Author: Shirley Bennett, s.bennett@hull.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 student personal development, student satisfaction with e-learning, innovation in learning and teaching, an influence on educational research, staff satisfaction with e-learning, staff personal development, an influence on policy, use of resources

Background & Context

Why did you use this e-learning approach?

The MEd in e-Learning programme was designed to provide professionals from across the world with the opportunity to interact with others in a range of education and training contexts and roles through a wholly online Masters programme. The intention was to ensure provision for individuals unable to travel to Hull and to develop provision which would, deliberately not simply, attempt to replicate classroom-based teaching but exploit the opportunities and added value which the VLE offered. Participants are encouraged to work independently and collaboratively as they explore core issues involved in the design, development and implementation of e-learning with specific focus and emphasis placed on their professional working context.

What was the context in which you used this e-learning approach?

The MEd in ICT for TESOL, precursor to the current programme, was the first wholly online Masters programme within the University of Hull when established in January 2000. This evolved into the MEd in e-Learning, accredited from January 2004, to provide a more generic programme. Participants include professionals in a range of roles and discipline backgrounds, across sectors as varied as HE, FE, schools, Trade Union Education, and the voluntary and private training sectors, in a variety of areas around the UK and internationally, from Europe and places as far apart as Brazil, Egypt and Hong Kong.

There are two possible start dates a year (September and March) and the programme comprises 6 x 20 credit modules and a 60 credit dissertation. Each module can be taken as a stand alone course independent of the full Masters programme and there are optional exit points at Certificate and Diploma level.

What was the design?

The e-learning approach on the programme is based on an underlying assumption that engagement in study will take place alongside participants' professional work, with academic study enhanced by reference to current practice, and direct relevance of study to challenges and issues within the work context. With this in mind, almost all modules encourage assignments and project work to be contextualised within real educational contexts, and students are encouraged to combine a depth of exploration into issues pertaining to e-learning within their own contexts with mutual and peer learning through comparison and contrast with the contexts of their online colleagues.

All programme tutors have been involved in the design of active learning activities which include online seminars, mini-action research projects, the development, implementation and evaluation of a period of e-Teaching Practice, the design and development of e-resources, and the development of a collaboratively-owned e-dossier comprising individual papers investigating a negotiated theme and topic related to e-learning management and implementation.

How did you implement and embed this e-learning approach?

Delays with registration processes continue to be a particular problem, but this is the case for much part-time provision and the fact that access to the Merlin VLE is not tied to registration partly alleviates the difficulties resulting from delays. The programme is subject to the same quality assurance processes as any programme within the University, including student module TQAs, tutor module reports, programme annual monitoring reports, External Examiner reports etc. There is also the opportunity for significant informal interaction between staff and students, and for online staff-student meetings and these are invaluable for evaluating the effectiveness of the programme and the e-learning approach and to guide review and revisions.

Engagement in this programme has provided a valued form of professional development for some other academic colleagues and support staff across the university and has been instrumental in informing the development of online provision of modules and programmes within their own departments and faculties.