Author: Dr. Deirdre Burke, deirdre.burke@wlv.ac.uk

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

Higher Education Academy Subject Centre: Philosophical and Religious Studies/History, Classics and Archaeology

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 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?

The tangible benefits can be divided into internal and external benefits. Internally, benefits can be identified for staff and students. Firstly, for the students themselves module evaluation feedback reported that this approach increased motivation, developed competence, and allowed for empowerment through the sharing of individual reports on visits. Using past student reports as a way of exploring local communities enabled learners to access peer writing, and identify the strengths and weaknesses of reports. They then had added motivation when completing their reports of knowing that future cohorts, pupils in local schools and the general public could read their work. Students reported that the interactive map was an excellent way of accessing information which made looking at religion fun. They also enjoyed WebQuests, stating they were an excellent way of learning key skills for future employment. These positive features also contributed to a higher pass rate on this module than other Religious Studies modules at level one.

For staff, essentially me, benefits were in the areas of increased motivation and excitement with the possibilities opened up by the use of technology to develop the interactive website. I found that involvement in this development opened up new doors, new contacts, and reinvigorated my career. I was awarded a National Teacher Fellowship in 2005, drawing heavily on e-learning developments in my claim for fellowship.

External benefits essentially group around challenging the view of Religious Studies held by particular constituencies. Our University's commitment "to making a major contribution to the social and economic prosperity of the West Midlands" through applied research and consultancy can be linked to research undertaken by undergraduate students and shared via the website. We are starting to engage in knowledge transfer through the website so local schools can draw on materials to support the teaching of Religious Education. This insight into undergraduate work is also proving to be of interest to prospective students at open days and in Aimhigher events. In addition, one of our graduates has been employed as a faith development worker by English Heritage to open up local religious places of worship to the wider public.

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

Implementation faced a number of obstacles: Firstly, developments have been very time consuming. Our Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching helped to support developments through allowing a researcher, who was a Religious Studies graduate, to work on the project for one day a week. In addition the school (Humanities, Languages and Social Sciences) has provided secretarial support to make the website live. However, the time spent on developments is probably ten times greater than the development of earlier Word based resources.

Secondly, institutional policies for web materials required all pages to be copied into a template. This was a very time consuming exercise which meant that the updated web resource is still not yet live for external users (the updated version was available for students in WOLF). It is likely that all video material will have to be taken out as we do not have the resources to provide transcripts or sub-titles, as required by the University policy for equal access.

Moving from the development of the web resources to implementation there are still challenges to be met to encourage students to become fully interactive learners. Whilst Mudge's guidance to "Provide the information in such a fashion that students feel they have some control over the way they learn." (1999, 15) had been followed it was clear that more time needed to be spent on building up proficiency with technology. Working from Heppell's (1993) taxonomy of modes of interaction it appeared that students remained fairly passive at the 'narrative' stage. Thus, despite the specific aim to give students navigational control over materials they did not fully utilise opportunities. Students are active in workshop sessions, but tracking through the VLE reveals minimal use of the website resource out of sessions.

Finally, perhaps due to this innovation being an individual initiative there is no real departmental commitment to this approach. Thus, despite the fact that other staff have been invited to contribute and have actually provided ideas and content, there is no real commitment to the initiative and only limited use of the website with students.

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

The approach developed out of insights into the potential of e-learning provided during a technology retreat, thus, developments went hand-in-hand with the institutional drive to enhance student learning through creative uses of e-learning.

Religious Studies has a long history of engagement with technology in teaching and learning. Staff have always utilised up to date technology in presenting information and designing learning activities, and students have been encouraged to develop their own use of ICT for the process and outcomes of learning.

Specific ICT initiatives started with an internally funded project to provide guidance on internet sites for religions in 1998. Details of this development can be seen in the Guide to Religious Studies on the Internet, and in the website for Religious Studies developed by Dr Chyrssides. http://www.wlv.ac.uk/~fa1896/rsnet.htm

The interactive and contributory nature of this approach was a development, and one which differed from earlier authoritative guides to information. Part of the process was to encourage student writing through supportive feedback on drafts, to ensure that each student could produce a report that they would be happy for others to read. However, not all staff buy into such an approach, taking a more summative approach to marking student work.

The development of this approach within this module and the wider subject has been limited this year due to staff illness and the time consuming nature of developing materials for the web. However, even with full staff application and the completion of the updated website, there is a need for all subject staff to be involved in a discussion about the best way to utilise the resource. Future developments involving all staff may ensure that all staff buy into the development to enhance student learning.