Almpanis, Timos and Passey, Don and Trowler, Paul (2015) 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. PhD thesis, Lancaster University.
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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.