A Handbook for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education Enhancing academic and Practice

270 ❘
Teaching in the disciplines
• conducting risk assessments
• developing health and safety working practices.
Laboratories are expensive to provide, maintain and equip. They also require high levels
of staff contact time. It is therefore important that laboratory sessions are well planned
and integrated into the curriculum if maximum benefit is to be gained from this expensive
resource. Learning materials such as virtual labs are becoming available which have an
important role in supplementing lab work but are unlikely to replicate the full benefits
of the hands-on practical session in the foreseeable future.
e-learning
Engineers have long been at the forefront of change, exploiting advances in technology
and related innovations, and now the computer is very much an integral part of life for
the professional engineer. Hence many engineering academics have embraced the concept
of e-learning which is about facilitating and supporting student learning through the use
of information and communication technologies. Many different approaches to learning
and teaching are being taken within engineering to keep pace with rapidly changing
technical developments. It is important to consider and evaluate the pedagogical benefits
to both students and staff. Examples of good e-practice within engineering may be
found on the Engineering Subject Centre’s website, such as: mobile and wireless
technologies (use of PDAs, podcasts, mobile phones), online communication tools
(e-mail, bulletin boards), flexible interactive computer-based learning (use of software,
audio and video conferencing), and delivery through virtual learning environments (see
also Chapter 7).
Case study 2: Implementations of optical fibre
communications module in a virtual learning
environment
The VLE, BlackBoard, is used as the sole means for delivering content and
most of the assessments for a course taken by students studying a variety of
degrees in Electrical and Electronic Engineering or Communication Engineering.
The tutor wanted to find a flexible way of delivering his course without disadvantaging
students. The bulk of the content delivery is now through 40
short lectures, which comprise an audio-video recording of the lecturer, slides,
and a transcript of the lecture, supported by handouts. The recordings are
accessible at any time, and can be paused, rewound, replayed and so on under
the control of the student. The online resources also include other video clips
and animations, video contributions from an external expert, 35 formative