Critical Friends Video Transcripts
3: Efficiencies, effectiveness and cost benefits of technologies
Peter Chatterton (PC)
Peter Hartley (PH)
Andrew Comrie (AC)
Malcolm Ryan (MR)
The Critical Friends talk about some of the lessons learned from the projects around the cost benefits of different types of technologies as well as how the support time efficiencies for users.
PH: Another thing that I think comes out of a number of the projects is, we're talking about technology but it's not necessarily technology that has to be enormously expensive, and the example of that from my cluster would be the online writing lab at Coventry, who were originally starting to work with a proprietary conferencing system which actually didn't work, so they turned to a combination of Skype and Mikogo, which is a completely free combination… And we use that now! (Laughter). So what more could you ask?
AC: I think you're right; I think there were two bits that merged, and podcasting for example, from a few of the projects, has shown that you can have a relatively low cost technology with high impact to the learning experience, and to the workload of the academic stuff as well.
PH: And the other thing about that is that, again, going back to COWL is that that's encouraged them to experiment with other technologies which aren't necessarily expensive, like they are now starting to use audio inserts within Microsoft Word, which again, is cheap but notoriously well buried in the software until you find it.
PC: This idea, it came from one of the programme meetings, of looking at sort of, putting it crudely, getting your most bang for your buck, and it was Leicester who brought up the idea of the quadrants of impact, maximum impact versus lowest cost, and I think as we move into sort of more stringent times, perhaps we need to change mindsets a little bit from just funding, everything's got to be funded, to one of looking more from an investment perspective, and particularly prioritising investments, and I think that will then lead much more into, 'Well how can we learn from others rather than totally having to reinvent the wheel?' And I think if it's one thing, one very important thing we've done is to sow that seed that we've got to take a more commercial approach to this whole aspect of investment in technology and we haven't any longer got this regime or environment where you can have funding for doing anything.
MR: I agree with that but I think taking Peter's example of using free tools, I think certainly in one of my projects, a case at Hertfordshire, it wasn't actually about the technology per se, it was about funding people's time and engaging people in a process, and I think probably that's one of the most difficult things to do, because all the staff I've worked with in umpteen institutions were always telling you the same thing, when it comes to doing anything different or even thinking about it, they don't have the time.
PC: However, if you take Hertfordshire as an example, because after the Pathfinder programme, they developed the cable (?) process, and Schools had to bid for that to participate and they were microfunded, but because the whole process was perceived, the whole viral network got going and it was perceived after two years to be so good that nowadays they run it and there's no microfunding. And I think one can get away from that concept where people do see it's a valuable process and I think that's what we've got to start generating in people's mindsets.
AC: I think it's more than just time out. I agree with the point you're making, Malcolm, but I think time and effort come together along with access and I think I've certainly seen that in technologies like, what's it called…? Second Life?
Your favourite! (Laughter).
AC: Technologies like Second Life, where there is a real lack of staff wanting to engage in that technology because firstly, it's not readily accessible within the institution, it required a great deal of time and effort to master the technology and see where it can be used with effect in learning and teaching practice, versus something like podcasting, which require little time to master the technology, has a clear benefit to the learner almost immediately, and is pervasive, readily accessible, at the member of staff's desk to the students wherever they happen to be and that makes for a better success rate, I think.
Ends 4:51
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