Maren Deepwell

Category: Learning Technology

  • CEO Report to Members, January 2023

    CEO Report to Members, January 2023

    Dear Members

    This is a special year for our Association as we celebrate thirty years since ALT was established in 1993. As we prepare to mark this important anniversary as the leading professional body for Learning Technology in the UK and as an independent charity serving our membership, we want to focus on how we can build on what has been achieved as well as what’s ahead.

    Help shape what’s next

    Our work across sectors, serving a growing community with diverse needs and priorities depends on your input and we invite you to complete ALT’s Annual Survey for 2023. Help shape what is ahead and contribute to our unique insight into how Learning Technology is used across sectors as well as identifying emerging trends in current and future practice. The survey provides an important insight into how professional practice within the field of Learning Technology is developing. The purpose of this survey is to:

    • Help map professional practice and development in Learning Technology;
    • Chart how Learning Technology is used across sectors;
    • Understand current practice to better meet the needs of and represent our Members. 

    The Annual Survey also helps to improve ALT’s monitoring and reporting in order to promote equality, diversity and inclusion. The closing date for responses is 5 February 2023 . Complete the survey now. 

    New events programme launching for 2023

    Our events programme is at the heart of the work we do and attracts over 5,500 participants a year. Through a varied programme of webinars, workshops and conferences we increase access to expertise and continuing professional development (CPD) for Members and participants from across education and training sectors. ALT’s new events programme that has been developed to meet the needs of our community and deliver value for our Members. 

    • We are launching a new annual virtual summit for (emerging) leaders which  will focus on key issues identified through our annual survey; 
    • Our highly successful CPD webinar series will expand to include experts from across sectors, offering regular professional development aligned with the CMALT accreditation framework; 
    • ALT’s flagship Annual Conference and OER Conference will continue to innovate as leading hybrid conferences in their field;
    • Our new in person 1 day events, taking place annually across the UK, will expand opportunities for networking and knowledge sharing. 

    We are really excited to bring new events into our established calendar of activities and to continue our CMALT Webinars and support the work of ALT Member and Special Interest Groups.

    Find out more about new event benefits for Members.

    New MoU between ASCILITE and ALT

    I am delighted that we have an updated Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with ASCILITE. There is a long-standing collaboration between ALT and ASCILITE and in recent years we have actively worked together on initiatives including CMALT Australasia and baselining best practice Open Access journal publication. 

    This Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) provides a framework for areas of joint working between ASCILITE and the Association for Learning Technology. It sets out how the two organisations will work together to ensure that shared objectives are taken forward and provides a platform on which to build joint working.

    Did you miss…?

    A quick summary of highlights from across our community: 

    This post was originally posted on the ALTC Blog.

  • CEO’s Report, Summer 2022

    This report was originally published on the #altc blog.

    Dear Members

    We are deep in preparation for our Annual Conference in September, our AGM and upcoming Trustee elections, while the awards judging and CMALT summer assessments are underway as well. This is the busiest time of year for our Association and my report to you includes important information for you as Members and our wider community.

    A special mention to begin with, to celebrate the launch of Digital Learning in Higher Education, for which ALT hosted the preview webinar and which includes a chapter based on findings from our Annual Survey.

    Enhancing our Governance

    The Board of Trustees has completed a year long review of our governance arrangements in order to ensure that our practice reflects the Charity Governance Code, which was updated at the end of 2020. The Board started planning for the review in February 2021 which concluded in June 2022. All Trustees and staff took part in the assessment process, reviewing examples of our current practice against recommended standards, and agreeing actions for each area of our governance. The Board found that overall our current practice conforms to the updated code and reflects recommended best practice. The Board identified a number of operational actions and two wider areas in which to enhance our governance, specifically in relation to Board Effectiveness and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, with a number of actions being implemented.

    I encourage to read this update from the Board on the review process and the priorities for action we identified.

