Online Shift
How e-learning is changing the world of education
By Emily Leighton, MA’13
The same scene plays out hundreds of times each day on Western’s campus—hunched figures scuttling along paths and across roadways, heads down, distracted by the pocket-sized screens in front of them.
But what may be dismissed as trivial entertainment could be the key to the future of education, as these electronic distractions are some of the very tools now being used to teach a new generation of learners.
“Pedagogical research shows us that we learn more effectively when we have more than one mode of learning—audio, visual and/ or kinesthetic. So we’re bringing the kinesthetic element of the gross anatomy lab to the online environment.”
—Kem Rogers, PhD
Student-centred approach
Schulich Medicine & Dentistry is taking a studentcentred and pragmatic approach to e-learning, viewing it as an opportunity to accommodate a diversity of learning needs, styles and environments.
“E-learning provides a great deal of flexibility in how students can and choose to learn,” said Sarah McLean, PhD, an assistant professor in Physiology and Pharmacology and e-learning coordinator for the Basic Medical Sciences program at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry. “Courses can be more learner-paced and focus on the community and collaboration aspects of education.”
In addition to increased accessibility and collaborative possibilities, online resources allow for more accurate evaluations for students and instructors.
“We put a lot of emphasis on tracking progress to make sure students are achieving the outcomes of our courses,” said Jay Loftus, EdD, a dedicated instructional designer and researcher with the School’s Digital Learning & Simulation Division. “I call it informed instruction. We know more about what’s going on in our classes and can make improvements.”
Course instructors can monitor student log-ins, activity and online assessments. E-learning platforms, such as Western’s OWL system, also allow them to pinpoint course concepts that students aren’t understanding and revamp how they are being presented.
Kem Rogers, PhD, chair, Anatomy and Cell Biology, uses and manages Echo360, a live lecture broadcast and capture program, to deliver two basic medical sciences courses at the School. He likes Echo360 for its convenience and usability.
“Putting a course online doesn’t have to be complicated or time consuming for the instructor,” he said. “It’s complementary to what we’re already doing in the traditional classroom model. But we can teach and learn from anywhere.”
The flexibility, ease of use and possibilities for innovation suggest the demand for e-learning will only continue to grow.
“We can’t create more time or add more hours to the day. This is the only way to create content and have people access it when they need it and how they want it,” said Loftus. “It’s going to be a very important component of learning moving forward.”
New tech on the block
Part of Loftus’ role is educating faculty members on what e-learning is and how it can be used effectively to complement their current teaching methods. This includes exploring the latest gadgets and tech accessories available for the postsecondary classroom, from augmented reality to sensory inputs to advanced online learning platforms.
And while devices like Oculus Rift or Google Cardboard definitely have the ‘cool factor,’ the more suitable tools for the purposes of education at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry are less flashy—such as online games or activities that train students in realistic environments and real-life scenarios.
One successful example is an online course offered through Physiology and Pharmacology, which incorporates a virtual CSI-like crime scene to help students work through the curriculum.
Another example comes from one of Rogers’ fully online courses, Systemic Human Anatomy. Part of the lab component requires students to draw features of the human anatomy, such as bones, muscles or nerves, using special software called Draw It To Know It.
“Pedagogical research shows us that we learn more effectively when we have more than one mode of learning —audio, visual and/or kinesthetic,” Rogers explained. “So we’re bringing the kinesthetic element of the gross anatomy lab to the online environment.”
From videos and apps to blogs and social media, many faculty members at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry have integrated at least some elements of the digital world into their courses.
“We all want to be awesome teachers and get our students excited about what they’re learning,” explained Anita Woods, PhD, an associate professor in Physiology and Pharmacology. “E-learning can make our lives easier if it’s done well, and it’s a lot of fun. But it always has to come back to the impact and cost for the students.”
Enhancing quality of learning
A major challenge of implementing e-learning technology is the rapid pace of change paired with ongoing costs— the initial purchase price of the technology or software as well as the required continual updates.
Weighing the cost-benefit is an important part of the School’s process in determining which technologies and platforms will have the most impact and longevity.
“The cool factor gets people to try new things, but we don’t know if they’ll use the technology long-term,” explained Loftus. “What we try to emphasize is ensuring the quality of learning. And we try to keep everything fairly standard, so the look and feel of our online courses and modules are the same, and so the students and instructors know what to expect.”
The emphasis on quality over quantity allows time for faculty and staff to study and analyze the benefits and limitations of e-learning tools, which helps determine which ones are valuable to the School and which ones aren’t needed.
For McLean, using technology for the sake of keeping up with the Joneses isn’t the right approach. “We need to look at what we’re trying to achieve and the purpose, and then look at the tools that help us accomplish that goal,” she said.
Leading in teaching excellence
Despite advances in e-learning, researchers at the School believe face-to-face experiences remain essential to the learning process—and something many students still prefer.
“We have a large cadre of students, about 60 per cent, that still attend lectures,” explained Rogers. “There is an interactive piece they get in the classroom that they don’t get online; a nuance that is lost.”
Rogers and his team have conducted comparative research through open-ended interviews with students and professors. “We’ve discovered certain preferences with both groups when it comes to e-learning,” he said. “But we know that if you’re good at what you do as a teacher, the students will come, whether they’re sitting directly in front of you or they’re at home in their pyjamas.”
Insights like this demonstrate the continuing need for excellence in teaching—something the School has been a leader in at the national and international level— even in online settings.
Woods points out that the basics of teaching excellence won’t change simply because there are new tools of the trade. “The School is embracing e-learning in a way that takes new technology and combines it with things we’re already good at,” she said.
