Undergraduate Medical Students as Active Participants and Co-Producers of E-Learning Tutorials

Linn, A. and Rea, P. (2016) Undergraduate Medical Students as Active Participants and Co-Producers of E-Learning Tutorials. 9th Annual University of Glasgow Learning and Teaching Conference, Glasgow, UK, 12 Apr 2016.

Abstract

To learn, students must do more than just listen; learning demands involvement and active participation in the process (Davis, 2002). The ever-increasing suite of digital tools available in higher education means using technology for teaching and learning can be engaging for both instructors and students. However to enable a transformative approach to instructional design and to harness this digital capacity to its full potential it is important to ensure that technology addresses a real need - to enhance student learning and to support the learner (McCulloch, 2009). As part of a student selected component (SSC) for the Undergraduate Medical degree (MBChB) students became active participants and co-creators of their learning experience in Anatomy teaching through the development of E-tutorials using Articulate Storyline 2 software. A group of 9 students selected this module. Initially they reflected on issues experienced by students on the MBChB programme, engaging with their peers on the course enabled sharing multiple perspectives. The inclusion of the student voice was a key value in the initial development of these digital resources. Based on their discussions the students selected three anatomical regions of the body to focus on, with the aim of using technology to personalise the learning material currently available in a variety of resources into one interactive self-evaluation tool. The SSC encouraged collaboration and interaction among the students within their groups, the process of designing, planning, and creating the e-tutorials, empowered them to be creative, independent, analytical thinker. The evaluation process encouraged problem solving and assimilation of meaningful information; in addition to these graduate attributes the students developed digital skills and knowledge improving their digital literacy and awareness. The e-tutorials can be produced for publication on the web, for using on mobile devices or in a format that is easily uploaded to Moodle or another LMS. Although this study focused on Anatomy, this software could easily be adapted to any discipline. The finished products will be presented demonstrating that students (in collaboration with teaching staff) should be encouraged to utilise technology to become more active participants and co-creators of their learning experiences enabling the development of personalised learning material to encourage autonomous self-directed learning and to develop new versatility when it comes to interaction in learning environments.

• Item Type: Conference or Workshop Item
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Linn, Dr Aileen and Rea, Professor Paul
• Authors: Linn, A., and Rea, P.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Life Sciences; College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Medicine, Dentistry & Nursing

Related URLs

• Organisation