Project Sponsor 

Professor/Program Director David A. Williams Physiology/ Biomedicine 03 8344-5845 davidaw@unimelb.edu.au

Project Objectives and Outcomes:

We will:

i)                    design, develop and employ in a diversity of University programs, two highly interactive, content-rich, online learning modules

ii)                  embed within these modules, the concept materials developed, tested and refined by active learning in lectures over the last 6 years

iii)                embed within these modules comprehensive Learning Analytics (analysis and reporting tools) to monitor student performance, the effectiveness of the learning process, and provide immediate student feedback and relevant remedial material.

Background and context for these developments:

The development of the Melbourne Model curriculum has seen the consideration and redesign of all aspects of the learning and teaching of the University programs. The revised Growing Esteem Vision (2010) places even stronger emphasis on the role of high quality learning and teaching in the undergraduate student experience. The current success of the curriculum is manifest in high student demand and enrolments. This creates the challenge of maintaining the quality of programs and graduate outcomes in the face of rapidly expanding lecture and practical classes. This expanded demand is particularly evident in the undergraduate biological and biomedical sciences with students drawn to the suite of popular graduate health science programs. In 2^nd year Human Physiology (PHYS20008) we have experienced a doubling in enrolment in this graduate health pathway pre-requisite subject in 2 years, with double-teaching of the lectures for the first time in Semester 1, 2012.

Over the last 6 years we have refined an active learning, student-centred approach to lectures based on clickers (Gauci et al, 2009), that has allowed for active student engagement with critical concepts in even the largest classes (>400 students). This approach has also allowed for instant student feedback, and an assessment of student understanding that has enabled lecturers to modify the direction of a lecture in response. Through this period we have designed a wide range of scenario-based clicker questions through which students have effectively learned key physiological concepts. To borrow a recent quotation of Keith Trigwell, Professor of Higher Education at the University of Sydney;  “Work we’ve done shows that you can teach a class of 500 as well as you can a class of 20,” (Lane, 2011).

In contrast, maintaining the quality of graduate outcomes and of the student learning experience in CAL (computer-assisted) and eLearning classes, and in wet-lab practical classes is clearly where the greatest future challenge lies. Ideally, a student and teacher would have an extended conversation in which the teacher sets activities for the student, observes the student responses to the activity, and then adjusts the explanations and activities accordingly. Such individual conversations are rare in 1st and 2nd year undergraduate classes with several hundred students and limited numbers of tutors. Even where individual tutoring is possible, knowledge about the sticking points and how to overcome them remains with the individual tutors. It is not systematically collected and shared. Laboratory work is at the heart of biomedical science and our challenge is to create laboratories that, despite resource constraints and increasing student numbers can motivate, excite and stimulate students. But laboratory work cannot stand alone.

Where there are large diverse classes and therefore limited scope for individual responses to students, one solution is to mediate the conversation through technology (Laurillard, 2002; Prusty et al, 2011). The ubiquity of the on-line and cloud environments provides new opportunities to develop modular teaching that integrates elements of the laboratory experience with concept delivery and dynamic student feedback. If designed and used appropriately, such technologies can maximise the efficiency of teaching while at the same time enhancing the students learning experience. This can be accomplished without requiring additional staff, teaching space or formal scheduled teaching hours.

We will work in the development of this material through collaboration with Smart Sparrow, a company that has been developed over 7 years in the research labs and teaching environment of the University of New South Wales (UNSW). This technology is being used by more than 100 academics and 23,000 students across Science, Medicine, Engineering and Business within leading Australian universities and a key US educator. This will be a robust, long-term association as Smart Sparrow has been recently funded by a leading technology venture capital company, One Ventures, and by Uniseed an investment consortium which includes UNSW, UQ and MELBOURNE.  The Company is in a strong financial position and is generating significant revenue growth with key deployments in Australia and the US.

The Modules/Deliverables:

Module one is a laboratory class ‘simulator’ that will facilitate learning of Cardiovascular Physiology in; i) an integrated exercise practical currently run by CI Sevigny for 440, 2^nd year Biomedicine students in Human Structure and Function (BIOM20002), and ii) a research-focussed Blood Pressure (BP) practical (CI Harrap) for 330 first year post-graduate medical student (Foundations of Biomedical Science). Included in the learning objectives of these classes are; familiarity with systolic and diastolic arterial pressures and their measurement, the fundamental physiological determinants of BP and their measurement, the influence of posture, exercise and an increased sodium diet on BP, the response of BP to pharmacological agents, the association between genetic factors and BP and the practical challenges of human experimentation. In addition, students generate familiarity with complex monitoring equipment including a Finometer MIDI which provides comprehensive and dynamic hemodynamic assessment of systolic BP, diastolic BP and heart rate from pressure waveforms and estimates of stroke volume, cardiac output and total peripheral resistance. Student enthusiasm for these practicals is high (SES evaluation) but it difficult to assess if all students derive an in-depth understanding of this extensive list of important physiological parameters and the overriding concepts.