    Trustees and staff welcomed the opportunity to review our governance and the outcome of the review process has highlighted ALT’s strong  and robust governance overall. This was especially important during the difficult times of the pandemic which posed great risks for us as an independent, small charity. Our focus now is on implementing the actions the Board has agreed and to communicate the outcomes of the review and our progress to Members and to all our stakeholders. We will share initial findings with Members at the upcoming Annual General Meeting (AGM) in September, and subsequently report at least annually, usually at the AGM on our progress and what actions we are taking next. 

    Trustee Elections and AGM 2022

    Our 2022 Annual General Meeting, will be held in person and online at ALT Annual Conference, 7 September 2022, Manchester UK. All Members are encouraged to attend and the AGM is also open to guests and observers. The Agenda for the AGM will be issued at least two weeks prior to the meeting. All papers for the AGM and related information will be published online.

    We also issued a call for nominations for two Trustees to serve an initial three year term to be elected by Members. In response to the call we received nine nominations (each nominated by two Members), which is the largest number of nominations received in the past ten years and a great testament to the strong commitment our Members have to getting involved in ALT. Our elections will be conducted online by the Electoral Reform Services and the result will be communicated to members at the AGM. All eligible members will be sent an email with instructions on how to use the secure Internet ballot site. All elections and appointments of Trustees are undertaken in line with ALT’s aims and values, and our policies for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.

    We encourage all eligible Members to make their voice heard and use their vote.

    Work in progress: Screenshot of the draft programme for the conference.

    Annual Conference 2022

    I am very much looking forward to seeing our flagship event in a new hybrid format for the first time. We recently published a look behind the scenes and shared our thinking behind the format. We are putting our values into practice and Members at the heart of the conference, so in this spirit the event will be chaired collaboratively by the Trustees, who work closely with the Conference Committee. Every Annual Conference we have organised since 1993 has been led by Co-Chairs and their Conference Committee and we invite you to learn more about the important the work they do.

    It has been heartening to see both long-standing and new Member organisations step up to support the event, as sponsors and exhibitors. We are also working in partnership with the Ufi – Voctech Trust to deliver the AmplifyFE strand of the conference; and with Jisc, on the inaugural Award for Digital Transformation. Our collaboration with ITN Productions which is now in its second year, was recently short-listed for the Best Collaboration – Association Excellence Award.

    Meeting Members and sharing what’s in store for autumn

    Earlier this month I attended the annual meetings of the ALT Scotland, ALT Wales and ALT Northern Ireland Members’ Groups. It was a privilege and pleasure for me to meet so many Members, both in person and online, and to get a better sense of what everyone is focused on.

    It was especially enjoyable to be able to join Members gathering at the University of Cardiff, which is local to me, and join in some of the social activities.

    For each group I shared an update (watch the video of my update to the ALT NI meeting), sharing strategic priorities for the year and providing an overview of key developments across the Association.

    It was fabulous to see how much creativity and organisation went into each day and seeing Members support each other in participation in the face of the continued impact of COVID-19 and train strikes.

    Working with our Members is always inspiring, and I am grateful to serve such an active and impactful community, and hope to see and connect with many of you come September!

  • How to… enter the ALT Awards and gain professional recognition

    How to… enter the ALT Awards and gain professional recognition

    Over the past year I have started to enter awards, and I realised that it can be a helpful process to get a new perspective on one’s progress and gain some much needed professional recognition along the way.

    This post is all about ALT’s Awards, which I can’t enter, but I hope that you will. The Awards celebrate achievement in the field of Learning Technology and are peer-reviewed by a panel of ALT Members from across sectors, chaired by the President of ALT.

    Now, if you are someone who is ready to put your name forward, move right along and complete the entry form.

    There are five categories to choose from, so hopefully you’ll find one that fits:

    • ALT Award for Individuals
    • ALT Award for Institutions and Teams
    • ALT Award for Leadership in Digital Education
    • ALT Award for Digital Transformation in partnership with Jisc
    • ALT Award for Case Studies of Ethical EdTech 

    The awards are open to all and free to enter and you don’t have to be a Member of ALT to be eligible. The Awards Ceremony is free to attend for all Finalists.

