HERDSA 1996: Elton - an action research programme for resource based training of academic staff

An action research programme for resource based training of academic staff: A case study

Lewis Elton
Higher Education Research and Development Unit
University College London

The changing learning environment in universities requires experienced academic staff to acquire new knowledge, skills and attitudes which will enable them to become educational developers, while the finances and staffing for training are becoming increasingly strained. The paper presents a case study of how the Postgraduate Diploma/MA in Higher Education Research and Development at University College London, a programme in the distance mode that uses self-development methods, self-instructional resources and action research, has been developed to provide a cost-effective means for such training, leading to an accredited qualification, together with experience with the first course members.

Introduction

At a time of financial stringency and steadily increasing class size it is particularly important to invest in improving student learning. In order to improve student learning, teachers in higher education have to:

have a knowledge and understanding of research into and development in the practice of teaching and learning in higher education, including its infrastructure
be able to use the results of the research of others as well as their own to develop and practise appropriate methods in teaching, learning, assessment, course design, etc.

As neither the resources nor the staffing exist to provide the necessary staff training through orthodox face-to-face methods, UCL has developed a distance programme for resource based training of academic staff, in which course members are tutored at a distance, while local mentors act in support and as facilitators. The programme provides for accreditation by the UK Staff and Educational Development Association (SEDA). It is based on research into the identification of training needs (Cryer 1991) and the experience with an earlier course on staff training at a distance at the University of Surrey (Elton et al 1988). This earlier course provided substantially more learner autonomy (Elton 1988) than is normal in distance courses with their frequently very rigid course materials, in that assessment was based on assignments and a project which allowed much negotiation and freedom to course members. Nevertheless, it was still based on a set of structured course materials and to that extent was content oriented. It did however show that there were some real advantages in the distance mode over more conventional modes and that many of the normally perceived disadvantages could be overcome.

The course at University College London

There are three outstanding advantages in the distance mode which have been taken over from the earlier course into the UCL course:

Course members are embedded in their work, while taking the course (this is in fact a condition for participation), which enables them to integrate theory and practice unusually well.
Course members are inevitably less able to contact their tutors and thus are thrown back much more on their individual resources, so that autonomy becomes a guiding principle.
The distance interactions between course member and student are all documented. This not only means that the often off-the-cuff verbal remarks of face-to-face tutors are replaced by considered thoughts that have been subject to reflection, but that the documentation can enable successive comments to build up on each other.

To counteract the loneliness that can accompany autonomy, each course member chooses a local mentor who is provided with the booklet Some ideas on mentor support by Race (1995) together with a specially written supporting booklet. Finally, the ready made support of fellow students in face-to-face courses is replaced by an e-mail network of course members and local support from colleagues who may or may not take part in the same course. Course members are encouraged to establish such contacts. There are obvious disadvantages in this compared to the normal contact between face-to-face students, all of whom are on the same course; what is less easily appreciated is that this different kind of support has compensating advantages.

The main new feature of the UCL course, compared with its predecessor, is that it uses a problem oriented approach, which adapts the methods developed originally in the medical curriculum (Barrows and Tamblyn 1980) to academic staff training and development. Course members identify issues of personal concern to them in their work - to which the course team has given the generic title of problems - in a number of specified areas, negotiate their validity and appropriateness with their course tutors and then, with the help of their tutors proceed towards tackling them.

This paper presents a case study of how the course was developed, together with experience with the first course members.

Course structure and content

(see also Appendix)
Each specified area of the course is covered by one module of work. Four of these are compulsory: conducting small scale research; teaching and learning methods; course design; and assessment. Optional modules, of which members have to choose two, allow course members to extend their repertoire of teaching and learning methods, and/or to progress into the areas of skills, autonomy and evaluation. Modules on postgraduate supervision, management issues and IT are in preparation.

The six reports by the course members on their problem solving work a report on a final synoptic project, which counts as a double module, and an oral examination constitute the totality on which they are assessed at the Postgraduate Diploma level. Course members also have to demonstrate within their reports the achievement of the SEDA objectives and illustrate them in terms of the SEDA values. Extension of the Diploma to an MA through an additional dissertation is at an advanced planning stage.

It may be conjectured that, while a distance course can deal appropriately with 'knowledge and understanding', it cannot significantly lead to the development of appropriate skills and attitudes. That it can also develop skills and attitudes was, however, already demonstrated by the earlier distance course (Elton et al 1988). There, the revelations engendered by new knowledge and the close interaction between course member and tutor in the development of each problem report, similar to that in research supervision (Elton et al 1992), had led also to very significant attitudinal changes. Even skills had been developed, since academics can learn much in the way of skills through self and peer evaluation, so that classroom observation by experienced tutors becomes less important. All these experiences have been incorporated in the present course, which additionally incorporates the principles and practices of action research (see eg Zuber-Skerritt, 1991).