This module will include a realistic on-line simulation of the experimental measurement of all cardiovascular parameters with the relevant equipment. It will incorporate decision making, problem solving modules, remedial exercises and rich feedback while allowing monitoring of individual student understanding and common errors. Students will access the module from LMS and can acquire an understanding of concepts and rehearse practical skills (with feedback) before participating in the practical class, hence optimising the value of their in-class experience. A demonstration version of an interactive blood pressure monitoring simulation can be found at:

http://www.adaptiveelearning.com/coogee/portal/unsw/exercisephysiology/bp_demo.

Module 2 is an interactive on-line CAL module for Human skeletal muscle function and Exercise performance and is initially targeted for Human Physiology (PHYS20008: Coordinated by CI Morris) but directly applicable to the content of Human Structure and Function (BIOM20002).  Like most pre-clinical departments in the Biomedical sciences, Physiology is faced with the challenge of maintaining a beneficial CAL experience in the face of limited computer resources and infrastructure. Adaptive eLearning modules provide us with the opportunity to develop rich content that can be delivered from the cloud with students able to access materials in their own time through the LMS at home or in on-campus student learning environments. The authors have designed and ‘road-tested’ much of the content that will be used for these modules though 10 semesters of active learning/ problem solving experiences in Science, Biomedicine, Medicine and Physiotherapy lectures with the use of clickers (PRS units). We know that the content is effective in actively reinforcing the major concepts and have good understanding of the bases for student misconceptions.

The figure and legend give an example of the types of well developed concepts that can introduce students to many important principles and characteristics of human skeletal muscle function. In our elearning module, rather than acting as lecture discussion points, answers and inevitable errors and assumptions will lead to further specific questions/videos and other visual elements to facilitate learning (i.e. ‘forks in the road’ based on individual student responses). Throughout a student’s interaction with the module their decisions/answers are dynamically tracked.  Students will be guided with individualised feedback based on their interaction with the module varying from technical clarification of mistakes to actual remediation for concepts not yet mastered (Ben-Naim, Marcus, & Bain, 2008). Teachers can also receive feedback on their authoring choices and common student misconceptions to drive reflection and content adaptation.

Budget Request:

We have agreement with Smart Sparrow for the development of the two modules for a capped total cost of $30,000. Hours on each project will be tracked at the best rate cost of 100$/hr and development credit provided if projects are completed in a shorter time. Total costs include an allowance of 20 hours support for the launch of each application into a teaching program.

Evaluation of the project outcomes:

• Deployment (timetabled) of modules in the relevant biomedical teaching programs.
  • Student feedback (SES and other) related to use and interactivity.
  • Statistical evaluation of student performance (learned concepts and the ability to put them into practice).

Dissemination of information:

• Learning Analytics tools (student performance), tracking and feedback creates a large on-going database of publishable material for peer-reviewed educational journals.
  • Teaching, committee and administrative associations of chief investigators with Biomedicine, Science and Medicine programs provide opportunities to disseminate findings broadly and for expanded deployment of these and related modules to other teaching programs.
  • The chief investigator is a regular presenter at University best-teaching-practice symposia.
  • The chief investigator is a lead member in the newly established CUBEnet (Collaborative Universities Biomedical Education network) which will provide avenues for dissemination of practices and findings to Biomedical Institutions throughout Australia in annual symposia.

Timetable for Development and Implementation:

Module 1: complete assessment of essential content during the running of Biomedicine (HSF practical) in semester 2, 2012 with roll-out in Semester 1, 2013 for Foundations of Biomedical Sciences (Practical scheduled for Feb-Mar 2013). This module will also be deployed earlier for the. Feedback from semester 1 deployment will facilitate any fine-tuning required for semester 2, 2013.

Module 2: 6 month development with roll-out in Semester 1, 2013. Human Physiology is available in both semesters of a calendar year we do not change content, support systems or assessable tasks between semesters. As such earlier deployment will be resisted even though much of this content has already been developed through active learning in lectures.

