Posters abstracts

A means to an end or the beginning of life-long skills: an investigation into the effect of using peer-reviewed, formative assessment online

Authors: Gillian Rose, Stella Whitton

• RATIONALE:

The Standards of Proficiency set by the Health Professions Council (HPC) require Speech and Language Therapists (SLTs) to be autonomous, to exercise professional judgement, to recognise the need for effective self-management, to work in partnership with others and to communicate effectively. Further, the ability to analyse and critically evaluate is essential for continuing registration with the regulatory body HPC.
A model of assessment was required that would provide a tool for developing the students’ pro-active participation in learning, analysing, evaluating and in giving feedback; skills that will be generalised in working practice in the future.
In the final year of the 3 year SLT BSc (Hons), students draw all their learning together to plan holistic, client-centred management. Prior to their final 15 week clinical experience, they are summatively assessed on their management planning in an open book exam. To prepare them for this, a formative peer-reviewed exercise, carried out on-line through the Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment (Moodle) used at Birmingham City University, was trialled.

• METHOD:

Students were allocated to a 3 person group. They were given each case data for one of 3 clients which they used to produce a management plan. These were then posted on a dedicated Moodle forum which was only viewable by the group members and their tutors. They were required to then evaluate each other’s submissions and give relevant, constructive feedback.
The submissions were monitored by the module team and then the students completed a an evaluation questionnaire.

• OUTCOMES & EVALUATION:

Of the 78 registered students, 74 submitted management plans. 57% (42) gave feedback to the other 2 members of their group, whilst 30% (22) only gave feedback to 1 other member. 10 students gave no feedback.
However, because of the group size, only 3 students received no feedback from their peers. Feedback from tutors was arranged for these instead. 62% (46) received feedback from both of the peers in their group and 34% (25) had feedback from one peer.
This activity was evaluated well by the students and staff. Comments were made about it supporting their learning and their preparation for the summative exam. Students expressed annoyance with those peers who had not completed all the required elements of the task. Most found it enjoyable, helpful and easy to complete. A full evaluation is in preparation.
It is envisaged that this task will continue to be used and the educational benefits will be shared with colleagues.

A Virtual Paediatric Intensive Care Unit – Preparation for reality?

Authors: Lisa Abbott, Carly Holmes

This project has explored the students’ perspective of how a Virtual Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (VPICU) prepares students for placement on a Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). The VPICU is a core part of module delivery for third year student Children’s Nurses undertaking the module ‘Care of the Critically Ill child’.
The Student Academic Partner Scheme (SAPS) has provided funding to enable this project to be successful, employing a student as an active member of the project, providing a service user insight into every part of the exploration. We decided to use the VOXUR Portable Film Studio to gain students views. This enables an interview to be pre recorded, students can then record their answers to the questions at their own pace, in privacy.
The SAP had a key role in developing interview questions and took the role of interviewer on the VOXUR itself. Eight interviews were conducted pre and post placement on PICU, this rich video data has then been thematically analysed. Furthermore, the video data itself contains some excellent ‘clips’ which will be used on Moodle as motivational hooks to entice students to keep engaging with the VPICU. Preliminary findings indicate that students value the exposure the VPICU provides, especially the equipment around the bedspace, the documentation, the view of the child and the flexibility of use.
This poster presentation will be of interest to those using virtual learning to prepare students for placements in any field, the main intended learning outcomes will be to see the VOXUR in action as a tool of feedback and to learn how students feel the Virtual Learning Environment prepares them for the reality of placement.

An Exploration of the Views and Perceptions of the Undergraduate e-Portfolio

Authors: M Marshall; J Carr; M Clark; H Hales; B Ilazi; F Li; A T Mohd-Amin,; J E Robinson; L Walker

The GMC (2009) has emphasized the importance of maintaining a portfolio in undergraduate medical training. Students at Sheffield Medical School have been using an e-portfolio for 6 years. This study aims to explore the views of students at different stages of the MBChB.

Following a review of the literature, a questionnaire was developed which included four sections and posted on Minerva (the medical school VLE). All students were invited to complete it anonymously.
Quantitative responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Qualitative data were thematically analyzed.
Two focus groups were conducted. Discussions were recorded, transcribed and a thematically analyzed.

276 (21%) students responded to the questionnaire and 19 students participated in the focus group discussions.
82% of students understood the need for an e-portfolio and 67% regarded reflection as beneficial to learning. Concerns were raised over whether the e-portfolio was assessed or monitored, the time taken to enter reflections and that the importance of reflective practice. The use of an e-portfolio was not fully understood by students until later years.
Five themes emerged from the focus groups: introduction and guidance; practicality; importance for later years; feedback; and reflection. Students from higher years are aware of the purpose but still do not engage. Students agreed that guidance on use should be given at more relevant times. There was a view that portfolios are important for future job applications, but a lack of agreement on approaches to feedback and whilst few students saw reflection as an obligation, others commented on difficulties expressing personal opinions during the process.

While there was some understanding of the need for the e-portfolio, implementation and guidance was considered to be inadequate. . This prompts for a timelier introduction and continuing guidance and support.

