Home > Research > Publications & Outputs > Staff development and wider institutional appro...

Electronic data

  • 2015almpanisphd

    Final published version, 1.12 MB, PDF document

    Available under license: CC BY-ND: Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License

View graph of relations

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

Research output: ThesisDoctoral Thesis

Published
  • Timos Almpanis
Close
Publication date2015
Number of pages218
QualificationPhD
Awarding Institution
Supervisors/Advisors
Publisher
  • Lancaster University
<mark>Original language</mark>English

Abstract

This thesis presents the findings of a mixed methods study conducted in the
context of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). More specifically, it focuses on
the Heads of e-Learning (HeLs) perspective of the needs of tutors who teach in
blended 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 development
models and approaches around TEL.
The research design follows a mixed methods approach. The informants in both
phases of this research were the HeLs in various UK HEIs. Using an online
questionnaire, quantitative data were gathered on the various ways that the staff
development needs of the lecturers in blended and online learning have been
addressed by UK HEIs. Simple frequencies and cross tabulations were applied to
the data. During the second phase of this research, thirteen semi-structured
interviews were conducted.
The questionnaire findings – interviews’ outline chapter describes and analyses
the research findings from the online questionnaire and provides information
about the interviewees and outlines the way the interview questions were
developed over time. Further discussion, integration and interpretation of both
phases of this research takes place in the discussion – integration of findings
chapter. The study concludes by re-addressing the research questions and by
pointing out its achievements as well as its limitations.