Fully Online Delivery of “Professional Scientist”
Design Pattern Tags : Course, Learning design, WIL, Blackboard (online learning), Online assessment and feedback (Turnitin, Video Assessment, Rubrics, PeerMark, Blackboard), Online Collaboration, Online learning, Video learning, WIL online, Blackboard, Google Communities, Online learning
Fully Online Delivery of “Professional Scientist” Susanne Tepe, Mercy Meleko, Neil Goudge
December 2015
Abstract/Snapshot:
Professional Scientist is currently delivered in a face-to-face format to local students.
The course needed to be modified so that it can be made available in a fully online version for OUA using video resources, online collaboration tools and with educational technology.
Learning Context This pattern is applicable to any course that is delivered in a traditional face-to-face environment and needs to be converted into a 100% online delivery mode.
Rationale Traditionally this course has consisted of a number of guest lectures by industry professionals at RMIT in the city. Students would need to attend these lectures and then do their assessment.
This mode of delivery needed to be moved into the online environment, so the guest lectures were made into short focused interview style videos that the students could access through Blackboard.
The activities were also evaluated and implemented to enforce the content delivered in the videos.
The student assessment would then be based around a group WIL project that would be submitted and peer assessed online with the use of Google. Mentors will assist in the coordination of the groups in the on line environment using a number of tools.
This course has a strong emphasis on improving the employability skills of the RMIT graduates and links in with the RMIT Careers Centre for components of the course.
Learning Design Alignment with the course learning outcomes and program earning outcomes was completed prior to commencing the project.
Conditions/Critical Success Factors As mentioned earlier, the creation of on-line training resources (video, animations and graphics etc) needs to be addressed independently to the implementation of this as a pattern.
This can be an expensive exercise and it may be worth while evaluating whether things like videos need to be professionally produced, or is it more sustainable for staff to undertake some PD to enable them to produce basic videos to be used as resources.
If this is not the case then the pattern may not be sustainable.
Resources/Technology Case Studies/Implementation Evaluate course content, assessment and PLO and CLOs.
Break down the course content into small chunks so that the content can easily absorbed by the student and develop an activity that re-enforces the material covered.
Undertake a search of available resources and then develop a list of resources that need to be produced.
Devise a strategy platform in which to deliver the resources and then assess the students understanding of the content. This needs to interface with the RMIT LMS (Blackboard) as much as possible.
Devise a strategy for students to communicate in groups in an on line environment.
Ensure Course Mentors are familiar with the communication tools.
Build Resources / assets and the course material (including training resources for mentors) and upload if to the LMS / delivery platform.
Test and evaluate the process prior to roll out.
Outcomes Videos have been created for the interviews and loaded into a Blackboard shell for the course. This course is ready to be implemented in Semester 2, 2015.
