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Yorkshare Projects

Yorkshare Projects. Presentations from 3 rd Round Project Leaders. 3rd October, 2007. Biology courses in the VLE. 21 academic modules ranging from 1st to final year undergraduate and taught Masters courses Lectures, Practicals, Workshops and Seminars 4 administration sites.

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Yorkshare Projects

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  1. Yorkshare Projects Presentations from 3rd Round Project Leaders 3rd October, 2007

  2. Biology courses in the VLE • 21 academic modules ranging from 1st to final year undergraduate and taught Masters courses • Lectures, Practicals, Workshops and Seminars • 4 administration sites

  3. VLE and Biology Emma Rand James Chong Peter Mayhew Michael Schultze Chris Elliot Frans Maathius Ottoline Leyser James Moir Thorunn Helgason Adrian Harrison Mathew Collins Phil Ineson Set Chong Jane Hill Olivier Missa Chris Kelly Nicola Charlton Paul Waites Phil Roberts

  4. Biology Welcome site • To ease in our new students • Give information about the University/Department • Catch-up material • Biology blog

  5. A Real Joint Effort Wayne Britcliffe (ELDT) Anthony Leonard (Comp Serv) Trevor Sheldon Richard Walker (ELDT) Wendy Fountain (ELDT) Setareh Chong (Biology) Del Gee(Comp Serv) Sue Bougourd (Biology) Sue Elphinstone (Library) Cathy Colless (ELDT) Paul Waites (Biology) John Byrne (Comp Serv) Alan Carlile (Admissions) Martin Wilkinson (Library) Chris Ellwood (Library) Kris Fearon (Web Office) Bill Mackintosh (Web Office) Brian Souter (Comp Serv) Phillip Gray (Admissions) Connie Cullen (Admissions) Chris Kelly (Biology) Mike Calvert (Student Administrative Services)

  6. End of section

  7. Centre for Women’s Studies Collaborative networking in humanities women’s & gender studies Ann Kaloski :: Julie Palmer :: Anna Piela 3rd round VLE October 2007

  8. collaborative research skills VLE developed to facilitate: • AHRC-funded 2-year programme (07- 09) • Humanities-based research training • MA & PhD students • York & Leeds women’s & gender studies VLE designed & hosted at York

  9. Aims of project foster collaborative research methods network with peers disseminate information showcase CWS transferable ICT skills for students and teacher Online solutions wiki for each f2f session & bibliography Facebook web portal . file store good links web portal web 1&2 applications & induction package collaborative research skills

  10. collaborative research skills Project Challenges & Responses 2 institutions & 10 staff with no elearning experience: *VLE designed for non-web savvy teachers *teacher-only induction package: f2f & online Not a standard module, and just two f2f sessions a term: *built 'programme' into Leeds & York existing modules *extra-curricula interactive applications added to energise the VLE - social site & feminist resources Collaborative design: *learning 'onsite' - we used the VLE to blog & store files *we designed slowly, learning from each other's skills

  11. collaborative research skills pedagogical approach COLLABORATION between students between teachers between designers/ tutors between institutions

  12. collaborative research skills Added Value of VLE To AHRC project • indispensable for fostering communication between teachers & students at two institutions To CWS • Step towards AHRC quota award recognition • Sharing of staff expertise • Networking with colleagues • Richer learning experience for students To University • Cross-institutional collaboration experience • Innovative humanities research training

  13. collaborative research skills commitment to collaborative working practices & pedagogy hard work & dedication goodwill

  14. End of section

  15. Chemistry Year 3 Group Exercises: a round 3 VLE project Nigel Lowe

  16. What are the Chemistry Year 3 Group Exercises? • 120+ students; developing key skills5 parallel exercises (3xMChem; 2xBSc) based on industrial case studies4-5 teams per exercise with 4-6 students per teamEach exercise runs over 3 weeks in weeks 1-6 of autumn termNow in 10th year of operation

  17. Asynchronous working • Generic and exercise-specific, timed-release content • Students familiar with VLE Why introduce the VLE at this stage? • Existing e-mail ‘Help’ service • Feedback intensive • Existing reflective log

  18. Provision of blogs facilitates pooling of information and discussion of ideas Provision of wikis facilitates document (report) and presentation (Powerpoint) authoring ‘Help’ can be provided by other student responses (blogs) and tutor comments shared across the community Personal blog becomes formal written reflection on the exercise

  19. Asynchronous working • Generic and exercise-specific, timed-release content • Students familiar with VLE Why introduce the VLE at this stage? • Existing e-mail ‘Help’ service • Feedback intensive • Existing reflective log

  20. Supporting documentation released to synchronise with each of the 5 exercise strands Generic and team-specific feedback readily communicated to appropriate groups; video resources made available

  21. Asynchronous working • Generic and exercise-specific, timed-release content • Students familiar with VLE Why introduce the VLE at this stage? • Existing e-mail ‘Help’ service • Feedback intensive • Existing reflective log

  22. Chemistry’s small group teaching is mediated through the VLE (Martin Cockett, Phase 1 VLE project) This ‘kickstarted’ the group exercise VLE project Chemistry’s small group teaching VLE has now been modified by NL to incorporate a student mentoring strand

  23. End of section

  24. DEPARTMENTAL DRIVERS • Many large courses at undergraduate and graduate level with numerous students. • Core courses: Economics I, MTE, Microeconomics II, Macroeconomics II, Micro III, Macro III. • Popular Part II options: e.g. Introduction to Accountancy • Core Graduate courses: e.g. Applied Microeconomics. • Summer Session in Microeconomics & Quantitative Analysis.

