The impact of read/write web approaches on the curriculum priorities of PG Cert HE participants

Abstract

Whether the read/write web, or Web 2.0, can enhance learner engagement within higher education is a central focus of current e-learning research. The implications of the read/write web, for: the personalisation of learning; student motivation and participation with the learning process; and, the relationship between informal and formal learning contexts; are particular foci. In order to develop institutional understanding of these issues, one of the strands of the DMU e-Learning Pathfinder project focused upon the possibilities for extending dialogue with PG Cert HE participants and by extension, undergraduate and postgraduate learners. This paper scopes some of the emergent outcomes from the use of read/write tools and approaches with this cohort of learners. The voices of both learners and tutors are evaluated, drawing upon a triangulation of datasets, including questionnaires, focus groups and wiki-based action plans. The authors investigate ways in which these approaches can be used to enhance: the personalisation of learning; student motivation and participation with the learning process; and, the relationship between informal and formal learning contexts. These headline outcomes underpin recommendations for the development of PG Cert HE curricula, and highlight how read/write approaches open-up dialogues about curriculum design. A critical element of future work is, therefore, whether this strategy empowers those participants to be better placed to engage with their own learners