Identifying innovation in higher education elearning strategies

There are many case studies of individual Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) devising distinctive eLearning strategies, reported by the HEI itself, journalists, or research observatories. An extraordinarily wide range of university-level eLearning programmes are rapidly becoming available from large numbers of HEIs across Europe, and there are strong attempts being made to identify and disseminate case studies of innovative eLearning practices (e.g. MENON, 2006). However, the vital research goal of obtaining more systematic evidence across countries in relation to HEIs' innovations in eLearning strategies represents a particular challenge for collectors of case studies, especially given the diverse processes in different countries for measuring pedagogical value and cost-effectiveness. By contrast, there are typically several reports a year of large-scale attempts to survey HEIs in relation to eLearning, sponsored, for example, by EU programmes or industry groups. Yet the factors that determine educational effectiveness are not, so far, well understood; and consequently it can be difficult to develop reliable quantitative survey items that simultaneously enable valid and insightful comparisons between essentially qualitative eLearning strategies. Moreover, such quantitative evidence is not collected systematically by the typical HEI; when collected, such evidence is commercially sensitive; and it is not easy for researchers to obtain independently of the HEI. So, claims are made, for example, that European universities plan to 'expand their use of eLearning' (BBC News, 2005), but it is not at all clear what measures of expansion are appropriate, and what kinds of strategies are associated with such expansion. The two-year research study described here attempted a mixed-method approach to the problem of identifying examples of innovation in relation to the eLearning strategies developed by HEIs. Where possible the study estimated the impact of the implemented eLearning programmes, but the emphasis was on illuminating a range of innovative eLearning strategy cases, rather than necessarily determining best practice. Two key research questions asked by the study are: 1. How can innovation in Higher Education eLearning strategies be identified? 2. What factors are critical to the success of these strategies? This research did not set out to obtain, directly, insight into why eLearning has not been more widely adopted by HEIs, why various eLearning projects have failed, why some eLearning projects have achieved less success than anticipated, or why some eLearning projects have achieved success more slowly than anticipated. However, by researching innovation, the challenges faced by the innovators, and how strategies needed to change over time, it is anticipated that the findings from this study might indirectly illuminate these crucial questions. It is not possible within the space available here to do more than outline the methodology and highlight a few key findings: fuller reports are available on the project website www.spi.pt/innounilearning

The fostering of innovative eLearning strategies in European higher education

Although there are strong attempts being made by various European observatories and European Commission programmes to identify and disseminate innovative eLearning practices (MENON, 2006), the factors that determine educational effectiveness are, as yet, not well understood. In particular, while an extraordinarily wide range of university-level eLearning programmes are rapidly becoming available from large numbers of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) across Europe, the sharing of good practice requires detailed accounts of successful innovative eLearning strategies. There are many relevant checklists and sets of principles described in EU websites (e.g. elearningeurope.info, 2006) and in the academic literature (e.g. Conole et al, 2004), but it is often only through thoroughly appreciating what others have done that such abstract guidance come alive. However, it can still be difficult for HEIs to learn from others. While there are many media reports of innovation, these typically have to omit the level of detail that would enable optimal understanding by those HEIs wishing to apply such innovations in their own contexts. Meanwhile, case studies presented at conferences and in the academic literature can provide the necessary level of detail, but it can be difficult to collate such case studies into a form that facilitates consistent descriptions across the diversity of European HEIs. By identifying the various eLearning programmes applied by HEIs in a number of EU member states and conducting a detailed assessment of a sample of eLearning strategies found to be effective supporters of higher education requirements, the EC-funded InnoUniLearning project is disseminating a range of eLearning strategy case studies. Where possible this project is estimating the potential impact of the implemented eLearning programmes, but more importantly it will identify and detail the strategies applied by leading institutions and well-known success stories, as well as those institutions that have applied new and innovative eLearning programmes. It is hoped that the dissemination of these case studies will be of assistance to HEIs across Europe in implementing eLearning strategies that meet their own particular curricular and cohort requirements. The study is concentrating on illuminating a range of successful eLearning strategy cases, rather than necessarily determining best practice, which could be argued an impossible task at the moment because of a lack of learner feedback. Nevertheless, most, if not all, organisations that have implemented eLearning have gone through a period of adjustment in order to obtain an eLearning programme that is cost-efficient and effective; so capturing something of the challenges overcome by the HEIs leading this field should assist the wider EU higher education community. This paper describes background and the methodological approach of the two-year study and some preliminary results, which will be elaborated in the conference presentation

Care in the community: what would happen if the lights went out?

