Dialogue 3 by jenny watson

3 Volume

SOUTHAMPTON SOLENT UNIVERSITY

Solent Teaching and Learning Community

Dialogue 1

January 2013

SOLENT TEACHING AND LEARNING COMMUNITY

Dialogue SOLENT PEDAGOGIC RESEARCH NETWORK PROJECT TEAM

Sara Briscoe • FBSE Donna Peberdy FCIS Chris Patterson MARTEC

NUMBER 3 • JANUARY 2013

Contents Editorial…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………5 Development of Transnational Work-Based Learning in the Curriculum An Approach Informed by the Student Experience Al Monger………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………6 Academic Staff Development in the Area of Technology Enhanced Learning in UK HEIs Timos Almpanis…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..16 The Fashion Lounge; A Brief Report on Creating a Cross Departmental myCourse page Rachael Taylor…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...32 Creating an Integrated Design for Learning in the Discipline; Action Research on Retail Management Unit IsrarJan-Parker ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………39 Editorial Guidelines………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…60

Editorial Welcome to this third edition of Dialogue the journal of the Solent Teaching & Learning Community (STLC) at Southampton Solent University. Dialogue seeks to disseminate pedagogic research and promote the exchange of best practice in teaching and learning. The papers in this edition range from international collaborative projects to the use of live briefs and focus on student employability and technology enhanced learning. Al Monger reports on-going work including a HEA/UKCISA funded project to develop transnational work placements and internationalised learning activities in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines where student participation is limited. The benefits of these programmes to learners are characterised and their role in developing graduate employability skills. Timos Almpanis reports on a study into staff development in the area of technology enhanced learning including the results of an online survey of members of the Heads of e-Learning Forum (HeLF). The paper gives an interesting overview of the different approaches taken across the sector into meeting the development needs of academic staff. Closer to home, Rachael Taylor reports on developing innovative learning spaces within myCourse with Sam Moss. The Fashion Lounge is designed as an interactive space that encourages student conversation, participation and collaboration. Particularly interesting is the cross departmental nature of the project which provides a thought provoking exemplar for other disciplines within the University. Israr Jan- Parker presents the results of an action research project that explored the effects of changing an existing assessment at level six on Fashion Management with Marketing with a practical/vocational â&#x20AC;&#x153;live projectâ&#x20AC;?. One aspect of the project investigated the impact of simplifying the existing assessment criteria. The results of the action research conclude that the live project had a positive impact on the students in; managing their workload, engagement and employability skills. The editorial board would like to thank all of the authors for sharing their insights and applaud the work of all the project team members in their efforts to enhance the student learning experience across the University. We would like to encourage all members of the University to consider submitting the results of your pedagogic research for inclusion in further editions. And finally we would like to thank Jenny Watson for all of her work in collating this third edition. EDITORIAL BOARD - Sara Briscoe FBSE, Donna Peberdy FCIS and Chris Patterson MARTEC 5

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Development of Transnational Work-Based Learning in the Curriculum - An Approach Informed by the Student Experience Al Monger Project team included Jacqueline Tuson and Jing Lu; also Martina Emke b.i.b. International College, Toni Saraiva EISC Ltd and students Robbie Aftab and Albert Morvay. Introduction This contribution to Dialogue gives the basis, outcomes and recommendations of a pilot project that was funded by HEA/UKCISA under its â&#x20AC;&#x153;Connections" internationalisation pilot projects programme, and was delivered in 2012.

The project was undertaken collaboratively by the Technology School of Southampton Solent University,

the

b.i.b.

International

College

Germany

(the

Bildungszentrum

fuer

Informationverarbeiteende Berufe International College, translated as the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Educational Centre for Information Processing Professions), the European Information Service Centre (EISC) Ltd and the SSU Solent Students Union (represented by a School computing student). The project built on a 2010-11 Solent Strategic Development project (SDP) project in that it took a practice-oriented and transnational approach to enhance graduate employability. The output from this SDP project was presented internally and externally throughout 2011, and consequently led to a successful HEA bid. The project leader will be contributing to an open HEA/UKCISA "Internationalisation 6

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in H.E. - Making Connections" on 12th March 2013 in London. A proposal for a third collaborative panUniversity project that continues to build on and develop this theme is currently being written. The report draws upon the Open Educational Resource (OER) ebook- which is an output from the project. This contains considerably more detail including all the underpinning employer & student survey data and interview transcripts of 7 transnational work placement students (6 b.i.b. students in the Hampshire region and 1 Solent student in Munich) and their respective employers.

Aims of the project There is convincing evidence that transnational work-based learning (WBL) enhances employability (Archer, 2008, p.5) however, according to Erasmus statistics available on the British Council website, only about 500 UK students pursued work placements in â&#x20AC;&#x153;Science, Mathematics and Computingâ&#x20AC;? in 2009-10 (2010-11 data not available at the time). Engagement with international WBL in the curriculum is also relatively low, particularly in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines in the UK. The aim of the project is therefore to develop transnational work placements and internationalised learning activities to develop graduate employability skills.

Project delivery This project looked at what the reasons might be for the low student engagement in international work placements based on current student perspectives, and how participation can be increased using contemporary approaches such as social media. The plan was essentially to incorporate a methodology based on triangulating current student and employer perspectives of working internationally, with the literature. It was hoped that this would lead to enhancements to the WBL curriculum with respect to developing skills. Graduate Attributes Indicators (GAI) was the chosen review method (Oliver 2012) as it provided a wellresearched and established framework. In addition to expected attributes such as written and oral communication, teamwork and IT skills; the framework also includes attributes for intercultural understanding. Universities and other organisations have proposed alternative definitions of attributes that graduates should achieve (Yorke et al. 2005 and 6), which are based on significant primary data from Australian HE institutions and beyond.

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Management of the project The project teamâ&#x20AC;&#x;s plan, resources and methodology were all established in-line with the project proposal and agreed with senior management of the partner institutions. The project was monitored and controlled by the project leader throughout. The project process and product were evaluated by applying an adaption of Kirkpatrickâ&#x20AC;&#x;s 4 levels of reaction, learning, behaviour and organisation (Kirkpatrick 2012).

Data collection Data was collected by interviewing and surveying current and potential 2nd year (level 5) Technology placement students and their employers. All the 2nd year SSU students who attended class during the survey week were also asked to complete a paper questionnaire about their preconceptions on transnational WBL in the curriculum. Although this required manual processing, it was decided that this approach would maximise the return. At the start of the project it was the intention to measure the effect of using social media and also to survey the students again at the end of the trial; this however proved to be impractical as the students had already started their examinations at this period. An online survey was also used to collect data from a European-wide network of enterprises using the EISC data base which had access to this network. Although response rates are normally low with this approach, it was nevertheless felt to be an efficient and cost-effective solution to gain this additional data.

Analysis of the student and employer perspectives An analysis of the students and employers responses to the survey can be found in the appendix to the OER ebook. This revealed the following: GAI (Graduate Attributes Indicators) Written and Oral Communication Skills Interpersonal and communication skills were rated highly in the survey of employers. Teamwork

Skills

Ability to work as part of a team... is rated as top in the survey of employers. 8

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Intercultural Understanding The students confirmed in the start and end interviews, the importance of intercultural understanding including “a sensitivity to other cultures”. Using ICT It is evident in the student interviews that IT skills were helpful, notably “IT skills are a great international means of communication”. The global predominance and consistency of office and software development tools and IT tools generally clearly helps as indicated by the employer view that “The international language of IT is English”. OTHER – Language Skills Language skills are clearly important “Much of the language of IT is also in English” and “but those without much German could get by if they were keen to learn and fit in” Attitudes Unsurprisingly, “Being motivated and enthusiastic” was rated highly by employers. The students indicated being “Open to new things, adaptable, confident” and “Being prepared to take risks and move out of one‟s comfort zone” as important. Discipline-Specific Skills It is evident that computing/IT skills were highly valued and additionally helped because of the international nature of IT.

Stages when developing transnational placements The model below, abstracted from the OER, shows stages in the life-cycle of developing transnational placements. The red indicates stages additional for transnational over national placements.

RESOURCE



ATTRACT

 MATCH



PREPARE



INDUCT



WORK



ASSESS

EVALUATE, IMPROVE and PLAN for next iteration of the cycle Figure 1 -Life cycle model It is also clear that the stakeholders learnt how to benefit from and improve this process, particularly with respect to the PREPARE stage. There is also encouraging evidence that stakeholders continued to “spread the word” and develop the transnational work placement programme more deeply and widely. 9

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It remains, however, an open question as to the extent of the project‟s impact on the partner institutions at organisation level. More specifically, whether it results in the development of a fully supported transnational work placement programme across the institutions, with the potential to attract new students. So far, two 2nd year Solent IT students “attracted, matched and prepared” through April to June 2012 are now working their placement year at Roland Berger Strategy Consultants in Munich and Hamburg respectively – a 100% increase on last year! Using the example internationalised learning activities in the OER, it should be straightforward to establish in the next academic year, a 2nd year (level 5) 20 credit point Graduate Development module that is taught across the School. Although the reaction of stakeholders at the main dissemination event was very positive, the intention is to evaluate the impact fully next year.

