Manchester Materials Masters Academic Briefing Prof Robert Young, Prof George Thompson, Prof Bob Cottis, Peter WhittonDecember 2008

Agenda

� Programme Overview (George Thompson)

� E-Learning Development Timetable (Peter Whitton)

� Student Support (Bob Cottis)

� E-Tutor Roles, Responsibilities, Recruitment and Training (Bob Cottis)

MMM Programme Overview

Funding� Collaborative Training Account is providing £330k funding over

three years, commencing September 2006

Objective� To launch the Manchester Materials Masters taught course

provision in September 2007

Delivery� CCE new structure launched in September 2007� AEM, PMSE and TT launched in September 2008

MMM Programme Overview

Unique Range of Taught Courses� Advanced Engineering Materials (AEM)� Corrosion Control Engineering (CCE)� Polymer Materials Science and Engineering (PMSE)� Textile Technology (TT)� Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) (new)

Flexible Learning� Choice of qualification

- Postgraduate Certificate, Diploma, MSc� Choice of study mode

- Full-time, part-time or online distance-learning, CPD

E-Learning Development Timetable

E-Learning Development Timetable

� MMM Background� Overview of E-Learning provision in the School of Materials� What the MMM has achieved so far� MMM Unit structure� Timescale for MMM completion� Working with the MMM project� Demo of MMM material on Blackboard

E-Learning Development Timetable

E-Learning provision in the School of Materials� The University delivers learning materials through a virtual

learning environment (VLE).� We currently use a VLE system called the Blackboard Learning

System (sometimes called Vista)� The VLE allows us to …

- Deliver learning material to students, including coursework and assignments

- To individually track student progress- Communicate with the students either individually or as a

group

E-Learning Development Timetable

Who uses E-Learning materials?� The MMM has two distinct groups of students at the moment,

campus based students and distance learners� MMM campus based students use the online resources to

supplement face-to-face teaching � MMM distance learners rely on Blackboard to deliver …

- learning materials- a way of handing in their assignments- the main method of communication with their tutor and fellow

students

E-Learning Development Timetable

What the MMM project has achieved so far� Corrosion Control Engineering - Units 1, 2 and 3 (and 4, 5

partially complete)� Advanced Engineering Material - Unit 1 (and 2 partially

complete)� Textile Technology - Unit 1 (and 2 partially complete)� Polymer Material Science and Engineering - Unit 1 (and 2

partially complete)

Each online distance-learning unit contains 12 study weeks over a 14-week period. Each study week normally comprises five study sessions,corresponding to five working days.

Each week

= 12.5hrs student effort

Each Unit

= 150 student effort hrs

Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4

Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Week 8

Week 9 Week 10 Week 11 Week 12

Break Week

Break Week

Exam Preparation

E-Learning Development Timetable

E-Learning Development Timetable

MMM Timescale for completion� The time scale for the completion of the remaining units is challenging!� Jan 2010 finish

� Delivery deadlines

- Unit 2 – ASAP (this material is already overdue)- Unit 3 – structure ASAP, first material Jan 2009, complete March

2009- Unit 4 – structure Jan 2009, first material March 2009, complete

May 2009

- Unit 5 – structure Feb 2009, first material April 2009, complete July 2009

- Unit 6 – structure March 2009, first material May 2009, complete August 2009

E-Learning Development Timetable

Working with the MMM project� Look at what is taught face–to–face � Create a structure document describing how this material can been

divided over a 12 week period� Gather together teaching materials for this unit � Consider your material from a distance learners point of view

- Is it complete? – does it fulfil all the learning outcomes?- Is it explained sufficiently well for a DL audience? - Does the material contain meaningful activities for the student to

do? - Is there a way for the student to assess their progress?

� Identify any gaps where material will need to be created � Pass on the first draft of material to the DL team for feedback in

electronic format� Review material on Blackboard

MMM Blackboard demo

https://blackboard.manchester.ac.uk/

MMM Student Support

Student Support

� E-Tutor- Day-to-day mentoring on course- Normally research student or similar

� Pastoral tutor- Occasional personal assistance- Normally member of academic staff

E-Tutor Roles, Responsibilities,Recruitment and Training

E-Tutor Roles, Responsibilities, Recruitment and Training� Acts as mentor to a group (ideally about 6) of students working

through the DL course� Expected time commitment of 1 hour per student per week� Cost is significant

- Research students paid as demonstrators ~£170- Academic staff ~£600

� Tutors are expected to encourage and guide students� Not expected to be a subject expert

- Therefore supported by tutor notes and by unit lecturers� Expected to provide rapid response (not more than 1 day)� Should arrange for an alternate if away for more than 1 day

E-Tutor Roles, Responsibilities, Recruitment and Training

e-Tutor Training� Partially online course (not currently available)� Mentoring by experienced e-tutors