Introduction

Learning Services at Edge Hill University (EHU), UK, comprises a complex range of academic support services, of which the library is a key component. It was evident in 2012 that progress on the development of mobile technologies within the library was slower than in other areas of the service. In part this was due to external opportunities which were too attractive to delay, in particular the inducement to be an early adopter of Mobile Learn, the mobile version of our virtual learning environment, Blackboard, and the complementary opportunity to work with colleagues in another division to populate the mobile platform for the University, EHU central. However, with limited staff resources to focus on developments, the result was that progress on the adoption of mobile technologies temporarily stalled across the library service.

To address this, two managers, one from an academic liaison team, the second from the learning technologies division, were given a remit to develop a set of recommendations for the library. They were encouraged to draw on staff from across the service, pooling colleagues with expertise and confidence in the use of mobile technologies with those who were lacking confidence and openly sceptical about the benefits. This was to temper the appeal of the next ‘big thing’ in mobile technology becoming the sole focus and to ensure that what emerged was rooted in an evidence base and informed by the user behaviour and preferences of the staff and students of the University. The advantages of drawing together a multi-professional team are increasingly recognized as being an effective approach to strategic development. The mix of skills and perspectives helps to provide a rich base for decision-making and to an extent mitigates the risk of bias from any single professional group.

Project aims (Phase 1: 2012–13)

The project had three key objectives to achieve:

Methodology

A systematic approach was adopted, with the first stage focusing primarily on desk-based research to establish the current trends and innovations in the field of mobile technologies; to benchmark current practice across the higher education community; and to identify key areas for further exploration with stakeholder groups, students, academic staff and other staff from across the University.