Presentation for Lilac 2013 This session was an exploration of the interlinked dynamics of shifting from resource-intensive face-to-face teaching to an approach where technology-enhanced information literacy learning was integrated within a module with a consequent reduction in contact hours for teaching. It considered what are the IL and pedagogic losses and gains from taking this approach: Is this a more sustainable and resilient way of developing IL across the curriculum?

1. AMANDA POULTON

2. An exploration of the pedagogic
benefits of e-learning and e-
assessment as a way to make a more
effective use of librarian time
LILAC 2013
Are we wasting our time?

3. CONTEXT
• Growing demand for information literacy
– Student numbers
– Staff availability
– Focus on employability and interlinking with IL
skills
• Financial constraints
– Trying to do more with less
• Student profile
– Increasing home students from the region
– Distance learners and Placement students

4. BENEFITS AND CHALLENGES OF E-LEARNING
Benefits
• Increased active learning
– Interactivity can help develop
deeper learning
– Encourages students to make
mistakes and learn from them
• Flexible and accessible
• Students can review and revisit
material
• Reduces teaching time
• Reduces pressure on space
• Can be completed at a time
convenient to the learner
Challenges
• Time to develop materials
• Students can choose not to
participate
• Librarian skillset
• Teacher-learner interaction
• Students can feel isolated
• Programme culture
• Accessibility through firewalls
e.g. the NHS
• Teaching can be technology
rather than learner-led

5. BENEFITS AND CHALLENGES OF E-ASSESSMENT
Benefits
• Easy to mark and
moderate
– Assessment possible for
large numbers of students
• Bank of questions makes
set up easy
• In a familiar environment
to the students (VLE)
Challenges
• Reliant on Internet
connectivity and computers
working
• Computer not flexible in
marking
• Can‘t switch off the Internet
– has to be ―Open-book‖
• Can be restrictive in terms
of type of assessment
(technology-led)

6. ―It is not just a question of providing
access to the technology but making sure
that it has a demonstrable impact on
student attitudes, behavior, knowledge
and understanding. Finally it must be
based on sound pedagogy‖
Edwards and McKinnell (2007)

7. ―As digital technology dominates students‘
behavior in everyday life, that technology
can be used to enhance the dialogue
between teacher and learner as new
ways of engaging students in learning
become available.‖
Biggs and Tang (2011)

8. CASE STUDY
• Pharmacy and related subjects
• Use of Blackboard since 2004
• Three taught sessions, one assessment
• E-learning only introduced 2012-13 in
line with new Pharmacy curriculum
• Mix of information and activities
• Pharmacy exam is now formative
• Backed up with drop-in optional face-to-
face workshops

9. EVALUATION
• Students asked to complete online
feedback form
• Six questions using Likert scale plus
three open questions
• Response rate of 14%

10. EVALUATION - RESPONSES
Agreed/strongl
y agreed
74%
Disagreed/stron
gly disagreed
7%
Neutral
16%
No response
3%
This course has given me the confidence/skills
to find the information I need for my studies

11. EVALUATION - RESPONSES
Agreed/strongl
y agreed
72%
Disagreed/stro
ngly disagreed
9%
Neutral
14%
No response
5%
This course has given me the confidence/skills
to evaluate resources found on the Internet

12. EVALUATION - RESPONSES
Agreed/strongly
agreed
77%
Disagreed/stron
gly disagreed
8%
Neutral
11%
No response
4%
This course has given me the confidence/skills
to cite references and compile bibliographies

13. STUDENT FEEDBACK
"It was a very useful course"
"I think the library course was
better presented this year"
"I liked the visual representation we went through
in ‗Preparing your search and getting started‘‖

14. STUDENT FEEDBACK
"Could include more interactive
features or more quizzes"
"Maybe spread the content out further - found it
difficult having to read through the material released
each week in time for the next lot of material"
―Perhaps spending more time on real
teaching, instead of wasting time telling
students to complete useless stuff online‖

15. EXAM COMPARISON
2011/2012 2012/2013
Pharmacy – 75.7%
Biomedical Science –
69.2%
Pharmaceutical and
Cosmetic Science – 69.8%
Pharmacy – 83.8%
Biomedical Science –
71.9%
Pharmaceutical and
Cosmetic Science – 70.6%

16. A WAY FORWARD
• Enhance interactive elements
• Expand online learning course to other
subject areas
• Consider how to increase teacher-
learner interaction
– E.g. Assessment feedback
– Discussion boards, Twitter chat etc
• More structured drop-ins

17. THINGS TO CONSIDER
• Culture of students and programme
• Programme level
• Librarian engagement/interest with online teaching
• Staff training
• Availability of reusable learning objects to develop
online course
• All the same pedagogical principles of sound
course design apply e.g. Clear objectives
• Assessment mapped to objectives etc.
• Higher initial outlay of staff costs in year one

18. REFERENCES
• BIGGS, J. and TANG, C. (2011) Teaching for quality learning at
university. 4th ed. Maidenhead: Open University Press/McGraw
Hill Education.
• EDWARDS, A and MCKINNELL, S. (2007) Moving from
dependence to independence: the application of e-learning in
higher education. In CAMPBELL, A. and NORTON, L. (eds.)
Learning, teaching and assessing in Higher Education:
developing reflective practice, pp. 68-79
• KAARTINEN-KOUTANIEMI, M. and KATAJAVUORI, N. (2006)
Enhancing the development of pharmacy education by changing
pharmacy teaching. Pharmacy Education, 6 (3), pp. 197–208.
• WAKE, M. and LISGARTEN, L. (2003) VLEs and Pharmacy—
Learning from Experience. Pharmacy Education, 3 (3), pp. 209–
214.

19. ACKNOWEDGEMENTS
• Thanks to the Pharmacy E-learning
team:
– Katie Fraser
– Ceri Laing
– Nathan Rush
– Joanne Tidswell