Technology-Enabled Learning Implementation Handbook
by Adrian Kirkwood and Linda Price. Commonwealth of Learning, Canada, 2016, eBook, ISBN: 9781894975810.
Foreword
In its Strategic Plan 2015-2021, "Learning for Sustainable Development," the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) introduced a new initiative - Technology-Enabled Learning (TEL). There has been a significant increase in access to technologies, particularly mobile technologies, in developing countries in the past decade, and more educational institutions, teachers and students in the Commonwealth now have access to digital tools and the Internet. However, this increase in access to and use of these technologies is not evenly distributed across all countries, and technologies are not being used to their full potential in some areas. The interventions planned under the TEL initiative will allow more government and educational organisations to "adopt policies and strategies for, and devote resources to, technology-enabled learning for innovation and skills." In order to achieve these outcomes, COL has embarked on several activities with governments and educational institutions to promote policy, technology and capacity building.
The Technology-Enabled Learning Implementation Handbook has been developed to assist educational institutions in adopting appropriate policies, strengthening technology infrastructure, building the capacities of teachers, helping learners to take advantage of the available technology and open educational resources (OER) for learning, and undertaking a rigorous approach to the assessment and evaluation of TEL. The objective is to provide both a systematic approach and evidence of improved learning outcomes in a TEL environment. We expect that institutions implementing TEL will use this handbook to gather data for evidence-based decision making. This handbook provides you, our partners, with a strategy to engage in a systematic process of critical thinking, decision making, implementation and reflection not just to promote but also to demonstrate improved student engagement and learning.
I am sure this handbook, along with the questionnaires on technology use by faculty and students and the institutional technology audit, will prove useful in implementing TEL in your institution.
We look forward to your comments and feedback based on your experiences of implementing TEL in your institution. These will go a long way in helping us to revise this handbook to serve the specific needs of different contexts and collaborators.
Professor Asha S. Kanwar | President & CEO | Commonwealth of Learning
Table of Contents
Foreword
Section 1: Introduction to Technology-Enabled Learning
Introduction | What is Technology-Enabled Learning? | What are the potential benefits of adopting TEL? | The need for clear institutional aims or goals | Learning from the experience of others Avoiding disappointment in the adoption of TEL | Teacher as agent: The crucial role of the teacher in TEL | Significant influences on teachers and how they use technology | How prepared for TEL is your institution?
Section 2: Reviewing Institutional Policies and Infrastructure
The complexity of teaching and learning in large institutions | The interrelationship between the components | The impact on TEL of differing beliefs and practices | Preparing an institutional review for TEL | Some tools to help you undertake an institutional review | Reviewing institutional policies and strategies | Auditing existing resources and infrastructure | Anticipating what additional requirements will be necessary | Creating a Policy Review & Infrastructure Audit (PRIA) Report
Section 3: Developing the Institutional Stakeholders
Engaging academic staff | Demonstrations and hands-on experience | Working in teams to develop TEL materials and resources | Reconciling differences between departments | The importance of good communication flow | Reporting structure | User-group scrutiny of TEL initiatives | Developing a scholarly approach to Technology-Enabled Learning | Valuing scholarly approaches to Technology-Enabled Learning | Evidencing Scholarly Approaches to Technology-Enabled Learning | Engaging Students
Section 4: Developing Institutional Policies and Strategies for TEL
Introduction | Teachers' assumptions about teaching and learning | Students' expectations about teaching and learning | Institutional assumptions about teaching and learning with technology | Adding TEL to existing courses | "Doing things better" or "Doing better things"? | Developing shared understandings and use of terminology | Unintended consequences of technology-led professional development activities | Using external resources for teaching and learning | Exploring the use of OER within the institution | Enabling students to work effectively with external resources | Drafting institutional policies and strategies for TEL
Section 5: Implementing Policies and Strategies
Implementing the technical infrastructure for TEL | Technical training for academic staff | The importance of capacity building and professional development | Academic professional development | Development of students' digital literacy skills | Monitoring and evaluating TEL developments | Conclusion
Appendix 1: Questionnaire on Learner Use of Technology
Appendix 2: Questionnaire on Faculty Use of Technology for Teaching and Learning
Appendix 3: Questionnaire for Survey of Technology-Enabled Learning in Educational Institutions
Appendix 4: Interpretation of Preparedness for Technology-Enabled Learning Questionnaire Results
Appendix 5: TEL Policy Template
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