1.
Introduction
Manchester Business School
employs a distinctive approach to learning known as the
Manchester Method. The Manchester Method is based on the principle that
the most effective and rewarding way to learn and remember is through a
practical project-based approach. Individuals can achieve far more by
working collaboratively in groups rather than on their own. The learning
process is not merely an active process but rather a reflective one; the
practical experiences combined with exchange of ideas and collective
reflection create deeper understanding and generate new knowledge.
Information communication and
technologies (ICTs) are increasingly becoming accepted as important
tools for supporting educational and organisational learning and
teaching. The aim of this work is to explore if and how ICTs can be used
to enhance the Manchester Method. The challenge is to understand the
ability of such technologies to improve communication, decision-making,
thinking, and personal learning. Rather than using ICTs for making
information readily available and easily retrievable, this work
investigates the use of ICTs for enhancing the Manchester learning
experience.
The MBA programmes are dominated
by the use of projects as a standard learning method. Over the years
this has become the characteristic feature of the MBA programmes,
distinguishing it from other business schools. The projects are designed
to be a challenging experience where the students apply the knowledge
and skills they have learnt, and also nurture their ability to work as
part of a team. When students participate in projects they are
encouraged to assume the role of an actor rather than that of a
bystander.
The courses and structure of the
MBA programme ensure that students go through three stages: training,
education and development. There has been little change from the
original thought and design of the programmes; not to impart knowledge
but to develop the skills of students (Wilson 1992). In the initial
stage training is provided through intensive instruction in relevant
disciplines and skills. The projects help the students in their personal
development by allowing them to develop their skills. This strengthens
the educative process allowing a multidisciplinary approach to problem
solving to evolve into a more independent attitude to problem solving
(Wilson 1992). The whole process leads the students from well-defined
exercises and tasks through to open-ended tasks and problems which are
unstructured and not well-defined. The Business Environment Project (BEP),
which is the first real/live project, marks the transition to more
active, self-managed learning (Rickards 2003). Learning is a journey and
there are many paths that a student can take. The BEP reflects the key
principle of the Manchester Method that students should learn to tackle
real projects and acquire many disparate skills through their
participation in group activities.
As part of the development of the
school’s e-Learning strategy, a need was identified to invest in a
project collaboration tool that would facilitate the co-ordination of
group projects and enhance the learning experience. A decision was made
to purchase IBM Lotus QuickPlace, a Web-based tool that facilitates
information sharing and collaboration. This research explores the
introduction of QuickPlace in project-based group work with the aim of
exploring the school’s use of the system as part of its e-Learning
strategy.
2.
Collaborative e-Learning research
The use and effect of ICT in
education has been the source of some research over the past years. The
main thrust of this research is answer the question “has the use of ICT
really affected the learning process and outcomes?”
In her research Alavi (1994)
investigated the impact of a group decision support system (GDSS) on
collaborative learning. The study was conducted in a field setting
involving MBA students enrolled in management information systems
courses. Some of the students attended the class with GDSS software
while others attended the course in a traditional classroom setting. The
findings of the study indicated that GDSS-supported collaborative
learning leads to higher levels of perceived skill development,
self-reported learning, and evaluation of classroom experience in
comparison with non-GDSS supported collaborative learning. Although
there were no significant differences in midterm scores, the final test
grades of the group of students who were exposed to the GDSS were
significantly higher than those of the other group of students who
participated in the experiment (Alavi 1994).
In 1995, Alavi et al. evaluated
another ICT tool in an educational setting through a longitudinal field
study (Alavi et al, 1995). They evaluated the efficacy of three learning
environments: proximate groups with ICT support, non-proximate team
groups with ICT support and traditional face-to-face groups with no ICT
support. The ICT tool being used was desktop videoconferencing. The
results indicated that the subjects' learning achievement in terms of
critical thinking was different under the three learning conditions. The
subjects who participated in the distant collaborative telelearning
environment demonstrated the highest level of critical thinking
achievement. The study also found that the three environments were
equally effective in terms of students’ knowledge acquisition and
satisfaction with learning process and outcomes.
Hiltz et al. (1999) undertook a
three-year longitudinal study of a number of courses that are part of an
undergraduate Information Systems degree. The courses were all delivered
in a distance asynchronous learning network (ALN) using a combination of
videotaped lectures and computer conferencing with special features to
support asynchronous learning. A number of findings came as a result of
this study. Students reported that the ALN improved not only access to
education but also the quality of the learning process. The most
important outcome of the research indicated that when students are
actively involved in collaborative learning using an online method, the
outcomes can be as good as or better than those for traditional classes.
