What the millennium sparks did to eLearning
Fantastic address – challenges about the future of eLearning, using an ecological metaphor of a ‘map’ to describe what is being faced currnetly within the higher ed. sector.

Of note – Gilly is currently at the Open University UK, but is about to leave to take up a position as professor of eLearning at university of Leicster from Oct.1

– Challenges ?? we are all going to be facing choices about what we do in eLearning
– In the future ?? need to look at how we can work together to exploit our research findings rather than simply report on them!
– Need to move beyond looking at the immediate, and look at what is happening higher education has fallen foul of not having a map to follow
– Few countries around the world have a well developed map to describe where they??re heading
– Very little collective vision ?? lots of accusation
– The ??Island of eLearning??
– Providing an idea of where we might be heading in the next ten years or so
– – many tribes on this island ?? can be subject to invasions and takeovers from them
o shadowlands technology jungle ?? eg language spoken behind the firewall, inside it??s familiar, but from the outside it is frightening (all in ??hunter??s language??) Within the firewall there??s constant challenge to the biodiversity that academics are familiar with. Has proved inprenetrable for many managers and teachers too.
o Templeof pedagogy ?? at threat of being over-run by the creepers of the jungle of shadowlands. Many of the treasures and amazing opportunities lay buried in the jungle ?? need to get in there with a pretty big sword
Features on the map
o Mount of administration
o Peaks of duty
o Isle of ??instead of??
o As well bay
o Cragters plain
o Management camp
o Opporutity falls (as with early adopter ventures which have fallen by the way)
o Research heights
o Management camp
– NOTE ?? children born in the 21st century will not know a world without the WWW etc. ?? will these moves towards ??constantness?? keep new generation constantly in the present without opportunity for reflection ?? or will they develop new cognitive abilities?? What kind of teaching will they need to make this happen?
–
Power of value given to research in our tertiary institutions provides an enormous barrier to adoption of new approaches by faculty
To address the change we need more than half-day workshops in Blackboard
To bring about really deep and meaningful change we need to ??shuttle them back and forth?? between what they know and what the opportunities are.
Need to get beyond the idea of prescriptive management ?? need for a central vision achieved through delegation.