Continuous Work-force Development for ICT staff: the Media Centre project at London South Bank University
Jim Nottingham, Paula McIiver Nottingham
London South Bank University, United Kingdom
Managing continuous workforce development for Information Communication and Technology (ICT) staff is a major challenge for university planning. The Teaching Quality Enhancement Fund (TQEF) Media Centre project has achieved two main goals: introducing the process of work-based learning (WBL) to Media Services staff and creating new digital facilities and services for staff that bridge the gap between IT training and the independent creation of digital learning resources. The project presents an innovative approach to using applied research within the institution, developing higher level skills to enhance personal performance, encouraging team development, and scaffolding the process of change. As Billet indicates, co-participation is about “understanding how individuals come to learn and develop further vocational practice through work and throughout working lives ” (2002).After the university invested significant capital funds in new classroom audio-visual resources, there was a need to increase Technician’s capabilities in a wider spectrum of learning and teaching duties. As many issues related to integrating new media and learning call for institutional change (Gonick 2006), the WBL approach facilitates reconciling technical and academic/customer perspectives for developing resources. The project was carried out in three stages, with qualitative methods such as interviews and document review used to understand complexity. Staff included a dedicated learning consultant and Advisory Group of academic and academic-related staff. Project reports have been written throughout the process for the university Learning and Teaching Committee.The Media Centre case study may be useful to other universities who are trying to introduce innovative methods of developing ICT and/or university staff. WBL provides opportunities regardless of educational background, with individual progression through self-managed learning (Cunningham et al. 2004). The project has ensured job continuity when Media Services was merged into the ICT department form Building Services. Two Media Services staff are now Team Leaders within ICT. New services have been phased in with a project framework approach: including two new specialist studios, a campus wide streaming service, and an increased use of Blackboard by core teaching staff. The ICT Director has observed and received positive feedback from Media Technicians and requested more WBL activity for additional ICT staff.Billet, Stephen. 2002. Workplace Learning as Co-participation. Introduction. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Research Association, New Orleans. ERIC: EFF-088 (Rev.2/2000).Cunningham, Ian, Dawes, Graham, and Bennett, Ben. 2004. The Handbook of Work Basing Learning, Aldershot: Gower Publish Limited.Gonick, Lev S. 2006, New Media and Learning in the 21st Century. EDUCAUSE Review, vol. 41, no. 1 (January/February 2006): 68–69, http://connect.educause.edu/Library/EDUCAUSE+Review/NewMediaandLearninginthe2/40611?time=1235983198