Technology Enhanced Learning Strategy 2013-16
Introduction
This strategy sets out priority areas for the development of technology
enhanced learning (TEL) for the next three years. It is a sub-strategy of the
University Learning, Teaching and Assessment (LTA) Strategy and is based
on goals identified in the Corporate Plan and stakeholder consultation. The
plan is updated yearly, revising and adding aims as needed, based on a
consultative process which includes appropriate stakeholder input (e.g. SLS,
Faculties and students). This strategy is reviewed and approved annually by
Academic Quality, Standards and Enhancement Committee. Specific action
points for the next three years are detailed in Appendix A.
University Context
The University Corporate Plan and LTA Strategy are both ending this year,
with a new University Strategy being developed. With this in mind we are
basing this year's TEL Strategy on the existing Corporate Plan and LTA
Strategy. Next year the TEL Strategy will be revised to align with the new
University Strategy.
External Context
The NUS Charter on Technology in Higher Education has been a key
reference point in the development of this strategy. This charter is based on
research the NUS has done with students, and sets out that 'digital
technologies should enhance teaching and learning but not be used as a
replacement to existing effective practice.' This fits well with the philosophy of
technology enhanced learning that Sheffield Hallam has adopted, use of
technologies that enhance the student experience and provide higher quality
face-to-face contact time.
The charter also recommends supporting the development of key skills in
technology which benefit employability, embedding blended learning during
the curriculum design process, research into the student experience of
technology in education, and administrative convenience for students through
the use of online communication, course management and return of feedback.
It also highlights the possibilities that increasing ownership of mobile devices
brings to providing students with a personalised and flexible learning
experience. Overall the charter recommends an increased investment in
online technologies to benefit the overall student experience, as technology is
seen as a key way to enhance the student experience.
Implementation
Collaborative working, across Directorate and Faculty based teams, to ensure
the efficient and effective use of limited resources, is essential if
implementation of the strategy is to succeed. The student voice will be sought
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as an important element of our work. To help align the work priorities of these
different teams and ensure clarity of responsibility for actions, we have
collaboratively written a three year implementation plan for the strategy
(Appendix A). The first year of the plan includes specific names and dates for
actions. Annually, the next year of actions will be detailed and a third year of
actions included.
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Aims of the strategy
Aim 1: Support and communicate e-learning expectations
(Linked to LTA Strategy Aim 3: Teaching, learning and academic support and
Aim 5: Course focus and management)
Research into staff engagement with e-learning identified that the
expectations regarding the adoption of e-learning were unclear, both for new
and existing members of staff. These staff expressed that they know the
University and students want them to engage with online learning but did not
know the best way of doing so. To address this, the University agreed elearning minimum expectations in 2013. Communicating these expectations
clearly to staff and ensuring they are well-supported is essential to ensure
they are consistently implemented across the University.
Key actions:
 Communicate e-learning minimum expectations
 Incorporate these expectations into curriculum design processes
 Develop resources such as good practice exemplars and professional
development to support staff achieving the expectations
Benefits: Having a clear set of expectations around good e-learning practice which
are agreed and implemented would help staff understand the ways in which they are
supposed to engage with e-learning. This would also result in students having a
more consistent experience in TEL.
Students should benefit from:
 A consistent level of e-learning across all modules that meets their
expectations
 More online experiences which enhance their learning
 Administrative convenience in accessing online handbooks, notes and
grades
 Increased flexibility with how they engage with learning at the University
Staff should benefit from:
 Clear understanding of how to ensure a good online experience
 Convenience in communicating key information to students
 Clarification of good practice when using online pedagogies
Aim 2: Embed technology-enhanced learning teaching practices
(LTA Strategy Aim 3: Teaching, learning and academic support)
Technology presents us with a range of new teaching approaches which can
increase student collaboration, give new ways of engaging with learning
materials and provide flexibility for staff and students in how and where they
engage. Technology enhanced learning provides new approaches that can
improve student learning and increase student engagement. The University
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should promote these proven, modern teaching approaches to improve its
teaching of students, provide support for more students, increase staff
development opportunities, and support its overall business. This is about
encouraging staff who are meeting the minimum expectations to go above
and beyond those minimums to transform their teaching practices.
Key actions:
 Promote best practice models of online teaching
 Develop guidance for going beyond the minimum expectations
 Develop a range of tools that support staff thinking about their teaching
practice with regards to TEL
 Support growing provision of education at a distance
Benefits: Online teaching approaches offer new ways of improving student
learning. They can provide new options for student collaboration without students
needing to meet face-to-face.