Key outcomes Essentially the reaction of all the stakeholders, including students, employers and placement tutors as evidenced by the interviews and surveys in the OER, was entirely positive. There are, however, some key outcomes which also reflect the proposed intended outcomes. These include the following suggestions: a proposed life-cycle model for supporting transnational work placement in the curriculum a first attempt to attract students to work placement using social media a brief analysis of perspectives of the knowledge, skills and attitudes required to work globally with reference to a published “graduate attributes” framework example internationalised learning activities for developing graduate employability skills.

Challenges that have been overcome The strength of the project lay in having a multi-faceted project team which included the many employers (including international companies), students, services and other stakeholders. This is turn created its own coordination and communication challenge though the incremental development of the OER ebook as a common repository of plans and information helped. Ultimately it was the many individual “messages” to make sure things happened, which proved the most effective way forward. Furthermore, informing and briefing more widely, including attracting 35 attendees to the main dissemination event, was also a time-consuming challenge overcome in a similar manner. 10

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Connecting stakeholders This project and its events, illustrate the value of a significant work placement programme in connecting institutions, employers, students, faculties and services. In particular, forging on-going mutually beneficial collaborations with employers, has been a significant additional benefit gained from these projects. The photos below show the networking that took place at the main dissemination event on the 28 th June 2012, and an event on the 19th April 2012, at which employers and students were interviewed and where other key employability colleagues networked. The main event included informal contributions from employers, students, tutors and support staff participating in the work placement programme, as well as presentations by the project team. Attendees came from across and beyond the University and also included members of the Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x;s senior management team.

Networking-28 June 12

Students Interview-19 April 12

Employers & Tutors-19 April 12

Reflections and future sustainability Continuing to develop the transnational work placement programme remains a key challenge for the team, together with tasks such as maintaining Erasmus/Leonardo Mobility funding, upgrading the Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x;s new online placement application system for transnational placements, attracting students and identifying more transnational employers. This is discussed further in the OER ebook. Developing internationalised learning activities related to graduate employability skills for all students at home, is sustainable in a normal module development cycle because no significant additional resources should normally be necessary.

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Reflection on learning At the start of the project it was not apparent just how critical the contribution of certain key team members would be in helping to achieve the projectâ&#x20AC;&#x;s success. Will we need to do things differently in future? Not significantly, although the project was probably too ambitious within the time available. However, with the sheer hard work by the project team (additional to normal commitments) we got away with it! Engaging students and the Students Union with the project, whether on the project team or contributing to the surveys and interviews, was thankfully straightforward. This perhaps reflects the growing recognition that international issues are important and that contributing to projects whilst at University is a bonus for the CV. Finding time early on to inform students about the project was another key lesson learnt. Engaging service colleagues from across the institution such as staff from the Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x;s employability, placements and international teams, and getting them to connect with the project, was also not a challenge as there was enthusiasm about providing support for a curriculum enhancement project that was sourced by academics. Again it paid dividends to find time early on to inform potential contributors about the project. In the same way it was found that engaging employers was also not a problem as links with the Enterprise Europe network had been established early on and potential mutual benefits identified.

Potential further work As discussed earlier, it is the intention to continue to improve all the stages of the lifecycle model (Figure 1). For example, the two students who have now started their placements at Roland Berger Strategy Consultants in Germany, and the student who will be continuing to work at Roland Berger (and study the final year at a distance), have agreed to run the social media trial again to attract students using the established blog infrastructure but this time it will start at the beginning of next year. There is considerable potential to research and draw upon developments in this employability field including the European University Enterprise Network (EUE - NET), which looks to coordinate and promote better collaboration between universities and enterprises at a European level and to disseminate cooperation models best practices.

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Recommendations Recommendations to institutions include: Developing Transnational WBL in the Curriculum 1. Include, particularly in courses with little international curriculum content, relatively “quick-win” international learning activities such as working in international project teams, or simply creating a Europass CV, which should enhance graduate employability. 2. Support a transnational placement programme for at least 2 years to fully test the potential to attract students and the viability of the proposed life-cycle model in the particular institutional context. 3. Establish or extend work placement programmes and WBL, whether national or transnational, across the institution to enhance the employability of students, and to derive mutual benefit for tutors and employers. Implementing Curriculum Development Projects 4. Find time early on to inform and identify from an often willing pool of students, employers, tutors, service colleagues and other stakeholders (both internal and external) that can bring real value to “connected” development projects of this nature. 5. Adopt an efficient and effective approach to communications (a necessary consequence of 4.). The OER draws conclusions under the section Transnational Work Placements, Internationalising the Curriculum and Connecting Potential Stakeholders. This might also help colleagues draw up further recommendation relating to internationalising the WBL curriculum in their particular institutional context. All the interview transcripts (which have been checked and approved for publication by the participants) and survey data draw their own conclusions underpinning further recommendations.

Conclusion All of the transnational work placement students (one in Munich and six in Hampshire) and their employers confirmed that the placement was entirely beneficial both to the student and to the employer. One of the students in particular, developed an online application for students to use in selfmanaging the processing of work placement documentation and other requirements. Furthermore, the

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students‟ perspective that the experience enhanced their employability is entirely consistent with the literature.

Further information OER e-book on „Development of Transnational Work-Based Learning in the Curriculum - An Approach

Informed

the

Student

Experience’

published

June

2012

http://issuu.com/stlc/docs/dev_of_transnational_work_based_learning_in_curric Employer view on placement video

published on 10 August 2012 (7 mins 31 sec)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9yS6Yw3ONQ b.i.b. International College www.bib.de HEA and UKCISA Connections: Pilot projects supporting internationalisation, February to September 2012 http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/projects/detail/internationalisation/connections/Connections_ Pilot_Projects The British Council http://www.britishcouncil.org/higher-education

References ARCHER, W. and J. DAVISON, 2008. Graduate Employability: What do employers think or want? (online) London, The Council for Industry and Higher Education www.cihe.co.uk. Available from: https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.cihe.co.uk/wpcontent/themes/cihe/document.php%3Ffile%3D0802Grademployability.pdf&sa=U&ei=YgjkUKK6NtCYhQ eny4GYBg&ved=0CAkQFjAB&client=internal-uds-cse&usg=AFQjCNFmQrCQ9-MGhauiYCyPINNn8MFqwQ EUROPEAN UNIVERSITY ENTERPRISE NETWORK (EUE - NET), 2012. What is EUE_NET? [Viewed August 2012] Available from: http://www.eue-net.org KIRKPATRICK PARTNERS, 2012. Training Evaluation Model. [Viewed August 2012]. Available from: http://www.kirkpatrickpartners.com

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OLIVER, B., 2012. Assuring Graduate Capabilities. [Viewed May 2012] Available from: http://boliver.ning.com YORKE, M., N. MORELAND, B. LITTLE. et al, 2005. Learning and Employability Series 1. Higher Education Academy. Available from: http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/resources/detail/employability/Learning_and_employability_series_1 YORKE, M., N. MORELAND, B. LITTLE. et al, 2006. Learning and Employability Series 2. Higher Education Academy. Available from: http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/resources/detail/employability/Learning_and_employability_series_2

Contact Al Monger, Academic leader (External Development) MARTEC al.monger@solent.ac.uk

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Academic Staff Development in the Area of Technology Enhanced Learning in UK HEIs Timos Almpanis

Abstract This paper reports on a study on staff development in the area of technology enhanced learning in UK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) that took place in November 2011. Data for this study were gathered via an online survey emailed to the Heads of e-Learning Forum (HeLF) which is a network comprised of one senior member of staff per UK institution leading the enhancement of learning and teaching through the use of technology.

Prior to the survey, desk-based research on some

universities’ publicly available websites gathered similar information about staff development in the area of technology enhanced learning. The online survey received 27 responses, approaching a quarter of all UK HEIs subscribed to the Heads of e-Learning forum list (118 is the total number). Both pre1992 (16 in number) and post-1992 Universities (11 in number) were represented in the survey and findings indicate the way this sample UK HEIs are approaching staff development in the area of TEL. The survey’s main research question was ‘what provision do UK HEIs make for academic staff development in the area of technology enhanced learning’. Twelve questions, both closed and openended, were devised in order to gather enough information about how staff development needs in the area of technology enhanced learning are addressed by different UK institutions. Following the justification of the adopted research methodology, the findings from the online survey are analyzed and discussed and conclusions are drawn. Keywords: staff development, technology enhanced learning, training, e-learning This paper is a reprint from eLearning Papers Issue 30 published on 25 Sep 2012. http://elearningpapers.eu

Introduction – Background The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) describes technology as a tool that facilitates the introduction of more powerful, pedagogically effective methods in learning and teaching (Mayes et al, 2009). Furthermore, HEFCE‟s strategy on Technology Enhanced Learning (HEFCE, 2009) aims to encapsulate good practice in the area of learning, teaching and assessment facilitated and 16

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enhanced by the use of technology that goes beyond distance e-learning. In the same report, the term Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL)

has been promoted by HEFCE as an inclusive term that

encompasses not only blended and distance learning practices but also classroom-based activities assisted by technology such as the use of interactive whiteboards and electronic voting systems in the classroom to engage students in their learning.

This study is focused on the staff development provision that UK HEIs make in the area of technology enhanced learning. The biannual survey of technology enhanced learning for higher education in the UK (Browne et al., 2010) administered by the universities and colleges information systems association (UCISA) and funded by the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) - hereinafter UCISA Survey offers a representative picture on institutional developments in this area in a much wider context. It includes provision on IT systems, staffing issues, prospective developments, as well as the anticipated challenges that these developments may pose in the near future and possible ways these challenges could be addressed. This study is focused solely on the staff development activities currently on offer by Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the UK aiming to encapsulate detailed information on both technical and pedagogical training in the area of TEL, as well as examples of good practice in the form of case studies and continuing professional development (CPD) activities offered to academic staff in this area.

