RLO’s are good for Health!

Heather WharradFaculty of Medicine & Health Sciences

What is an RLO?

What is an RLO?

+ activity

+assessment

+ links

media assets instructional design

+ interactivity

Characteristics of an RLO?

Based on a single learning objective

Defined educational need

No external dependencies

Context is minimised

Labelled with metadata

Can be packaged and delivered over a range of platforms

Examples Glove Use

Advanced referencing with modified Harvard

Plasma Proteins

Meta-analysis

Design principles

EASA Finalist 2004 - Design of learning objects

Engage students with familiar everyday analogies

Active student learning…..

Visual Learning

Scaffold student learning

Learner preferences

Rationale for Use

The University of Nottingham School of Nursing

Student Profile

Life Before:

R L s

CAL Packages:

Students’ evaluations (CAL) ‘Can do it at own pace and in your own time- can go

back if unclear about anything, good for revision.’(cohort 1997)

‘CAL good presentation as lectures took a long time and concentration is lost.’(cohort 1995)

‘It’s hard staring at a screen for so long’(cohort 1997)

‘CAL packages in moderation are good because you have to find the answers yourself.’(cohort 1997)

(Student quotes from Wharrad et al 2000)

Early lessons (lecturers)

Developing large packages – time, cost, updating

Wanted to use some sections but not all

Based on areas of student difficulty

Offer ‘added value’

Nurse Prescribing Course -

A Case Study

Nurse Prescribing Course -

- developed RLOs incorporating high quality graphics and audio to help students understand core pharmacology concepts

“We needed more time on each aspect [of Pharmacology] until factors were absorbed and understood!!”

“I have always struggled with ‘biology’ etc so its not the lecturers’ fault that I do not understand the sessions. I will revise at my own pace.”

Pharmacology RLOsExploring the synapseFirst pass metabolismUnderstanding half lifeUnderstanding bioavailabilityThe lock & key hypothesisExcretion of drugs in the kidneyDrug metabolism in the liverAgonists and antagonistsDrugs acting at the synapsePlasma proteins in drug binding

Understanding First pass metabolism

Very w ell

w ell

Neither w ell nor bad

Badly

Cou

nt20

10

0

COHORT

Cohort1(no RLO)

Cohort 2 (RLO)

Cohort 3 (RLO)

Students perceived understanding of pharmacology concepts on a nurse prescribing course.

Strengths

PedagogicallyLed

DevelopmentProcess

Use and Reuse

LOeconomies

Evaluation

Centre of Excellence in Teaching and Learning

For:Reusable Learning Objects

http:www.rlo-cetl.ac.uk

The RLO-CETL is concerned with:

AAdvancing the pedagogical design of RLOs. BBuilding an RLO community for reuse. CConstructing staff development & rewards

DDisseminating the impact of RLOs EEvaluating RLOs as learning resources

Through an ambitious programme of development, research and collaboration.

EB PracticePharmacologyClinical skillsStudy skills

GeneticsApplied MathsEngineeringStudy skills

Sports scienceStudy skillsBusiness studies

Languages

Community of Use

MiniprojectsTeam-orientatedSupportedWorkshopsCommunication

Team work!

RLO Development

The development process

Development Stages -1

Production of a specification

Framing a proposal

Identified Educational needs

RLO specification

RLO specification

Student-review at specificationand production stages

Quality Assurance

Peer-review at specificationand production stages

Technical review byMedia developers

Pedagogical review

Storage,use & reuse of RLOs

Packaged Labelled Classified Stored

Intralibrary:

Summary – reuse and sustainability

RLO

Time

Number of RLOs

Community

Subject areasResearch methodsBiology

Sciences

Mental healthPaediatrics

Evidence-based practice

Social sciences

Health promotionEthics