Creating continents of digital practice: supporting programmes of study to embed digital capabilities in the curriculum and course delivery. [1626] Home : Annual Conference 2017

Public Group active 7 months, 2 weeks ago

Tue, Sep 5 2017, 1:30pm – 2:50pm
Authors: Laura Hollinshead
Room: Harold Wilson (2)
Theme: Moving from the practical to the ‘publishable’
Type: 20-minute session

Description

It can be challenging to take an institution wide strategic approach to embedding digital practice. Not only do you need to take into account the needs of the institution but also the differing needs of the range of subjects taught and the continually evolving needs of students. The embedding of digital practice is already taking place with groups of courses taking the step to review and build this into the curriculum, but this approach varies across institutions, so how can we move from archipelagos of digital practice to continents?

In 2015 the National Union of Students created a series of benchmarking tools, on learning and teaching themes, helping educators to understand the priorities and needs of current students (Race, 2015). One such resource was developed in collaboration with Jisc on benchmarking the student digital experience (Jisc, 2015). Drawing on this work the University of Derby (UoD) sought to develop an institutional benchmarking tool for reflecting on digital practice in programmes. This, in conjunction with the University’s 2017-2021 Technology-Enhanced Learning (TEL) Strategy, aimed to ensure a ‘step change in digital practice’ with the embedded and pervasive use of TEL throughout the curriculum, ensuring a positive student digital experience. Alongside this was a commitment to ensure all staff and students were provided with the support and opportunities necessary to develop their digital capabilities (Jisc, 2017).

In this presentation we will outline the approach UoD took to developing their digital practice benchmarking tool and how this was designed as a supportive yet systematic approach to embedding digital capabilities within the curriculum of all programmes. We will describe and demonstrate the other resources such as action plans and guidance materials which have been created to support and inspire participants within this process. We will discuss how as a result of using this approach the University has been able to identify areas of good practice and strategically target those programmes who need further support to explore where effective digital practice could work for them and their students. Some of the challenges of this approach will also be discussed such as differing levels of engagement across colleges/subject areas; programmes having inconsistent practices over modules; and the differing levels of digital capabilities in staff and students.

Attendees will be able to consider how an approach such as the one taken by the University of Derby might work for their educational institutions and whether they might face similar challenges to its adoption. They will also be able to reflect upon the resources required to take this approach and whether their institution is in a place to create continents of digital practice.

References

Jisc (2015) Jisc NUS student experience benchmarking tool [Online]. Available at http://repository.jisc.ac.uk/6140/1/Jisc_NUS_student_experience_benchmarking_tool.pdf (Accessed 21 February 2017).

Jisc (2017) Building digital capabilities [online]. Available at https://www.jisc.ac.uk/rd/projects/building-digital-capability (accessed 21 February 2017).

Race, P. (2015) NUS Benchmarking tools, Phil Race [blog], 5 March. Available at https://phil-race.co.uk/2015/03/nus-benchmarking-tools/ (Accessed 21 February 2017).

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