Understanding the development of teaching and learning resources: A review

Abstract

This paper is a literature review of research concerned with the production of learning resources in higher education (HE). It forms part of a larger research project in progress. We identify and discuss six models which may be used to understand the development and reuse of learning resources. We focus specifically on the level at which the models operate, their purpose, structure and content and critically analyse the advantages and disadvantages associated with their application. Aspects which the models do not address, for instance actual staff practices and the cultural context of development, are then discussed. We focus on understanding academic staff practices and behaviour in learning resources production. Staff time is a major cost element in the production of learning resources. Despite recent international work on costing methodologies for HE and their application to networked learning resources (for example, Bacsich and Ash, 2000; DETYA, Ernst and Young, 2000; Flashlight, 2002; Jones, 2001; NBEET, 1994), there is little documentation of the use of staff time in the production of learning resources for face?to?face campus?based teaching. This paper is not concerned with costing methodologies, rather we are interested in the non?economic factors which influence the everyday practice of staff in the learning resources production process. We argue that the latter will enable us to understand better the needs of staff for support in the production of learning resources. A phenomenographic approach is needed to understand the everyday practices of staff and factors influencing the learning resources production process.