Game Informed Virtual Patients

Modern medical education necessitates a complex interleaving of issues relating to practice, professional and personal development, teaching and learning. This complexity has led, in part, to medical education being persistently located in the vanguard of eLearning development. Here, the authors describe our approach to the development of virtual patient resources and in particular how this iterative dialogue arising from the allied processes of practice, reflection and pedagogy required to create new learning tools and resources has contributed to professional development of those engaged in teaching medical students and in building online learning communities at the University of Edinburgh.

A Needs Analysis Framework for the Design of Digital Repositories in Higher Education

As the notion of learning objects has grown in popularity, so too has interest in how they should be stored to promote access and reusability. A key challenge to all repository projects is to understand the various motivations and needs to those wishing to contribute to and access the collection. To date there has been considerable attention given to technical issues of repositories, with much less consideration of how to attend to the needs of those who will use them. This chapter presents a needs analysis framework that was developed to guide the design of a new repository currently being created for the Australian higher education sector, The Carrick Exchange. The project to develop the framework is described, outlining the findings from analysis of literature and existing repositories, with input from a survey of potential users. The purpose of the framework was to distil key issues that should be considered in the design of the repository and we offer it here as an analytical tool that could be applied by others.

ICT Integration Efforts in Higher Education in Developing Economies

A situational modified version of Tearle’s model (2004) is utilized in this study to understand the integration of ICTs in the educational process. The study evaluated self efficacy beliefs, institutional support and policy in the context of developing economies where challenges of inadequate resources and insufficient skills persist. We assess the state of affairs, and the challenges faced by teachers and management at Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia. The results show that educators are generally appreciative of ICTs role in the teaching/learning process.

Designing Effective Web-Based Courses in Engineering

Developing engineering study programs of high quality, able to satisfy customized needs, with flexible paths of study, with easy and rapid access to the most appropriate educational facilities and lecturers is a critical and challenging issue for the future of engineering education. The latest developments in communication and information technologies facilitate the creation of reliable solutions in this respect. Provision of web-based courses in engineering represents one of these solutions. However, the absence of physical interactions with the training facilities and the specificity of remote collaboration with lecturers rise up additional challenges in designing a high-quality web-based engineering course. In order to define superior solutions to the complex set of requirements, quality planning and an innovative problem solving are parts of web-based engineering courses design process. In this context, the present chapter introduces a generic roadmap for competitive design of web-based engineering courses. Methodology application is illustrated in a case study. An important conclusion arising from the case study is that no unique, best-of-the-world solution exists in developing a web-based engineering course; therefore customized approaches should be considered for each course category to maximize the impact of the web-based educational process.

Architectural Web Portal and Interactive CAD Learning in Hungary

It is the aim of this case to show the teaching web portal of the Faculty of Architecture at “Széchenyi István” University (www.arc.sze.hu/indexen.html) and its many uses. Nowadays, the Internet helps us to look into Hungarian and foreign study aids, and architectural websites. The Internet has created potential new and effective ways of cooperation between lecturers and students of the university and other institutions of higher education. The teaching web portal mentioned above realizes diversity and complexity of architecture, with efficient grouping of information, while being attentive to high professional standards. Computer Aided Architectural Modeling (www.arc.sze.hu/cad) is one of the new types of online lecture notes, where many narrated screen captured videos show the proper usage of cad software instead of texts and figures. This interactive type of learning assists students to become more independent learners. This type of teaching modality provides the opportunity for students who need more time to acquire subject matter through viewing video examples. The success of our departments’ common web initiations can be measured through Internet statistics and feedback of the students and external professionals.

Improvement of Engineering Students Education by E-learning

Traditional education for engineers has shifted towards new methods of teaching and learning through the proliferation of Information and Communication Technologies. The continuous advances in technology enable the realization of a more distributed structure of knowledge transfer. Virtual Learning Environment has become an increasingly ambiguous term in recent years because of essential elements facilitating a consistent environment for learners. It has the potential to position the learner within a meaningful context to a much greater extent than traditional interactive multimedia environments. The 3D environment acquaints students with features of different shapes and objects, and can be particularly useful in teaching younger students different procedures and mechanisms for carrying out specific tasks. This case explains the key issues and success factors regarding the e-Learning for engineering education especially in developing countries.

Purpose-Oriented Small Software

This case emphasizes on the power of virtual tools for engineering subjects. As a more accessible approach, the authors suggest the development and application of Purpose-Oriented small software. The aim of developing these e-tools is enhancing the understanding of concepts taught in the undergraduate and graduated Mechanical, Material, Civil and many other engineering branches. The main idea behind this case is to show that even light software which is focused on a particular subject can be used as a key for engineering education.

Blended Learning in Engineering Curricula through the Meaningful Use of ICT Tools

Blended learning, which combines various ICT tools into conventional face-to-face classroom activities, has proved to be more effective in enhancing the learners’ motivation, communication skills and learning achievement than teaching by employing a single approach. The meaningful use of ICT tools is critical to the successful promotion and implementation of blended learning. This case introduces a study of blended learning using the WIRE model that links pre-class warm-up, interaction in class, and review as well as post-class exercises into a continuous learning experience with basic to advanced mental skills. The WIRE model has been experimented in the Department of Information Management of a university of science and technology in Taiwan. The findings from the learning achievement, questionnaire, and focus group interview revealed some significant differences between the experimental and control groups in the degree of motivation, interaction between teacher and students, and collaboration among students. The WIRE model can thus help enhance learning motivation, interaction between teacher and students and among students, and learning achievement.

Managing Learning Activities in E-Learning Systems

The advent of computers and later the Internet has led to trends in Computer Aided Learning (CAL). The learning process is rapidly transforming from traditional learning to electronic learning. Computer-based systems enable effective delivery and access to learning materials, at a time and place chosen by the student. This case explores Learning Activity Management (LAM) systems, which are new tools for designing, managing and delivering online collaborative learning activities. LAM systems provide instructors with a flexible environment in which to design, organize and monitor the learning activities of the learners. We describe components and key features of LAM systems and also explore the challenges that exist in this field.

Technoethical Study of Electronic Technology Ab/Use at University

This case explores how university students view non-work related use of electronic technology within universities (I.e., electronic monitoring technology and personal use of electronic technologies). Of particular interest are student experiences and ethical stances concerning non-work related use of electronic technologies within universities as well as the variables that affect their decision to engage in or not engage in personal electronic technology use during class. To this end, a technoethical case study utilizes research literature and conversational data derived from online group work taken from a research course offered by the communication department of a large urban university. Findings indicate the presence of ethical tensions and contradictions in how students rationalize non-work related use of electronic technology within universities. This case study sheds light on student’s attitudes, subjective norms, attributions of responsibility, and factors affecting students’ ethical stances towards non-work related technology use at university. It also offers recommendations on how to leverage mutual understanding and consensual decision-making in similar contexts where ethical and social controversies arise, surrounding technology and its use in society.