Students should benefit from:
 Flexibility in where they engage with classroom activities
 Support for all our students
 A modern learning experience taking advantage of new teaching approaches
 Teaching practices which improve student engagement and learning
Staff should benefit from:
 Increased range of teaching techniques and models they can employ
 Innovative approaches to teaching for their teaching needs
 New staff development opportunities
Aim 3: Develop online submission, marking and feedback in order to
help students learn from feedback
(LTA Strategy Aim 4: Assessment and feedback)
Online submission, marking and feedback provide benefits to students such
as ease of submitting their assessments and quick return of feedback. As well
as administrative benefits for the institution, we want to maximise the learning
benefits to students by promoting feedback approaches that encourage
student engagement and use of feedback for improving future assessments.
Key actions:
 Work with key areas in the University to comprehensively look at how
the assessment process can be best supported with technology
 Create resources to help staff identify appropriate online feedback
methods and how to use them
 Evaluate available tools for providing online marking and feedback
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Benefits: Students want improvements in feedback, especially in speed and quality
of feedback. Technology can help provide quicker access to feedback, as well as
improving the quality of that feedback and the ability of students to engage with it.
Students should benefit from:
 Faster, more convenient and more flexible access to their feedback
 Legible feedback which can be viewed in accessible formats
 Electronic storage of their feedback for referring back to it, or inclusion in
portfolios or other record keeping mechanisms
 Better understanding of how to learn from their feedback
Staff should benefit from:
 Forms of feedback that suit their teaching styles and individual preferences
 Convenience in accessing student work, and creating and returning feedback
 More clarity about how to provide feedback that helps students learn
Aim 4: Encourage innovation in the use of technology-enhanced
learning
(LTA Strategy Aim 3: Teaching, learning and academic support)
Innovations in TEL need to be explored to determine what should become
more mainstream good practice at the institution. A range of new possibilities
have emerged recently which need exploration. These include the use of
mobile devices for learning purposes in and out of the classroom, massive
open online courses (MOOCs), open badges, and online collaborative tools
like Google Apps.
Key actions:
 Encourage possible uses of mobile devices in teaching and learning
and evaluate the effectiveness of them.
 Develop and support pilot MOOC projects to determine the potential
benefits they might have for the institution
 Explore different uses of open badges to support student achievement
and employability
 Evaluate uses of Google Apps for staff for teaching purposes
 Support academics with innovative teaching approaches
 Share and showcase innovative teaching approaches
 Investigate new trends and technologies as they arise during the year
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Benefits: Encouraging innovation in these and other areas as they arise will ensure
the institution is at the cutting edge of new developments and able to respond
quickly to the rapidly changing TEL environment.
Students should benefit from:
 A cutting edge learning experience taking advantage of new technologies
 Improved interaction and engagement inside learning spaces
 Increased learning opportunities when on and off campus
Staff should benefit from:
 Innovative teaching opportunities which are recognised and shared
 New collaborative opportunities for engaging students
Aim 5: Support the overall student experience using technology
(LTA Strategy Aim 3: Teaching, learning and academic support and Aim 5:
Course focus and management)
Harnessing technology to support and enhance the overall University
experience for students will ensure we have a competitive advantage. This
includes the learning and teaching experience as well as daily student life.
Shaping our approach to providing information from the perspective of what
students need and want will create a valued student online experience. To
create this online experience, we will need holistic thinking which connects
various resources and projects together, such as ensuring a joint skills
agenda on key topics (e.g. graduate attributes) and approaches to self-help.
Our Graduate Attributes include an expectation that students will develop
digital literacy skills during their course as well which we need to ensure we
are supporting given that developments such as social media are creating
new challenges for students with digital literacy.
Key actions:
 Engage with the development of the new web strategy to ensure a high
quality online student experience as part of it
 Support the wider mobile student experience agenda (e.g SHUgo)
 Provide guidance for staff and students around use of social media and
developing their digital literacy
 Explore open badges for supporting student induction and
employability
 Promote possibilities for students in using technology to support their
own personal learning approaches
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Benefits: Today's students expect their overall University experience to be
supported and enhanced by a variety of online tools and systems. Well-designed
information systems allow students to help themselves quickly and efficiently.
