About IDIBL

Rationale

The IDIBL project will enhance the University of Bolton's aspiration to a reputation for high quality professional practice.  The innovations developed will be informed by the universities ethos and aligned with its Strategic Plan 2006-2012 The Professional University.

Vision

The vision is comprised of the following statements of belief, in each case supported by recent successful experience:

• there are students for whom much university provision does not fit but who have the capacity to achieve when offered personalised learning;
• students can attain individual fulfilment in learning and at the same time make a positive impact in the home, workplace or society;
• facilitated community of inquiry, based on trust, respect and confidence, can raise the quality, depth and breadth of learning;
• assessment processes can and should inform support for learning and its application rather than distort or distress learning;
• negotiated learning and awards motivate agile and committed learning;
• interest in teaching and learning can be revitalised and job satisfaction improved for university staff;
• study which is inter-disciplinary and inter-cultural is of positive benefit to society and implies no reduction in standards;
• ownership of learning leads to confidence in lifelong learning through critical thinking and action inquiry;
• the application of online technology to knowledge creation & sharing is a given in present and future society. Citizens and professionals need an explicit conceptual knowledge of online technologies, rather than a tacit operational knowledge, in order to be most effective as technology change continues and;
• viable systems model offers a tool to help embed innovations within an organisation.

Aims

1. establish a new framework for awarding qualifications at the University of Bolton which permits negotiation of learning and negotiation of award within a quality framework of standards;
2. develop new partnership models to supplement those existing at the University of Bolton so that employers may engage with the scheme;
3. evaluate this action research in order to improve access, retention and achievement for students identified as falling outside current provision;
4. develop new approaches to online, distributed e-learning using existing and emerging technologies and;
5. disseminate within the university and more widely the results of this action research.

Implementation

Over the life-span of the project, action research methodology will be used to implement and research the project aims.  This research driven approach will inform the development of courses and will be modeled in the delivery of a pathway within the IEC.  Significantly, it is anticipated that staff working in this way will and empowered to take control of their professional practice supported by the community of professionals at the university.

Impact

In undertaking this work, it is anticipated that the professional communities working at Bolton University will use the activities and outputs of the project as for their personal, departmental, and institutional developments.

It is anticipated that individuals and teaching departments at the University of Bolton will take advantage of the IDIBL project in different ways and these might include:

1. engaging with the ideas of the project;
2. developing own modules to take on some of the project methodology;
3. integrating project modules with existing department programmes;
4. developing own programme from validated modules and;
5. adopting practices from IDIBL which affect key issues such as retention.