TY - BOOK

T1 - Staff development and wider institutional approaches around technology enhanced learning in higher education institutions in the United Kingdom from the heads of e-learning perspective

AU - Almpanis, Timos

PY - 2015

Y1 - 2015

N2 - This thesis presents the findings of a mixed methods study conducted in thecontext of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). More specifically, it focuses onthe Heads of e-Learning (HeLs) perspective of the needs of tutors who teach inblended and online environments, the ways HEIs in the United Kingdom (UK)address these needs and on institutional issues around the deployment and support of Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) by campus-based institutions. The HeLs’ perspectives are also compared to Laurillard's conversational framework for the effective use of learning technologies.The literature review in the area of staff development on TEL offers an analysis of the key issues and provides a useful backcloth for this research; the TEL context in UK HEIs is discussed, the terminology is clarified and learning theories are briefly looked at, prior to the more detailed description of staff developmentmodels and approaches around TEL.The research design follows a mixed methods approach. The informants in bothphases of this research were the HeLs in various UK HEIs. Using an onlinequestionnaire, quantitative data were gathered on the various ways that the staffdevelopment needs of the lecturers in blended and online learning have beenaddressed by UK HEIs. Simple frequencies and cross tabulations were applied tothe data. During the second phase of this research, thirteen semi-structuredinterviews were conducted.The questionnaire findings – interviews’ outline chapter describes and analysesthe research findings from the online questionnaire and provides informationabout the interviewees and outlines the way the interview questions weredeveloped over time. Further discussion, integration and interpretation of bothphases of this research takes place in the discussion – integration of findingschapter. The study concludes by re-addressing the research questions and bypointing out its achievements as well as its limitations.

AB - This thesis presents the findings of a mixed methods study conducted in thecontext of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). More specifically, it focuses onthe Heads of e-Learning (HeLs) perspective of the needs of tutors who teach inblended and online environments, the ways HEIs in the United Kingdom (UK)address these needs and on institutional issues around the deployment and support of Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) by campus-based institutions. The HeLs’ perspectives are also compared to Laurillard's conversational framework for the effective use of learning technologies.The literature review in the area of staff development on TEL offers an analysis of the key issues and provides a useful backcloth for this research; the TEL context in UK HEIs is discussed, the terminology is clarified and learning theories are briefly looked at, prior to the more detailed description of staff developmentmodels and approaches around TEL.The research design follows a mixed methods approach. The informants in bothphases of this research were the HeLs in various UK HEIs. Using an onlinequestionnaire, quantitative data were gathered on the various ways that the staffdevelopment needs of the lecturers in blended and online learning have beenaddressed by UK HEIs. Simple frequencies and cross tabulations were applied tothe data. During the second phase of this research, thirteen semi-structuredinterviews were conducted.The questionnaire findings – interviews’ outline chapter describes and analysesthe research findings from the online questionnaire and provides informationabout the interviewees and outlines the way the interview questions weredeveloped over time. Further discussion, integration and interpretation of bothphases of this research takes place in the discussion – integration of findingschapter. The study concludes by re-addressing the research questions and bypointing out its achievements as well as its limitations.

M3 - Doctoral Thesis

PB - Lancaster University

ER -