Exploring Tangible Benefits of e-Learning:

The following is a summary of a number of case studies found when 'Exploring Tangible Benefits of e-Learning',JISC (2008). I have also tried to identify what is my opinion the main areas of innovation covered and the driving factors.

The case studies cover the following areas:-

• Working together collaboratively
• Innovative Online training 
• Staff training to raise the profile and awareness of e-learning
• Video conferencing sharing of modules across a number of universties.
• Eportfolio system
• Adoption of moodle
• Blended approach to learning
• Developing partnerships with local trusts 
• Exams designed to support disabled students
• VLE to support worldwide students
• Online learning for eteaching practice
• Podcasting to see real images instead of photographs
• Blended approach to training use of moodle, podcasting and handset voting
• Simulation gaming to help produce blended learning
• Elearning resource for sharing best practice amongst staff
• Website for the support of learning with wide ranging needs and support
• Elearning to support paper based distance learning material
• Virtual farm to enable collection of real time data
• Eportfolios fro reflecting on teaching practice
• Eportfolio to help support first year students
• Course design to accommodate childcare arrangements 
• Audio commentaries to accompany archaeology images
• Creation of a virtual space for sharing elearning resources for staff 
• Online assessment for medical staff reducing the assessment time required

In general the site offers examples of innovation that covers the following areas:-

• e-assessment
• Online learning
• Eportfolios
• Collaborative working
• Podcasting
• Gaming and virtual simulations

The driving factors apparent from these case studies include:-

• Improving the learner experience
• Developing staff effectively 
• Sharing best practice as both a student and staff level
• Performing assessment more efficiently
• Provision of support material for all areas of academic work

JISC (2008) Exploring Tangible Benefits of e-Learning: Does Investment Yield Interest? [online],
http://www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/publications/publications/info/tangible-benefits-publication (Accessed 12 November 2009).

A quick Reflection, Plenty of innovation this week.

Another busy week in the classroom, started with my OU Tutorial, six students helped to make it a worthwhile event and the disappointment within the group with respect to the location of the next tutorial led me to produce an online poll. I won't post it here because I don't want any extra votes:-) that I am not expecting.
With 26 students seven days after the poll only 12 have answered which is disappointing, it’s only a 10 second task. Here I am considering moving my tutorial to suite the students and many haven’t even responded. I have also produced a Google map showing all there locations to help me identify groups for the next activity another innovative idea thanks to Google.
Most of my working week was spent teaching the only rest bite was a Technical visit to Mitsubishi UK on Friday, where an update on the latest technology in controls was experienced. What’s this got to do with H807 I may well ask, well innovation is all around my life and the sharing of ideas and concepts within the tutor group is both invigorating and rewarding. I wish I had more time to follow up some of the discussions I know now I should be completing the TMA as I go along but I intend to reflect on this during the week and go back over some of the discussions.
The week ahead sees my students complete a practical controls project using all the latest technology I will experience innovation in practice this week, its always interesting to see how as a group they approach this they should divide the work up programming the controllers, touch screens and SCADA system to make the solution but I bet they don’t.
In addition to this a few of my colleagues are finally starting to show an interest in the VLE so I might strike while the irons hot.

e-Assessment in Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, University of Edinburgh

http://www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/case-studies/tangible/edinburgh/index_html
University of Edinburgh, e-Assessment in Medicine and Veterinary Medicine

The Online System for Clinical Assessment was developed in-house by the College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine's Learning Technology Section to support the delivery of online assessments in the undergraduate medical degree programme and undergraduate veterinary degree programmes. Objective, Structured, Clinical Examinations are an essential component of assessments for medical and veterinary students.

The system was used to replace the labour intensive testing methods already in place and also to speed up the assessment process.Some of the Clinical Examination would be replaced by assessments, testing the same competencies/skills but delivered in a secure technological environment requiring no staff support thus enabling all students to be examined in two sittings over a single day instead of two days.

This innovative approach would enable electronic marking, a greater variety of scenarios yet still test the competencies and skills required.

The Learning Lab staff development initiative Swansea University

http://www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/case-studies/tangible/swansea/index_html
Swansea University, The Learning Lab staff development initiative

Summary
The Learning Lab is an informal collaboration between schools and departments on all aspects of e-learning. A forum to discuss, formulate and disseminate ideas and best practice and an area where learning and teaching rather than technology drive the process.The plan was to learn by actually performing a number of e-learning tasks; a hands on approach.

The learning lab is a website of shared resources and information to help support the University in engadging staff in participation and self learning. Sharing of best practice and ideas because a number of staff had very little idea when it came to using the tools or indeed understanding what e-learning was actually about.

By allowing staff to use and explore the use of the tools it was hoped that they would be able to identify the benefit to their classes where appropriate and start using some of the tools. However the Learning Lab site is a community and where everyone had an opportunity to partake, there was to be no dictation by 'Learning Technologists'.

A team-based approach to developing e-resource at Warwick

http://www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/case-studies/tangible/warwick/index_html
The University of Warwick, A team-based approach to developing e-resource

Summary

The aim was to introduce a planned approached to the development of elearning resources that would gradually develop rather than leave it to a few enthusiastic but isolated individuals.

It involved a number of planned activities designed to promote understanding and share best practice. It took the form of online support, face to face sessions and hands on training in the ICT suite.

Staff were encouraged to attend a number of sessions lured by the free hot lunch and invited to share ideas and suggest future activities

The innovation with this case was the fact that innovation was being used to sell innovative ideas and encourage the adoption of new practices and facilities. By learning about the e-resources in a combination of events it was hoped that staff could see and indeed embrace the benefits. This case did highlight the fact the staff lacked confidence in the use of the the tools available and the online conferencing.