UniCafé is the name of an innovative project which is currently under development at the University of Surrey. The innovation of the project is that it intends to provide new means of delivering higher education outside the confines of tertiary institutions, into the community. The paper describes the background of the project and such aspects as modes of delivery, technical and academic frameworks, evaluation and trasnationality.
The recent rapid development of ICT has coincided with the expansion of distance learning. Financial cut backs in local adult education and library services have resulted in fewer people having access to traditional learning. New conditions in employment and education (life long learning) point towards the innovative use of technology for delivering education outside the usual confines of a university lecture theatre, classroom and computer lab. In the past there have been logistical barriers to participation by adult learners, such as people from SMEs in education and training (staff often works long hours with little free time and in isolation). These can be overcome by the use of open supported learning materials at a variety of locations (including company premises and homes if suitable hardware is available), as physical settings of distance learning can be achieved by the use of a computer with access to the Internet. Educationally it is important that considerations such as interactivity, motivation and vocational orientation should be taken into account for the development and delivery of learning modules to stimulate and maintain the learner's interest.
UniCafé is the name of an innovative project which is currently under development at the University of Surrey. The innovation of the project is that it intends to provide new means of delivering education to adults in Surrey, UK, outside the confines of tertiary institutions, into the wider community, the home and the workplace. Some of the learning sites, which will be used, represent non-traditional educational settings.
The project is aiming to enhance management development and in particular the skills and training of the retail and distributive trades, in response to the need to support in Britain the South East region's economic development and regeneration. It will provide open access courses at undergraduate level by remote delivery to a broad range of beneficiaries identified by joint research undertaken by the University and the Surrey Training and Enterprise Council.
The development of the Unicafés is being supported by the European Social Fund under the ADAPT initiative. ADAPT is an employment initiative of the European community intended to enhance employability and develop workplace skills. The aim is to digitise adult education courses to provide new methods of delivering materials to potential learners. Outcomes of the ADAPT projects will be used to inform the development of the University of Industry.
A partnership has been set up which is composed of the University's Centre for Continuing Education, the School of Management Studies for the Service Sector, four Further Education Colleges, the Lingfield Telecottage, South West Community Services and Tesco plc. The colleges (Farnborough College of Technology, Guildford College of Further and Higher Education, Godalming College and East Surrey College), the Telecottage, South West Community Services (in Guildford Library) and Tesco (in local stores) have agreed to host UniCafés. The colleges will act as well as educational providers (providing educational software, which includes IT training and basic skills).
The delivery of courseware will be via the World Wide Web, using also student discussion forums for teleconferencing. As Pincas (1998) points out, online discussion plays a dominant role, regardless of how innovative the materials or provision may be. An essential element of the courseware is also material which teaches the potential students how to access the learning materials and use the resources of the WWW.
The Unicafé partners have established two groups: an academic working group to look at the requirements of the academics for delivering modules electronically, and a technical working group to investigate and recommend technical solutions in response to the identified requirements.
The academic working group identified requirements for electronically delivered distance learning for the project. The technical working group produced a technical report covering issues such as Server Machine, Network links and machines at project sites. A technical role survey aimed at identifying roles which the partners were willing to undertake in technical and academic support.
The academic team discussed design specifications in relation to the courses which will be offered. The project also draws on experience of teaching and design within the partner organisations. Staff development and training workshops support the project's technical and academic requirements.
Programs on the local radio, articles published in the local and national press announced the launch of the project in relation to potential benefits of the region's economic development. Other dissemination activities include conference presentations, a newsletter and the development of the project Web site.
For the purposes of the project there is a strong interest in working with transnational partners. These must be Higher Education institutions in EU that are running projects using remote delivery of educational materials (not necessarily using the same mode of delivery or in the same subject areas). The aim is to establish whether the methodology and particularly the findings are similar or if there are significant differences. Such a comparison would inform good practice.
The partnerships will facilitate comparative evaluation and exchange of information via email, Web sites and tele and/or video conferencing. They would either substantiate the findings of the Unicafé project or point up solutions to difficulties, which were encountered. The transnational element could be a channel for dissemination, and increased publicity for all partners.
An evaluation of the project will be undertaken. The evaluation will address issues such as student profile and student motivation, success rate of the students in terms of achievement, preference for location of venue, preferred time of study and amount of tutorial support required for successful completion of the courses. It will also address the problems associated with the management of the venues, both in hardware and software maintenance.
The University intends to make an application to the UfI for endorsement of the project's courseware. The pilot project outcomes could inform the development of the University for Industry.
Pincas, A., Management issues for online courses, Active learning 9: 41-45, CTISS Publications (1998).
Stylianos Hatzipanagos
School of Management Studies for the Service Sector
Hall Undercroft
University of Surrey
Guildford, Surrey
GU2 5XH
Tel (01483) 259667
Fax (01483) 259660
s.hatzipanagos@surrey.ac.uk