Reflections on staff development in eLearning via a community of practice model

Abstract

This narrative seeks to identify practices which have enabled staff in eLearning roles to support their peers to increase the use of eLearning within a New Zealand tertiary education context. Specifically, it examines those factors which have contributed to the development of institutional capability in eLearning over a two-year funded period. Unitec New Zealand has recently implemented a transformative eLearning Development Strategy with the aim of developing the capability and capacity of Unitec academic staff in integrating learning technologies. The funding of a number of temporary roles aided development of staff capability and capacity in eLearning through a Community of Practice model. We consider factors that contribute to the development of a sustainable learning culture, and identify how a community approach has enabled this. We further explore and reflect upon the enablers and barriers experienced in the eLearning roles, and the implications of using this model and its efficacy in meeting institutional goals. An extended version of this paper was presented at the Moodle Research Conference held in Heraklion, Crete on 14-15 September 2012.