**8. Challenges for educational management**

138 International Perspectives of Distance Learning in Higher Education

and students through the provision of services that facilitate teaching, learning and education-related administrative tasks. The most important component in the deployment of a blended learning programme is to recognise the role of the instructor and the new roles

However, integrating more sophisticated technologies requires a strategic decision, to train, support and adequately reward staff involved in such initiatives. For instructors, there is a significant adjustment required in their role. Berge (1998) and Vrasidas and Zembylas (2004) suggest that instructors are often asked to develop programmes using technology to support their deliver without the proper skill-sets or supports in place. Staff enablers as identified by this research include further up-skilling, support in the creation of web pages and support in the use of synchronous technologies such as voice over IP (VoIP) and web technologies. Greater flexibility, learning and integration of new technologies, and providing feedback in a more flexible manner are all roles that management in institutions must facilitate. In summary, if these challenges are addressed, synchronous communication technologies such as whiteboards or VoIP can play a key role in the successful deployment of

The instructor has a key role to play in the successful delivery of a blended learning programme. The instructor's engagement will be a key determinant of the success or otherwise of any blended learning initiative. For educational institutions, the challenge is in communicating effectively to the wider community the details and features of these types of programmes and ensuring the programme is effectively structured and delivered. Adams (2004) suggests that computer based learning has three elements; (i) hardware, (ii) software and (iii) 'underware' – the pedagogy that underpins the e-learning development. Tham and Werner (2005) would suggest that as educators there is a requirement for a variety of skills sets or "hats" including (i) a technological hat, (ii) a pedagogical hat and (iii) a social hat.

Tham and Werner (2005) highlight studies that indicate that instructors in an online

 A technological hat – educators must understand the application software and also the implications of technology for adopting different strategies in teaching. Using the

 A social hat – in an online environment for the instructor to establish a rapport with students the technical communication tools should be used to establish a friendly,

Senior management in institutions must harness the power of technology to deliver the curriculum to lifelong learners while recognising that the set of instructional skills required are quite different, the cohort of students are different and the role of the institution,

available technology to enhance student learning is not an easy undertaking. A pedagogical hat – with a virtual classroom the tool/applications used to monitor or raise the intellectual skills of students requires the instructor to adopt the right tools and not simply use the tools that are available. Creativity is elementary to design of a

environment must fulfil many roles or "hats". These hats include:

course that brings students closer in an online environment.

cohesive and comfortable learning environment.

instructor and student must adopt to this changing dynamic.

and responsibilities that the instructor must take on.

programmes.

**7. Online instructional skills** 

It is incumbent on management in higher education to make a strategic decision on the role of technology in the delivery of learning. If the strategic decision is to embrace technology in the delivery of learning, then budgets need to be dedicated to resourcing appropriately the technological infrastructure, support and training mechanisms and appropriate rewards and recognition systems for staff involved in the delivery of programmes.

For staff new to this type of programme delivery, some training should be provided to guide instructors on how to manage a course and to create online content. Given that most institutions will start with a learning management system (LMS) as the fundamental hosting framework for the delivery of these types of programmes, sufficient training should also be provided on the deploying of the features within these systems.

In deploying these types of programmes effectively there is a "hardware" perspective, i.e. technological component, that needs to be considered, and a "software" perspective, i.e. the various instructional roles and approaches, that the instructor must assume. Based on the literature review and the analysis of the programme in Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) in Ireland, strategically there are a number of key steps that should be considered in deploying initiatives of this type. These are outlined in table 3.


Table 3. Steps to Enable Delivery of a Blended Learning Programme

As funding mechanisms continue to change and rapid advances in information and communications technology (ICT) continue to transform the way education is delivered, developing a framework to deploy learning to address the diverse lifelong learning needs of professionals presents a challenge. Adopting ICT to support and facilitate the development of educational programmes is at various stages of the technological adoption cycle in higher education. It represents in many cases an unknown and as such carries significant risk in terms of costs if not deployed successfully. A review of the literature suggests that there is no unique formula to apply for the successful development and delivery of blended learning. For many institutions the new technologies that are available represent largely additional expenses that are difficult to quantify (Twigg, 2003). Coupled with this, the range of cost estimates that can be incurred in the development of e-learning vary, from small financial resources required to huge financial commitment (Mayer, 2003).

With the growing acceptance of e-learning technologies and the increasing need of access to remote learning opportunities, administrators of higher-level institutions face; (i)

Strategically Integrating Blended Learning to Deliver Lifelong Learning 141

To capitalise on this research and bridge the gap between, (i) higher education, (ii) the requirements of the various professional bodies and (iii) the needs of industry, there are a

1. Establish and test the infrastructure and framework which will act as the host platform

2. Establish the appropriate learning outcomes and competencies required by the

3. Determine the breakdown of traditional and online delivery of the learning. As part of this, ensure that as many methods of instruction and learning as possible, i.e. both

4. Ensure that the content delivered will be recognised by the professional bodies, industry, regulatory bodies and individual as eligible as part of CPD. For educational institutions, this means building links with the professional bodies and ensuring the quality of the delivered learning will meet both the competencies and learning

