEL Can do it at any point in the day

• Podwhating (learning about podcasting) 10 working days 22 signed up 18 completed it http://www.thepodcasthost.com/podwhating/2011/02/24/day-1-welcome-to-podcasting/ Introductions, readings, exploring a post cast directory, use them themselves, explain technical aspects, gradually working towards making their own.
• Web 2.0 course (ELGG) get a chance to experience social networking for professional reasons at uni

Easy availability of subject specific examples

• http://staff.napier.ac.uk/services/academicdevelopment/LTA/Pages/LTA.aspx
• Recognition of good practice (learning and teaching awards)
• Strategic objectives
• What colleagues are up to (local champions)
• Framework for use of technology in modules (Napier) moved away from minimum presence as one size does not fit all http://www.ed.napier.ac.uk/staffconference/jan2011/posters/smyth.pdf Staff development based around this

TEL in staff PGCer 

• http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=26&storycode=416772&c=2
• Engaging reflectively in teaching practice
• Group Work - co-creation
• Practice based (trying in own teaching then reflect)
• Experience of creating online and classroom based resources
• Learning through enquiry and activity design
• Web quest
• Ideal place to start developing skills online
• Deliver web-seminar to others on course
• Course as critical focus
• Problem based learning - modelling formal and informal learning