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CSU LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES FRAMEWORK 1
CSU Learning Technologies
Framework Version 5
3rd May 2017
Version 5 approved by the Learning Environments Committee on 3rd May 2017
Version 4 approved by the CLTC on 23rd August 2016 via the Learning Environments Committee
Version 3 approved by the CLTC on 5th May 2015 via the Learning Environments Committee
Version 2 approved by the Information and Learning Systems Committee on 20th February 2014
Version 1 was approved by CSU Curriculum, Learning and Teaching Committee; Academic Senate and
Information and Learning Systems Committee in 2010
Review Working group: Assoc Prof Philip Uys (convenor, Learning technologies Unit, DSL); Tim
Klapdor (uImagine, DSL); Ryun Fell (Learning Resources Unit, DSL); Pete Greening (Office for
Students); Paul Bristow (DIT); Vanessa Salway (DLS); Cade Whitbourn (WSO).
Developed in cooperation with the Educational Technology Reference Group.
Feedback has been received through wide consultation with staff across the University in the creation
and update of the Framework.
CSU LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES FRAMEWORK 2
Table of Contents
1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .............................................................................................................................. 4
1.1 PURPOSE ......................................................................................................................................... 4
1.2 CONTEXT ......................................................................................................................................... 5
2. INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................................... 6
2.1 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE FRAMEWORK ................................................................................ 6
2.2 DEFINITION OF “LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES” ................................................................................. 7
3. A VISION FOR THE USE AND RESEARCH OF LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES ................................................ 8
3.1 VISION ............................................................................................................................................. 8
3.2 OBJECTIVES ..................................................................................................................................... 8
4. KEY VALUES AND PRINCIPLES OF USING LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES ..................................................... 10
4.1 VALUES .......................................................................................................................................... 10
4.2 PRINCIPLES .................................................................................................................................... 10
5 PRINCIPLES GOVERNING THE INTRODUCTION OF NEW LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES .............................. 11
6. KEY DRIVERS ............................................................................................................................................ 13
6.1 EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT ............................................................................................................ 13
6.2 INTERNAL PROFILE ........................................................................................................................ 14
7. STRATEGIES FOR INCREASING THE APPROPRIATE USE OF LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES ......................... 16
8. RELATED POLICY AREAS .......................................................................................................................... 17
8.1 ACCESS AND EQUITY ..................................................................................................................... 17
8.2 INDIGENOUS PERSPECTIVES ......................................................................................................... 19
8.3 ALIGNMENT OF PEDAGOGICAL APPROACHES .............................................................................. 19
8.4 EVALUATION PROCESSES AND PRACTICES ................................................................................... 19
8.5 CSU ASSESSMENT POLICY ............................................................................................................. 20
8.6 LEGAL AND ETHICAL STANDARDS ................................................................................................. 20
8.7 COPYRIGHT .................................................................................................................................... 20
8.8 COMMUNICATIONS POLICY .......................................................................................................... 20
8.9 MINIMUM EXPERTISE AND USAGE OF LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES BY TEACHING STAFF ............ 21
8.10 EXPECTATIONS OF STUDENTS IN USING LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES ......................................... 21
8.11 INTRODUCTION AND MATURITY OF LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES ............................................... 21
9. STANDARDS OF THE REQUIRED SYSTEMS ENVIRONMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE .............................. 22
10. STRATEGIES FOR PROFESSIONAL LEARNING AND TRAINING ............................................................... 22
CSU LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES FRAMEWORK 3
11. GUIDELINES FOR THE SUPPORT OF THE USE OF LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES ....................................... 23
11.1 SUPPORT FOR TEACHING STAFF AND LEARNING AND TEACHING SUPPORT STAFF ................... 23
11.2 STUDENT USER AND LEARNING SUPPORT .................................................................................. 23
11.3 COMPUTER SYSTEMS AND SERVICES .......................................................................................... 24
12. THE GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE SUPPORTING LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES INCLUDING COMMITTEES 25
13. SUPPORT OF CSU’S GRADUATE LEARNING OUTCOMES AND CURRICULUM PRINCIPLES .................... 26
14. HIGH LEVEL INDICATORS OF SUCCESSFUL LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES USE AT CSU ............................ 26
16. APPENDIX A: GLOSSARY ........................................................................................................................ 27
CSU LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES FRAMEWORK 4
1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1.1 PURPOSE
The Framework guides the governance, policy and practice needs for learning technologies at Charles
Sturt University (CSU) and defines the provision, use and application of learning technologies at CSU.
The Framework provides a structure through which planning and goal-setting will occur to guide future
development; that is, it aims to provide a strategic and operational pathway for development to follow.
The Framework contains the enduring philosophy and principles, while the Learning Technologies Plan
describes in a more exact way what CSU will implement in the next two-year period and how success
will be evaluated. The Learning Technologies Plan will describe the implementation of the Framework.
The Plan will be appraised annually by the end of April for currency, to allow for appropriate budget
allocation.
Relevant policies will have to be reviewed and appropriate resources allocated to ensure that the key
tenets of the Framework are implemented.
CSU LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES FRAMEWORK 5
1.2 CONTEXT
The Framework aligns with the CSU Strategy including the sub plans supporting Our Students:
Transforming Learning & Teaching, and Our Internal Capabilities. The organisational design of CSU needs
to support and respond to the key tenets of the Framework, for instance in the formulation of position
descriptions and the way that work is organised.
CSU LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES FRAMEWORK 6
2. INTRODUCTION
The Framework has been formally reviewed to align with CSU strategy. The Framework and the Plan will
be reviewed annually to ensure currency and to enable input to the annual budget process; these will be
revisited if required outside this regular cycle.
