Higher Education Study Skills HESS Delivering

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Higher Education Study Skills (HESS) Delivering
supporting HE Study Skills across a dispersed
partnershipUsing a 3D Interface to engage
learners

•  
• Hazel English Julie Swain
• UPC HELP CETL, University of Plymouth 20th May 09

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Overview

• UPC HELP CETL Who we are What we do?
• Blended Learning strategy within UPC HELP CETL
• Aims for e-resources
• Project / development cycle including evaluation
  the future
• HESS - live demo

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University of Plymouth Colleges

• UPC formed in 2003
• Deliver Foundation Degrees (FD) across
  partnership
• 21 partner institutions
• - 15 FECs
• 464 approved programmes
• 10,000 students (FTE) (2008-09)
• 1,800 lecturing support staff

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University of Plymouth Colleges

• UPC formed in 2003
• Deliver Foundation Degrees (FD) across
  partnership
• 21 partner institutions
• - 15 FECs
• 464 approved programmes
• 10,000 students (FTE) (2008-09)
• 1,800 lecturing support staff

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HELP CETL

• Higher Education Learning Partnership Centre
  for Excellence in Teaching Learning ( HELP
  CETL)
• Funded from 2005 2010 to support HE in FE
  development
• UPC partnership developing HE in FE
• Reward Recognition Scholarly activity
• Development Activity Themes Blended Learning
• Bid for Capital Investment
• Enhancing the student experience

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Blended Learning within UPC

• Blended Learning Strategy 2007-2010 - Offering
  wider learning opportunities through flexible
  study
• The key potential benefits of increasing the use
  of Blended Learning in UPC are to
• to develop distance learning in a way that
  includes sound pedagogical models to an
  increasingly receptive and demanding educational
  market
• provide high quality learning and support to
  distance learners equivalent to that provided to
  campus attendees
• increase the flexibility, accessibility and
  personalisation of learning

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UPC Aims for e-resources

• Provide highest quality teaching
• learning e-resources
• Support staff through staff development
• Continually address accessibility issues
  Registered University Teachers (RUTs)
• Bring together 20 VLEs and access e-resources

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• Identified need for a generic study skills tool
  from staff students also through quality
  processes such as programme committee meetings
  JBS
• Built on model evaluated from HELP CETL City of
  Bristol College
• Focus groups staff students identifying what
  they wanted how they wanted it?
• Consulted UPC librarians and UoP librarians
  constant input throughout

HESS - The Concept Research
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Findings / Requirements

• Students required online study skills support
  24/7 for whole FD
• Giving greater flexibility to learning
  re-confirm learning
• Familiarity of UoP e-resources in preparation for
  stage 3
• Progressive through academic levels to develop
  skills Stage 1,2 3
• Teaching resource self study to include
  downloadable interactive resources, quizzes
  for formative assessments

Aim To bring together share
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The Design / Interface

• Design of the interface 3D Toolbox, UPC
  identity through colours to engage learners
• Student friendly, unique, delivered through a
  familiar environment, Moodle
• Easy to navigate
• e-resources that supported FDs by stage
• Direct Links to Metalib, Intute, LearnHigher

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• Core team included staff and students, LTs
  different perspectives
• Used Video Conferencing for many meetings as team
  dispersed
• Contain internal external verified e-resources
• Include evaluative questionnaire
• Contain internal external verified e-resources
• Ability to request /add e-resources
• Ability to update e-resources
• User Guide to Getting started
• Requires UoP login for internal e-resources
• Links to FD Study Skills Learning Outcomes

Developing the Tool
Key functions - Stage by Stage e-resources to
signpost and progress the learner accordingly
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• Pilot City College Plymouth
• North Devon College
• City of Bristol Jan 08 May 08
• Internal UPC and UoP staff
• UoP student and LT
• Library staff and lecturers
• Produced a detailed evaluation sheet
• Team discussed feedback and implemented required
  changes / updates

Testing the Prototype
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Implementation Launch

• UPC Summer conference 08
• Demo flyer
• UPC Staff Induction Sep 09
• Librarians community day
• Awareness through UPC JBS / Subject Forum Chairs

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UPC HESS

• Constant Evaluation
• Tracking usage from Sep 08 700 hits resource
  downloads in first few weeks of term
• HESS II evaluation integrating web 2.0
  social bookmarking - delicious
• How can we make it better?
• What do our students want?
• Evaluation of external resources reliable
  sources
• All changes discussed with the team
• Requesting feedback from users

Number of Hits Sep-08 Nov-08
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• Live demo - http//help-cetl.ac.uk/moodle - LIVE
  DEMO
• Really useful just what the students needed
• Sue Atkinson, FD Public Services, City College
  Plymouth
• Fantastic Thanks Its all in one place looks
  funky Steve Rose, Somerset College of Arts
  Technology

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• Embedding
• Making it obvious
• Keeping it handy

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Thank you Any questions ?

• Hazel English, Julie Swain
• HELP CETL, University of Plymouth

Julie.swain_at_plymouth.ac.uk,Hazel.english_at_cityofbri
stol.ac.uk
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Using Web 2.0

• Using Web 2.0 to promote independent learning
• What?
• How does it
• Personalise learning?
• Motivate/guide?
• Provide scaffolding?

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Google Docs