Modeling Collaboration: Researching

Professional Development and Learner needs from a national

perspective

George Siemens, University of ManitobaHeather Kanuka, University of Alberta

A quick review

Anderson: nature of elearning research, need for agenda

Conole: Areas of research, international perspectives

Biss: Policy dimensions and potential paths forward

Carey: Faculty learning, “knowledge mobilization”

Paquette: need for policy, innovation, changed views of teaching and learning

Technological elements for creating a strategy are in place…will/vision/collaboration is

lacking

Discussion last few weeks

Tension points– Formal vs. informal– Policy vs. impact– Centralized vs. decentralized– Organized/mandated vs. grassroots

On a multi-prong approach…

What will an agenda achieve?

• Conole• Anderson• Paquette

Adding another layer…

What can we achieve without an agenda?

• Networks• Development• Awareness• Dialogue• Collaboration

What if we don’t start with research at a policy level

…but instead start with research based on need and model collaboration in order for policy to follow?

Starting point:

Begin collaborating while waiting for other details to be addressed

Collaboration outside of policy

Do academics and administrators have the information needed to make

decisions?

Where’s the Canadian perspective?

Three stages:– Pilot (fall, ’08)– COHERE institutions (spring, ’09)– Canadian colleges/universities (spring ’10)

Decentralized, networked

“Coordinating agency” (Paquette)?

Research network?

More traditional?

Breadth

Formal researchers…

But also include practitioners

Research practices as a continuum

On educating researchers…

Educating researchers, formally (Levine)

http://www.edschools.org/EducatingResearchers/educating_researchers.pdf

http://justus.randolph.name/methods

Educating researchers through networks and communities

Q & A

Study

Talked to leaders in faculty development centres in Canada and Unites States

– How are professional development centres using e-learning ?

Findings

Technologies, particularly web-based technologies, were being used by all the professional development centres in this study.

Things tried…

Not much success

F2F versus Online?

E-learning is seen, if brought up at all, as something that might be good once in awhile to make get-togethers more convenient and feasible given everyone’s busy schedules.

How to leverage technology?

Although most participants admitted they are not currently taking advantage of the technologies available, they are thinking about how they want to use it.

Numerous Challenges…

1. Tension between being technologically driven vs. being pedagogically driven

2. Competing for time

3. What do we really know…

Uncertainty

Part of the uncertainty professional development centres were experiencing about how best to leverage technology was uncertainty about the receptivity by their participants (specifically, faculty members)

Future Directions

At present we lack (1) a national strategy/agenda on elearning

(2) Professional development in the area of e-learning

A Collaborative Approach… We need:

1. An evidence-based approach that clearly articulates a need for change

2. a better understanding of how students are using technology in the following three areas:

– A tool for learning– A learning environment– Communication technologies

Questions?