UK Centre for Materials Education
Working with you to enhance the student experience
Working with you to enhance the student experience
To address these issues for the Materials community, the UK Centre for Materials Education organised a "Distance Learning" Workshop on 22 October 2001, at De Montfort University, facilitated by experts from The Open University --- David Baume of the Centre for Higher Education Practice, and Mark Endean of the Department of Materials Engineering.
Both David and Mark started the morning Workshop session with short presentations (involving questions & answers).
David's presentation provided an overview of the basics of distance learning, in which he first stressed that as with the basics of any learning, distance learning students need knowledge of direction/outcomes, they need appropriate learning activities, and they need feedback on their work. They also require a clear framework or structure for their studying, as well as processes that they can rely on, the latter necessitating very substantial administration from the provider.
David then noted that when producing a basic distance learning course, study guidance, questions & answers, and content were all required. In terms of running a course, David drew participants' attention to the fact that three key processes were necessary. These were immaculate administration, tutoring (in which the tutors require effective training and support), and monitoring & evaluation. In summary, tutoring and administration were seen as fundamental to effective distance learning, so providers should not focus too much on design of content.
Mark's presentation focused on what makes effective distance teaching, of which there were three key elements. Firstly, good distance teaching should be purposeful, (i.e. have a well-defined audience, be placed in the curriculum, and have clear outcomes).Secondly, it should be structured, (i.e. have clear learning, teaching and assessment strategies, as well as have learning material in manageable chunks). Thirdly, good distance teaching should be paced, (ensuring that there is a timetable for learning, assessment milestones, and opportunities for interaction).
Mark stressed to participants that since you can never overestimate the sense of isolation felt by distance learners, it is therefore important to provide effective student support, which can be delivered by access to tutors (be it a named individual, an expert helpline, or a virtual tutor), by scheduled tutorials, or by self-help groups.
The remainder of the morning Workshop session involved participants dividing into small groups, in order to develop a distance learning module, with both David and Mark available as facilitators to help any groups when required. A module template was provided for participants within which to plan their distance learning modules, comprising the following questions:
As a supplement to the Workshop over lunch, staff from The Open University presented short case-studies of their learning materials and provided an exhibition of their varied distance learning resources for perusal by participants.
The afternoon Workshop session started with some group work again, where participants were invited to prepare questions, issues and discoveries based on their prior experiences of distance learning, and from their work during the morning session in which they had developed a distance learning module.
The remainder of the afternoon Workshop session involved a plenary session, in this case termed a "Brains Trust", that allowed participants the opportunity to share and discover their ideas in relation to distance learning, with both David Baume and Mark Endean offering expert guidance and suggestions.
Adam Mannis
FDTL Tutoring Materials Project
