eLearning

Readiness and Regional

Innovation?
Jane Massy

25/06/03

Jane

Background
Reviewer for EU R&D projects since 3rd
framework. Major work divides between DG Res
TSER/IHP training research project evaluator
and policy analyst + DG InfoSOc review large
numbers of KA 2/3/8 and other projects
European Course Director Master in Technology
Management (GMU) just finished residency
comparing innovation systems
25/06/03

Jane

Background
Analyst of trends in eLearning across EU
publishing reports since 1999
Consultant to range of public and private
organisations on eLearning strategies
Formative evaluator on range of Ed/Tr and
ESF projects for many years
Board director of five training/eLearning
companies US, Asia, UK
25/06/03

Jane

Presentation
1. Define eLearning
2. Review what we know
1. Factors influencing adoption of eLearning
2. A necessary state of readiness?

3. Describe and apply a model

1. Innovative organisations model of
absorptive capacity
2. Absorptive capacity model and eLearning

4. Pose a question
Innovation in regions- apply the model?
25/06/03

Jane

eLearning
Technologies supporting learning

In the workplace,
In education and training institutions
At home
On the move

Growth but slow take up

Suppliers/providers business case difficult!
Patterns of use and adoption changing partly
due to changing expectations
25/06/03

Jane

The effective adoption of learning

technologies?
Adopting eLearning means changing aspects of learning
systems
Social, technological and economic factors impact on
systems behaviour
Systems are complex comprising habits, practices, cultures,
processes, technologies etc. and most of all involve people!
People need to be motivated to change systems and their own
relationships with those systems
Its complex, messy and challenging

25/06/03

Jane

Adoption of eLearning
Large UK Treasury/DfES funded project
run by City and Guilds
Role as consultant researcher
Developed a factors of influence grid
Currently being piloted and reviewed by
range of public and private workplaces and
education/training organisations
Helps to describe the complexity in simple
and relational terms
25/06/03

Jane

FACILITATORS (int/ext)
Communication skills
Technical skills
Pedagogical knowledge
Involvement in design and testing
Facilitation expertise and resources pro-active, reactive,
monitoring processes
Time availability
Time management
Motivation reward, self development, recognition
Resources

DESIGNERS
Pedagogical expertise
Expert technical knowledge
Team skills
Project management skills
Resources
Knowledge of learners
Knowledge of subject domain
Knowledge & access to learning resources

Teachers and trainers may be both facilitators and designers

SPONSOR

LEARNERS

Expectations of learners and sponsoring organisation must be matched

Planning
Technical equipment
Clarity of purpose
Telecomms access and resources
Clarity of outcomes
Motivation
Resources
ICT skills
Technical infrastructure/resources and support
Information literacy skills
Environment for adoption of innovation
Reading literacy and numeracy skills
Supportive of collaboration
Time availability
Reward/recognition systems for change adoption
Time management
Information systems
Confidence and confidentiality
Evaluation resources and approach
Performance or mastery orientation
Conformance to regulation

25/06/03

Jane

Learners
may be
designers
and sources
of learning
content

City & Guilds

Sponsor
Clarity of purpose
Explicit transparent communication and
commitment to purpose and outcomes

Clarity of outcomes
Explicitly communicated to all stakeholders
with implications for each

Planning and administration

Good project planning, management,
scheduling, resource and role allocation etc
25/06/03

Jane

Sponsor
Resources
Sufficient for all phases adoption, implementation,
integration and used efficiently (considerations
about economies of scale, use of existing resources
e.g. subject experts and network effects)

Technical infrastructure/resources and support

Technical expertise and resources provided and
clear communication and team building to ensure
provided when and as necessary
A clear policy on technical requirements to ensure
interoperability and reduce multiple applications
(e.g. LMS, VLEs)
25/06/03

Jane

Sponsor
Information systems
Data available to whoever needs it and when they
need it, but taking account of appropriate privacy
and security

Environment for adoption of innovation

Culture and processes which supports innovation

Environment to support collaboration

A culture and processes to support team working
and collaboration in multi-disciplinary project

25/06/03

Jane

Sponsor
Reward/recognition systems for change adoption
Communication (internal marketing) of how this
additional/changed work will be recognised and the benefits to
each stakeholder

Evaluation resources and approach, quality

frameworks and standards.
Clear plan for evaluation linked to purpose and outcomes,
including range of approaches and instruments. Reference to
existing or new quality frameworks and standards.

