Professor David McConnell B.A.(double hons); Dip.Ed.; PhD

I am Professor, Learning Innovation, in the Caledonian Academy, Glasgow Caledonian University. I lead a team in the Academy responsible for academic professional development across the University.

I am a researcher and practitioner of networked online learning and teaching, and have been involved in the field since the 1970's. I have pioneered a wide range of innovations in higher education learning and teaching and was one of the first people in the UK to develop computer mediated communications in distance learning in the early 1980's while at the UK Open University. I co-pioneered the first UK online Masters in Management Learning at Lancaster University Management School in the early 1990’s and in 1996 I designed the online, global Masters in E-Learning at Sheffield University, which I directed and tutored on until 2005. During 2005-2008 I co-designed and ran an international (Sino-UK) professional development online course which brought together higher education teachers in the UK and China with the aim of them learning about the culture of e-learning in each country.

From 2005-2008 I was Professor in the Department of Educational Research at Lancaster University and Director of the Centre for Studies in Advanced Learning Technologies. During this time I developed a new online Doctoral Programme in E-Research and Technology Enhanced Learning with colleagues in CSALT.

I am visiting Professor at South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China and was previously Professor at the UK Open University.

I have acted as a consultant to various organizations including British Rail; Henley Management College; Cambridge University and SmithKlyne Beecham; and the Open University (UK).

In 1998 I founded the Networked Learning Conference. This is an international, research-based conference which attracts a wide range of international researchers. Papers are peer reviewed by an international committee, and the conference proceedings are published on our website. Our next conference is to be held at Aalborg University, Denmark, in May 2010. Please visit the Conference website for further information: http://networkedlearningconference.org.uk

I have published extensively in academic journals and have written several books. My book on "Implementing Computer Supported Collaborative Learning" (Kogan Page, 1994 & 2000) is a key text on distance learning Masters courses across the globe. A new book on "E-Learning Groups and Communities." (SRHE/OU Press) was published in 2006.

During the period 2003 I co-directed a Sino-UK e-learning pedagogy project, and during the period 2005-2008 I directed a follow-up Sino-UK research project looking at three aspects of intercultural e-learning: Sino-UK professional development for e-learning; tools for analysing online collaborations; UK and China higher education teachers’ conceptions of e-learning. These projects were part of a wider eChina-UK Programme. Further details may be found on the project website: http://www.echinauk.org/ and details of some of our publications are listed below.

My research and professional development interests include:

• Computer supported collaborative/cooperative learning
• Distance/distributed learning
• Web 2.0
• Virtual groups and communities, and learning
• Learning Communities
• Interculturality in learning
• Qualitative research
• Pedagogical design

Some recent research projects

• eChina-UK, E-Learning Programme, Phase Two 2005-2008 - Research into Intercultural Professional Development for E-Learning. Lancaster University (UK lead partner), Beijing Normal University School of Educational Technology (China lead partner), and the University of Sheffield; the Open University; College of Distance Learning and Continuing Education, Beijing Jiaotong University; College of Educational Information Technology, South China Normal University; Education College, Zhejiang Normal University http://csalt.lancs.ac.uk/echina/
• eChina-UK, E-Learning Programme, Phase One: 2003-2005. Teacher educational development in China: "Changing culture in Chinese education". with the WUN consortium (Universities of Bristol, Manchester, Sheffield, Southampton ). This is a strategically important collaborative project between the UK and China which aims to change the culture of learning and teaching in China through the use of e-learning.
• EU E-Learning Research Programme : 2002-2004 - Equality in E-Learning: A European Laboratory for Researching and Developing the Practice of E-Learning in Higher Education across Europe. With consortium of four UK Universities (Lancaster, Glasgow, Coventry and Sheffield ) and ten EU Universities. http://equel.net/
• E-Learning Research Practitioner Network : 2002-2003: funded by the LTSN Generic Centre, to set up initial stages of national e-learning practitioner network in HE aimed at supporting the educational development of HE staff.
• ESRC Research Seminar Series : Networked Learning in Higher education,1999-2002, (with Prof. Liz Beatty, Coventry University, Dr Sarah Mann, Glasgow university, Prof. Vivien Hodgson, Lancaster University ). Series of national invited research seminars on networked e-learning in HE, culminating in the production of a "Manifesto for Networked E-Learning in HE" outlining the need for e-quality.