The Learning Environments Committee (LEC) is the custodian of the Framework and the Plan.
The Frameworks of other Australasian universities were initially analysed, drafts were developed by the
Working group in consultation with the Educational Technology Reference Group, and drafts were
submitted and commented on by the Information and Learning Systems Committee (ILSC) - which has
been replaced by the Learning Environments Committee (LEC) - Curriculum Learning and Teaching
Committee and Academic Senate.
The Framework addresses online, on-campus -, blended (mixed-mode), mobile education and CSU’s
focus on education for the professions. The Framework aligns with the CSU Strategy and the University
plans.
2.1 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE FRAMEWORK
The Framework guides the governance, policy and practice needs for learning technologies at CSU and
defines learning technologies use at CSU.
It provides a structure through which planning and goal-setting will occur to guide future development;
that is, it aims to provide a strategic and operational pathway for development to follow.
The Framework interprets and informs current University Strategy and University Sub-plans to ensure
the development, provision and use of learning technologies advances learning and teaching towards
positioning CSU as the leader in online education. It positions learning technologies to support
professional education, to enhance engagement and a successful student experience. As such, it
integrates and informs Faculty learning technologies needs and the related support requirements of the
Divisions. It draws on and informs the Initiatives and Strategy Implementation (ISIP) and the list of
projects as well as divisional plans.
The Plan will reconcile learning and teaching plans and technological roadmaps (to be developed as a
partnership between DSL and DIT) which describe necessary developments over a two-year period.
The Framework provides a coordinated means to identify and respond to current and emerging
requirements for learning technologies across CSU’s campuses and sites, in order to respond to the
needs and expectations of CSU students and the changing needs of the higher education sector.
The Framework ensures that learning and teaching innovation and development at CSU will encompass
both innovation in pedagogical approaches to the use of learning technologies and the learning
technologies themselves, with the emphasis on their role in collaboration, communication and mobility.
As such, it links to CSU’s Graduate Learning Outcomes and Online Learning Model.
CSU LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES FRAMEWORK 7
New learning technologies are constantly emerging, and they present research and possibly pedagogical
opportunities. Many small groups and individual CSU staff are researching emerging technologies in
creative and innovative ways. The Framework provides a vision of this complex interconnected mix of
educational concerns and helps with the balance between research and actual learning and teaching
The Framework provides guidelines for the introduction and use of learning technologies, to ensure
student success and engagement, high quality learning and teaching practices and learning resources,
and the coordinated deployment of learning technologies and productive work-processes. As such, it
addresses the need to engender creative interest and enthusiasm in the use of learning technologies
and support the appropriate uptake of learning technologies by the majority of teaching staff.
2.2 DEFINITION OF “LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES”
“Learning technologies” are the broad range of information, communication and related technologies
that are integrated in well-researched educational theory and practice for the direct purpose of effective
design, development and facilitation of learning and teaching (AECT, 2012; ALT, 2012; Schmid et al.,
2009).
Learning technologies include, but are not restricted to, information and communication technologies
(computers and networks, mobile devices, video conferencing and multimedia, including audio/visual
and online production) and physical teaching and learning spaces.
The term includes the use of technology by teaching staff, teaching support staff and students – owned
by CSU, privately or by third parties - within a diverse range of learning and teaching spaces, both online
and on-campus (physical, virtual and blended i.e. a combination of physical and virtual spaces in
learning) and the necessary support processes. It includes hardware, infrastructure and software that
are supported centrally in the University and by faculties, and external educational technologies (EETs).
Learning technologies include enabling technologies that allow and ensure that other prominent
learning technologies are working.
Improvement in learning technologies can support the needs of researchers as a secondary goal.
“Learning technologies” excludes administrative computer systems (such as Banner and CASIMS).
CSU LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES FRAMEWORK 8
3. A VISION FOR THE USE AND RESEARCH OF LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES
CSU has a diverse and dispersed educational environment with multiple campuses nationally and
various international partner operations, and the University provides both on-campus and online
facilitation of learning.
3.1 VISION
The vision for the use of learning technologies at CSU is that they increase student success and
engagement, and enrich and personalise the CSU student experience through innovative learning design
and talented teaching; underpin innovative and engaging online teaching; and are matched to the
course profile and research areas of the institution. These elements need to be integrated within
scalable educational practices and a malleable organisational design within an increasingly digital and
mobile landscape.
3.2 OBJECTIVES
The objectives for learning technologies use at CSU are to:
a. Support and enhance student success, engagement and the student experience, in particular
to address the diverse learning needs in ways that personalise the learning experience, and
further add choices and learning opportunities for students:
● enrich diverse and innovative research-based pedagogical approaches;
● enrich course planning and course level environments for students and staff;
● facilitate learning at a distance through practices that align with the CSU Online Learning
Model;
● facilitate Adaptive Learning and Teaching, with its constituent elements of data-informed
practice, personalised support and personalised learning, to enable responsiveness to
student learning needs
● develop a seamless integration of technology into the student learning experience;
● demonstrate leadership in the integration of learning technologies in learning and teaching;
● articulate in the University curriculum a commitment to integrate design standards and
models of practice, principles with learning technologies;
CSU LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES FRAMEWORK 9
● increase the level of learning technologies use by all teaching staff in line with university
directions;
● provide shared learning spaces and teaching experiences through development and
enhancement of the necessary physical infrastructure and the Online Learning Environment
(OLE);
● facilitate access by all students whether online or on-campus and provide communities of
learning and practice for dispersed staff and students;
● facilitate academic and student networking and collaboration across courses; and
● support the effective use of learning technologies, and provide guidelines for those privately
owned and/or used by teaching staff and students.
