Successful implementation of e-learning at a wider scale requires a supportive organisational environment with clear governance structures, a clear vision and strategy and a process plan for the implementation. Strong leadership is important, but not enough, and a successful implementation of e- learning requires positive engagement from all key stakeholders, and support and ownership among the teachers.
Establish a e-learning committee
As a first step, it is suggested to establish an e-learning committee at CHS-UG, represented by; Provost of academic affairs (chair), Head of administration, Head of IT, Director of the e-learning unit, and academic and student representatives. The mandate of this committee should in first place be to identify and participate in the preparation the pilot courses, prepare a vision and a strategy for e- learning at CHS-UG, and to plan the process of implementing the strategy in full scale.
Make a vision and strategy for e-learning at CHS-UG
Regarding vision and strategy for e-learning, it is important that e-learning is not becoming a detached goal in itself, but a lever to reach higher educational purposes and strategic goals. Therefore, the vision and strategy for e-learning should be aligned with UGs and CHSs overall strategic goals for education. The academic goals for PhD education (and other educational levels for that sake), should prioritise how e-learning should be implemented. In this sense, the strategy for e-learning should secure that goals and strategies at all levels use learning technology as a lever, when feasible. See table 4 for one example27. Other goals could be “improve flexibility in education”, “reduce the cost/student”, etc. In all examples, learning technology should be seen as a lever to reach the academic goal.
Academic plan for PhD education
Goal A Strategy Outcome Success criteria Innovate education Redesign the teaching for
large classes (by use of learning technology)
More face-to-face interaction among teacher and students (e.g. by use of flipped teaching28)
Improved student learning outcome
X% large classes redesigned
Student and teacher satisfaction increased by X%
Student performance increased by X% The cost of running the course are lower or the same as before
Table 4: Example of a goal in an academic (development) plan
27
Based on table 9.1 in A.W. (Tony) Bates and A. Sangrà (2011, p. 223). Managing Technology in Higher Education: Strategies for Transforming Teaching and Learning. Jossey-Bass, San Francisco
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Aligning strategic priorities is important, but the e-learning committee should also ensure a supportive environment to quicken the strategy execution. The following issues should be addressed and handled in an e-learning strategy:
• How to build a clear governance structure for educational technology
• How to ensure positive return on investment when redesigning and developing e-learning, and funding for educational development in general
• How to ensure incentives for teachers to implement e-learning (workload issues/time, career credits systems for educational development, and economical compensation, was mentioned as especially important issues in the CHS-UG context )29
• How to ensure intellectual property rights and copyrights
• How to assure quality in the e-learning that is produced
• How to ensure professional e-learning support
• How to ensure a stable IT infrastructure
• How to ensure teachers and students needs and concerns (ensuring ownership)
• How to plan a smooth implementation of e-learning at CHS-UG at a wider scale The background chapter provides input to these topics.
Establish governing structures
The e-learning committee must be part of the process that adapts the academic plans to ensure that learning technology is built in where appropriate. Aligning donor activities and budgets at CHS-UG will probably boost the transition and keep the process on one track. The team designing the programmes and courses should consist of subject experts, e-learning experts, IT staff, a librarian, and students. Figure 5 shows a suggestion on how to design an integrated and funded planning and decision process.
29 This blog-post provide some input to these issues: http://www.universityaffairs.ca/we-need-a-new-credit-
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Figure 5: Integrated planning and decision making process
Plan the implementation process
There is no single best way to implement e-learning, and a combination of top-down strategies, such as visions, strategic plans, and reward and incentive structures, should work together with bottom-up initiatives, such as pilot projects, workshops, networks and learning communities, training, and involvement of students, staff, and academics in the decision making process as much as possible. All steps in John Kotter’s framework for Change Management are important (see background chapter) but step 1 (Create awareness of the need for change and a sense of urgency) and 5 (Enable employees to work with the vision) are vital for securing positive commitment and ownership among management and teachers.
Regarding step 1, pilot projects is a good way to start up organisational changes and to create
awareness of the need, or potentials in change. Pilot projects will provide the implementing coalition, in this case the e-learning committee, insight in existing barriers and possibilities before designing a long term strategy and action plans. Analysing and presenting the results of the pilot projects as a business case, including academic and financial indications, will provide a convincing evidence for the “potential in change” and the benefits in implementing e-learning.
Regarding step 5, removing administrational barriers and conflicting policies to e-learning and providing training and information to teachers, students, administrator and management is the most efficient way to enable people to work with the vision and strategy.
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As most decisions are taken in the beginning of the process, at a time where management and the rest of the organisation do not necessarily have the overview and knowledge to take the right decisions, we recommended to “front-load” and allocate sufficient resources in the beginning of the implementation process to ensure an informed planning process, ownership and willingness to change.