An on-line resource to support 1st year undergraduate students in the development of their practical laboratory skills

Authors: Julie Letchford

Blended learning can offer a solution to university courses limited by time, space and financial constraints. At the University of Bath, first year pharmacy and pharmacology undergraduates are required to take an introductory microbiology unit. One of the learning outcomes for this unit is that students learn basic laboratory skills. In order to achieve this learning outcome, four practicals are embedded within the unit, but their value has been limited because most students are poorly prepared for laboratory work and it is difficult to demonstrate key techniques to 40 students simultaneously.
This project sought to develop an on-line resource demonstrating fundamental techniques for use in conjunction with microbiology practicals. When combined with face-to-face learning, this resource aims to provide a blended approach to better support students in attaining practical laboratory skills which can then be built upon throughout the degree programme. Video is the main narrative but the resource is supplemented with text, tables, diagrams and photographs to promote learning. Content is made available on the intranet through a page-style CALWEB package whereby students can easily align on-line demonstrations with the appropriate practical and achieve the correct blend emphasis between face-to-face and virtual learning. This resource was aimed at students with little previous experience of microbiology practicals and was not compulsory to accommodate different student skills. Feedback was obtained through an anonymous evaluation form completed by 40 students. Students found the resource informative and well designed, and used it both for preparation and as a revision aid. Whilst it is difficult to quantitatively measure improved competence in laboratory skills in one student cohort, students who used the resource felt better prepared and as a class, they appeared better informed.
We would recommend blended learning to the health education sector for courses with a high practical content, large group sizes and variations in student skills.
References:
Littlejohn, A and Pegler, C. 2007. ‘Preparing for blended learning’ Routledge, London
Laurillard, D. 2002. ‘Rethinking University Teaching: A conversational framework for the effective use of learning technologies’ RoutledgeFalmer. London.

Anytime, anyplace anywhere: An e Journal Club for radiation therapists

Authors: David Eddy

Journal clubs are a way of maintaining awareness of current issues and developments, enhancing critical appraisal skills and providing a forum for discussion and debate. A study to ‘Investigate Journal Reading and Literature Searching Practices of Radiation Therapists’1 indicated a majority of respondents did not currently have, but would like access to a journal club. Following a successful pilot, an e-Journal Club (eJC) was established at Sheffield Hallam University primarily for radiation therapists (but to also include cancer nurses and physicists as key members of the multi-disciplinary team).

The aims of the eJC are to:
- provide support for practitioners keen to become more evidence based;
- provide learning materials to develop research expertise in literature searching and literature evaluation;
- develop or enhance critical appraisal skills;
- provide a framework for the sharing of knowledge and practice between research and clinical experts and practitioners with limited research or clinical experience, across departments, regions, countries and continents;
- empower cancer practitioners to design their own research questions that develop from reading current evidence and assessment of clinical need.
The eJC is hosted using a dedicated website via the pebblePAD e learning space. A peer reviewed journal article is posted on the site each month and eJC participants then review the article. This is linked to a scaffolded blog for participants to post thoughts, comments, reflections and queries about the article. Half way through the month, the e-journal facilitator posts their critique of the article for comment and feedback. At the end of the month, the e-Journal Facilitator produces a weaved summary of comments to review, recap and bring closure to the discussion prior to release of the next month's article.
This poster outlines the operational aspects of the eJC and reviews facilitator and participant experience of the first 9 months.

Comparative evaluation of online educational resource against traditional teaching and a blended approach in Obstetrics & Gynaecology

Authors: Naila Kamal, Robert Golding, Maria Toro-Troconis, Martin Lupton

E-learning has been utilized as a means of pedagogical transfer for many years. According to JISC/InfoNet, 2008, the use of e-learning for teaching improves satisfaction, retention and achievement. One of the challenges in designing such resources is to achieve the desired learning outcomes while providing an interactive learning environment. Blended learning programmes have proved very effective in delivering teaching and learning. The Metadata Analysis and Review of online learning studies carried out by the U.S. Department of Education in 2009, reported that studies contrasting blends of online and face to face teaching with conventional face to face teaching showed that blended instruction was more effective (Means et al, 2009).
Imperial College has invested in creating a state of the art online educational resource based upon the national Obstetrics & Gynaecology curriculum. This poster will introduce the interactive self-guided online module on Labour and Delivery which comprises of 3D animations, illustrations and ‘test of knowledge’ quizzes. The paper will also outline the results of a qualitative and quantitative evaluation contrasting the use of a section of this interactive module for learning with a traditional method of teaching. Statistical analysis shows E-Learning to be as effective in attaining learning outcomes as traditional method. Blended approach provided the most fulfilling learning experience compared to individual pedagogical methods when used in isolation. The study underlines the need for further work using larger cohort of participants to generate robust evidence.

Connecting Health Informatics with Clinical Education

Authors: Nicola Bartholomew

This poster summarises a project; undertaken in 2010, to explore the degree to which health informatics (HI) is currently embedded within undergraduate health care curricula in the West Midlands. A recent Department of Health (DH) consultation paper: Liberating the NHS: An information revolution (2010) identifies the need for national education in information standards due to the ongoing integration of clinical information systems in clinical practice; following the National Programme for IT.
The poster displays key results from this scoping project, and concludes that more could be done to raise awareness of HI and integrate it more fully into curriculum design. As a project output, self-directed e-learning resources are being generated through collaborations with DH, to support clinical educators in their delivery of HI topics. These DH resources will be accessible through open authoring software (GLO Maker) to enable educators to link and adapt the content to their own module learning outcomes and assessment. Initial staff and student evaluations of these resources from the authors own institution will be explained.
The poster will help to clarify the term ‘health informatics’ for educators as the project reveals that the term is generally misunderstood and that there is a shortage of expertise within health education programme teams. It will also offer educators solutions for effective and efficient integration of HI into curricula, thus meeting current demand. As the significance of health informatics is likely to increase within professional occupational standards, educators will be able to meet this agenda quickly and at minimal cost through the use of purpose built resources.

