Author: Cristina Leston-Bandeira, c.c.leston-bandeira@hull.ac.uk

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

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, staff satisfaction with e-learning, a positive effect on recruitment, an influence on policy, use of resources

Tangible Benefits

What tangible benefits did this e-learning approach produce?

As a significant part of WHIP is information for students, before during and after their internship it is difficult to quantify the effect of e-learning in isolation. However, students that have participated in WHIP, whether for BPLS or the one semester scheme return to Hull more focused, confident and return improved academic results in their final year. This perception was confirmed in a C-SAP funded project (2005-06) in which students completed a questionnaire on their internship experiences.

The feedback for Merlin and WHIP is excellent. Merlin significantly improved the facilitation of teaching for distance students and is a significant factor in the success of WHIP generally. The department had an excellent retention rate in any case, so that improvements in this regard are difficult to quantify. The academic staff involved in WHIP are more satisfied with the organisation and performance of the scheme since Merlin's arrival, which has encouraged the use of the VLE for future online teaching within the department. This form of e-learning has also made it easier for administrative staff involved in WHIP to communicate with distant students. It has led to a more personalised approach to dealing with student problems, which the students themselves have appreciated in their feedback. Again, the use of Merlin in this situation has made it potentially easier for staff to deliver future e-learning courses or modules. The success of this approach is such that it is being rolled out this year for placements in Brussels.

This e-learning approach has also ensured that the students' own experiences whilst on placement are carried through when they come back to the campus. The use of Merlin ensures that the students' own experience is more formally recorded and evidenced. Students remain on Merlin when they come back (and indeed when they graduate), which allows students to refer back to their experience whilst they were on placement.

The e-learning approach has also allowed a better preparation of the students' placements, as prior to go on placement all students are included in Merlin and have access, therefore, to a wealth of information from accommodation to financial matters, to student advice about working in Westminster and living in London. Thanks to the e-learning approach, students are now much better prepared to go on placement than they used to be when this preparation was dependent on face-to-face meetings.

The department has done very well in recruiting good students from a wide variety of backgrounds and locations. The attendance at our open days in Westminster has been higher, indicating the high regard the BPLS course in particular is looked upon. The one-semester internship scheme has also added to the recruitment of the other single honours courses that the department has on offer. e-Learning has had a significant impact on the continued reputation of the department as well as our ability to attract and maintain ever increasing student numbers. e-Learning has significantly reduced the requirement of ad hoc face-to-face contact, although this still takes place on a regular basis.

In terms of the savings of time, contact can be established at the convenience of both sides, reducing the use of the telephone in particular. As a significant number of resources have been added to Merlin the cost and time of printing these documents has been saved and students can make their own decision about the relevance of particular documents to their individual needs and requirements.

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

As the teaching of seminars continued (in Westminster) on the usual weekly basis, these were not directly affected. However, students did not have the same access to the University's library. This was more than mitigated by the use interns had of the House of Commons library. Tutors received more messages within Merlin that had to be dealt with on an individual basis. The course coordinator spends part of each week in Westminster. Administratively e-learning requires constant updating as new information arises - students pass on information etc, which can be time consuming on occasion. Many standard university or departmental forms had to be adapted to create an online version. Also although email is an excellent form of communication, it can take some time to explain something complex that might only take a few minutes over the telephone.

Although there have not been any significant technical problems, if there were it could potentially cause significant problems to WHIP. If the University decided to change or alter its VLE arrangements, this could potentially cause a significant amount of additional administration in terms of migrating information as well as the problems associated with students and staff used to the previous set-ups. Some of the information on Merlin is a duplication of what students will have already seen in the department in paper form and although this is not a disadvantage it may cause some students to think that there is nothing new about e-learning. Another thing affecting the stability of WHIP could be changes in staff personnel. New staff may approach e-learning in an entirely different way to outgoing members, which may in turn give confused signals to students.

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

As Merlin is a university supported VLE it accorded well with the University's strategies. WHIP provides a unique opportunity for politics students and this is recognised by the University. The e-learning approach carried out for WHIP has been carried forward by other e-learning groups within the department. Most other placements offered by other departments at the University require a more independent student approach, as this is more likely to be in the private sector and linked less to their academic studies.

Whether or not e-learning becomes embedded in the department is largely dependent on whether particular members of the academic staff (mainly module leaders) decide to undertake the e-learning option for modules or postgraduate degree courses. Generally speaking e-learning is still the exception rather than the rule and it may take some time to develop e-learning on particular courses within the department. Given that current e-learning covers only a few modules that are compulsory, it would be more problematic from an administrative and academic view to create e-learn for courses where there are a number of optional modules in addition to the core modules.