Use of a VLE to support placement students on Whip. University of Hull

Case Study- Use of a VLE to support placement students on Whip. University of Hull.

Overview:

The University of Hull extended their ‘Merlin’ VLE to support students on placements and provide additional support and assessment submission facilities.

Objectives:

To support students on placement electronically rather than f2f and telephone communications.

Evaluation Methods:

Student feedback to assess where changes may be needed.
Improved academic results after their return to University.


Benefits:

Because Merlin was already in place no further training was required for students.
Merlin is highly effective for communication.
Merlin has a user friendly interface.
Students became more confident and focussed after the support of Merlin on placement.
Communications became easier between placement students, administrative staff and teaching staff.
Cost, as there was no longer a need to telephone all students this reduced communications costs. Students choose what to print off to hard copy reducing photocopying costs.

Challenges:

Ensuring students realised that the university rules still applied to them even when on placement. (This included deadlines).
Getting students to accept that the use of Merlin was compulsory.
Students did not have the same access to library facilities as they would on site.
Tutors had more questions to deal with via email.


Personal Observations:

This implementation has worked well. Leston-Bandeira states that “If the University decided to change or alter its VLE arrangements, this could potentially cause a significant amount of additional administration” (2009) so it is worth noting that future technological changes would need to look at compatibility issues before being taking on or could undo all the work that has been put in.


References
Leston-Bandeira, C. (2008) Use of a VLE to support placement students on Whip. [online] http://www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/case-studies/tangible/wolverhampton/success1 (Accessed 21 February 2010)