10
This article was downloaded by: [University of Cambridge] On: 06 November 2014, At: 12:03 Publisher: Routledge Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK Open Learning: The Journal of Open, Distance and e-Learning Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/copl20 Open University Staff Development Materials for Tutors of Open Learning Anne Langley a & Isabel Perkins b a Assistant Director, Student Services , UK Open University b Consultant and Associate Lecturer , UK Open University in the South West Published online: 07 Jul 2006. To cite this article: Anne Langley & Isabel Perkins (1999) Open University Staff Development Materials for Tutors of Open Learning, Open Learning: The Journal of Open, Distance and e-Learning, 14:2, 44-52 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0268051990140206 PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the “Content”) contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors, and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of the use of the Content. This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/page/terms- and-conditions

Open University Staff Development Materials for Tutors of Open Learning

  • Upload
    isabel

  • View
    214

  • Download
    2

Embed Size (px)

Citation preview

Page 1: Open University Staff Development Materials for Tutors of Open Learning

This article was downloaded by: [University of Cambridge]On: 06 November 2014, At: 12:03Publisher: RoutledgeInforma Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registeredoffice: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK

Open Learning: The Journal of Open,Distance and e-LearningPublication details, including instructions for authors andsubscription information:http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/copl20

Open University Staff DevelopmentMaterials for Tutors of Open LearningAnne Langley a & Isabel Perkins ba Assistant Director, Student Services , UK Open Universityb Consultant and Associate Lecturer , UK Open University in theSouth WestPublished online: 07 Jul 2006.

To cite this article: Anne Langley & Isabel Perkins (1999) Open University Staff Development Materialsfor Tutors of Open Learning, Open Learning: The Journal of Open, Distance and e-Learning, 14:2,44-52

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0268051990140206

PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE

Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the“Content”) contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis,our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as tothe accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinionsand views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors,and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Contentshould not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sourcesof information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims,proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever orhowsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arisingout of the use of the Content.

This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Anysubstantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing,systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. Terms &Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/page/terms-and-conditions

Page 2: Open University Staff Development Materials for Tutors of Open Learning

Open University Staff DevelopmentMaterials for Tutors of Open LearningAnne Langley, Assistant Director, Student Services, UK Open University, and Isabel Perkins, Consultantand Associate Lecturer, UK Open University in the South West.

Within the United Kingdom, there hasbeen increasing interest in staff develop-ment for teachers working in Higher

Education as a result of quality audits and assess-ment. The Open University (OU) has been explor-ing various relevant national standards. In 1993 itmade a commitment to the Investors in People (IiP)standard and although this has not yet beenachieved University-wide, the assessor was com-plimentary about the development and support ofassociate lecturers. Vocational standards havebeen developed by the Lead Bodies for Training &Development, and Advice, Guidance, Counselling& Psychotherapy, and various pilot schemeswithin the University have enabled associate lec-turers to obtain appropriate vocational qualifica-tions. A national accreditation scheme for teachersin Higher Education was set up by the Staff andEducational Development Association (SEDA) in1992, and the Open University in Scotland hasaccredited around 50 associate lecturers throughthis route. In 1997 the Dearing Report on HigherEducation in the United Kingdom recommendedaccreditation of all new full-time lecturers in HE,and a new Institute of Learning and Teaching isbeing set up as a result (Dearing 1997).

There are a large number of publicationsdesigned for lecturers in conventional institutions(for example, the induction packs for new lecturersby Rust 1990 and 1992). Around 70 British HigherEducation institutions now have SEDA accreditedprogrammes for their lecturers. Other institutionsprovide their own in-house programmes and/ormake use of existing qualifications such as aMasters in Education. However, there are few pro-grammes or publications designed for part-timeteachers, let alone part-time teachers within openlearning. Jaques (1998:5) reviews the literature and

describes a support programme for part-timeteachers in Higher Education in the University ofTechnology, Sydney, Australia; he concludes that 'itis difficult to resist the argument that part-timersand their needs should be given much fuller recog-nition and support'. An interesting example ofwhat can be done is at the Distance Education Unitof a Norwegian Polytechnic College, which insiststhat all part-time distance tutors complete a dis-tance training course lasting several months beforethey start work (Rekkedal 1997).