Students should benefit from:
 A modern student support experience which meets their expectations
 Just in time support which allows them to engage in ways that they prefer,
such as via web or mobile
 Support information structured around their needs which is up-to-date
 Support around key digital issues affecting them
Staff should benefit from:
 Improved ability to find information to support students
 A reduction in student support queries as students are able to help
themselves more
 Up-to-date awareness of key digital issues
Aim 6: Provide appropriate virtual learning spaces and tools
(LTA Strategy Aim 3: Teaching, learning and academic support)
To provide an innovative and enhancing TEL experience for students, we
need to ensure we have appropriate virtual spaces and tools available which
support our agenda. This includes online spaces as well as other software
and hardware. We need to continue to upgrade existing tools and make
decisions about how to configure them to gain the most benefit. There are an
increasing number of TEL technologies available to institutions and we have
to be strategic about which technologies to resource and support.
Key actions:
 Review existing tools and systems to ensure they meet our needs
 Automate Blackboard processes to reduce the workload for staff
 Provide solutions for managing devices on campus
 Implement PebblePad as an institutional system
 Introduce Google Apps as a teaching tool for staff
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Benefits: Appropriate online spaces and tools cater for a variety of student and
teacher preferences and styles, while supporting the other aims of the strategy.
Students should benefit from:
 Technologies which support the ways they want to engage with the institution
 A modern learning experience supported by technologies students are
familiar with and like
 Increased flexibility in how they engage with the University
 An experience with technology that prepares them for future employability
Staff should benefit from:
 Having the tools available to support desired teaching styles
 Tools that are fit for purpose and designed around the needs of staff and
students
 Systems and processes that help support staff
Aim 7: Improve professional development opportunities for staff
(LTA Strategy Aim 1: Staff with a commitment to excellence and Aim 2:
Curriculum design)
Staff need a range of professional development opportunities to support them
with achieving the other TEL goals. These opportunities need to include selfhelp opportunities, workshops and practitioner-led sessions. There is a need
to focus on capturing and sharing good practice so staff have models from
which to base their own practice. TEL professional development should link
into the new course design processes in the AQF, so that TEL can be
considered and embedded from the beginning of course design. The
professional development opportunities should also be linked into the wider
framework of professional development at the University to allow better
communication and more joined up activity around key priorities, including
working with other key groups delivering professional development such as
QESS Innovation and Professional Development, Learning and Information
Services and Faculty LTA groups.
Key actions:
 Offer a range of staff development opportunities
 Capture and share best practice in TEL
 Develop the Teaching Essentials site to support academics in LTA
 Develop resources to support TEL in AQF processes such as course
approval and evaluation
 Refresh the e-learning knowledge base for staff
 Refresh the e-learning starter pack
 Develop staff involved in the delivery of staff support and development
for TEL
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Benefits: Students want staff that are engaged, committed and skilled. Where staff
need further skills to be able to engage with the type of TEL expectations that
students have, we need to be able to provide that for them. The NUS Charter
explicitly mentions the need for staff development in both pedagogical and technical
matters around TEL.
Students should benefit from:
 A high quality and modern learning experience
 Use of appropriate technologies in the curriculum that meet their needs
 Consistency in their experience of TEL.
Staff should benefit from:
 The skills needed to deliver a high quality and modern learning experience
 The development of skills necessary to engage with e-learning
 An understanding of best practice across their area and the University
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Appendix A - 3-year Implementation Plan
Aim 1: Support and communicate e-learning expectations
Actions 2013-4:
 Disseminate minimum expectations of e-learning (Brian Irwin, Faculty
e-learning teams: September 2012-July 2014)
 Support implementation of the minimum expectations of e-learning
(Faculty e-learning teams, LIS: ongoing)
 Develop and run project of process and system changes to align with
new expectations: Automating Blackboard processes (Brian Irwin,
David Williams: through 2015)
 Embed minimum expectations into elements of course approval and
review (Innovation and Professional Development, Academic Quality
and Standards team, Ian Glover, Helen Rodger, Faculty e-learning
advisers, LIS: through July 2014)
Actions 2014-5:
 Review and refine the minimum expectations of e-learning based on
the first 18 months at the institution
 Continue to develop resources to support consistent and appropriate
implementation of the guidelines based on user needs and feedback.
 Support implementation of minimum expectations in more challenging
areas of the University
 Implement agreed upon changes to systems and processes to align to
expectations
Actions 2015-6:
 Continue to develop resources to support consistent and appropriate
implementation of the guidelines based on user needs and feedback.
