The launch of LTE Online represents a significant step change for the online presence of the Teesside University Learning and Teaching Enhancement team (LTE), with the intention of strengthening and broadening our reach and impact across the sector. This blog will evidence the vibrancy of LTE activities across the academic year, report on internal and external events, and facilitate reflections on policy and practice.
LTE Online builds on the successes, and addresses some of the limitations, of our previous blogs, L&T@Tees and TEL@Tees. These blogs enjoyed considerable longevity. Indeed, the precursor to TEL@Tees (named ‘The Kitchen’) was first established in 2006. Since October 2012, L&T@Tees received 30,277 page views from 7,706 unique users. Over the same period, TEL@Tees received 43,572 page views from 25,762 unique users. Both blogs promoted specific aspects of our work, but there was a clear need to unite them and present a more aligned view of LTE activities, avoiding an artificial divide between technology and pedagogy. The most popular content from both blogs has been migrated to LTE Online, where they will remain accessible for the foreseeable future.
Alongside the blog, LTE Online has a number of distinctive functions, including enhanced content, access to resources and information about our forthcoming CPD sessions. As the site develops, we hope to build a showcase of best practice reflecting the full range of our work. The structure of LTE Online is designed to improve navigability and enhance the accessibility of resources and information. It also assimilates our streamlined social media presence, through the @TeesUniLTE Twitter account.
The challenge with any new blog is to grow beyond the initial novelty of a new site to become a mature and established online presence, generating both impact and added value for readers. LTE Online will be updated on a weekly basis, with a variety of authors drawn from across the LTE team, including academics, Learning Technologists and Educational Web Content Developers.