faculty of health & social work the use of online conferencing/managed learning environments to...

Faculty of Health & Social Work

The use of online conferencing/managed

learning environments to support problem-based

learningAlec RickardLecturer in PhysiotherapyUniversity of [email protected]


Content

Background information– Problem based learning (PBL)– Potential issues/concerns

ePBL project– Aims– Development– Pilot– Year roll-out

ePBL v2.0?– evaluation


Background information – PBL

PBL is:‘an educational method which uses

carefully constructed clinical problems as a context for students to learn problem-solving skills and acquire knowledge about the basic and clinical sciences.’

(Albanese and Mitchell, 1993 cited by Johnson and Finucane, 2000: 281)


Background information – PBL

PBL has become increasingly popular in health education (Reynolds, 2003)

Educational philosophy for School of Nursing, Midwifery and Community Health at Glasgow Caledonian University (Docherty et al, 2005)

Peninsula Medical School (PMS) incorporated it into its curriculum from inception (PMS, 2006)

BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy programme at UoP designed around a PBL approach.


Background information – Potential issues with PBL

Discrepancies in groups’ and individuals’ performances

Potentially useful information not disseminated to all groups

Do students reflect effectively on their contribution/performance?


Background information – Potential issues with PBL

Johnson et al (2000): – Group dynamics in PBL may powerfully

influence its efficacy– Ineffective group members may seriously

compromise their learning – The need for active participation in

tutorials.


“ePBL” Project

Could learning technologies be utilised?

E-mail

Web-based Online conferencing Managed learning environment (MLE) /

portal.


Project Aims

To explore how existing strengths of PBL can be maximised

To facilitate the overall learning experienceBy:– Facilitating the storage, retrieval and

dissemination of the information derived from groups' objectives.


Project Aims

Salmon (2002) suggests online conferencers are often more willing to try things out than they would in face-to-face situations

Can also be more fun/playful and still promote learning and reflection.


Project Development

Readily available/accessible options E-mail & online conferencing software

– Outlook Web Access

Managed learning environment (MLE)

– EMILY (Blackboard platform).


Pilot

One 2nd year PBL group (8 students) Convenience

Outlook Web Access Familiar environment Simple (?)

– Set-up (sub-folders)– Control of permissions


Results of Pilot

7/8 completed the questionnaire All 7 stated:

the online conference was a useful addition to their PBL experience

facilitated their access to and exchange of information

was easy to use.


Results of Pilot

3 had initial access problems– 2 continuing intermittent

Mainly when off campus


Results of Pilot

6 = would be useful for accessing other groups’ information at the end of a scenario

1 concerned it would affect the amount of work individuals completed, knowing they could potentially just wait until the end and use everyone else’s.


Results of Pilot

“I thought it was an excellent addition... You are always limited by time in the Friday PBL session, there is so much information to disseminate in 2 hours; being able to share 'full-text' type research is extremely helpful and definitely enhances the depth of knowledge you can gain.”


Results of Pilot

“I enjoyed participating in the online conferencing as it enabled group members who maybe are more of reflective learners and therefore less vocal within the seminar session to be able to place information up on the folder to enable the rest of the group the opportunity to view the work that they might not have seen otherwise.”


Results of Pilot

“I think this system works well as long as everyone contributes and puts information up in the folders and continues to do so throughout the module or year.”


Roll-out

To whole year group

Well received by those who could access it!– Problem with different student accounts/

different servers '@students.plymouth.ac.uk' or

'@students.pahc.ac.uk'


ePBL v2.0?

Readily available/accessible options E-mail & online conferencing software

– Outlook Web Access

Managed learning environment (MLE)– EMILY (Blackboard platform).


Full Evaluation

Focus groups Staff Students (1-2 reps from each PBL groups)

Questionnaire to year group


Focus Group – key objectives

Staff: Change in group working/PBL sessions

as a result? How much it is utilised by the students

and themselves? Any particular features/improvements?


Focus Group – key objectives

Students Has it improved the PBL “experience”? How much is it utilised? Any particular features/improvements?


References

Docherty, C. Hoy, D. Topp, H. and Trinder, K. (2005) eLearning techniques supporting problem based learning in clinical simulation. International Journal of Medical Informatics, 74(7-8): 527-533.Johnson, S.M. and Finucane, P.M. (2000) The emergence of problem-based learning in medical education. Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice, 6(3): 281-291.Peninsula Medical School (2006) Undergraduate Prospectus 2007. Plymouth: Peninsula Medical School.Reynolds, F. (2003) Initial experiences of interprofessional problem-based learning: A comparison of male and female students' views. Journal of Interprofessional Care, 17(1): 35-44.Salmon, G. (2002) E-tivities: The key to active online learning. London: RoutledgeFalmer.

faculty of health & social work the use of online conferencing/managed learning environments to...

Documents

pbl experience n

community health

evaluation slide

exchange of information

pbl discrepancies

pbl approach

intermittent n

health education reynolds