Case Study 10. Online Economics Texts

[Reviewer: Nigel Smellie]

Case Study 10. Online Economics Texts
(University of Exeter - Economics)

1. General Description of Case Study by Reviewer.
• Introduction of online e-learning and e-(formative)-assessment to form a blended approach.
• E-learning content and resources outsourced to external publisher.
• Considered “largely successful” with benefits for administrators, academics and students.
• Project led to adoption of same approach to other courses and informed developing institutional e-learning strategy.
• Introduction partly funded by students having to pay to access online resources.

2. JISC Classification:
a. e-Learning Activity Area: Technology-enhanced Learning (TELE).

b. e-Learning Benefits Model: TOP LEFT of the graph:
(1) E-Learning Approach (Y-Axis): “transformational”; improve sustainability (JISC 2008a, p 29).
(2) Nature of the issue (X-Axis): well defined; rationally driven; measured financially; resource-evidenced.

2. Rationale for Change:
• National and institutional policy drivers to increase e-learning.
• New and changed courses offered opportunity to experiment/innovate.
• Increased student throughput and need to improve administrative efficiency.
• Need to increase formative assessment/improve feedback.
• Change in cost-systems led to increase in proportion of temporary staff.

3. Learning, Learners and Staff Involved:

a. Learning and Learners: Economics for 200+ undergraduate British and international students (some business students, others not).

b. Staff: Academic staff (departmental heads, lecturers). No involvement of ICT support teams because the resources were online., ICT

4. Technology and Resources Used:

a. Technology:
• VLE (WebCT).
• Broad range of e-learning resources developed by outsourced providers (“including Wiley and Pearsons”).

b. Resources: Specific costs not identified/recorded in case study report.

6. Possible Innovation Identified: Nothing especially innovative per se, but within this particular institution this was a novel approach – “early adopter”.

7. Benefits Claimed:

a. Administrators/wider organisation:
• Space savings – reduced number of classes.
• Recording of student participation (potentially) allows learning process to be used to support administration – eg monitoring of performance.
• Approach fitted with institutional strategies (e-learning and problem-based learning).

b. Academics:
• Saving in staff time – 8 hours of tutorials per week replaced by to help classes.
• Extended e-learning related experience of staff.
• Consistency of e-learning teaching and content - potential for team-teaching and increased continuity (especially with temporary lecturers).
• Materials provided by publishers more extensive than could be developed in-house.

c. Students:
• Retention rates very high – indicating positive effects on student motivation.
• Pass rates/average marks equivalent to non-e-learning predecessor (learning not adversely affected).
• Increased accessibility – for those with other (eg work) commitments.
• Self-paced and user-friendly learning – especially appreciated by international students.

8. Lessons Identified:
Need to educate staff not directly involved (eg support staff) to ensure project is properly understood and no mixed messages to staff.
Need additional incentives to motivate students to undertake increased number of formative assessments (changes to assessment strategy).

9. Additional Comments by Reviewer:

Not especially innovative per se – more of a pilot project in support of institutional strategy. Many of technical issues circumvented by using outsourced developers. I expect this method is effective for providing a “kick start” to the introduction of e-learning but may not be the best long-term solution.

10. References:
JISC (2008a), Exploring Tangible Benefits of e-Learning: Does Investment yield interest?