Project Description:

This project will adapt an existing practical class “Volume and Solute Control in Human Subjects” which runs in the Dept of Physiology, School of Medical Sciences at UNSW into an adaptive tutorial using the Smart Sparrow based workspace.

Project Deliverables:

An adaptive tutorial on the physiological mechanisms by which the volume and osmolar homeostasis of body fluid compartments is maintained when subjects drink fluids of various compositions.

User Group:

The target user group is University medical and science students in years 1-3. In addition, the tutorial could be adapted for use by high school students in the Biology Stage 6 HSC Course as part of the module “Maintaining a Balance”.

Subject Area:

The adaptive tutorial will commence with the important threshold concepts of colligative properties, osmolality and tonicity. It will then examine how water and salt are distributed throughout the main body fluid compartments: total body water, extracellular and intracellular fluid. Students will then conduct experiments to determine how these properties are sensed and regulated by the body.

Students will have access to urine volume and osmolality measurements made over a 2.5 hour period in 5 different subject groups: a control group (no fluid consumed), a group that drink 20 ml/kg of water, a group that drink 20 ml/kg of water followed immediately by a dose of anti-diuretic hormone, a group that drink 20 ml/kg of iso-osmotic urea and a group that drink 7 ml/kg of iso-osmotic saline.

Real data for urine volume and osmolality which has been gathered in practical classes in previous years will be provided. Students will use this data to consider whether the diuresis seen in water loaded subjects was primarily a response to volume expansion or to dilution of body fluids. They will also consider the mechanisms by which the volume and osmolality of body fluids are detected by the body, and the mechanisms of the renal response.

Consolidation will be achieved by having the students apply this new knowledge to a series of simple scenarios, where they indicate expected changes in plasma osmolality and renal responses.

Estimated Timeline:

May 2013: Initiate development of storyboard for the tutorial

June 2013: Consultation with Smart Sparrow to review educational design and technical requirements.

July – October 2013: Develop adaptive tutorial

November-December 2013: Testing of tutorial by a limited number of staff and students and adaptation as required.

February 2014: tutorials ready for use in classrooms for 2014.

Finish Date:

Projected finishing date for conversion is February 2014.

Project Sponsor:

Dr Karen Gibson, Dept of Physiology, School of Medical Sciences, UNSW, Sydney 2052. Phone 02 9385 3650; email k.gibson@unsw.edu.au.

Key Participants:

Dr Karen Gibson and Dr Richard Vickery (Physiology, School of Medical Sciences, UNSW)

Ruth Miller, Museum of Human Disease, UNSW

Educational Outcomes:

Creation of a relevant resource for use by university medical students and other students studying physiology (eg science students, exercise physiology, nursing etc) both at UNSW or other BEST Network partners.

The tutorial may be either used in its entirety or adapted for use by senior high school biology students.

Risk Management:

The following project risks have been identified:

1. The project team in consultation with Smart Sparrow may not be able to complete the adaptive tutorial by February 2014. This is not a major problem as in the current courses at UNSW the material covered by the tutorial is presented to students in Session 2, so production can continue if necessary to July 2014.
2. Smart sparrow may be unable to develop the required technology. This is unlikely as technology involved would be similar to other adaptive tutorials already developed (eg V-Lab Oxygen Electrode, V-lab Western Blotting Basics, Blood typing virtual lab).

Note: that we have data from past practical classes already available for use and the key participants have a number of years of experience in teaching this material using a traditional “wet lab” practical class and tutorial approach. As such we are in a good position to produce an authentic adaptive tutorial which helps students understand concepts which they may find challenging.

Project Description:

An existing ‘paper based’ practical class challenges students to analyse and interpret data on thyroid gland function from a normal, an underactive and an overactive thyroid gland. Students interpret data provided to them from existing radio-iodide (¹³¹I) uptake experiments and by making measurements from histology sections. This activity would be converted to a virtual laboratory activity that incorporates adaptive learning to enhance the critical thinking of students to and to enrich the experience by incorporating additional media. The activity ideally should be accessible on mobile devices in addition to desktop computers. The project will deliver:

• A virtual laboratory activity within the Smart Sparrow adaptive learning workspace
• Facility for students to make measurements of the follicular cell height and the diameter of the follicle lumen from digital images of thyroid gland sections (images already available)
• Facility to either perform statistical analysis within the activity environment or export the measurements to perform the statistics outside the environment.
• Facility to collect notes, measurements and analyses in a user summary area that the students can refer to during the activity.
• Provides a flexible activity for the teacher to adapt and for the student to access.