Learning platforms used to support online learning such as Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) have been implemented and utilized by the vast majority of universities and colleges in the UK; according to the UCISA Survey on technology enhanced learning (Browne et al., 2010), 90% of the HEIs

that

participated in the survey reported having at least one main VLE in use. Furthermore, centrally supported use of plagiarism prevention and detection software, e-submission and e-assessment tools is now pervasive across the sector, according to the same survey. E-assessment, multimedia support and lecture capture are identified as the leading new demands on institutional support. There is clear evidence in the report of the fact that, while VLE implementation was a central focus for most institutions approximately ten years ago, their provision for learning technologies has expanded rapidly to include other systems such as e-portfolios, e-assessment tools, web conferencing tools and other tools that facilitate teaching, learning and assessment.

As the use of technology to enhance studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x; learning becomes more widespread, new and existing members of academic staff need to update their skills in their use of these new learning technologies and also understand how these technologies can be used in pedagogically effective ways (Almpanis et al, 2010). One of the main challenges identified in the UCISA survey is the lack of academic staff knowledge in the area of online learning and teaching (Browne et al, 2010). In order to address the 17

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staff development needs of the academic staff, UK HEIs have employed professionals with various job titles â&#x20AC;&#x201C; learning technologists, e-learning officers, e-learning advisers, e-learning staff developers whose job role includes staff development in the effective use of educational technologies. Fifty-four (54) out of ninety-one (91) institutions (63%) participating in the UCISA survey reported having a learning technology support unit, while 56 (65%) had an educational development unit. On top of that, TEL support was commonly provided by Information Technology support units (in 80% of cases), while local, departmental support was also provided in two thirds of the cases (66%) (Browne et al, 2010). These figures show the prevalence of TEL-related expertise and support provided by UK HEIs.

Learning technologists in particular are at the centre of these developments in the area of TEL and are a diverse group of professionals whose remit and consequent activities range from staff development to research, management and technical support (Oliver, 2002). In some universities learning technologists â&#x20AC;&#x201C; or e-learning staff developers - are part of a centre for excellence in teaching and learning (CETL), in others they undertake educational research on the potential of technology to enhance learning and may inform university-wide strategies in the adoption of learning technologies. According to the UCISA survey (Browne et al, 2010), approximately 11 members of learning technology staff are appointed on average by each of the institutions who participated in the survey; most of them (9) residing in the learning technology support units while the rest are divided in local departmental support, educational development units or other places such as generic IT support units.

The following section describes the results of some initial desk-based research that aimed to explore the forms of TEL-related staff development activities offered by various HEIs in the UK.

Desk-based research on staff development on TEL Initial, preliminary desk-based research was undertaken to explore what technology enhanced learningrelated staff development activities were on offer from various universities. This was done by accessing their websites. It is worth mentioning that while some universities provided this information externally others did not; as these activities are mostly tailored to existing staff, in some cases the information was locked behind institutional logins in intranets. Therefore, only a few examples of universities who displayed this information externally will be mentioned in this section in order to highlight the wide range of activities offered; data found from websites were not intended for use in any statistical analysis due to the limitations of access to all the relevant information. The examples selected below cover a wide range of Institutional approaches to staff development on TEL.

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University of Surrey The Centre for Educational and Academic Development (CEAD) offers staff development opportunities in many aspects of learning and teaching, including technology related half-day workshops on aspects such as the use of e-portfolios, Turnitin, Electronic voting systems and using online media in learning (University of Surrey, 2012).

London School of Economics The Centre for Learning Technology (CLT) delivers a wide range of training sessions (1,5 hours long) including Moodle VLE training, blogs, wikis and social media and video conferencing; they also deliver a series of lunchtime webinars on web tools to support research. Furthermore, they have developed a digital literacy programme with various short training courses that include blogging, google docs, facebook, twitter, social bookmarking sites as well as ways to organize research with RSS (Really Simple Syndication) and RSS feed readers that allow user-friendly web syndication of content (London School of Economics, 2012).

University of the West of England The Electronic Development Unit offers advice, training and support to a wide range of elearning activities such as delivery of materials, supporting students and assessment in distance, blended and face-to-face courses and programmes. Furthermore, an innovative masters‟ level course (MA) in Education in Virtual Worlds is to be delivered in Second Life, subject to validation (University of the West of England, 2012). The University of the West of England (UWE) also provides an Online Learning Course (OLL) that runs over six weeks.

University of Cambridge Access was disallowed to the Learning Technology Service webpages. The Centre for Applied Research in Educational Technologies (CARET), offers advice on different ways technology can be used to support academic work and „shares some of the latest and best solutions from around the world‟ (University of Cambridge, 2012).

Edge Hill University The Solstice team in Edge Hill University has developed a Technology Enhanced Learning Professional Development Framework which offers a holistic and consistent approach to staff development across the whole institution. The TEL professional development (PD) framework is informed by the UK professional standards framework (UK PSF) for teaching and supporting learning in HE and from the 19

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Learning and skills network professional framework for e-learning. Underpinning activities and resources include ICT skills training required for competent use of e-learning technology, guides and toolkits, briefings and overviews of institution-wide changes to e-learning infrastructure and practices as well as participation and consultancy offered by learning technologists and academic librarians to new academic team approaches to curriculum developments. The Framework on TEL PD is part of the wider PD Framework for teaching staff at Edge Hill and recognizes the importance of securing „buy in‟ from management. It makes provision for a course based TEL PD Pathway, which offers a variety of events from workshops to modules of the PGCert in Teaching and Learning and MA in eLearning modules; it also makes provision for a practice-based TEL PD whose basic activities may include attendance at the annual internal conference seminars and symposia, open days, peer observation, membership of e-learning special interest groups (SIGs) and social networks, while the more advanced activities include facilitating internal workshops and seminars, presenting at the internal conference and extend to presentations to national and international conferences, peer-reviewed publications and leading projects on TEL (Edge Hill University, 2012).

Methodology The research design for this survey follows the mixed methods research paradigm. Both approaches, quantitative and qualitative, are seen as complementary rather than contradictory. This research is underpinned by an approach based on pragmatism; it does not attempt to resolve the paradigmatic war between quantitative and qualitative purist approaches, but it rather attempts to fit together the insights of both quantitative and qualitative research into a workable solution, in the way described by Burke and Onwuegbuzie (2004). In a highly interdisciplinary area such as technology enhanced learning, taking purist approaches to research methodologies can create more issues than those they resolve. Mixed methods research has been adopted in an attempt to utilize the most appropriate tools available to address the main research question (What provision do HEIs in the UK make for staff development in the area of TEL), rather than imposing some strict ontological views to the research itself, gaining that way possibilities for both breadth and depth rather than being limited to either one of them. Mixed methods research recognizes the fact that both quantitative and qualitative research is important and useful. According to Martin Oliver (2002), if one is pluralistic in the way theory and research methodologies are approached, one may risk being superficial, but on the other hand, if you „believe and live‟ in a chosen theory – methodology, then you risk being dogmatic. Furthermore, Jones and Kennedy (2011) argue that pluralism in research methods is very important in emerging, interdisciplinary fields such as learning technology as it enables graduate students to experiment with different research approaches. They question the reign of the two dominant paradigms suggesting that

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emerging research approaches in the field of learning technology are already putting pressure on the traditional paradigmatic divide (Jones and Kennedy, 2011).

Findings Hands-on training The vast majority of the Heads of E-Learning that completed the survey reported that their universities offer a wide variety of staff development sessions/events for their academic staff. Regarding hands-on training, sessions on how to use the institutional virtual learning environment (VLE) were the most popular across the 26 responses to this question (26 out of 26), followed by sessions on e-assessment (22 out of 26), plagiarism prevention and detection (22 out of 26) and e-portfolios (19 out of 26). Web 2.0 tools (17 out of 26), personal response systems (17 out of 26) and web conferencing sessions (16 out of 26) were also very popular among participating institutions. The only one option offered that proved to be less popular among training sessions on offer was Second Life (3 out of 26) (see Figure 1 in the Appendix). Other sessions offered included: lecture capture (3), online media (4), audiovisual equipment (2), office tools (1), podcasting (1), iTunes (1) and screencasting (1).

The duration, frequency and uptake of the training sessions varied widely. These are summarized below. Duration Eleven of the comments included some information on the duration of the hands-on training sessions. Duration varied between 30 minute taster sessions and 3 hour long workshops; in the majority of cases (7), training sessions lasted between 1 and 2 hours. The remaining cases were divided between shorter – 30 and 45 minutes respectively – and longer sessions – between 2 to 3 hours and 3 hours long sessions. Frequency Twenty three (23) of the twenty five (25) responses offered some information on the frequency of these training sessions. Training sessions varied from „once or twice a year‟ to „2 x per week‟. In some cases (5), scheduled training sessions for staff were scheduled only once or twice a year, however, in most of these cases (4) sessions were also offered on demand to school and course teams. On demand training sessions were reported to take place in 10 cases; 2 more reported one to one training availability and 1 reported instant service and support. The rest reported that training varied depending on need; furthermore, the frequency of the sessions on offer varied depending on the subject covered and training on main systems such as the use of the VLE and Turnitin were offered more than other sessions, as pointed out by two respondents.

