Workshop participantsidentified the following themes as being of special interest and relevance:

Theme: Uncovering Students’ ICT Use

The Need for Research: Workshop participants identified a need to go beyond stereotypes of students’ ICT use by gathering a rich evidence base encompassing behaviours, confidence levels, and motivations/attitudes.

Appropriate Research Methods: Surveys were identified as a particularly appropriate research method for deriving “broad-brush”, reasonably reliable information about student populations on a medium-large scale (e.g. at departmental or institutional level). For in-depth information, particularly of the role of ICTs in students’ daily lives, researchers prefer to use methods such as video diaries, photo elicitation, and online methods such as blogs. These methods can supply rich qualitative data, but are time- and resource-intensive to use.

Issues and Questions: Practitioners shared their knowledge of students based on on-the-ground experience, and in several cases, queried the depth of students’ understanding of how ICTs work. Students may be “fluent users” of ICTs, but many students are also “strategic”, “just-in-time” users. For some, “digital literacy” can run as deep as brand awareness, but no deeper! Students often rely on one another for ad hoc ICT support. This can result in embedding or mutual reinforcement of inefficient and time-consuming behaviours (poor information search strategies, etc) and may even result in students’ self-exposure to risk, for example in terms of exposing personal information in insecure environments. Institutional support arrangements and cultures around ICT use vary widely. The overall message is that we should not pre-judge students as “tech savvy” users of ICTs.

Theme: Understanding the Needs and Experiences of Staff

The Need for Research: Participants agree that much more research is needed about the experiences and expectations of staff, particularly, academic teaching staff. Staff may be very interested in how their students are using ICTs, but they may not have the time or skills necessary to engage fully.

Appropriate Research Methods: Focus groups, and paper-based methods such as diaries and log-books were identified as appropriate research methods to use with staff, as they are less “invasive” than many qualitative methods, while still providing rich qualitative data. Paper-based methods can be implemented online readily for staff who are ICT literate.

Issues and Questions: Participants agree that staff are, in many cases, ill-prepared and under-resourced when it comes to integrating ICTs in teaching or supporting students to incorporate ICTs in their preferred learning approaches. It is a common experience for workshop participants that staff are time-poor, and that they are often reluctant to set aside time to attend staff training workshops. In this context, alternative strategies to engage staff are especially useful: workshop participants suggested introducing “masterclasses” and “briefings” as some staff may consider these to be more attractive options. It is sometimes difficult for staff to be open about their support needs, as there is a perception that personal “exposure” (e.g. of lack of competencies) carries a degree of reputational risk.

In campus environments where ICT use is not yet well understood and embedded, it is essential to put in place strategies to engage and support staff, encompassing support staff, managers, and academic teaching/research staff. If we want to see and encourage particular ICT-related behaviours in students, we should put in place strategies to enable staff to adopt / “model” those behaviours. Staff can play a crucial mentoring role, and this needs to be recognised and rewarded at institutional level.

Promoting Technology Enhanced Learning: Benefits, Risks, and Opportunities

• The learning technology community, as a community of experts, is able to discuss issues of learning design and pedagogy at a high level. Staff within institutions may not possess (or have direct access) to such expertise;
• What ICTs are "really" being used for learning? By whom? What are people learning as a result?
• We need to find out what tools are appropriate for different types of learners;
  
• For some staff and students, technology is threatening. People need help navigating jargon. "Expert" language / discourse can seem exclusive or elitist, and we must take care to avoid being seen to impose particular tools or methods on individuals. Empowering students and staff to take control of their own learning is critical.