Digital stories: Using the authentic voice of Service Users and Carers to enhance the student experience

Authors: Maureen Readle, Jak Radice

Digital stories are being used at the University of Bradford as an innovative way to capture Service Users’ experiences to deepen Health and Social Care students’ understanding about living with different medical and social care issues. The stories complement the involvement of Service Users’ in the classroom, enabling their authentic voice to be heard and bridging the gap between theory and practice.
Digital stories enable students to take control of their learning and are flexible, reusable resources that can be accessed from anywhere via computer or mobile device. They are being used to enrich Bradton, a virtual community primarily developed by the School of Health Studies.
Evaluations of the impact of digital stories demonstrate that students show a deeper and wider understanding of the Service Users' experience. Given that the Service User is central to their future working life, this impacts on their approach to their learning and clinical practice.
This poster will provide a greater understanding of how creating digital stories can be used to enhance the learning experience. It will show that film making can be done cheaply and effectively - from audio recording and video capture to editing using a range of software.
An action research methodology was used to work out the most cost and time effective way to create the digital stories. The stories are recorded by the lecturer who works with the Service User and edited with the help of Learning Technologists.
This will benefit those interested in creating their own digital stories and those wishing to involve service users and carers more directly in the delivery of the curriculum: teachers, learning technologists, service users and carers, students.

e-SRH – a win, win, win! : describing a newly launched e-learning package as part of a postgraduate medical training programme in sexual health and its potential as a resource for multi professional training

Authors: Jennifer Heathcote

The Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare launched an innovative new training programme for the DFSRH (Diploma of the Faculty) in January 2010. The e-SRH is an interactive learning resource which forms the theoretical component of a blended learning package. It has been developed as part of the e-LfH initiative by the Department of Health and represents a major advance in standardising training, knowledge and clinical care.

This poster describes the ways in which the e-SRH is a win, win, win package to inspire others to think beyond the initial brief when developing e-learning tools:
- The interactive sessions and modules have all the advantages of distance learning and the e-SRH is free to access by all nhs employees. It was written by frontline clinicians working in the field of sexual health, doctors and nurses representing general practice and specialist services, and in collaboration with specialists from related fields. The poster will describe some of the ways that e-learning will help to resolve some of the problems with the previous DFSRH training route.
- The e-SRH was designed to be relevant for other learning needs – for CPD and up dating, to support other Faculty practical qualifications and for multi disciplinary use by other health professionals including nurses, pharmacists and youth workers. There have been some early indications that it may be used to support training in resource poor countries where training in contraception and sexual health is a high priority
- The Faculty was able to take advantage of major government investment in e-learning, so there was minimal development cost to Faculty
(a 4th win is the fact that the e-SRH has won an award for transforming learning and skills outcomes at the prestigious e-Government national awards for 2010 )

Experiences from the first year of our blended learning Bachelor of Nursing Science (BNS) Degree programme in Dublin City University (DCU)

Authors: Mary Rose Sweeney, Melissa Corbally, Sandra O Neill, Mary Kelly, Mary Kirwan, Susan Hourican, Anne Matthews, Aoife Moran, Anthony Staines, Anne Kirwan, Pamela Henry.

The School of Nursing (SON) at DCU offered a new blended learning Bachelor of Nursing Studies (BNS) programme in the academic year 2010-2011. The new BNS is a blended learning programme, combining online learning methods, with Moodle Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) and face-to-face tutorials.

• Aim:

To document the experiences of the academic team making the transition from a face-to-face classroom delivered programme to the new blended learning format.

• Method:

Eight staff involved in the programme were asked to describe their experiences of developing the new programme via two focus groups.

• Results:

Initial apprehension and anxiety about the new audio/visual methods to be employed were identified as barriers to making the transition as well as the tight timeline and the existing heavy workloads of staff. Trying to get 24 weeks material ready to put up on moodle all at once proved a mammoth task. In the end most staff only managed to put up 6 weeks advance material. Very few students made contact with the academic staff on-line and mostly they saved up all their queries for the next tutorial. The face to face tutorial component was identified as very important to most students because they got to meet their lecturers and the issue of peer support emerged very strongly here also. Huge reservations about whether elearning was facilitating plagiarism were expressed. Mostly the essential reading recommended was not available on-line so hard-copy text books had to be bought by students instead.

• Discussion:

In the field of nursing elearning is a new and emerging field which will require huge cultural shifts for staff and students alike. The general consensus that is that the blended learning approach seemed to be very valuable incorporating the best of face to face delivery and elearning resources. We should not become too pure about it and insist on everything being elearned, otherwise we might be throwing the baby out with the bath water.
Address for correspondence: maryrose.sweeney@dcu.ie – Lead Investigator.

External resources and OERs: enriching learning or quality risk? The Dynamic Learning Maps approach

Authors: Simon Cotterill, Paul Horner, John Peterson, Suzanne Hardy, Gordon Skelly, Tony McDonald

The Internet offers a wealth of resources with which students can supplement their learning, including an increasing volume of high quality Open Educational Resources (OERs). However, since the early days of the Web there have been concerns over the variable quality and currency of information. This paper addresses these issues and describes how we have implemented the facility to add, rate, tag and comment on external resources within Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM), which are navigable maps of the curriculum developed as part of a recent JISC funded project.
Students and staff can add links to resources (Web sites, videos, images etc.), and tag them to topics in the DLM map (teaching sessions, specialties, anatomy, diseases etc.). Information about resources enhances the DLM search facility, which takes account of connections between topics and resources e.g. titles often contain abbreviations and common/alternative terminology; these are then semantically associated with terms used in the formal curriculum/taxonomy. External resources are clearly differentiated from curriculum content and can be rated, and commented on. URLs are periodically verified and broken links are eventually removed.
In focus groups we found that some staff had reservations about quality of resources. Rating helps address these, with good quality resources rising to the ‘top of the list’. Students (69%) are already making extensive use of external resources for learning, it is hoped that displaying these in DLM will give teachers a better insight into these.
We have ‘seeded’ DLM with links to quality resources, such as NHS Evidence, Map of Medicine and Patient-UK. We are now investigating how OERs and associated licensing information, from reputable sources such as Jorum, might be automatically ‘harvested’ and ‘aggregated’ in topics within DLM. We will describe progress in this promising area and outline challenges faced, which will be of interest to others using OERs.

