eLearning Readiness and Regional Innovation?

1. eLearning Readiness and Regional Innovation? Jane Massy Jane Massy

2. 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’ Jane Massy

3. 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 Jane Massy

4. Presentation • Define eLearning • Review what we know • Factors influencing adoption of eLearning • A necessary state of readiness? • Describe and apply a model • Innovative organisations – model of absorptive capacity • Absorptive capacity model and eLearning • Pose a question • Innovation in regions- apply the model? Jane Massy

5. 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 Jane Massy

6. 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 • It’s complex, messy and challenging Jane Massy

7. 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 Jane Massy

8. Teachers and trainers may be both facilitators anddesigners Learners may be designers and sources of learning content Expectations of learners and sponsoring organisation must be matched Jane Massy

9. 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 Jane Massy

10. 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) Jane Massy

11. 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 Jane Massy

12. 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 institution’s conformance requirements for academic awards; conformance to privacy and data protection regulation Jane Massy

13. 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 Jane Massy

14. 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? Jane Massy

15. 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 Jane Massy

16. 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? Jane Massy

17. Teachers and trainers may be both facilitators anddesigners Learners may be designers and sources of learning content Expectations of learners and sponsoring organisation must be matched Jane Massy

18. 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? Jane Massy

19. 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 Jane Massy

20. ELearning and absorptive capacity – of a region? • Transformational and collaborative • Rapidly and efficiently diffuse ideas and knowledge • Invest in impact and evaluation studies Jane Massy

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

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