Getting this many members of a large group around the table at the same time was quite an achievement in itself – all the more so because we’re 100 miles or so apart. The meeting itself was therefore videoconferenced. Amazingly, and thanks to the attention to detail of those concerned, people, papers, technology and food all arrived in the right places at the right times!
The Pathfinder Group consists of the core team and key contacts with academic Schools. The purpose of this initial meeting was to introduce everyone to each other, report progress so far and initiate discussion about the project and where to go from here. Information about project planning, documentation and blogs was also conveyed to the group.
Two of the three project team members, Rachel Kowalski and Sue Howell, are now officially in post. Our Research Fellow, Ruolan Wang, has also been appointed and will start work as soon as possible.
Aims and outcomes of the project were then reviewed, and representatives from Schools asked about the extent of any existing data on the student experience in particular, eg through module evaluation.
Finally, School representatives were invited to talk about their particular interest areas in relation to the project. These included:
- Managing expectations and inducting students into VC situations for learning and teaching
- Improving interaction and engagement with students at remote sites
- Linking VC with other technologies to complement delivery (eg resources in WebCT)
- Making links with experts from other institutions or organisations, including international links
- The need for flexible induction and training of staff in the use of VC for learning and teaching
Group members were invited to think creatively about conference presentations and other scholarly outcomes that the project team could help to facilitate.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, one participant from the Exeter contingent was concerned that the Cornwall-based staff had a more impressive lunch. Still, the Danish pastries and sausages disappeared very quickly here at the Exeter end!
