The role of educational developers in the expansion of educational technology

Abstract

This paper explores how academic staff are supported in attempts to develop their use of educational technologies. It identifies the work undertaken by academic staff in the development of an Information and Communications Technology (ICT) application and relates this to the direct support (helping staff to teach using ICT) and professional development opportunities (helping staff to develop their skills) available to them. These broad areas of support are seen as a continuum, with varying proportions of direct support and professional development available in different circumstances. The paper concludes that increasing use and expectations of ICT to support student learning in traditional universities are leading to a greater need for team‐based approaches to support learners, and the issues that this change raises are explored.

Acknowledgements

This paper evolved from a discussion document presented to the University of Southampton's Learning and Teaching Forum by the author, in March 2003. In the discussion, a wide range of academic and support staff attempted to rationalise the “support model” adopted, and promoted, by that university. The author wishes to acknowledge the role of the contributors to this discussion in formulating the contents of this paper. Its contents, however, represent the views of the author and not necessarily of other members of the University of Southampton.

Notes

* Centre for Learning and Teaching, School of Education, Building 2, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton, UK. Email: [email protected]

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Kerry Shephard *

* Centre for Learning and Teaching, School of Education, Building 2, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton, UK. Email: [email protected]