Excellence Gateway
This case study was produced by JISC RSC (Regional Support Centres) Yorkshire & Humber on behalf of the Excellence Gateway.
Sector relevance: Adult and community learning, colleges, further education colleges, work-based learning
Keywords: Improving teaching and learning, improving responsiveness to learners, blogging, buddying, learning resources, giving feedback
Seeing that the college virtual learning environment (VLE) had the function, Su Illingworth tried out blogging with her students to see how they would respond. The result was emphatic, with benefits to both learners and the College.
Craven College is a further education institution based in Skipton, close to the Yorkshire Dales, and offers a range of academic and vocational qualifications from entry to degree level to 1,482 full-time and 5,000 part-time students.
The challenge for all tutors is to keep students engaged in their learning. It is also vital to gain honest feedback when evaluating an organisation's own processes and systems. By developing a blog, Su Illingworth was able to address both issues.
Craven College uses Moodle course management system for their VLE. Students can access documents relating to their course so that they can prepare for classes beforehand. There are also online links and tests, ways to book tutorials, target reviews and action plans.
Moodle also has a blog function (a kind of online diary where the user can write their thoughts and invite comment). Su Illingworth, Course Team Leader for Complementary Therapies, decided to explore the function. It was easy to set-up the blog, following just a few instructions. She posted an invitation for her new students to comment on their induction into the course and awaited any response.
The controlled environment of using the college VLE, rather than other commercial blogging tools such as Blogger, ensured that learners' comments would remain private and confidential within the group.
Su found that all the students in her group, with little encouragement, posted feedback on the blog within 24 hours.
This is the first year that Su has utilised blogging and says it is “working brilliantly”.
The blog improves the quality of feedback. Su found that in previous paper-based feedback “50-60% of learners didn't comment”. The blog encouraged learners to give qualitative feedback.
Blogging cuts down on administration. Su comments on how “it is easier to read through the online responses than trawl through all the feedback on paper”. It then makes it easier to respond to the comments and quickly implement solutions for any negative comments.
The blog has resulted in greater honesty in feedback given. Learners have the freedom to say what they think as they are removed from the face-to-face classroom situation. It also encourages shy students to be more forthcoming and builds confidence, getting students used to forming an opinion.
Conversation develops amongst the students and can be guided by the tutor. It is easy to follow how thought has developed amongst the group as a result of users reading others' comments. The tutor can trace progression within the group.
Some tutors struggle to get their students to look on the VLE. The response rate indicates that blogging encourages regular use of the VLE, which helps organisationally as learners can then utilise other functions, such as booking tutorials in advance. Su emphasised the importance of “getting the students to own [the VLE] and realise it is theirs”.
Given the success of the induction blog, Su is keen to develop the resource further. Current ideas include encouraging collaboration in research. Learners could post and swap information, generating discussion and possibly further research.
A blog would also be useful for the Interpersonal Skills module where sensitive issues are discussed. Learners can be encouraged to have the confidence to say what they think in the online environment. This would improve the current classroom activity where it can take a long time for students to open up.
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Disclaimer: The Regional Support Centres (RSC) and the Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS) support the development of educational e-learning. We may refer to specific products, processes or services. Such references are examples and are not endorsements or recommendations and should not be used for product endorsement purposes.
You can find this page and download any referenced resources from the Excellence Gateway at http://excellence.org.uk/168970.
