In my role at the School of Medicine, I interact with a diverse range of student cohorts, each presenting unique needs and learning contexts. My primary focus has been on supporting international students in various Master's level distance learning programmes, typically spanning 1 to 2 years and delivered globally through our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) platform.
Our student demographic is rich and varied:
This diversity enriches the learning experience but also presents unique challenges and opportunities in our approach to distance education.
To enhance students' transition to the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) platform and their proficiency with essential tools, we begin each programme with a series of induction sessions. I lead the technology-oriented induction, providing a comprehensive introduction to the virtual learning environments. These sessions are crucial in creating a welcoming atmosphere, encouraging students to openly discuss their needs and challenges. This is particularly important in distance learning programmes where face-to-face interactions with academics and peers are rare. By fostering a sense of community, these sessions help alleviate students' concerns, especially regarding the use of technology in the course.
Through these sessions, I observed that a mere demonstration of the VLE and assessment tools was insufficient for some students, given the wide range of technical abilities. It became evident that students would greatly benefit from practical, hands-on experience with the VLE and related tools.
To address this issue, I implemented an innovative approach for the Diabetes Programme by creating a sandbox module with sample course content and dummy assessments. I generate temporary accounts for students to use during the induction, allowing them to explore the learning environment before their actual accounts are activated. While this requires additional setup effort, the benefits are significant—students feel more confident after hands-on experience. This approach is especially helpful for less confident students or those who need more time to process written or verbal instructions.
Our remote online programmes rely heavily on diverse communication tools to connect with and support our students, including video conferencing, discussion forums, emails, and various messaging platforms.
Recognising the time zone differences and busy schedules of our students—often professionals juggling full-time jobs and family commitments—I found that discussion forums emerged as the most practical and impactful means of communication. To understand the technological and learning challenges students face in the courses I support, I have implemented a range of forums in most programs. These forums play an essential role in collecting timely student feedback and resolving technical issues:
A significant insight gained from these forums, specifically from students in the Neonatal programme, was the challenge posed by varying accents in lecture recordings, which made comprehension difficult for some.