    The Awards page has the full particulars of the criteria for each award, and the judging criteria are informed by the CMALT principles: A commitment to exploring and understanding the interplay between technology and learning; a commitment to keep up to date with new technologies; a commitment to communicate and disseminate effective practice and empathy with and willingness to learn from colleagues from different backgrounds and specialism. All entries should demonstrate alignment with the Framework for Ethical Learning Technology (FELT) and specifically FELT four core principles: Awareness, Professionalism, Care & Community and Values. 

    The entry form requires you to complete one main field:

    Describe your entry, including why you should win this year, the impact of your work within or beyond your institution, how it was developed and what others could learn from your work.

    and there is an option to include links to supporting evidence, resources or similar.

    Why not enter?

    Plenty of people I meet wouldn’t consider putting themselves, their project or their team forward for an Award. My question to you is: Why not?

    If you don’t win or get short-listed, no-one will know. You will still have a useful summary that highlights what you have achieved that you can use for appraisals or dissemination, and you might have an opportunity to see your own achievements in a new light.

    What you do is probably more worth sharing than you think. Plus, after two years of fire fighting and crisis support, I bet there is a LOT you will have achieved for your learners, your academics, your colleagues, your institutions, the wider community and the sector you work in.

    And… there is always the option of nominating someone else. An unsung hero or a overlooked innovator.

    Tips for entering

    I have previously shared tips for entering, and these are some of the most popular ones:

    What I/we do isn’t special…

    Quite a few winners of the Awards over the years have either been nominated by someone else or started their opening sentence along these lines. Most of the time individuals or teams who do exceptional things don’t take the time to reflect or celebrate. They move on to the next thing quickly and modestly. This is one of the things the Awards are useful for – to reflect and acknowledge your achievements and those of others. If you aren’t sure whether what you do is ‘special’ enough to enter ask a colleague for their views. And if you know someone who should be recognised – nominate them.

    Show what impact you’ve made

    Quite often entries don’t include a lot of detail of what difference the work has made – how you have changed things. If you find it hard to find good ways of showing that maybe ask colleagues, learners or peers for comments or feedback. You could also include metrics of social media or open online interactions, such as how many readers a blog has.

    What are the judges looking for?

    Each year the judging panel includes at least two previous winners of the Awards. That means entries will be reviewed by at least individuals who have been in your position before. Other members of the panel come from across sectors including HE, FE, work-based learning and industry. So no matter where you work or what you do, there should always be someone on the panel who understands your perspective.

    Interviews make me nervous…

    Part of the selection process is that all short-listed entries are invited to a virtual interview. This is a friendly and collegiate day. If you are invited for an interview, you will be able to prepare in advance and the interview itself usually quite informal and about half an hour long.

    So give it a thought and before 4 July 2022, complete the entry form.

    Good luck!

  • Book launch: Digital Learning in Higher Education

    Today I was delighted to take part in the launch of a new book:

    Book cover image

    Digital Learning in Higher Education

    COVID-19 and Beyond

    Edited by Matt Smith, Interim Head of Primary Education,University of Wolverhampton and John Traxler, Professor of Digital Learning, Education Observatory, University of Wolverhampton, UK and UNESCO Chair

    Publication Date: June 2022 ISBN: 978 1 80037 939 8 Extent: 176 pp

    Mapping the uncertain landscape of education in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Digital Learning in Higher Education examines how Higher Education (HE) institutions have moved to widespread digital learning in an effort to maintain the educational experience. The book navigates the possibilities that lie ahead, using reflections from HE practitioners and other academic professionals to explore the beginnings of a new and brighter future for HE.

