COMPANY: London University
JOB TITLE: E-Learning Developer
E-Learning Developer – Primarily this focuses on teaching and administration of one particular virtual learning environment (VLE) called Web CT. This is one of the two main packages used in educational organisations at the moment. The other one is Blackboard.
Another aspect of the work is delivering technical training about Web CT to academic and support staff either one to one or in small groups. This isn’t just a case of going in and running a session, it’s more about talking to colleagues and finding out the ways in which they work and how they could use the virtual learning environment. Web CT is very much just a tool: part of it will help make the admin side of their work easier – for example, by allowing them to post notices about assignments, deadlines, tutorials etc. – so that everyone is kept informed and staff and students can keep in touch easily without actually having to meet up. Its other use is in developing engaging interactive materials through which students can learn on line. That is also very much part of my remit and it’s what I particularly enjoy. As part of that, I have to look at new software and other products which will help us to deliver results.
RELATED DEGREE:
- BA History of Art and Design
- Masters in Information Services
WORK EXPERIENCE:
I taught Art & Design in Art schools for many years, before giving up lecturing to do a Masters in Information Services. After that, I worked as subject librarian in a university college. Perhaps it was because of my teaching background, but in my librarian’s role, I became involved in the promotion and support of e-learning which was then very new and is still in its infancy now.
When I saw the post of Teaching and e-Services Manager advertised in the college, I went for it. In different organisations it might be known instead as a Learning Technologist or e-Services Developer. It now comprises 50% of my job. I think this sort of split role is currently quite common in small institutions, although full-time jobs are available and some people focus exclusively on e-learning.
I didn’t come from a strong technical background. I had so little confidence in my IT skills that I put myself through the European Computer Driving Licence to make sure that I had the basic background from which to build. Since then, much of my technical knowledge has been self-taught, largely on-line and through manuals. My employers have also given me in-house service training and I belong to a regional user support group where we share our experiences, discuss dilemmas and come up with solutions.
SKILLS REQUIRED:
- Having a visual mind has helped me explain IT issues to people from a non-technical perspective.
- Good people skills, patience and flexibility with regarding to training others.
- Enjoy learning new tools and work-methods and keeping up-to-date with a modern, ever expanding industry.
BENEFITS OF THE JOB:
- Good area of growth which offers exciting career possibilities for innovative teaching practice.
- Ability to move from very different institutions providing e-materials for distance learning such as schools, colleges, museums and training organisations.
- Lots of opportunity to work on collaborative projects with other colleges to produce shared and freely available materials. Some institutions have links with European counterparts, for example. E-learning is part of government strategy to raise skills and to develop knowledge throughout our lives and it’s an exciting time to be working in it. There is a culture of sharing and being part of one learning community.
CAREER GOALS:
Develop collaborative projects with my European counterparts which will open up travel opportunities and broaden my skill-set!