User Group:

The target user group is medical students, biomedical science and science students studying endocrinology as part of the medical or science curriculum at UNSW and BEST Network partner universities.

Subject area:

• Endocrinology: thyroid gland structure and function.

This activity is used by the School of Medical Sciences in the teaching of the Phase 1 Medicine Program, UNSW Medicine, and stage two physiology across the Biomedical Science, Science, Optometry and Exercise Physiology programs at UNSW. This is approximately 750 students per year. This activity would be of value to similar students across all the BEST Network partner universities.

Estimated timeline:

May 2013: Consult Smart Sparrow to identify system requirements and ability to deliver on mobile devices. Storyboard the virtual laboratory with adaptive learning alternatives, based on the existing activity and the knowledge of the threshold concepts.

June 2013: Consultation with Smart Sparrow to review the structure of the activity and technical requirements; determine if feasible within the project timeline.

July 2013: Specifications, structure and required resources finalised and agreed to by all parties. Final time line determined.

July – October 2013: Development of the adaptive activity.

November – December 2013: Testing of activity with staff and limited students to confirm functionality and identify any issues.

December 2013 – January 2014: Make any refinements as required.

February 2014:  Final activity available for classroom use.

Key Participants:

Dr Trevor Lewis, principal teacher for the current activity (in kind)
Department of Physiology (for testing and feedback)

Re-scanning and annotation of existing histological sections (Lewis; 12 hours; in kind)

Smart Sparrow, to apply adaptive workspace to activity and develop tools as required, and produce some animations.

Educational Outcomes:

• To introduce the physiology of the thyroid gland.
• To apply critical thinking and analysis to experimental data.
• To engage in problem solving and deductive reasoning.

Key concepts addressed:

• Negative-feedback control of the synthesis and secretion of thyroid hormones.
• Synthetic pathway for thyroid hormones.
• Histological and functional changes to thyroid function with pharmacological intervention.

Project Sponsor:

Dr Trevor Lewis, School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales.
email: t.lewis@unsw.edu.au

Risk Management:

The following project risks have been identified:

Project Description:

The project will look at how blood crossmatching is done. The content will leverage presentation used for teaching blood to first year medicine students  UNSW and provide an upgraded with an Adaptive Tutorial with interactive elements.

User Group:

Medical students and junior doctors.

Subject area:

Blood Banking- how blood crossmatching is done

Estimated timeline:

June 2013: Storyboard Adaptive Tutorial requirements.

June 2013: Research existing content including interactive elements

July 2013: Consultation with Smart Sparrow to finalise requirements.

October 2013: Development of Adaptive Tutorial. Robert Lindeman UNSW and other subject matter experts will work with Smart Sparrow as necessary throughout the technical development of the Adaptive Tutorial.

November 2013: Commence testing of the Adaptive Tutorial and interactive elements

February 2014: Fix any issues that occur with the Adaptive Tutorial in testing, ready for deployment in semester 1 of 2014.

Semester 1 2014: Deploy completed Adaptive Tutorial to trial with first year medicine students (or as appropriate)

Key Participants and budget:

Robert Lindeman: Project Lead

BEST Network: Technology provider

Educational Outcomes:

Help target audience understand the processes that happen in a haem lab when they order a “Group and Hold” or crossmatch”. The goal is NOT

–          to make the student proficient in doing the cross matching (this is a separate and specialised skill)

–          to train them in the steps involved in setting up a blood transfusion (this could be a separate module – more administrative procedures, and would need to be for nurses as well

Project Sponsor:

Dr Robert Lindeman UNSW

Deliverable:

Adaptive tutorial of approximately 15-20 minutes

Approach:

1. Provide some background information
   1. About the risks and benefits of blood transfusion (leverage existing content ref UNSW Ist Year Haematology Prac – slide 3 also info from slide 4-7)
   2. About blood groups – slides 17-19
   3. About principles of blood group testing

i.      Detecting red cell antigens using test sera (using existing “genetics” materials, also slide 19-23)

ii.      Detecting patients serum antibodies using test red cells (would need modified visuals)

