Twelve tips for academic role and institutional change in distance learning

Abstract

Universities struggle to engage staff with DL due to its unrecognised and (many academics believe) unsustainable workload. These 12 tips provide academics and managers involved in clinical education with clear guidance surrounding strategies that inform practice. New roles have emerged, work habits must be revolutionised and changes in routine must be addressed.

Evaluating the online platform of a blended-learning pharmacist continuing education degree program

“…Clear explanations are particularly critical for place-bound learners who cannot routinely clarify directions by the usual in-person encounters that occur with greater ease in live programming. Faculty workload associated with student demands (like these academic inquiries or otherwise) is frequently underestimated and further underscores the importance of well-described tasks and assignments with worked-out examples when possible ( 26 ). Having one calendar integrating all course and program deadlines can facilitate student organization and self-regulation.…”

“…The program and faculty challenges faced when adoption of distance-based teaching and learning occur within a curriculum have been well described ( 26 , 28 ). Instructors may be content experts capable of outlining a traditional lesson plan but are not necessarily inherently equipped with the skills required to deliver online courses in an effective fashion.…”

“…Interestingly, our best-reviewed course was heavily influenced by the coordinator's own experience as a distance-based learner voluntarily enrolled in a massive open online course (MOOC). Institutional support for faculty professional development, as well as recognition of the time required for course preparation and maintenance is essential for quality blended-learning programming ( 26 ).…”

The Challenges of Developing a Project-Based Self-Directed Learning Component for Undergraduate Medical Education

“…In retrospect, this challenge arose because we did not adequately orient them to the importance of SDL as a required competency, i.e., why they were being challenged to think and independently identify learning topics of their own choice. This problem was most likely compounded by the lack of guidance provided by upperclassmen, since similar concerns about SDL have been observed by those programs utilizing electronic distance learning [6]. Shortly, after the LCME released the new standards and terminology (approximately at the beginning of year 2 of the WMed UGME), we made a concerted effort to better inform the inaugural class of the required competency in SDL and the role that Explorations plays in meeting this competency.…”

Contemporary Professional Skills Development for Pharmacists in the Middle East

“…13 Therefore, specific dedicated resources are necessary for program delivery with an understanding of the faculty workload required. 14,15 Secondly, greater emphasis can be placed on orienting such students to the fundamental concepts in the underlying courses within their curriculum and affording more opportunities for practice. Given developments in pharmacist scope of practice since first licensing or in our particular Middle East context, non-patient centered nature of their prior education, students may be anxious or unsure of what to expect when enrolling in an advanced degree program.…”