From theory to practice: The use of mobile technology as clinical support for radiography students

Authors: Jodi Mirza, Chris O’ Reilly

Advances in technology have seen some novel and exciting ways of using mobile technology within the higher education setting. Podcasts are increasingly being used to facilitate students’ learning and provide materials in a more accessible manner. Palmer and Devitt (2007) have suggested that a difficulty with podcasts is that they require students to access the materials via iTunes or by setting up a podcast server, which mainly depends on the institution’s network. Problems with the institutions network can delay students’ access to materials. This current study creates an opportunity for students to access course material independently of a network at a time and place that suits them. 39 first year radiography students from the University of Derby were given iPods pre–loaded with video demonstrations specific to their taught modules. Students filled in a questionnaire about their expectations of using this style of technology as a learning tool before being given the iPods. Students were also asked to participate in focus groups a few weeks after having the iPods and again after being sent out on their first placement. Students in the second and third years of this course will be given a questionnaire about the usefulness of the iPod. Results from initial questionnaires indicate that students feel very positive towards this type of learning and expected to fully engage with the technology. Follow up focus groups indicate that the students found the iPods very useful and felt that the iPods and accessibility of the course specific content facilitated them in independent learning. Early indications from the first focus group suggest that students feel there is a perceived lack of professionalism using the iPods within the hospital setting, which may hinder the extent to which the students engage with the technology. Qualitative analysis of post placement focus groups and second/third year questionnaires is ongoing and will be reported.

Getting Digital Content into a Physical Handout

Authors: Tim Goodchild

Handouts are ubiquitous in higher education, and increasingly, “handouts” are being delivered to students via a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). These ‘digital’ handouts often either replicate paper based handouts or use the popular method of placing PowerPoint presentation (Adams, 2008) available for download for students. It is felt that this method of supporting face to face sessions and providing extra learning for students as a handout misses the potential of digital content and online possibilities. This pilot study uses a short physical handout at the end of a lecture which uses QR codes. These enable the physical handout to become an interactive “electronic-handout”. Students will be able receive audio/video, presentations, and extra activities direct to their mobile devices. QR codes are a 2D graphical image similar to a barcode, that can provide links to web content (text, image, audio, video), or enable an action by a mobile device such as send or receive an SMS (Ramsden & Roper 2008). During and after a lecture students can use their mobile device (phones, iPods and laptops) to scan QR code’s so they can instantly download the relevant digital content or the presentation being given direct to their own mobile devices.
The QR codes and “digital-handouts” are being been piloted within a nursing “Anatomy and Physiology” module during early 2011. An initial survey indicates that over three quarters of students have mobile devices capable of using QR codes. Full evaluation will take place via a survey and also a group face to face evaluation. Participating staff will also be part of the full evaluation. It is envisaged that this pilot study will lead into further developments in this area. Results will be available for the conference This poster will also use QR codes to demonstrate how they can be used to conference attendee’s.
References:
- Adams, C.A. (2008) PowerPoint’s Pedagogy. Phenomenology & Practice, Volume 2, No. 1. pp63-79
- Ramsden, A. & Roper, M. (2008) Developing the use of QR codes in Teaching & Learning at University of Bath. mLearn 2008. Available at: http://go.bath.ac.uk/lp5h

Introducing an ePortfolio-based model of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) to first year pharmacy undergraduates

Authors: Alan Hindle

The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has recently begun the process of inviting registrants to formally submit records of their CPD for the purposes of ongoing registration. However, previous studies within the United Kingdom indicate that while pharmacists have positive attitudes towards CPD, barriers to its uptake exist. This work would benefit any healthcare educator with an interest in CPD and eLearning. It briefly reviews the literature on portfolios and ePortfolios including their advantages, pedagogy and barriers to successful implementation. It then describes the introduction of a model that utilises the pebblePAD™ ePortfolio system to inculcate CPD skills in a cohort of first year pharmacy undergraduates; whilst also attempting to overcome some of the pitfalls associated with ePortfolio use.
Using a structured pebblePAD™ webfolio template, learners were requested to submit a formative ePortfolio. A mock assessment exercise and semi-structured student evaluation survey was used to examine learner engagement; the adequacy of the support provided; the suitability of both the model and the overall pebblePAD™ framework for guiding reflection; and the feasibility of a proposed criterion-based assessment rubric.
The pebblePAD™ system and its guided reflective entry format appears to have supported learners in their development of CPD skills. However, the importance of clarifying the purpose of portfolios and their relevance to CPD; and of implementing appropriate support systems has been highlighted. This ePortfolio activity has since been expanded to include the use of examplars and additional formative feedback opportunities. Simplifying assessment rubrics such that they not only assess process but so that reflection is viewed holistically may enhance inter-rater reliability. However, in the earlier stages of a healthcare course, the opportunity to foster lifelong learning skills and inculcate appropriate CPD practice could outweigh any disadvantages associated with reduced assessment reliability.

