Health Sciences Completed Projects
2007
Oral radiology eLearning project
Paediatric Oral Health & Nutrition Module Version 2
Oral health literacy and development of health promotion materials
Automated learning activity time mapping and monitoring tool
Navigate your Fieldwork Journey: Take control
Peer assessment data collection and analysis using the University LMS
Online learning modules for rural health curriculum (Phase 1)
Investigating e-portfolios for use across the Faculties of Health
Delivering an online Interprofessional Learning resource for all health and social care students (IPL)
Enhancing clinical skills learning by designing effective online resources
eLearning delivery for the post-registration Bachelor of Nursing program
Flash-based PBL case/scenario template
Orientation to Pharmacy Practice
2006
Self analysis tool to help prospective postgraduate students identify their elearning or distance learning readiness
Orientation to online learning
Development of a web-based activities to enhance interactive learning in a distance mode physiotherapy Masters course
Australian Health Care Systems Online Project
Developing web-based capacity to enhance online learning in graduate entry and post-graduate units of study
New My eLearning templates for the StudyAge program
Paediatric Oral Health and Nutrition Module: to enhance professional education and patient care in Dentistry
Team building in interprofessional learning
FLERT Extension
eLearning support for multi-campus delivery of the Bachelor of Health Sciences
Maintenance of past projects
2005
Moving Face to Face Teaching to Online Learning Environment
Developing My eLearning Templates for Rich Online Case-based, Inquiry-based and Problem-based Learning Modules
Online Facilitation and Support of Interprofessional Learning
Development of a Flexible Electronic Report-writing Tool (FLERT) to Help Students Learn Report Writing Skills
2004
Still Images in eLearning (joint Health Sciences & Sciences and Technology project)
CHS eLearning Resource Centre and Staff Support Program
2007 Projects
Oral radiology eLearning project
The purpose of this project was to enhance professional education in oral radiography and improve recognition of normal anatomy, film faults and diagnosis of pathology on intra and extra oral radiographs and digital images and to thus enhance patient care in Dentistry, BOH and other related Health Science faculties.
This purpose was achieved by the development of online resources and activities to complement the Years 1–4 Bachelor of Dentistry (BDent), Bachelor of Oral Health (BOH) and other Health Science programs. A University LMS site was used in conjunction with an image gallery site (hosted by dentistry) to facilitate flexible student access to normal radiographic anatomy, film faults and radiographic diagnosis of pathology resources. Students have year-round access to the resources, including self tests for revision of key concepts.
Paediatric Oral Health & Nutrition Module Version 2
The purpose of this project was to enhance professional education and patient care in oral health settings. Version 1 of this module was introduced into the BDent Programme in July 2006. In this project period, version 1 was reviewed in light of feedback gained from student evaluation and for the second iteration of this unit of study, more extensive use was made of the online tools in the University LMS (group manager, discussion tools, assignment drop box and quizzes). Students were provided with a structured five stage learning sequence guiding them through the learning activities with clear instructions and templates to use to complete their final assessed project.
Oral health literacy and development of health promotion materials
This project supported a co-teaching agreement between the Faculties of Dentistry and Architecture to provide their students with the authentic learning experience of client and consultant. A University LMS site was created to support this collaboration and was accessed by 144 Dentistry and Architecture students. The University LMS site presents 1st year and 4th year Dentistry and Architecture students with the information required to meet their common learning objective of developing an oral health promotion program. The site includes the selective release of materials to 1st year and 4th year students using group sign up sheets, the provision of guides to assist students with using the required software (InDesign) and a gallery of examples from previous years as a resource for students to study.
Automated learning activity time mapping and monitoring tool
This project transformed existing paper based materials (the Learning Activity Grid project) into a web-based dynamic, interactive study time planning tool for teaching staff, supporting ‘what if’ activity and data collection.
Navigate your Fieldwork Journey: Take control
A University LMS site was developed which is accessible year-round by all students enrolled in entry-level Occupational Therapy programs. This site allows OCCP staff to store all relevant fieldwork site information in an easily accessible central location. Information stored on this site includes site name, contact person and phone number, relevant caseload/learning opportunities and recommended pre-reading.
Peer assessment data collection and analysis using the University LMS
The School of Medical Radiation Sciences had an existing method of peer assessment data collection which involved the use of MS FrontPage for data collection and MS Excel for analysis. Data collection and data analysis using the existing tools was difficult. The peer evaluation tool was redesigned as a quiz in the University LMS. This eliminated data capture problems prevalent in the previous web based peer evaluation tool. The tool is also now embedded in the students’ actual UoS (closely linking it to the related assessment) and staff can easily manipulate and analyse data via the downloadable excel spreadsheets.
