Reflections on Developing Effective "Virtual" Group Learning

Abstract

This article arose directly from developments undertaken at Chesterfield College in the

academic year 2004/5, when a FdA Foundation Degree in Logistics Management was being

planned, in collaboration with local employers. At a fairly early stage it was determined that

this degree would operate utilising a "blended learning" approach, with participants attending

college at various times, but the main thrust of the learning would be undertaken, managed and

guided via the use of ICT technologies, with participants operating in" virtual" learning sets.

As the internet information platform to support the participants was being developed,

certain methodological issues began to emerge;

(a) what types of resources and associated learning activities should be made available

to participants?

(b) what could be done to assist participants to operate effectively in "virtual" learning

sets?

In this article I wish to ignore the issue of resources and associated learning activities

and put that to one side, and instead concentrate on how to generate effective "virtual" learn-

ing teams/sets. In order to do this, three issues need to be addressed:

• what is a "virtual" team and what makes it different to a traditional co-located team ?
• how do these differences impact on the "virtual" team ?
• how can we assist our degree participants to operate effectively in the "virtual"

world we will expect them to be inhabiting, remembering that for many, if not all, this will be a new experience?

This will then be reviewed with reference to the learning experiences of the first year

intake of students onto the Foundation Degree in Logistics Management.