    My contribution

    I worked with Rachel Crookes and Matt Smith to co-author the chapter on Further non-teaching perspectives on aspects of the higher education sector impacted by COVID-19, based in findings from the ALT Annual Survey:

    “ALT’s Annual Survey has run each year since 2014, with a number of the core questions remaining unchanged. We think it provides a unique insight into how learning technology is used across sectors as well as identifying emerging trends in current and future practice. Explore key findings from this year’s survey:

    Trends in Learning Technology 

    This report focuses on how the Learning Technology landscape is changing through a focus on tools and technologies and also professional practice. Our findings provide insight into how blended and hybrid models are becoming the main mode of learning, for 66% of our Members and that student engagement continues to be the number one drive behind the adoption of learning technology.

    How our profession is changing

    This report explores one of the key questions we ask in the survey: how are institutions investing in Technology-Enhanced Learning? We continue to see an increase in investment of over 30% overall, although smaller than the previous year, when 45% of Members reported an increase in their budgets. From 2020 to 2021, investment in permanent posts has increased from 32% to 54%, and for fixed term posts from 34% to 50%, emphasizing the continued and growing demands for Learning Technology professionals in the long term.”

     

  • CEO’s Report, Spring 2022

    Adapted from the original report on the #altc blog.

    This is my quarterly update as CEO of ALT on our progress as we move further into the year. We now provide access to expertise to a much wider community of digital practitioners. We work hard to champion professional recognition for a growing range of Learning Technology roles and we inform and support institution leaders engaging with digital education. Our strategy needs to reflect this growing remit. 

    Informed by the findings from our Annual Survey, our Board of Trustees and I have worked together to set strategic goals to move us firmly into this (post) pandemic landscape towards our Annual Conference and AGM in Manchester in early September.

    One of the strategic priorities we have identified is to develop a new hybrid CPD and events programme, which will launch in autumn and set out a schedule of webinars, workshops and events running online and in person.

    We are also looking to develop our professional recognition activities, including refreshing the ALT Awards and pathways to CMALT, details of which we hope to share with Members soon.

    Things to look out for

    • Resources from the OER22, ALT’s Open Education Conference in the UK, chaired by the Global OER Graduate Network, are now available.
    • We launched a new collaboration to tell the stories from our community with ITN Productions: Digital Transformation. Building on the success of last year’s programme, this year’s film will explore the potential of digital technology in education and industry and its impact on approaches to learning.
    • News about this year’s AGM and Trustee elections will be published alongside the Call for Nominations for Honorary Life Membership in May. Look out for information about how to stand for election and how to vote.

    How our profession is changing

    This second report from our Annual Survey explores one of the key questions we ask in the survey: how are institutions investing in Technology-Enhanced Learning? We continue to see an increase in investment of over 30% overall, although smaller than the previous year, when 45% of Members reported an increase in their budgets. From 2020 to 2021, investment in permanent posts has increased from 32% to 54%, and for fixed term posts from 34% to 50%, emphasizing the continued and growing demands for Learning Technology professionals in the long term.

    ALT’s Annual Survey has run each year since 2014, with a number of the core questions remaining unchanged. We think it provides a unique insight into how learning technology is used across sectors as well as identifying emerging trends in current and future practice.

    You can also read more about the report from ALT’s Chair, Helen O’Sullivan, and myself in this #altc blog post.

    Celebrating the launch of the AmplifyFE Community Space in partnership with Ufi VocTech Trust

    AmplifyFE is a partnership project which works to connect and amplify communities of practice for digital learning, teaching and assessment. The AmplifyFE Community Space works across the whole Further Education and Training sector in its widest terms engaging with vocational educators and those who support them.

    The aim of this space is to:

    • Provide a place for vocational educators to share and learn from each other, increasing their access to learning technology expertise, digital pedagogy and professional development opportunities
    • Champion the use of accessible, inclusive learning technology to help those adult learners most impacted by the digital divide so that more people in the UK have improved access to vocational skills
    • Engage with FE groups and communities of practice and researchers in vocational learning to share best practice
    • Work across the whole Further Education and Training sector in its widest terms engaging with vocational educators and those who support them in FE Colleges, Adult and Community Learning (ACL), work-based and independent learning providers, prison learning, ESOL communities, ‘HE in FE’ providers, the whole, diverse sector.
    • To amplify the voice of professionals in strategic developments across the sector, led by organisations including ALT and Ufi.