b. Strengthen CSU’s recognition as a national leader in online learning
● Implementation and ongoing development of the Online Learning Model;
● be responsive, proactive and flexible to emerging needs, opportunities, challenges and
feedback from the CSU community;
● develop open education practices;
● develop and implement online learning standards.
c. Support and enhance CSU’s distinctive educational programs for the professions:
● support collaborative networks and partnerships within CSU and with professional and
industry affiliations;
● provide extensive learning technologies support for students on work placements.
d. Where possible, also provide support for strategic and applied research:
● foster the creation and sharing of knowledge through collaborative learning, professional
development and, as a secondary goal, supporting research higher degree students and
research environments.
e. Support flexible pathways to CSU and support links with CSU’s TAFE partners
through comparable systems.
CSU LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES FRAMEWORK 10
4. KEY VALUES AND PRINCIPLES OF USING LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES
4.1 VALUES
a) CSU believes that the appropriate integration of learning technologies and pedagogy enhances
learning and teaching and thus the student experience.
b) Learning technologies (specifically our Learning Management System - Interact2) have the
capacity to improve access to information and increase knowledge; to enhance learner-content,
learner-teacher, learner-learner and learner-institution engagement; and allow a variety of
assessment practices.
c) CSU values and promotes digital literacy and fluency as an integral part of the multiliteracies
which staff and students acquire during their time at CSU to be work-ready for their professions.
4.2 PRINCIPLES
Student learning experience: supports the quality of the student learning experience across all physical,
blended and virtual learning and teaching spaces.
Enriches pedagogy: supports and enhances pedagogy.
Strategic alignment: aligned with the goals, values, strategy and mission of CSU in relation to learning
and teaching.
Fostering innovation: designed to foster innovation, creativity and transformative change.
Equivalence of learning outcomes: ethical obligations of flexible and blended learning including
equitable and accessibility of use.
Discipline pedagogies: negotiates the specific needs of different disciplines.
Resilience: there cannot be a guarantee that learning technologies will always under all circumstances
work as intended, which necessitates back-up plans.
Accommodates technological change: accommodates the nuanced shifts fundamental to rapid
technological change.
Continuous renewal: designed to foster a dynamic environment of continuous renewal, simultaneously
leading and responding to developments in university learning and teaching at all levels.
CSU LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES FRAMEWORK 11
5 PRINCIPLES GOVERNING THE INTRODUCTION OF NEW LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES
Need
There should be a stated curricular or pedagogical need or opportunity and vision for the
implementation of the new technology that is identified through student and staff consultation and
dialogue or tied to systemic developments such as learning theories, paradigm shifts, technical
affordances, societal trends and research imperatives.
Improvement
New technologies need to show that they contribute to student success, engagement and enhance the
student learning experience or support those delivering enhanced student experiences. This could be
achieved through evaluation including case studies at other educational institutions or other parts of
CSU, as well as pilots at CSU.
Introduction
Centrally supported learning technologies should be introduced in a sustainable way.
Selection of learning technologies is to be guided by relevant Enterprise Architecture Principles to
support risk management and optimal use of University resources.
Integration
Teaching staff are to integrate external technologies such as external online technologies into their
learning and teaching in line with the University’s External Educational Technologies for Learning and
Teaching Policy and Guidelines to ensure a coherent learning experience.
All learning technologies do not have to be provided or supported centrally but integrated appropriately
wherever possible.
Innovation
Innovation in the integration of learning technologies should be encouraged as it is critical for CSU to be
the leader in online learning in Australia.
Teaching staff are to be encouraged and rewarded to research learning technologies use as part of the
scholarship of teaching.
Designated professional staff such as educational designers and learning resources staff committed to
learning and teaching innovation in the Division of Student Learning (DSL) should be encouraged to
investigate learning technologies, developments, and trends to support learning and teaching. Pilot
activities should be conducted without risking disadvantage to learning and teaching of participating
students
DIT and DSL staff will engage with innovative activities and need to enhance efficiency in mainstreaming
and inform on market directions, technology trends and related research publications.
Minimise large scale change
Large scale change caused by changes in learning technologies should be minimised and should be
managed where it is necessary.
CSU LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES FRAMEWORK 12
Professional development and support for teaching staff and students
Skill development in the use of the technology both technically and pedagogically need to be both
attainable and scalable, and professional development should be ongoing.
Technical assistance and support need to be readily available, whether the technology is maintained
either internally or externally.
The technology needs to be supported by standards, policy (see section 8 below), procedures, guidelines
of use and resources. This would include alignment to the CSU strategy and University plans and
programs.
The technology is to be supported by a collaborative community of users that have invested in the
introduction and implementation process and are supported by appropriate ICTs such as micro-blogging.
Resourcing
There needs to be ongoing budget consideration and planning for the future or or for specific
timeframes.
Governance
Investment in new learning technologies takes place through the following governance mechanisms:
1. Initiatives and Strategy Implementation Plan (ISIP) Governance Committee or Vice Chancellor's
Leadership Team (VCLT) approval for strategic investment.
2. Faculty and School Management approval in accordance with the delegations policy for non-
centrally supported investment.
Enterprise Architecture Principles, the CSU Digital Information Security Policy, the External
Educational Technologies for Learning and Teaching Policy, and the Learning Analytics Code of
Practice inform the necessary considerations for technology investment decisions.
Learning technologies can be introduced following an agreed process of contacting the Director,
Learning Technologies in the Division of Student Learning or the Enterprise Architecture and Liaison
group in the Division of Information Technology.
