Online Distance Learning Programmes Workshop Presentation by Dr Megan Kime is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

1. Online Distance Learning
Programmes Workshop
Faculty of Arts and the Inter-Disciplinary
Ethics Applied (IDEA) Centre
24th April 2013
©University of Leeds 2013.
This Presentation by Dr Megan Kime is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-
ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

2. Online Distance Learning in IDEA
• MA Applied and
Professional Ethics (since
2010)
• MA Biomedical and
Health Care Ethics
(proposed for 2014)
• Online Professional Skills
Course for the Actuarial
Profession (ethics CPD)
Why online?
Target audience:
international,
professional, studying
part-time

3. Key Questions
1. What should the programme look like?
2. What are the constraints from (a) the learner’s and (b) the
provider’s point of view?
3. What tools should we use for:
a. Content?
b. Interaction?
c. Independent learning?
d. Assessment?
e. Student support?
4. What have we learned?
5. Where do we go next?

4. 1. WHAT SHOULD THE
PROGRAMME LOOK LIKE?

5. Programme Design
• Modelled on existing F2F programmes, and our
experience of teaching applied ethics to professionals:
– ‘What we know’ – future developments may be
different...
– Case study-based, opportunities to relate to real-life
practice, informed by practitioner knowledge.
• Designed to keep important aspects of academic
philosophy masters degree:
– Independent reading of academic texts
– Academic writing
– Class discussion

6. Modelling on F2F Delivery
What did we want to achieve?
Replacement of:
– Lectures (delivery of information and signposting of key
concepts, theories, and map of terrain).
– Seminars (moderated group discussion, developing critical
thinking, argumentation and reasoning skills, problem-
solving).
– Private study time (reading and note making, independent
research skills, deepening of knowledge).
– One-to-one interaction with tutors (problem-solving,
guidance).

7. Where to host?
Blackboard VLE:
– Single user log-in
– Secure
– Restricted access
– Variety of learning tools
– Reporting functionality
– Staff familiarity
– Central support
There are other options...

8. 2. WHAT ARE THE CONSTRAINING
FACTORS?

9. Constraining Factors - Learner
• Technical
– Computer literacy
– Bandwidth
– Hardware/software requirements
• Access requirements (visual/hearing impairments, dyslexia and
associated)
• Learning styles (prefer reading, listening, watching...)
• Preferred mode of study (at home, work, on the train...)
• Flexibility (to fit with competing demands)
• Specific challenges for distance learners...

10. Challenges for Distance Learners
• Lack of human contact:
– Less opportunity for ad hoc contact with tutors (e.g. before/after
lectures).
– No face-to-face contact with tutors or other students.
– Less opportunity to socialise with other students – harder to form
learning community.
• Motivation:
– Easier to lose touch.
– Lack of social pressure to stay engaged.
– Less opportunity for informal, formative feedback from tutors (and
peers).
• Lack of engagement with wider University:
– Hard to access student support services etc.

11. Constraining Factors - Provider
• What is available/supported?
• Resource implications:
– Development cost and time
– Hardware/software costs
– Training implications
– Ongoing support costs
• Computer literacy of teaching staff
• Pedagogic factors

12. 3. WHAT TOOLS SHOULD WE USE?

13. (a) Delivery of Content
Tools for delivery of content vary in terms of:
– Time, cost, and technical expertise required to develop
and maintain
– Interactivity/richness of content
– Accessibility, bandwidth requirements etc.
– Availability within VLE
Post existing lecture
slides on VLE
Produce bespoke
high definition
video content
Happy medium?

14. Our solution...
HTML documents:
– Mainly text
– Clear and easy-to-read
– Allows some interactivity
– Reasonably easy to
update
– Can be printed out and
read offline
– Include links to exercises
and readings
– Display well with VLE and
on range of devices
©University of Leeds 2013
Author: James Dempsey
Excluded from CC-BY-NC-SA licence

15. (b) Interaction
Tools for group interaction
vary in terms of:
– Synchronicity
– Facilitation
– Accessibility
– Availability within VLE
– Technical requirements
– Richness of interaction
(video, audio, text...)
– Bandwidth
requirements

16. Regular facilitated asynchronous discussion exercises using
group discussion forum tool within VLE.
– Provide a stimulus: discussion question, case study etc.
– Provide clear expectation of contribution: time, length, style etc.
– Discussions scheduled over period of a few days.
– Tutor input:
• moderate if needed
• stimulate further comment
• provide clarification and aid understanding
– Other tools (blogs and wikis) also used occasionally...
Our solution...

17. (c) Independent Learning
• Would usually expect students to do assigned reading
and be responsible for note-taking and preparation for
seminars.
• Personal Learning Blogs:
– Private (only visible to individual student and tutors)
– Non-assessed (except completion of exercises)
– Benefits:
• Monitoring of progress
• Option for feedback
• Student record of learning – preparation for essay writing
• Incentive to complete individual exercises

18. (d) Assessment and Feedback
• Continuous assessment element in each module (10-
20%).
• Monitoring of performance via completion of exercises
and contributions to group activities (can utilise
Blackboard tracking tools for larger groups).
• All coursework, no exams.
• Pre-submission feedback available.
• All feedback provided electronically using Turnitin
Grademark

19. (e) Student Support
• Personal tutor sessions conducted via Skype or
telephone.
• Encourage informal feedback throughout course and
aim to be flexible in response to suggestions.
• Staff available during office hours via Skype or
telephone.
• Act as guides through University central services and
support structure.
• Lots of support required, from enquiry onwards...

20. 5. WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED?

21. 5. Lessons Learned
• Expect technical hitches and be prepared to be flexible.
• Listen to students - ask for regular feedback - they will
come up with ideas that you might not think of!
• Keep it simple - concentrate on ease of use and quality of
content.
• Think about navigation - how will students find the
content?
• Repeat instructions!
• Importance of expectation setting.
• Importance of community building – ‘the VLE is the
campus’

22. 6. WHERE DO WE GO NEXT?

23. 6. Development
• Richer mediums of delivery: use of screen capture
software and audio-visual techniques to deliver richer
content
• Synchronous sessions, using webinar software (Adobe
connect etc.)
• Focus on improving:
– Induction process
– Student engagement with wider University
• Standalone modules / mini-MOOCs as taster/intro
courses

24. University of Leeds Online Distance Learning
(ODL) Network
For anyone involved in, or thinking or being involved in, the
development, delivery and support of distance learning
modules or programmes...
Email: m.kime@leeds.ac.uk
©University of Leeds 2013.
This Presentation by Dr Megan Kime is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-
ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.