Online learning modules for rural health curriculum
A University LMS site containing three modules was developed for use by all faculties who (1) place undergraduate or postgraduate students in rural contexts for professional experience (2) want to include a component on rural and remote society in Australia in their curriculum.
The eLearning team worked with a content writer and the academic in charge to develop an appropriate learning design for the modules. Each of the three modules of the site (Groundwork, Approaches & Practice) contain learning outcomes, discussion, video triggers, readings, case studies, reflective journal, extensive references and assessment activities and detailed PDF instructions for students on how to use the site.
Investigating e-portfolios for use across the Faculties of Health
This projected investigated the use of e-portfolios across a number of sectors including education, the health professions and other relevant professions such as engineering and law. A systematic review and narrative analysis of e-portfolios-in-action was completed with recommendations for portfolio development, piloting, evaluation and utilisation at the University of Sydney.
Delivering an online Interprofessional Learning resource for all health and social care students (IPL)
A cross faculty (Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing & Midwifery, Pharmacy, Social Work & Health Science) University LMS site was developed that provides a common learning resource for all health and social care students and supports interprofessional learning throughout their professional training. The site provides students with a set of IPL activities which they are directed to by their UoS coordinators.
Enhancing clinical skills learning by designing effective online resources
This project reviewed existing clinical skills resources and created an organisational index to assist students with locating information in the USyd Medical program LMS.
eLearning delivery for the post-registration Bachelor of Nursing program
Educational designers from Sydney eLearning worked with academic staff from the Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery to design blended and fully online UoS to be delivered to offshore students using the University LMS.
Flash-based PBL case/scenario template
This project developed a Flash template comprising a collection of independently configurable and repeatable sub-templates which function as containers for learning content created by an academic, and are imported into and sequenced in a computer-based PBL case/scenario learning activity.
Orientation to Pharmacy Practice
The Orientation to Pharmacy Practice Settings University LMS site uses a variety of media (images, voice recordings etc) to orient students to the pharmacy placement environment prior to their actual placement.
2006 Projects
Development of a web-based activities to enhance interactive learning in a distance mode physiotherapy Masters course
This project converted a distance postgraduate unit of study that was previously solely text-based to the online learning environment. This project achieved a far greater online component than was originally expected, and now all nine modules are presented online.
Self analysis tool to help prospective postgraduate students identify their elearning or distance learning readiness
This project developed an exemplary activity-based, publicly accessible site for prospective postgraduate students of the Faculty of Health Sciences www3.fhs.usyd.edu.au/getreal/. The site not only provides information but also activities that encourage students to seriously and critically evaluate their readiness for:
- The attributes of course that they are interested in with a “study matchmaker activity”
- Using technology to learn with a “technology survival challenge
- Information from other students an further help resources
Orientation to online learning
Related to the project described above, this project developed a Get Learning site in the university LMS which orients commencing postgraduate coursework students to the skills required for successful online study at the University of Sydney. The Get Learning site provides information and also gives students the opportunity to practice commonly used online tools such as online discussion, calendar, quiz and assignment submission.
The Get Learning template is available for use by other faculties/programs wishing to develop their own orientation programs.
Australian Health Care Systems Online Project
The purpose of this project was to more fully utilise the updated Health Care Game, an interactive, web based heuristic game (the winner of the 2000 ASCILITE award for exemplary use of electronic technologies in teaching and learning in tertiary education) by integrating it with the current unit of study materials. In order to achieve this purpose, a University LMS was developed that delivers materials for four topic areas of the UoS HIM1056 Health Care Delivery Systems online for the first time.
The University LMS site provides access to lecture based materials, other online resources, opportunities for students to discuss key aspects of the topic areas, and electronic assignment submission.
Developing web-based capacity to enhance online learning in graduate entry and post-graduate units of study
This project developed the Research Roundtable - a learning design that provides students with a staged scaffolded activities directly related to the assessment for the aligned unit of study. Faculty staff were also assisted in developing learning materials that encourage increased depth of learning online.
New LMS templates for the StudyAge program
This project involved the redesign of seven StudyAge units of study to a manageable University LMS template that enables easy maintenance of the sites with numerous instructors.
The template has a clear modular structure which uses simple LMS tools (content modules, quizzes and discussions) that can be updated easily within the website, therefore avoiding confusion with filenames and alterations in the look and feel of the sites.
New guidelines for the students who study each unit fully online were also developed.
Paediatric Oral Health and Nutrition Module: to enhance professional education and patient care in Dentistry
This project represented a ‘proof of concept’ approach to complementing the Year 3 Bachelor of Dentistry (BDent) Paediatric Dentistry block. A University LMS site was developed for the paediatric oral health and nutrition module which included four student learning activities (a lecture with resource materials, two online quizzes and a clinical based activity with online discussion activity).
