Flexible Delivery and eLearning case study seminar * Ultraversity Online: harnessing a community of knowledge
Presented by Ian Knox - Lecturer in Business, School of Business, UB
Wednesday, 9 April 2008, 1.30-2.30pm in Room B014
Abstract
On a recent trip to the UK, Ian Knox from the School of Business, met with Gerant Lang a senior lecturer of Ultraversity, which offers the only 100% online undergraduate program in the UK. Ian will present highlights from this meeting, and encourage discussions of the implications for using some of the concepts presented at UB.
"We are told business needs graduates with skills in collaboration, technology, initiative, and the ability to find things out. But, based on what’s actually tested in examinations, business (and society) appears to need people who: work alone, use memory, don’t search, sit still, in silence, and only write, with pen on paper and then forget". It was a memorable quote from a memorable meeting. Aided in part I must admit by a pint or two of ale, scampi and chips, and the company of a wild looking Welshman in a country pub in England.
Gerant Lang is a Principal Lecturer of Ultraversity, Faculty of Education, Anglia Ruskin University. Gerant lives in Wolverhampton; the course coordinator Kevin Thompson lives in Scotland. Both men teach in the Batchelor of Arts Learning, Technology, Research (BA LTR), the only 100% online undergraduate program of its type in the UK and perhaps the world.
My presentation will provide an overview of the course, to stimulate discussion about the applicability of the model for Ballarat. With over 600 graduates the BA LTR is now self sustaining. I recently asked my undergraduate class the question - who has paid employment? The question was wrong. It should have been - who only has one job? Our answer is to deliver on-campus only courses, largely Monday to Thursday. Genuinely flexible alternatives need to be embraced, beyond the approach of putting (often) semi-coherent PowerPoint presentations on Blackboard.
That the use of technology for communication, dialogue and collaboration is at the heart of eLearning as exemplified by the following quote from a BA LTR student -
"At first I was very sceptical about the use of community for learning. I did not trust the concept of learning from other ordinary people. I wanted my learning facilitator to validate all information for me. Soon I realised that these [students] were 'extraordinary' people, with a wealth of knowledge and especially experience among them. They were people who were conquering their struggle to juggle home, family, work and study and far from doubting their contribution to my learning I began to be in awe of their expertise."
I am personally excited about the possibilities of the LTR model not only for business, but for other schools as well, so, if you have an interest in eLearning and flexible delivery I would welcome your attendance.
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