Conformance to regulation
e.g. educational institutions conformance requirements for
academic awards; conformance to privacy and data protection
regulation

25/06/03

Jane

Innovation in organisations
Concept of absorptive capacity capacity to adopt
and diffuse ideas, knowledge and technologies
within the organisation ability to recognise the
value of new, external knowledge, assimilate it,
and apply it to commercial ends*
Application across all organisations
Joint paper with G Martin and T Clarke - apply to
Learning technology adoption in organisations?
* Cohen & Levinthal 1990 . Further developed by Zahra and George 2002

25/06/03

Jane

ELearning and absorptive capacity

What ideas sought after, from whom how well
positioned to gather info of high innovative value?
Suppliers v experienced adopters and others?
Longer term processes for seeking innovative
ideas?
Knowing where and who are innovators and
experimenters?
Making connections between seemingly unrelated
ideas and opportunities in unexpected sources?
25/06/03

Jane

ELearning and absorptive capacity

Transform and exploit ideas and knowledge
to serve own objectives
Meaningful transformation not me too
Creating new and innovative processes that
transform the value chain
Technology transfer = transfer / exploitation
of a process that exploits new technology
NOT transfer of technology
25/06/03

Jane

ELearning and absorptive capacity

Exploit and diffuse new knowledge across
organisation rapid, efficient, positive
change
Understanding and managing formal and
informal integrating mechanisms
Risk tolerance, open communication, reward
for new ideas, sponsoring of innovation

Sound familiar?
25/06/03

Jane

FACILITATORS (int/ext)
Communication skills
Technical skills
Pedagogical knowledge
Involvement in design and testing
Facilitation expertise and resources pro-active,
reactive, monitoring processes
Time availability
Time management
Motivation reward, self development, recognition
Resources

DESIGNERS
Pedagogical expertise
Expert technical knowledge
Team skills
Project management skills
Resources
Knowledge of learners
Knowledge of subject domain
Knowledge & access to learning resources

Teachers and trainers may be both facilitators and designers

SPONSOR

LEARNERS

Expectations of learners and sponsoring organisation must be matched

Planning
Technical equipment
Clarity of purpose
Telecomms access and resources
Clarity of outcomes
Motivation
Resources
ICT skills
Technical infrastructure/resources and support
Information literacy skills
Environment for adoption of innovation
Reading literacy and numeracy skills
Supportive of collaboration
Time availability
Reward/recognition systems for change adoption
Time management
Information systems
Confidence and confidentiality
Evaluation resources and approach
Performance or mastery orientation
Conformance to regulation

25/06/03

Jane

Learners
may be
designers
and sources
of learning
content

ELearning and absorptive capacity of a region?

Are the regionally based organisations in a state of
readiness for eLearning ?
Do they have they the capacity to recognise the
value of new, external knowledge, assimilate it,
and apply it to business ends?
Are they good at identifying high innovative value
knowledge?
Do they know how to transform and exploit this
knowledge to serve own AND regional objectives?
Are they open to change rapid and efficient
diffusion?
25/06/03

Jane

ELearning and absorptive capacity of a region?

Are they collaborating together cluster

and economies of scale benefits?
An environment and organisations that
demonstrates risk tolerance, open communication,
reward for new ideas, sponsoring of innovation
Formal and informal mechanisms to support
innovation fast and wide reaching infrastructure,
support and investment instruments for new ideas,
seek most innovative thinkers and share/exploit
their ideas
25/06/03

Jane

ELearning and absorptive capacity of a region?

Transformational and collaborative
Rapidly and efficiently diffuse ideas and
knowledge
Invest in impact and evaluation studies

25/06/03

Jane

Next stage?
Continue to develop concept and monitor wide range
of relevant research and initiatives
Believe value potentially in testing concept
And maybe?

Can we work to implement and test these ideas?

Can we draw from range of other research and
initiatives across Europe (and other parts of the
world) and add value in actual implementation,
action learning and analysis?
25/06/03

Jane

Thank you!
Questions?
Jane@jmassy.freeserve.co.uk

25/06/03

Jane