Study-Space

Keith Brown

Albert Bolhuis

Julie Letchford

iOS ▪ Android ▪ Web

Background

Facebook

Feedback on use of Mainstream Social Media (MSM)

• A Negative Impact on Digital Identity

‘it’s worrying – fear of it being used against you in a fitness to practice issue’

‘how quickly something can go viral and be seen by so many.’

Also identified at Robert Gordon University:The role of social media in undergraduate pharmacy educationBrown, A., Addison, B., 2015. SocMed15 Proceedings (December 2015)

• Some students perceive their MSM as ‘personal’ and do not want to use it for ‘work’

• MSM can be distracting since it has many personal references and links

• Some students have experienced bullying on MSM and do not wish to use it

Custom App Development

Decision to Build App

1. For iOS and Android2. Internal and Private Database3. Anonymous Posts

Early Mock-Up

the students

“If you make it easy enough, we will use it”

• Contribute to the education and training of other members of the team, including peer review

and assessment

• Contribute to the development of other members of the team through coaching and feedback

• Contribute to identifying the learning and development needs of team members

• Contribute to the development and support of individuals and teams

Supporting Each Other

Standard 10 outcomes

Timeline:

Question

Voting Competition

Voting Competition

Version 1: March to May 2016

The first pilot ran with a cohort of around 140 pharmacy students

Version 2: September 2016 onwards

Trials across the university:• 25 channels

• 11 programme units

• 2 SSLC cohorts (Staff Student Liaison Committees)

• 600 students

• Some channels are more successful than others

• It works provided the academic is proactive!

Version 3: September 2017• Student Coder

Student Evaluation

85% The app was useful in supporting my learning60% The app increased feedback85% The app is a good way for students to help each other95% The app facilitated a community of students and

academics working together85% The posts by academics were important80% The app was an improvement to the unit60% The app was a compliment to the materials on Moodle80% I would like to use the app for other units

PA20024: Applied Pharmaceutical Biology

60% of cohort used the app – 85 students out of 140

(n = 24)

What were the most useful features of the app for your learning?

• Both students and lecturers could post in the same place

• When lecturers posted some important notes• When people asked a question the answers

helped my knowledge and I could also try to answer questions which helped me to learn more

• Getting answers from students AND staff. • Aided my revision • Lecturers' responses • Was able to ask questions and get help from

other students. Lecturers could intervene if peers were wrong.

• The chance to talk to other students in an informal way. Sometimes it feels inappropriate to email the lecturer so having a means of consulting peers instead is very useful

• The lecturers answering any unanswered questions • A casual way to communicate and share ideas with

the lecturers and other students; rather than writing an email asking about some simple questions

• You could ask any question and in most cases it would be answered. It was useful in this way but also I'm quite shy so probably wouldn't have the confidence to ask the lecturers myself in case it was a stupid question, so this enabled me to get answers fast and without any worries

• It consolidated my knowledge by me helping other people

• It was useful to gain lecturer feedback on some of the questions

• very quick Q and A system; feedback from both academics and students n=24

Student Evaluation

Academic Feedback

• A convenient way to engage with students outside of lectures• Enables staff to monitor how well students have understood

taught material• Easy to use • Minimal workload

‘Importantly, students are not only asking, but also answering questions that have been posted, and the app thus facilitates a lively peer support community for the unit’.

Dr Albert BolhuisUnit Convenor

Conclusions1. ‘Study space’ provides a supportive community for learning.

2. ‘Study Space’ encourages interaction between staff and students, and promotes peer learning which fulfils some of the Standard 10 competencies.

3. Social media can be used to support student learning provided students are given a safe and private space in which to interact.

@KeithBrownBath blogs.bath.ac.uk/keithbrownkeith.brown@bath.ac.uk

For further information please contact Keith Brown: