Portfolio of Projects
Here you will find a sample of projects the TEL Unit has worked on either independently, with UW colleagues or with external clients.
Dementia UK Project
When our colleagues in the Association for Dementia Studies were contacted by the charity Dementia UK to ask if the University could help develop an e-learning course for them they referred the enquiry to the TEL team and we began a dialogue that resulted in a very exciting project.
The experts at Dementia UK had written a course they wanted to put online but needed our help to bring this to life. The introductory course was designed to provide information about the role of Admiral Nurses and give an insight into the work they do with a view to attracting more nurses and health professionals to the role.
From the outset we developed a project plan which included the course design and structure and we discussed areas where interactivity could be built in to make the course more engaging. The project plan outlined all the individual elements we would use such as video, graphic design and multi-media elements and utilised a range of specialist software to produce these elements.
Over the course of the project which took around six months to complete from conception to going live, we met regularly with the Dementia UK team who provided all the subject matter material. The TEL team designed, developed and delivered an entire course consisting of six modules including short animated videos, interactive knowledge check elements and a downloadable workbook. We also worked with DUK’s marketing team to ensure the design and branding met the requirements for the charity’s online identity.
On completion of the project we provided a fully packaged course which they could then upload to their website and make available to all interested parties. Feedback from Dementia UK was very positive and the course has now been accessed by many potential Admiral Nurses.
Skills Check Self Audit Tool
Here is an example of a project where the TEL Unit worked with colleagues internally to create a self-audit tool for students to assess their study skills and feel more confident about where to access resources and assistance regarding these skills. Library Services set out to create a project that would improve student access to support and visibility of resources.
With a project plan in place, Library Services worked with Learning Technologists from the TEL Unit to create an online interactive resource which would meet the objectives of enabling students to identify the study skills they required. With the academic content provided by colleagues, the TEL team created a resource that would incorporate the aesthetic of Library Services and the Hive.
Using industry standard authoring software, the TEL Unit designed and created an interactive, multi-device tool which allows students to select multiple responses to a range of questions. Using formulas to then collate that data and automatically calculate results from the answers given. Results from this tool indicate to students which study skill areas they are strong in and which areas they may wish to develop, signposting students to helpful resources and support across the University. Students are then able to save their results into an accessible document which they can refer back to for future use. The Skills Check Self-Audit tool is available on the Study Skills Portal.
PebblePad
PebblePad is a personal learning system that is designed to support learners through their learning journey. The software enables learners to showcase their achievements and provide evidence in a variety of different formats to prove that assessment criteria have been met successfully. The software can be used in many ways, but two of the most popular at the University of Worcester are Portfolio assessment, and evidencing criteria in a workplace environment, against a custom designed practice assessment document (known as a PebblePad workbook).
Getting Started
The TEL Unit can provide support and ongoing help to staff who wish to implement PebblePad as part of their module or course. Successful use of PebblePad relies on the development of well designed, robust resources that actively enable the student to provide evidence to show that they have met any necessary criteria during their assessment or placement as necessary. We can advise on how best to use this resource and help develop custom portfolio templates or assessment workbooks. We have considerable experience of creating electronic online resources from the original paper-based documents and will ensure that the correct workflow is maintained throughout, by the integration of appropriate e-learning pedagogy. Refining and streamlining workflows for tutors as part of their course development in this way can provide many benefits, and enable new ways to communicate and interact with students, encouraging greater reflection and developmental learning. We can also provide workshops for your students to help ensure that they get the most from the PebblePad software from the outset.
If you would like to implement PebblePad within your course or module, please take a look through this form and complete it as best as possible. It’s a useful starting point in order to facilitate a successful implementation of the PebblePad software and will help to provide a positive student experience. You will then be contacted by a member of the TEL team to discuss the next steps.
PebblePad in use
Example 1
Example one is where students are required to create a Portfolio of evidence, based on a template provided by their tutor, to demonstrate knowledge of concepts, principles and terminology which underpin the pedagogical aspects of coaching practice. Through demonstrating knowledge of models of reflection, the student will also demonstrate the ability to compare and contrast learning theories and their impact on athlete learning.
In this example the tutor has chosen to use the PebblePad portfolio option to enable students to creatively provide evidence to demonstrate that they have met the learning outcomes for the module. The tutor has provided a Portfolio template which scaffolds the learners as they develop their portfolios. Students are encouraged to personalise the portfolios by uploading suitable images of their coaching environment and by completing an “About Me” page. The evidence they provide can be in a variety of different formats which may include text, diagrams, pictures, websites, audio files and videos.
Example 2
Example two is a structured PebblePad workbook that supports the student throughout their placement as social workers. Students are required to produce an e-workbook of specified contents, including direct observations of practice, service user feedback, professional development plan and written work related to their work on placement.
The workbook needs to be assessed by their course tutors, but in addition, it needs to be signed off by placement supervisors in the workplace. Workplace supervisors will have secure access to the students work through an external PebblePad account that can be used to sign-off and comment on work within the student’s workbook.
Creation of bespoke courses
Members of the TEL team have considerable expertise and experience in the production of bespoke courses for staff, university partners and other community users. The TEL team will work with stakeholders in the creation of a course storyboard to produce an effective online pedagogy from the learning outcomes supplied. An example of this is available for all University staff on the staff training portal, LearnUpon. In this example the course has been produced using a range of tools and contains a number of interactive elements to improve the user experience.
Consideration is always given to accessibility requirements in order to ensure full compliance with current legislation and standards. Discussions will also take place regarding the hosting of the course and this will be determined by who the potential users are in addition to any data and reporting on user engagement and achievement that may be required. Some form of knowledge check is often desirable, and we have a number of options in place so that participant testing can be implemented.
Some of the elements in this course are outlined below:
- Markers – these are interactive elements that encourage users to click on parts of the screen, in order to reveal more information to complete tasks or explore concepts
- Multiple choice questions built into the course at intervals to provide a level of knowledge checking for the participant.
- Process elements are used to navigate participants through more lengthy and complex tasks in order to provide a fuller understanding of each section of the course content.
- Custom image creation where required to better represent a concept or process
If you have been inspired by any of the examples above and have a particular idea or project in mind and would like to work with the TEL Unit, please get in touch to see how we can help tel@worc.ac.uk.
