Delivering continuing professional development using online distance learning

This case study, submitted by John Fairhurst of Huddersfield University Business School in 2003, reflects on the use of a virtual learning environment (VLE) over a four year period to deliver an online, distance learning, Postgraduate Diploma in Law (Common Professional Examination) programme to both full time and part time students at the University of Huddersfield.

Students attend for a 5-6 day induction programme at the start of the course, where they are provided with a hands-on introduction to the VLE and the requirements of the course. The software used for the VLE is Blackboard.

During the first three years of the programme (1998-2001) students generally were active participants within the discussion boards during the first couple of weeks, but thereafter participation declined, no matter how much the tutor tried to encourage them. This was due to the fact that the students were all in full time employment (the programme was offered only on a part time basis during this period) and the intensive nature of the programme, meaning that students completed the ‘essential’ work necessary to secure a pass (ie reading through the online materials and participating in a weekly tutorial), but if there was insufficient time available then the discussion board activities were sacrificed.

The assessment regulations were subsequently amended so that students were assessed on their discussion board participation on a pass or fail basis. The intention was not to assess the quality of their contributions, but rather to ‘make’ them learn from one another using asynchronous tools, similar to compulsory seminar attendance. Students are now actively participating, and the level of some contributions is excellent.

Detailed evaluations of the first years of the programme have been published in the Journal of Information Law & Technology:

• Evaluation of an Internet-based PgDL (CPE) course (1999)
• Huddersfield’s electronically-delivered PgDL (CPE) course (2000)

There are three main elements to e-learning activities on the programme:

• online resources – course materials and a virtual library (online journal articles, websites and references to paper-based articles) are provided to students using the content management areas of the VLE. Content is broken down into component units, with a folder for each unit containing the learning outcomes, content material (normally Word files) and corresponding tutorial activity.
• online tutorial submissions – students are given specific questions to consider based on the theory covered each week. They are required to complete these individually and return them to the module tutor for marking and formative feedback. The issues raised are developed further in discussion board activities with other students. Written submissions and corresponding marks and feedback from tutors are submitted/returned electronically through the VLE.
• asynchronous discussions – weekly discussion board activities enable students to enter into a dialogue with fellow students throughout the world to facilitate collaborative student learning, and with tutors at the university. Discussion topics are based around the online tutorial questions. Discussion board activities occur throughout the period when students are developing their responses to the questions posed and terminate before marked work is returned. Various strategies have been utilised over the development of the programme to encourage participation in the discussion board.

home page for Public Law

Pedagogic aims and objectives

• to ensure that students have access to course materials containing the underpinning theory of the programme in a variety of ways at times and locations appropriate to their own situation
• to enable students to see the structure and inter-relationships between different topics, by breaking the content down into small units with the corresponding outcomes and reflective tutorial exercises embedded alongside the content
• to address the problems posed by the distributed locations of the students, in respect of traditional mechanisms of undertaking tutorials and providing feedback
• to enable effective tracking and management of student submissions through the use of the Digital Dropbox
• to assess the students’ ability to apply the subject matter and to enable rapid feedback from tutors on their submissions by means of online tutorials and discussion
• to enable students to demonstrate their understanding of the fundamental principles behind each (assessed) topic area, and thus demonstrate attainment of the module learning outcomes
• to enable students (who are located in all parts of the world) to share and discuss ideas and concerns with each other, through use of the discussion boards
• to stretch students further and enable them to gain a deeper understanding of the subject matter and thus demonstrate higher order skills associated with a postgraduate programme and hence reach their full potential, through discussion board activity

Lessons learned

Online learning can be an extremely valuable tool for distance learners and is a very positive and supportive environment in which they can develop their knowledge and understanding. However, care needs to be exercised when considering the courses and syllabus that are to be delivered. Many of the initial students on this programme were working full time and trying to study part time. This is an extremely intensive conversion programme with a broad syllabus covered in a short period of time, and students adopted a path focusing on the core assessed activities rather than those online tasks which staff perceived would enable them to develop higher order skills.

When students have the time to interact with the online learning activities, or the programme structured so these are mandatory, they are extremely powerful and well received by the students.

Online learning activities must be embedded effectively and students made to engage and participate, probably by making participation compulsory. Concerns about the potential quality of debate via mandatory participation were not realised, with students engaging with the subject matter and with each other in a detailed and rigorous manner and continuing to participate even when they had met the ‘participation threshold’ set.

Making participation in online learning activities compulsory is a difficult decision to make, however experience has indicated that when this is the case, students do participate to an extremely high level and find the experience useful and evaluate it highly.

There were initial concerns and apprehension about delivering the programme online, however these broadly disappeared as staff became more experienced and skilled in the use of online learning. This development of staff skills in e-moderating and effective management of online discussion boards, as well as the increased staff understanding of the pedagogy of collaborative online learning, has been supported by a one day training session and on-going support as necessary. A one day review day is also held each year to identify new requirements.

Student reaction

When participation in the discussion board activities was not compulsory, generally there was active participation during the first couple of weeks, less participation in weeks 3-10 and then little or no participation in weeks 11-27. Students are physically located across the world and Blackboard access was consequently spread across the whole day, and most days of the week. Students must have effective time management skills if they are to effectively utilise online learning.

Those students who actually participated in the discussion board activity prior to its use becoming compulsory thought it was extremely useful. In the end of year evaluations there were a number of comments indicating that this was the most enjoyable part of the course, and that when peer students stopped participating the value decreased and was missed. The majority of students during this period however perceived they did not have sufficient time to utilise the optional e-learning components.

Access to online learning materials and resources was perceived as being extremely useful, with students stating that being able to access these at times convenient to their own circumstances was the principal benefit. Collation of all support resources into a single area was also felt to be extremely useful, saving significant amounts of time in finding information.

The use of online tutorial submission was warmly received by students. Although they found it time consuming, there was a clear appreciation of the continuous formative assessment being provided by this activity.

discussion board for Public Law

Issues for the future

An evaluation of student participation in the discussion board activities was undertaken at the end of the 2002/03 academic year, comparing assessment performance with that of earlier years when participation generally did not occur.

Another issue that demands further attention and evaluation concerns the need to ensure that collaborative learning is actually being achieved, rather than simply facilitated. There will be further development of discussion board activities aimed at achieving this.

The final concern is to ensure that staff continue to develop and improve the effectiveness of their skills in e-moderating, supporting online collaboration between students and providing online feedback on student learning and progression.

Further reading

• Garrison D and Anderson T (2002) E-learning in the 21st century: a framework for research and practice London: Routledge Falmer
• Lockwood F and Gooley A (2001) Innovation in open and distance learning: successful development of online and Web-based learning London: Kogan Page
• Salmon G (2000) E-moderating: the key to teaching and learning online London: Kogan Page
• Salmon G (2002) E-tivities: the key to active online learning London: Kogan Page
• Stephenson J (2001) Teaching and learning online: new pedagogies for new technologies London: Kogan Page

Last Modified: 4 June 2010