2. Understanding different action contexts from the perspective of using web resources

2.1 Starting points: The original ideas and the initial working concept

Parallel to the above mentioned issue the WLP project had to develop a project-specific approach to working with web resources. According to the original ideas the “WLP web” was expected to become an administrative platform that supports the planning of partnership-based learning arrangements and a dissemination platform that presents examples of good practice. In the light of the previously reported discussions it was obvious that the WLP project had a need to reconsider the role of “WLP web” parallel to its reorientation to broader range of partnership concepts and to related prospects for piloting and for further analyses.

Regarding this issue the WLP project received conceptual support from the project consultant Graham Attwell (who served as an information provider between the WLP project and some parallel projects). The information updates on the current development of e-portfolios, personal learning environments and on social software helped the WLP to distance itself from ‘packaged’ approaches to ‘learning management’ or to ‘e-learning platforms’. Instead, as a conclusion of the Velenje workshop, the WLP project started to look for elementary project-specific solutions that would support local piloting and bring forward the pedagogic issues.

2.2 Analysis of the encountered contradictions and needs for reorientation

After the Velenje workshop the WLP project started to develop a project-specific solution that would combine some aspects of e-portfolios, personal learning environments and learning management systems. The project drafted a prototype instrument ‘KLearn’ and started a web-based discussion on the applicability of this model. However, this discussion appeared to become a tool-centred discussion that tried to prepare the ground for using the tool instead of inviting the national partners to address their needs and to link proposals for the tool to expressed needs. When this problem was identified and measures were taken to invite views from the field (e.g. by opening a specific blog for discussing the national piloting activities) it was already too late to change the communication climate.

In this context it is worthwhile to note that the WLP tried to use the ‘KLearn’ instrument as means to familiarise the partners with planning of web-based learning arrangements and of related organisational support measures. However, at the same time the WLP project could observe that external projects (that were designing personal or community-based learning spaces) were making rapid progress in developing workable instruments and platforms.

At this point it appeared also that the possibilities to undertake active pilot measures in the participating countries were not developing at the same pace. Moreover, it became clear that if the partners are expected to link project-specific web tools to country-specific piloting activities, most of the partners could not be able to make progress due to practical problems.

2.3. Remarks on the revision of the working concept and on the achieved results

In the light of the above the WLP project had to draw the conclusion that there was no basis for developing a unified project-specific instrument that could provide a common entry point for piloting with web resources. Instead, the London workshop pointed out that the national partners’ could find their way to work with web and multimedia when it was concluded that the WLP project needs a diversified approach to web and multimedia resources. With this shift of emphasis the work with web and multimedia was made part of their own piloting agenda.