This article reports on a student nurse project carried out on a community placement in respect to patients dependent on medical devices in the event of power cuts. The project was designed to identify relevant literature to establish what emergency and preparatory procedures and protocols are in place in a PCT Trust for this type of emergency and to identify what action a nurse in the community should take to ensure the safety and welfare of their patients if a there was a prolonged power failure. The literature and knowledge of community staff for the correct procedures to follow in the event of a power cut in the community established that there was some cause for concern and identified that a loss of power to a patient with a medical device poses a serious risk. Recommendations are that an initial risk assessment of power failure needs to be undertaken and included in the appropriate documentation and guidance plans prepared for community staff and should include the listing of the patient as vulnerable. The limited research identified within this project also indicates that contingency plans to ensure the safety and wellbeing of patients in the community clearly need to be included in disaster and emergency planning

Staff support in continuing professional development

This article reports on a training needs analysis (TNA) project, undertaken with three different hospital trusts in England, that uses a work-based and action-learning approach. It relates to the format of the projects and the identification of training needs for healthcare practitioners. A second article will report on the implementation of TNA in one trust after completion of the project. The work is important for nurse managers and leaders responsible for continuing professional development budgets. The project was targeted at the delivery of trust priorities and offered potential for a different way of working designed to meet new and emerging NHS organisational requirements. In addition, given its multidisciplinary nature, it offered the facility to work with multidisciplinary clinical colleagues to explore different learning and development opportunities and issues

Identifying Innovation and Success Factors in Higher Education eLearning Strategies

This chapter reports on a two-year research study of innovation in European higher education eLearning strategies. A mixed-method approach was adopted to the problem of identifying examples of innovation. A distinction is drawn between two kinds of innovation that require different methods of effective detection: innovation in standards-based institution-wide systems and innovation through personal technological exploration of end-user tools. The study built on and refined a number of existing instruments to help identify innovation and explain success at both institution and programme levels. Where possible the study estimated the impact of the implemented eLearning programmes, but the emphasis was on illuminating a range of innovative eLearning strategy cases, rather than necessarily determining best practice. The study provides some evidence of the factors that those who have implemented successful eLearning strategies consider to be critical, drawing on the innovators' diverse experiences of having to refine their strategies over time

International impact of a co-produced training video: self-examination of tender and swollen joints for people with rheumatoid arthritis

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) need support to understand and manage their condition. The COVID-19 pandemic rapidly transformed outpatient clinical consultations from face-to-face towards remote models. This increased the emphasis placed upon self-assessment of joints and disease activity, strengthening the need for patient education materials. We planned to develop a video to support patient research participants to monitor disease activity remotely using the REMORA app. We altered the video’s scope and made it open access to meet the need created by changes in service delivery models. METHODS: A video demonstrating self-examination of tender and swollen joints in RA was co-produced with patients and the multi-disciplinary team. A nurse consultant introduces key concepts, (how to identify and examine tender and swollen joints, which joints to include, etc), coaches a patient through self-examination, and answers key questions. Materials co-produced to support implementation into practice include a joint count manikin and table, an advertising poster, and blogs. Collaboration with international research colleagues has led to the production of a version dubbed in German. Subtitles are available in German and Hindi. Online feedback was sought via a survey. Ethical approval was not required as all contributors acted as equal members of the research team. RESULTS: The 15-minute video, supporting materials and survey were uploaded to YouTube in February 2021 [tinyurl.com/REMORAvideo]. 1,000 hits were received in week one, reaching >12,500 after eight months. 20% of viewers are UK-based, 15% from the USA, 10% from India. 26% of views used English subtitles, 0.2% German, 0.1% Hindi. 124/125 people engaging with the ‘like/dislike’ function on YouTube, ‘liked’ the video. 48 people fed-back online (26 patients, 22 clinicians). Patient ages were: 18-35(5%), 36-55(62%), 56-75(29%), 76 + (5%), the majority of whom were female (19/21[91%]). Before watching, 14/17(82%) patients rated themselves as ‘poor’-‘fair’ at self-examination: after watching, the same number rated themselves as ‘good’-‘excellent’. 19/21(90%) and 17/21(81%) patients respectively either somewhat or strongly agreed with the statements ‘I now feel confident to self-examine for’ ‘tender’ or ‘swollen’ joints. 19/21(90%) of patients and 13/17(77%) clinicians either somewhat or strongly agreed with the statement that ‘the video fulfilled my expectations’. 18/21(86%) patients and 12/17(71%) clinicians would recommend the video. To date, several national organisations have engaged with the video. It supports the BSR ePROMS platform and national audit. The National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society plans to incorporate it into the ‘Know your DAS app’, and it will contribute to an NHSX playbook of digital best practice. CONCLUSION: This co-produced training video for people with RA, originally intended to support a remote monitoring app, has been well-received, with much wider-reaching international impact than anticipated. This demonstrates the need for materials collaboratively designed with patients to support patient self-management of long-term conditions, in the digital era. DISCLOSURE: C.A. Sharp: None. K. Staniland: None. T. Cornell: Corporate appointments; T.C. is an employee of Abbvie, working as a Rheumatology Nurse Consultant. Shareholder/stock ownership; T. C. is a shareholder of shares in Abbvie. W.G. Dixon: Consultancies; WGD has received consultancy fees from Abbvie and Google, unrelated to this work