WebLearn Blog

These comments relate to the JISC-funded Thema Project Executive Summary for the University of Oxford: http://tinyurl.com/themasummary.

Section 4: Recommendations relating to taught postgraduates

The first part of section 4.2 of the report focuses on learner expectations. The rport highlights that many students find themselves in awe when they arrive and worry greatly as they do not really know what to expect over the coming year.

This University has partially addressed the problem by developing a web gateway  http://www.ox.ac.uk/students but we feel that WebLearn can offer further support at the departmental rather than University level.

The Thema report includes the following:

Ensure that applicants for taught postgraduate courses receive clear information about the pedagogic approach of courses in order to help them to negotiate a fit between their aspirations for the course and the resources and structures available:

The following types of information might be useful additions to descriptions in prospectuses and on course Websites:

• Expectations of the department towards students in terms of their readiness to take on the role of autonomous learner:
  • Detailed descriptions of what it means to be a learner in the department
  • Explication of reading approaches that the student will need to develop
  • Specifications of the expected levels of academic writing and research
  • Expected levels of participation during classroom activities
  • Expected disposition towards learning, such as critique and analysis
• What students can expect from their course:
  • Descriptions of pedagogical approach, including an explication of what terms like “seminar”, “tutorial”, “discussion session” etc., mean in the context of the particular course
  • Details of formative feedback mechanisms both during taught and research-based parts of the course
  • Reasonable assessment of the workload and suggestions for ways to manage it

As mentioned elsewhere in this blog departments can use WebLearn to disseminate information and to allow the peer mentoring of students before they arrive. Information relating to the above list can be stored in a department’s area within WebLearn and existing students can be quizzed on various aspects via a discussion forum or in a chat room.

Now that students receive their Oxford SSO credentials before they arrive, this can all be done in a secure area and not in the public gaze on social networking sites such as Facebook and My Space.

These comments relate to the JISC-funded Thema Project Executive Summary for the University of Oxford: http://tinyurl.com/themasummary .

Section 3: student’s use of digital technologies. Recommendations.

Content Provision in WebLearn

In relation to the institutional VLE, WebLearn, lecturers within the same course should:

• Provide students with the same “base level” of service (i.e. in making PowerPoint presentations, lecture notes and so forth available), even if they do not all use the other tools and features provided.

We would wholeheartedly support this recommendation. Remember there’s lots of training available for WebLearn.

Podcasting as a Revision Aid

In relation to the use of digital technologies in lectures and other classes, lecturers are
encouraged to:

• Consider the recording of lectures as podcasts to aid students’ revision, without fear that
  students will cease to attend lectures as a consequence.

There is a ‘Podcast’ tool within WebLearn, this allows podcasts to be uploaded and access restricted to site participants. Alternatively public podcasts can be hosted on the University’s public ‘Oxford Podcasts’ website (and on iTunesU) and re-used in WebLearn via the ‘News’ tool.

Reading Lists

In compiling students’ reading lists, lecturers should:

• Make photocopied study packs of print-based materials available where possible, subject to copyright restrictions and cost implications.

It should be pointed out here that the University’s CLA licence allows material to be scanned and hosted in WebLearn within ‘Resources’ on a course site. This will be more cost effective than producing reams of photocopies each year.

Support for Mobile Phones

The Erewhon project is enhancing WebLearn for use on Smartphones. This technology should be available in the 2010/11 academic year and lectures are encouraged to think how they may use the new functionality.

For Training Providers

When planning the delivery of training through the academic year, providers are encouraged to:

• Be mindful of students’ preference for “just-in-time” training.
• Consider the creation of online “refresher” guides to supplement face-to-face training.

Just-in-time training and refresher guides can be hosted within WebLearn. Think about recording lectures and hosting within WebLearn or on the Oxford Podcasts site.

We are planning a special ‘study skills’ area in WebLearn where generic training material can be deposited and used by students. Details to follow.

Links

• WebLearn Training and WebLearn Guidance
• Podcast tool, News Tool
• Oxford Podcasts and iTunesU
• CLA and copyright
• Erewhon project