Strategies for embedding eLearning in traditional universities: drivers and barriers

This paper addresses the question: how can elearning be embedded in traditional universities so that it contributes to the transformation of the university? The paper examines elearning strategies in higher education, locating the institutional context within the broader framework of national and international policy drivers which link elearning with the achievement of strategic goals such as widening access to lifelong learning, and upskilling for the knowledge and information society. The focus will be on traditional universities i.e. universities whose main form of teaching is on-campus and face-to-face, rather than on open and distance teaching universities, which face different strategic issues in implementing elearning. Reports on the adoption of elearning in traditional universities indicate extensive use of elearning to improve the quality of learning for on-campus students, but this has not yet translated into a significant increase in opportunities for lifelong learners in the workforce and those unable to attend on-campus. One vision of the future of universities is that ‘Virtualisation and remote working technologies will enable us to study at any university in the world, from home’. However, this paper will point out that realisation of this vision of ubiquitous and lifelong access to higher education requires that a fully articulated elearning strategy aims to have a ‘transformative’ rather than just a ‘sustaining’ effect on teaching functions carried out in traditional universities. In order words, rather than just facilitating universities to improve their teaching, elearning should transform how universities currently teach. However, to achieve this transformation, universities will have to introduce strategies and policies which implement flexible academic frameworks, innovative pedagogical approaches, new forms of assessments, cross-institutional accreditation and credit transfer agreements, institutional collaboration in development and delivery, and, most crucially, commitment to equivalence of access for students on and off-campus. The insights in this paper are drawn from an action research case study involving both qualitative and quantitative approaches, utilising interviews, surveys and focus groups with stakeholders, in addition to comparative research on international best practice. The paper will review the drivers and rationales at international, national and institutional level which are leading to the development of elearning strategies, before outlining the outcomes of a case study of elearning strategy development in a traditional Irish university. This study examined the drivers and barriers which increase or decrease motivation to engage in elearning, and provides some insights into the challenges of embedding elearning in higher education. While recognising the desirability of reaching out to new students and engaging in innovative pedagogical approaches, many academic staff continue to prefer traditional lectures, and are sceptical about the potential for student learning in online settings. Extrinsic factors in terms of lack of time and support serve to decrease motivation and there are also fears of loss of academic control to central administration. The paper concludes with some observations on how university elearning strategies must address staff concerns through capacity building, awareness raising and the establishment of effective support structures for embedding elearning

A reappraisal of online mathematics teaching using LaTeX

The mathematics language LaTeX is often seen outside of academic circles as a legacy technology that is awkward to use. MathML - a verbose language designed for data-exchange, and to be written and understood by machines - is sometimes by contrast seen as something that will aid online mathematics and lack of browser support for it bemoaned. However LaTeX can already do many of the things that MathML might promise. LaTeX is here proposed as a language from which small fragments, with concise syntax, can be used by people to easily create and share mathematical expressions online. The capability to embed fragments of LaTeX code in online discussions is described here and its impact on a group of educators and learners evaluated. Here LaTeX is posited as a useful tool for facilitating asynchronous, online, collaborative learning of mathematics

ViCoCITY – A virtual company environment used in distance education to teach key professional skills

This paper will discuss the background and rationale for the introduction of ViCoCITY to the Bachelor of Science in Information Technology (BSc in IT) degree offered through distance education by Oscail, Dublin City University (DCU)

How to foster collaboration in an eLearning environment - Lessons from Oscail.

This paper details how social interaction was integrated into a degree programme run by Oscail - the National Distance Education Centre (DCU). While a key objective was to introduce an element of mandatory group work into a module of the distance education programme, the course designers also held the opinion that (given the discursive nature of the content of the chosen module) student learning would benefit greatly from engaging in online discussions on the content of the module. A major challenge was the process of the integration of group work while (as far as possible) maintaining the time and place independence of distance education. After a substantial review of the 2004 presentation, the function of group work was changed radically in the 2005 academic year. In particular, the assessment of students’ online social interaction was radically changed. This paper will focus on the outcomes of the 2005 implementation and discuss the (less radical) changes that have been introduced for the 2006 presentation

Online labs for distance learners: reflections from an Irish pilot study

This presentation discusses the introduction of remote online laboratory (lab) work into Communications Technology modules of an undergraduate BSc. in Information Technology (IT) by distance learning. The role of online labs and virtual instruments in undergraduate education is discussed and how they relate to physical labs. Outcomes are presented of a pilot introduction of online virtual labs. An argument is made that the introduction of online virtual lab work is worthwhile. We also argue it is increasingly feasible if suitable tools can be inexpensively sourced, such as from digital learning repositories as described here