 Implement agreed upon changes to systems and processes to align to
expectations
Aim 2: Embed technology-enhanced learning teaching practices
Actions 2013-4:
 Develop guidance and tools to explain teaching approaches and how
technology can enhance them (Ian Glover, Stuart Hepplestone, Brian
Irwin, Faculty LTA staff: Jan 2013-July 2014)
 Promote good practice models of teaching with TEL (Ian Glover, Stuart
Hepplestone, Faculty e-learning advisers: ongoing)
 Build support networks and guidance for use of PebblePad for learning
and teaching practices (Ian Glover, Faculty e-learning advisers, IT
Help: through March 2014)
 Continue to promote and support wider use of Blackboard Collaborate
(TEL team, Faculty e-learning advisers: through July 2015)
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
Embed TEL approaches into elements of course approval and review
(Innovation and Professional Development, Academic Quality and
Standards team, Ian Glover, Helen Rodger, Faculty e-learning
advisers, LIS: through July 2014)
Actions 2014-5:
 Promote good practice approaches to teaching with TEL
 Continue to develop resources to support the AQF process with
regards to TEL
Actions 2015-6:
 Promote good practice approaches to teaching with TEL
 Continue to develop resources to support the AQF process with
regards to TEL
Aim 3: Develop online submission, marking and feedback in order to
help students learn from feedback
Actions 2013-4:
 Contribute to institutional strategies and plans around assessment and
feedback journey (Stuart Hepplestone, Brian Irwin, Faculty LTA staff:
through July 2014)
 Organise staff development that encourages and promotes online
feedback approaches (Stuart Hepplestone, Helen Parkin, Faculty LTA
staff: ongoing)
 Determine and develop metrics to measure different online feedback
approaches (Brian Irwin, Faculty e-learning leads, Web and Learning
Environments team: through February 2014)
 Publish results of feedback engagement research, internally and
externally (Stuart Hepplestone, Brian Irwin and Ian Glover: through
May 2014)
Actions 2014-5:
 Further work institutionally to develop and promote appropriate online
submission, marking and feedback solutions
 Continue to promote online assessment approaches through
appropriate staff development practices and integration into course
curriculums.
 Contribute to institutional strategies and conversations around
assessment and feedback
Actions 2015-6:
 Further work institutionally to develop and promote appropriate online
submission, marking and feedback solutions
 Continue to promote online assessment approaches through
appropriate staff development practices and integration into course
curriculums.
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
Contribute to institutional strategies and conversations around
assessment and feedback
Aim 4: Encourage innovation in the use of technology-enhanced
learning
Actions 2013-4:
 Pay attention to sector-based events and activities around innovative
TEL developments (TEL Team, Faculty e-learning advisers: ongoing)
 Create briefing papers for the University executive around TEL
developments in the sector (Brian Irwin, TEL Team: through July 2014)
 Participate in University conversations and decisions around MOOCs
(Brian Irwin, Faculty e-learning leads, IS&T: through July 2015)
 Support MOOC pilots (TEL Team, Faculty e-learning advisers, WLE
team: through July 2015)
 Contribute mobile learning perspective to institutional mobile agenda
(Ian Glover, Brian Irwin, Helen Rodger, Faculty LTA staff, IS&T:
through July 2015)
 Support pilots of the use of open badges (Ian Glover, Faculty elearning advisers: through July 2014)
 Input into developing University strategies around innovating with
technology (TEL Team, Faculty LTA staff, IS&T: through July 2015)
 Promote new teaching uses provided by Google Apps for staff (Faculty
e-learning advisers, TEL Team: through July 2015)
 Support other innovative projects at a local level (Faculty e-learning
teams: ongoing)
Actions 2014-5:
 Pay attention to sector-based events and activities around innovative
TEL developments
 Create briefing papers for the University executive around TEL
developments in the sector
 Participate in University conversations and decisions around MOOCs
 Support MOOC pilots
 Contribute mobile learning perspective to institutional mobile agenda
 Determine actions to support new University strategies around
innovation with technology
Actions 2015-6:
 Pay attention to sector-based events and activities around
developments in mobile learning
 Determine actions to support new University strategies around
innovation with technology
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Aim 5: Support the overall student experience using technology
Actions 2013-4:
 Ensure shuspace perspective included in the new web strategy
consultation (Helen Rodger, Brian Irwin, Web and Learning
Environments team: through March 2014)
 Contribute to refresh of employability-related information, including any
changes needed in shuspace (Corporate Affairs, Zoe Burke, Brian
Irwin, Alex Deck, other QESS and Faculty staff: through January 2015)
 Contribute to the development of the wider mobile student experience
