Author: G. Skelly, gordon.skelly@ncl.ac.uk

Author: P.R. Kyle, p.r.kyle@newcastle.ac.uk

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

Higher Education Academy Subject Centre: Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary Medicine

This case study illustrates...use of specialist software, 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, an influence on educational research, staff satisfaction with e-learning, staff personal development, a positive effect on recruitment, a positive effect on retention, an influence on policy, use of resources, modifications to learning spaces, management of learning assets, an effect on social equality

Tangible Benefits

What tangible benefits did this e-learning approach produce?

• significant improvements in student learning (for example, assessment performance, pass rates); Student learning has been greatly supported by the introduction of the LSE. All learning resources are uploaded, allowing students to access the content 24/7 from any computer connected to the internet. By providing access to resources in the framework of the 'course structure' guides, students have huge scope for independent learning: they can visualise the numerous strands running throughout the course and prepare/study accordingly.
• significant improvement in student satisfaction with the learning process; As part of the degree programme evaluation, the LSE consistently receives extremely high feedback: 80-90% of students have rated it highly.
• significant improvement in retention rates; The tutee information available on the LSE allows tutors to track their students' progress and pre-empt any problems that they may present. Ultimately, this will improve retention rates as students will get the necessary support.
• significant improvement in staff satisfaction with, and enthusiasm for, e-learning; After initial slow take up, all staff are now fully on board. The services and feedback provided has motivated staff to improve their resources. They create their own material and share it via this alternative venue.
• significant improvement in staff's ability to deliver e-learning; Staff are now empowered to upload, manage and maintain their own material. The embedded communication tools have furthered the staff's independence.
• significant improvement in staff performance more generally; The LSE has provided unprecedented levels of support to widely dispersed staff. Widening participation targets have been achieved by providing an equal service across four satellite sites. The space restrictions at Newcastle University have therefore been relieved as competition for rooms and cluster space has been lowered, whilst maintaining equity.
• any actual savings in terms of costs, time and resources. Huge reduction in students returning to medical school for administration purposes. Thus clinical staff also do not have to return to Newcastle for teaching/administration. Electronic forms have replaced many paper ones, saving money and resources. There has been a significant reduction in paper processing, e.g. allocating students to hospitals, electives and student selected components.

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

In some ways the LSE has been a victim of its own success. Each new feature released expands the horizons of the users resulting in them demanding more advanced features. Having on occasion, overloaded the University servers due to high usage at peak times, a separate server had to be purchased. Associated with this are the obvious maintenance and staff costs.

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

Before the LSE existed, CAL delivery was very much a cottage industry. The Faculty of Medicine was committed to moving away from this restrictive framework, thus the LSE was perfectly poised to accommodate this change. It further facilitated a collaborative, cross-institutional environment (including Sheffield, Nottingham, Northumbria and Edinburgh; as part of the TLTP3-86 funded initiative) which has become completely embedded into the Medical degree programme.