Team building in interprofessional learning
An IPL Team work in Health module was built in the university LMS. The module was designed to facilitate online communication between team members and provide structured activities as a precursor to the face-to-face team building activity.
In Semester 1, 2007, the module went live with its first interprofessional group – students from Social Work and Yoorang Garang (School of Indigenous Health Studies). The module is being collaboratively taught and administered by the Faculty of Health and Faculty of Education & Social Work.
FLERT
This project developed the final five help modules (Overall Structure, Title, Methods, Conclusion, References) for the Flexible Electronic Report-writing Tool (FLERT), for student scientific report writing.
eLearning support for multi-campus delivery of the Bachelor of Health Sciences
A template was designed and developed to provide consistency in navigation, structure and layout across the Bachelor of Health Sciences UoS. This template then formed the foundation for the development of a University LMS site for each of the 1st year units of study. This was trialled in first semester 2007.
2005 Projects
Moving Face to Face Teaching to Online Learning Environment
This project developed the effective transformation of content material from a traditional face to face lecture room situation to the online learning environment. This involved an investigation of the processes and decisions that need to be made by academics about how to deliver content online. This includes an analysis of the relative advantages and disadvantages, technological requirements, intellectual property and copyright issues involved and time required to undertake this process. Guidance materials to assist academics in their decision making process were also developed. This project applied this understanding to three examples of online content delivery:
- Replicating the lecture experience online by integrating narrated PowerPoint presentations with other course materials
- Transforming the lecture experience online for large numbers of students and providing feedback on student learning and progress
- Capturing visiting content experts for reuse in future units of study
Developing Templates for Rich Online Case-based, Inquiry-based and Problem-based Learning Modules
This project indexed existing templates used for online scenarios. They were evaluated for their educational value and ease of use in the University LMS (CE6). Key features were identified for case, inquiry and problem based scenarios in both clinical and non-clinical contexts. A template was modified for use in the University LMS (CE6) which was applicable to a number of disciplines including physiotherapy, medical education and public health along with guidance materials.
Online Facilitation and Support of Interprofessional Learning
Online resources and learning activities were evaluated for use by facilitators, clinicians and students participating in interprofessional education and clinical placements. Three activities based on sound pedagogical principles to facilitate interprofessional learning were developed including a preclinical discussion activity, an online reflection tool and a roundtable discussion activity. They were made available to all staff to enable the transfer of the activities to a broad range of courses. In addition support materials for students and facilitators participating in interprofessional learning clinical placements were transferred to the online environment through the development of an interprofessional learning universtity LMS (CE6) site. The development of interprofessional resources and learning activities complements the work of the College of Health Sciences (CHS) Interprofessional Learning Working Group, which is part of a College-wide initiative to expand interprofessional learning in clinical placements in undergraduate and graduate degree programs.
Development of a Flexible Electronic Report-writing Tool (FLERT) to Help Students Learn Report Writing Skills
This project aimed to improve students' scientific report writing skills. It addressed generic communication skills as well as supporting the learning of scientific concepts. A web-based report-writing tool (FLERT) was developed that consisted of a standardised report writing template or shell to enabled students to construct their draft scientific report. A series of interactive support materials was provided to guide the students through this process with discipline specific materials available for the subject of physiology.
2004 Projects
Still Images in eLearning (joint Health Sciences & Sciences and Technology project)
This joint project developed, and tested user-friendly protocols and templates for seamless use of still images stored both locally and centrally within learning management systems (LMS) environments (and by extension other systems compliant with appropriate standards). Staff development sessions were run (group workshops, and online help resources) on the use of still images in effective teaching and learning.
CHS eLearning Resource Centre and Staff Support Program
This project developed a showcase site (available to all staff at the University of Sydney) to provide pedagogically strong examples of the use of online learning and teaching in the health sciences. Each example was constructed in the framework of key learning and teaching areas of the health sciences including learning through professional practice, learning using a scenario or case study, learning through interaction, learning by critical use of literature, learning in foundational knowledge and learning to teach and learn online. It provides user-friendly commentary about the pedagogical and technical aspects of each example to demonstrate the background story. This site was complemented by the provision educational design assistance from the Flexible Online Learning Team through one-on-one support or group sessions with College of Health Sciences staff.
CHS eLearning Resource Centre and Staff Support Program
This project developed a showcase site (available to all staff at the University of Sydney) to provide pedagogically strong examples of the use of online learning and teaching in the health sciences. Each example was constructed in the framework of key learning and teaching areas of the health sciences including learning through professional practice, learning using a scenario or case study, learning through interaction, learning by critical use of literature, learning in foundational knowledge and learning to teach and learn online. It provides user-friendly commentary about the pedagogical and technical aspects of each example to demonstrate the background story. This site was complemented by the provision of educational design assistance from the Flexible Online Learning Team through one-on-one support or group sessions with College of Health Sciences staff.
