Presentation by Andy Hollyhead (Birmingham City University) at Mahara Hui UK in Southampton, UK, on 10 November 2015. Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5GF1gcebZ4

1. A SINGLE SITE ACTION RESEARCH
STUDY EXPLORING THE USE OF
MAHARA IN A NOT-FOR-PROFIT
ORGANISATION
DR ANDY HOLLYHEAD
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR
BIRMINGHAM CITY UNIVERSITY

2. WHAT WE’RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT
• ABOUT ME – MY MAHARA JOURNEY
• ABOUT ACCORDIAN
• THE DREAM
• THE REALITY
• LESSONS FOR OTHERS

3. ABOUT ME
• FORMER SCHOOL OF COMPUTING, MOVED TO BUSINESS SCHOOL IN 2010
• LEAD ACADEMIC FOR TECHNOLOGY ENHANCED LEARNING AND TEACHING 2011-2013
• LEAD FOR THE CENTRE FOR INTERNAL AUDIT, GOVERNANCE AND RISK MANAGEMENT 2013-
• USED MAHARA SINCE 2009, SUPPORTING JON CURWIN (JISC PROJECT)
• MAHARA STILL USED WITHIN UNDERGRADUATE TEACHING, BUT COVERAGE ACROSS THE
UNIVERSITY IS ‘PATCHY’

4. ABOUT ‘ACCORDIAN’
• LARGE ‘NOT-FOR-PROFIT’ ORGANISATION BASED
IN THE MIDLANDS
• SOCIAL HOUSING, CARE AND COMMUNITY
PROJECTS
• NOT-FOR-PROFIT DOES NOT MEAN NO-PROFIT!
• SURPLUS RE-INVESTED BACK INTO THE
ORGANISATION
• COMPLEX STRUCTURE, CONSTANTLY CHANGING

5. ACCORDIAN CONSIDERED THEMSELVES A LEARNING
ORGANISATION

6. THE BIG IDEA

7. TECHNOLOGY REPURPOSING
• USING A TECHNOLOGY FOR WHICH IT WAS
NOT ORIGINALLY ENVISAGED
• AN EXAMPLE OF TECHNOLOGICAL
DETERMINISM
• “SOLUTION IN SEARCH OF A PROBLEM”

8. THE PRACTICALITIES
• NINE PARTICIPANTS, ONE YEAR, ACTION RESEARCH PROJECT
• VOLUNTEERS SELECTED BY LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT MANAGER OF ACCORDIAN
• INFORMED CONSENT, RIGHT TO WITHDRAW
• WHAT DID I ASK THEM TO DO?
• CREATE A MAHARA E-PORTFOLIO
• SHARE IT WITH ME
• SHARE IT WITH THEIR MANAGER

9. PARTICIPANT LIST

10. SELECTION OF PORTFOLIO PRODUCT

11. TIME PASSED... ... ...

12. EXPECTATION V ACTUAL

13. THE FACTS
• OF THE NINE PARTICIPANTS…
• ONE WITHDREW FROM THE PROJECT BEFORE THE END DUE TO A FAMILY BEREAVEMENT
• TWO LOST CONTACT AFTER THE FIRST INTERVIEW
• ONE CREATED A RUDIMENTARY PORTFOLIO, DID NOT SHARE WITH ANYONE
• TWO FURTHER PARTICIPANTS REGISTERED WITH FOLIOFOR.ME, BUT DIDN’T DEVELOP ANY FURTHER
• ONE DISLIKED THE CONTENT OF SOME OF THE SHARED FORUMS
• ONE COULDN’T GET TO GRIP WITH THE USER INTERFACE
• THE REMAINING PARTICIPANTS DID NOT EVEN REGISTER

15. AN UNEXPECTED STRUCTURAL COUPLING

16. LINKEDIN ISSUES
CURRENCY
“I’VE GOT A LINKEDIN ACCOUNT, I WENT
IN, REGISTERED AND DID ALL MY STUFF ON
THAT AND I’VE NEVER BEEN BACK TO IT
SINCE... I KNOW I OUGHT TO BECAUSE
THERE’S SOME OUT OF DATE STUFF ON
THEIR NOW, BUT IT’S JUST FINDING THE
TIME, THE ENTHUSIASM, THE ENERGY TO
DO IT REALLY”
CONNECTIONS ENDORSEMENT

17. LEARNING ORGANISATION REVISITED
• IT TAKES MUCH MORE THAN SIMPLY CALLING
YOURSELF A LEARNING ORGANISATION TO BE
ONE
• “[FIRSTLY] THERE IS COHERENCE BETWEEN THE
“TANGIBLE” (FORMAL) AND
“INTANGIBLE” (INFORMAL) DIMENSIONS OF AN
ORGANISATION; AND ORGANISATIONAL
LEARNING GOALS ARE RECONCILED WITH
INDIVIDUALS’ LEARNING NEEDS.”
(HØYRUP, 2004, P. 443)

18. WHAT I LEARNED
• TECHNOLOGICAL DETERMINISM WILL ONLY GET YOU SO FAR IN (YOUR ONLINE) LIFE
• KEEN MANAGEMENT INTEREST IN A PROJECT DOESN’T ALWAYS MEAN YOU GET BUY IN
• “WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME?” NEEDS TO BE ROBUSTLY ANSWERED
• “WHAT’S IN IT FOR THE ORGANISATION” – DITTO (SEE NEXT SLIDE)
• REFLECTION IS NOT PART OF EVERYDAY LIFE FOR MANY PEOPLE WITHIN THE WORKPLACE
• DOING A PHD IS HARD!

19. WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME, WHAT’S IN IT FOR THE
ORGANISATION

20. LESSONS FOR OTHERS
• TOP LEVEL MANAGEMENT SUPPORT IS NOT ENOUGH
• SHOULD HAVE MADE DIRECT CONTACT WITH THE PARTICIPANT’S DIRECT MANAGERS AS WELL
• THE ‘WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME’ AND ‘WHAT’S IN IT FOR THE ORGANISATION’ HAVE TO DRIVE THE
PROCESS. JUST HAVING ‘COOL’ TECHNOLOGY IS NOT ENOUGH
• SIMPLY MAINTAINING CONTACT WITH INDIVIDUALS IS NO GUARANTEE OF ACTIVE
PARTICIPATION IN ACTION RESEARCH PROJECTS