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Uptake Twelve (12) of the comments covered some aspects of the uptake of the sessions; three responses indicated between 4 and 10 attendees, while others described attendance as „variable‟, „small uptake‟, „little uptake‟, „limited uptake for the timetabled sessions‟ and „mediocre uptake‟. A „take five‟ approach was used by another institution where 5 members of staff request specific/bespoke training. In one case where sessions were offered twice a week, it was reported that „about half the timetabled sessions run‟ while in another case attendance was described as „generally good; falls off after first batch of sessions‟.

Pedagogical staff development approaches to TEL via workshops/ seminars/ internal events In terms of staff development events such as workshops/ seminars on the pedagogic use of various learning technologies, 25 out of 26 respondents indicated they offer such events in the „effective use of the VLE‟, 22 respondents ticked the „implementing e-assessment for diagnostic, formative and/or summative assessment‟ option, while 21 of them ticked the „plagiarism prevention and detection‟ option. Web 2.0 seminars were provided in approximately two thirds of the participating institutions as 17 out of the 26 offered them. Around half of the institutions – 14 out of 26 – offered seminars on „using e-portfolios – personal learning environments‟; web conferencing was not far behind with 12 responses. Seminars on virtual worlds were run by 4 institutions (see Figure 2). Other workshops/seminars included: lecture capture (2), podcasting (2), online media (1), video (1), screencasting (1).

These workshops/seminars/internal events or conferences on the pedagogically effective use of learning technologies were in some cases less frequent than the hands-on training sessions and varied from annual or bi-annual events to monthly thematic school-specific events and to fortnightly sessions on a specific pedagogy. In eight cases – out of a total 25 - both pedagogy and hands-on training were integrated in the same sessions. Workshops and seminars were reported to be both scheduled and tailor-made, on-demand sessions. In two cases it was reported that these sessions are run by a different team to the learning technology team – an academic enhancement and academic development unit respectively.

Online TEL-related case studies Online case studies on the pedagogically effective use of learning technologies were also provided by many HEIs. Case studies on the effective use of the VLE (18), e-assessment (13), web 2.0 tools (13), plagiarism prevention and detection (11), personal response systems (10), e-portfolios (7) and web conferencing (6) were commonly made available online, aimed to provide flexibility of access to 22

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academic staff interested in TEL practice. This question was answered by 20 respondents and percentages shown below are out of 20 (see Figure 3). Other responses included: Online media (2), screencasting (1), anything that staff is willing to share (1), offered as a service by Epigeum (1), we are currently working on this (1).

TEL as part of the postgraduate certificate in learning and teaching In almost half of the cases – 13 out of 27 – technology enhanced learning was reported to be the focus of one of the modules of the Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education (PGCert in LT in HE). Four of the remaining 14 informants stated that they did not know whether TEL was offered as a module of the aforementioned course while 10 gave a negative answer (see Figure 4). Apart from those who stated that TEL was the main focus of a PGCert module, all the rest but one mentioned that some aspects of TEL were embedded in this course.

TEL continuing professional development activities Various CPD activities in the area of TEL were provided by a number of institutions including emoderating/e-facilitating short courses that were 3 to 5 weeks long, e-facilitation courses certified by the staff and educational development association (SEDA), application and portfolio development towards certified membership of the association for learning technology (CMALT) for academic staff, a module on the PGCert course and other Masters‟ level modules with an emphasis on e-learning that could also be taken as stand-alone modules. Furthermore, one university reported that they have academic staff registered for PhDs in the area of TEL. Other provision in the area of TEL includes faculty sponsored workshops, invited external speakers, on demand training as well as experiential training in new technologies in a „learning hub‟, tailor-made training for individual subject areas, departments, or faculties and one-to-one advice and consultation.

TEL as a prerequisite for blended and fully online courses The question

regarding whether there are any formal TEL staff development requirements for

academic staff involved in the delivery of blended/distance learning courses returned a wide range of responses; in most cases – 15 out of 23 - there were no requirements. Among those, however, one informant stated that their institution is currently considering making it a requirement; two respondents stated that this is monitored via the course validation process as staff involved in heavily technologically-mediated courses have to be qualified to do so or commit to training. In two other cases, although this was not a requirement, staff involved in blended/online courses were strongly encouraged to take the e-moderation and the e-facilitation online short course respectively.

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In the remaining 8 cases there were some requirements; three respondents reported that new academic staff were expected to undertake VLE training as part of their induction. In one case, the first module of the MA in Academic Practice was a requirement for staff and in two other cases it was mentioned that distance learning programmes had their own training initiatives and academic staff involved in these undergo a formal induction process focusing on tutoring techniques and other competencies related to TEL. In another case staff involved in fully online courses were required to complete a 10 credit module offered to new lecturers, while another one reported that there were no formal requirements for blended courses but for fully online courses staff have to go through formal induction due to the increased standard of development and delivery in online courses.

Discussion Most universities represented in the survey offer a wide variety of staff development sessions/events for their academic staff; this includes hands-on training sessions, seminars on the pedagogically effective use of various learning technologies, online case studies, peer support via internal workshops/ conferences and, in some cases other CPD activities in the area of Technology Enhanced Learning such as e-moderating online short courses, Staff and Educational Development Association (SEDA) certified e-facilitation courses and postgraduate modules. Training sessions on how to use the VLE, e-assessment tools, plagiarism prevention and detection tools as well as e-portfolios were the most popular sessions offered. Web 2.0 tools, personal response systems and web conferencing systems were also very popular among participating institutions. The only one option offered that proved to be less popular among training sessions on offer was Second Life.

The duration, frequency and uptake of the training sessions varied widely; some institutions offered training sessions at regular intervals to suit the academic timetable, others 3 to 4 times a year. However, most institutions would deliver tailored sessions on request for specific departments or course teams and there seems to be a shift towards small group training and one-to-one training on request.

Staff development opportunities around various learning technologies in UK HEIs may well be pervasive across the sector if the same pattern as indicated by this study occurs in all other universities; the perceived potential of technology to enhance the studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x; experience in general and studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x; learning in particular has led to the adoption of a wide range of approaches to staff development in this particular area. What is more, TEL is seemingly recognized as sound pedagogic practice as it is

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embedded in the Postgraduate Certificate in teaching and learning in HE either as a module of study or as an integral part of the course.

Although in more than half of the cases there were no strict requirements for staff to undertake training/development before they get involved in blended learning, training opportunities were available and staff were strongly encouraged to participate; a few of the participants mentioned that for online courses in particular, staff would be expected to participate in some TEL-related personal development and also that staff development needs would have to be addressed during the course validation process.

Among the 27 responses received in total, 16 were from Pre 1992 and 11 from Post 1992 universities. Overall, there were no apparent differences in the way the samples from these two groups approach staff development around TEL. However, there was a small difference worthy of exploration in a further study: while post-1992 universities represented in the survey were offering more hands-on training sessions in the area of TEL, participating pre-1992 reported higher numbers in embedding TEL in the teaching and learning practice through the Postgraduate Certificate course.

Conclusions â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Summary This paper focuses on the provision made by UK HEIs for staff development in the area of TEL. This study is informed by three sources: the UCISA survey that took place in 2010, a desk-based research on UK universitiesâ&#x20AC;&#x; websites and an online survey that was delivered to the Heads of eLearning in November 2011. Findings from all three sources indicate that the implementation of learning technologies may well be widespread across the sector and that many UK HEIs now offer ample opportunities for staff development in this area.

The online survey in particular showed that most universities that participated in the survey try to address their academic staff development needs in the area of TEL offering various training opportunities, including hands-on training sessions, seminars and case studies. In some cases, other CPD activities such as online short courses on e-moderating and optional postgraduate modules were also on offer. The duration and frequency of these training opportunities varied widely in order to match the individual Institutionâ&#x20AC;&#x;s staff development needs in the area of TEL. Staff teaching on blended learning courses were strongly encouraged to participate in training opportunities, while those teaching on fully online courses were usually expected to participate in TEL-related personal development. 25

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Furthermore, in the samples studied, TEL is seemingly no longer treated as something extra, but gets embedded in standard academic practice as shown by its integration with the Postgraduate Certificate in teaching and learning in HE, but also from its integration with various workshops, seminars and other events where the focus is on good pedagogic practice.

References ALMPANIS, T., S. PATRICK, R. MCLELLAN, , C. DINSMORE, , A. FAUSTINO, & W., BASUKI, 2010. Proposing a Framework for Blended and Flexible Course Design. In KINSHUK, D. SAMPSON, M. SPECTOR, P. ISAIAS, D. IFENTHALER & R. VASIU, (Eds) Cognition and Exploratory Learning in a Digital Age: 7th International Conference, CELDA2010. Held 15 -17 October 2010, University of Timisoara, Romania, 263 - 267

BROWNE, T., R. HEWITT, M. JENKINS, J. VOCE, R. WALKER & H. YIP,

2010, Survey of Technology

Enhanced Learning for higher education in the UK, Universities and Colleges Information Systems Association (UCISA), retrieved Oct 23, 2011 from http://www.ucisa.ac.uk/groups/ssg/~/media/groups/ssg/surveys/TEL%20survey%202010_FINAL.ashx

BURKE JOHNSON, R. & A.J. ONWUEGBUZIE, 2004, „Mixed Methods Research: A Research Paradigm Whose Time Has Come‟, in Educational Researcher, 33 (7), 14-26.