Through the execution of these various steps, an effective programme of lifelong learning, meeting both the professional institutions and industry's learning needs can be deployed. Educational institutions are in a better position than most to capitilise on this through the formal quality assurance systems that exist in the sector and in individual institutions, through undergraduate programmes developed which fulfil the criteria of the various

Developing and deploying an initiative to deliver lifelong learning addressing the continuing learning needs of professionals can be a challenging task, which can consume considerable time and resources without any guarantee that the outcome will be successful. The creation of effective online resources, also identified as important, is a complex

The term blended learning has been widely adopted to depict combinations of face-to-face and technology-based learning (Stubbs et al., 2006). No two blended learning designs are identical, which introduces the great complexity of blended learning (Garrison and Kanuka, 2004). Both previous research and the analysis that has been undertaken in this exploration, indicate that in the development of a framework for deploying blended lifelong learning is a complex undertaking. However, it may be useful to construct a framework that will assist in deploying lifelong learning. This framework, outlined in figure 2, is constructed around four

Blended learning offers institutions the opportunity to engage in using technology in

series of steps that should be undertaken. These are:

professional bodies

for the technology-facilitated lifelong learning initiative

formal and informal methods of learning, are incorporated

challenge that educational institutions and educators continue to face.

outcomes required by multitude of stakeholders

professional bodies to meet industry needs.

**9. Framework for blended learning** 

key parameters: 1. Participants

3. Online learning

4. Traditional Instruction.

2. The delivery of the instruction

conjunction with traditional delivery to offer learning.

technological, (ii) organisational, (iii) pedagogical and (iv) cultural challenges in helping to integrate these changes (Howell et al., 2004). This research supports the work of Forsyth (2003), which suggests that students and tutors have different support needs as outlined in figure 1.

Source: Forsyth (2003)

Fig. 1. Summary of Tutor and Student Support Needs

The design, development and implementation of e-learning in the delivery of learning can represent a significant investment without any guarantee of success. Therefore it is vital that a strategic approach is embraced in deploying any initiative using technology. Embracing a strategic approach can result in the successful deployment of a blended programme meeting the needs of professionals.

As demonstrated earlier in the literature and succinctly captured by Sadler-Smith et al. (2000), individuals who involve themselves in continuing professional development (CPD) are likely to have clear preferences for different learning methods and activities. These are key considerations in developing e-learning programmes addressing the CPD needs of learners.

The integration and interaction of (i) technology, (ii) traditional instruction, (iii) the instructor and (iv) the participant are key components in any blended learning programme. Based on a review of the literature and previous initiatives, "flexibility" captures the most significant change that must be embraced for a blended learning CPD approach to be successful. Educational institutions, individual instructors and participants must become flexible in the successful collaboration and delivery of a blended programme.

As identified by Thomas (1995) and Browell (2000), the benefits to higher education in becoming involved in providing lifelong learning include; (i) offering the potential for closer links with industry and the professions, (ii) opportunity for funding to carry out research and consultancy and (iii) information feeds back into undergraduate programmes to ensure relevance to industry requirements.

technological, (ii) organisational, (iii) pedagogical and (iv) cultural challenges in helping to integrate these changes (Howell et al., 2004). This research supports the work of Forsyth (2003), which suggests that students and tutors have different support needs as outlined in

The design, development and implementation of e-learning in the delivery of learning can represent a significant investment without any guarantee of success. Therefore it is vital that a strategic approach is embraced in deploying any initiative using technology. Embracing a strategic approach can result in the successful deployment of a blended programme

As demonstrated earlier in the literature and succinctly captured by Sadler-Smith et al. (2000), individuals who involve themselves in continuing professional development (CPD) are likely to have clear preferences for different learning methods and activities. These are key considerations in developing e-learning programmes addressing the CPD needs of learners. The integration and interaction of (i) technology, (ii) traditional instruction, (iii) the instructor and (iv) the participant are key components in any blended learning programme. Based on a review of the literature and previous initiatives, "flexibility" captures the most significant change that must be embraced for a blended learning CPD approach to be successful. Educational institutions, individual instructors and participants must become

As identified by Thomas (1995) and Browell (2000), the benefits to higher education in becoming involved in providing lifelong learning include; (i) offering the potential for closer links with industry and the professions, (ii) opportunity for funding to carry out research and consultancy and (iii) information feeds back into undergraduate programmes to ensure

flexible in the successful collaboration and delivery of a blended programme.

figure 1.

Source: Forsyth (2003)

meeting the needs of professionals.

relevance to industry requirements.

Fig. 1. Summary of Tutor and Student Support Needs

To capitalise on this research and bridge the gap between, (i) higher education, (ii) the requirements of the various professional bodies and (iii) the needs of industry, there are a series of steps that should be undertaken. These are:


Through the execution of these various steps, an effective programme of lifelong learning, meeting both the professional institutions and industry's learning needs can be deployed. Educational institutions are in a better position than most to capitilise on this through the formal quality assurance systems that exist in the sector and in individual institutions, through undergraduate programmes developed which fulfil the criteria of the various professional bodies to meet industry needs.
