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Ros O’Leary

Economics LTSN

Bristol University Learning Technology Support Service

Students Online Learning Experiences Project

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VLEs: Innovative Practice in Higher Education

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Innovative HE case studies

Virtual Seminars in Economic Principles at

UWE

Online tutorials & assessment in Philosophical Issues in Modern

Biotechnology

Vets Virtual Clerking Station

Using PDAs in Economics

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Virtual Seminars in Economics Principles

• 220 year 1 students, 1 year, 30 credit course

• 2 lectures, 1 seminar per week

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Virtual Seminars in Economics Principles

• 2 lectures and 1 workshop per week

• 1 in-class seminar and 1 virtual seminar per fortnight

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Nature of Virtual Seminars

• Run in group discussion board

• When and where– in seminar groups (same as in-class)

– synchronous

– but not location specific

• Role of tutors

• Personal Development Planning

• Types of activity

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Strengths and Limitations

• Strengths

–more contribution per student

– better thought-out contributions

–more equal contribution between students: shy and dominant students

– contributions remain visible

– potentially time saving for staff

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• Limitations

– limited interactivity, just posting

– no whiteboard• not suitable for graphs and maths

– lack of face-to-face dynamic with tutor

– students may treat it casually• must address protocols and incentives

Strengths and Limitations

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Online tutorials and assessment in Philosophical Issues in

Modern Biotechnology

• 25 students, year 2, open unit, 10 credits

• New unit

• Philosophy knowledge a prerequisite

• Biological knowledge not required

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Philosophical Issues in Modern Biotechnology

• 10 lectures, 2 overview sessions

• 4 online tutorials including self-assessment

• E-test two-thirds way through

• Essay paper

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Nature of online tutorials

• Designed to worked through independently

• Designed by postgraduate + eLearning specialist

• Discussion board for general discussion

• Tutorials and online assessment not marked but condition of award

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• Strengths

– focus on philisophy during face-to-face discussions

– supplementary interactive material

– biology expert support

• Limitations

– no structured opportunity to discuss biology (focus on individual learning)

– not assessed (linking assessment to VLE)

Strengths and Limitations

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Vets Virtual Clerking Station

• Final year vet students

• Whole year spent in clinical placements

• Assessed on write-up of clinical cases

• Complained about range of clinical cases

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Vets Virtual Clerking Station

• As part of Vet VLE/Intranet case study upload

• Can include video, sound, images

Echocardiogram showing left atrial

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• Strengths

– increase clinical exposure

– archive cases and can be used as a database for:

• other students

• clinical research

• Limitations

– no structured opportunity to discuss (focus on individual learning)

Strengths and Limitations

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Using PDAs in Economics

• Year 1, Introduction to Microeconomics, 13 students

• Blackboard

• Weekly lecture and seminar

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Using PDAs in Economics

• Repurposed material for PDAs

• Content +discussion

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• Strengths

– Could do all the things on a VLE they could do on a PC; more portable and flexible

– Could submit questions during lectures, lecturer could review during lecture

• Limitations

– Had to repurpose content so more readable – even so students preferred PCs

– Some technical difficulties transferring Microsoft files

Strengths and Limitations

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Other HE case studies

• http://www.sole.ilrt.org/

• http://www.ltsn.ac.uk/

• http://www.ltsn.ac.uk/genericcentre/

• http://www.economics.ltsn.ac.uk/

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VLE events

• Colston Research Symposium, 'The Evolution of Learning and Web Technologies: Survival of the Fittest?‘ http://www.ilrt.bris.ac.uk/

• ‘Thinking outside the VLE box: innovative and creative ideas for improving the student experience’ http://www.ltss.bris.ac.uk/

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Thankyou

Any questions?