Edinburgh Napier University (2010) Learning, Teaching & Assessment Strategy 2010 -2015 Edinburgh

Online workshop in preparation for a laboratory practical

Authors: Pedro Barra

Student’s performance in laboratory practicals is often hampered by their lack of revision of the practical handout prior to the practical session. This often results in a delayed start of work. In addition, students struggle with mathematical calculations. This project aims to: 1) prepare the students for a practical; 2) improve the students’ experience of assessment and feedback using web-based and educational technologies; 3) extend students’ skills of using the latter services. It involved the conversion of a classroom based practical tutorial into an online workshop with instant feedback on a 2nd semester, 1st year BSc Nutrition module with 32 students. Available via the university’s Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), the online workshop introduced the practical and the calculations that students had to do prior to and on the day of the practical in order to successfully complete the lab work and write a report. Students were tested via a series of exercises that provided them with instant feedback, sometimes in the form of videos, thus facilitating self-assessment and learning at their own pace. The immediacy of feedback was one of its main benefits. This online workshop also had the added bonus of allowing for completion at a time and place of their choice. The VLE allowed for tracking workshop completion plus lecturer’s capacity for checking students’ answers. It is hoped the formative workshop feedback will improve performance in subsequent assessments (“feedback loop”). Students will complete an evaluation survey at the end of the module and report upon the online workshop effectiveness. This workshop should continue to be used in subsequent years incorporating the feedback provided by students this year. It is hoped that those involved in teaching laboratory sessions will consider the ideas of this small project in their professional contexts to improve student’s experience of practical laboratory sessions.

Preparation of students in an online Virtual Paediatric Intensive Care Unit

Authors: Lisa Abbott

The Virtual Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (VPICU) is an innovative, highly interactive, online learning tool developed using the Virtual Case Creator (VCC). The VCC has been developed by Birmingham City University to enable the creation of online scenarios situated in an authentic practice context.
The VPICU was developed for third year pre-registration child branch students as part of the ‘Care of the Critically Ill child’ module. It represents the real world of practice allowing students to practice skills in a safe and non-threatening environment. It aims to introduce and familiarise the student to the PICU environment prior to placement, to facilitate a structured patient assessment and to provide students the opportunity to self evaluate.
Our VPICU patient is Daisy Lewis, a two year old girl who is one day post cardiac surgery. Daisy is ventilated, receiving multiple infusions and has various monitoring devices in place. Daisy’s bed space contains a variety of hotspots and a drop down menu which are supported with a wealth of information sources including: a video handover, fluid and observation charts, web links, results charts and video demonstrations.
Feedback from focus groups indicates that students believe the VPICU has enabled them to develop in a variety of ways. Students reported increased levels of motivation to undertake extra work within the VPICU to support learning, and considered themselves to be better prepared for their high dependency placement. They also reported an increase in confidence in clinical skills, particularly in relation to patient assessment. Finally students expressed how much they valued the flexible learning opportunities the VPICU offered.
This poster presentation will be of interest to those using virtual learning environments to enhance learning experiences, the main intended learning outcomes will be to see the VPICU in action and experience this exciting method of learning.

Successful online learning: a win-win project ticking different boxes for different stakeholders

Authors: Nick Jenkins

Pressure for increasingly efficient service delivery meant that face-to-face teaching time for junior doctors was being squeezed. European Working Time Directive meant that fewer doctors were available at each teaching session. Educators and trainees felt that, at best, the intended curriculum was being delivered in a haphazard way - but many juniors missed significant components of core Emergency Medicine training.
By introducing “off-the-shelf” online learning (already developed and freely available from College of Emergency Medicine and Doctors.net.uk), I was able to direct trainees to modules which I felt covered “core knowledge”, but also allow them to pick others from a comprehensive list which complemented their prior learning.
The modules provided an opportunity for trainees to engage in regular learning encounters. Trainers were able to have confidence in the quality of the educational product whilst not requiring multiple face-to-face teaching sessions between senior clinicians and small groups of trainees.
Feedback is extremely positive. Trainees enjoy being able to tailor their learning to their own specific needs, and the weekly face-to-face sessions developed an additional “surgery” aspect where questions arising from online learning can be readily addressed. In one Trust, this educational innovation was a key component of changes which removed the threat of withdrawal of training accreditation.
Trainees reported additional benefit in having a certificate generated on successful completion of each module. This enabled them to demonstrate engagement in appropriate learning activities to clinical and educational supervisors.
This poster will show how straightforward it is to translate my experience in two different Emergency Departments into many other environments and will interest all those who have the responsibility to square the circles of education and service delivery in a tightening economic climate.

Teachers are often the forgotten users of modern VLEs(compared to students & administrators)

Authors: Gordon Skelly, John Moss, Tony McDonald

Teachers are assumed to be providers and not consumers of content. However with varied and significant demands for information to support their teaching they are in reality one of the most demanding user groups for a VLE. A few years back Newcastle University developed a Learning Support Environment (LSE) for its undergraduate MB BS programme. Although it is well established in the faculty, it was designed specifically to aid and enhance the students learning experience.
Enhancing the teacher’s teaching experience within the MB BS programme at Newcastle is the primary purpose of the Teaching Support Environment (TSE). It is a web-based system that focuses on many unique teaching/teaching support roles. Launched as a pilot service on 31st August 2010 the TSE makes extensive use of ‘Portlets’ to provide customisable and timely views on existing data that sensitive to each user roles within the curriculum. Understanding where to get this data and how it’s managed is critical to the TSE, and a top priority, to ensure that the system captures as many unique teaching/teaching support roles and requirements that exist within the MB BS programme.
Teaching staff have a quick one stop tool for accessing:
- current tutees contact and communication tools ,
- update to date student profiles based on individual seminar teaching groups,
- collaborative staff forum tools based on special interest groups,
- personalised course timetable agendas ,
- teacher support resources,
- and relevant curriculum map information.
The aim of this poster is to demonstrate how the TSE makes effective use of existing data (including regional influences such as Hospitals, Trusts, Clinical settings, etc.) to support both formal and occasional teachers online.

