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Description
Session Description
This session describes a five-step eLearning strategy recently developed by Charlotte Baker (University of Bradford) to modernise provision and highlight inclusivity, centering curriculum development around the UoB’s hugely diverse student cohort in order to increase engagement and participation. Can’t attend this session? Catch up on Twitter @charclar_.
Session content: evaluation and reflection
The University of Bradford has a more diverse student profile than many UK institutions. For example, 21% of our students are part-time or distance learners, and 67.2% of students are from BAME (Black or Minority Ethnic) groups compared to a national average of 22% (HESA, 2018). It became clear that we needed to assess our eLearning provision to look out for unnecessary barriers to learning.
I created the five-step eLearning strategy centered around our students in order to cement clear and concise guidelines from the vast range of eLearning theory and trends currently in HE discussion. The steps are:
1. Structuring content – we should re-evaluate the concept that all students learn by opening a textbook or by visiting an hour-long lecture and memorising the material. This creates barriers for most students; particularly those with learning difficulties, students who speak ES/AL (English as a Second or Additional Language), distance learners, parents, and part-time learners.
2. Inclusivity – to ensure that all students can access the materials through the language used, by using a multiplatform approach for global sensitivity, and by following accessibility standards.
3. Interactivity – we use a multi-modal approach to eLearning content: including video, audio, clickable links, text, and graphics to increase engagement and maintain participation.
4. Assessment – we add regular points of reflection to consolidate learning and enable users to think critically and metacognitively to independently analyse their learning.
5. Social learning – in distance learning, one major reason for the fall in student retention and eventual drop out is a sense of isolation. We provide opportunities for students to pose questions to tutors, discuss with global peers, and interact with material using a variety of TEL.
I will talk through these steps in more depth in the poster session and discuss a number of ways the strategy could be implemented into your workflow.
References
University of Bradford Statistics Reporting (17-18), Available at: https://www.bradford.ac.uk/planning-and-performance/media/planningandperformance/docs/Facts-and-Figures-2017_18.pdf
Higher Education Statistics Agency (16-17), Available at: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis
University of Bradford Learning and Teaching Strategy, Available at: https://www.bradford.ac.uk/about/media/about/Learning-and-Teaching-Strategy.pdf
Reid, G. (2009) Dyslexia: A Practitioners Handbook (4th Edition) Wiley
