A Wolf in Sheep���s Clothing? An analysis of student engagement with virtual learning environments.

The article is freely available on-line via The Higher Education Academy website.The growth in the use of virtual learning environments to support learning and teaching should be accompanied by research to examine their effectiveness. The aim of this study was twofold: a) To explore the views, opinions and experiences of student engagement or non-engagement in online learning activities; b) To use this knowledge to develop learning and teaching strategies that enhance student engagement with online learning activities. Focus groups were conducted with students studying leisure and tourism degree programmes to explore reasons for usage and non-usage of the online activities in the Wolverhampton Online Learning Framework (WOLF). Results identified issues related to student awareness, motivation, behaviour and learning approaches, assessment and technical factors. Findings from the study have implications for practice, including how to enhance the relevance of information, technical factors, enhancing awareness and links with assessment

Management of e-learners: some implications for practitioners

Report of a CELT project on supporting students through innovation and researchInformation technologies have played a leading role in supporting many recent changes in teaching and learning approaches in Higher Education. Contemporary innovation finds information technology (IT) at the heart of Higher Education transformation. The opportunities afforded by these learning technologies are well documented in popular academic literature. They point to new applications of the latest communication technologies. However, they also bring with them a host of new questions and challenges. The management of e-learners is likely to be part of a more far-reaching organisational change. Where learning technologies are introduced, a layer of technical complexity is added. The redesign of business processes and structures is far from simple ‘technical’ matter. It involves significant social redesign. The extent to which enabling technology has driven the shift towards learner-centred learning in all educational contexts is a matter of debate. As the century turns, establishing the acceptance, let alone the effectiveness and quality of technology-mediated learning, is still seriously problematic (Salmon, 1999). However, the suitability of information and communication technology (ICT) as a means of encouraging self-directed learning is not in doubt, nor that the role of the tutor is changing to ‘guide on the side’: a facilitator not transmitter, of information (Marchmont, 2000). This paper reports findings of a single case study at Wolverhampton Business School. Qualitative data was collected through structured and unstructured interviews with learners and tutors on Business Administration Award. A total of 20 learners and 5 tutors form the basis of the findings

Critical questions for WOLF: an evaluation of the use of a VLE in the teaching and assessment of English Studies

Centre of Excellence in Learning and Teachin

Student perceptions of the value of Turnitin text-matching software as a learning tool

The University of Wolverhampton has been using Turnitin as a teaching aid with groups of students since 2007, but in 2011 changed its policy to encourage student access on a formative basis across the institution. In one School, 748 students undertaking final year undergraduate projects were invited to check multiple drafts via Turnitin before the final deadline. Use of the software was monitored, and students were invited to express their views on its value as a learning tool. Uptake was substantially higher where Turnitin was introduced within a module than through extra-curricular workshops. The number of draft resubmissions was greater than that reported in other studies. Most participants thought that despite certain limitations Turnitin was helpful in learning about appropriate source use, and wished it had been introduced earlier in their degree course. Given that the participants were in their sixth undergraduate semester, a surprisingly high number expressed anxiety regarding the risk of unintentional plagiarism

Understanding lecturers' use of Virtual Learning Environments to support face-to-face teaching in UK Higher Education

Many institutions of higher education in the UK have invested in Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs). The main reason appears to be the enhancement of teaching and learning. This thesis sought to understand what was meant by enhancement and this thesis provides a richer picture of actual VLE use than that offered by surveys and user numbers. It concludes that the idea of enhancement comes from the association of Web and Internet-based technology (on which VLEs are built) with the creation of student-centred learning environments. This is important because of research showing a correlation between higher quality learning outcomes and a deep approach to learning and between a surface approach to learning and a teacher-focused approach to teaching. The focus of this research is the individual lecturer in face-to-face higher education. The aim was to investigate whether VLEs were being used to support student-centred teaching methods. This research took the form of an interview study that began by exploring whether and how VLEs were used. The pilot study helped re-focus the interview questions and clarify what was meant by student-centred teaching methods. 31 humanities and social science lecturers, from ten higher education institutions, were interviewed for the main study, in order to explore why and how a VLE was used and to identify contextual factors that impacted on that use. They were also asked to complete the Approaches to Teaching Inventory (ATI). Reasons for use were classified as original motivation (interest and pressure) and intended use (course management and the facilitation of learning). Four sets of issues were identified as impacting on use: student, technical, pedagogic and institutional. The ATI scores suggested that interviewees were more student- than teacher-focused in approach and therefore more likely to adopt student-centred methods. An analysis of comments from four selected transcripts confirmed this