agenda, e.g. SHUgo. (Brian Irwin, Helen Rodger, Web and Learning
Environments team, Faculty e-learning leads, LIS: ongoing)
 Create guidance and communications for students around appropriate
use of TEL (ESAs, TEL team, Student Experience team, Hallam Union:
ongoing)
 Create and disseminate guidance for students around the use of social
media (Helen Rodger, Alison Purvis, Sue Beckingham, Faculty LTA
staff: through January 2014)
Actions 2014-5:
 Contribute to developments as a result of the new web strategy
 Create guidance and communications for students around appropriate
use of TEL
Actions 2015-6:
 Contribute to developments as a result of the new web strategy
 Create guidance and communications for students around appropriate
use of TEL
Aim 6: Provide appropriate virtual learning spaces and tools
Actions 2013-4:
 Initiate Automating Blackboard Processes project to enhance key
processes to reduce staff workload (Web and Learning Environments,
Brian Irwin, AQS: through July 2015)
 Complete and launch replacement Announcements channel (IS&T:
through December 2013)
 Implement Google Apps for staff (IS&T (Nigel Williamson), Brian Irwin,
Faculty e-learning advisers: through October 2013)
 Explore enabling an institutional social network (e.g. Google+) (IS&T
(Nigel Williamson), Brian Irwin, Helen Rodger, Faculty e-learning leads
and advisers: through March 2014)
 Implement Bboogle building block (Web and Learning Environments,
Brian Irwin, Faculty e-learning advisers: through December 2013)
 Configure PebblePad as an institutionally supported system (Web and
Learning Environments, Brian Irwin, Ian Glover, Faculty LTA staff:
through November 2013)
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Support upgrades of institution-provided TEL tools, e.g. VLE (Stuart
Hepplestone, Brian Irwin, TEL Team, Web and Learning Environments
team, Faculty e-learning advisers, LIS, ESAs: January-July 2014)
Review TEL tools available to ensure we have ones most appropriate
to our needs (Helen Rodger, Stuart Hepplestone, Faculty e-learning
leads, Web and Learning Environments team): December-March 2014)
Contribute to development of Epigeum Online Teaching resource and
determine use at the institution (Brian Irwin, Faculty e-learning leads):
through May 2014)
Update Resource Lists Online building block (IS&T, LIS, Brian Irwin:
through June 2014)
Determine solutions for managing mobile devices for teaching and
learning purposes (IS&T, Ian Glover, Faculty LTA staff: through Jan
2014)
Actions 2014-5:
 Appropriate work to support investigations of new tools/spaces
 Support upgrades of institution-provided TEL tools
 Continue Automating Blackboard Processes project
Actions 2015-6:
 Appropriate work to support investigations of new tools/spaces
 Support upgrades of institution-provided TEL tools
Aim 7: Provide professional development opportunities to support
staff
Actions 2013-4:
 Identify sessions needed to support University agendas, develop plans
for them, and deliver them jointly (TEL Team, Faculty e-learning leads
and advisers: ongoing)
 Provide support for TEL queries (IS&T IT Help, Faculty e-learning
advisers, ESAs: ongoing)
 Ensure new staff members are provided with an appropriate
introduction to e-learning (Faculty e-learning advisers, ESAs, LIS:
ongoing)
 Review and update e-learning starter pack as needed (Helen Rodger,
ESAs, Faculty e-learning advisers: through April 2014)
 Develop new TEL Help site for staff (Brian Irwin, Zoe Burke, ESAs,
Web and Learning Environments, Angie Donoghue, TEL Team, Faculty
e-learning advisers: April 2013-December 2013)
 Identify and develop staff self-help resources which support technical
and pedagogical issues in TEL (Zoe Burke, Ian Glover, Faculty elearning advisers, ESAs, TEL team, LIS: ongoing)
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


Update Teaching Essentials LTA self-help resources that support
academic and support staff (Zoe Burke, Faculty LTA staff, QESS, LIS:
through May 2014)
Further case study and story creation led by the TEL team (Zoe Burke,
Helen Parkin, Ian Glover, Brian Irwin, Faculty e-learning advisers:
ongoing)
Create and disseminate guidance for staff around the use of social
media for teaching (Helen Rodger, Alison Purvis, Sue Beckingham,
Faculty LTA staff: through January 2014)
Ensure professional development activities are connected to the larger
LTA professional development agenda (IPD team, Zoe Burke, Brian
Irwin: ongoing)
Actions 2014-5:
 Identify sessions needed to support University agendas, develop plans
for them, and deliver them jointly
 Ensure new staff members are provided with an appropriate
introduction to e-learning
 Identify key self-help resources which can be developed jointly and put
in shared support areas
 Continue to connect professional development activities with the
framework
Actions 2015-6:
 Identify sessions needed to support University agendas, develop plans
for them, and deliver them jointly
 Ensure new staff members are provided with an appropriate
introduction to e-learning
 Identify key self-help resources which can be developed jointly and put
in shared support areas
 Continue to connect professional development activities with the
framework
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