Jumping the hurdles: challenges of staff development delivered in a blended learning environment

Abstract

When the University of Glamorgan embarked upon an ambitious e‐learning development project, it quickly became clear that before teaching online, academic staff would need a training programme, which could introduce them to the pedagogy associated with this very different form of teaching and learning. This paper addresses the challenges for the staff development process when delivered in a blended learning environment. The paper is presented in three sections, the first outlines the development process of an e‐learning initiative, the second examines the model of teaching and learning, and the final section outlines the challenges to change encountered along the way. The paper concludes that a blended learning environment lends itself well to staff development for e‐learning initiatives. The authors also explore future developments including further module and course development inspired by this successful model.