5. LESSONS TO BE LEARNED

5.1 Lessons to be learned at institutional level

Financial Support & Ongoing investment - Fundamentally, a source of funding is required to dedicate specific resources to such an initiative. Considerable investment needs to be made to ensure a modern infrastructure is put in place and maintained. This includes initial trialling of equipment, ongoing enhancement and expansion of facilities, an allocation of budget for maintenance, equipment degeneration or replacement. In addition to the allocation of physical resources or dedicated teaching/learning/self-access spaces, there are wider implications for cabling or wi-fi provision across the institution. Involvement of information and administration services is also useful to co-ordinate issues such as server provision and management, password and sign-on accounts for students and staff.

Leadership - While the initiative should respond to the needs of the institution and involve key stakeholders, it should be integrated within the teaching environment. Direction and leadership from the Head of School for example, can ensure teaching/learning goals are promoted. Other supportive structures, such as the Steering Group Committee advising on activities, are also valuable. Institutional recognition should allow opportunities for pedagogical research and dissemination in the Faculty, University and at external events and conferences.

Staff Ownership - It needs to be recognised that staff involvement manifests itself on different levels and in various guises. Staff should be afforded choice and opportunities for engagement with technology that suits their needs, interests and abilities. Some colleagues are comfortable with technology and enthusiastic about embedding it in their teaching. Others may be equally committed to improving the student experience but prefer to support their peers through participation in planning and curriculum development even if they themselves may be unwilling to employ the technology in their own teaching.

Sustained Support & Continuous Professional Development - As noted above, both technical and pedagogical support is vital. A technician can organise the purchase, installation and maintenance of a technological infrastructure. A learning technologist can identify needs or training requirements and also provide pedagogical ideas so that staff can focus on relevant, targeted projects. Support for existing users, new staff, and inexperienced staff or those uncomfortable with technology is an ongoing requirement. Institutional resources can facilitate this need for staff training through a variety of channels e.g. induction, continuing professional development, individual support, targeted support and general dissemination activities.

5.2 Broader implications

Meeting Student Needs and Expectations - Given that technology pervades every aspect of modern life, students can expect that it should have a purposeful use in education also, in terms of teaching, learning, access to resources, collaboration and communication. There should be ongoing initiatives for continuous exploration, development and expansion of effective technology integration in teaching and learning. This will have implications for continuing professional development of staff as well as student induction programmes.

Design of Technology-rich Spaces - The design of technology-rich learning spaces is of considerable interest to many educational institutions, in particular with regard to concerns of future-proofing such learning environments as much as possible and providing flexibility so that the infrastructure allows for different uses, accommodates different functionalities and teaching modes.

Development of ICT Skills - Additional professional benefits perceived by both staff and students include the high levels of transferable IT skills and advanced communication and presentation skills which students acquire through class participation, as indicated by student comment below:
It also increases my computer literacy and is a good medium for modern education.
It also was interesting to learn there was such a programme and could be used through Irish

Intellectual Property Rights and Copyright - These issues may also be of concern in terms of publishing materials or making electronic learning materials available on the Internet.

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