1. Learning &Teaching Conference 2010: Re-thinking the Curriculum
Dr Stephen McKinnell
Director of e-Learning
Dr Peter Dangerfield
Director of MBChBYear 1
Faculty of Health & Life Sciences

2.  Similar content delivered year on year;
 Similar content delivered to students on different programmes;
 Congested timetables - students;
 Workload issues (teaching, research, clinical) – staff;
 Student centred learning;
 Reusable Learning Objects;
 Enabling technologies now available.

3. “any digital resource that can be reused to support learning”
Wiley (2000)
Learning objects have the following key characteristics:
• Small units of learning, typically ranging from 2 minutes to
15 minutes.
• Are self-contained – each LO can be taken independently
• Are reusable – a single LO may be used in multiple contexts
for multiple purposes
• Can be aggregated – LOs can be grouped into larger
collections of content, including traditional course structures
• Are tagged with metadata – every learning object has
descriptive information allowing it to be easily found.
Beck (2009)

4. Content Creation
(Subject specialist)
LO Creation
(Subject specialist &
e-technologist)
LO delivery to students
(e-technologist)

5.  Normal PowerPoints developed
 Discrete chunks….multiple small PowerPoints instead of one
large one
 Consideration given to future use and how to lessen future re-
recording/re-editing

6.  Voice-narrated PowerPoint recording using Camtasia Studio
 Outputted to “OneVideo withTOC” – intended for web
delivery
 Output video format .FLV
 Embedded on html page
 Recorded at 1024 x 768 but delivered at 960 x 655 resolution

11.  Multiple options
 Web
 CD
 i-Phone
 VITAL / mapped drive / pcwww
 Secure delivery
 Ability to track use
 Single point of storage, multiple points of delivery

13. Web page in ‘public.www’ M: drive
•Pseudo tagging of Los
•Securely delivered to staff only
Mapped drive published to pcwww
•Secure / public
•Single instance
URL accessed throughVITAL
•Secure
•Multiple instances
•Utilises all Blackboards features

17.  15 embryology themed and 4 growth and developed themed
LOs already developed plus 6 supporting SSMs.
 Available to multiple years on the MBChB programme (UG and
PG entry), BDS programme and the BSc (Hons)Anatomy
degree.
 No analysis of student usage / views yet undertaken. But
positive feedback has been received.
 The approach undertaken and technology used is more than
satisfactory.
 The use ofTOCs is a real advantage.

18.  Not all content lends itself to this approach.
 Additional front-loaded work for staff which may be onset
against ‘savings’ later.
 ‘Team developed’ approach desirable to make appropriate /
efficient use of skills (academic and e-learning technologist).
 Student centre learning – emphasis on the independent
learner.
 Improved the student experience.

19.  Beck, Robert J. (2009), "What Are Learning Objects?", Learning
Objects, Center for International Education, University of
Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
http://www4.uwm.edu/cie/learning_objects.cfm?gid=56
 Wiley, DavidA. (2000), "Connecting Learning Objects to
Instructional DesignTheory: A Definition, A Metaphor, and A
Taxonomy", inWiley, David A. (DOC),The Instructional Use of
Learning Object. http://www.reusability.org/read/