Evaluation
There needs to be ongoing assessment and evaluation of the effectiveness of the technology for
learning and teaching or stated need/intention.
Standards
Learning technologies should align with the Enterprise Architecture (EA) principles that include risk
management, and adhere to information technology standards to support integration where
appropriate.
● Unnecessary duplication - Where existing applications and technologies can provide an
equivalent function they should be used in preference to adopting new technologies. This both
provides students and staff with less applications to learn and CSU with less applications to
manage
CSU LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES FRAMEWORK 13
● Integration – present learning technologies as part of a cohesively designed whole to support
contextualisation and maximise usability
● Support – ensure staff and student training and support models are developed and well
understood before broadly implementing new technology
● Governance – ensure compliance with existing committees, policies and processes when
implementing new technology to support necessary authorities, assurances and risk mitigation
actions are considered
● Evaluation / Health – the efficacy of learning technologies will be regularly reviewed in order to
optimise the overall organisational learning technology portfolio.
● Resourcing – the acquisition of new technology must include consideration responsibilities for
ongoing funding and maintenance of technology.
6. KEY DRIVERS
6.1 EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT
● The opening up of the Australian higher education market and the removal of caps on
enrolment of students, and the continued increase in institutions providing online education,
have required increased emphasis on the student experience. It puts pressure on universities to
extend the learning, teaching and support environments and create optimal student learning
experiences through learning technologies;
CSU LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES FRAMEWORK 14
● The need to up-skill CSU students and staff to meet the challenges of the information and
knowledge society and the expectations of external stakeholders such as employers and
external assessment bodies;
● The need for accessible, user-friendly and flexible access to education to meet the societal and
life-wide and lifelong learning continuum;
● The abundance of free and open education resources (OERS) and relationships made more
accessible via the Internet is opening up new opportunities and challenging educators’ roles in
sense-making, coaching, and credentialing;
● People expect to be able to work, learn, and study whenever and wherever they want to;
● There is an increasing range of cloud-based services and platforms, i.e., externally hosted, and
notions of IT support are increasingly decentralised;
● The prevalence of information and communication technology (ICT) in everyday use, e.g. social
networking, wearable technology, cloud-based services, access to information sources, and our
increasing literacy in terms of visual media, reinforces the expectation that technology is
fundamental to the learning environment. This is reinforced by the integration and embedding
of ICT in curriculum and “good practice” in primary and secondary schools, given additional
impetus by Commonwealth government policy;
● The pervasive use of mobile technologies in everyday life;
● Changing business models and new partnerships within Higher Education;
● Standards and guidelines that CSU needs to adhere to like the AQF and TEQSA standards.
● Universal adoption of the LMS, other popular learning technologies and use of social media in
higher education means that more needs to be done to differentiate the methods, practice and
experience of learning with technologies.
6.2 INTERNAL PROFILE
a) The student profile of skills, access and expectations needs to be considered. There is mounting
evidence that using generalised characterisations, like “digital natives”, to form assumptions
about our student technology profile are unhelpful and inaccurate. To this end, the University
will monitor student needs, expectations, capabilities, etc., via a biennial Learning Technologies
Survey, with the results reflected in this Framework.
The results of current and previous Learning Technology Surveys can be found at DSL’s
Academic Compass homepage.
b) The technology profile of teaching staff, changes in institutional expectations and standards
around learning and teaching (e.g. introduction of the Online Learning Model and Quality Online
Learning and Teaching (QLT) Standards) and other organisational practices/strategies that
impact on teaching (e.g. casualisation) need to be considered. One input to this will be the
results of the biennial staff Learning Technologies Survey, along with other Academic Compass
surveys. The results of this survey can be found on the Academic Compass homepage. In May
CSU LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES FRAMEWORK 15
2016 annual statistics noted that usage of paperless EASTS is growing, indicating a growing
preference by teaching staff to mark paperlessly in line with CSU policy.
c) Networking of students is increasing as they increasingly need to be able to work collaboratively,
and there is more cross-campus collaboration within Schools in a variety of disciplines.
d) There is an expectation in the University of minimum expertise and usage of learning
technologies by teaching staff across courses and within subjects.
e) There is an expectation of consistent use of learning technologies across subjects in courses.
f) The multi-campus environment within a “One University” concept within a common support
model presents challenges such as cross-campus schools and staff, cross-campus course and
subject offerings and facilitation, online and on-campus modes of facilitation, dispersed student
cohorts.
g) Providing support and access for international partners, as well as the transferable nature of the
internationalism of education, places demands on CSU to provide state-of-the-art learning
technologies and to consider international attitudes towards cloud-based technologies.
h) The heterogeneity in the learner characteristics and experience of our students and the need
for learning technologies to personalise the learning experience.
i) CSU supports student and staff Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) learning technologies.
j) Learning technologies use needs to take into account that some students don’t have the speed
and stability internet requirements to access CSU’s online systems.
k) Learning technologies need to support the following key university developments and initiatives:
- The service improvement program and common support model;
- Courses need increasingly to be online;
- CSU has fully transferred to Interact2 in 2015;
- New course design processes are being rolled out;
- Institution-wide approaches to Adaptive Learning and Teaching (data- informed practice,
personalised support and personalised learning) are required;
- Indigenous education strategy;
- Transitions project;
- Student success as per the Student Experience Program and aspiring to the Student
Experience Project Objectives;
Professional and Practice-Based Education Model;
- The Curriculum Renewal/Degree Initiative includes course mapping software, digital object
management systems (DOMS) strategy for digital learning objects, ePortfolios, Assessment
tools, interactive resources and collaboration technologies;
CSU LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES FRAMEWORK 16
- The CSU Learning Analytics Model, including the mapping of the drivers of student success
with respect to learning environments;
- Increased accessibility in regional areas, for students with low socioeconomic status
(LSES), and general accessibility.
l) Draft 2017-2022 strategy: “We will ensure we are at the forefront of innovative, quality online
teaching and learning that delivers a rewarding and flexible student experience. CSU
Online will be the largest provider of online higher education in Australia through to
2030.“
7. STRATEGIES FOR INCREASING THE APPROPRIATE USE OF LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES
Learning technologies use will be aligned to the outcomes and objectives for learning and teaching, and
the affordances of the learning technologies and learning spaces.
