First INSPIRAL Forum Report

 

Report from the first INSPIRAL Forum, held at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, June 12, 2001

Forum Theme: Visions and barriers to the linkage of VLEs and Digital Libraries

 

Participants:

Wilma Alexander, SELLIC
Liz Banks, Glasgow Caledonian University
Sharron Brown, University of Strathclyde, INSPIRAL Research Assistant
Denny Colledge, University of Edinburgh
Sarah Currier, University of Strathclyde, INSPIRAL Research Fellow
Agnès Guyon, EEVL
Dr Peter Kemp, University of Stirling
Diane McDonald, University of Strathclyde
Carolyn Rowlinson, University of Stirling
Niall Sclater, University of Strathclyde, INSPIRAL Co-Manager
Dr. Steven Tagg, University of Strathclyde

Order of Events:

Welcome
Housekeeping Items
Request for Acceptance of Tape-recording
INSPIRAL Presentation
Initial Questions
Individual Introductions and Presentations
Group Discussion of the Issues, Followed by a Presentation of Each Groups Findings
General Discussion
Wish List of Solutions

On June 12th 2001, INSPIRAL held its first forum at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow. The aim of the forum was to discuss, identify, and gather information on the issues surrounding the linking of virtual learning environments (VLEs) / managed learning environments (MLEs) and digital libraries. A specific topic for this forum was to investigate barriers, problems, and the possible potentials surrounding the linking of VLEs / MLEs and digital libraries, with specific reference being given to the considerations of the learner and the institution.

The forum began with a presentation by Sarah Currier (INSPIRAL Research Fellow), who provided an overview and update of INSPIRAL's research to date. Participants were then invited to introduce their own and their institution's involvement in VLEs / MLEs and digital library integration. This provided information on the current situation in various institutions around Scotland, including Caledonian, Edinburgh, Stirling and Strathclyde universities, regarding linkage, as well as identifying some of the more specific problems and barriers to linkage. A brief list of these problems is included below;

• Any linkage project must consider the size of the institution itself, and the number of projects that are in existence at any one time. This includes the cultural outlook of the institution to push for research projects that bring in funding
• Collaboration between various departments and the organisational structure within the institution is also a key area, i.e. discussion between the departments is essential when linking VLEs and digital libraries
• Linkage raises additional issues of data protection and ethics of making sensitive data widely available, making the actual access to information a huge issue in a number of areas
• Some VLEs exist / teach without the aid of library resources / assistance
• Authentication of information and users is an issue for concern
• MLE / VLE / Portal linkage identified as necessary within the teaching and learning environment
• The learner needs more support from an MLE than subject access, and the social aspects of any online course are important and should be considered
• Lecturers may be at different stages of developing online courses, and also require training, time, and incentives to develop an efficient service to aid the learner and improve the learning experience
• The structure of higher education in the US is very different from the UK; where our eLib projects are library based many of their digital library initiatives are computer science based. It is important to recognise that the market place for e-learning innovation is US driven and the development of evolving systems may neglect any library involvement.
• Actual student base is changing, where learners are now a mixture of full and part time, distance and on campus, and have additional priorities outside their own learning environment, all essentially entailing that the learner is now a consumer who can demand increased services from the institutions
• Additional problem areas were identified as: funding, existing tools, mainstreaming, number of different systems that need to be integrated, and a need for specialised help being made widely available

Participants then formed groups, in order to generate more specific debate on the forum theme, but within a more general context, which could apply to institutions as a whole. Attendees represented institutional departments that are likely to be involved with VLE / MLE and digital library linkage, providing library, academic, and technical perspectives in the identification of barriers, problem areas, and possible solutions.

Group One:

• Their vision for INSPIRAL was not to advocate a totally online / virtual realm, social interaction was as important to the learning experience
• Portals should be based on individual needs, with the adaptability and ability to be tailored by and for the individual
• The actual visions should match student needs in learning to learn, where IT, library, academic, departmental, and institutional support should all be integrated
• Organisationally there is a need for all staff to be integrated at all levels, departmental and managerial
• A vision for VLE / digital library integration is one of a facilitative and flexible tool for individuals to develop, which does not constrain the individual within the learning experience

Group Two:

• Identified various views and needs of the student, these incorporate issues surrounding;
  1. The learner's motivation to learn
  2. Institutional / departmental awareness of different learning styles, that can range over subject area specifications and requirements and individual ability and style
  3. Attributes of technology, including student technical ability
• Issues surrounding the needs of the academic included;
  1. Academic freedom of the development of learning tools
  2. Differences between subject areas and subject area requirements
  3. Technological ability is also likely to vary between academics
  4. Encouragement of active learning
  5. E-moderating, where the institution could authenticate materials

Group Three:

• Integration should be customer driven
• Integrated authentication with one password access
• Ability to access 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with same IT / support facilities
• Development of a human interface and a need for inclusion of a strong human element, to aid the social aspect of learning
• Holistic approach in terms of catering for the whole student experience and institutional implementation
• Interoperability issues concerning integration but also learning how it works, with an awareness of the international standards issue
• Institutional collaboration is required on both an internal and external basis

Following on from the group discussions and feed back, a general discussion among the participants highlighted and extended upon some of the more specific issues already identified, these included;

• Pros and cons of collaboration:
  1. Technological advance and differences between institutions
  2. Institutional decisions on technology are often made despite departmental preference / consultation
  3. Variability in institutional set up and structures, where some institutions may require more than one VLE, may have more than one library, or require more than one student registration system
• Visions and impetus:
  1. Any VLE must appeal to the University administration requirements
  2. VLE visions are expensive
  3. Need for VLEs to reduce duplication
  4. VLEs must appeal to administration by showing the cost in not investing in the integration of a VLE
  5. Integration may result in structural change of the institution and a need for stakeholders to be involved in this change
• Problems and barriers:
  1. People (whether learners or educators) - individual attitude to culture of change, building of academic empires and reluctance to share, creation of competition, technophobia, prioritising needs, incentives to adapt to change, lack of support at institutional or departmental level, lack of use or reluctance to use, different levels of computer literacy
  2. Institutional Culture - Institutional priorities to teaching versus research, where research brings in much needed funds, institutional attitude to change
  3. Diversity of the education market
  4. No technological consensus in development of tools to integrate systems
  5. Legislation Issues - learners are increasingly seen as, and see themselves, within a customer-orientated environment, where they can demand a return on services that are promised to them. Institutions increasingly find themselves having to cater to and answer to learner demands and expectations

As a closing question, participants were asked to provide their own specific solutions to rectify the problem areas that had been identified as barriers to linkage. Their responses were as follows;

• Solution to the issue of authentication, with the creation of a one stop service for users
• Suitable software support for MLEs
• Collaboration with a consensus of opinions and needs being established
• Greater commitment and support from senior management at institutional level
• Establishment of open standards for interoperability
• A forward thinking strategy from senior management, again at institutional level
• For INSPIRAL research to identify a flexible, scalable long-term solution to all the problems of integration and the authority to make the necessary changes
• More commitment to education from funding bodies and interested parties

Issues raised at this forum have proved valuable to INSPIRAL's research objectives, and already indicate three areas that require further and more detailed investigation, namely at institutional, technological and social levels, within the teaching and learning environment. In view of the issues raised at this forum, future INSPIRAL events aim to identify and prioritise issues of linkage for the further and higher education sectors.