The VLE as a Transformational Technology

www.bournemouth.ac.uk

The VLE as a Transformational

Technology

David Ball

www.bournemouth.ac.uk 2

Summary

• Student use of electronic resources

• The e-book explosion• Virtual learning environments

(VLEs): challenges and opportunities


The Digital Natives

The average 21-year-old has:• Spent 5,000 hours video-gaming• Sent 250,000 emails/messages• Spent 10,000 hours on a mobile

‘phone• Spent 3,000 hours online“ Their preference is for sharing, staying

connected, instantaneity, multi-tasking, assembling random information into patterns, and using technology in new ways.” - Marc Prensky


The Digital Immigrants

Are less likely to have:• An iPod or equivalent• Posted material on the web• Created a blog or profile on

MySpace• Downloaded content such as

music, film• Taken a picture with a mobile

‘phone


Student Use of E-Resources

Tenopir’s survey of surveys shows drivers:– Young users inhabiting electronic world– Convenience – desk top, speed, save/print

Health science library usage: 28,000 full text downloads; 1800 uses of print

Bournemouth University:– 128% rise in full-text downloads over 4 years– Heavy undergraduate use of journal articles– 72% of nursing students’ last access from home


Bournemouth Statistics


Virtual Learning Environments

“The components in which learners and tutors participate in ‘online’ interactions of various kinds, including online learning” • Controlled access to curriculum • Tracking student activity and

achievement • Support of on-line learning • Communication between the

learner, the tutor and others• Links to other administrative

systems


VLE as a Transformational Technology

• Digital natives• Digital learning environment• Interactions with lecturers, other

learners and administrators will be increasingly by electronic means

• Core learning resources created by lecturers will be available through VLE

• Students’ expectation will be for all learning resources to be so

• MyBU


Challenges for the Profession

Studies show little integration of library resources into VLEs

• Infiltrate resources into VLEs• Exploit VLE functionality• Develop procurement practice– E-books– Non-traditional learning resources

• Develop information architecture


E-Books

• Existing heavy use of e-journals by undergraduates

• Electronic medium the norm for students’ social and leisure pursuits

• Electronic medium becoming primary in HE

• Need for e-books


E-Books: Problems and Obstacles

• Lack of a clear open standard for operating systems;

• Fears about the protection of content and the rights of the content owner in the context of giving users flexibility;

• Lack of appropriate content in suitable quantities;

• Pricing of titles, software and hardware;

• Lack of integration into the general market for books. (Herther)


E-Books: Current Developments

• Google Book Project:• California, Complutense of Madrid,

Harvard, Michigan, New York Public Library, Oxford, Stanford

• Scan and digitise 16m volumes

• MSN and BL – 100,000 volumes• Apple:

• iPod book reader• Agreement on content with

publisher


SUPC E-Books Tender

• Developing market place• Virtual Learning Environments• Fluid business models−Mimic hard-copy business models− Trend towards bundling/Big Deal

• Avoid what happened with e-journals− Publishers determined business

models− Price tied to historical hard-copy spend


Preparing the Specification

Aim to provide agreements that:• Were innovative and flexible• Exploited the electronic medium fully• Focused on users’ needs not libraries’• Encouraged the addition of library-

defined contentTwo distinct requirements:

• Requirement A – a hosted e-book service from which institutions can purchase or subscribe to individual titles

• Requirement B – a hosted e-book service of content that is specified by the institutions


E-Textbooks

• Obvious advantages for libraries: no multiple copies or SLCs, staff savings

• BUT 80% of publishers’ textbook revenue is from individuals - not available

• One aggregator has offered e-textbooks direct to students at 50% of list price


Contract Award

• Requirement A: Ebrary and Proquest Safari−Offer innovative models, value for

money, flexibility and academic content of interest to members

− Exploit electronic medium in terms of granularity and multi-user access

• Requirement B: Ebrary − Flexibility and willingness to work

openly− Textbooks model


First Six Months

• Impressed with both suppliers• Gradual uptake, due to timing of

budgets• Student usage of collections

much wider than anticipated; Ebrary functionality particularly liked

• Good progress towards nursing core collection• Nearly all top publishers signed up• Business models for textbooks

being developed


Non-Traditional Resources

• Lecturer’s/course team’s content• Course-pack readings• Course materials from other

universities• Open access (e.g. MIT)• Subscribed

• Commercial content designed for VLEs• Mediated by Blackboard• Open market


Rights Management Issues

• Who owns what rights – lecturers, university, publisher…?

• Number of courses, students, years, campuses?

• Can you repurpose? Export? Franchise? Sell?

• More complex than a book on a shelf, or an e-journal package


Integrating into the VLE - 1

Pathways to information:• VLE as one-stop-shop• Use of library catalogues/portals

will decline• Embed/link to resources at point of

need• Encourage use of wide variety of

resources• Re-engineer information

architecture



Interaction with students:• Exploit VLE functionality and

structures• Integrate into courses, units at

point of need• Use quizzes, discussion boards• Virtual classroom for remote

students



Interaction with staff• Use organisations/groups to

target particular staff – departments, subjects, research interests

• Internally created resources maximised by content management system

• Staff development


Conclusion

Position libraries for the VLE age by:• Maximising electronic availability• Influencing content aggregators• E-textbooks move us closer to

completely electronic provision• Integrating resources and exploiting

the new functionality

Documents

The VLE as a Transformational Technology