1. Pose a scenario in which urgent cross match is needed (can leverage existing content ref UNSW Ist Year Haematology Prac )
2. Ask students to select the correct unit for transfusion (leverage existing content ref UNSW Ist Year Haematology Prac – slide 16) and record the time they take (clock running, maybe tracing of patients HR and BP from operating theatre!)
   1. Determine ABO group
   2. Determine presence of antibodies
   3. Administer the blood chosen by the students feedback on how there patient is going/went.
      1. Did the blood support them haemodynamically
      2. Did they get a transfusion reaction (and why)
      3. It might be reasonable to have a few scenarios where they give the wrong blood – let them see what happens over time (ie graphical readout of various parameters such as)

i.      Temperature

ii.      Heart rate, blood pressure

iii.      Urine output

iv.      Oxygen saturation

v.      Blood levels of X/Y/Z

Risk Management:

Project Description:

Development of vLABs addressing key foundational techniques in each Medicine/Medical Science Discipline for the purposes of teaching first, second and third year undergraduates complex concepts that underlie discipline specific content linked with lab skills. These concepts have been traditionally taught in wet lab environments. However, given the expanding class sizes with the effect of placing strain on University resources such as lab equipment and reagents, vLABs are a sustainable solution for this issue. vLABs will contain content which simulates real world wet lab environments that will be interactive with adaptive feedback to support student engagement and learning. vLABs will empower the teacher, providing an innovative way of delivering and teaching experimental content to undergraduates in a blended learning context.

Accessory Modules: Building of a key accessory module such as the Immunocytochemistry (ICC) vLAB would fit and complement the existing Immunohistochemistry (IHC) vLAB designed and implemented by Fath. Elements of the IHC vLAB are foundational in that the ICC vLAB would be built as a modular addition to the existing IHC vLAB space virtual learning space. In a similar manner, an accessory module to the PCR vLAB EOI proposed by Lutze-Mann et al, the Quantitative Real Time PCR (qPCR) vLAB will be built as a module that synergises with the foundational technical and theoretical concepts taught in the PCR vLAB. General concepts of IHC and ICC, PCR and qPCR experimental design would be blended, depending on the teaching activity.

Transforming Existing Teaching Activities and Resources: ‘Drug Calculator’, ‘Organ Bath’, ‘Behavioural Pharmacology’ and ‘Pharmacokinetics’ labs were traditionally taught as wet lab activities to undergraduates taking Pharmacology coursework, but with student numbers exceeding 500, basic Pharmacology Lab Science became near impossible. Transforming existing resources (which include on-line materials) will be adapted to virtual learning spaces for teaching first, second and third year Medicine and Medical Science students. Key bottlenecks in student learning of difficult concepts that require lab engagement will be overcome by using this mode of teaching.

User Group:

Levels 1, 2 and 3, University Medical and Medical Science Students

Subject area:

Anatomy, Pharmacology, Pathology

Estimated timeline:

Over 12 months

Key Participants and budget:

Dr Patsie Polly (Pathology, UNSW-facilitator/co-ordinator with UNSW Colleagues from each discipline area), Dr Thomas Fath (Anatomy), Dr Nicole Jones, Dr Lu Liu, A/Prof Renate Griffith, Dr Trudie Binder, Dr Angela Finch, Dr Ross Grant, Dr Orin Chisolm, A/Prof Larry Wakelin and Professor Margaret Morris (Pharmacology).

$24,000-$30,000 (6 key vLAB Adaptive Tutorial modules to produce and deploy)

Educational Outcomes:

Academics/Teachers/Facilitators will develop and teach whereas Students will learn content which is coupled to complex research and diagnostic lab techniques in Medicine and Medical Sciences using the Adaptive eLearning Platform (AeLP)

Project Sponsor:

Initially UNSW Academics Dr Patsie Polly, Dr Thomas Fath, Dr Nicole Jones, Dr Lu Liu, A/Prof Renate Griffith, Dr Angela Finch, Dr Ross Grant, Dr Orin Chisolm, A/Prof Larry Wakelin and Professor Margaret Morris with ultimate engagement and sharing modules with BEST Network Partners.

Future Use:

Continual deployment and adaption to Medicine and Medical Sciences course requirements and Medicine and Medical Science student learning needs Australia-wide.

Risk Management:

Risk: Students do not engage with the vLAB learning environments.

Mitigation: Stage the vLAB tasks, with specific, directed feedback such that students can learn at their own pace and recognise the key concepts that need to be understood.

Augment existing wet lab teaching environments with vLABs in order to overcome learning bottlenecks.

