ONLINE REPORT
ABSTRACT: York St John University was awarded test-bed research funds from the JISC advisory service TechDis to undertake a comparative study of the experiences of staff and students using the virtual learning environment (VLE) Blackboard on the BA Media and BA Performance (Music) programmes.
The project, entitled ‘Making Critical Studies Happen In The VLE’, ran over the academic year 2007/08. Staff designed and reflected on a set of new, online learning resources, which, in conjunction with a series of feedback sessions and focus groups with students, enabled the project to explore and enhance Blackboard provision. A specific aim was to enhance student engagement with core theoretical texts and to foster greater critical approaches to study.
An earlier, text-only version of this online report was presented at the Higher Education Academy Annual Conference (July 2008). The paper, entitled Should that be Blended Teaching? Practical Notes on Making Critical Studies Happen In The VLE, can be accessed via the HEA website.
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PROJECT TEAM
Sunil Manghani (projet leader) is a Senior Lecturer in Media and is also a University e-Learning Teacher Fellow and CETL Team Fellow at York St John Uiniversity. His work on a e-learning projects to encourage critical reading and thinking formed the backdrop to the development of specific learning materials and analysis of student use. He collaborated with Ralph Bateman, a Senior Lecturer in Music, who has a particular interest with introducing audio material within the virtual learning environment. The team also included Susan Orr, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Arts at York St John University, who acted as a 'critical friend' on the project, and also Kyoko Fukukawa, Senior Lecturer in Marketing at Bradford University School of Management, who assisted with the gathering and analysis of empirical data.
See: Newsletter Report [PDF]
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