On the other hand when individuals are simply receiving posted material
and sending back individual work, the results are poorer than in
traditional classrooms. This stresses the importance of using
communication tools in any learning environment and the importance of
moderating the communication.
Another study by Piccoli, Ahmad
et al. (2001) compares a web-based
virtual learning environment (VLE) to a traditional classroom by
using a longitudinal experimental design. The study was conducted on two
groups of students undertaking an introductory course in management
information systems. One group undertook the course using a VLE whilst
the other group attended the course in a traditional classroom
environment. The findings revealed no significant difference in
performance between the two groups. However although the students
undertaking the course in a VLE environment did report a higher computer
self-efficacy, they were less satisfied with the learning process.
In summary, a fair amount of
research has been conducted on the effect of ICTs on the educational
environment and its effect on the performance of the students. While one
can draw from these studies for insight, the introduction of emerging
technologies requires further study and evaluation. The motivation for
this research stems from the need to observe the use of ICTs within
project-based group work in order to make necessary changes and achieve
the best possible results.
3.
Current VLEs - Manchester method
ICT has been used in the
development and delivery of training and educational programmes. Whereas
training is a narrow term focusing on preparing an individual for a
particular function or profession, education is a process of learning
that develops moral, cultural, social and intellectual aspects of the
whole person as an individual and member of society.
Many of the current VLEs provide
no more than a drill-and-practice approach to learning. The technologies
are simply being used to replicate the traditional ‘chalk and talk’ ways
of teaching and learning. These are valuable in transforming
understanding into automated skill, making the information and
procedures available without conscious effort. However, these approaches
are weak in motivating the learner and in providing conceptual aids for
understanding and critical thinking.
Currently there is no system or
platform that has been widely adopted by either the educational or
corporate sector. There is no technology platform that suits every
organisation, discipline or programme. Most of the technology platforms
are still in their ‘infancy’. They lack the diversity and capabilities
that come with the maturity of technologies (Salmon 2002). Therefore, in
higher education institutions, e-Learning is not extensively used for
delivering entire courses.
Off-the-shelf commercial VLEs
currently being used in UK HE institutions include
WebCT,
Blackboard, and
Virtual Campus. Organisations are however rarely satisfied with all
the functionalities such systems provide. Coupled with this
dissatisfaction are problems of integrating the system with other
organisational systems. Customisation becomes therefore a critical issue
in choosing the right VLE. Commercial VLEs provide more or less similar
functions and tools but they differ in the degree of customisation
allowed. In some cases, bespoke online environments, such as those
developed in-house or as a result of collaboration between institutions,
are being developed and used by many HE institutions in the UK. Examples
include
Colloquia - developed at the University of Wales,
Nathan Bodington – an open source system originating from the
University of Leeds and
CoMentor - from the University of Huddersfield. The advantage of
such systems is that they fit more closely within the practices of these
institutions. An additional benefit the ability of using industry tools
such as Microsoft NetMeeting within the VLE. But the maintenance of such
systems can prove to be a problem as there is a dependence on the
individuals involved in the development. Thus, the cost-effectiveness of
implementing such systems as opposed to customising commercial
applications is questionable.
While the introduction of ICT can
contribute to learning, on its own it cannot deliver learning. The
integration of pedagogy and learning models within the appropriate
technology is essential and this is what makes a VLE successful. Each
institution employs its own model of learning and therefore needs to
ensure that the technology adopted can enhance the learning process.
At MBS the Manchester Method
extends the education process to include learning-by-doing. As current
e-Learning software packages are not well suited for such an
environment, MBS explored other tools more suited to their approach to
learning.
When implementing a VLE, an
organisation has various options, a bespoke system, a complete
off-the-shelf solution such as WebCT or a modular approach combining
off-the-shelf components with customised solutions. The advantages and
disadvantages of these are discussed earlier in the paper. MBS has
selected a modular approach combining off-the-shelf components with
customised solutions. The reason is primarily because of their approach
to learning – The Manchester Method.
As part of the development of the
school’s e-Learning strategy, a need was identified to invest in a
project collaboration tool that would facilitate co-ordination of group
projects and enhance the collaborative learning experience. A decision
was made to purchase IBM Lotus QuickPlace, a Web-based tool that
facilitates information sharing and collaboration. This research
explores the introduction of QuickPlace in project-based group work with
a goal of enhancing the school’s use of the system in its e-Learning
strategy. In addition to using QuickPlace, the IBM Domino platform and
IBM Lotus Notes and iNotes applications for messaging and calendaring
were also installed. A legacy system, an extranet, is also used by the
school to distribute course materials and act as a repository of general
information needed for the courses. The legacy, Microsoft platform,
system is being phased out during 2004 and being transferred onto
QuickPlace.
