1. http://www.jisc.ac.uk/media/documents/lxp_project_final_report_nov_06.pdf
Gráinne Conole
UMSLG / UHSL Open Forum
Monday 14 May 2007
e-learning in health and medicine
Focusing on the student
perspective: how are
students really using
technologies for learning

2. LXP
Student experiences
Subject
discipline
differences
Uses of
technologies
Effective
e-learning
strategies
Online survey
Audio logs Interviews
Learner Experiences Project
M. de Laat - Exeter, T. Dillon – Bristol, J. Darby – Open University

3. Phase 1 –
context
Phase 2 – in-depth case
studies
Survey Audio logs Interviews
Economics: 128
Languages: 92
Medicine: 31
Computing: 158
Other: 18
Total: 427
Economics: 3
Languages: 47
Medicine: 16
Computing: 19
Total: 85
Economics: 2
Languages: 3
Medicine: 5
Computing: 4
Total: 14

4. What four technologies do you use most?

5. The first thing I do when given any piece of word
is type it into a search engine! this gives me the
opportunity to see how different people interpret
the title. from there i can focus on one main idea
and use the electronic resources to support my initial
findings or indeed rule them out. E-mail is always vital
with communicating with different mediums. teachers for
support
I use email to communicate with everyone,
especially lecturers; arranging meetings,
asking questions about work and queries
over assignments etc I write all my assignments
using Word and to sort through the information I find,
make notes of what I still need to do and spell check
my emails that I'm sending to lecturers.
Search engines are used to find news articles
I use them [technologies] to find out information for
assignments, and also to help me clarify
my notes on each subject area that I study.
Instant messaging is used to discuss
issues with friends if a topic is not understood
My PDA is useful for reading
things when I'm on the move
Survey qualitative data

6. Learner voices
Fabio: an individual learner (Economics)
Samir: a social learner
Annmarie: an active technology user (Medicine)
Gary: learning through practice (Medicine)
Jack: social/interactive learner (Computer Science)
Finbar: an active blogger (Computer Science)
Dzel: aTurkish student (Languages)
Peizhi: a Chinese student (Languages)

7. Today I used my mobile phone to contact a friend from
the same course to ask them where I could get my cover
sheet for my essay to hand in today. I had to do this basically
because I searched the university web site and I couldn’t find
one and I didn’t have one on my computer so I had to ring my
friend because I knew he had printed one out for himself
earlier in the day…
Well basically the mobile phone, … if I didn’t have one
I wouldn’t have been able to do this ….I was able to contact
XX and ask him where I could find one… I found one on
another student’s home page who’d put it up there
conveniently so that a lot of people could get it so that was
pretty handy and I’ll remember that in the future.
Jack: social/interactive learner (Computer Science)

8. Internet sites for meanings and glossary
Mobile phone find out about course work
MSM chat to send coursework to friends
Mobile to text class mates to get exam hints
Blogs for personal reflection
Internet/search engines to verify concepts
Internet to research an essay
Google using keywords/phrase
Wikipedia and podcasts
Voice recorder for collecting interview data
USB stick to transfer data between home and uni
Dictionary.com to check words
Podcasts from English language sites
Updating E-Portfolio from the hospital
University VLE site to access lectures
and check calendar
Audio logs

9. Learner voices: Laura

10. Patterns of use
Researching and
retrieving information
Google, Wikipedia, subject-specific sites
Communication
Multiple tools, peers/tutors…
Assignments
Generic tools:
Word, Excel, Powerpoint
Integrated learning
Mixed views on VLEs,
personalised learning

11. Information Communication
Content
Changing nature of content
(more available, lower intrinsic value,
higher interactivity and standards)
Cost and value
Materials and information
freely available on the Internet
Perceived worth of content
Presentation
Use of multimedia to improve
presentation
Expectations of good quality content
Evaluation
New skills for assessing content
Skills to ensure work is authentic
Communication
Different tools for different things
Internet to access expert knowledge
“With anyone about anything anytime”
Collaboration
New forms of collaboration
– smart tools and web2.0
Distributed cognition
Information Communication

12. Environment
Media
Changing media – increase of USB pens,
ipods, mps players, integrated phones,
better screen displays for reading
Motivation
Gaming generation, used to highly,
engaging and entertaining environment
Interactivity
Evidence of a shift from passive to interactive
interactions across all aspects of their learning
Near ubiquitous
Many now have their own PCs and wireless
internet access – becoming accustomed
to being able to access information or
contact people on demand, anywhere

13. Perceptions
Comfortable with technology, see it as integral
Critically aware of the pros and cons
Sophisticated and varied use of different
communication tools for different purposes
Access to up to date and relevant
information and resources vital
Don’t see technology as anything special
– another tool to support their learning
Mismatch between institutions perceptions
of student use of technology and actual use

14. Shifting sands….
Pervasive and integrated
Extensive use of tools for everything
Personalised
Adapted to personal needsSocial
Networked peer community
Interactive
Content not fixed
“Underworld” and mismatch
Using tools in unintended ways
Time
The ‘now’ culture

15. In-depth study of work-based students
Title
E-assessment E-Portfolios Conferences Wikis &
Blogs
Cisco Networking √ √
Team Engineering √ √
Social Work Practice √ √
Applied Social Work Practice √ √
Extending Professional Practice √ √ √
Software Reqs for Bus Systems √ √ √
How students learn using tools across different boundaries?
Strategies they use to manage the process
Barriers/enablers, key critical moments
Relationship between student practice and institutional policy