Transcript eLearning Readiness for innovation?

eLearning
Readiness and Regional
Innovation?
Jane Massy
25/06/03
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Jane Massy
Background
• Reviewer for EU R&D projects since 3rd
framework. Major work divides between DG Res
– TSER/IHP – ‘training’ research project evaluator
and policy analyst + DG InfoSOc – review large
numbers of KA 2/3/8 and other projects
• European Course Director Master in Technology
Management (GMU) – just finished residency
comparing ‘innovation systems’
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Jane Massy
Background
• Analyst of trends in eLearning across EU –
publishing reports since 1999
• Consultant to range of public and private
organisations on eLearning strategies
• Formative evaluator on range of Ed/Tr and
ESF projects for many years
• Board director of five training/eLearning
companies – US, Asia, UK
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Presentation
1. Define eLearning
2. Review what we know
1. Factors influencing adoption of eLearning
2. A necessary state of readiness?
3. Describe and apply a model
1. Innovative organisations – model of
absorptive capacity
2. Absorptive capacity model and eLearning
4. Pose a question
– Innovation in regions- apply the model?
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eLearning
Technologies supporting learning
–
–
–
–
In the workplace,
In education and training institutions
At home
On the move
Growth but slow take up
Suppliers/providers business case difficult!
Patterns of use and adoption changing partly
due to changing expectations
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The effective adoption of learning
technologies?
• Adopting eLearning means changing aspects of
learning ‘systems’
• Social, technological and economic factors impact
on systems’ behaviour
• Systems are complex – comprising habits,
practices, cultures, processes, technologies etc.
and most of all involve people!
• People need to be motivated to change systems
and their own relationships with those systems
• It’s complex, messy and challenging
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Adoption of eLearning
• Large UK Treasury/DfES funded project –
run by City and Guilds
• Role as consultant researcher
• Developed a factors of influence grid
• Currently being piloted and reviewed by
range of public and private workplaces and
education/training organisations
• Helps to describe the complexity in simple
and relational terms
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FACILITATORS (int/ext)
Communication skills
Technical skills
Pedagogical knowledge
Involvement in design and testing
Facilitation expertise and resources – pro-active, reactive,
monitoring processes
Time availability
Time management
Motivation – reward, self development, recognition
Resources
DESIGNERS
Pedagogical expertise
Expert technical knowledge
Team skills
Project management skills
Resources
Knowledge of learners
Knowledge of subject domain
Knowledge & access to learning resources
Teachers and trainers may be both facilitators and designers
SPONSOR
LEARNERS
Expectations of learners and sponsoring organisation must be matched
Planning
Technical equipment
Clarity of purpose
Telecomms access and resources
Clarity of outcomes
Motivation
Resources
ICT skills
Technical infrastructure/resources and support
Information literacy skills
Environment for adoption of innovation
Reading literacy and numeracy skills
Supportive of collaboration
Time availability
Reward/recognition systems for change adoption
Time management
Information systems
Confidence and confidentiality
Evaluation resources and approach
Performance or mastery orientation
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Conformance
to regulation
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Learners
may be
designers
and sources
of learning
content
©City & Guilds
Jane Massy
Sponsor
• Clarity of purpose
– Explicit transparent communication and
commitment to purpose and outcomes
• Clarity of outcomes
– Explicitly communicated to all stakeholders
with implications for each
• Planning and administration
– Good project planning, management,
scheduling, resource and role allocation etc
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Sponsor
• Resources
– Sufficient for all phases – adoption, implementation,
integration and used efficiently (considerations
about economies of scale, use of existing resources
e.g. subject experts and network effects)
• Technical infrastructure/resources and support
– Technical expertise and resources provided and
clear communication and team building to ensure
provided when and as necessary
– A clear policy on technical requirements to ensure
interoperability and reduce multiple applications
(e.g. LMS, VLEs)
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Sponsor
• Information systems
– Data available to whoever needs it and when they
need it, but taking account of appropriate privacy
and security
• Environment for adoption of innovation
– Culture and processes which supports innovation
• Environment to support collaboration
– A culture and processes to support team working
and collaboration in multi-disciplinary project
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Sponsor
• Reward/recognition systems for change adoption
– Communication (internal marketing) of how this
additional/changed work will be recognised and the benefits to
each stakeholder
• Evaluation resources and approach, quality
frameworks and standards.
