Staff Engagement with e-Learning Support

Staff engagement with e-Learning support I think is one of the biggest challenges to e-Learning practitioners, from a resource perspective it appears to be managing the balance between face-to-face support and online guidance. 

Academic colleagues understandably like face-to-face support as it gives them an opportunity to unpack the issues they want addressing and for those providing support, it gives them the opportunity to illustrate approaches either verbally or by providing specific examples online. However, sometimes providing a solution that somebody can take away within them and use unsupported, can occasionally be difficult and one consultation meeting can turn into many. This has a resource implication for any e-Learning support units, although the outcome will be a very satisfied customer, which is what we are always trying to aim for? Increasingly, e-Learning support is tasked with engaging the many not the few, with limited resources, this means that there needs to be consideration with respect to addressing the issue of  providing good customer support in an efficient manner.  On top of this increasingly, e-Learning support units are developing online guidance with the hope that this will help to ebb some of the face-to-face traffic, however, the challenge here is how to signpost this support and how design it a way that colleagues can easily find what they want.

e-Learning support has to be multifaceted, it may involve a number of services and a number of resources. A couple of years ago I did a masters dissertation  on  the "Influences on the Use of Blended Learning within Learning and Teaching" these were my recommendations. 

Recommendation	Rationale
The University should develop a rewards framework that includes recognition of innovative practice in blended learning:	Presently academic rewards within the University recognise mainly staff research, despite the Dearing Report emphasising the importance of good teaching. Hence, there is more pressure on staff to build their research portfolio than to evidence innovative learning and teaching.
The University should provide business models that relate to teaching staff developing blended learning approaches, which includes consideration with respect to staff time.	The University should provide clearer guidance on how Faculties can facilitate the structuring of staff workloads to integrate the development of blended learning approaches.
The University should focus staff development on the pedagogic approaches to using blended learning.	The University should use a range of mechanisms to enable this, such as, workshops, online training, bespoke training, events and e-learning champions. This should also include easy access to examples of best practice.
The University should provide clearer guidance on how to access support with respect to the use of technology within teaching and implementing blended learning approaches.	The University should clearly disseminate the range of support that is available to staff and how to obtain this support in order to manage staff expectations .
Faculties should carry out an annual skills and attitude survey with respect to the use of technology within learning and teaching and the adoption of blended learning approaches	This should help Heads of Learning and Teaching to develop a picture of how staff are progressing within the Faculty together with identifying attitudinal barriers.