Projects

At the Caledonian Academy we are researching new learning process and environments that will shape the way students around the world can learn in the future. Our research is in collaboration with a range of international partners across Europe, Australasia and the US. Examples include exploring ways in which students use technology tools, such as laptops, phones or iPods, in informal settings to support learning through formal teaching programmes (Learning from Digital Natives project). We are examining the ways in which global collections of electronic learning resources can best be used to support learning communities (CD-LOR project). We are investigating how tutors document their teaching and exploring ways in which this might help further develop practice and provide a means by which they can sharing ideas on innovative teaching with others (Mod4L project). The Academy is also leading national development initiatives such as the UK Higher Education Academy forum on supporting sustainable e-learning.

Learning in the Digital University (funded by ESRC A project led by the Open University with Glasgow Caledonian University, University of Lancaster and University of Edinburgh)

The Caledonian Academy is co-hosting an ESRC funded seminar series on Learning in the Digital University. The project addresses an educational context in which institutional policies and strategies are beginning to reflect new pedagogical and business models centred on social networking technologies and the blending of formal and informal learning. The seminars themselves will focus on a variety of formal and informal contexts of learning in the post-school sector (FE; HE; Libraries, and other areas of public, corporate and professional education), in recognition of the converging of aspects of curriculum and practice across these domains that is shaping the development of the university in the digital age. The series brings together researchers and practitioners from different disciplinary backgrounds who are interested in the use of digital modes of communication in post-school education, to problematise the concept of Literacy in this context, to evaluate teaching and learning practices informed by the concept of digital literacy, and to form a research network that will stimulate further research and critical evaluation in this highly significant area of educational development. We argue that there is a need for these debates, because modes of online interaction enabled by the new social media ('Web 2.0') are increasingly being urged on, and embraced by, educational practitioners, amid a 'Learning 2.0' discourse which aligns new forms of learning with the patterns of communication emerging via the social web. The first seminar will take place at the University of Edinburgh on October 16th 2009. Further details on project blog.

Open Educational Resources, funded by JISC Synthesis and Evaluation of the JISC Open Educational Resoutrces Programme by the Caledonian Academy

The Caledonian Academy is working with the UK Joint Information Systems Committees on the synthesis and evaluation of the JISC Open Educational Resources programme: a major, high profile initiative supported by the Funding Councils and the Higher Education Academy in the UK. This project is exploring the use and reuse of open educational resources to make sure universities approaches are sustainable longterm. The UK Funding Councils have identified open content release as having high importance. The UK aims to be at the forefront of development of expertise in this area. The programme has funded a number of projects across universities in the UK, which are expected to make 'a significant amount of existing learning resources freely available online'. This is the first time a single country has taken forward OER release on this scale. The project has three strands a) development and implementation of generic framework tool that will provide a strong foundation and common language for collating data from projects, b) strand-specific evaluation activities will address how different communities and cultures are progressing towards openness in their shared practice and c) a final synthesis report with recommendations for the JISC and for institutions (including Glasgow Caledonian) wishing to create and release OERs. Further information on phase 1 or phase 2.

Networked Innovation

Networked Innovation: the Role of Collaborations in Creation and Diffusion of Innovative Teaching and Learning Practices within Universities. This PhD study will investigate how collaborations impact the development and diffusion of innovative teaching and learning methods in universities. Learn more

Learning from Incidents (LFI) project

Learning from Incidents is a project aimed at investigating and developing new approaches to enhancing learning from health and safety incidents in the industrial workplace. View Learning from Incidents project website.

Learning Literacies for a Digital Age (LLiDA) project

LLiDA is a six-month study, funded by JISC, into learning literacies in UK HE and FE, which we are defining as 'the range of practices that underpin effective learning in a digital age'. View LLiDA project website.