– Clear plan for evaluation linked to purpose and outcomes,
including range of approaches and instruments. Reference to
existing or new quality frameworks and standards.
• Conformance to regulation
– e.g. educational institution’s conformance requirements for
academic awards; conformance to privacy and data protection
regulation
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Innovation in organisations
• Concept of absorptive capacity – capacity to adopt
and diffuse ideas, knowledge and technologies
within the organisation – ‘ability to recognise the
value of new, external knowledge, assimilate it,
and apply it to commercial ends’*
• Application across all organisations
• Joint paper with G Martin and T Clarke - apply to
Learning technology adoption in organisations?
* Cohen & Levinthal 1990 . Further developed by Zahra and George 2002
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ELearning and absorptive capacity
• What ideas sought after, from whom – how well
positioned to gather info of high innovative value?
• Suppliers v experienced adopters and others?
• Longer term processes for seeking innovative
ideas?
• Knowing where and who are innovators and
experimenters?
• Making connections between seemingly unrelated
ideas and opportunities in unexpected sources?
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ELearning and absorptive capacity
• Transform and exploit ideas and knowledge
to serve own objectives
• Meaningful transformation – not ‘me too’
• Creating new and innovative processes that
transform the value chain
• Technology transfer = transfer / exploitation
of a process that exploits new technology
NOT transfer of technology
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ELearning and absorptive capacity
• Exploit and diffuse new knowledge across
organisation – rapid, efficient, positive
change
• Understanding and managing formal and
informal integrating mechanisms
– Risk tolerance, open communication, reward
for new ideas, sponsoring of innovation
• Sound familiar?
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Jane Massy
FACILITATORS (int/ext)
Communication skills
Technical skills
Pedagogical knowledge
Involvement in design and testing
Facilitation expertise and resources – pro-active,
reactive, monitoring processes
Time availability
Time management
Motivation – reward, self development, recognition
Resources
DESIGNERS
Pedagogical expertise
Expert technical knowledge
Team skills
Project management skills
Resources
Knowledge of learners
Knowledge of subject domain
Knowledge & access to learning resources
Teachers and trainers may be both facilitators and designers
SPONSOR
LEARNERS
Learners
may be
designers
and sources
of learning
content
Expectations of learners and sponsoring organisation must be matched
Planning
Technical equipment
Clarity of purpose
Telecomms access and resources
Clarity of outcomes
Motivation
Resources
ICT skills
Technical infrastructure/resources and support
Information literacy skills
Environment for adoption of innovation
Reading literacy and numeracy skills
Supportive of collaboration
Time availability
Reward/recognition systems for change adoption
Time management
Information systems
Confidence and confidentiality
Evaluation resources and approach
Performance or mastery orientation
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Conformance to regulation
Jane Massy
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ELearning and absorptive capacity – of a region?
• Are the regionally based organisations in a state of
readiness for eLearning ?
• Do they have they the capacity to recognise the
value of new, external knowledge, assimilate it,
and apply it to business ends?
• Are they good at identifying high innovative value
knowledge?
• Do they know how to transform and exploit this
knowledge to serve own AND regional objectives?
• Are they open to change – rapid and efficient
diffusion?
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ELearning and absorptive capacity – of a region?
• Are they collaborating together – cluster
and economies of scale benefits?
• An environment and organisations that
demonstrates risk tolerance, open communication,
reward for new ideas, sponsoring of innovation
• Formal and informal mechanisms to support
innovation – fast and wide reaching infrastructure,
support and investment instruments for new ideas,
seek most innovative thinkers and share/exploit
their ideas
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Jane Massy
ELearning and absorptive capacity – of a region?
• Transformational and collaborative
• Rapidly and efficiently diffuse ideas and
knowledge
• Invest in impact and evaluation studies
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Next stage?
Continue to develop concept and monitor wide range
of relevant research and initiatives
Believe value potentially in testing concept
And maybe?
Can we work to implement
and test these ideas?
Can we draw from range of other research and
initiatives across Europe (and other parts of the
world) and add value in actual implementation,
action learning and analysis?
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Jane Massy
Thank you!
Questions?
[email protected]
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