    Find out more via the AmplifyFE website.

    Picture by Chris Bull for Association For Learning Technology 11/9/18 ALTC 2018 day one. www.chrisbullphotographer.com

    Preparing for our Annual Conference and AGM 2022

    For the return of the Annual Conference to Manchester, 6-8 September 2022, we will bring together different critical perspectives from across our community that will examine the challenges ahead and question the shape of things to come. We are putting our values into practice and Members at the heart of the conference, so in this spirit the event will be chaired collaboratively by the Trustees of ALT.

    Conference themes

    • Digital transformation beyond the crisis: what is your vision for learning, teaching and assessment? This theme is focused on how we are transforming education and training through digital practices in a post-pandemic world.
    • Co-creation with learners: this theme explores how to use digital technology in partnership with learners to design sustainable approaches that work for everyone. How can we co-create student engagement and enjoyment and make the learning experience more open, inclusive and equitable? 
    • Emerging leadership for a new strategic vision: we are seeing a growth in more strategic responsibilities in roles with a focus on digital education and training. This theme is dedicated to the work and vision of both emerging and established leaders in both institutional and community roles seeking to share their expertise and learn from like-minded colleagues in a dedicated leadership strand of this year’s event. 
    • Developing Digital Fluency: there has been a big shift in the digital skills and capabilities that we need to develop and recognise in both students and staff: from digital citizenship to critical data literacy and ethical considerations, what does it mean to develop digital fluency? 
    • AmplifyFE: this conference strand is dedicated to proposals from the FE and Vocational Education sector, and we encourage submissions that share expertise around digital tools and technologies, skills development and collaboration (not competition). 
    • Creativity wildcard: if your work doesn’t fit into the traditional research or practice themes, then this theme enables you to submit research, practice or policy proposals from any sector including Further Education, schools, vocational learning and training, lifelong learning and work-based learning.

    Registration and scholarship applications are now open.

    Ethical Framework for Learning Technology

    We have been sharing the framework with the sector at a number of conferences and events this spring, including the THE Digital Universities Week and Ahead by Bett. ALT’s Framework for Ethical Learning Technology (FELT) is designed to support individuals, organisations and industry in the ethical use of learning technology across sectors. The following resources, including the FELT Reflective Self-Assessment are available to Members:

    Another great session at #THEdigiweekuk, this time with @daveowhite, @MarenDeepwell, @jatenas and @osullihelen looking at https://t.co/IKyZSA53ck; @A_L_T‘s Framework for Ethical Learning Technologies (FELT). Hadn’t been aware of this, seems a great way to assess what we’re using! pic.twitter.com/YponqKhKWY— Chris Trace (@chrisEtrace) March 16, 2022

  • We are looking for a COO… a look behind the recruitment doors

    We are looking for a COO… a look behind the recruitment doors

    We are currently recruiting for a Chief Operations Officer for ALT, and I couldn’t be more excited!

    It’s always great when you get to grow your team, particularly when there are only seven of you and each individual makes a big impact.

    Why this role, why now?

    We are the leading professional body for Learning Technology in the UK – and we have been pretty busy in the past eighteen months! Learning Technology has never been more in demand and as a consequence the work we do to support our growing community has increased month on month.

    After a year of supporting our Members through the global crisis, we have re-grouped and set out a strategic plan for the year ahead. 2020 was a tough year for us an independent charity as we traditionally generate half of our annual turnover from two face to face events. Thanks to our prudent financial strategy in past years, we had reserves to help us through times of crisis.

