Barriers to innovation in online pedagogy

Abstract

In this article, the authors report on a study that was carried out at the University College of Borås. Teachers using an online learning platform (WebCT) were surveyed to see to what extent they made use of the various features available to them on the learning platform. The extent to which teachers employed all the features was low. The article provides comparative details about the use of the various features (chat, discussion forums, assessment etc) and analyses reasons for their underutilisation. This case study is used to make more general points about pedagogy of online learning and discusses the need for greater cooperation between all the stakeholders involved in putting courses online. It can be counter productive for a university to simply impose a learning management system upon its teaching staff and decree that they put their courses online. If a university is concerned with quality and innovation in the education it offers its students, then a great deal of groundwork needs to be done if teachers and students are going to get the most out of a move to blended or online learning. This article offers a number of recommendations for ensuring that teachers embrace rather than resist a move to innovative and quality assured online education.

Keywords:

• online learning
• pedagogical use of learning management systems
• engineering education

Notes

Unpublished report of a study visit to QUT undertaken by M. Christie on 23 December 2003 as part of the C-SELT project, Chalmers. Copy available on request from the author.