The emphasis should be on how the technology enables the usage of a richer range of learning
modalities for learning and teaching.
The increase in modalities will reflect the institutional aims established by the CSU University Strategy.
Scholarship of Teaching
Advance the recognition of, and the scholarship of teaching regarding learning technologies.
Organisational design
Have an organisational design, which includes position descriptions and how work is organised, that
emphasises the appropriate use of learning technologies and digital fluency.
Policy and guidelines
Appropriate policy should be developed and adhered to, such as occurred in dealing with the use of
external technologies and the approval of new learning technologies.
Support and guidelines should be developed and provided to all teaching and teaching support staff to
make appropriate choices in using CSU-provided and external learning technologies.
Support major learning technologies implementations with appropriate change management processes.
Particular emphasis should be placed on the consistent use of learning technologies within first year
subjects not only to help students transition to university, but to promote good practice. By
experiencing sound online and blended strategies and practices early within their academic career
students expect similar teaching practices from other courses and subjects. This should include
providing a coherent experience across a course without unnecessarily proliferating technologies.
Standards
CSU’s Graduate Learning Outcomes such as Professional Practice, Digital Literacies and Information and
Research Literacies need to guide the aspirations of Faculties and Schools. The QLT framework and
Online Learning Model are to be used to inform online subject design.
CSU LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES FRAMEWORK 17
Dissemination
Communities of Practice about learning technologies should be encouraged and supported.
The appropriate use of learning technologies needs to be promoted, shared and published by teaching
and teaching-support staff.
Regular forums should be available for the exchange of ideas such as CSU Ed, the Interact2 site “about
learning technologies”, webinars, Forums.
Professional development
Professional development must be provided for teaching staff including in probationary programs and
sessional staff; teaching support staff; learner support staff; and students.
Educational Designers, Educational Support Coordinators and Media Technologists in particular need
professional development to enhance their own knowledge and skills to enable them to act as
champions.
Access to well-documented exemplars of ICT-enabled learning should be provided.
Provision should be made for attendance at learning technologies conferences, e.g., CSU Ed, ascilite,
ALT, ED-MEDIA, of teaching and teaching-support staff.
Teaching fellowship schemes should be supported and explored for learning technologies use.
External educational technologies
Exploration of appropriate external online and off-line technologies should be encouraged and
experiences shared in line with the relevant Policy and Guidelines.
Change processes
Rewards schemes should be put in place to encourage innovation and integration in the integration of
learning technologies.
The Initiatives Handling Process should be used as appropriate.
Appropriate support for staff should be provided.
8. RELATED POLICY AREAS
8.1 ACCESS AND EQUITY
A central intention of the Framework is to ensure that no students or staff are disadvantaged by the
introduction or application of learning technologies. The intention needs to be embedded into practice
without impeding innovation and development but rather complementing and enhancing. The Access
and Equity Policy at CSU should ensure that no students are disadvantaged. It is not so much that
technology is accessible, but that it does not raise barriers to the quality of learning and teaching.
The diverse range of students and the diverse places of study are openly recognised by the Framework.
A wider and more appropriate use of learning technologies is not related to technology in itself, but to a
firm commitment by all sections within the University community to the centrality of student-centred
CSU LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES FRAMEWORK 18
learning design where students are allowed to work according to their strengths and with scope to
develop them.
The University should reference the CSU Web Policy, wherever it is helpful, as this policy excludes
learning and teaching technologies.
Charles Sturt University is committed to providing timely, accurate and accessible administrative and
online learning environment resources to all students, regardless of age, ethnicity or disability. More
information is available on the CSU Website Accessibility website
Hardware and software applications should meet the recognised needs of teaching staff and students
such as stability and retrieval of lost information.
Equity of access further needs to be ensured for international students and overseas partners through
CSU’s student support services and the website.
Assistive technologies should be maintained on campus, such as the assistive technology labs located
within Learning Commons facilities. These labs are focused on promoting tools and approaches useful
for assistive technology support rather than providing ongoing individual support to individual students,
which is critical for equitable learning technology use. Student target groups who may be identified as
needing special support include low SES groups. Financial support for low SES students should be
targeted to support of their own technology, e.g. a laptop subsidy.
A key point is that an assurance in policy form needs to be provided, that all students and staff at CSU on
CSU owned physical locations have equal access to good-quality wireless Internet connection. It is
becoming critical that students undertaking workplace learning need to have good access to a wireless
or mobile internet connection. Appropriate support mechanisms through Student Central need to be
available to students at work and on placement.
Equity of access needs to be ensured for international students and overseas partners through clarity
and effectiveness of CSU’s international student support services.
The following policies should be adhered to:
Disability and Work/Study Adjustment (Policy and Procedure)
Equal Opportunity Policy
CSU Disability Action Plan
CSU Web Policy
CSU Website Accessibility Guidelines
CSU LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES FRAMEWORK 19
8.2 INDIGENOUS PERSPECTIVES
A key issue within the Framework is to identify, improve and address ways to increase Indigenous access
to and participation in learning mediated through learning technologies.
