I wanted to “observe” my Action Learning Set buddy Sarah’s online module as I was interested in the structure and interface i.e. The logistics as I wondered how this might be applicable to the management of the VLE and how it engaged students. But also because I had been wondering how easy/hard it was to set up and run and how content would differ from a standard approach. My reason for this was that I wondered whether it might be feasible to use an online pre-induction induction for students that either hadn’t had any exposure to the UK education system of who had been out of education for a period of time. I wondered if this might be a way to communicate some important information, upskill students in basic academic skills and share some key content and reading in advance of their starting their course. I felt that this might work for both the post and undergraduate courses in oil, gas and energy management. In part I wondered whether some of the basics might allow them to hit the ground running. I’m also a fan of open educational resources that can be of wider benefit and it could be a useful tool for promotion of the courses we offer.
So, Sarah’s course is for students that have been in professional practice as paramedics and are looking to top up to a degree. This module looks at pre-hospital emergency care and long term medical conditions. One aim of which is to break the cycle of contact and hospital admission though improved decision making. The participants are therefore experienced in their field, but haven’t necessarily studied for a long period of time.
Sarah takes a logical approach to the delivery of the module, using the natural life cycle as a framework for addressing each condition. While this may not be possible for all modules it is defiantly something that we should all consider in the time tabling of our delivery, not simply focus on when staff can deliver their quota of sessions. So for example in my 1st year module on electricity production it would be logical to start with how electricity is produced i.e. It’s different forms, then move onto chemical and mechanical reactions before covering transmission and distribution. At the moment the students cover the mechanics and then transmission, before covering the different forms of production. The latter could also be more logical in terms of renewable energy, starting with solar as this drives the majority of other renewable. Something like electricity is a flow and teaching should reflect this, rather than the fact that one lecturer needs to teach their area of expertise early in the term and another later in the term.
Sarah also ensure that, as students were not used to regular study, the information provided was timely and not overwhelming. Meaning that not everything was visible at once and there was a very clear distinction between what was critical and what was additional. No superfluous material was provided. This is important as I find when I provide several articles the students only ever read the first in the list. So I have to make sure that a) what I give them as a starter for 10 is important and b) I think about the order. Given that my students are in a slightly different position to Sarah’s I’m not a massive fan of prescription and narrowing down what they have to read. After all they are “reading” for a degree. However I think this approach would certainly help in their first year and help them overcome some of the anxiety about what to read and how to then expand on what I give them. We could very easily link this into the APT system too, with focus each session on things they’ve been asked to look at in class. At the moment in first year they are given additional reading. I wonder if the time would be better spent on getting them to read and focus on the material they need for their modules.
So next steps…having gone in with the idea of developing an online course that we could use of incoming students I’ve come away with so much more. I can apply what I saw Sarah do in my own Moodle pages, share this with others and thing more about what I give my students to read/review and in what format. As for the on-line pre-university course as an open resource….well that requires a lot more thought. How to do it, in terms of the format and content is easy. How to do it in terms of access, incentivisation, deployment and the time devoted to it are a whole other ball game. But a ball game I’d like to have a go at.
dremmah 
One comment