A Digital Partners Action Research Project
Aims
Nottingham Trent University has recently invested in the Lynda.com video-based learning platform. This resource houses a large number of short online courses to support development of a range of technology and creative skills. This action research project focuses on our undergraduate Media Practices students and their practical skills requirements relevant to assessment outcomes. Generating custom playlists of resources from Lynda.com and displaying them in specific NOW Learning Rooms will provide access to high quality and relevant resources that demonstrate practical techniques.
In collaboration with Russell Murray from the Media team, this project will work with 3rd year students as they work towards their dissertation projects, to generate the playlists and evaluate the impact of using these in relation to skill development.
Project Team
Russell Murray: Lecturer/Senior Lecturer – Media, School of Arts & Humanities
David Jeckells: Learning Technologies Manager, Learning and Teaching Support Unit, School of Arts and Humanities.
The Plan
Before generating the playlists, a series of small group discussions and short surveys will be used to ascertain students’ requirements of the online video support resources. We will generate several playlists supporting various degrees of capability and progression for students, then gather feedback on these choices and impact of the videos on student skills development during and post-delivery of the resources playlists.
Outcomes & Dissemination
By the provision of additional and focused support resources our aim is to increase student understanding of key practical techniques and increase their ability for self-directed learning. We will be sharing findings and providing practical support to other Media staff to increase their use and ownership of personal and curated Lynda playlists for their students.
Project Update – Jan 2018
In an initial feedback discussion session with students, the concept of support video playlists was introduced and feedback canvassed on the skill level and playlist length favoured.
Students were offered options for length of playlists similar in length to traditional workshop sessions:
- upto 1hr
- 1 to 1.5 hrs
- 1.5 – 2 hrs
Feedback from the students favoured 1 to 1.5 hrs as a workshop length, but as these were online resources, they offered students the opportunity to also “dip-in” to clips if they were looking for solutions to particular issues, rather than having to take the whole workshop in one sitting.
The playlists shortlisted based on these parameters were introductions to Adobe software short courses with two applications relevant to students undertaking practical media practice Modules. These were:
- Introduction to Adobe Muse
- Adobe After Effects: Essential Training – The Basics
The short course playlists were by generated Lynda.com originators.
Information and guidance on access to these video playlists will shortly be made available to students in their relevant Module Learning Rooms, which will then allow further verbal feedback and a short online survey for both qualitative & quantitative responses from students.
David Jeckells
Learning Technologies Manager
Learning and Teaching Support Unit (LTSU)
School of Arts & Humanities – Nottingham Trent University