The Framework considers and aligns with policies and initiatives such as:
- Indigenous Education Strategy
- Indigenous Australian Content in Courses Policy
- School of Indigenous Australian Studies
- Indigenous Curriculum and Pedagogy
8.3 ALIGNMENT OF PEDAGOGICAL APPROACHES
Effective pedagogy and the use of the affordances of learning technologies are to be aligned with CSU
strategy. As such, the effects on pedagogy of disruptive (i.e. technologies that lead to a transformation
of practice) and other technologies need to be guided to positive outcomes.
Criteria for assessing new technology are discussed below. In a rapidly changing learning technologies
world, research and evidence-based practice in learning technologies and pedagogy needs to occur
continuously and regularly.
8.4 EVALUATION PROCESSES AND PRACTICES
Evaluation is best predicated upon the educational outcomes of learning technologies and their role and
effects on institutional vision, frameworks, and action plans.
Evaluation processes and practices need to include the use of external technologies such as external
online technologies in learning designs and creating learning resources.
Targeted questions on learning technologies should be available in the Subject Experience Survey and
included in all relevant subjects and courses. This practice should continue with an ongoing learning
technologies survey conducted on a regular basis among teaching staff and students
Piloting needs to be expected as a matter of course in evaluating learning technologies.
The input of teaching and teaching support staff in the piloting and use of learning technologies should
be recognised in workload formulas.
Evaluation should include measurements relating to the user experience of the technology and its
impact on performance, workload and study.
An evaluation process to measure the impact of learning technologies on professional learning and
practice should be maintained at individual and School levels.
Schools, Faculties and teaching support staff should be assisted to identify and share learning and
teaching benefits that arise from specific uses of learning technologies.
Strategies and support programs should include mentoring, coaching and action-learning.
CSU LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES FRAMEWORK 20
Longitudinal evaluations should be established to chart the effect and impact of learning technologies.
These evaluations can assist in the development of further governance, support and strategies that
inform related practices and policies.
Regular review of hardware and software should ensure that it meets the needs of teaching staff and
students such as stability and retrieval of lost information. Teaching staff in general need a higher level
of computer access than students.
8.5 CSU ASSESSMENT POLICY
All learning technologies with an application in assessment should be adequately supported to ensure
that user (staff and student) experiences comply with the CSU Assessment Policy: A Criterion-
Referenced Standards-Based Approach.
8.6 LEGAL AND ETHICAL STANDARDS
Legal and ethical matters need to be considered in particular with regard to the use of external
technologies and learning analytics.
Learning Technologies should align with the CSU Code of Conduct for Users of Electronic Facilities, for
instance in regard online related unacceptable practices.
Privacy and confidentiality should be ensured especially in the use of records databases in line with the
CSU Privacy Management Plan.
Students should be informed of how their data is being used and be able to discover under what third
party (and CSU) terms and conditions it is held and communicated.
Learning technologies should comply with licence requirements.
Intellectual property issues should align with CSU’s intellectual property policy.
The Framework considers and aligns with policies such as:
- Expectations of students and staff in the use of learning technologies within learning and teaching
- Academic Policy Library
- Teaching and Learning Educational Support including Code of Conduct for Users of Electronic
Facilities, e.g., external online (currently referred to as Web 2.0) information; internet
uncensored.
- Learning Analytics Code of Practice
8.7 COPYRIGHT
Copyright must adhere to the guidelines provided on CSU’s website at:
http://www.csu.edu.au/copyright/. Copyright issues associated with external technologies and CSU’s
presence in other countries, including international partners, must be addressed in consultation with
the Copyright Coordinator.
8.8 COMMUNICATIONS POLICY
A communication model should be developed for communication by and with teaching staff, teaching
support staff, students and student support staff that deals with:
CSU LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES FRAMEWORK 21
- Plans
- Pilots
- Evaluations
- Service interruptions.
The model should consider the University and Faculty policies and guidelines for student communication
including:
- “Academic Communication with Students” policy http://www.csu.edu.au/acad_sec/academic-
manual/pcontm.htm
- The Communicating at CSU ‘charter’ at http://student.csu.edu.au/home/student-
charter/communication-at-csu
Technical standards are discussed in the next section.
8.9 MINIMUM EXPERTISE AND USAGE OF LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES BY TEACHING STAFF
There is an increasing expectation in the University of minimum expertise and skilled usage of learning
technologies by teaching staff in alignment with the Curriculum, Learning and Teaching Sub-plan.
The expectation of higher digital literacy also needs to be reflected in the employment practices of the
University such as the competency building exercises of CSU.
See the “Internal profile” above for current engagement with learning technologies.
8.10 EXPECTATIONS OF STUDENTS IN USING LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES
The required level of technology knowledge, familiarity and access needs to be formulated and
communicated during the enrolment process, in appropriate Study Link subjects, the Orientation
website, and the subject outline (particular to the subject).
It needs to be recognised that students from low SES might have difficulties in accessing the Internet.
See the “Internal profile” above for current engagement with learning technologies.
Consideration should be given to minimise cognitive load on students where they are required to use
many learning technologies with diverse user interfaces and information models.
8.11 INTRODUCTION AND MATURITY OF LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES
A ‘maturity’ scale should be developed for technologies, locating them within adoption phases, such as
pilot, limited introduction, roll-out, maximum use.
A New Learning Technologies Approval Policy has been developed. This policy includes the Learning
Technology Classification Model.