4.
IBM Lotus QuickPlace: Industry Standard
Group Project Tools
IBM Lotus QuickPlace is a self-service Web tool for team
collaboration and provides teams with areas of webspace to work on a
project for example Master workspace (parent) group workspace
(child), folders (sub-workspaces - grandchild), rooms
(specialised folders), and inner rooms (private breakout or
personal rooms). Groups can use QuickPlace to store files e.g. Microsoft
Office, thoughts, and schedules related to a project in a common place,
where everyone can find and respond to the latest information. In
addition, teams have a workspace to share information, collaborate and
discuss through the use of discussion boards, chat (two or more members
exchange messages by typing them in a chat window) and awareness
capability (members can spontaneously encounter other members within the
context of the content they have authored. e.g. reading a page in the
‘marketing room’ while the author of that page is online). It is also
possible to use white-boarding to work on documents, manage and
coordinate activities and track events. It also includes support for
other activities associated with group‑based project work such as task
assignments and schedule management.
As well as working online with
QuickPlace it also offers the option to working offline. When a person
works with QuickPlace online, they have to be connected to a QuickPlace
server. However, if a user is remotely located and cannot connect to the
QuickPlace server or would prefer to work offline to avoid connect
charges, it is possible to take their QuickPlace offline. The offline
QuickPlace is a copy of the online version and resides on the hard disk
rather on the server. When the individual makes changes to the offline
version and then synchronizes to the QuickPlace server - for example,
when you add or edit pages in the place - QuickPlace automatically
updates the online version.
Some of the general
characteristics of Lotus QuickPlace include:
§
Primarily designed
for smaller groups or teams
§
Duration of usage
is often limited or for a specific period of time
§
Requires minimal
infrastructure and support from ICT (self-service)
§
Easy for users to
create, manage and customize (self-service)
§
Project-centred or
activity-oriented
§
Designed to
facilitate enhanced collaboration
§
Emphasis on user
productivity and getting the job done
Lotus QuickPlace can be viewed as
an electronic project room. It provides not only a central location for
sharing information but is flexible enough to grow and change with the
project. It can be used “out-of-the-box” without any customisation.
However to get the maximum benefit from the application, customisation
is possible through various standard tools.
5.
The Setting – the Business Environment
Project
The Business Environment project
- BEP is a client-sponsored live project on an issue of direct relevance
to the organisation and marks the transition to more active,
self-managed learning (Rickards 2003). In May 2003, the project involved
157 students who were divided into groups with each group working for
one of 30 company-based projects. They were divided into groups of 3 to
6 individuals. All the groups had the possibility of meeting
face-to-face. Every student was equipped with a portable computer making
the access to ICT facilities quite even. Lotus QuickPlace was available
to them as a tool to be used but it was not compulsory for them to use
it.
The students had four weeks (150
hours) to undertake the project and produce a group report on the
project itself as well as a personal report to reflect on their personal
experiences and learning. Students were advised to spend 100 hours on
the content of the project: in essence doing the work for the
client or sponsor. The remaining 50 hours on attendance at the
introductory sessions on the management of the project and its format
and, above all, on reflecting and learning from the project. This meant
that individually and as a group they were expected to spend a
significant amount of time watching and reflecting on the processes that
they were going through and, when use of a skill or area of knowledge,
study the background issues related to these: e.g. when a ‘model’ is
used, check its description in a text book and look at other
applications.
Although the specific project is
centred around the needs of the client or sponsor, the main focus being
to help students learn the broader knowledge and skills that will help
them in the future. During the project, students interact with the
faculty team in many ways, sometimes offering ‘deliverables’ for
consideration, perhaps a project plan or a mindmap of the key issues
that need be addressed in the project. It is important to emphasise that
during the course of the project students are not assessed in a
summative way, i.e. to award marks that counted towards an overall
mark on the module. The intermediate deliverables and discussion and
feedback on them are formative, i.e. focused on helping students
learn.
At the end of the project, the
students have to produce a group report and an individual report. The
group report addresses the issues related to the project and may make
proposals for the client. The individual report is part of the personal
learning process in which the students reflect and discuss new skills
learnt, the way the group arranged the work of group members and the way
the group addressed unforeseen problems.