Some recent publications

• McCONNELL, D (2008) Examining Conceptions of E-Learning in an Intercultural Sino-UK Context. pp720-726 in Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Networked Learning. ISBN 978-1-86220-206-1 http://www.networkedlearningconference.org.uk
• Banks, S.B., McCONNELL, D and Bowskill, N (2008) A Feeling or a Practice?: Achieving Interculturality in an E-Learning Course. pp712-719 Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Networked Learning. ISBN 978-1-86220-206-1 http://www.networkedlearningconference.org.uk
• Bowskill, N., McCONNELL, D and Banks, S.B. (2008) Reflective Practices in Intercultural e-Tutor Teams: A UK-Sino Case Study. Pp 707-711 Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Networked Learning. ISBN 978-1-86220-206-1 http://www.networkedlearningconference.org.uk
• Bradley, S. A. and McCONNELL, D. (2008) Virtual Groups in Learning Environments: Collaboration, Cooperation or (Self) Centred Individualism? pp 24-31 Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Networked Learning. ISBN 978-1-86220-206-1 http://www.networkedlearningconference.org.uk
• Crosta, L and McCONNELL, D. (2008) Online Learning Groups Development: A Grounded International Comparison. pp 61-68 Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Networked Learning. ISBN 978-1-86220-206-1 http://www.networkedlearningconference.org.uk
• Zhao, J., & McCONNELL, D. (2007). Collaborative knowledge building in an online learning environment. Journal of Computer Assisted Foreign Language Learning, 23 (3), 38-46.(in Chinese)
• Hodgson, V., Jones, C., Kargidis, T., McCONNELL, D., Retalis, S., Stamatis, D., Zenios, M. (2008) Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Networked Learning. ISBN 978-1-86220-206-1 Online at: http://www.networkedlearningconference.org.uk
• McCONNELL, D., Banks, S. & Lally, V.(2007) Developing a Collaborative Approach to eLearning Design in an Intercultural (Sino-UK) Context. in H. Spencer-Oatey (ed.) eLearning in China : eChina Perspectives on Policy, Pedagogy and Innovation. Hong Kong University Press.
• McCONNELL, D. (2006) E-Learning Groups and Communities. Maidenhead, SRHE/OU Press.
• Banks, S., Hodgson, V., Jones, C., Kemp, B., McCONNELL, D., & Smith, C. (2006) (eds) Proceedings of the Fifth International Conference on Networked Learning 2006. Lancaster:Lancaster University ISBN 1-86220-182-X also available at: http://www.networkedlearningconference.org.uk
• McCONNELL, D. (2005) Examining the Dynamics of Networked E-learning Groups and Communities. Studies in Higher Education, 30(1), 23-40
• McCONNELL, D (2004) Networked Collaborative E-Learning, pp222-257 in "Advances in Electronic Business: Vol. I " Li, E. and T.C Du (eds ) Idea Group, Inc.
• Banks, S., Goodyear, P., Hodgson, V., Jones, C., Lally, V., McCONNELL, D., Steeples, C. (2004) Networked Learning 2004: A Research based conference on e-learning in Higher Education and Lifelong Learning. Lancaster University and Sheffield University, ISBN 1-86220-150-1
• Goodyear, P., Banks, S., Hodgson, V., and D. MCCONNELL (2004) "Advances in Research on Networked Learning". Springer Verlag, Germany.
• Banks, S., Lally, V., and D. McCONNELL (editors) (2003 ) Collaborative E-Learning in Higher Education: Issues and Strategies. School of Education, University of Sheffield. ISBN: 0 902831 43 7
• McCONNELL, D. (2002) The experience of collaborative assessment in e-learning. Studies in Continuing Education, 24(1), 73-92.
• McCONNELL, D. (2002) Action Research and Distributed Problem Based Learning in Continuing Professional Education. Distance Education, 23(1), 59-83.
• MCCONNELL, D (2000) Implementing Computer Supported Cooperative Learning. Kogan Page,2 nd edition (pp 264).

Potential Doctoral Proposals

I am interested in supervising research students in the following areas:

• E-Learning and technology enhanced learning
• Networked learning groups and communities
• Intercultural learning
• Distance and distributed learning
• Pedagogy and professional practice

Updated: 30 September, 2009 | Site editor | Legal