Learning Materials
Scran Learning Materials
Case Study
1. Author details
| Name: | Beryl Pearson & Rachel Sales |
| Job title: | Senior lecturer / Lecturer |
| Institution: | Faculty of Health and Social Care, University of the West of England, Bristol |
About the author:
We both teach predominantly in the field of child health, and both have a keen interest in developing e-learning materials to support students in their learning.
Prior to this award we have both been working on separate projects developing on-line materials for students. We have both been involved in developing and managing a VLE for students.
Since obtaining the Scran award we have individually undertaken the LeTToL Course Learning To Teach Online (Beryl Pearson) and the OLL course On Line Learning (Rachel Sales) in order to further develop our skills. We have both updated our practical computer skills through undertaking instruction on WebCT’s, virtual learning environments and Dreamweaver’s web site development programs.
Developing these skills have decreased our dependence on technicians for support in this project.
We have differing skills and have worked to compliment each other. We have been able to share knowledge and expertise with each other – so are both continually learning. We have found working together stimulating as we continue to share concepts, ideas and information.
2. The materials
The goal had been to replace lengthy text based information with interactive graphics as a visual media from which students will then uncover and explore historical developments, reflecting on the relevance to current practice.
We have created 3 primary resources using digital images, which have been structured chronologically into 3 timelines that portray:
- The social context of child health
- A history of children in health care
- A history of nursing uniform
through which individuals can then explore the development of the role of the children's nurse.
The content is further supported by:
- An activity section to stimulate group based activities, discussion and evaluation.
- Additional material has been identified through inclusion of text material based in relevant WWW sites.
- National map of children’s hospitals and html links.
- A text reference section.
- References and acknowledgements.
To develop the activity and learning component the discussion board will be accessed to this site by a direct link to our Web CT site, but the access will be limited to students registered onto relevant modules.
This material has been created to support pre-registration nursing students in their first theoretical module. To introduce to the history of children’s nursing, and to lead students to understand some of the developments that have led to current practice in today's health care service and in a typical 21st century children's ward. The activities and subsequent discussions will be supported within a virtual learning environment.
Why did you want to create these materials?
- To provide students with a different learning media, and to replace what is largely text-based information with digital images. Believing that the images can produce more impact and discussion.
- To allow students exposure to delivery of learning materials through a virtual learning environment.
- As a sub-agenda to allow students new to higher education the opportunity for group discussion, and development of their IT skills
How will your materials benefit learners?
- We hope this material has wider applications that we originally anticipated.
- That it will make history come ‘alive’ for the students.
- To allow them to understand the rationale for some developments
- To provide a baseline upon which they will continue to explore and question.
- To allow students exposure to learning in a virtual learning environment.
How will they improve on previous methods of teaching this topic?
From a taught session to interactive and independent study. This project has allowed us to include material that would not have been available to students in a classroom context.
3. Creating the materials
- The plan and storyboard was agreed. We required monthly face to face meetings to discuss ongoing developments and to ensure we both agreed with ongoing developments in structure and content.
- Contact was maintained by e-mails.
- We each had responsibility for differing sections.
- We each scrutinised and proof read each other’s section.
- Knowing what each other was doing allowed us to share resources as part of our individual searches.
- We both agreed the format for the final presentation of the material
- We both agreed that we could continue development of this resource, but had to work within what was feasible within the time frame. Both see this as being an initial phase in the development of a larger and more comprehensive children’s nursing resource.
What tools did you use:
Word, EXCEL, HTML files, Dreamweaver, Web CT and e-mail.
What additional support did you need in creating the materials?
Some technical advice on formatting.
What are the main skills required in creating materials like this?
- Creativity
- Commitment
- Time
Describe any difficulties you experienced and how you went about addressing them.
- Learning how to say – no more!
- Trying to track images – developing an accurate means of tracking all images retrieved during our searches.
What would you do differently next time?
Probably identify how best to present the graphics earlier in the planning – despite our storyboard this did change. The idea of the timeline was easy, but only after we realised the impact it could produce.
What hints and tips would you offer to a colleague planning to create a similar resource?
- We have discovered how versatile the concept of a time-line can be.
- Keep text to a minimum where graphics are used.
Recommendations – please note any reading, software, websites, online courses etc that were useful to you.
- We have both used the skills we have acquired on our courses.
- Do an extensive www search fist to see what is available – it can give ideas of many facets of any project – from content, how to do it, and how not to do it.
- Always keep the student / user perspective in designing any package.