Resource materials

In all their work, course members are helped by resource materials which are made available to them; they are of two kinds, those in the public domain and those developed and produced specifically for the course. Those in the first category include (a) the Compendium of 'Effective Learning and Teaching in Higher Education self-instructional materials (Cryer (ed) 1992 and Cryer 1993), (b) three books - Elton (1987), Race and Brown (1993) and Brown and Race (1995). Those in the second category include (a) A course handbook, (b) a specially prepared self study booklet on Conducting small scale research into teaching and learning for the first module, (c) a bibliography of resource materials for SEDA recognised programmes (Cryer 1995). Other self instructional materials for staff development are being created as required and course members are encouraged in addition to search out resources of their own.

Of the three specially produced materials, each has a character of its own. The Course Handbook is not just a Nuts and bolts book. It includes a discussion of the values of the course team, a section on the roles and responsibilities of course staff and members, advice on modes of working, and an account of the SEDA Accreditation Scheme. It also introduces course members to the idea of activities, which are an essential part of self-study materials; the first activity being:

List some of your good and some of your bad experiences as a teacher. Make brief notes how you might like to bring these into your learning in this course.

The booklet on conducting small scale research into teaching and learning is primarily written with the needs of course members in mind, who need help with the kind of research appropriate to the comparatively small research projects on which they engage in their course. In addition it provides an overview more generally of research and research methods in the human sciences.

Finally, the Bibliography of resource materials for SEDA recognised programs brings together a wealth of references, organised around the SEDA values and objectives for an accredited teacher. They form a valuable resource bank for course members, on the basis of which they can conduct literature searches.

First experiences

The course commenced during the current session and, on the basis of our earlier market research, we were justified in expecting a substantial enrolment. This so far has not materialised, in fact there are so far just two course members. However, one of the advantages of a course which is in the distance mode and is based on resources, is that it is totally flexible as regards enrolment, and the fact that there are only two members has not affected either so far. They each are making good progress and are beginning to confirm the advantages of the distance approach, previously mentioned.

The explanation for the failure to attract larger numbers so far lies unquestionably in two features of the current situation in higher education. The first is that everyone is constantly busier with more students and much more paper work, and the second - which may be peculiar to Britain - is that the demands of the research assessment exercise every four years, which provides the only means for universities to get free money has had a devastating effect on the time that universities are prepared to give to the improvement of teaching. Thus the short term demands of the current situation are preventing the pursuit of longer term objectives, eg to achieve the changes needed in teaching and learning under constantly deteriorating conditions.

The course members, both of whom have PhDs in their respective disciplines, are making good progress. One, who is actually now a staff developer, is forging ahead and showing very considerable independence. Her tutor is beginning to learn from her as well as she from him. The other, a quite orthodox teacher, at first found the idea of research and development in a very different field slightly disorienting and also grossly underestimated the time needed for any educational innovation, but has now settled down and is catching up on time lost. There is no doubt that this has involved her in considerable attitudinal changes and the development of new skills, both related to a method new to her, ie resource based learning. Both have the intention of completing the first three assignments in their first year; the former will certainly achieve this, the latter may. Both have chosen their mentors but, to the best of my knowledge, neither has so far found any need to use them. An indication of the quantity and quality of the tutorial supervision is given by the fact that there were ten and thirteen interactions respectively with the two course members in the first six months and that these have produced a good and constructive understanding of the work and, I believe, of the personalities involved.

Conclusion

While we are naturally sorry that we have so far not attracted more course members, the small number has given us the opportunity and leisure to iron out any initial difficulties, none of which were significant. We are now of course looking for more course members and - this being a distance course - they can come from anywhere in the world, as indeed was the case for the earlier course which gave us so much valuable experience for the current one. Distance communication by e-mail and fax is effectively instantaneous, so that the course is as valid here in Australia or anywhere else in the world, as it is in Britain. It has taken me 24 hours to reach you here, but I hope that now that I am here, you may wish to explore the opportunities which this course provides with me face-to-face.

Acknowledgments

My thanks are due to all the many course members on the Surrey course. I learned a great deal from them, regarding both the course and myself. I would also like to acknowledge my considerable debt to Dr Pat Cryer, my collaborator on the UCL course.