Editorial: Microbial Food Safety along the Dairy Chain

peer-reviewedMilk is susceptible to contamination with pathogenic and spoilage organisms and, therefore, Microbial food safety along the dairy chain is an important topic, from public health and industry perspectives. The dairy chain is an integral part of global food supply, with dairy food products a staple component of recommended healthy diets. The dairy food chain from production through to the consumer is complex, with various opportunities for microbial contamination of ingredients or food products, and as such interventions are key to preventing or controlling such contamination. Dairy foods often include a microbial control step in their production such as pasteurization, but in some cases may not, as with raw milk products. Microbial contamination may lead to a deterioration in food quality due to spoilage organisms, or may become a health risk to consumers should the contaminant be a pathogenic microorganism. As such food safety and food production are intrinsically linked

Introducing Wimba to Oscail online programmes

This paper reports on a pilot project that investigated the potential for providing synchronous web-based tutorial support for distance education students, and the evaluation of that pilot project. A key challenge for distance education providers is the provision of quality academic support to all students regardless of location. The proven, positive link between attendance at tutorials and academic achievement highlights this aspect of academic support as crucial to distance education student success. In response to student difficulties in attending tutorials and diminishing numbers of tutorial centres, it has become increasingly important to investigate alternative methods of providing tutorial support to distance education students. Following an evaluation of a number of web-based conferencing software, Dublin City University opted to use Wimba Classroom in providing live, virtual classrooms to students. The pilot project involved the adaption of the existing, synchronous, face-to-face tutorial support system, provided to distance education students on the Bachelor of Science in Information Technology (BSc in IT) degree programme from Oscail – DCU Distance Education, such that students attended live, virtual classrooms instead. A particular focus of this paper is the “Enterprise and Emerging Technologies” module of the BSc in IT programme which was specifically redesigned and rewritten for this pilot project. The most successful feature of this software was the archived versions of the live tutorials with 83% of students accessing the archives. The results of this project will have a significant impact on the future delivery of tutorial support, course delivery and assessment in Oscail – DCU Distance Education

Enhancing the teaching and learning experience of distance education through the use of synchronous online tutorials.

Oscail, Distance Education, Dublin City University is at the forefront, like many other distance education providers, in its commitment to adopting new technologies to improve the teaching and learning experience of their students (Cakir and Basak, 2004). Social interaction has been found to contribute positively to knowledge construction, higher order learning (Vygotsky, 1975 ed), achievement (Hrastinski, 2009) and successful completion (Rosenberg 2001, Salmon 2000). Advances in technology have facilitated an enhanced teaching and learning experience for distance education together with the opportunity for social interaction, an aspect often missing from traditional distance education. Following an evaluation of several web conferencing tools, Dublin City University opted to adopt Wimba Classroom to provide live, virtual tutorials. In 2010/2011, Wimba was piloted in the Bachelor of Science in Information Technology degree programme and the outcomes of this project were reported at the 2011 EADTU conference. Following the positive outcome of the pilot project, synchronous online tutorials were introduced to all Oscail programmes in 2011/2012. The use of Wimba was extended to include webinars, student presentations and student feedback sessions and to provide students with the opportunity to engage in social interaction and knowledge construction. This paper will reflect on the subsequent student and tutor experience of teaching and learning within Wimba. It will evaluate if the findings of the pilot project translated to the larger provision of online tutorials

Day surgery in a teaching hospital: identifying barriers to productivity.

Introduction: Ambulatory surgery is a standard of care for many surgical procedures due to cost-effectiveness and benefits to patients including the reduced risk of contracting hospital infection by reducing the hospital stay. However, late cancellations can be costly. We examined the utilisation of the surgical day ward in our institution over a four-year period. Methods: A retrospective study of surgical day ward records from September 2007 to September 2011 in one institution. Parameters investigated included the number of planned admissions. Reasons for cancellations were also collected. Results: A total of 17,461 procedures were intended as a day ward admission during the study interval. There were 3,539 procedures that were cancelled (20.3%). The prevalent proportion of cancellations (n = 1,367) (38.6%) were due to patients not showing up for their procedures (7.8% of planned admissions); 1,188 (33.6%) patients were cancelled by the admissions office due to bed shortages, accounting for 6.8 % of planned admissions and 650 (18.4%) of cases were due to last minute cancellations by patients, accounting for 3.7% of all planned admission. The remaining 334 (9.4%) of cases were cancelled on medical grounds including patients who were considered unfit for the intended procedure, or anti-coagulations not appropriately ceased prior to surgery, accounting for 1.9% of all planned admissions. Conclusion: The cancellation rate in this study was high, mainly due to failure of patients to attend or signal their intentions, inadequate bed capacity and bed closure strategies. The ring fencing and protection of day beds and a more active patient management interaction would have had the greatest impact on increased efficiency