Supporting Pharmaceutical Chemistry

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Supporting Pharmaceutical Chemistry EBL online

• Peter Whitton
• Learning Technologist
• CEEBL

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Main aims

• Set up Blackboard VLE for group working
• Documents and instructions
• Team discussion areas
• Individual and team assignments
• Assist in EBL group work sessions
• Provide students with a Blackboard and Google
  Docs introduction
• Survey student attitudes about using technology
  for collaborative learning

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Discussion areas

• Set up 30 team discussion areas
• 5 or 6 students in each
• Private space for team working
• Set up a General discussion area
• Open to all
• Set up 3 Subject Specialism discussion areas
• Open to all

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Discussion areas
6 groups
12 groups
7 groups
3 groups
2 groups
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Assignments

• Set up 6 assignments in Blackboard
• 5 team and 1 individual
• Timed release
• template coversheet
• Incrementally more challenging
• Building toward group report and presentation
• Late assignments penalised

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Assignments

• Planning
• Roles and responsibilities
• Delegation
• Research
• Plagiarism
• Citation and sources
• Editing
• Collaborative editorial process
• Professional document
• Presentation

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The Survey

• Created a survey to find out student feelings
  towards communicating and collaborating online.
• Created the survey instrument using the free
  online tool SurveyMonkey

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Communication
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We have a thread set up on Facebook where we can
have our own little discussion group. It's easier
as everybody is constantly checking there sic
Facebook accounts
text messages to confirm date and time of the
next meeting, about a day or so before the
meeting, and to confirm attendance - good if
there is a last minute need to cancel the meeting
or if someone is unable to attend.
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Communication
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Communication
93 YES
7 NO
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roles were established early and generally
adhered to. team members generally took the
initiative to contribute
everyone in our group had different ideas, which
helped to do the work as a team.
everyone seems to have thought about what needs
to be discussed before each meeting
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It seemed to be mostly a one way discussion with
the leader sending out information and a lack of
response from the rest of the team
We were unable to complete work in advance hence
we were unable to proof read and check each
others contribution.
Motivation not that high. Certain team members
didn't respond to emails or turn up to arranged
meetings.
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Collaboration
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Collaboration
79 YES
21 NO
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No, I would use more direct methods of sharing
information which would involve more reaction
from the recipients.
No, I think in EBL a lot of time is wasted
arranging meetings and emailing each other. EBL
is also not very structured so you don't know
exactly what you need to include in your reports
I would prefer to do reports individually
No, it is really complicated sending each other
the latest amended version. Would use Google Docs
next time.
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Yes, using the discussion board was very useful,
although I would probably have more face to face
meetings in future
Yes easy to communicate using the discussion
board, and to attach and send documents using the
same system. everyone has access to all the
material at the same time, and can access it from
any computer (it) is useful for asking
questions and seeing what other groups or
individuals have flagged up.
Yes, I think that the problems encountered were
due to team members rather that methods used. .