Employing the 3E Framework to underpin

institutional practice in the active use of

technology

Stephen Bruce & Keith Smyth

Edinburgh Napier University

1. Adoption of previous minimum WebCT presence and the new

university benchmark for use of technology in all modules

2. Underpinned by a 3E framework as a way of thinking about

technology and sharing examples

3. “Meet Moodle” online staff development to encourage adoption of

the new benchmark

Outline

“…a minimum presence to be established for every module,

and that this be input by either the module leader or a

school administrator using central information and

information provided by the module leader.”

2004: Roll-out of WebCT Vista

Faculty A

• One school embraced technology and saw the value for

engaging students. No administrator input, and recognised

their support needs and proactively sought Professional

Development

• Other school quietly embraced technology without

administrator input or seeking central support

Exceeding the minimum presence ?

Faculty B

• Initial use of WebCT coincided with a move to purpose

built campus with IT facilities in each teaching room –

impetus and a cohesive approach across schools

• Largely file repositories, but also quizzes and assignment

submissions

• Efforts made to move beyond minimum presence and

administrator input help meet the requirement.

Exceeding the minimum presence ?

Faculty C

• Huge variation in the subject disciplines with pockets of

very good practice

• One school relied on school administrators to meet the

requirement

• Another school already established websites and often

combined WebCT and their own web resources

• Another school lacked administrator input and uptake

was more patchy

Exceeding the minimum presence ?

MLE Evaluation 2009

• Focussed mainly on WebCT, and also included other

technologies used in the support of learning

• Overall student learning experience is perceived to have

been enhanced

• Students now expect WebCT as a normal part of module

support

• Staff are more confident and are interested in using

interactive features

Executive Summary

• Significant quantity of students studying modules that lack

effective WebCT support or have no support at all.

Negative perception of staff skills and awareness.

• Embedding effective and innovative use of WebCT and

other technologies has a significant resource implication.

• The importance of local support: Learning Technologists for

practical support, and Online Learning Advocates for

advice and assistance, and sharing of effective practice.

• Students need to recognise their own responsibility to fully

engage with the resources and activities provided.

Range of issues

To make active use of technology to meaningfully enhance the

learning, teaching and assessment experience across all modules.

• Few subjects can be taught fully online, but all subjects can

be enhanced by the use of technology

New benchmark 2010

• 3E Framework of examples to illustrate how technology

can be used to meaningfully support learning, teaching and

assessment across a range of contexts.

• Mapping of example modules from a selection of

undergraduate and postgraduate modules in different

disciplines.

To make active use of technology to meaningfully enhance the learning,

teaching and assessment experience across all modules.

Enhance Extend Empower

Adopting technology in simple

and effective ways to actively

support students and increase

their activity and self-

responsibility

Further use of technology that

facilitates key aspects of

student’s individual and

collaborative learning and

assessment through increasing

their choice and control

Developed use of technology

that requires higher order

individual and collaborative

learning that reflects how

knowledge is created and used

in the professional environment

eg. Seminar participation

Provide a discussion board for

students to post follow-up

comments (queries, issues that

are still not clear) to that week’s

seminar to be picked up during

first part of the next week’s

lecture

Encourage more equal

engagement in seminars by

having students take turns (in

pairs or small groups) to

produce a summary of that

week’s seminar to be posted

online, perhaps with a follow-up

question to be tackled

Have students work in pairs or

small groups to design and lead

online seminars for particular

units, with guidance from tutor

on their proposed topic and

approach

3E levels of examples

• 3E Framework of enhanced, extended and empowered

learning activities

• Published under a Creative Commons license for potential

re-use and adaptation.

Illustrative and real examples

http://staff.napier.ac.uk/services/academicdevelopment/TechBenchmark

Implementing the 3E Framework

• Embedding within Professional Development events, and

as theme for 2012 institutional staff conference

• Initial focus of the new Teaching Fellows Special Interest

Group in Technology-Enhanced Learning (SIG-TEL), and

of the work to be undertaken by staff being sponsored to

complete our Pg Cert Blended and Online Education

• Dissemination via LTA Resource Bank (tagging of case

studies and development of new case studies)

• Alignment with move to new institutional VLE (Moodle)

Implementing the 3E Framework

• Meet Moodle Online Staff Development

• Explore examples and share practice via Database activity

Implementing the 3E Framework

• Meet Moodle - sharing real example module mappings

Thank You

Dr Stephen Bruce

Academic Development Advisor

Information Services

Edinburgh Napier University

s.bruce@napier.ac.uk

Dr Keith Smyth

Senior Teaching Fellow and Senior Lecturer in Higher Education

Programme Leader MSc Blended and Online Education

Office of the Vice Principal (Academic)

Edinburgh Napier University

k.smyth@napier.ac.uk

Skype and Twitter: smythkrs