Demonstrator

David West and Carl Martin

College

School Of Pharmacy

Stakeholder Group

Students

Demonstrator Project Name

Medicines Profile Exercise.

Project Start Date

6th October 2008.

Project Length

(days, weeks, months)

1 term (autumn term).

Participants Involved
(job titles where relevant)

180 students (8 groups, approx. 23 in each).

Brief Description of the project
(Aims and Objectives)

How will Google Docs help with your project?
(i.e to use the Form to collect data from surveys, Presentation to display information, Word Processor to share formal documents, brain storm ideas etc)

This project will be using all applications in Google Docs.

What is the plan of engagement?
(What needs to happen when and who needs to do what)

Google Docs will be used for one of the mandatory modules in the first year, therefore the training and support is high on the list of priorities.

Initially the year will be divided into 8 groups of (approx. 23 students in each) and they will be given a set of instructions in their handbook about the use of Google Docs in one of their modules.  Each project would have a leader, to whom the students would submit their work to, so at least 2 members of staff would be employed during the monitoring process.  

It would then be essential for Caroline Bell (APT Project Officer) to provide training sessions for the groups, as the SoP students are usually less adept with ICT systems compared to the average first year higher education students.

What project outcomes do you expect?
(i.e creating documents collaboratively with staff and students in more effective ways; to bridge the technological gap between students and staff)

The main purpose would be to observe how the students adopt the collaborative tools; whether the students participate, if it encourages more communication or if it improves/hinders the students' learning experience.
Each student is expected to use Google Docs for their work to submit an assignment, but how they develop their use with Google Docs throughout the term will be up to them.

What encouraged you to take part in this project?

For a few reasons:

-Right level of technology to fit in the most accessible and workable collaborative document online.

-Not as complex as wikis.

-It can be implemented into the VLE (Blackboard).

-A good collaborative system to hand in submissions.

-Generates output that you can use in an assessment.

What sort of support will you need to make this project a success?

-Training (as below).

-Administration support to get set up (monitoring examples).

What sort of support do you think the participants will need to make this project a success?

-Training Manual.

-Providing training sessions (Initial presentation to the whole of the first years, then to groups or individuals (to include an intro on collaborative shared online documents, creating Google accounts and general formatting).

-Remedial teaching for students who need extra help, and remedial 'pick up' to moderate students learning experience.