The document discusses the structure and assessment methods of the online MBA program at the University of Liverpool, highlighting the use of micro-lectures lasting 1-3 minutes to maintain student engagement. It outlines the assessment model encompassing weekly essays, participation, and integration papers, with no exams involved, leveraging Blackboard’s platform for submissions. Key advantages include encouraging full participation, enhancing time management, and building essential skills through reflection on weekly learnings and discussions.

1. Mind the gap…ideas for filling
‘non-lecture’ time
Lisa Harris
l.j.harris@soton.ac.uk
www.twitter.com/lisaharris

2. Two brief themes to discuss…
• Lessons learned as a tutor on University
of Liverpool online MBA
• The “micro-lecture”

3. The Liverpool e-MBA
• Started 2001
• Now has over 2000 students from 175 countries
• Partnership deal with Laureate Online Education
• Run separately from Liverpool’s traditional MBA
programme, though some staff work on both
• Global network of part time Tutors and Module
Managers
• There is a growing package of online MSc
programmes, including topics such as Medicine

4. Assessment
• Students study 8 units plus dissertation
• Each unit lasts 8 weeks
• The course material is a summary ‘handout’ plus specified reading
from core textbook each week
• Each week is assessed as follows:
– 2 x short essays (750 words) submitted Sat and Mon
– Classroom participation (commenting and raising/answering questions
on the work of others)
– Integration paper submitted Wed which summarises the key learning
from the week’s material and subsequent discussions
– Grades and individual tutor feedback given weekly on Sat
• Total assessment per module = 16 x short essays, 8 weeks’
participation, 8 weekly summaries. There are no exams.
• Platform used is Blackboard with integrated SafeAssign for
plagiarism checking

5. Advantages
• Ensures full participation throughout (no
place to hide at the back…)
• Requires excellent time management
(students and tutors…)
• Builds communication, analytic and writing
skills
• Students are required to draw upon at
least one journal article from the Uni e-
library per essay submitted

6. The weekly summary
• Students are encouraged to reflect upon:
– Specific learnings that stand out from their
own work that week and why
– What they have learned from particular
discussions with other students and why
– How they might apply the learning within their
own workplace
– Practical issues of what went well/badly with
respect to time management and the study
process

7. The ‘micro lecture’
• Student attention span in minutes is equivalent
to their age in years….
• Lectures last 1-3 minutes (paired with
assignments and discussions)
• Framework:
– Show them where to dig
– Tell them what you’re looking for
– Oversee the process
• Requires the tutor to be *very* clear about
focusing on the key learning points

8. Modus Operandi
• List the key concepts you would cover in a
‘normal’ lecture
• Write a 15/30 second introduction and
conclusion to top and tail the key concepts
• Record as podcast or vodcast
• Design an assignment that directs students to
summarise/integrate further reading/activities
that develop the key concepts
• Upload to Blackboard
• End result is a series of short but integrated
assignments conducted throughout the module