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Developing and implementing a virtual learning environment (VLE)
for a large complex course.
David Dewhurst
Director of Learning Technology
College of Medicine & Veterinary Medicine, University of Edinburgh
Rachel Ellaway & Allan Cumming
‘Complex course’
• Undergraduate medical course MBChB• New course in line with GMC ‘Tomorrows
Doctors’ – started in 1998• 5 years (+PRHO) ~ 220 students/year• Integrated curriculum with clinical teaching in all
5 years• Horizontal ‘courses’ with vertical ‘themes’• Mixture of didactic, case-based learning, PBL
but with greater emphasis on student centred, resource-based learning
What is a VLE?
VLEs are integrated systems of networked on-line resources which support and facilitate course management, learning, teaching and assessment activities whether these take place on-campus or at a distance.
Also known as MLEs, LMSs, LCMSs
Virtual Learning Support Environment
• Mirrors traditional learning environment • On-line personalised (MyEEMeC) student
information• Features to promote student interaction• Networked Teaching, Learning & Assessment
resources provided by academic staff• Features to support course management by
administrative staff• On-line library and reference resourcesFor medical students in Edinburgh this is EEMeC -
Edinburgh Electronic Medical Curriculum
EEMeC • Collaborative project between:
– Learning Technology Section• IT Services, • Courseware development, • Medical Illustration & digital graphics, • Teaching Facilities management
– Medical Teaching Organisation• course delivery, implementation, curriculum development
• started September 1999 and follows the roll-out of the new medical curriculum – year 5 starts July 2002
• Bespoke system which constantly evolves to meet local needs both administrative and learning
• Resource intensive
How did we start?• Major ‘drivers’
– top down (Dean), bottom up (staff enthusiasts and increasingly students), middle in (LTS/MTO).
• Resources– strong team of courseware developers with
appropriate expertise and enthusiasm• Pragmatism and vision - ‘small steps, big plans’
‘pragmatic approach towards a grand vision’• Recognised the need to become indispensable to
attract further funding
Year 1 - First steps - static resources
• Planning - considered off-the-shelf VLEs - not appropriate for the highly complex medical course.
• Initial Development - a highly structured website with easy, intuitive navigation –
used standard development tools– populated with study guides and other existing resources
• MS office data (Word, PowerPoint, Excel) to html• static timetable
– Limited ‘Resources section’ – static html documents
• Evaluated the site through liaison meetings with students and staff - very positive feedback and high level of use.
• Parallel staff development
Now - features of EEMeC added in response to feedback
• Personalised ‘MyEEMeC’ Home Page - notices, personal resources, queryable timetable (SQL Server/ASP)
• Chat area Discussion area, shared workspaces and annotation facility
• Expanded Resources Section (database driven and contains, e.g. room locations across all sites, web- and LAN-based CAL programs, videos (some streamed), ‘Grand Rounds’ - searchable
• Much improved staff interface – local content management
• Choosing ‘Options’, voting class reps• Portfolio management• Evaluation• Assessment Marks• Archive of previous years materials• Develop an ‘attendance’ database
http://www.eemec.med.ed.ac.uk/
How useful is it?
• Evaluates very highly • Student use very high – hits every 2 days – available
24/7 from anywhere with internet connection• Staff use increasing but still problems with clinical
teachers in teaching hospitals where there are some access problems
• Quality of resources increasing• Broken down barriers between course delivery
(academic) and management (administrators)• Single source of course information • Audit vehicle