  25. DEPARTMENTAL NEEDS • Students need to get on top of a large core of analytical material • which does not change very much over time, so that an initial investment of time and effort in VLE can yield a high return • Need for more feedback to students and staff on student progress • Need for more regular student input

  26. INTRODUCTION TO ACCOUNTANCY PROJECT • Popular option – 130+ students • Three key components of VLE pilot: • 1. Formative assessment assignments • Regular detailed feedback to students on progress and remedial actions • Feedback through Gradebook on topics needing more attention in seminars • Blended learning of lectures, assignments, exercises and seminars.

  27. INTRODUCTION TO ACCOUNTANCY PROJECT • 2. Links to Library resources and external accounting and finance websites. • Improve student awareness of the outside world, career opportunities etc. • 3. Links to administrative functions e.g. updating seminar class lists, past exam papers, etc. • More efficient administration and communication with students.

  28. WIDER LESSONS • Important central functions which the VLE can support across many key courses • Too important to rely on a few enthusiasts • Throwing colleagues in the deep end not the best strategy • Need to overcome the hurdle of the set-up costs of the VLE making an effective contribution

  29. WIDER LESSONS • Many other Departments across the country face similar problems • HEA Economics Network and Test Banks • Blackboard compatible format • Library resources and student reading • Official government reports e.g. Department of Health, NAO, DWP • Need for electronic store.

  30. End of section

  31. Department of Educational Studies • PGCE Whole School Issues Programme • PGCE 5 subject areas: English, History, Maths, MFL and Science • BAES Introductory Module • MA CALL and E Learning • MA Language and Education • MA TEYL

  32. Rationale • To engage creatively with theVLE in all areas of our work. • To engage a critical massof colleagues with the VLE. • To reach audiences we have not previously been able to reach. • Model cutting edge practice. • Keep us at the forefront ofteaching and learning.

  33. Pedagogy • The VLE provides our programmes with a one-stop portal to vast array of E-resources. • The VLE provides us with creative communication and reflective tools – blogs and wikis. • Students are enrolled as instructors on the VLE and create their own sections, resources and teaching methods. • The VLE provides us with the opportunity to pilot and develop distance learning courses.

  34. Key Value • 12 members of the dept’ have already been trained. • A bespoke Educational Studies training session is planned for 9 November (where our HoD and Science Technician are both enrolled). • There is now a greater potential for dialogue and discussion within the department, across all programmes, on how we can develop VLE further. • Enhancing Staff skills. • Enhancing Staff creativity.

  35. End of section

  36. Interactive support & feedback for Foundation Year Maths in the Department of Electronics • Andy Pomfret

  37. Department of Electronics – Projects (1) • Formative tests for Year 1 circuit theory • Improving staff-student communication • SSLC minutes online • Forum for raising issues • Student-led wiki • Discussions on course content • Mentoring and support

  38. Department of Electronics – Projects (2) • Assignment feedback in audio form • Feedback in the form of ‘podcasts’ • More personal • More popular • Faster to produce • Environmental Electronics module (upcoming) • Foundation Year Mathematics…

  39. Foundation Year Maths

  40. Foundation Year Maths • Foundation Year course attracts students from a wide range of backgrounds • Differentiation is very hard in a group like this • We had a need for a suite of ‘support’ resources to which students could turn for help • Yorkshare seemed like the ideal platform

  41. Foundation Year Maths The self-study problem…

  42. Foundation Year Maths A self-study solution?

  43. Lessons learned: a campus-wide problem? • Assessing maths tests online is very difficult! (especially maths for beginners) • Lots of innovative assessment techniques employed here • Hidden answers • Multiple-answer techniques for algebraic subjects • University-wide need for support tools for mathematics

  44. End of section

  45. Environment Department Environment & Health (new module, Spring term 2007) Title Simple adaptive release approach to content; cooperative learning through report writing Pedagogic theme Self-tests; wiki; multi-media resource repository Keywords Subject area Key notions and measures of Environment & Health Student level & profile Third year module for Environmental Science and Environment, Economics & Ecology students (36 students) • Poor use of the VLE until exam revision  Integration of the class-based and VLE-activities is crucial • Self-tests and online resources said to be extremely useful • Lack of trust in the wiki-based activities  Expectations for the activities and how they will be assessed must be clarified and illustrated early in the module Key conclusions

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