EDGE HILL UNIVERSITY, 2009, Solstice and TEL Roadmap, retrieved Feb 14, 2012 from http://www.edgehill.ac.uk/solstice/files/2011/10/Roadmap-2009.pdf

HEFCE (2009) Enhancing learning and teaching through the use of technology: A revised approach to HEFCE’s strategy for e-learning, retrieved Jun 21, 2012 from http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20100202100434/http://www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/hefce/200 9/09_12/09_12.pdf

JONES, C. & G. KENNEDY, 2011, Stepping beyond the paradigm wars: pluralist methods for research in learning technology. In HAWKRIDGE, D., K. NG & S. VERJANS, (Eds.) Thriving in a colder and more challenging climate. THE ASSOCIATION FOR LEARNING TECHNOLOGY, The 18th annual conference of the Association for Learning Technology (ALT-C 2011). Held 6-8 September 2011, University of Leeds, England, UK, 18-28

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LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS, 2012, Centre for Learning Technology, retrieved Feb 13, 2012 from http://clt.lse.ac.uk/

MAYES, T., D. MORRISON, H. MELLAR, P. BULLEN & M. OLIVER, 2009, Transforming Higher Education through Technology-Enhanced Learning, retrieved Jun 22, 2012 from http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/assets/documents/learningandtech/Transforming.pdf

OLIVER, M. 2002 „What do Learning Technologist do?‟ in Innovations in Education and Training International, 39 (4), 245-252.

UNIVERSITY OF SURREY, 2012, CEAD - Technologies for Learning, retrieved Feb 16, 2012 from http://www.surrey.ac.uk/cead/telt/technologies/index.htm

UNIVERSITY OF WEST OF ENGLAND, 2012, E-learning Development – MA Education in Virtual Worlds, retrieved Oct 29, 2011 from http://www.uwe.ac.uk/elearning/virtualWorldsMA/index.shtml

UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE, 2012, Centre for Applied Research in Educational Technologies, retrieved Oct 27, 2011 from http://www.caret.cam.ac.uk/page/what-we-can-do-for-you

Contact Timos Almpanis Associate Professor Learning Technologies, LIS timos.almpanis@solent.ac.uk

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Appendix - Figures Figure 1: Responses to the question â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Does the university offer any of the following hands on training session on how to use the following tools? Please tick all that applyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.

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Figure 2: Responses to the question â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Does the university offer any of the following workshops/seminars/internal events or internal conferences on the pedagogically effective use of the following learning technologies? Please tick all that applyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.

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Figure 3: Responses to the question â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Does the university offer any online case studies on the following learning technologies?â&#x20AC;&#x2122;

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Figure 4: Responses to the question ‘Is technology enhanced learning (or online, distance, e-learning) included as a module in the University’s Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education?’

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The Fashion Lounge; A Brief Report on Creating a Cross Departmental myCourse page Rachael Taylor Abstract This project was established during the summer of 2012 with a partnership between Rachael Taylor (Fashion Lecturer) and Samantha Moss (Learning Technologist).

The original brief was to create a

myCourse template for the fashion unit pages which would develop a specified standard that all staff could adopt and provide a platform that was consistent, accessible and visual. The project was developed weekly in 1hr sessions, and through discussion, developed further to create a ‘Fashion Homepage’ to provide a space that pooled resources and services together. This in turn evolved into the creation of the ‘Fashion Lounge’ which aims to act as an interactive space to encourage student conversation, participation and collaboration.

Introduction Within today‟s environment, where the availability of information is growing at an excessive rate, being able to find quality information is becoming a growing problem (Pink 2005). Enabling students to have access and knowledge on how to navigate and use the information they find has now become a necessity. The first stage of building the myCourse unit template was to design what is termed „information architecture‟. This is an important consideration when designing the layout for information sources in reference to context, content, and users (Morville 2006). These concepts inspired the considerations made towards „usability‟ and „accessibility‟ thus ensuring the information was relevant to the course and easy to locate. The second stage of design development came from additional literature research utilising the concept of Schön‟s theories around systems and social learning.

As (Schön 1973: p. 57) stated “Our systems

need to maintain their identity, and their ability to support the self-identity of those who belong to 32

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them, but they must at the same time be capable of transforming themselves”.

This concept was

influential in framing the project and establishing the idea of creating interconnected social systems and building upon the interactivity established through the culture of sharing information via social networks. The development of the Fashion Lounge and the research undertaken helped inspire the ethos of evolving the fashion department‟s myCourse presence. The key focus of the page design was tailored so that all content and services relate to fashion students and their possible future goals. The initial concept was to create a place to pool information and connect services together, not only within „one place‟ but within „one page‟. The page was designed to focus on encouraging the use and awareness of available enterprise and employment opportunities and to build upon self-learning and autonomy. It was hoped that the page, together with utilising the opportunities specifically for fashion students, would help and improve communication across fashion departments. The consideration of the visual representation of information was another important factor towards user experience as the majority of a student‟s time is spent using different devices to access information. The key elements with the Fashion Lounge page have been designed to reach each fashion course and include the following:

SUBJECTS WITHIN PAGE

WHY CHOSEN?

Solent Fashion Success

Celebrating the talent within Solent on an on-going basis so making students aware of the opportunities available.

Industry News

Direct link to Worth Global Style Network (WGSN), links to Fashion Trends sites and a forum for the latest industry news. This aims to keep students up to date on what is happening within the fashion industry and to encourage them to share their thoughts.

Placement/Job Opportunities

Links to placement opportunities, including live projects and a forum where they can share experiences of interviews and placements.

Creative Enterprise and Entrepreneurship

Links directly to Solent Creatives, aiming to encourage students to use this service. Access to information on how to start your own business and a direct link to useful books within the library. A direct link to Re:So retail space and current events.

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Competitions

A list of current and on-going competitions to inspire students to enter. This includes a forum to share conversations.

Events

Links to local and London based events. A forum has been included to encourage participation of attending exhibitions together and sharing reflections upon shows visited.

Professional and Personal Development

Linking the two qualities together, with information and services that can assist with the growth of these areas.

Fashion Resources

A book of links to quality and relevant websites within the areas of Fashion Photography, Design, Promotion, Sustainability, Digital Technology, Print, Styling and Theory. The idea is for all lecturers to share their top resources. This section also includes a direct link to specialist services at the Library, fact sheets and a direct link to the library catalogue.

Fashion Blog (Staff and Students)

To inspire and create a research and collaborative culture within the department.

In one click students are able to immediately access information and services that are relevant and directly feed into Employability, Creative Enterprise, Personal and Professional Development within Fashion. Forums: Encourage peer to peer feedback and informal feedback from staff, offering reflections and advice.

Figure 1. Table showing why the different elements were selected for the Fashion Lounge.

Project Development and Creation of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The Fashion Loungeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; As the development of the page progressed we decided to add an interactive element so that students would be able to discuss and share their experiences within four selected areas; Industry News, Work Placements, Competitions and Events. This then extended into providing a place where staff from the different course disciplines within fashion, could share specialist knowledge and research for the benefit of students and other staff within the team. It provided an opportunity for students from different courses to converse, offer advice through their own experiences and share their reflections. The myCourse page also demonstrated to students that we are supporting them as it provided a platform offering resources and posting opportunities that cater to their needs now and potentially in 34

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the future. Most importantly it was realised that it would bring the fashion team and students together as a community and would encourage participation, communication and collaboration. At the start of the Autumn Term 2012 a staff meeting was held to gain feedback from the fashion team in order to develop the project further. The contributions from the team helped formulise and develop the concept of the Fashion Lounge‟s „place‟ in relation to the current fashion provision on myCourse. The decision from the team was to name it „The Fashion Lounge‟, thus extending the idea of it becoming a place to discuss, share and interact. During the design phase of the Fashion Lounge we obtained some informal input from students in relation to getting feedback on their needs and to understanding the challenges faced using a virtual learning environment like myCourse. The Fashion Lounge is currently within the development phase and will officially be launched in January 2013. It is expected that the link to the Fashion Lounge will be on all fashion units and the use will be monitored by Samantha and myself so that we can provide an opportunity for the page to grow and develop. The concept behind this page is that it will evolve through contribution and use so it organically shapes into an interactive space that will encourage conversation, collaboration and build a community that turns knowledge into action. (Brown 2012)

Cross Department Collaboration The working partnership with Samantha Moss has been extremely beneficial with Sam sharing her specialist knowledge and a direct understanding of usability, which helped realise our aims. This project developed through combining our different perspectives and experience so we were able to connect our thinking together.

The Next Phase In looking forward, the Fashion Lounge aims to act as an umbrella site within the fashion department, allowing each fashion course access to the opportunities and knowledge across the departments. The current myCourse Course homepages are a general information point for each course with links to external social networks to act as a communication point outside of university. The differentiation of The Fashion Lounge is to fuse the two together thus creating a space that co-exists as a platform to learn, communicate and share. The focus is towards building a community of knowledge that is not static but where content is interactive. The interactivity element will need encouragement which aims 35

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to be achieved through linking students with current live projects and events happening at Southampton Solent University. This is shown in the information architectural plan in figure below:

THE FASHION LOUNGE

ONE PAGE THAT EVOLVES IN REAL TIME

Figure 2. Information Architecture Plan of the Fashion Lounge Page.