The OU is in a somewhat different position frommost other Higher Education institutions in theUnited Kingdom. It employs around 7,400 part-time associate lecturers who support the presenta-tion of courses, teach by correspondence, gradeassignments and provide most of the face-to-facecontact with students. Around 10 per cent of thesepeople have no other employer; around 70 per centwork in educational institutions elsewhere - 45 percent in higher education. Annual turnover isaround 10 per cent and so about 740 new staff jointhe OU each year. They come with academic qual-ifications and a wide range of valuable experience;however some may be new to teaching, others newto teaching adults, and most are new to open learn-ing. Thus the OU needs to provide a very flexibleinduction to the professional role of teacher: somenew staff need a mini teacher training course,whilst others only need an introduction to teachingand learning at a distance. In addition all new staffneed briefing on the course they will be teachingand the University's administrative processes.Further staff development supports the continuingprofessional development of existing staff. Writtenmaterials form an integral part of the overall pro-gramme of staff development that includes induc-tion meetings, line-manager support from a

44 Open Learning June 1999

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Uni

vers

ity o

f C

ambr

idge

] at

12:

03 0

6 N

ovem

ber

2014

Page 3: Open University Staff Development Materials for Tutors of Open Learning

full-time regional academic, a mentor and other staff development policy; these included a hand-peer support. Figure 1. shows how written materi- book on teaching and counselling called Openals contribute to the overall provision of staff devel- Teaching, a reference manual called The Openopment for associate lecturers in the OU. Teaching File, and a series of practical 'Toolkits' onFigure 1: Open University Staff Development for Associate Lecturers

iActivities• induction• continuing activities• monitoring

-

contribution

i

i

"discussion

Staff support• regional academics• other Regional Centre staff• central academics• mentor• monitor• other tutors and tutor-counsellors

i

TUTORS ANDTUTOR-COUNSELLORS

i

1

Materials• SOL materials• toolkits• other materials• B532 lor OUBS tutors• L900 for language tutors

reflection

experience

Other opportunities• OU courses and activities• Flexible Fund• non-OU courses and activities

Evolution of staff developmentwithin the Open University

Staff development for associate lecturers in theOpen University has gradually evolved over thepast 30 years. The need for guidance in teachingstudents was identified in 1969, even before anytutors were appointed. A formal 'Briefing andTraining' policy (as it was then called) was intro-duced in 1971, the year the first students startedstudying. The term clearly demonstrated the rather'top-down' approach of that time, which focusedchiefly on the briefing of new staff. Briefing mate-rials were piloted with early tutors and counsel-lors: a unit on Course Tuition was produced in 1972and one on Teaching by Correspondence for the OU in1973. In 1987 a new 'Staff Development' policy wasproduced, with a greater emphasis on professionallearning and continuing staff development. A'Flexible Fund' was introduced to support personaldevelopment opportunities. A set of 'OpenTeaching' materials was produced to support the

topics such as study skills and support for disabledstudents. These publications provided an excellentsource of good practice, and were grounded in acollegial approach that recognised the expertise ofthe reader in 'sharing between practitioners'.However, they still showed surprisingly little signof the interactive approach that had been used fromthe very early days in OU teaching materials forstudents. The Staff Development policy wasrevised in 1992 to introduce entitlement to contin-uing professional development, and again in 1997to incorporate the provision of peer mentoring fornew associate lecturers. It is interesting to note thatthe policy and provision for part-time staff waswell ahead of that for the full-time staff. For exam-ple, a University-wide induction programme forfull-time academic staff was not formalised until1995, and a formal policy on staff development forall full-time staff was only established in 1998.

