In 2005, a number of Regional Support Centres delivered a series of 'E-learning: Planning for the future' events in collaboration with NIACE to support to Adult and Community Learning services in writing their final e-learning strategies. Part of the day-long workshop involved delegates considering the different components related to the use of ICT and e-learning in teaching and learning.

The overall topic under scrutiny was integrating e-learning into the curriculum in such a way as to improve the quality of teaching and learning. Workshop delegates identified a series of issues that need to be addressed when developing an e-learning strategy. These issues and some suggestions may be of use by practitioners planning to develop an e-strategy.

 

 Vision of e-Learning
Issues Possible solutions
Attitudes and engagement of learners and tutors

Sell the benefits of using e-learning to everyone.
Persuasion and hands-on experience.
Utilise ILT Champions/E-Guides.
Communicate staff development resources and build on successes.
Conduct surveys and training needs analysis.
Define 'meaningful learning' and demonstrating the benefits - subject specific.
E-living is becoming wide-spread in adult life and activities - may need to adopt a gradual development of learning communities.
Benefits to learners and tutors

Ensure there is consultation with both learners and tutors.
Work in partnerships and bring together appropriate steering groups.
Make NIACE ICT consultants available free-of-charge to support those who need technical help and training.
Use the curriculum network to sell benefits to tutors.
Budget/funding

Gain a commitment from senior management within the organisation to access budgets and funding to support the use of e-learning.
Gain access to key political and decision-makers.
Avoid duplication and demonstrate best practice.
Utilise a mix of internal and external funding.
Partnership working.
Communications (including dispersed staff)

Plan to communicate and roll-out the vision to all staff.
Hold regular short briefings.
Use of a web-based discussion boards, e-mail, newsletters, publicity, exemplars and focus groups.
Use ILT Champions/E-Guides to communicate and promote benefits.
Cultural change

Provide training and management lead.
Involve people in existing projects and celebrate good practice and different models.
Adopt a learner-centred approach.
Understand local needs.
Engaging the service in implementing the strategy Communicate and co-ordinate the benefits via ILT Champions/E-Guides and curriculum teams.
Equality of access Consider accessibility issues and DDA.
Build e-learning into equal opportunities policies and procedures.
Consider the environment in which the learning is to take place.
Support and consult with learners with regard to acquiring IT resources.
Provide alternative access to IT - such as libraries.
Utilise national campaigns/pressure.
Provide staff training.
Include e-learning on the agenda for all meetings.
Fragmented nature of the sector

Utilise effective partnerships and networking.
Use of shared events, magazines, intranets and discussions.
Innovation Identify your enthusiasts and give them time then share/showcase their results with other staff.
Let people go and don't hold them back.
Keeping up with the pace of change

Provide continuing professional development - seminars and training.
Provide workshops of relevant people in manageable groups.
Create working groups of people who are genuinely interested, not just people with the right titles.
Lack of control of resources - getting IT into centres restricted by LA barriers

Work with partners to get your own agreement.
Work on top-level management to change the balance of power.
Lack of joined up thinking and shared action

Educate and inform the leaders - the power holders and councilors.
Employ a strategic group development policy.
The vision will inform the strategy.
Get on other people's organisation agendas.
Be realistic and honest.
Learners' access to IT Provide learners with access to resources to support their learning.
Management understanding, commitment and support

Make the case to senior management for the need to allocate budget to this agenda and provide information on the monetary benefits.
Consider the ownership of the vision: top down and bottom up approaches.
Demonstrate successful projects to all staff.
Communicate with managers and sell the benefits to them.
Ownership and control Involve staff in the development of the vision.
Partnership with local colleges and other neighbouring ACL providers Get the right funding mechanism in place and develop trust across organisations.
Consider operational relevance and collaboration.
Practicalities

'Quick win' implementations may be necessary.
Provide good advice.
Consider technician buy-in and resources to pay for.
Keep it simple, especially the technology.
Quality

Review procedures to include the use of ICT and e-learning.
Plan effectively.
Appoint ILT Champions/E-Guides.
Realistic expectations Map and evaluate what already exists and build on that.
Resistance to change - staff

Clear communications of the benefits of change to all individuals.
Tell them it will happen eventually anyway.
Identify clear benefits to staff at ALL levels.
Identify clear benefits to learners and curriculum.
Involve all staff.
Consult partnerships, encourage the grapevine and use mentors and ILT. Champions/E-Guides.
Demonstrate best practice.
Dispel myths.
Provide incentives, motivation, training and inspirational events.
Improve staff development - with some contractual obligation.
Resistance to change - learners Remove the fear - selling and support by tutors.
Restrictions imposed by corporate IT

Dream first... consider policy involvement - then move on.
Use examples of good practice to inform.
Update/restructure where/as necessary.
Use LLSC involvement.
Rurality

Consider the flexibility of access to learning and the provision of 'mobile' solutions.
Shared vision

Create and use focus groups/ILT Champions/E-Guides to help bring people together.
Communicate the strategy to all staff.
Demonstrate the possibilities and benefits of using e-learning.
Define a clear vision which is owned by staff.
Look at how the e-learning strategy fits into the bigger picture and ensure it is aligned with the Business strategy and others as appropriate.
Staff experience Identify key senior staff to champion, write or develop e-learning activities.
Senior management expertise and experience More training like the e-learning strategy workshops for those responsible for determining the vision.
Technical support Allocate budget, buy-in or build capacity.
Make it customer focused.
Time restraints

Allocate time and appropriate resources for planning and implementation.
Link to 3 year planning strategies.
Selling the benefits of the appropriate use of technology to all staff.
Consider the future - eg in what will it be like in 10 years time: some things will change more than we expect others will change less. Flexibility and response to change need to be embedded.
Understanding what e-learning is and raising awareness

Staff training for all levels.
Identify specific curriculum needs in your vision.
Partnership working to raise awareness and understanding.
Use ILT Champions/E-Guides and cascade training.
Use of publicity.
Demonstrating the use of e-learning involving learners.

There are a number of related resources which can be found by searching for the following:

  • Vision of e-learning
  • National, regional and local strategic frameworks
  • Management of an e-learning strategy
  • Supporting teaching and learning standards
  • Infrastructure
  • Schedule of activities/action planning for an e-learning strategy
  • Budget for an e-learning strategy
  • Exemplar e-learning strategy extracts