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Figure 3. Screen grab of the Fashion Lounge myCourse page 37

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Acknowledgements This paper was written with contribution from Samantha Moss (Learning Technologist).

References BAILEY, P. 2012, Developing Digital Literacy for working in a Digital World. JISC (online) (viewed June 2012) Available from: www.jisc.ac.uk/blog/diglit BROWN, B. 2012, Cave to Cloud. In: Crowd to Cloud DEL 2012 Conference. 5-7th September 2012: London. CLTAD. Available from: http://myblog.arts.ac.uk/del2012 MORVILLE P. & L. ROSENFELD, 2006, Information Architecture. 3rd Edition. Sebastopol, California, USA, O‟Reilly Media Inc. PINK, D.H. 2005, A Whole New Mind: Moving from the Information Age to the Conceptual Age. New York, Riverhead Publishing. SCHÖN, D. A. 1973, Beyond the Stable State. Public and Private Learning in a Changing Society, Harmondsworth: Penguin.

Contact Rachael Taylor Fashion Lecturer – Fashion Promotion (FCIS) rachael.taylor@solent.ac.uk

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Creating an Integrated Design for Learning in the Discipline (EDU118); Action Research in a Retail Management Unit Israr Jan- Parker

1.0

Introduction

This action research project explored the effects of embedding a variation of assessment type to a group of level 6 students on a Fashion Management with Marketing (FMM) course at Southampton Solent University (SSU). The project sought to identify whether a practical/vocational “live project” could simplify the existing assessment criteria and thus help students to manage their workload effectively. The research also examined the relationship between a live project and: -

Student engagement

Employability skills

The report provides background information to the course, a brief discussion and literature review surrounding action research is provided as an added contexual element, followed by methodology and ethical considerations to the action research.

Subsequently a rationale which includes

critical

awareness of quality enhancement issues both at national and University level. Data analysis of the action is provided and is discussed in the context of “situated learning” framework provided to the students with a literature review included in this section. A critical reflection and recommendations concludes the report. 1.1 Drivers for the action research The action research was carried out on the “Retail Management” Level 6 unit (Ba (Hons) Fashion Management with Marketing course), comprises of the following units and assessments in Period 1 only.

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Unit Brand

Development

Communication

Strategies

CAT

Assessment

1 x 4000 word report

Assessed in period 1

1 x 10 min presentation

(delivered by Fashion school)

1 x Project

Retail Management (delivered

by Fashion school)

Assessed in period 1

Contemporary Marketing

Strategic Management

2 x 4000 word report

2 x class test

Part assessed in period 1

1 x 2000 word report

(delivered by FBSE) Table 1 The issue identified in Table 1 is that the 2 units, Brand Development & Communication Strategies and Retail Management, are strikingly over assessed compared to other 30 CAT point units in the Fashion School. A critical External Examinerâ&#x20AC;&#x;s annual report influenced the need to address assessment methods on the FMM course. Other key drivers for the action research research includes the need to improve NSS scores and to embed employability within the criteria in line with the University strategic goal. 1.2 The Problem -

An immediate solution was needed and be put into effect straight away.

The existing assessments outlined in period 1 unit descriptors must remain the same due to time factors relating to Minor Modification procedures. Over assessment and workload may, however, affect student engagement with the course.

The stress of the workload of the above may result in students producing a lower quality of work and not realise the learning benefits.

All of the above may compound and result in another poor external examiner report and low NSS scores.

1.3 The Solution -

Introduce an innovative live project to reduce research work and simplify the Retail Management unitâ&#x20AC;&#x;s assessment

Revitalise studentâ&#x20AC;&#x;s interest in the course

Improve students employability

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2.0

Project set up – Rationale with Literature Review

The core writers that have influenced and help identify the problems, are key Government reports by Lord Leitch (2006) surrounding employability, Southampton Solent University‟s employability aims and Lave and Wenger (1991) on situated learning frameworks. Solution to this project was based on the paradigm of how people learn at work. Due to time constraints, and the nature of academia set up, it was decided to run the research as an action research which will be addressed later on in the report. 2.1: Rationale for practical/vocational live project assessment It has been stated earlier in the report that in period 1, level 6 students are expected to produce 3 x 4000 word reports.

Each report has a similar process in relation to research, analysis, evaluation and

proposal. The introduction of a live project in the Retail Management unit (See Appendix 1 for old and new brief details) will ensure students gain a different learning experience and to put into practice theories from previous learning. The report for the live project will be an evaluation of the team‟s efforts, strategy, tactics etc. The task will therefore be simplified by: -

Reducing the research work and utilising learning from previous units, which will result in positive engagement by the students whilst improving their employability skills

The project dovetails with some of the current issues in assessment, whereby development of skills for the “real world” is highly desired, in particular employability and work related learning. Employability is being employable and refers to the qualities needed to maintain employment and progress in the workplace, (Lees, 2002). In 2006, Lord Leitch‟s report, “Prosperity for all in the Global Economy: World Class Skills”, examined the UK‟s long term skills needs and recommended that the UK commit to a new vision – “to become a world leader in skills by 2020”. It also extended the depth and breadth of many University courses. At Southampton Solent University, the skills and employability agenda has been embedded within the University‟s key strategic goals with notable investment through the “Strategic Development Projects”. Employers demand much more than a degree from graduates and “more than half of recruiters warn that graduates who had no previous work experience at all, are unlikely to be successfull during the selection process and have little or no chance of receiving a job offer...” (High Fliers 2012). The career opportunities for students undertaking the Fashion Management with Marketing course include; Retail Management, Fashion Buyer, Fashion PR, Fashion Marketer, Trend analyst etc.

The fashion retail

sector is fast paced with fierce competition amongst the many brands. The recession had a devastating impact on the High Street fashion retailers where many brands such Oasis, Warehouse, Coast, to name a few, closed almost half of their shops.

In an interview with Next Plc in 2012, the HR officer 41

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concurred “We are happy to train graduates, but we also want graduates to come in with experience and just get on with the job too”. All of the above provide a strong case for the trial of a practical assessment at level 6. It should be noted that although the assessment is a practical exercise, a written evaluative and reflective report is still required from the student in order to fulfill the current unit descriptor‟s learning outcomes. 2.2 Situated Learning Framework Situated Learning is related to Vygotsky‟s theory where his paradigm posits “knowledge is constructed through experience rather than acquired knowledge”.

Discovery Learning is another constructivist

theory originated by Bruner (1966) which believes that learning takes place in problem solving situations and where the learner draws on his /her past and existing knowledge. According to Heeter (2005), situated learning usually involves engaging in tasks which parallel real world application. The goal is to improve learning by motivating students and providing a rich context for learning. A learning environment is considered “authentic” if the tasks parallel real world situations (Heeter (2005). It is considered that students who work on authentic learning tasks, learn associated facts and skills because they need to know these things to accomplish the task. Ulber and Theil (2004) considered there to be four principles that charactierise situated learning: situatedness, authenticity, (these are similar to Heeter‟s “real world” context, self regulation (where participants take control and manage problematic situations) and cooperation where the group work together. The origination of situated learning theory comes from Lave and Wenger (1991) who argue that learning is situated, and that learning is embedded within activity, context and culture. It is also unintentional rather than deliberate. The theory is depicted in the diagram below and will be applied to the Big Sell Off live project.

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Figure 1 Legitimate Peripherel Participation - Lave and Wenger (1991) 2.3 Practice Based Research The action research approach for The Big Sell Off was favoured for the following reasons; -

Duration time for the research could be varied to fit with the curriculum

Results could be easily measured within a short timescale

Realism in relation to setting up the action research (live project) could be arranged with some ease

Results could be validated using a triangulation method

The use of surveys and interviews also made data analysis quick and easy

Direct feedback from participants

3.0

Action Research Methodology - Process

Multiple methods of observation techniques were used in the methodology of the action research. These included; -

Observation (recorded on camera)

Interview (recorded on camera)

Questionnaire (post live project)

Student self reflection within students report

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The observation was carried out by the researcher and three other tutors who volunteered to help record the event. The students were interviewed on camera during and post the live project about the learning that took place. An annonymous questionnaire gained quantitative data on the action research and an individual reflection on the project within the students written assessment was obtained. The written reports provided a rich insight into the studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x; level of engagement and the benefits of participating on the live project. The reports are too big to incorporate within the appendices, small sections, however, have been included in appendices. The variety of research methods described above ensured that any weaknesses or biases could be overcome.

4.0 Ethical Issues Southampton Solent University advocates that ethical clearance must be obtained before any research project or enterprise activity can commence and potential human participants can be approached. To satisfy this criteria, an application for the ethical clearing was made and the research criteria was explained to the students involved. Students were made aware of health and safety issues around the different locations, how to take care of their props and for any heavy lifting to be pre-arranged with the Estates department.

