108 Johnston and Hirons: Going Online with Arboricultural Education Figure 2. Important interventions to enhance course success. well-accustomed to online study approaches. The formative period early in the FdSc and subsequent interventions also fed directly into the delivery of the higher level course. Con- sequently, achievement and success for the BSc (Hons) on- line degree have been maintained at 100% (Table 1; Figure 1). MODEL FOR E-LEARNING DEVELOPMENT The experience at Myerscough College has enabled the construc- tion of a simple four phase model for the development of online courses in arboriculture and related vocational subjects (Figure 3). The initial phase, Conceptualization, was provided from aca- demic staff with a vision pursuant of the emerging needs of the ar- boricultural industry. A critical driver in moving the online course development forward was its inclusion in the strategic plan, which ensured it gained support at an institutional governance level. As part of this first stage, staff had to robustly demonstrate the market potential for these online courses to senior management. Having secured strategic support, the next phase of the Con- struction of resources took priority. The Learning Development Unit was established to provide technical support and the in- frastructure needed for the delivery of courses online. This in- cluded adopting a virtual learning environment, initially using the Blackboard Academic Suite™ platform, and later Moodle. Specialist skills and technical expertise were required for the development of e-learning resources. Core course materials were developed by the existing academic staff with the integra- tion of other resources available to higher education students at the college, such as academic library databases (e.g., Athens or Shibboleth). Without this specialist technical support from the Learning Development Unit, staff would not have been able to develop learning resources to the same professional standard. The preliminary stage of Realization involved extensive con- sultation with arboricultural professionals to ensure that the final course was congruent with industry requirements. In general, learning is designed to be self-regulated, goal-orientated, and ©2012 International Society of Arboriculture cumulative. Assessed work is either designed to develop founda- tional skills, such as scientific writing, or to represent authentic vocational tasks. This broadly follows the constructivist model of learning developed by theorists like Piaget (1970). The anticipat- ed dominance of adult learners on the online degree programme also brought focus to the andragogical principles developed by Knowles et al. (2005). This required that the reasons for learn- ing particular content are very clear, personal experience can be integrated into learning, and that learners are involved with the planning and evaluation of assessment (where possible). It was clear that assessment needed parity with the equivalent full-time students and so was modified only in cases where the physical resources did not allow some activities to take place. In all cases, the learning outcomes being assessed remained constant. Course delivery needed the collaboration of aca- demic subject specialists and technical staff from the Learning Development Unit. Inevitably, staff required continuous profes- sional development training to ensure fluency in course delivery. The final phase is one of Evolution, in which the course is continuously developed as a result of internal quality assur- ance processes, adoption of new technologies, expansion of staff expertise, and student feedback. E-learning “champions” may be designated within the academic team and used to help encourage best practice throughout the department. In some cases, interventions can be formally assessed using an ac- tion research framework. Particular areas for focus should in- clude learner engagement, actual learner resources, and the learner support framework. Once the infrastructure, course re- sources, and expertise have been established, additional mar- kets can be explored with appropriate institutional backing. FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS IN E-LEARNING IN ARBORICULTURE The field of e-learning has undergone rapid and constant devel- opment over the last decade (Allen and Seaman 2010). As new
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