References

Barrows, H S and Tamblyn, R (1980). Problem based learning: An approach to medical education. New York: Office of the Director of Medical Study.

Brown, S and Race, P (1995). Assess your own teaching quality. London: Kogan Page.

Cryer, P (1991). Checklists for identifying training needs. Sheffield: CVCP Universities Staff Development Unit.

Cryer, P (1993). Effective Learning and Teaching in Higher Education - a Compendium of Resources: Overview. Sheffield: CVCP Universities' Staff Development Unit.

Cryer, P (1995). Bibliography of Resource Materials for SEDA Recognised Programmes. HERDU, University College London.

Cryer, P (Ed) (1992). Effective Learning and Teaching in Higher Education - a Compendium of Resources. Sheffield: Universities' Staff Development Unit.

Elton, L (1987). Teaching in Higher Education: Appraisal and Training. London: Kogan Page.

Elton, L (1988). 'Conditions for learner autonomy at a distance'. Programmed Learning and Educational Technology, 25, 215-224.

Elton, L, Oliver, E and Wray, M (1988). 'Academic staff training at a distance: A case study'. Programmed Learning and Educational Technology, 23, 29-40.

Elton, L, Wort, M and Oliver, E (1992). 'Research supervision at a distance'. In Zuber-Skerritt, O (ed), Starting research - supervision and training. Tertiary Education Institute, University of Queensland, pp 158 - 165.

Race, P (1995). Some ideas on mentor support. Newcastle upon Tyne: EDS, University of Northumbria.

Race, P and Brown, S (1993). 500 tips for tutors. London: Kogan Page.

Zuber-Skerritt, O (ed) (1991). Action Research for Change and Development. Aldershot: Avebury.

Appendix: Structure and content of the course

The four core compulsory modules
A.	Conducting small scale research into higher education Identifying a research problem; planning and designing a research project; research paradigms and strategies; methods of data collection and processing; using the literature; and producing a research report.
B.	Teaching and learning methods One to be selected from a. to f. Learning in large classes Lecturing; large tutorial groups; practical classes and workshops; staff time and teaching spaces; institutional considerations Learning in small groups The nature of small groups; teaching and learning opportunities in small groups; methods of small group teaching; skills for small group teaching Learning in practical classes The nature of practical subjects and the purposes of practical classes; creating a practical class; organising laboratory and field courses; learning guides, work books and protocols; teaching skills in laboratory and field work; student team work; institutional considerations; issues of health and safety Project work The nature of project work; generating and designing projects; resources; allocation of projects and student generated projects; group projects; project supervision; departmental and institutional aspects Essay writing The nature of student essays; purposes of essay writing; facilitating essay writing; wider considerations Course members own choice Course members may propose a teaching and learning method of their own and negotiate its acceptability with their tutors
C.	Course design Aims and objectives; course models; student selection and induction; the use of handbooks and workbooks; integrating different parts of courses; student designed courses; courses that learn; life long learning
D.	Student assessment The nature of assessment; reliability; validity and related issues; methods of assessment; peer and self assessment; assessing work-based learning; changing assessment procedures
The optional modules, two of which are to be selected
E, F.	One or two other modules from the range in B
G.	Developing students personal and professional skills The nature of personal and professional skills; developing students skills in problem solving, team work, time management and communication
H.	Developing student autonomy Developing and supporting effective study skills; techniques for promoting skills in learning and studying; introduction to self-instructional learning; preparing self instructional learning materials
J.	Course and programme evaluation Purposes of evaluation; ways of collecting evidence; synthesising the evidence; reviewing and evaluating courses; misconceptions about evaluation.
Additional optional modules will be available in the future. Those expected shortly are:
K.	Postgraduate research supervision
L.	Management issues in teaching and learning
The compulsory integrating module
X.	Reflection on how to plan teaching for student-centred learning; analysis of current practice and identification of desirable changes; integration; generalisation and consolidation of the work of the other modules, in particular the nature of active learning; its relation to studying; the promotion of active learning; the opportunities it provides and the constraints under which it usually has to operate.

Author: Lewis Elton
Higher Education Research and Development Unit, University College London
Fax: +44 171 391 1715 Email: l.elton@ucl.ac.uk

Please cite as: Elton, L. (1996). An action research programme for resource based training of academic staff: A case study. Different Approaches: Theory and Practice in Higher Education. Proceedings HERDSA Conference 1996. Perth, Western Australia, 8-12 July. http://www.herdsa.org.au/confs/1996/elton.html

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