Author: Cillian Ryan, c.ryan@bham.ac.uk

Author: Mike Walsh, m.walsh@coventry.ac.uk

JISC e-Learning Activity Area: Technology-enhanced Learning Environments

Higher Education Academy Subject Centre: Economics

This case study illustrates...use of specialist software, an effect on learning, student satisfaction with e-learning, an influence on policy, management of learning assets

Tangible Benefits

What tangible benefits did this e-learning approach produce?

It is too early to give definitive results for this section, although results of the questionnaire to evaluate the usefulness of the linking facility are coming through. To date, responses (56 in total) from two universities for the academic year 2006-07 are available. 98% of respondents are year 1 business undergraduates at Coventry University and 2% from City University. A summary of the results below indicate students were using WinEcon outside the lab, while this did not happen (at Coventry University) last year where focus groups indicated students did not buy the individual programme. It is felt both inserting links and the introduction of a new distribution channel may explain increased use at home. Individual downloads of software are now available for home use at low cost for students registered on a course. Previously individual packages were charged at £29.99. In addition, WinEcon was also made more user-friendly as a consequence of the project, a common comment from students previously was that although useful it looked dated.

Q. If you have used WinEcon: Where have you used it? (more than 1 response):

In a computer lab in the University 96.4%

Via the University network in your halls of Residence 30.4%

Via your own CD 28.6%

The results below indicate that students were accessing WinEcon via links, while this did not happen in 2005-06, and they found it relatively easy to use.

Q.Did you access the package (more than 1 response):

Via the WinEcon icon or programme list on the computer? 83.6%

Via links in your University's Virtual Learning Environment such as WebCT or Blackboard? 36.4%

Via links on your lecture's webpage? 27.3%

Via links in the course files supplied to you by your department? 18.2%

Q.If you used the links how would you rate ease of use?

1 - Very easy to use 37.5%

2 - 35.4%

3 - 16.7%

4 - 8.3%

5 - Very difficult to use 2.1%

Another development has been the insertion of this project on the WinEcon website http://www.winecon.com/web_linking.html which includes a tutorial on setting up links.

In addition to a significant improvement in student learning and satisfaction with the learning process we also anticipate that the project will provide the following benefits.

• A significant improvement in staff satisfaction with, enthusiasm for, and ability to, deliver e-learning. It is anticipated this can be achieved if staff can use WinEcon at a low cost in terms of time.
• Extending the model to other subjects, such as maths.
• A move towards targets such as retention and widening participation, which could be achieved through improved access to WinEcon. This is supported by an Economics Network survey which cited comments from students who were struggling, such as 'winecon is a 1st year life saver'. In addition, increased use of WinEcon at home could offer increased flexibility and free up computer labs.

Did implementation of this e-learning approach have any disadvantages or drawbacks?

There is a modest need for additional departmental resources required to deliver learning in this way, but no more say than getting to grips with most VLE's.

Legacy: There is still a need for at least one member of staff to be wholly committed to maintaining the project, to check software is running if it is on the institutions server, to arrange for installation in labs where necessary, to check links periodically, to update as necessary. It will not take a huge amount of time in an absolute sense (1 afternoon at the start of the year probably - but many lecturers still see this as a high individual price to pay).

There were problems in some HEIs in getting hyperlinks to work, for example, if WinEcon was on the server rather than on hard drives in the lab. This led to a focus in year 2 of the project of getting the implementation right rather than continuing to recruit new institutions and deliver less than perfect outcomes.

How did this e-learning approach accord with or differ from any relevant departmental and/or institutional strategies?

There are many institutions involved in the implementation of this project and we cannot speak for all of them. However, with regard to Coventry University's Business School this approach is in accord with the pro-active strategy of the School with regards to IT. It similarly complements the University of Birmingham School of Social Science Learning & Teaching strategy for the use of complementary e-learning.