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.
5 replies on “Dr Gilly Salmon”
Wow, fancy listening to Dr Gilly Salmon! I spooted her name on the Ultralab blog. Her name keeps and some of her key ideas keep popping up in my readings and relate to my research – Jo’s programme – I need to get her books out of the library again. They are interesting issues for the future – nationally and internationally.
Yes – pretty interesting – watch for more, as I’m attending a half day workshop with Gilly on Friday!
Would have been great to have got to this. Assume she was in New Zealand was she Derek?
– 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
What does Gilly mean by ” higher education has fallen foul of not having a map to follow” It is hard to imagine whether this is a comment based around not doing enough big sky gazing stuff for the future or whether it relates to problems with e-learning based around poor understanding of associated pedagogies? Can you explain this a little Derek.
– Few countries around the world have a well developed map to describe where they??re heading
I wonder if this is because it is extremely difficult to do the blue skies stuff when it comes to the technology? planned for directions often are very much slower to develop and mature than we sometimes expect – others sneak up on us unexpectedly, still others simply do not live up to usability standards and on top of all that the cost means you may need to stick with second best because of simple economic necessity or business stability. It is extraordinarily difficult to make the right decisions in this area much in advance.
I am organising a ‘think tank’ style forum in July and would be interested in inviting Gilly to speak.
Can you recommend a contact email or number on which she can be reached?
Many thanks,