‘TLC Series’. Managing technologies for teaching and learning

The eLearning Innovation Center (eLinC) monitors and analyses educational trends and innovation, focusing on internal and external good practice to assist in the development of the educational model at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC). Desirée Gómez Cardosa and José López Ruiz, members of the Teaching and Learning Analysis team, have carried out an analysis of centres responsible for promoting educational innovation in universities. Each article in the TLC series examines an aspect of the centres’ activity. This article looks at topics related to services to improve digital learning, learning management systems (LMS) and the management of technology.

Educational technology (edtech)

It is well known that the disruptive effects of Covid started a transition from face-to-face to online teaching (Daniel, 2020). These digital contexts with blended and online learning approaches rely heavily on technology to foster and boost the learning experience. From the eLinC, we’ve documented a massive growth in the use of videos as pedagogical tools, alongside a rise in virtual reality and simulation, interactive games, online quizzes, social networks and numerous other examples, including the current emergence of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) as a learning support tool. Interconnected with teaching strategies, these digital media have contributed to improving aspects of student learning such as motivation, collaboration, socialization, engagement, communication and, obviously, learning outcomes.

Actions that promote the use of innovative digital tools can also be seen in the creation of repositories of teaching resources and ePortfolios aimed at teachers and students as valuable means to document and visualize educational progress and good teaching practices, and foster collaboration and social involvement in learning. ePortfolios can be used as a methodological strategy in educational contexts (Guàrdia et al., 2020) and have become an important institutional resource at the UOC due to their potential and the benefits they offer in learning processes.Some examples include the UOC’s Folio, developed by the eLinC, the University of Cape Town’s ePortfolio and the McGraw Commons Course Website at Princeton’s McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning, which acts as an online teaching portfolio.

Technological management of education and the TLCs

The field of higher education has increasingly seen incorporation of educational activities based on ICT resources, leading to a process of digitization at universities. New pedagogical models and new learning environments have been introduced – transformations that have contributed to a more sustainable education model (Liesa-Orús et al., 2020). The role of Teaching and Learning Centres (TLCs) in the technological management of education is crucial for institutions, especially those that offer online learning, as they act as catalysts for teaching innovation and pedagogical adaptation in educational contexts of digital transformation. Aware of the central role of technology as a learning tool and the infrastructure it requires to be truly effective, centres are acting to ensure the integration of educational technologies that promote active learning, collaboration and digital equity. The widespread introduction of learning management systems (LMS) such as Canvas or D2L Brightspace, which aid the transition to hybrid and online models, has increased the possibilities of incorporating tools that support digital learning. Management involves coordinating the adoption of new LMS environments, as in the case of Princeton and its change from Blackboard to Canvas, or the case of the UOC’s eLinC in piloting the transition from the previous proprietary platform to Canvas.

Digital equity

The centres’ work aims to transform students’ educational experiences, supporting them with technological solutions that contribute to the universities’ mission to facilitate learning in a more connected, accessible and equitable way. In this regard, the Centre for Innovation in Learning and Teaching (CILT) at the University of Cape Town (UCT), in South Africa, responded to the socioeconomic inequalities and digital divide affecting its student population by implementing online teaching strategies and technological aids during the Covid pandemic, which evolved over time into itsinclusive, equitable and integrated Digitally Enabled Education (DEE) strategy within its Vision 2030. This strategy promotes equal access and participation of its student body in a learning experience supported by a personalized LMS system (D2L Brightspace), specific technological aids and the provision of digital devices that guarantee connectivity for students with limited access.

Attributes of support services

In order to support digital learning practices and the integration of educational technologies in teaching, it is essential for teaching staff to have pedagogical support from instructional designers and experts in educational technology during the design phase of learning actions to guarantee a positive impact for their programmes and courses.

The TLCs analysed share several attributes that facilitate technological support for teaching, thus improving the quality of teaching and promoting educational innovation. As Stump and Sastry (2023) point out, TLCs have begun to include experts in educational technology to achieve the integration of technology in teaching. They adopt different formulas to offer personalized and effective support that facilitates teaching through the use of ICT. An example of this type of integrative service is the University of Hong Kong’s TALIC, which provides a dynamic educational technology support and advisory service to teaching staff with the aim of improving the educational experience. The sample has revealed some common features of this edtech support service, such as those highlighted here.

Adaptation to the LMS

As we have seen, TLCs offer comprehensive assistance in the design, configuration and testing of programmes/courses in learning management systems (LMS). This support for teaching staff includes guidance on the use and configuration of digital tools to optimize their performance in the classroom and their adaptation to the intended pedagogical objectives. Examples of the support for this process include the assistance and training actions in the proprietary LMS developed by the Educational Technology and onQ service at Queen’s University CTL in Canada or the Canvas Implementation Plan and portal produced by the McGraw CTL at Princeton. This support applies to both the digital applications provided by default by the learning platform itself, and those of other technology providers approved by the institution.

Digital toolkits

The centres also provide digital toolkits and interactive resources in the form of digital work aids that cover the different teaching needs, such as interaction, assessment and content creation, making the integration of technology in teaching and learning processes more accessible and effective.