Teaching medical students to generate their own pedagogic projects in Flash. Efficiencies in generating learning materials

Authors: Dr. Harry Witchel

Among Student Selected Components (SSCs) in a medical school, one set of popular topics involves teaching; animated “movies” made with Flash can be valuable as teaching objects because: they can show how objects move in 3 dimensions, they can highlight change over time, they can have sound, they are interactive, and they can provide feedback. This poster will explain a short course (7-8 weekly one-hour sessions) in which students are introduced to Flash, they are immediately able to make very simple (but rewarding) animations on their own, they are taught visual elements to define “regions of interest”, “storyboarding” (telling a story in pictures, including “shot choice”), and very simple Flash interactions. This course develops attitudes among the students concerning how pedagogy (and memory and attention) work, and makes students think how “physiology is function in motion”. Learning materials for teaching the basics of Flash are provided (i.e. a set of tutorials, which are shown in class and then exercises are done in a computer learning suite). This course ends with students clearly learning a skill. As electronic learning materials become more widespread, student-developed e-learning materials may have a role in focusing teaching to where students see issues as well as increasing efficiencies given limited staff time.

Intended Learning Outcomes:
- Delineate when animations and Flash add value to teaching and learning
- Generate ideas for having students create their own Flash learning materials

Attendees: SSC leaders who are comfortable with computer programmes (or who know Flash), Instructors interested in student-generated e-learning materials.

The impact of online formative feedback on learning

Authors: Liz Carpenter, John Dermo

The positive impact of appropriate and timely feedback on learning is undisputed and automated immediate feedback can be a key benefit of e-assessment. The question remains whether the use of online multiple choice questions and related formats can provide appropriate feedback of sufficient quality to enhance learning. We therefore evaluated the impact of a feedback-rich online formative e-assessment in human biology to address this question. The e-assessment was created using Questionmark Perception and was delivered to our Foundation Year in Medicine/Clinical Sciences in a purpose-built thin client technology e-assessment suite. Subsequently, the e-assessment was made available via the Virtual Learning Environment where students had unlimited attempts and could view the feedback as frequently as they wished leading up to their summative assessment in human biology.
Our poster shows the outcomes of both quantitative and qualitative evaluation of this educational intervention, including the effect on student progress and whether this differed from traditional tutor-based feedback. It also outlines student perceptions of this type of feedback-rich formative e-assessment and demonstrates student access patterns in the period between the formative and summative assessments. Moreover, it analyses the effectiveness of the various ways in which students used the feedback and how this affected performance in the summative assessment.
This poster will be of interest to anyone using formative and summative e-assessments within medical and veterinary education. Our results show that online automated feedback is as good as traditional tutor-based feedback and may represent a significant efficiency saving that can enhance the student experience while maintaining quality. We have rolled out this type of online feedback-rich formative e-assessment across many of our modules and we are currently developing topic-based (rather than question-based) feedback to enhance the learning experience further which may also represent a means to deliver automated feedback on summative e-assessments for the future.

The Use of a Web Based Logbook to Introduce Competency Based Training in Andrology

Authors: Dr Kate Whittington

Semen analysis is performed by many different laboratories across the UK. Provision of training has historically been uncontrolled resulting in wide variation in the results generated. With the formation of a professional body for andrology (Association for Biomedical Andrologists – ABA) in 2004 there was a need to provide standardised training. This poster documents the how the ABA introduced an ‘eLogbook’ training scheme utilizing problem based learning and focusing on attainment of knowledge and practical competencies. Competencies were identified in response to a Department of Health (2001) project to create National Occupational Standards (NOS). A logbook style of work was developed with the premise that it be completed whilst trainees undertook their normal work. Factual material was provided by suitable references. Practical exercises were developed that illustrated the range of methods available. By comparing recommended methods to common alternatives we hoped critical analysis of methodologies and their results would be encouraged. Support was provided by means of an on-site supervisor, the trainee’s line manager. In addition the ABA provided a mentor who provided guidance and support. Although opportunities for self-reflection and formative feedback were included in the logbook, summative assessment was necessary to provide certification of competency. Completed logbooks were reviewed by the ABA’s executive committee and compared with model answers. Trainees also attended an oral examination. To date 61 trainees have enrolled on this training programme with 39 completed logbooks submitted and 8 trainees withdrawing. 32 of the submitted logbooks were considered competent. Of the 7 logbooks considered below standard, 4 trainees have revised and resubmitted their work and illustrated competency. Whilst some improvements can be made our view is that this style of training is an improvement over didactic short courses, especially for vocational roles.

The use of videos with voice-overs for providing instant feedback for formative online assessments

Authors: Pedro Barra

Instant feedback facilitates self-assessment and learning at student’s own pace. The immediacy of feedback is one of its main benefits. The aim of this project was to improve students’ experience of assessment and feedback using educational technologies. This involved the conversion of a tutored directed learning (TDL)/workshop session with limited student engagement into an online formative test. Upon completion, students were provided with instant feedback in the form of videos with voiceovers available via the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). This took place on a 1st semester, 1st year BSc Nutrition module with 32 students. In previous years, only a minority of students came to see the lecturer for feedback and it was not possible to check who did the workshop. This year, all students did the workshop (some more than once). The VLE allowed for tracking workshop completion and access to feedback videos was also tracked. In addition, students’ answers could be checked via the VLE. The mark for the section in the test relevant to the workshop increased, on average, by 10% over the previous year (however, this improvement needs to be confirmed over more than 1 year). Students completed an evaluation survey at the end of the module on which they reported the usefulness of the online workshop. The online workshop also had the added bonus of allowing for completion at a time and place of a student’s choice plus repetition of test and/or listening to feedback. Feedback from this workshop was used to help develop an online practical workshop in semester 2. This workshop will continue to be used in subsequent years incorporating students’ feedback. It is hoped that those involved in teaching will consider the ideas of this small project in their professional contexts to augment the opportunities for instant feedback to facilitate student’s learning.