5.0

Qualitative and Quantative Analysis

The group of 58 students were split into 4 groups and tasked with the details in the brief (see Appendix 1). Additional challenges were included to encourage and test the utilisation of different skill sets (see Table 2 below). Challenge -

Skill

Each group were provided with strict

number of garments and replenishment

Coordination of team roles and stock control

guidelines -

Stock room distant from pop up shop

Communication skills within the team

Working with new people

Peoples skills / professional conduct

Card sales processed only through the

Customer service/team work

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Student Union -

Create own float

Accounts and budgeting

Limited

the

Negotiation and organisation

Same product across all teams with the

Creativity and communication

Professionalism

sales

locations

around

University -

same target market -

Each group followed by camera for 5 days to add pressure and for reflection

Table 2 5.1 Qualitative feedback from observers Orange Team -

Yellow Team

Innovative by changing name from Red

Opted for guerilla marketing tactics

to Orange because of sponsorship from

Secured trading spot for one day

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Orange Roomsâ&#x20AC;?

Gained sponsorship from the sports

Negotiated big prizes

Marketing included; posters, screens

center for prizes -

around the University, facebook

Purchases could be made online via facebook

Secured a trading spot for 5 days

Free goodies bag

Good team spirit, well organised with

Lacked organisation in terms of location

clear roles - no arguments

and communication

Calm leader

Trading position played an important

Friction

within

the

team

was

not

managed professionally

role in the success of the task

Excellent sales pitches

Excellent customer service

Traded outside normal hours (Carnage event)

Blue Team -

Green Team

First day had a striking pop up shop and

was the first team to set up Drafted in male models

First half of the week the group were

the week became less so. not

trade

during

and

Used fictional character kermit the frog as mascot.

very enthusiastic but towards the end of Did

enthusiastic about selling

guerilla strategy

Very

The last to set up shop on the first day and appeared uncertain of what tasks

the

day

should be attended to first.

Wednesday but attended a sports event

Strengths

and

skills

individual

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in the evening to sell (not successful).

members

This was a high a risk strategy

identified by team leader.

Team leader couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x;t keep the team

the

team

were

not

Later in the week the roles were

together, too many arguments and lack

redefined

of communication and professionalism.

results. -

which

produced

better

Excellent customer service was reported and observed

Better organisation towards the end of the live project as lessons were learned

Team leader kept team enthused

Table 3 5.2 Qualitative feedback from students All teams gave positive feedback with regards to the activity. The groups which were most organised, calm, professional and adjusted their strategy on a daily basis, appear to have benefitted the most in relation to sales and engagement. The group feedback is limited as not all members of the team spoke out and students may also have been reluctant to speak their minds in front of the camera. The next individual questionnaire and reflective report will provide better insight into how the live project was received. Feedback from the studentâ&#x20AC;&#x;s individual reports can also be found in Appendix 3. Orange Team (winning team) -

Performing

badly

Yellow Team the

first

day

motivated us to work harder

were

not

very

organised

and

therefore lost our trading location

Consistency of location helped

Ran out of money

Best thing we have done so far on the

The new groups helped us to work with

course

different people and make more friends

Practical experience that will help us in

to socialise with

the future Blue Team -

Green Team

Some members of the team lost interest

and became demotivated -

It is hard running a retail shop

We learned alot about ourselves and working in a group

The decision to not trade during the day

It was important to define our goals

cost us and that is what made us

We all had to sell which was something

demotivated.

we learned later in the week â&#x20AC;&#x201C; maybe

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Our

team

got

fragemented

too late)

and

communications went down hill -

Stressful but good experience

The project was good but not realistic to a real retail environment. Table 4

5.3 Quantitative analysis of questionnaire A simple questionnaire was designed to give students the opportunity to feedback on their experience on the Big Sell Off live project. The questionnaire covered the researcher‟s interest and provided quick data giving an overarching picture of the live project.

Key findings from the survey (see

Appendix 2) depicted that the students enjoyed working in a group and that the live project gave them good a understanding of the important operational issues that need to be considered in fashion retail. All students also agreed there should be more practical projects.

The limitation with this

questionnaire was that it was too short and the students were not able to qualify or clarify any of their answers.

6.0 Situated Learning Framework - The components of legitimate peripheral participation (LPP) applied to the Big Sell Off live project. Authentic Learning Environment – The Big Sell Off live project produced an environment that was authentic for trading and generating profits. The group work created opportunity for testing team work, organisational skills, time management, problem solving and people skills. Competition was evoked through the other rival groups. Components of LPP

The big Sell off live project

Legitimate – All parties accept the position of

Level 6 FMM students are divided into 4 groups

unqualified people as potential members of the

(Blue, Green, Orange, and Yellow). Each

“community of practice”

member of the group accepts that this is a new experience to everyone and no member is an expert in any of the groups.

Peripheral – Parties hang around the edge of the

Green team approached the live project much

important stuff, do the peripheral jobs and

slower than the other teams. It was evident on

gradually get entrusted with more important

the first day, that they scanned the activities of

ones.

the other teams before gaining confidence to start selling. 47

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Participation – Through “doing” knowledge is

All the groups gained knowledge (lessons

acquired. Knowledge is therefore situated

learned) through participation.

within the “practices” of the community of practice.

For example; - Orange – discovered the benefits of a consistent location - Yellow - it is important to be organised when running a business (overlooked the booking of trading space) - Blue – lack of research lost them a day of trading - Green – identifying strengths within the group should have been addressed sooner Table 5

Having identified the periphery of the community, Lave and Wenger move inwards towards the middle of the diagram (see Figure 1) to address “Communities of Practice” (CoP). A community of practice has three components: 1.

Community – Social learning can only take place when there is a common interest in a subject eg: the common interest for the FMM students is “The Big Sell Off”. Communities are formed when there is a sharing of ideas, strategies or solutions determined. Learning is an incidental outcome that accompanies the social processes of regular interaction within a group. It was noted that the learning outcomes in the “participation” section, were all incidental from the students experience. Therefore the lessons learned were through situated learning.

2. Domain – This implies that a commitment to the domain and not just membership. To be part of a CoP, it is assumed that the member will engage and participate in the group. The FMM students were very committed to the domain as it was part of the assessment for the Retail Management unit. Therefore participation and engagement was high. 3. Practice – Member of CoP must be practitioners. They develop a shared repertoire of resources including stories, helpful tools, experiences, ways of handling typical problems, etc. It was observed on the Big Sell Off, that all group members were practitioners and shared many resources including all the learning that took place in their first two years of the degree, below are some examples;

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Green group: Two members of the group worked in retail, therefore shared stories and tips on merchandising and stock control

Orange group: One member had a good contact with the “Orange Rooms” bar, thus negotiated sponsorship, another was an avid fan of “The Apprentice” and therefore remembered and shared good practice anecdotes from the show to the rest of the group.

Yellow group – Three members of the group were very proficient with indesign package and therefore were able to design striking posters.

Blue group – Four members of the group were returning students from a placement year. They had all worked in marketing departments, therefore they were able to share their expertise on creating a strong image for the group and trying different tactics such as using a model.

The individual reports provide insight into the learning that took place after the live project (see Appendix 3).

The students report that “ As the week went by,

communication within the team

improved, helping to manage the stock levels better”, others commented on “keeping an eye on the competitors gave them ideas for improving their own strategies”. Observers recorded that each group were strenghtening their bonds through interaction and collaboration. The Orange and Green team appeared to have stronger communications, evident in their strategies and improvements in sales as the week went by. According to Lave and Wenger (1991), only through “collaboration, Interactions and Engaging” can novice participants move to become experts at a particular job. It is worth noting that the live project could not be emanated according to Lave and Wenger‟s situated learning experience (1991).

They advocate a “live project” run over a longer duration to allow

participants to slowly gain confidence from being peripheral observers to active participants. The live project only ran over 5 days, meaning that all participants had to “get stuck in” straight way to complete complex tasks. The students made comments relating to Ulber and Theil‟s (2004) “situatedness” where they were actively promoting and making sales of the collegiate range; this in turn addressed the “authenticity” of the tasks in solving complex problems such as addressing location issues and how to record sales. There was much cooperation evident in all the groups where members of the groups shared ideas about working together and formulating pop up shop strategies. The students could relate many theories (from previous learning) to the practical tasks such as motivation theories, leadership, retail strategies etc. Most students understood the importance of working in a team and the benefit of experiencing how a retail shop could be run. The students acknowledged within their reports that the Big Sell Off 49

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was not a typical selling model for a retailer, however, the principles were the same (delivering good customer service, time managements, budget management and handling unexpected problems).

7.0 Summary The action research suggests that the live project had a positive impact in all three key areas that were put to test; Manage workload, student engagement and employability skills. Action research

Evidence of Affect/Outcome

Live project helped students to manage their

All students passed this assessment.

workload

More than half of the students agreed that the live project had reduced the amount of desktop research.

Student engagement

All observers reported that there was a positive “buzz” created around the University. Students expressed their enjoyment on the live project through reports and feedback. Students saw the benefit of working alongside their peers and within different groups. External examiner noted the live project as “excellent” and students reported to her the fun element of learning that took place.

Employability skills

the

written

reports

students

identified

improvement in processes, people management skills, problem solving skills, communication skills, selling skills, visual merchandising skills. In the questionnaire all students agreed that they had noticed a positive change in their skills before and after the live project.

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8.0 Recommendations -

To ensure the student‟s engagement was not the simple result of an Hawthorne effect (where the student‟s motivation to engage in the course increased because they were being listened to by their tutor), another live project should be conducted and this has already been actioned through a period 2 FMM Event live project and another “big sell off” in October 2012.

To devise a deeper questionnaire which will reveal more about the student‟s relationship with their peers, tutors, live project and the task set.

Through the inclusion of the “extra challenges” the students were exposed to think about processes and solve problems.