The Open University set up the Centre forHigher Education Practice in 1997. The Centre isproducing a series of courses for accrediting lectur-

mnH

Oz

Open Learning June 1999 45

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Uni

vers

ity o

f C

ambr

idge

] at

12:

03 0

6 N

ovem

ber

2014

Page 4: Open University Staff Development Materials for Tutors of Open Learning

ers; these courses will apply for accreditationthrough SEDA initially, but the aim for the future isto enable participants to obtain membership of thenew Institute for Teaching and Learning in HE.The first of these courses 'Teaching in HigherEducation' started in November 1998 and a pilotgroup of 20 associate lecturers is taking anAssessment of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL)version of the course. A programme of support forthem is being developmentally tested.

Evolution of new staff developmentmaterials within the Open UniversityIn 1992 two members of OU staff, Christina Lloydand Paddy Maher, proposed a revision of the exist-ing OU staff development materials - Open Teachingand the Open Teaching File (Lloyd and Maher 1992).The intention was to incorporate the philosophy ofreflection on practice more overtly, building on thepersonal and career development programme thatthe University had developed in response to thenational Enterprise in Higher Education (EHE) ini-tiative. Their suggestions were widely welcomed,and the national Staff Development Team, chairedby Anne Langley, commissioned the 'SupportingOpen Learners' (SOL) materials. The change ofname reflects the general pedagogic shift towardsstudent-centred learning that has occurred, both ingeneral and within the Open University. Theauthors included experienced regional and centralacademic staff and associate lecturers. The newmaterials built on 25 years of experience, an evalu-ation of the preceding Open Teaching materials(Coats 1993), a 'Task Analysis' workshop held dur-ing 1993 with experienced associate lecturers, anda report on the induction needs of new staff(Perkins 1995).

The 1994 pilot materialsThe pilot materials, comprising the SOLIntroduction, SOL Reader, and SOL Workbook, weredevelopmentally tested in the Open University'sSouthwest Region in 1994-5 with 80 new and 120experienced associate lecturers. They included vol-unteers from all Faculties, and all roles (tutor, tutor-counsellor and counsellor). Three questionnaireswere sent out to participants at appropriate intervalsthroughout the year, and regular opportunitiessought to discuss the materials face-to-face withgroups of full- and part-time staff. The feedback wasanalysed by Isabel Perkins (1996) and indicated that:

• 84 per cent of experienced staff and all the newstaff found the SOL materials helpful in meetingtheir needs.

• Most staff felt that the time expended on the SOLmaterials had been worth the effort.

• The interactive nature of the materials was seenas a strength.

• Staff appreciated the addition of the SOLWorkbook with its linkage of good practice tostaff development.

• The pathways through the materials were notsufficiently clear.

• Staff wanted guidance on what was most impor-tant.

• They complained about the quantity of material.• The tone was felt by some experienced staff to be

patronising.• The materials needed to be placed in the context

of a dialogue with peers and regional centrestaff.

Typical reactions from experienced tutorsincluded:

'I wish I'd had something like this when I started.'

[The SOL Reader is] 'Best taken in stages - itinspired me to do better!'

'It [the Workbook] requires me to do some workrather than passive reading - active involve-ment/learning is good for tutors as well as stu-dents.'

While a new tutor commented:

'I have not got into the Workbook at this stage, withall the other demands made on my time as a newtutor. It will be relevant later.'

Regional academic staff had some additionalconcerns (see 'Resistance to change' below). TheSOL Workbook, which was an innovative publica-tion, attracted considerable criticism: it was seen astoo complicated and time-consuming, and so a sec-ond, slimmer version was produced and tested thefollowing autumn with a small group of staff. Thisversion proved more acceptable, and formed thebasis for the 'final' version that was renamed theSOL Staff Development File.

The 1996 SOL materialsThe pilot materials were revised in the light of thefeedback received from the pilot; for example,chapters were added to the SOL Reader on usingnew technology and the theory underpinning

46 Open Learning June 1999

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Uni

vers

ity o

f C

ambr

idge

] at

12:

03 0

6 N

ovem

ber

2014

Page 5: Open University Staff Development Materials for Tutors of Open Learning

practice. They were professionally edited,designed and printed. The current versionappeared in the autumn of 1996 (the SOL ReferenceFile was produced a year earlier, alongside the pilotmaterials). The SOL materials now consist of:

• SOL Introduction - a booklet giving a brief intro-duction and welcome to the OU for new staff.

