E-Learning and the Higher Education Academy’s Research Observatory

Martin Oliver

Some preamble: a work in progress

Initial proposal to HEFCE for an e-Learning Research Observatory

Landscaping studyhttps://mw.brookes.ac.uk/display/hearoc

Judged to have wider relevanceA Higher Education Research Observatorye-Learning, Widening Participation, Employer EngagementOther ‘strands’ may be added - and strands are unlikely to be explicit in the final structure

What is it for?

“The Research Observatory aims to support the higher education community by facilitating the collection and synthesis of research evidence, its access and its application to the development of policy and practice for different stakeholders and in varied contexts. We envisage active dialogue and engagement with the sector in the development of the research observatory and its areas of focus.”

- internal working document

What is it for?

Three processes supporting the Observatory:

Collection and categorisation of research evidence

Synthesis of research in relation to issues of concern to stakeholder groups

Development and application of recommendations in light of syntheses and evidence of impact

How will it work?

Technical specification remains a work in progress

Broad agreement on principlesInitial commissioning of content to ‘kick start’ the work

Subsequent development of content through critique, contribution and annotation

Later, contribution of new resources and topic areas by users

Implies a shared authoring model‘Less like the Academy main site and more like Wikipedia’

What the Observatory (probably) isn’t

A repository or clearing house for articles

“Adding value”, not just storing

A funding stream

A collective perspective rather than a funding council

May well complement other funding streams

Some personal aspirations

A shopfront (an easy one)Somewhere to meet dissemination commitments for projects

A way of improving research writing‘Rolling literature reviews’ researchers can draw from

Something that provides multiple perspectives

Detail for researchers, overviews to guide policy, rich accounts for those involved in teaching…

Some personal aspirations

A way of making evidence more valuableNo shortage of case studies, but where are they synthesised?

Supporting ongoing debate

Controversies documented and developed within the Observatory

A one-stop shop?

At the least, a must-check resource

A work in (further) progress

Conceptual developmentWhat is this thing?

Operationalising the conceptHow can this be done?

PilotIs this approach viable?

RolloutCan anyone else join in with this?

Provisional timelineThe initiative began October/November 2007

Agreement on broad concept and structure of concept

Development of initial illustrative content (proof of concept)

Development of contracting arrangements for initial pilot content

Report due from the landscaping study

Pilot - provisional plans to launch at the Academy conference

Revision and re-structuring in light of pilot (summer)

Wider rollout (Autumn term)