Author: Alan McGauley, a.j.mcgauley@shu.ac.uk

Author: Richard Pountney, r.p.pountney@shu.ac.uk

JISC e-Learning Activity Area: Learning Resources and Activities

Higher Education Academy Subject Centre: Sociology, Anthropology and Politics

This case study illustrates...an effect on learning, an effect on exam results, an effect on student personal development, student satisfaction with e-learning, innovation in learning and teaching, staff satisfaction with e-learning, staff personal development, a positive effect on recruitment, a positive effect on retention, use of resources

Tangible Benefits

What tangible benefits did this e-learning approach produce?

The use of e-learning has produced significant improvements in student learning with a significant number of first and upper second class performances in the assessment of this module (rising from 5% in 2002 to 10% in 2007: note the average of students achieving first across all modules is 3%).

• The method of assessment allows the motivated student to perform to the level of their academic ability. The ability to use a range of material in their own time and in their own environment has created more and deeper learning and therefore a significant improvement in student satisfaction with the learning process. One student comments in the module evaluation: '... what I have found in this module is the level of support available and the knowledge and enthusiasm that shine through'.
• The amount of material and its contemporary nature has improved the students' view of the usefulness of the module for career development. Increased academic interest has helped create significant retention rates throughout the two seminars of this module: previously attendance levels would be expected to drop by 25% at this stage of their final year but this is not the case in this module.
• The use of e-learning has given the two staff responsible for the module increased control over the process and has allowed the opportunity to frequently update material and communicate regularly with the students individually and collectively. The module co-tutor comments: '...initially being unfamiliar in using e-learning, I now find it is second nature to put material on the VLE and I can really see the benefits of this approach'. Teaching staff's ability to deliver e-learning has largely been self developed and motivated but in the future a considerable amount of technical expertise has been made available to continue to improve e-learning in this module by the faculty.
• There has been significant improvement in staff performance more generally by working smarter and reducing the need for mundane duties such as photocopying. The use of online assessment has also resulted in efficiency gains: this is estimated to be a reduction of about 5-10 hours in preparation time (although this is partly off-set by the time needed to prepare email alerts etc).
• There has been general increased performance towards departmental and/or institutional strategic targets, module recruitment, and retention rates.
• Savings in printing, postage and administration by e-learning and online assessment are now being realised. This year 88 students took the module and before the introduction of e-learning printed material was considerable (module handbook / guide of 40 pages, Email alerts 2 per week with attached articles of 10 pages, and 4 or 5 reports / publications of about 200 pages resulting in a total print run of some 15,000 pages - at 2p per page this is an estimated cost of £300 each year)

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

The full development costs of this module need to acknowledge the initial, front-loaded development time of about 70 hours. Also the maintenance of such an information-heavy approach is 2-3 hours per week for putting resources onto the VLE. The transfer of print to online has required learners to adapt onscreen reading skills, but for some students who prefer to print out themselves there is a perception that this is a transfer of the financial costs from the University to the student (and that they are paying twice!).

The aim of using real-world, culturally referenced materials and sources does occasionally throw up copyright issues: this is being addressed with the help and advice of expert institution information advisers.

There is still a level of resistance to the use of e-learning and this can be seen in staff attitudes to online assessment and the use of PebblePad and Blackboard. More work needs to be undertaken to change embedded conservative attitudes which are at odds with student expectation and to improve staff's own e-learning abilities.

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

The institutional learning, teaching and assessment strategy identifies e-learning as a key process of being forward thinking in the design of courses and programmes, and providing learning opportunities that promote learner autonomy, and employability. At Faculty level an LTA action plan aims to support the development of new techniques and its dissemination to colleagues. This module has been seen as an example of good practice across the faculty and elements of this approach have been taken up by other staff. Several colleagues are adopting similar approaches and are further disseminating this themselves at department LTA away days and workshops. I have run workshops at Subject Centre C-SAP workshops and at the conference.