Notes from the consultation meeting held on the 23^rd October.  A wide ranging discussion, the notes have been organised around themes that emerged rather than providing a chronological sequence of the discussion.

• The strategy should encourage a culture that normalises the use of learning technologies in its practice. Staff and students need to be supported in developing confidence in the use of technologies.  Enablers to support this to include appropriate induction and support, recognising that not all students arrive with the same digital skills and access.
• The University needs to be clear about what TEL tools it provides and why, providing focused support for mainstream tools and ensuring they are accessible (digital inclusiveness is a important first step). This should not though limit the use of other tools that can be used.
• Learning technologies to encourage pedagogic and learner flexibility. Technologies should not constrain innovative practice.  Staff should be encouraged and supported in their use tools that are appropriate to their design, not limited.  Technologies and systems should allow learners choice in their learning experience.
• Course-based approaches provide a means to enable and support the development of digital literacies in a coherent way. A course-based focus for professional development, requiring courses to articulate how they will embed digital literacies and use learning technologies, will encourage innovation and provide a structure for focused professional development.
• Digital literacies include development of academic literacies, including good academic practice. These need to be developed coherently at course level.
• On-going professional development will be an important enabler. This does though need a targeted approach, course-based for enhancement complemented by localised disruptive innovation.
• The University needs to become more digitally literate as a whole. Considering how it will make best use of technologies, not just for learning and teaching, but also for communication, evaluation etc; ways which will impact on the student experience throughout the student journey.

Notes from the consultation event on the 19^th October.

• Strategy needs to develop learning environments for the future. This includes having the best learning technology infrastructure available that support the development of innovative learning designs.
• Student support and induction is important, taking a course-based approach.
• Each course to articulate its graduate attributes, including digital literacies.
• Staff need to be provided with time and thinking space for innovations. Collaborative projects to be encouraged; encourage collegiality.
• The university needs to support both sustainable (enhancement) and disruptive innovation.

The first consultation meeting for the innovation and digital literacy strand drew together a small number of staff but a wide ranging conversation. As a prompt to the discussion the attendees were provided with a summary of the questions that came out of the twitter conversations at the Teaching and Learning Conference in June [see list at end of post].

Key points from the discussion on the 9th October:

• Technology should not be seen as a driver but as an enabler for enhancing a student-centred teaching and learning approach.
• There is a need to more explicitly recognise the graduate attributes that are being developed in our students, which include digital literacies. This explicit recognition should include mapping of graduate attributes across courses.
• Graduate attributes should include creativity and collaborative spirit; technologies can be used to enhance and facilitate these.
• Technology can be used to help support and scaffold students better. This includes managing how we make information available to students and contributing to a supportive social environment.
• Mobile technologies are now very prevalent and this needs to be recognised through the strategy. The use of mobile technologies can be further encouraged however the context of its use is important rather than a simple broad expectation on use. Effective, appropriate and professional use of mobile technologies is a digital literacy.
• Learning technologies can be an important enabler for flexibility. But what does the institution mean by flexibility? For the learner, in teaching and learning, for the institution? Flexibility in one area can lead to restrictions in other areas.
• Support for the development of staff digital literacies is important. This includes how we design and present information to our students through existing systems.
• The university needs systems that enable personalisation of the student experience. The use of common standards across the university could be potentially restricting. Students should be able to choose.
• Not all technology use needs to be cutting edge.

Martin Jenkins

Academic Development

Learning Technologies – issues raised from Learning and Teaching Conference

The learning technology broad theme incorporates the use of learning technologies and the digital fluencies that students and staff require to use them.

• Use learning technologies to provide greater flexibility to students.
• How do we accommodate more online and flexibility in current systems and infrastructure? What changes? What support is required by teaching staff? What learning designs are needed?
• Better support for students in the use of learning technologies; induction to include learning technologies? Need to help students understand and develop their digital identity. How do we recognise the development of digital literacies?
• How can we make better use of mobile technologies and social media?
• What are our requirements, what learning designs? Do we have the right technologies?
• Do staff have the right levels of digital fluency? Improve induction for the use of learning technologies.
• Strategic intent in the use of learning technology needs to be clear. Better IT governance. Do we need a more consistent approach to using learning technologies or flexibility in our strategy? Need to recognise sustainable technologies as well as disruptive.
• Learning environments need to facilitate digital fluencies.
• Is an online degree the same value as a campus-based?

Innovation and digital fluency is one the themes identified as part of the consultation on the new Teaching and Learning Strategy. As part of this consultation a series of face to face meetings and an online forum will provide the opportunity to contribute ideas to the process.

Face to face meetings will be held in the Disruptive Media Learning Lab (dates and times below)

• 9th October – 12noon – 1.00pm
• 14th October – 4.00pm – 5.00pm
• 20th October – 4.00pm – 5.00pm
• 23rd October – 1.00pm – 2.00pm

Notes from these meetings will be posted to this blog allowing the discussion and contribution of ideas to continue.