However, many of the students expressed that the extra

challenges were unrealistic to the “real retail environment” and they did not see the benefit to having the challenges. This is an area that will need to be addressed. -

A live project is short lived and the learning is very intensive, this experience could be further explained by an industry speaker to instil the learning deeper. For example many retailers put on short lived events such as fashion shows, the preparation and challenge of executing end of season sales etc.

The videos from the live project be used to demonstrate good practice of team work and for classroom discussions surrounding visual merchandising, people management and problem solving.

Plan a post live project activity which includes a grid to

log the employability skills the

students have gained.

9.0 References BRUNER, J.S. 1967. On knowing: Essays for the left hand. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press HEETER, C. 2005. Situated Learning for designers: Social, Cognitive and Situative Framework. Michigan State University HOPKINS, D. 2002, A Teacher’s Guide to Classroom research. 3rd edition. Maidenhead, Berkshire: Open University Press HIGH FLIERS High Flier Graduate Careers Survey 2012. Accessed 8th April 2012 Available from : http://www.highfliers.co.uk. 51

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KENNEDY, H. 1997. Learning Works, Widening Participation in Further Education. FEFC LAVE, J. & E. WENGER, 1991, Situated Learning: Legitimate Peripheral Participation Cambridge: Cambridge University Press LEES, D. UNIVERSITY OF EXETER 2002, Graduate Employability,. Accessed 15th March 2012 Available from: http://exeter.ac.uk/employability/staff/publications.shtml LEITCH, Department of Education and Employment, 2006. Review of Skills: Prosperity for all in the global economy world class skills. HMSO MCFARLAND, K.P. & J.C. STANSELL, 1993. Historical Perspectives. In L. Patterson, C.M. Santa, K.G. Short, and K. Smith, Teachers are Researchers: Reflection and Action. Newark, DE: International Reading association. Pp 12-18 MCNIFF, J. 1995. Booklet on Action Research. Accessed 15th March 2012 Available from: http://C:/documentsandsettings/Licenced/mydocuments/Dtllsyear2/actionresearchgooddocumentinpr actice.mht MOSER, C, et al 1999. A Fresh Start, DFEE Publications, Nottingham REES, J. 2012. Assessment. 1st Teaching and Learning Community Conference. Southampton Solent University SCHON, D. 1983. The Reflective Practioner. Accessed 15th March 2012 Available from: http://www.infed.org/thinkers/et-schon.htm SMITH, A. 1766. The Wealth of Nations. The Modern Library 1937. Randon House Inc. WATTS, H. 1985. When Teachers are researchers, Teaching Improves. Journal of Staff Development, 6 (2), Pp 118-127 ULBER, D. & THEIL, F. 2004. Cognitive and motivational effects of situated learning in schools, EERA Conderence, Crete

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Find out more Orange team video- the orange team won the competition http://youtu.be/53NnZDF6o8M Yellow team video http://youtu.be/W1SZkFx1jvo Blue team video http://youtu.be/AqBRqTk1a34 Green team video http://youtu.be/LsyVMldBM7c

Contact Israr Jan-Parker Senior Lecturer in Fashion, FCIS Israr.jan-parker@solent.ac.uk

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Appendix 1 : Retail Management Assessment Brief Old Brief

New practical/vocational Live Project brief

Background

During the recession the UK fashion market has been driven

the

young

fast

fashion

and

The Big Sell Off

value

propositions. The mid market and brands with weak

According to one report, (POPAI, 1987) as many as two-

communication

thirds of customers make their decisions in store. Hence,

and

product

propositions

have

suffered, some disappearing from the high street.

point of sale (POP) displays are critical for influencing

Over the next 5 years many industry commentators

consumers in the final decision making process. To this

predict that the demographic shift towards the more

end pop-up-shops

affluent and more mature markets will support

rate through clever positioning and POS.

retailing opportunities for strong niche brands and

Both POS and PUS have a short life cycle, they must be

quality orientated multi – channel propositions. Clear

continually refreshed to remain effective. This involves

consumer propositions that build a relationship with

clever management of product, people, environment,

the consumer will be the key to success.

logistics and budget.

(PUS) have seen a dramatic success

The relatively strong performance and level of activity within the department store and premium on-

Brief

line retail sector supports this prediction. This is an exciting opportunity to work in a group on a live Brief

project,

-You are to produce a report that clearly identifies

responsible for managing and selling the new collegiate

the theoretical concepts that underpin an evaluation

range of SSU clothes for a period of 1 week.

of consumer behaviour with regard to fashion

purchase motivation. Through an exploration of the

“The

Apprentice”

style.

Your

group

Each group will need to devise an innovative and powerful strategy to:

key consumer demographic, cultural and lifestyle

Prepare the clothes for retailing

trends you are then to identify an important market

Account for stock

segment that you believe has the opportunity for a

Manage takings

new concept launch.

Plan marketing

Assign roles to individual group members

- You should develop consumer insight through primary market research that may be used to develop your

product

and

brand

proposition

for

later

Each group will then execute their strategy to generate sales. The groups will be competing with

assessments.

each other for the most sales and the most effective

- You are to identify a segment of the market where

retail strategy. You will be given specific instructions

there

on how to take money and replenish stock etc.

the

potential

transform

brand

proposition, either through the repositioning of an existing business or for the development of a new

Following the selling activity, you are required to

fashion brand/ label through the application of

write an individual evaluative report detailing the

consumer analysis and insight. This segment needs to

effectiveness of your group‟s strategy and operational 54

D I A L O G U E

offer the opportunity to develop a unique brand(ed)

tactics.

Compare your learning to the strategies

proposition with a defined and scalable target

currently employed by small to medium sized

customer.

retailers. It is essential your report includes;

- The focus must be on the premium sector, with a

Introduction

well-defined niche opportunity evident in the market

Executive summary

supported by data analysis, and primary market and

Competitive evaluation of the live project

consumer research. The opportunity may be for a

Positioning strategy supported by theory

single brand opportunity or for a new product

Discuss supply chain in relation to small-

assortment and appropriate brand adjacencies and

medium sized retailers and apply to your

corresponding multi-channel propositions.

experience on the live project

- You need to develop your report with an outline

Discuss the importance of people

evaluation of both the scale and opportunity offered

management with reference to your live

by a clearly defined and researched target consumer.

project

Your

report

should

explore

the

channels

Sales, margins and outline a sales forecast

distribution appropriate for the target market and

Risk assessment.

outline the development of a channel strategy.

Finally, your report should include reference to wider

- You should conclude your report with a synopsis of

reading e.g. journals, books, websites, Mintel and Keynote

the brand development concept, or the identification

reports.

of the existing brand that you believe requires repositioning or transforming to better satisfy the customer segment. -

You

may

recommend

the

purchase

collaboration with existing heritage labels or design resources. However, the cost of doing so must equate to the potential financial opportunity, details of which will be developed in report AE2. The brand communication strategy will be delivered within the brand communication unit.

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Appendix 2: Questionnaire Analysis

What was the main role that you played within the group?

How did you feel about the 'Big Sell Off' on the first day of trading ?

Pr iz

el pe

H tin tia N

G en

eg o

en R

ep l

le s

ish

de ea Pr oj ec

Ex ci

te d

Un su re

O ve rw

O rg an is

he lm

er al

ke tin

M ar

18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0

Teamwork was important to the success of the 'Big Sell Off'

I was motivated to cooperate within the group because 33%

Strongly Disagree

10%

Disagree

20% 37%

Agree I wanted to win Strongly Agree

I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to let the team down I wanted to pass the unit with good results 0

Peer pressure

Working within the group with my peers made me feel

Which is the one skill you improved during the project?

20% 26%

31%

Inspired

Teamwork

Intimidated

Communications 47%

Anxious Reassured 23%

10%

Being Organised

23%

Frustrated

Budgeting Customer Service

3% 7%

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I enjoyed working in a small group

Participating in the live project reduced the amount of desktop research

12 10

30%

27%

8 6 4 2

36%

0 Strongly Agree

Agree

Disagree

Strongly Disagree

Participating in the live project was a valuable experience

Strongly Agree

Agree

Disagree

Strongly Disagree

Did you notice any positive changes (rated 1 no change to 5 significant change) in your skills before and after the live project?

16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0

15 10 5 Strongly Agree

Agree

Disagree

Strongly Disagree

0 1

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Appendix 3: Feedback from individual written reports “Team members not taking equal responsibilities” “Not selling on Wednesday was a mistake” “The team recognised that motivation did play a part in the sales slowing down” “The team worked together as everyone was respectful and considerate of one another helping out when needed..as the selling week went on the orange team became better at setting up the pop up shop and displaying the range which helped to increase sales and interest” “After analysing the sales history, it is recommended that the stock allocations contain a higher number of grey products” “The live project was a beneficial, interesting and diverse venture which allowed independence and application of knowledge to a realistic environment” “Having to set up pop up shop everyday was time consuming” “The BSO was a fun activity that provided the team with good insight into the function of a real retail environment...the product price was a major contributor to our poor sales” “The big sell off is a primary example of just how cut throat the world of fashion retailing has become” “Throughout the BSO motivation within the yellow team went from high to low, and the project manager failed to motivate the team” “In a real retail environment, customers would not be taken to a different location to pay by cards and also stock would be much closer to replenish” “ As the week went by, better communications within the team was developed, this helped to manage the stock levels better”

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