Facilitating web based staff development in higher education

It is difficult to design a one off activity that is relevant to all, given the wide diversity of needs and levels of competence that participants bring. Many staff have experienced giving up a day only to find that few of their needs were met. Negative experiences like this make it more difficult to attract participants in the future. Where staff do make the effort it is often to a singular event rather than being a part of a coordinated staff development plan. The ability of simple 'one shot' workshops to promote lasting change is often questioned (Fowler & Dickie, 1997). Web based staff development can overcome some of these problems. However, most staff development activities at Australian universities, even in the use of online teaching, are still taught by traditional means (Ellis, O'Reilly, & Debreceny, 1998).

Initial attempts at web based teaching often involve little more than providing large amounts of non-interactive text to read (McNaught, Kenny, Kennedy, & Lord, 1999). However, there are methods to enhance interactivity and collaboration with a view to catering for the needs of adult learners. In particular, the self directed nature of web based learning suits work based staff development. The participant can work at their own pace at a time and location that suits them for as long as they want. The hypermedia nature of online material lends itself to a constructivist perspective for organising information. Rather than a linear sequence leading to certain conclusions set by the author, the learner can select the information in the quantity and order they choose and in ways which make sense for them (Fowler & Dickie, 1997). The multimedia nature of the material can assist in catering for different learning styles.

Web based staff development is not without problems and it is suggested that this form of activity should be a supplement and not a replacement to current practices. In this way, a wider audience can be reached and participation rates increased. This paper will examine the benefits and problems of web based staff development and the methods used to enhance interaction and collaboration based on a case study at the University of Western Sydney.