Many PolyU staff would agree to the overall benefits of eLearning and a Blended Learning approach as beneficial to themselves and their students and yet sometimes within PolyU eLearning is being used in limited ways. One proven way within the PolyU context of initiating change is to utilise internationally renowned experts / consultants to provide substantive, credible and authoritative impetus behind the cultural change. Within this project 2 invited international  experts collaborate within departments, with the Faculty eLearning Advocates and with the wider PolyU community through various dissemination events (such as a Symposium). This approach thus ensured the impact, weight and essential engagement with staff associated with the project.

As part of the project, two consultants were invited to conduct workshops, have meetings with eLAs on issues relevant to the 3C project and deliver Guest Lectures or Keynote addresses at the eLearning Showcase and the Teaching and Learning Innovation Symposium.

Invited Consultant - Professor Diana Laurillard

In October 2009, the 3C Project hosted a Spotlight on eLearning week, a major component of which was an invited consultancy visit by Professor Laurillard, Professor of Learning with Digital Technologies at the London Knowledge Lab, Institute of Education. Professor Laurillard is an internationally recognised expert on eLearning. She has given many international keynote addresses, published widely in academic journals and books, and her book Rethinking University Teaching: A conversational framework for the effective use of learning technologies (2002, RoutledgeFalmer) is one of the most widely cited in the field.

Professor Laurillard’s consultancy activities included:

• Workshops facilitated by Professor Laurillard -
• “Pedagogic Design for Active Learning” on Monday 12th October attended by 27 staff;
• “Modelling Teacher and Learner Productivity” on Thursday 15th October attended by 19 staff;
• Lunchtime meetings with the 3C Project eLAs, staff from eLDSS, EDC and senior management to discuss eLearning strategy and planning at PolyU;
• Consultation time for staff to discuss eLearning related matters with Professor Laurillard. There were 18 consultation sessions held over 20 hours which involved more than 20 staff from Faculties, Schools and EDC;
• An open lecture on Friday 16th October from 9.30 – 11.00 am entitled “The effective use of digital technologies for learning and teaching”. A total of 74 people registered for this lecture - 36 from PolyU and 38 external guests – with actual attendance being closer to 100 people.

Invited Consultant - Professor Gilly Salmon

From the 7th to the 9th June, 2010 the 3C Project hosted Professor Gilly Salmon who is Professor of E-Learning and Learning Technologies at University of Leicester in the UK. An internationally recognised expert in e-Learning, Professor Salmon has published several books, including the seminal work on e-Moderating, making her an authoritative voice for change and the use of eLearning.

Professor Salmon’s consultancy activities included:

• Workshops facilitated by Prof. Salmon -
• “The Renaissance for Voice” on Tuesday, 8th of June attended by 35 people;
• “Frameworks for Learner Engagement” on Wednesday 9th of June attended by 20 people;
• Lunchtime meetings with the 3C Project eLAs and staff from eLDSS;
• Delivering a Keynote Address at the Teaching and Learning Innovation Symposium held on June 7th, 2010, which was attended by 299 staff;
• Consultation time for staff to discuss eLearning related matters with Professor Salmon, consisting of 5 hours of consultation involving 13 staff from across PolyU.