Training in the use of digital tools

The use of new technological resources in teaching and learning requires a new orientation of teaching and learning attitudes, by both teaching staff and students (Strecker et al., 2018). In both cases, they need to have the knowledge and skills necessary for the effective use of technology in teaching scenarios. The centres implement various training actions aimed at showing teaching staff how to use the tools and resources they need in their classrooms, as well as carrying out tests so that they can extract the best performance from the solutions. An example would be the training actions and resources for faculty and administrative staff, and the proofs of concept that the eLinC has carried out in relation to generative AI at the UOC.

Inter-service support

Edtech services tend to establish relationships or act as a bridge between other areas such as the library or IT service for everything that has to do with the administration and supply of educational resources or tools. The teaching support services of the TLCs often work together with these tech support units or libraries, in a collaboration that facilitates access to educational resources and the improvement of the infrastructure for digital learning.

Types of integration of technology units

In terms of the organization, there are different approaches and ways of proceeding around technological management in education to contribute to the aforementioned activities of training, advice, management of LMS and spaces for experimentation with edtech.

Certain centres integrate most of these services into one, while others take on only some of them, leaving other services to act as independent units or centres (for example, as edtech units or digital media centres, some of which are more focused on teaching materials). An example of a hybrid methodology would be that of the Centre for Teaching Support and Innovation (CTSI) at the University of Toronto, which manages a comprehensive support service for teachers. A toolbox of resources is provided, as are guides and resources are provided in the field of edtech on the configuration and management of LMS (Canvas). However, each faculty has its own teaching technology support team (in the ‘local academic unit’) for a more localized management adapted to the specific needs of their programmes.

When it comes to centres that have a technology unit integrated within their own structure, the University of Cape Town’s CILT stands out, with an edtech team dedicated to supporting teaching with digital tools. The centre also has a Digital Media Unit for the generation of digital content such as video production. Likewise, the CTL at Queen’s University has an edtech team to support teaching staff in the configuration of online courses.

Conclusions

There is a great deal of interest around the world in harnessing technology to transform the way students learn (Escueta et al., 2017). TLCs provide a series of technological support services to HEIs, a vital aspect of which is the work carried out to improve teaching quality and the learning experience thanks to teaching support in the implementation of edtech and its adaptation to the classroom and to educational needs. Another key action is the fostering of innovation and pedagogical development. This lies in the promotion of the use of innovative tools and methodologies that encourage teachers to become familiar with the new trends in innovation and to adapt and personalize their teaching based on evidence and enhanced by learning analytics services. The creation of a robust digital teaching support infrastructure not only facilitates the educational mission, but also drives the change towards a more connected and effective educational model. This means that these units, which, as we have seen, are internally or externally interconnected with other stakeholders involved in providing services to help learning design and the learning experience, are a driving force and modernizer of learning. The integration of multidisciplinary teams that are continuously updating their knowledge represents one of the values of innovation in these cases. “TLCs may also facilitate meetings between groups of faculty and staff interested in learning more about pedagogical or technological issues” (Kloos et al., 2021) since these centres also have a mission to integrate and socialize knowledge of educational technology. Beyond a merely technical role, they serve as a hub, according to Wright’s classification (2023), and act as a connector that promotes dialogue between agents within HEIs.

References

Daniel, S.J. (2020). Education and the COVID-19 pandemic. Prospects 49, 91–96 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11125-020-09464-3

Escueta, M., Quan, V., Nickow, A., & Oreopoulos, P. (2017). Education Technology: An Evidence-Based Review. NBER: Working Paper Series, No. 23744.

Guardia, L., Maina, M., & Fernández-Ferrer, Maite (2020). L’ePortfoli en el context educatiu. Smartpapers Edul@b.

Kloos, C., Alario-Hoyos, C., Morales, M., Rocael, H., Jerez, O., Pérez-Sanagustín, M., Kotorov, I., Fernández, S., Oliva-Córdova, L., Solarte, M., Jaramillo, D., Teixeira, A., & López, A. (2021). PROF-XXI: Teaching and Learning Centers to Support the 21st Century Professor. 2021 World Engineering Education Forum/Global Engineering Deans Council (WEEF/GEDC), 447-454. https://doi.org/10.1109/WEEF/GEDC53299.2021.9657301.

Liesa-Orús, M., Latorre-Cosculluela, C., Vázquez-Toledo, S., & Sierra-Sánchez, V. (2020). The Technological Challenge Facing Higher Education Professors: Perceptions of ICT Tools for Developing 21st Century Skills. Sustainability. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12135339.

Strecker, S., Kundisch, D., Lehner, F., Leimeister J.M., & Schubert, P. (2018). Higher Education and the Opportunities and Challenges of Educational Technology. Bus Inf Syst Eng 60, 181–189 https://doi.org/10.1007/s12599-018-0522-8

Stump, G.S. & Sastry, A. (2023). Teaching and Learning Centers: A pathway to sustainable teaching innovations. MIT J-WEL.

Wright, M.C. (2023). Centers for Teaching and Learning: The New Landscape in Higher Education. Johns Hopkins University Press.