Mobilising remote student engagement
Overview
Fieldtrips and placements are core learning activities across many academic disciplines providing exposure to real world problems, environments and work experiences. The Morse project will aim to enhance this learning ‘beyond the institution’ by developing discipline-based approaches to the enhancement and student ownership of field work and placements. The project will integrate outcomes from previous projects on mobiles, Web 2.0 and the learner experience to focus on issues of isolation, interaction and collaboration, reflection and feedback. This will be achieved through a partnership between students, employers and tutors.
Aims and Objectives
To develop processes to maximise the impact of fieldwork and placements on student learning and personal development through the integration of personal technologies and social tools. Objectives include:
- Understand how learners who are working beyond the institution will achieve and the challenges that they face
- Review the personal technologies students use and interact with and identify how these technologies can be used to provide them with differentiated support
- Understand how these technologies can be used to encourage students to reflect on their learning and receive appropriate feedback
- Develop learning activities that enhance student learning and control
Project Methodology
The project methodology maps on to the JISC LEX project research rationale which demonstrated a focus on capturing "the affective, social and cognitive aspects of the student experience". A Prince 2 project methodology will be used. Key elements include:
- Trial and implement evaluation methodology incorporating an enhanced LEX project "interviews plus" methodology (Project evaluators)
- Review current practice with project teams (Project Manager & DMU lead)
- Scope, trial and implement structured learning tasks using mobile technologies and social tools (Programme teams)
- Student involvement in the production of authentic case studies and briefing papers. (Students & Project teams)
Anticipated Outputs and Outcomes
The core outcomes and outputs of the project cover:
- The identification and evaluation of personalised learner experiences on fieldwork and placement
- Engagement of fieldwork and placement teams with mobile, personal technologies, in order to deliver recommendations for both enhanced curriculum delivery and support for all participants
- The refinement of institutional structures and processes for fieldwork and placements
- Review of current practice
- Briefing papers (including multimedia ‘papers’) on fieldwork and placement experiences authored by students and staff
- Project Blog, Wiki and social bookmarks
- Lessons learnt and final reports
Project Staff
Project Managers
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Dr Tim Linsey, Kingston University, Academic Development, +44 208 417 2779, +44208 417 2789,
t.linsey@kingston.ac.uk - Dr Richard Hall, De Montfort University, Department of Academic Quality, +44 116 207 8254, rhall1@dmu.ac.uk
Project Team
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Dr Malcolm Andrew, De Montfort University, Leicester School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health & Life Sciences, +44 116 257 7276
mhea@dmu.ac.uk -
Dr Stuart Downward, Kingston University, Kingston University, School of Geography, Geology and the Environment, +44 208 417 2021,
s.downward@kingston.ac.uk -
Dr Ken Field, Kingston University, School of Geography, Geology and the Environment, +44 208 417 2541,
k.field@kingston.ac.uk -
Dr James O’Brien, Kingston University, Kingston University, School of Geography, Geology and the Environment, +44 208 417 2136,
J.Obrien@kingston.ac.uk -
- Dr Peter Taylor, De Montfort University, Leicester School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health & Life Sciences, +44 116 250 6299 pmtaylor@dmu.ac.uk