Transforming the student experience: Learning through simulation

Authors: Mick Harper

The process of apprenticeship learning for health professionals is necessary but can belie patient care in that, whilst practicing on patients the central focus can shift from care of the patient, to the opportunistic learning experience that the patient may offer. Recent Chief Medical Officer reports have recognized the significance of learning in simulation for all medical staff and there are projects being undertaken throughout England to scope the simulation resources currently in use and to establish sustainability of such resources to ensure availability for clinical staff and students.
Simulation is a developing method of student learning and encourages a repertoire of knowledge and skills, self-efficacy as well as proficiency and goes some way to addressing the inequality of placement learning alone and the difficulties of learning within a social environment where apprenticeship alone is no longer an accepted method of learning.
This presentation will discuss 3rd year PhD data that defines simulation within the teaching, learning and assessment of such health professionals as Paramedic and Operating Department Practice students and how altering the process and methods of curriculum delivery by early use of simulation can accelerate knowledge, ability and decision making by unlearning poor practice prior to placement and embedding the highest standards and memories through the use of simulation for the students to rely on whilst in placement.
Following a phenomenographic tradition the data includes extensive analysis of student and clinical manager interviews that highlight a perspective of students feeling that they have to learn two ways of doing things, the placement way and the HEI way, in order to pass their course. Technologies that have been used within this research include hi fidelity simulation manikins and contextual learning environments to encourage deep learning of complex clinical knowledge and the application of that knowledge into clinical practice.
Simulation however, is not without it’s draw backs and this research discusses the pedagogic methods of addressing such problems including:
- Covert sensitization (stress inoculation)
- The Adrenaline Gap
- Reactive Immersion
- Pro-active Submersion
- Socialisation of students to the professions
- Learning to pass vs learning to perform
- Simulation: prejunct or adjunct?
Those that engage with this poster will be students, educators and patients (which we could all be) and will be able to discuss educational and psychology theory that embeds itself in clinical learning as well as problems encountered with clinical learning and how they might be addressed. To date this work has been evaluated and scrutinized by a major review PhD panel and a separate strand of the data has just been published in a peer reviewed professional journal.

Using Communities of Practice in Online Nursing Education

Authors: Pamela Henry, Melissa Corbally

This poster summarises a Community Of Practice developed in 2010 used as part of an online top up nursing degree programme in Ireland. Communities of Practice (COP) are recognised as effective frameworks for online learning (Gunawardena et al 2009), and are identified as a key activity under partnership networks for nursing by the World Health Organisation (WHO, 2011, p.18). COP facilitate the creation of resources to provide a framework for situated student learning and offer opportunities for collaboration. Previous online resources offered to students in the School of Nursing (SON) were predominantly using associationist and constructivist learning approaches. For example the Virtual Learning Environment Moodle presented theoretical material to students using a structured sequential approach with resources such as MS PowerPoint with linked assessment and feedback routines such as chat forums. Moving forward with the online approach both on and off campus lecturers in SON are now expanding upon their teaching brief to engage with students in a COP using virtual patients aligned to module learning outcomes.
This poster will present an overview of virtual patients who will comprise of a blend of differing Web 2.0 technologies including social media and will complement existing learning infrastructures within DCU. By delivering online programmes including the perspectives of associationist, cognitive, and situative learning, it is anticipated that students will experience a richer online learning environment based on the three main behavioural frameworks i.e. learning as a skill, learning to achieve understanding and learning as part of a social practice (Mayes and deFreitas, 2004). The Universities Colleges Information Systems Association survey suggests cultural changes in how lecturers engage in teaching and learning activity is important in the development of online curricula in spite of dwindling resources (UCISA, 2010 p.8). This poster will present how one academic institution is capitalising on existing research and using limited resources to achieve a quality online enhanced learning experience for students.

Using technology as an innovative means to assess anatomy

Authors: Sandra Robertson, Fiona Kennedy, Moyra Muir

During the MSc Occupational Therapy (pre-reg) programme re-approval event of a Scottish University in March 2009, the need for a more robust means of assessing anatomy was highlighted. This provided a valuable opportunity to explore innovative methods of assessment using technology (Russell, 2006).
Working under exam conditions and seated at individual PC’s, students access a video clip of an everyday activity in order that they can undertake an activity and movement analysis. The video clip can be paused and re-played as often as required, thus enabling students to work at their own pace.
The intended learning outcome for students using this method of assessment is to promote deep, contextualised learning as opposed to surface learning and memorization (Biggs & Tang, 2007). Providing students with an individual video clip enables them to take control over the assessment as far as possible, aiming to reduce stress and facilitate a less threatening assessment environment. There are many benefits for the students in engaging in this type of assessment including the practical benefits of simulating a real life environment and the development of observational skills, activity analysis and problem solving skills (Gossman et al, 2007); all of which help to prepare students for the practice environment.
The implications for healthcare education are that the assessment is relevant to occupational therapy education and is appropriate to the context of practice. The assessment enables students to demonstrate knowledge of anatomy by applying this knowledge to engagement in activities of daily living. The benefits so far are that there has been a high pass rate and there appears to have been a depth of learning however further evaluation of the module is ongoing.

Biggs, J, & Tang, C. 2007. Teaching for Quality Learning at University. Third Edition. Open University Press.
Gossman, P, Stewart, T, Jaspers, M & Chapman, B. 2007. Integrating web-delivered problem-based learning scenarios to the curriculum. Active Learning in Higher Education. 8 (2).
Russell, J, Elton, L, Swinglehurst, D & Greenhalgh, T. 2006. Using the online environment in assessment for learning: a case-study of a web-based course in primary care. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education. Vol. 31, No. 4, August 2006, pp. 465 – 478.