    Now we are planning ahead for post-pandemic times. Whilst we have an excellent track record delivering online activities and a lot of expertise in virtual events, we don’t just want to follow our old ways. Instead, we are starting to innovate and that has helped us redistribute our income streams and ensured that we are back to generating the charitable income we need to achieve our mission. Next, we are looking to develop blended ways of doing things and improving what we are already good at.

    In order to achieve that, we have created a new role and are looking to grow our staff team:

    The Chief Operations Officer (COO) is responsible for day-to-day operation of ALT, including technical infrastructure and systems used to deliver ALT’s services to 3,500 Members.  The COO acts as the Deputy for the Chief Executive and represents and advocates for ALT with our key stakeholders across sectors. 

    This is an opportunity to see projects through from conception to completion and play a part in shaping how we work and what we do. You will be reporting directly to and working closely with ALT’s CEO and have opportunities to develop your own skills in running an organisation in an innovative and human way. 

    https://www.alt.ac.uk/about-alt/work-us

    If that sounds like the kind of work you would enjoy, read on.

    An overhead image of a table with laptops on it and other work paraphernalia with a diverse group of people sitting around the table.
    Photo by Marvin Meyer on Unsplash

    Who is the team?

    ALT is governed by the Board of Trustees. Working with the Trustees and the wider membership is a small staff team – that’s us!

    For the past few months it’s been all ladies working in the team, and we are making a real effort to recruit the best candidates for each job whilst increasing the diversity of our team, which is a big priority for us (all recruitment and selection is undertaken in line with ALT’s aims and values and in accordance with ALT’s policy on equality and diversity).

    As it stands, we are based in three of the four nations in the UK; three of our team, that is 42%, are currently completing a PhD (and one of us already has hers) and over 40% of the team are either Certified Members of ALT or currently working towards their accreditation.

    As far as I know we have 5 cats and 5 dogs between us, and come Friday plenty of unicorns, too (Fridays we usually celebrate ‘unicorn’ day, a tradition even those of us who are not generally into things that are pink and fluffy have come to appreciate).

    We have a real range of backgrounds and have a former chartered surveyor as well as an expert in Victorian cemeteries in the team. As many of us work part-time, mostly 3 and 4 days a week, it’s quite common for us to have other responsibilities to focus on, be that studies, kids or other interests.

    If you’d like to find out what it is like for us working as a virtual team, read our blog post from earlier this year, celebrating three years as home-workers. Find out what our highlights and lowlights of pandemic working have been and how we thrive as a virtual team.

    You can also read more about how we work via a series of blog posts and an upcoming book on leading virtual teams that I am currently working on.

    A personal note

    When I first started working for ALT, as an Assistant Administrator (Maternity Cover) in 2008, I was just finishing my PhD and I had no inkling that a career in Learning Technology was ahead of me. As it turns out, the field has proven so interesting and challenging that I find always something new to do and to learn.

    The senior team of a small organisation is an exciting place to be. I love the freedom it gives me to make things happen, to be able to respond to the changing needs of our community without having a complicated hierarchy to negotiate. We believe in robust and transparent governance, and we get things done.

    I am proud to be part of a journey that has seen the size of our membership double several times since 2008, and writing our Impact Report 2021 has reminded me of how much we achieve as an organisation and as a team. For me it’s an exciting place to be with a good dollop of life/work balance and a team culture we all benefit from.

    Working for an independent charity with a staff team of fewer than ten people is a very different value proposition than working for a large institution such as a university or a commercial organisation with thousands of employees. For me, it’s a rewarding leadership position that allows me to practice what I preach 🙂

    Maren standing on top of the Garth Hill in South Wales near Cardiff, looking out over summer landscape.
    Not a working day… looking out over Cardiff countryside

    Find out more

    If you are interested to find out more, head over to the ALT website or contact me for an informal conversation.

    Apply by sending us your covering letter and your CV by 17 September 2021.

    All candidates will be notified after the initial short-listing by the end of September and short-listed candidates will be invited to online interviews in October.

    Cover image: Photo by Uta Scholl on Unsplash