Project Description:

Development of survey tools for capturing feedback, in a timely manner, on virtual learning spaces for the purposes of assessing the effectiveness of this new mode of teaching content to learners from any background. Feedback to be captured would include: user confidence, platform stability and access, appropriate content delivery to target audiences, user engagement, improvements in learning of content and skills and teacher satisfaction. Survey tools would be integrated as part of the Adaptive eLearning Platform (AeLP) and would articulate with the existing platform Analytics tool. They will be built as an accessory to the existing AeLP Analytics function and made available for attachment to each virtual learning space.

The purpose of having such a survey tool is for retrieving data for scholarly dissemination and sharing of observed effects on student learning and engagement. At the recent International ASELL (Advancing Science by Enhancing Learning in the Laboratory) Lab Science Conference (2-5 APRIL 2013), the ASELL Survey tools tailored to learner experience in lab science learning were a feature with a whole session on extracting data for scholarly dissemination being a focus. Thus, there is a clear requirement for the ‘BEST Network Survey Tool’ as an integral part of scholarly virtual learning deployment for both teachers and students.

‘The BEST Network Survey Tool’ will comprise of two surveys: one for teacher peer review and the other for learner review.

User Group:

Academics/Teachers/Facilitators, Students, IT administrators

Subject area:

All types of content can be surveyed. All types of learning modes via the AeLP can be surveyed.

Estimated timeline:

Two-twelve months. This will be dependent on the availability of for eg. adaptive tutorials, case studies and vLabs that are available and amenable for attaching the ‘BEST Network Survey Tool’

Key Participants and budget:

Dr Patsie Polly (UNSW) and Mr Chris Christensen (James Cook University)

$5,000 (to produce and deploy)

Educational Outcomes:

Academics/Teachers/Facilitators, Students, IT administrators will recognise aspects of the Adaptive eLearning Platform and virtual learning environment which successfully delivered or did not deliver learning and teaching needs required for effective student and teacher engagement.

Apart from recognising learning bottlenecks encountered by students when using the foundational AeLP Analytics tool, The BEST Network Survey Tool will capture user engagement, confidence, improvements in learning of content and skills.

Project Sponsor:

Dr Patsie Polly, UNSW and Mr Chris Christensen, JCU

Future Use:

Continual deployment and adaption to each user group.

Risk Management:

Risk: Surveys would not be deployed in a timely manner alongside learning activities, resulting in loss of key information relating to for eg. deployment, content and user engagement.

Mitigation: Surveys would be specifically timed and integrated into each lesson and deployed after rigorous testing.

Risk: Feedback would not be acted upon, hence potentially compromising the deployment of future virtual learning activities and use of virtual learning spaces.

Mitigation: The survey tool would have a built in reminder ‘pop-up’ to be timed specifically with the aspect of the lesson or platform to be feedback upon.

Project Description:

Development of a series of interactive adaptive tutorials that incorporate simulations in a virtual laboratory setting to enhance delivery of lab science content foundational to Yr 12 Biology and Year 1 University curricula in Australia. The delivery of blended learning to this group of gifted and talented Yr 12 Biology students will set BEST Network Partner Institutions above the national standard.

User Group:

The target user group would be Australian Year 12 Biology Students (in particular, gifted and talented) transitioning into Year 1 University Medicine or Science courses

Subject area:

10 Selected Core Lab Related Topics representing a hybridised content within Year 12 Biology and Year 1 University Biology Curricula -Australia-wide

Estimated timeline:

12 months

Key Participants and budget:

Dr Patsie Polly, Prof Nick Hawkins, Mrs Ruth Miller and Dr Bridget Murphy (UNSW)

$30,000 (10 topics at approximately $3,000 to produce and deploy)

Educational Outcomes:

Yr 12 Biology students (in particular gifted and talented) will understand difficult concepts by actually performing self paced experiments for which they were once only taught theoretically. In essence, students will learn by ‘doing’ and thus be prepared for what is expected for lab based learning in first year Medicine and Science courses at Year 1 University.

Project Sponsor: Dr Patsie Polly

Risk Management:

Risk: Year 12 Biology Students may not engage with virtual interactive environments effectively.

Mitigation Strategy: Stage in concepts sequentially such that students recognise how to self-pace their learning via interactive environments. Discussions should occur around how this mode of learning may have life-long learning advantages which will enable their smooth transition into Science courses at University.

