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StudyNet Updates: Enhancing Online Learning Experience

Explore StudyNet’s journey, new features, student expectations, and how blended learning is revolutionizing education delivery. Discover the advancements in 2004/5 and future possibilities.

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StudyNet Updates: Enhancing Online Learning Experience

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  1. StudyNet: What’s new for 05/06 Paul Hudson Learning Technology Development Unit Learning and Information Services University of Hertfordshire

  2. What I’ll be covering…. • Where are we now? • Why we’re doing it? • New features • Where next? • How you can get involved • Questions & Answers

  3. I know what you’re thinking…….

  4. StudyNet 2001 • Learning and Teaching Committee initiative building on results of past LTC funded projects • Exploring ways to use computer systems to provide a virtual space where learning, assessment and interaction can take place in a structured and managed way fully integrated into and linking all university processes and systems • Hopefully you’ve all logged on.. So you know what we implemented!

  5. StudyNet 2005 • The recent QAA Institutional Audit report commends “the design, development and utilisation of the University’s managed learning environment, StudyNet, which offers outstanding potential for the University’s planned move towards a pedagogy of blended learning”

  6. But why are we doing this? • We’re not in the distance learning game • Our students expect face to face contact • Many staff don’t have the time/experience to re-evaluate their teaching to implement quality distance on-line resources.

  7. So why are we doing this?

  8. Our students expect us to….in other words….Do we have a choice?

  9. The on-line society • Keeping in contact with friends and family • Banking • Bills • Buying goods • Finding Information • Music, films, etc

  10. Student expectations…. • Flexible education • Expectation that services will be on-line (from day 1) • Greater access to networked technology • Different expectation of education

  11. The on-line society

  12. Student expectations…. • Flexible education • Expectation that services will be on-line (from day 1) • Greater access to networked technology • Different expectation of education

  13. and students seem to like it

  14. A personal example • BSc Industrial Design,Brunel UniverstyEgham, Surrey • Course designed around access to: • lecturers (project advice) • fellow students (groupwork) • facilities (materials labs, electronics labs, workshops, design studio) • All students lived on campus for all 4 years

  15. Using us as a test…. • Most students lived 10 miles from campus • Very few students had cars • No buses – it’s stockbroker belt! • University 2 miles from station on top of a 1:5 hill

  16. Change in circumstances…. • Course not changed • Groupwork and labs groups continued to be based around lecturer’s choices • Tutorials continued to run late into evening • Course tutors admitted that the course suffered.

  17. How ‘StudyNet’ would have helped • Statistics – Access to lecturer who was based on Uxbridge campus • Engineering Mechanics – Quizzes and discussion forums • Technical Design – Groupwork • Design – Groupwork • Electronics & Materials – Lecture materials • Mechatronics – Lecture materials on-line.

  18. Where does that leaves us…. • ‘Blended Learning’ – balancing the student’s expectations with pedagogic requirements • Mix F2F with online. • Use the bits which work for you • For me, the best approach is to use online to allow you to maximise contact with your students • This was always the concept behind StudyNet, we just didn’t give it a fancy name!

  19. Developments in 2004/5 • Faculty and school websites • Threaded News and Information • New editor functionality • StudyNet view for mobile phones • PDP pilot 1 • Module Problem reporter

  20. Developments 2004/5 • Lots of small changes across the portals and modules • assignments, • group work • FAQs • Quizzes • What’s new – linked from the StudyNet Help page

  21. What’s new? - Modules • Student readership

  22. What’s new? - Modules • Student readership • ‘Level’ based resources

  23. What’s new? - Modules • Student readership • ‘Level’ based resources • Admin Forms

  24. What’s new? - Modules • Student readership • ‘Level’ based resources • Admin Forms • Polls

  25. What’s new? - Modules • Student readership • ‘Level’ based resources • Admin Forms • Polls • Changes to groupwork(polls, ‘pages’, improved blogs)

  26. What’s new? - Modules • Student readership • ‘Level’ based resources • Admin Forms • Polls • Changes to groupwork, (polls, ‘pages’, improved blogs) • Podcasts

  27. What’s New? - CSS • Cascading Stylesheets used for layout of modules • Benefits: • Increased disability support • Support for multiple rendering devices • Disadvantages: • Patchy implementation of CSS standards • Netscape 4 users not supported

  28. What’s New? - General • Session based authentication • Athens authentication through StudyNet • ‘General Purpose’ Template • Plagiarism detection (via JISC’s ‘Turnitin’) • The Hub • Group work • Blogs • Research publications database • CELT’s PDP

  29. What’s New? - General ‘General Purpose’ Template

  30. What’s New? - General • Session based authentication • Athens authentication through StudyNet • ‘General Purpose’ Template • Plagiarism detection (via JISC’s ‘Turnitin’) • The Hub • Group work • Blogs • Research publications database • CELT’s PDP

  31. What’s New? - General The Hub

  32. What’s New? - General • Session based authentication • Athens authentication through StudyNet • ‘General Purpose’ Template • Plagiarism detection (via JISC’s ‘Turnitin’) • The Hub • Group work • Blogs • Research publications database • CELT’s PDP

  33. What’s New?: General Blogs

  34. What’s New? - General • Session based authentication • Athens authentication through StudyNet • ‘General Purpose’ Template • Plagiarism detection (via JISC’s ‘Turnitin’) • The Hub • Group work • Blogs • Research publications database • CELT’s PDP - MAPS

  35. Development for 06/07 • Extension to UH overseas franchised programmes • Employability • StudyNet as the University’s intranet for staff and students

  36. Possible developments for 2006/7 • Monitoring and evaluation • Student support and guidance • External staff access • SCORM and learning objects • Search engine

  37. Other developments • Single sign on • Video servers • Wireless provision in classrooms • BLU funding for computers • Cheap audio / video equipment

  38. How you can get involved • Feedback via our forums • Contacting ltdu@herts.ac.uk • Steering Group. (through your faculty champion)

  39. Any Questions?

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