Using the University's VLE to Provide Information Support for Midwifery Students at the University of Bedfordshire

Authors: Averil Robertson

This poster will describe the use of the University of Bedfordshire’s Virtual Learning Environment to develop a one-stop-shop for information resources and help in developing information skills for Midwifery students. The resource was developed because information skills sessions were not routinely organized for midwifery students at every level. The librarian, while continuing to pursue the possibility of regular information skills classes, decided to develop a resource that would give the students easy access to collections of, for example, online resources grouped by subject; current awareness services; practical worksheets and online resources to help students develop their information skills; links to key government publications; and so on.
This poster might be of interest to staff at institutions where it is difficult to arrange information skills teaching sessions. It could also serve to inform teaching staff of the sort of resource that can be provided by librarians, or in collaboration with them. The resource has been evaluated by looking at statistics on its use as well as by obtaining feedback from students.

Utilising Twitter as a Community of Learning within Nurse Education

Authors: James Hewitt

Nurse lecturers are reliant on Web 1.0 asynchronous cyber-technology such as e-mail and virtual learning environments in which interaction between students, their peers and the teaching staff could be regarded as inflexible and slow. Web2.0 synchronous cyber-technology allows the participants to create the contents of what is learned, enabling the teacher to guide the students toward a mutual learning goal.
Twitter is now the 3rd largest social networking website, and becoming incredibly popular within the student population. Therefore, does this growing platform have a role in enhancing the student nurses learning experience, by creating a community of learning? Web 2.0 technologies can assist student nurses in communication, collaboration and research (Phillippi & Buxton, 2010). Weblogs such as Twitter can be used to broadcast opinions and salient contents of the students’ curriculum from the lecturer, this can lead to the interaction between groups of students, such as discussing issues of the taught content and experiences whilst in practice (Ebner et al, 2010). The numerous applications on Twitter can foster blending learning, providing an informal area to facilitate learning / increase engagement in the learnt content / dissemination of knowledge / collaboration in practice or problem based learning / reinforcement of learning and practice – an area for reflection (Andrew et al, 2008).
Web 2.0 promotes an anthropological learning structure, with learning rising from participation within a wider social network (Lave & Wenger, 1991), the Twitter platform develops a community of learning and subsequently a community of practice, sharing each other experiences.
This poster will critically identify the many aspects that are involved whilst implementing Twitter as a community of learning within a cohort of student nurses. It will identify the many aspects such as ethical and legal aspects through whilst participating and the pedagogical monitoring required within this bidirectional communication platform.
Delegates are invited to join in further discussion on Twitter: @jiMMUni / #nurseteaching

Virtual 3D Vocational Assessment within an Undergraduate Radiotherapy Degree

Authors: Mark Holland, Nick White

Vocational pre-registrant courses within the health professions generally consist of a dual combination of academic and clinical components. All too often, students’ perceive these two components as discrete entities, and academic and clinical staff have tried to implement various strategies over the years to try and bridge this recognised divide, often with varied success1. In order to try and improve this ongoing problem, the Department of Radiography at Birmingham City University has implemented dedicated “skills simulation” activities throughout its BSc (Hons) radiotherapy programme, with the Virtual Environment for Radiotherapy (VERT) being used extensively for clinical skills training that takes place within a simulate virtual reality space. The VERT is a fully immersive three-dimensional system that replicates actual clinical machinery and radiotherapy treatment techniques, using captivating imagery and physical interface tools in order to achieve this. A portion of the simulation activities on the VERT are focused on the process of clinical assessment within a virtual setting, with students able to both practice, and be assessed upon common clinical techniques. Following feedback from this process, various themes have emerged. Students’ felt that the virtual assessment enabled them to develop their clinical skills and abilities within a safe, pressure free environment, and gave them additional time to integrate academic theory with clinical application. Although still very much in its formative phase, it is felt that the application of this system for more complex methods of radiotherapy clinical assessment would be a logical progression to furthering the students’ clinical abilities and applied understanding. However, it is appreciated there are limitations to areas of practical and cognitive learning within this interface, in particularly in relation to the sociological and psychological communication aspects of clinical patient care.
Reference:
1. Gaba D.M. The future vision of simulation in health care. (2004) Quality and Safety in Healthcare S.1; i2-i10

nursingpodcast@edinburghnapier

Authors: Jacqueline Nicol, Karen Campbell, Karen Strickland

Abstract:
Podcasting project targeting key stages of the three-year undergraduate nursing programme in provision of initial, articulating, and completing support.
This podcasting project was developed in response to the National Student Survey (NSS) ( 3rd year nursing students) and internal audits of the 3 year nursing programme, (final report due in June 2010), to offer specific ‘just in time’ support for adult nursing undergraduate students. The podcasts were viewed as part of a number of strategies used to respond to the issues from the NSS.
The main aim of the project is to achieve the goal of “using learning technology appropriately to provide more student focus and improved communication in the design, delivery and support of the curriculum” (Edinburgh Napier University 2010 p.3). The project has actively engaged students in developing the podcasts to provide support from the student’s perspective.
The project targeted students in the September cohorts who are entering 1st, 2nd and 3rd year studies. The podcasts include 1st, 2nd and 3rd year students from the cohorts who had just completed the trimester, offering hints and tips of what they feel are useful to students at week 2,6 and 9 of the theory trimester. Other examples of the podcasts comprise pastoral support, essay tips and mitigating circumstances to name a few.
This will allow the team to assess the impact of podcasting as a means of support for students who are entering University for the first time, articulating from other further education institutions, continuing students and those in the final year of studies. This poster will present the project aims, provide an overview of the ‘just in time’ support delivered via the podcasts and report on the progress of the project. This project has been funded by a Teaching Fellows Development Grant.

Edinburgh Napier University (2010) Learning, Teaching & Assessment Strategy 2010-2015 Edinburgh