Risk: Yr 12 Biology Teachers may not implement these interactive resources in a timely manner or not to full potential due to their own ‘use of IT fears’

Mitigation Strategy: Ensure that virtual learning spaces are accessible to teachers by providing ‘how-to-user guides’ or host on-line workshops

Raise student awareness of the power of virtual learning environments for use as homework tools or preparative tools for examinations.

Project Description:

To transform the existing case studies used for the practical classes in microbiology and immunology taken by first year Doctor of Medicine students at the University of Melbourne into eLearning tutorials using the Smart Sparrow Adaptive eLearning Platform. The proposed format of these eLearning tutorials will provide a case-based image resource for revision and reference purposes for students at all year levels of the medical course.  The cases and associated images will be supported by a series of interactive questions with feedback that illustrates key concepts in medical microbiology, infectious disease and immunology.  A second phase of this project (not covered in this application) would be to extend the case histories, differential diagnoses and treatment options to suit the expanded knowledge of students in their clinical years.

User Group:

Medical, nursing and allied health students

Subject area:

Simple case studies in microbiology, infectious disease, and immunology

Estimated timeline:

1. The case studies, which provide simple case histories (average 200 words), and associated laboratory data (an average of 2 images), the results of which are usually disclosed in two to three stages (another 50 – 100 words) are already prepared, but may need to be adapted in format for the Adaptive eLearning platform. Time – 1 month (month 1)
2. The questions associated with these cases (around 10/case) are in the format of open –ended questions that are used for discussion during the practical class session.  Many of these will be rewritten as multiple choice or extended matching questions, with accompanying answers to provide real time feedback and consolidation of student knowledge.  Time – one month (Months 1 – 2)
3. Authoring/uploading existing case studies (48 in total) into the Smart Sparrow Adaptive eLearning Platform. Time – 3 days/week for 8 months (months 1 – 8)
4.  Review by educational designer. Time – 1 day/fortnight for 8 months (months 1 – 8)

The organizational strategy would be for all the above personnel to address points 1 and 2 with the BEST Network/ Smart Sparrow personnel during the initial 2-month period.  The Project manager would then upload the content into Smart Sparrow over the following 6 months with on-going review by the key participants and the educational designer, finishing around the end of 2013.

Key Participants and budget:

Ms. Sandra Uren (Senior Lecturer, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne): academic content (in kind)

Prof. Roy Robins-Browne (Deputy Head and Head of Teaching, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne): academic content (in kind)

Dr. Kristine Elliott (Senior Lecturer in Medical Education and Co-coordinator Educational Technology Team, Medical Education Unit, Melbourne Medical School, The University of Melbourne (in kind)

Prof. Geoff McColl (Professor of Medical Education and Training, Director of the Medical Education Unit, Melbourne Medical School, The University of Melbourne (in kind)

Project manager for authoring/uploading content:  HEW Level 6 (Step 1; 89,567) 0.4: $35,827

Educational designer: RA Level B (Step 1; $110,712) 0.05: $5,536

Educational Outcomes:

Creation of 48 simple case studies describing infections of the cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrointestinal, renal, neurological, and reproductive systems, infections in travellers and health care associated infections, and problems associated with the immune system.

Interactive questions with feedback that (i) illustrate key concepts in medical microbiology, infectious disease and immunology, (ii) provide an integrated approach to the key concepts in this area and (iii) promote deep learning and improved application of that learning.

Images relevant to multiple University curricula.

Project Sponsor:

Ms. Sandra Uren

Risk Management:

The content of the proposed case studies has been developed and tested in face-to-face tertiary class settings.  The experience of the team will minimize the risk that there will be unexpected delays in the adaption of the class-based learning materials into the eLearning platform.  The bulk of the content is already prepared, although some may require adaptation as noted above.  Advice from the Educational Designer may initiate the preparation of additional content, however, we would not expect this to be significant.  It may take some time for the appointed Project Manager to familiarize themselves with the Smart Sparrow Adaptive eLearning Platform, but again we do not expect this to be significant with support available directly from Smart Sparrow.  In the first phase of the project, the “path” of these cases will be linear rather than branching. We anticipate that the functionality of the Smart Sparrow Adaptive eLearning Platform will easily allow the uploading of the content. We anticipate that this project should be completed by the end of 2013, and thus be available as a source of revision material for incoming students in 2014.