• SOL Reader - an interactive guide to practicewith chapters on key issues and activities inOU work: open learning and equal opportuni-ties, face-to-face and correspondence teaching,student support and counselling, and distancesupport by telephone and computer. It alsoincludes a chapter on learning and reflection.

• SOL Staff Development File - a developmentalworkbook that includes the standards required,activities to enable an analysis of developmentneeds and to help fulfil those needs, and encour-agement to undertake a review and a plan forstaff development. There is also reference mate-rial on the policy and provision of staff develop-ment, qualifications and other professionaldevelopment issues.

• SOL Reference File - a guide to the administrativeside of the University's support for students andtutors, including details of the assessment process.

Figure 2 shows how these are integrated withother OU staff development materials.

Figure 2: Open University Staff Development Materials

SOLIntroduction

OUBS staffother staff

YOU AREHERE

B532Tutoring with theOpen Business

Schooltutor-counsellors

language tutors

othertoolkits

EffectiveTutorialstoolkit

EqualOpportunities

toolkits

How do 1know that 1am doing agoodjob?

your ownmaterials

L900Open

Learning inLanguages

SOLReference

File

StudentHandbook

Open Learning June 1999 47

mn

oz

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Uni

vers

ity o

f C

ambr

idge

] at

12:

03 0

6 N

ovem

ber

2014

Page 6: Open University Staff Development Materials for Tutors of Open Learning

The Supporting Open Learners (SOL)programme

Aim and objectives

The main aim of the University's staff developmentis to promote the provision of quality teaching andsupport for students. The specific objectives of theSOL Reader - for example - are to:• introduce the key issues involved in adult and

open learning;• describe the skills required in teaching and sup-

porting open learners;• enable staff to identify and develop good prac-

tice;• discuss current thinking about learning and

reflection on practice;• provide a useful resource for those working

with students in an open-learning setting.Other components of the SOL materials have

appropriate objectives to match their particularrole in the overall programme of staff develop-ment.

Embedding the materials

Briefing materials on the SOL materials wereproduced for various audiences. These includeda booklet called 'Using SOL' which was sent outbefore the new SOL materials arrived, in fact toofar ahead - it arrived in August when many peo-ple were on leave or at residential school, and bythe time the new materials appeared it seems tohave been forgotten. However, Student Services(the responsible organisational unit) took theopportunity to embed suggestions from 'UsingSOL' in the Supporting Staff Development resourcewhich was produced a year later for regionalstaff developers. Workshops about SOL wereprovided in many regions during 1996 and 1997;a national 'Training the Trainers' workshop on'Using OU staff development materials' washeld in autumn 1997, and the subsequent reportsent to all participants with additional copies toeach region. Anne Langley was invited to dis-cuss the SOL materials with numerous groups ofstaff including senior management, regional aca-demics and associate lecturers. She also pre-sented a joint paper about the materials at aninternational conference (Langley and Taylor1997).

Evaluation of the 1996 version

The SOL Introduction was evaluated using a ques-tionnaire and telephone survey in January 1997, inorder to revise it for the following autumn.Feedback showed that it had been well receivedand was achieving its objectives by helping staff tofeel part of the University and to get an overview oftheir new role. The remaining suite of SOL materi-als was evaluated by means of a questionnaire topart-time staff in two regions after a year of use. Sixpeople were telephoned to discuss issues in moredepth. The response to the questionnaire was poor(42 people, or 17 per cent of the 250 surveyed), andso the result should be treated with some caution.However, the respondents included people fromall Faculties, role and levels of teaching, and thereactions confirm those gained from informal dis-cussions with full- and part-time colleagues, so wecan reasonably assume that they are typical.

The main findings were:• There was a general consensus about the high

quality, usefulness and comprehensive natureof the SOL materials.

• Those who had received material in advance ofthe induction session benefited from the recom-mended pre-reading.

• The materials were found to be most helpfulwhen incorporated into induction sessions andstaff development events in general.

• Concern was expressed at the total amount ofmaterial received by associate lecturers.

Typical remarks were:

'As a new tutor it was very reassuring to have sup-port material, ideas material and reference mater-ial so easily to hand.'

'I put in long hours to make sure the students getgood service and I certainly do more than I am paidfor. Please don't bury me in paper!'

'In my first two years with the OU my main preoc-cupations have been to develop my course knowl-edge and teaching techniques. I now hope to makebetter use of the full range of SOL materials.''SOL would have been ideal when I started, now Ifind it a useful reference source and occasionally Iread bits that set me thinking about how I tutor.'

Use of the SOL materials by regionalacademic staff

There are academic staff based in the OU's 13regional centres who manage and support associ-

48 Open Learning June 1999

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Uni

vers

ity o

f C

ambr

idge

] at

12:

03 0

6 N

ovem

ber

2014

Page 7: Open University Staff Development Materials for Tutors of Open Learning

ate lecturers. One of them asks science tutors tocomplete the Tutorial Planning sheet from SOLStaff Development File before a tutorial visit, anduses this and the Reflection Sheets as a basis for dis-cussion afterwards. Another used a chapter fromthe SOL Reader to support a session for experiencedhealth and social welfare tutors on correspondenceteaching, together with material from the sectionson 'Reflection' in the SOL Staff Development File.One region has devised a counselling game called'SOLutions' based on the SOL Reference File thatwas very well received. Academics in anotherregion also use the SOL Reference File as the basis fora quiz when inducting tutor-counsellors. A thirdregion produced a series of staff developmentevents for full-time Student Services staff based onthe 'Student Questions and Answers' in theReference File.

Discussion of issues arising

Attitudes to teaching

A main concern for tutors new to open learning isaccepting the shift from 'lecturer' to 'facilitator oflearning'. The written course materials take over asthe fount of wisdom, and the tutor can be left feel-ing redundant. It is interesting that one Swedishopen learning tutor saw this as an 'opportunity toreturn to a more facilitating role' (Dahlgren1998:40, our emphasis). Experience shows thatshifting attitudes is extremely difficult to dothrough written materials, whilst discussion anddebate are more effective. Thus even though theSOL materials provide a repository of good prac-tice, the University relies on local induction andstaff development activities - including mentoring- to disseminate good practice and to encourageassociate lecturers to evolve a deeper levelapproach to teaching and learning (Marton andSaljo 1997).

Modelling good practice

Studying the SOL materials gives the tutor a simi-lar experience to that of the student studyingcourse units. It also conveys messages about theUniversity's approach to teaching and learning; asBeaty (1998:103) says "The new lecturer may learnas much from how we run a programme as they dofrom the content of that programme'. The StaffDevelopment Team saw it as important that we

modelled good practice in the design of open learn-ing materials, for example by incorporating inter-active activities. We commissioned cartoons toconvey important messages with a touch ofhumour. Photographs were carefully selected toconvey covert messages (for example about equalopportunities) as well as overt ones. The tone of thepilot materials had been criticised by some experi-enced staff who found it 'patronising', and so carewas taken in the 'final' version to make suggestionsand ask questions, rather than telling people whatto do.

Underpinning theory

A debate was held in the Team about the amount ofeducational theory to incorporate. The previousmaterials had largely eschewed theory, concentrat-ing on practice. The assumption had been thatmany associate lecturers would already be experi-enced teachers, and that all they needed was guid-ance on good practice in distance teaching.However we finally agreed to incorporate a chap- .-*ter on 'Learning and Reflection' written by MaryThorpe (Director of the University's Institute ofEducational Technology). It is interesting to note • »that staff interested in accreditation will be "Hirequired to demonstrate their understanding of the ~™theories of learning and teaching underpinning Otheir practice. ^p

Developing the reflective practitioner «^

The SOL materials were designed to assist in thedevelopment of reflective practice. The StaffDevelopment Team went through a considerabledebate about how and when to introduce this con-cept, and to foster its development. We appreci-ated that new staff have immediate and verypractical needs ('how am I to run my tutorial nextweek?' 'how do I mark these assignments?') thatcannot wait upon more considered reflection. Alsoit is hard to reflect on your practice when you don'tyet have much to reflect on! However, we feltstrongly that you cannot regard reflection as a 'bolton' to be added as an option, or after a couple ofyears: reflection should be encouraged from thevery beginning. As a result we designed the mate-rials to encourage reflection through the use of fea-tures such as 'Pause for Thought', 'Questions toConsider', 'Reflection Sheets' and 'Activities'. Ashort section on the topic of Reflection wasincluded in the induction section (Part 1) of the

Open Learning June 1999 49

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Uni

vers

ity o

f C

ambr

idge

] at

12:

03 0

6 N

ovem

ber

2014

Page 8: Open University Staff Development Materials for Tutors of Open Learning

SOL Staff Development File, and more in Part 2 -withencouragement to experienced staff to start a learn-ing file or reflective journal. A chapter was addedto the SOL Reader entitled 'Learning andReflection'. Disappointingly the evaluation sug-gests that many new staff feel they are too busy toreflect much (one said 'there is no time to learn aswell as teach' [sic!]) although they appreciate itsimportance. More experienced staff feel that thematerials are aimed at new staff, and so they too donot make much use of the various stimuli to reflec-tion. The next few paragraphs explore why thematerials were not very successful in stimulatingreflective practice.

Perceived value

Within any organisation, the reward structure (be itremuneration or grades) reflects the values of thatorganisation in a very tangible way. From the pointof view of associate lecturers, the OU tends toreward the content and not the process of theirwork. From the point of view of the student, it isthe content of the assignment that is usuallymarked as opposed to the learning strategy. In bothcases time is at a premium and so 'doing' takesprecedence over 'reflecting'. Most students iden-tify the criteria being used to assess them, anddirect their studies in order to maximise theirgrades. Similarly most associate lecturers willfocus their energies on the work that they are paidto do (running tutorials and marking assignments)and not on reflecting on their practice. Clearly atutor who practices reflection will be more likely tofoster and reward deep-level learning in their stu-dents. Associate lecturers look for evidence thatthe OU recognises the value of their professionaldevelopment. In future, encouragement to accredittheir practice will enhance the status of reflection,and for many this will be the prerequisite of com-mitment to change.

The need for interaction

Reflective practice needs to be supported by allo-cation of time and resource and is difficult to do inisolation. Working with written material as aprompt to reflection is a very useful preparation fordiscussion with others who are involved: students,monitors and other academic colleagues. Writtenmaterials, however good, are not a replacement forsocial interaction, although they can provide anexcellent first step on a much longer journey. The

most frequently expressed comments on OU staffdevelopment refer to the benefits of an opportunityto meet with colleagues and exchange ideas.Nothing works quite as well as face-to-face contactand the collegial academic discourse that it engen-ders. The activities in the SOL materials have beenmost successful when incorporated into staffdevelopment events.

Attitude of mentors

The role of the mentor is comparatively recentwithin the OU, and it is still being developed. Newassociate lecturers are assigned to an experiencedcolleague, who is paid to support them during theirfirst year of teaching. The teaching role (as alreadymentioned under 'attitudes to teaching') is ofteninterpreted in terms of 'coaching' on course con-tent, rather than as the process of helping others tolearn. The mentor can provide a key link betweenthe theory and the practice of teaching, and offerthe necessary stimulus for reflection. However,evaluation has shown that many experienced staff- sadly including mentors - regard reflective prac-tice as an optional extra rather than an approachthat is embedded in OU philosophy. It would beworthwhile to invest in training mentors to workwith the SOL materials, in order to raise awarenessthat the process of learning is equally as importantas the content.

Resistance to change

There was a surprising amount of opposition to thepilot materials initially, mostly from some full-timeregional academic staff who on the one hand pre-dicted an increased workload for themselves andassociate lecturers, and on the other hand saw theSOL materials as a challenge to their professionalstanding and role. The Staff Development Teamlistened to the criticism, took on board the com-ments made, and improved the materials as aresult. 'Ownership' and acceptance throughoutthe University was gradually increased by regularwritten briefings, opportunities for face-to-facediscussion, inviting a representative from criticalgroups to join the Staff Development Team, andasking for a nominated person in each Faculty tocomment on the materials. Argyris (1991:6) hasdescribed 'the propensity among professionals tobehave defensively'. It is also important to recog-nise that change imposed from outside is oftenresisted, and a new approach to staff development

50 Open Learning June 1999

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Uni

vers

ity o

f C

ambr

idge

] at

12:

03 0

6 N

ovem

ber

2014

Page 9: Open University Staff Development Materials for Tutors of Open Learning

is no exception. As Semier (1996:112) says 'Changeis a fundamental issue, but I think it has to comefrom the bottom. It has to come from the soul of theorganisation that feels there is a necessity forchange'. Thus introducing a 'top-down' change isalways going to be hard work until recognition ofits value and ownership has developed throughoutthe organisation.

Accreditation

The University has decided to encourage associatelecturers to work towards accreditation through anAssessment of Prior Experiential Learning route -a version of the OU course H851 'Teaching inHigher Education' - upon satisfactory completionof two probationary years. The Open University inScotland has found that SEDA accreditation candi-dates need additional support with reflection andthe theory underpinning their practice (JudithGeorge, personal communication). An accredita-tion support package is therefore being devisedand tested with a small pilot group; this packageincludes local support from a mentor, and aseries of workshops to discuss reflection andportfolio building. There will also be some writtenmaterials:

• a Reader with key concepts in teaching andlearning (adapted from the reader for the OUcourse H851 'Teaching in HE');

• an accreditation booklet that will assist associatelecturers to assemble a portfolio of evidence oftheir OU work for assessment.

It is hoped that the optional nature of these twopublications, plus the incentive of accreditation,will encourage interested associate lecturers toengage in structured reflection supported by thesematerials. Further revision of the whole suite ofSOL materials is taking place in order to relate themmore closely to the standards of SEDA and - even-tually - the new Institute of Learning and Teachingin Higher Education. For example the 'ReflectionSheets' from the existing SOL materials are beingtailored to meet the evidence requirements forassessment of teaching practice.

ConclusionsThe new 'Supporting Open Learners' staff devel-opment materials were welcomed by associate lec-turers and seen as a valuable resource. The SOLIntroduction, Reader and Reference File were widelyused in the first two years of tutoring with the OU.

Some problems were found with the overall work-load for new staff, who felt they did not haveenough time to engage with the activities in theSOL Staff Development File, particularly during thefirst year of tutoring. There was considerable ini-tial concern about the pilot materials, chiefly fromsome regional academic staff. Others have wel-comed the SOL materials and have been makingcreative use of them to support the development ofboth full- and part-time staff. There has been dis-appointingly little use by individual associate lec-turers of the SOL materials as a basis for reflectionon practice. However, it is expected that the adventof national accreditation for lecturers will stimulatemore demand for material to support reflection,and that the next generation of SOL materials (dueout in 1999) will form a valuable foundation for thedevelopment and demonstration of reflectivepractice. •

Dr. Anne Langley can be contacted at the StudentServices Planning Office, The Open University,Walton Hall, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, UnitedKindom. Isabel Perkins's address is The OpenUniversity in the South West, 4 Portwall Lane,Bristol, BS16ND, United Kingdom.

References

Argyris, C. (1991) 'Teaching smart people how tolearn', Harvard Business Review, 69(3).

Beaty, E. (1998) 'The professional development ofteachers in HE: Structures, methods and responsi-bilities', Innovations in Education and TrainingInternational, 35(2): 99-107.

Coats, M. (1993) Evaluation of Open Teaching materials,OU Internal Report.

Dahlgren, E. (1998) 'Staff training and the develop-ment of distance-education courses', Open Learning,13(2): 38-42.

Dearing, R. (1997) 'Higher education in the learningsociety', Report of the National Committee of Inquiryinto Higher Education, Norwich: HMSO.

Jacques, D. (1998) Supporting Part-time Teachers inHigher Education, Briefing paper 56, Sheffield:UCoSDA.

Langley, A. and Taylor, L. (1997) Developing theReflective Practitioner: A case study in staff developmentfrom the UK OU, Paper presented at theInternational Conference in Distance Education(ICDE). Pennsylvania State University, June 2-6.

Lloyd, C. and Maher, P. (1992) Revision of OpenTeaching materials: Making the new 'OpenTeaching' a Workbook to promote Reflective

Open Learning June 1999 51

rnn-jOz

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Uni

vers

ity o

f C

ambr

idge

] at

12:

03 0

6 N

ovem

ber

2014

Page 10: Open University Staff Development Materials for Tutors of Open Learning

Practices, OU Teaching and Learning Committee41, paper 4.

Marton, F. and Säljö, R. (1997) 'Approaches to learn-ing'. In Marton, F., Hounsell, D. and Entwistle, N.(eds.) The Experience of Learning, Edinburgh:Scottish Academic Press.

Perkins, I. (1995) New staff induction in Region 03: Areport on the induction process as experienced by TACstaff appointed in the Southwest Region 1991-93 andevaluation of induction days held for 1994 appointees,OU Internal Report.

Perkins, I. (1996) Evaluation of Supporting Open LearnersStaff Development Materials, OU Internal Report.

Rekkedal, T. (1997) Training Distance-education Tutorsby Distance Education. Paper given at the ICDEConference, Pennsylvania State University, June 2-6.

Rust, C. (1990) Teaching in Higher Education, SCEDPaper 57, Birmingham: SEDA.

Rust, C. (1992) Teaching in Higher Education 2, SEDAPaper 68, Birmingham: SEDA.

Semier, R. (1996) Reported in Bowles, J. and Bjelland,O.M. (eds.) The Keys to Breakthrough Performance,Oslo : The Performance Group.

Doing Institutional Research: The Role ofthe Partisan GuerrillaAlan Woodley, Senior Research Fellow, Student Research Centre, Institute of Educational Technology,Open University

aims of research are to push back the frontiers ofknowledge, to develop theory, to improve theirteaching. However, if one considers 'research' in anindustrial or commercial context the image shifts toone of research for product development, organi-sation and methods research, market research, etc.

For Distance Teaching Universities there is aninteresting duality because they are both universi-ties and industries, and both models of research arepresent. For the professional institutionalresearcher the two models co-exist in the sameoccupational role and it is the anomalies and con-tradictions that this produces that form the focus ofthis paper.

In short the thesis of the paper is as follows:

• Distance Education has been categorised as anindustrial process. Most institutional researchcan be seen as contributing to this process.

• Notwithstanding this model, institutionalresearch is not a purely technical matter andneeds to be understood as a social process ofknowledge construction.

• In particular, complexities arise because DTUs

52 Open Learning June 1999

I nstitutional research can be defined as 'system-atic investigation designed to improve the effi-ciency and effectiveness of an institution'. Under

such a broad definition it is clear that 'institutionalresearch' (IR) is actually practised in a whole rangeof institutions, by staff in many positions, using avariety of methodologies, and addressing a hugearray of issues. For the purposes of the presentpaper I am going to restrict myself to a considera-tion of IR as practised in Distance TeachingUniversities (DTUs) by professional researchers aspart of their duties. By drawing upon my personalexperience of carrying out IR in such a context atthe British Open University, I will attempt to iden-tify where IR has had an impact and relate this tothe roles and functions of the institutionalresearchers themselves. In short I am going to crit-ically reflect upon the process of doinginstitutional research, rather than present resultsfrom it.

When one thinks of 'research' in the same breathas 'university', the tendency is to conjure up imagesof academics poring over books in libraries or car-rying out experiments in laboratories. For them the

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Uni

vers

ity o

f C

ambr

idge

] at

12:

03 0

6 N

ovem

ber

2014