CalShell

CalShell is an action-research partnership with Shell Learning, (Shell International BV) to investigate innovative and dynamic approaches to technology-enhanced learning. The aim of the partnership is to develop approaches and tools to support self-directed learning in the workplace. In particular, the partnership will explore the role of self-directed learning during transition from education to workplace, focusing on processes and systems that can significantly improve knowledge flow between novices and experts within the organisation. View project website

Real WoRLD

Real WoRLD stands for 'Realising Work-Related Learning Diffusion'. Work-related learning is a key component of Glasgow Caledonian University's Teaching, Learning and Assessment Strategy. One of its strategic goals is to build students' competencies in the skills demanded by employers in a knowledge economy. This new project, organised by the Caledonian Academy, aims to raise the profile of employability across the university through encouraging all schools to embed work-related learning activities into their programmes, use innovative approaches in learning and teaching to enhance their students' professional skills and engage with employers on a regular basis. View project website

Moving Forward

This Institution-wide Project, Moving Forward, coordinated by the Caledonian Academy was launched in November 2007 and addresses a key strategic issue identified by the Senior Executive. The project will develop a coordinated institutional strategy for transition and progression and evidence-based practice which will centre on partnership working between the Caledonian Academy, the Schools, Learner Support, CRLL and the Student Association. Its outcomes will be: Improved progression rates; Enhanced student experience in terms of transition to GCU; Greater support for staff in developing and implementing strategies to address issues associated with transition and progression.

LEX

The Learner Experience of E-Learning (LEX) research study was carried out by Glasgow Caledonian University and the Open Learning Partnership, an educational charity based in London. It was funded under the Pedagogy strand of the JISC e-Learning Development Programme and ran for one year, from May 2005 to August 2006.  It formed part of the ‘Understanding my Learning’ theme which is exploring learner perspectives on e-learning. The aim of the study was to investigate learners’ current experiences and expectations of e-learning across the broad range of further, higher, adult, community and work-based learning, through a series of in-depth interviews and focus groups. The LEX Final Report, Methodology Report, Guides and video clips of learners are available to download from the Learner Experiences of E-Learning section of the JISC web site.

REAP

The Caledonian Academy has supported the Caledonian Business School (CBS) in the Re-Engineering Assessment Practices in Higher Education (REAP) project. This project has piloted innovative models of assessment across three universities - the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow Caledonian University and the University of Glasgow. The REAP project is led by the Centre for Academic Practice and Learning Enhancement (CAPLE) at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow and it is funded by the Scottish Funding Council under its e-learning Transformation Programme.

The UK Supporting Sustainable e-Learning Forum (SSeLF)

SSeLF is funded by the “UK Higher Education Academy” to bring together staff and educational developers, as well as learning technologists from the UK higher education (HE) and further education (FE) communities, to devise strategies for supporting staff in the design, development and implementation of online courses; to disseminate good practice in supporting sustainable approaches to e-learning; and to contribute to the ongoing debate in the sharing and reuse of e-learning resources. SSeLF is co-chaired by Prof. Allison Littlejohn and Dr. Anoush Margaryan of the Caledonian Academy. For further information on SSeLF and events scheduled for 2010, please visit on the SSeLF community website.

Connecting with eLearning

'Connecting with eLearning' is a new book series from Routledge edited by Professor Allison Littlejohn, Director of the Caledonian Academy, in collaboration with Chris Pegler from the UK Open University. The series has been devised specifically for to teachers, lecturers and trainers who are involved in e-learning, but do not necessarily have a detailed knowledge of education technology. Each book offers a broad view of practice and research e-learning in readable, non-technical language. The first books are Preparing for Blended e-Learning (Littlejohn and Pegler) and The Educational Potential of e-Portfolios (Stefani, Mason and Pegler).

Community Dimensions of Learning Object Repositories (CD-LOR) project

The CD-LOR project is funded by the UK Joint Information Systems Committee to identify and analyse pedagogical, cultural and organisational barriers and enablers to successful embedding and use of learning object repositories within a diverse range of national and international learning and teaching communities.

Learning from Digital Natives: Integrating Formal and Informal Learning (LDN) project

The LDN project is funded by the UK Higher Education Academy to investigate the educational rationale to and good practices in students' use of electronic tools and mobile devices to integrate their learning in formal and informal settings. The project will develop policy guidelines and recommendations to staff and senior managers, from which strategies for encouraging student independence in formal settings can be implemented, bridging the formal-informal nexus.

Mod4L project

Models of Practice project, funded by the UK Joint Information Systems Committee and part of the Design for Learning programme. Mod4L aims to develop generic learning designs and represent them in ways that are usable by teaching practitioners.

Updated: 12 May, 2011 | Site editor | Legal