Intellectual Property:

The University of Melbourne expects that:

• The authors of these Interactive case studies in medical microbiology and immunology will  have their moral rights acknowledged through attribution of authorship,
• The University will retain control over intellectual property rights regarding who has access to evaluate, deploy or modify these cases

Project Description:

The project will develop:

·         a suite of Virtual Anatomy Adaptive Tutorials (VAnATs) using the SmartSparrow platform for the Phase I and II Medicine students and Medical Science and Science students at UNSW.   The VAnATs will be used to supplement laboratory practical sessions in Anatomy and will also use clinical cases to develop critical thinking and model expert thinking for students.

·         a suite of integrated biomedical science adaptive tutorials (IBSATs), based on clinical scenarios. Importantly, for the medicine and similar programs, the adaptive tutorials will be integrated across biomedical science disciplines including anatomy, pathology, physiology and pharmacology.  These IBSATs will incorporate small video segments by discipline experts before or during the tutorial so that they can be used to teach core concepts to students on campus and at remote sites.

User Group:

In the first instance, the target groups will be UNSW medical students in Phase 1 and 2 (years 1-4), and Medical Science and Science students in years 1-3.

These tutorials however will also be used in specialist training programs e.g. Advanced Anatomy Course for the Australian Orthopaedic Association (AOA) and importantly, these tutorials will be shared with institutions in the BEST Network and with other collaborators Australia-wide.

Subject area:

The VAnATs will develop tutorials in anatomy for the medicine and science programs.

The IBSATs will use clinical cases to integrate anatomy with physiology, pathology and pharmacology.

Estimated timeline:

May-June 2013: Identify VAnATs to be developed and begin to develop concept maps with a team of discipline experts for clinical cases to be developed into the IBSATs.

July 2013: Finalise project scope and sign-off on technical requirements from SmartSparrow.

July –December 2013: Development period for VAnATs and IBSATs. A pilot set of tutorials will be reviewed and trialed in the Ageing and Endings course in Phase I of  the UNSW Medicine program in October 2013.

January –February 2014:       Testing and adjusting of tutorials, review by content experts

February 2014:                       Finalise tutorials and fix bugs identified from testing

March 2014:                           Tutorials ready for implementation in course material.  The effectiveness of the tutorials for students on- and off-campus will be assessed in a student perception-style study.

Key Participants and budget:

1.        A part-time project officer for the development of the tutorials – this officer wills also co-ordinate the input from discipline experts for the IBSATs.  The aim would be to produce as suite of 40 VAnATs and 20 IBSATs.  Estimated hours for project officer is 800 hours (40 VAnATS x 10 hours and 20 IBSATs x 20 hours each)

2.        Setting up image and video database for tutorials using the BEST network – 40 hours

3.        Casual assistance to ‘input’ tutorials into SmartSparrow platform – 600 hours (60 tutorials x 8 hours)

Educational Outcomes:

• The tutorials developed will be available for use by the BEST Network.  Partner institutions will also be able to easily adapt these for their specific use.
• The tutorials will:
  • model discipline thinking and engage students in critical thinking especially in integrating concepts in biomedical sciences
  • allow students opportunities to consolidate learning and relate core concepts to future application
  • allow educators to identify critical misconceptions and threshold concepts and to adjust learning activities to immediately address and remediate these
  • provide students with a degree of autonomy in their learning by allowing students to learn at their own pace and in their own time
  • provide a formative assessment tool empowering students for life-long learning

Project Sponsor:

Dr Nalini Pather, School of Medical Sciences (SOMS), University of New South Wales.  This project will be done in collaboration with SOMS discipline experts

Other participants: 

Associate Professor Gary Velan, Pathology, UNSW

Professor Ken Ashwell, Anatomy, UNSW

Dr Vaughan Kippers, Biomedical Sciences, UQ

Dr Helen Anscomb, James Cook University

Risk Management:

Project Description: 

The project would develop a Virtual Lab for PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction).   This technique generates millions of copies of a specific DNA sequence allowing it to be readily identified and analysed.          PCR is fundamental for modern molecular genetics and is used in genetic diagnosis (including paternity testing), disease detection, forensics and as a research tool in a myriad of areas as diverse as pathology and marine biology, evolution and quarantine testing. This technique is an essential teaching tool in a range of science and medicine courses offered by the School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences.

Project Deliverables:

1 PCR Virtual Lab

User Group:

The target user group is University science students in years 1-3. The Virtual Lab will useful for students across all the BEST Network partner universities in Science and Medical Science courses.

Subject area: 

The Virtual Lab would be used to teach units in medicine, biochemistry, biotechnology, genetics and molecular biology.

Estimated timeline: