Evaluation of the Principal’s e-learning fund (PELFe)

This project has a broad brief to review the activities of the fund and to examine the strategies, processes and impact of the programme.

Project staff:
Charles Anderson c.d.b.anderson@ed.ac.uk
Kate Day Kate.Day@ed.ac.uk
Sian Gowans Sian.Gowans@ed.ac.uk
Hamish Macleod Hamish.Macleod@ed.ac.uk

This project aims to examine closely what has been achieved over the lifespan of the Principal’s e-learning fund so that future policy and practice can build appropriately on this initiative. It also sets out to create a coherent overview of this multi-faceted programme that has supported a large and diverse set of projects which have targeted a wide range of objectives. Our research is centred on investigating the strategies, processes and impact of the programme. In taking ahead these key research questions, we have been concerned to identify what have been helping and hindering factors and to look at PELF against the wider backdrop of university structures, policies and practices. We have also viewed it as important to gain different perspectives on PELF, (e.g. we have not only surveyed and interviewed the personnel of PELF projects but also surveyed individuals whose bids were not funded).

Specific tasks that we are undertaking include:

• examining the genesis of projects (production of bids): purposes pursued, perceived opportunities and history of involvement in ICT, etc.
• an analysis of decision-making processes and of criteria for funding
• a mapping of the distribution of funding in terms, for example, of location and project focus
• surveying and interviewing of academic and project staff directly involved in PELF-funded projects
• gaining student perceptions of PELF-related activities
• interviewing of key informants with different institutional roles/responsibilities
• documenting the backgrounds of, and nature of contributions made by, project staff,
• reviewing dissemination activities, tracking patterns of influence between projects and beyond the projects.

In pursuing these and other research tasks we have benefited from consultations with the external advisor to the project, Dr. Martin Oliver of London Knowledge Lab/Institute of Education, University of London and from the feedback and suggestions discussed at meetings of our steering group. The Consultative Group includes as externals, Dr. Martin Oliver and Dr. Bill Harvey, from the Scottish Funding Council, and the following members drawn from across the university:

Lynn Allan, Edinburgh University Students’ Association Education Advisor
Anna Davidson, Edinburgh University Students’ Association, VP Academic Affairs
Professor David Dewhurst, Director of Learning Technology CMVM
Marshall Dozier, Academic Liaison Director for CMVM/Library
Professor Jeff Haywood, Vice Principal for Knowledge Management and Chief Information Officer
Janet Rennie, Deputy College Registrar CHSS
Professor Nigel Seaton, Assistant Principal for Taught Programme Development
Professor Martin Siegert, HoS School of Geosciences
Dr Charlotte Waelde, eLearning Co-ordinator CHSS