Objects and issues—a Sunday Supplement view of continuing professional development in higher education

Abstract

This paper draws on the presentation of three online pilot ‘series’ of learning objects aimed at offering university staff convenient updating opportunities around issues connected with e‐learning. The ‘Hot Topics' format presented short themed sets (series) of learning objects to a wide‐range of staff, encouraging sampling strategies to support variable levels of engagement and re‐scheduling within the series which reflects each participants’ personal preferences, time or other constraints. Developed by the Institute of Educational Technology (IET) at the UK Open University, and delivered using IET's knowledge‐sharing Knowledge Network, this format suggests a new way of facilitating continuing professional development in HEIs, and also offers fresh insights into the consequences of using learning objects for staff development and the difficulties of evaluating staff development activity based on learning objects. This paper is particularly concerned with the consequences of offering choice to the series' participants and more flexible options for dissemination to potential contributors.