Centre for Industrial Relations Putting Distance Learning Courses On Line 1
Developing CIT in distance learning • Objectives • To use CIT to add value to our distance learning Certificate, Post Graduate Diploma & MA courses • To use CIT to promote life long learning & wider access to Keele courses 2
Who are the students? • 55% are women Most of the students on the • 45% have a first degree Certificate, Diploma and MA courses have a practical • 45% have a professional knowledge of Industrial Relations qualification and Human Resource Management • 25% have neither of these and are drawn primarily • 25% have their fees paid by from trade unions. their trade union They come from a range of • A similar number get support occupations and industries. Some have previous academic from an employer qualifications, others rely for entry • 15% pay all fees themselves into Keele programmes primarily on experience. 3
The issues to be addressed • Assessment & feedback • Will students have access? • Distance learning presents A survey of our students tells particular problems that CIT us that can help with • Student support • 82% have a home computer • >75% have a CD-ROM at • Our courses are for those home without realistic access to full- • >66% have internet access at time postgraduate courses. CIT can widen participation home • Student development • >50% have free internet access • IT skills and student at work networking to be supported by CIT 4
Module support • Module support is the core Part 1: EMPLOYMENT aspect of the programme RELATIONSHIP • Tutor notes to be placed on Section 2: Defining the Employment Relationship line & on CD-ROM Section Contents:- • These will form a ‘seamless’ 2.1. Introduction to Labour Law document allowing hypertext 2.2 Introduction to the Employment searches within and between Relationship modules 2.3 Who is an Employee? • Readings scanned & put on Marginal Workers line in readable and print 2.4 The Contract of Employment friendly forms, embedded as Contractual Terms hyperlinks in the tutor notes 2.5 The Role of Management 5
Module support • Where appropriate public domain material available on line will be embedded as hyperlinks • e.g Workplace Employee Relations Survey from the DTI • Hyperlinks to electronic journals to replace printed / scanned material • Where appropriate hyperlinks within the tutor notes will provide access to PowerPoint presentations drawn from lectures given at residential periods at Keele 6
Additional features • Web based materials can be provided for ‘catch up days’ for those missing residential periods for good cause • Student self-help groups will be encouraged via a discussion site or ‘chat room’ • Formative assessment will be developed from current exercises set for completion in residential periods • Option and other choices, room bookings, and other administrative matters can be dealt with on line 7
Where have we got to? • Trial web design completed • Trial design currently being developed by staff from KUDIS • All tutor notes converted to PDF format • Scanning equipment and web authoring software purchased • All readings scanned into PDF format 8
Progress & barriers • Staff training planned • Hope to pilot 3 modules in 2002/2003 session • Successful scanning took much longer than planned • Scanning times decline as material is ‘banked’ • Difficulties with technical specification for web based material • Now incorporating lessons from developments on undergraduate programme 9
Recommend
More recommend
