Joint Information Systems Committee Supporting Further and Higher Education Should Organisations for Learning be Learning Organisations? Sandy Britain Centre for Learning Technology University of Wales - Bangor March 2002

Joint Information Systems Committee Supporting Further and Higher Education Structure and Aims Outline a model of the current situation for HE/FE Describe our approach to examining the organisational issues with MLE development Outline some of the issues

Joint Information Systems Committee Supporting Further and Higher Education the Comantle project Developing an MLE presents both technical and organisational issues and challenges A systems approach can help understand the organisation better and thus assist with : – diagnosing areas for organisational change – designing an appropriate MLE strategy

Joint Information Systems Committee Supporting Further and Higher Education The comantle project Collecting formal data on the institution Collecting perspectives Modeling the organisation Compare the model with perspectives Note: the role of the researcher as a participant in change process

Joint Information Systems Committee Supporting Further and Higher Education Components of a viable system Environment Management Viable System

Joint Information Systems Committee Supporting Further and Higher Education The university system External Environment University Inputs Outputs Graduates Potential Students Funding New Research ? Internal Environment Knowledge

Joint Information Systems Committee Supporting Further and Higher Education Background HE and FE institutions have a well elaborated structure... facultiesdepartmentsstudent services staff developmentpersonnel library computingadmin computing committees governing boardmanagement hierarchy

Joint Information Systems Committee Supporting Further and Higher Education Background HE and FE institutions have well elaborated processes course publicity admissionsregistration timetablingaccommodation library access learning materials teachingassessment certification course design validation Adapted to manage environmental complexity

Joint Information Systems Committee Supporting Further and Higher Education Managing Complexity - the key to viability Environment Viable System Management Ve Vs Vm Ve >> Vs >> Vm But viability demands that variety is matched

Joint Information Systems Committee Supporting Further and Higher Education New Environments for Learning The drivers for E-Learning adoption – The Environment in which HE / FE is situated is becoming more unstable – Those involved in education are looking for ways to manage increased variety in the environment – Technology (V/MLEs) are seen as a way to manage that variety But technology is de-stabilising: – Are existing structures and processes capable of supporting eLearning?

Joint Information Systems Committee Supporting Further and Higher Education The context at Bangor Part of the university of Wales Arts, Science, Health and Education faculties Wants to expand local recruitment Welsh language important Some successful resource-rich departments Some specialised distance learning courses Dept. of lifelong learning New student records system Centre for learning Technology - Colloquia

Joint Information Systems Committee Supporting Further and Higher Education A Functional Institution Model Faculties Departments Academic Structure: Senior management Committees Support Structure: Registry Information services Estates Library Staff Development

Joint Information Systems Committee Supporting Further and Higher Education Disclaimer The material that follows is based on true stories. However the characters and organisations depicted are entirely fictional and any resemblance to real persons or institutions either living or dead is entirely coincidental.

Joint Information Systems Committee Supporting Further and Higher Education The Social Institution Informal Communications Network Myths Missions Norms and values Personalities Fiefdoms Rumours Anxieties Power-play Invention

Joint Information Systems Committee Supporting Further and Higher Education What is an MLE for? There are multiple different perspectives Enhancing Teaching and Learning Enabling distance learning Widening access Improving Institutional Image Improving quality of data Improving communications Not getting left behind

Joint Information Systems Committee Supporting Further and Higher Education Tools for enhancing the primary activity - teaching and learning (VLEs) Tools for improving management of the internal environment (MLEs / Intranets) Tools for improving functioning with relation to external environments (Website /MLEs Portals) What is an MLE for? Systems view

Joint Information Systems Committee Supporting Further and Higher Education Unfolding complexity – teaching and learning University Course Department Student lists Grades Pedagogical tools Tracking Assessment MLE VLE Avoid confusing levels!

Joint Information Systems Committee Supporting Further and Higher Education Organisational Learning: Application of Viable Systems theory Institutions exist in a changing environment and resources are scarce Institutions must constantly adapt to survive Departments also exist in a changing environment and must be able to adapt Courses exist in a changing environment and must be able to adapt

Joint Information Systems Committee Supporting Further and Higher Education Issues – pedagogic tools Learner, dept, or institution-focussed development? Replication of what we do now or new approaches? Staff and Student development issues Variety,specificity, flexibility Vs Consistency, simplicity, ease of support

Joint Information Systems Committee Supporting Further and Higher Education Issues – Self Regulation Centralised vs de-centralised data Channels for resource negotiation Channels for coordination Channels for monitoring Capacity for self-organisation

Joint Information Systems Committee Supporting Further and Higher Education Issues – Balancing Outside and Inside Strategy - The outside and future Control – The here and now Need to balance often conflicting demands and inform policy-makers Example: Interoperability questions! Strategy and control functions should be tightly connected

Joint Information Systems Committee Supporting Further and Higher Education Issues – design questions To what extent do we design technical systems around current structures and processes? How do we future-proof our developments? How much do we let current technology limitations influence the way we work?

Joint Information Systems Committee Supporting Further and Higher Education Some Reading Birnbaum R. How Colleges Work (1988) Jossey-Bass Checkland P. & Scholes J. Soft Systems Methodology in Action (1999) Chichester, Wiley Enid Mumford – The Ethics Method Espejo, R et al., Organisational Transformation and Learning (1996) Chichester, Wiley