CSU LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES FRAMEWORK 22
9. STANDARDS OF THE REQUIRED SYSTEMS ENVIRONMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE
For ease of mainstreaming and integration within the CSU Online Learning Environment and to enable
integration with other CSU Systems, centrally supported learning technologies will need to comply with
Enterprise Architecture standards as described on the Enterprise Architecture web pages.
For externally hosted services, learning technologies will need to comply with relevant integration
standards and guidelines – this varies dependent on the educational service offering and need for
integration with other CSU Systems and should be discussed with DIT.
Internal and external systems will be evaluated through the Enterprise Architecture review process and
checklist.
10. STRATEGIES FOR PROFESSIONAL LEARNING AND TRAINING
a) Allocate a high priority to professional learning in learning technologies and student learning
mediated through learning technologies; a need for organisational commitment and leadership
from DSL staff;
b) Support the required digital literacy within a pedagogical framework;
c) Create a vision and coherent long-term plan for professional learning of teaching staff and support
staff in the use of learning technologies that is integrated in learning and teaching professional
learning strategies;
d) Ensure that professional learning is timely, focused, practical, ongoing, reflective and linked to active
learning. One-off, particularly the sit-and-get training type, professional learning sessions have
proven largely ineffective in promoting both commitment to and effective use of learning
technologies, but is valuable in getting started;
e) Engage teaching staff actively in their own learning, not merely ‘transmitting’ knowledge and skills to
them; relate professional learning activities to the authentic work of teaching staff;
f) Provide time for reflection and coaching/mentoring on a sustained basis, recognising that follow-up
support/strategies are as important as initial professional learning;
g) Promote continuous inquiry and improvement embedded in what teaching staff already do on a daily
basis;
h) Promote an organisational design that supports community-based learning through the development
of collaborative teams and collegial communities of learners/communities of practice; component
activities that are team-based to facilitate collegiality and collaboration;
i) Professional learning ought not be confined to skill-building activities but include a focus on
improving learning technologies practices as a means of increasing student achievement; connected
to a comprehensive change process focused on improving student learning;
CSU LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES FRAMEWORK 23
j) A focus on pedagogy which allows for a deepening understanding of the learning process and a
greater appreciation of students’ needs, recognising that an ongoing process of inquiry into, and
reflection on, practice enhances professional knowledge, attitudes and skills;
k) Support and encouragement for teaching staff to contribute to, or lead, learning technologies
professional learning networks; evidence-based practice; action-research approaches to professional
learning activity;
l) Continually increase the capabilities of teaching support staff;
m) Deal with the professional needs created by the increased casualisation of teaching staff;
n) Develop a program for the mentoring of teaching staff by colleagues;
o) Professional learning through formal programs of the University;
p) Apply the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPCK) framework to consideration of
pedagogy which is an integration of technological, pedagogical, and content Knowledge (Mishra &
Koehler);
q) Recognise the importance for learner support staff and teaching support staff to receive adequate
training.
11. GUIDELINES FOR THE SUPPORT OF THE USE OF LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES
11.1 SUPPORT FOR TEACHING STAFF AND LEARNING AND TEACHING SUPPORT STAFF
Support needs to be in terms of induction into the technology, using it well in terms of the technology,
and using it well in terms of its application in learning and teaching. Technology is not, by itself,
transformative.
Priority support needs to be provided to teaching staff and teaching support staff engaged with learning
technologies in the Online Learning Model pilots and targeted courses as part of the Curriculum,
Learning & Teaching (CLT) Framework strategic priorities.
Just in time (JIT) support should also be available to teaching staff regarding skills to use learning
technologies. This JIT support could be provided by tier 0 (self-help particularly online training), tier 1
(Service Desk and educational designers) and tier 2 support.
Learning technologies should be situated in physical, blended and virtual spaces to facilitate high-quality
learning and teaching; and to gain familiarity and competency in using learning technologies.
It is critical that learning and teaching support staff be adequately supported.
11.2 STUDENT USER AND LEARNING SUPPORT
Students should use learning technologies extensively and positively.
CSU LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES FRAMEWORK 24
There should be Just-in-place (contextualised) support within the learning technologies.
There should be Just-in-time (needs basis) support for students learning online and on-campus.
Assist students in learning how to use learning technologies effectively – implement strategies for
helping students learn with technology the way they live with technology.
Increase the capacity of students for managing their own learning through personal learning
environments (PLEs).
Students need to embrace, be enthused by, and take responsibility for learning mediated through
learning technologies.
Digital literacy and fluency - set up a process for students to self-diagnose (tier 0 support) their learning
technologies competencies, with feedback that directs them to specific support avenues and/or
strategies such as eStudent Support with Academic Support, and Student Central.
11.3 COMPUTER SYSTEMS AND SERVICES
The range of systems and services referred to in this section is depicted on the CSU Supported Learning
Technologies Landscape.
Below is a high level view of this Landscape:
CSU LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES FRAMEWORK 25
Reasonable uptime of systems should be defined and provided as part of service level guarantees.
Reasonable after hour’s services should be defined and provided.
Backup/fullback processes and plans, i.e., business continuity details, need to be included in service level
agreements (SLAs) as appropriate between systems’ custodians and DIT.
12. THE GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE SUPPORTING LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES INCLUDING COMMITTEES
The Director, Learning Technologies in the Division of Student Learning has overarching responsibility for
the implementation, ongoing support of, and reporting on learning technologies.
The Initiatives & Strategy Implementation Plan (ISIP) Governance committee is ultimately responsible
for funding and prioritising initiatives.
The Executive Director, DIT has overall responsibility for optimisation of the organizational technology
portfolio, and responsibility for technological standards, acquisition of information technology, contracts
and agreements and other matters as per the delegation schedule.