Developing an e-portfolio based pedagogy for work-based learners

In this thesis I explore the use of an e-portfolio as the framework for a pedagogy for work-based learners, in particular for those employed in small to medium sized enterprises; a group of potential learners that are recognised as having potential difficulties in accessing higher education. I analyse the reasons for targeting this group of learners, with particular reference to the economic need to increase the higher level learning of people in the workplace and the potential impact this could have in the local, and wider, economy. Central to the pedagogic development is the use of e-portfolios. I will interrogate why this technology and methodology was chosen and how the personal learning space it provides is well-suited to supporting and engaging learners in the target group. The means by which I explore the use of an e-portfolio based pedagogy is through participative action research. This method allows for my explorations to be situated in live settings and to involve participants from the key stakeholder groups. Unlike experimental design, action research aims to generate understandings rather than prove causal relationships. I will explain the cycles of action research employed in my project and evaluate how this impacted on the successful development of the pedagogy. Findings from my research strongly suggest the benefits of an inclusive approach to pedagogic development which centres on involvement of key stakeholders for the creation of an holistic model. This model incorporates a speedy, flexible and quality assured curriculum that is accessible to the target learners and that can be adapted to a range of existing and perceived needs. At the heart of this model is the use of e-portfolio which provides the learning and personal development space through which the work-based learners’ needs can be met and through which dialogue between the learner, employer and academic tutor can be facilitated. The key innovation in my research findings is the theorisation of different types of scaffolding for e-learning developments and the positing of a taxonomy of scaffolding approaches to learning and teaching design that is founded within the concept of the holistic scaffolding model

Temporomandibular joint disorders in patients with skeletal discrepancies

Chapter I: Literature review on the Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) Chapter II: Systematic review of TMD in orthognathic patients This review was conducted to investigate the prevalence of temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMD) in orthognathic patients and to determine the effect of the surgical intervention on the status of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). A methodological process was applied for study selection, data management and quality assessment and meta-analyses were conducted where appropriate. This review identified 53 papers for inclusion and there was heterogeneity in the diagnosis and classification of TMD between the studies. Patients undergoing orthognathic treatment for the correction of dentofacial deformity and suffering from TMD appeared more likely to see an improvement in their signs and symptoms than deterioration, particularly with respect to pain related symptoms. This information should be given to prospective patients during the consent process, but it should be stressed that no guarantees can be made. Chapter III: TMD in orthognathic patients and a control group with no skeletal discrepancies Sixty eight orthognathic patients and 72 control subjects (with no anterior-posterior, vertical or transverse discrepancies) were recruited for this section of the PhD. Self-reported symptoms and clinical signs of TMD were recorded and compared between the two groups. A significant difference in TMD prevalence was observed between the controls (27.8%) and patients (44.1%), with the patients being more susceptible to TMD. However, although orthognathic patients appear more likely to suffer from TMD, whether treatment improves their TMJ condition is highly questionable. This issue should be highlighted in any informed consent process. Chapter IV: A longitudinal study of TMD in orthognathic patients Twenty orthognathic patients were followed longitudinally throughout treatment to establish whether TMD signs and symptoms altered during the course of treatment. Although no significant differences were found when comparing the pre-treatment (T1) findings with those prior to surgery (T2), sufficient individual changes in TMD signs and symptoms were observed to question the suitability of the "prior to surgery" time point as a baseline for comparisons in future studies. When comparing pre (T1) and post-treatment (T3) TMD changes, no significant differences were observed. This study supports the theory that TMD is a dynamic condition and signs and symptoms are likely to fluctuate throughout treatment. However, the small sample size in this study was clearly a limiting factor. Chapter V: TMJ information course: Comparison of the instructional efficacy of an internet-based TMJ tutorial with a traditional face-to-face seminar A TMJ tutorial was developed on a virtual learning environment (VLE) to enable students to enhance their examination and diagnostic skills and a randomised cross-over trial was then conducted. Thirty postgraduate students were recruited as participants and the success of this mode of teaching was compared with a conventional face-to-face seminar. This study found that both modes of teaching were equally effective in delivering information to students but teaching the topic twice enhanced the retention of knowledge. In addition the students reported positive perceptions of VLE learning and the feedback for this mode of teaching was comparable with traditional methods of teaching

An evaluation of deep learning achieved by students studying environmental science modules using the Wolverhampton Online Learning Framework (WOLF)

Report of a CELT project on supporting students through innovation and researchThe Division of Environmental and Analytical Sciences uses the Wolverhampton Online Learning Framework (WOLF) for part of its module delivery programme at all 3 levels within all Awards. This initiative followed from the mission statement that the University of Wolverhampton is committed to broadening access to the widest range of students capable of succeeding in higher education. It is however difficult to assess the level of success achieved by WOLF-based modules in terms of the student’s true understanding of module concepts, although end-of-module evaluation forms completed by students have allowed some feedback on satisfaction of the way in which modules use WOLF. There has been limited information available on specific learning and teaching issues that might help guide the style of module delivery using the WOLF system. Indeed if WOLF-based modules are intended to be an alternative form of delivery for modules that are delivered by conventional methods, evaluations for the level of true understanding achieved by students (whatever their chosen platform for studying the module) would be very useful information to develop. The research involved canvassing the opinions of students on modules that are committed to the use of WOLF as part of the module delivery. Tracking facilities within the administrator’s role on WOLF gives feedback on the amount of time students spend on WOLF pages. However it is not possible to evaluate the level of learning or understanding that has been achieved by students from tracking statistics alone. There are therefore 3 main aims for this research: 1. To evaluate the level of deep learning achieved by students studying environmental science students who have accessed the modules via WOLF. 2. To study the quality and style of approaches to learning adopted by students that have accessed modules through WOLF. 3. To assess the effectiveness of module delivery by utilising WOLF