6.
Lotus QuickPlace Design
The overall structure of
QuickPlace for the Business Environment project consists of several
workspaces:
§
a parent workspace
template which holds general information about the project and is
accessible by all students and staff concerned;
§
a Group Workspace
for each group which is accessible for only the members of the group and
the staff concerned.
6.1
The Parent workspace template
The Parent workspace holds the
documents relating to the Business Environment project such as report
guidelines and marking schemes. By having a central place for this means
that the project coordinators can log onto one place to post information
for all students rather than logging on to all the group workspaces to
post information. This template that acts as the parent folder is
accessible from the groups’ workspaces by a special link page. This
gives the students the illusion that the information is within their
workspace and they do not have to log on to another workspace to view
the information.
The Parent workspace contains a
range of standard folders and rooms. The Getting Started folder is
explains how to best use the system and gives a tutorial. A description
of each of the option and their purpose is placed in the Guide to this
QuickPlace folder. The discussion folder provides students with a place
to post general questions about the project which any tutor can then
answer or initiate a discussion. The calendar folder holds events for
the project such as project clinic dates and dates when tutors are
available. Basic project documentation links to the parent workspace and
upon selection takes the students to the documentation folder in the
parent workspace. The students do not need to log onto a different site
for this information as the transfer is automatic.
The document library is a room
(i.e. a special area than can be seen as a “child workspace” within the
“parent workspace”) for document storage. Its main use is to separate
content and access. The reason for the library to be a room rather than
a folder is that the students can organise the documents into folders. A
room can have multiple folders but a folder cannot have sub-folders. The
room is also equipped with an instructions page to guide the students on
how to create folders and how to best use this option.
During the project, the tutors
provide specialist support and advice either on a one-to-one basis or
during project clinics. In the parent workspace, rooms are introduced to
support this process. In each room a discussion area that allows
students to ask questions or initiate a discussion is provided. There is
also a library folder for tutors to post references or documents that
students may find useful. The idea of specialist areas is significant in
supporting the Manchester Method. In the Manchester Method the tutors
actively guide the students through the learning process. Specialist
areas provide not only access to the right information but also the
discussion channels for obtaining advice on issues and problems. Tutors
are expected to log on regularly and answer questions or even instigate
discussions, which can trigger reflection.
The other options and folders are
standard in a workspace. This includes the application for chat, sharing
and online meetings. An index folder lists all pages and folders in
alphabetical order and a members’ folder provides a list of all the
members of the workspace.
6.2
The Groups’ workspace
As previously mentioned, each
team has access to a group workspace. This allows group members to
publish, share and track all information relevant to the project with
other members of the team. It contains a range of folders and resources.
The project discussion folder is
for the group to discuss the running of the project and issues
surrounding the group work and allows for threaded discussions to be
recorded. Two other special rooms are designed to help students with
monitoring of group processes and reflecting on what they are learning.
The learning log has two folders, the group diary and the ideas and
suggestions folder. The group diary is designed to help students reflect
on any event that made them stop and think. The aim is to help them
recognise aspects of group projects and applications of management
skills that they can apply generically. The folder has a special form
with questions that guides them on finding out the above. The students
may then comment on other’s entries and start a discussion. The ideas
and suggestions folder is an area for them to start a discussion on ways
the group may work better or ways to tackle problems.
The team dynamics room is
designed and primed with three options that help students monitor the
group processes as the team develops. The three options are the team
factors measure (TFI 5) that assesses the effectiveness of the group
along a number of dimensions such as creativity, the form/storm/norm
/perform model and the option to discuss roles and personal differences
in the team. In the current template the TFI option is done through an
Excel spreadsheet. The form/storm/norm /perform model is a simple HTML
form for the students to fill and the summary is displayed for them to
monitor the changes over time. The personal differences in the team
option, is designed for students to fill in their desired Belbin role
and then for other students to comment and assign what they perceive the
role of the person is.
The calendar folder is for
students to record events for the group. The system automatically copies
all the events from the parent calendar to the group calendar. This is
done through an agent written in LotusScript. The agent runs on a
scheduled basis. This again makes it easy for the staff to post events
to the group calendars as they only have to post it to the parent
calendar. The tasks folder is a standard folder that allows the students
to assign tasks and to monitor them. The tasks can be viewed in a Gantt
Chart view or as a simple list. The tasks can be defined as milestones
and can also be assigned to the calendar. Students who have been
assigned tasks are notified by email of the tasks and reminders are sent
by email as well. The expenses folder is there to help students record
their expenses. The folder displays a summary of the expenses for them
to print out for accounts purposes. An HTML form is custom built for
this purpose.