The Learning Environments Committee (LEC) is the primary learning technologies committee and
provides relevant input to the CSU Curriculum, Learning and Teaching Committee (CLTC).
The Academic Senate deals indirectly with learning technologies via the CLTC.
The CSU Educational Technology Reference Group ensures academic representation with regard to
CSU’s learning technologies, and reports to the Learning Environments Committee (LEC).
The Enterprise Architecture principles and standards guide technological decisions regarding learning
technologies.
Note: While the CSU Web Strategy Committee (WSC) deals with overarching web governance through
standards and principles, its governance excludes learning and teaching technologies. Input from the
Web Strategy Office (WSO) could be helpful though in designing Web-applications.
CSU LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES FRAMEWORK 26
13. SUPPORT OF CSU’S GRADUATE LEARNING OUTCOMES AND CURRICULUM PRINCIPLES
Learning technologies need to support CSU’s Graduate Learning Outcomes and the many associated
initiatives such as the development of the CSU Degree principles, the Online Learning Model and the
Curriculum, Learning & Teaching (CLT) Framework.
14. HIGH LEVEL INDICATORS OF SUCCESSFUL LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES USE AT CSU
a) Successful scale-up of the Online Learning Model
b) Meeting the online KPI’s in the QLT Framework
c) The biennial? Longitudinal study of learning technologies use, skills and expectations of CSU’s
teaching staff and students (as well as their indication of satisfaction in the SES) will contribute
evidence of success.
d) Learning analytics on students and teaching staff - as available - will be used.
e) Increase in the research and publications associated with learning technologies as submitted to CSU’s
CRO database.
These evaluations will feed back to the LEC, the Student Experience Committee, the CSU Curriculum,
Learning and Teaching Committee and Academic Senate.
The feedback could indicate that certain learning technologies should be decommissioned or updated.
CSU LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES FRAMEWORK 27
15. REFERENCE LIST
ALT, 2012. What is Learning Technology? http://www.alt.ac.uk/learning_technology.html
AECT, 2012. What is AECT? http://www.aect.org/About/default.asp
CAST, 2012. Universal design in learning principles.
http://www.udlcenter.org/research/researchevidence
Cope, B., & Kalantzis, M. (2000). Multiliteracies: The beginning of an idea. In B. Cope & M. Kalantzis
(Eds.), Multiliteracies: Literacy learning and the design of social futures (pp. 3-8). London: Routledge.
http://www.decs.sa.gov.au/thenetwork/files/pages/identity_web/multiliteracies.html
CSU, 2010. CSU Web Disability Access Action Plan.
http://www.csu.edu.au/webpublishing/docs/disability_access.doc
Mishra, P. & Koehler, M.J. (2006). Technological pedagogical content knowledge: A framework for
teacher knowledge. Teachers College Record, 108(6), 1017-1054.
Schmid, R. F., Bernard R.M., Borokhovski E, Tamim R., Abrami P.C., Wade C.A., Surkes M.A., Lowerison G.
(2009). Technology’s effect on achievement in higher education: A Stage I meta-analysis of classroom
applications. Journal of Computing in Higher Education, 21, 95–109.
16. APPENDIX A: GLOSSARY
Blended learning – utilises both physical and virtual environments and may be defined as “a design
approach whereby both face-to-face and online learning are made better by the presence of each
other” (Garrison and Vaughan, 2008). Blended learning and teaching can occur at four levels of
granularity: activity-level blending, subject-level blending, course-level blending and institutional-level
blending (Graham, 2006). A blended learning design may also be enabling, incremental or
transformative. Enabling blends would address issues of access and equity to provide equitable
opportunities in face-to-face, print-based, blended and fully online learning environments. Enhancing
blends focus on incremental changes to the existing teaching and learning environment. Transformative
blends focus on a major redesign of the teaching and learning environment (e.g., problem-based
learning). Within CSU, blended learning would also include a further dimension of blending which would
allow predominantly print-based distance education subjects/courses to be combined with online
teaching and learning.
External online technologies – learning technologies not centrally supported that support online
collaboration and networking and the development of online objects
Interact2 – Interact2 is CSU’s online collaborative and learning and teaching system of which the hub is
Blackboard Learn. It is used for learning and teaching as well as for research and administrative
collaboration. Also included in Interact2 are other OLE tools such as EASTS (electronic assignment
submission), subject outline tool and SES (Subject Experience Survey).
Learning Sciences – a multidisciplinary field with the goal of better understanding the cognitive and
social processes that lead to effective learning in order to improve teaching and learning approaches
(Sawyer, 2014). The field includes disciplines such as “cognitive science, educational psychology,
CSU LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES FRAMEWORK 28
computer science, anthropology, sociology, information sciences, neurosciences, education, design
studies, instructional design and other fields” (Sawyer, 2014, p. 1).
LMS – A Learning Management System is an integrated computer-based platform for online learning
and teaching i.e. Blackboard at CSU.
Mobile devices – A set of portable technologies that provide wireless access to internet and cellular
phone network based information and services.
Multiliteracies – A set of literacies that are needed to operate in modern learning and teaching
environments such as literary literacy, information literacy, digital literacy, visual literacy and
communication literacy (Cope & Kalantzis, 2000).
OLE – The OLE is a collection of online learning and teaching services that includes Interact2 as hub, and
an array of online learning and teaching tools. The CSU Supported Learning Technologies Landscape
depicts the OLE.
Personal Learning Environment (PLE) – A PLE is made-up of a personal collection of loosely coupled
tools used for working, learning, reflection and collaboration with others.
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