The other options and folders are
standard in a workspace. This includes the application for chat,
application sharing and online meetings. The index folder lists all
pages and folders in alphabetical order for management the workspace.
The members’ folder lists all members of the workspace.
7.
Evaluation
The introduction of any VLE
requires time and effort in not only designing the appropriate course
and other materials within a VLE but also in training the staff and
students so that they gain the maximum benefit out of the system. Given
that this impacts on the quality of teaching and the operation of a
course or project, understanding and monitoring the use of these tools
is worthwhile
The initial work involved the
building of a rapid prototype for the students to use. This prototype
included a number of options for students to use during the project. The
building of the prototype helped in understanding the system and some of
the requirements.
The evaluation was achieved using
a cross-sectional survey and actual monitoring of the usage. It has
sought to understand the system’s value in supporting the Manchester
Method of learning, group work and personal learning by investigating
how it was used, its overall usefulness and effectiveness. From the
survey the students’ perceptions were obtained and from the monitoring
of the actual usage a better understanding of how the system was used
were gained. There are clear indications from this study that the
majority of students are positive about using the system. But the
results also indicated that although the students were positive about
the system they were unsure of how to best use the options.
The survey also revealed that the
majority of group although not being compulsory used the system in
different ways. This helps the students get used to industry-standard
tools and hence better prepare them for work. This achieves one of the
aims of the Manchester Method, which is learning-by-doing. It would not
have been possible if a “typical” VLE was used as they do not cater for
such an environment. From the survey, some of the requirements for the
new workspace were obtained. This was not the only way the requirements
were obtained. A number of staff was interviewed and the processes
involved in project-based group work were also modelled. This provided a
better understanding of what was required to fully support project-based
group work activities and the Manchester Method of learning. This
allowed us to design and implement a better workspace.
The new workspace has been
designed and implemented with a number of new options. The new options
incorporate the options needed for monitoring team processes and also
the various requirements as dictated by the Manchester Method. It was
challenging to understand how to incorporate all elements of the
Manchester Method within the workspace. The first attempt of
implementing such a workspace has been completed but it needs to be
tested in a live situation.
A very interesting finding of
this study was the actual level of usage. There was a gradual increase
in the usage as the project progressed. This finding suggests that the
novelty of using the system did not diminish even though students did
have other means of working such as central location on the server for
data-storage and face-to-face meeting. Although the most common reason
for using the system was for posting shared documents, some groups did
make use of the various options such as the Learning Log, discussion
forums and tasks. It was also encouraging to see that one of the groups
went to the extent to customise their workspace themselves. The majority
of the students in that group did have previous experience with using
the system. This shows that the more familiar the students are with the
system, they will use it to its maximum.
The study has also provided us
with a number of issues to consider for improving the use of the system
within MBS’ programmes. It is clear that consideration of such issues as
training, online moderating of discussion forums, online tutor presence
and developing an online culture is needed if the full range of benefits
is to be gained. Students must feel that the system is a part of their
learning and development.
ICT are increasingly becoming
accepted as important tools for supporting educational and
organisational learning and teaching. The aim of this work is to explore
if and how ICT can be used to enhance the Manchester Method, a
distinctive approach to learning that has been evolved over the years at
Manchester Business School. The challenge is to understand the ability
of such technologies to improve communication, decision-making,
thinking, and personal learning. Rather than using ICT for making
information readily available and easily retrievable, this work
investigates the use of ICT and collaborative tools in particular for
enhancing the Manchester learning experience.
This work discusses our
experiences in customising and evaluating a web-based collaborative
environment based on IBM Lotus QuickPlace. QuickPlace is a system that
offers many possibilities with a minimum of effort and provides many of
the capabilities needed for a virtual learning environment. Although the
study is limited to a specific project it has revealed that the use of
the system can be successful. However, it is important to bear in mind
that technology alone does not affect or enhance the learning
process. The use of Lotus QuickPlace at Manchester Business School
represents a new challenge to faculty members, to adapt and change the
Manchester Method of learning to best take advantage of the ICT tools.
A survey has been undertaken to
explore students' responses and reactions to QuickPlace in order to
understand the system’s value in supporting the Manchester Method of
learning, group work and personal learning by investigating how it was
used, its overall usefulness and effectiveness. The results from the
survey suggest that the majority of students made use of QuickPlace and
were positive about using it in their project work and as a tool for
learning.
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