Innovations in MLE training at the University of Hertfordshire

In the past StudyNet training at the University of Hertfordshire has consisted of a teacher standing at the front of a classroom demonstrating the features of the system with opportunities for participants to try the features for themselves. It has been unclear if participants have learnt anything or if the materials covered have been relevant. The level of interactivity between teacher and participant and between participants has often been low. Recent changes to teaching methods have increased interactivity and provided feedback for use in aligning learning objectives with learner needs. The use of problem based group work based around real life examples has put the materials into context. This paper is a personal reflection on whether these changes have been successful and how the training might be improved in the future. It was found that sessions were more fun to teach and that participants appeared to engage more fully with the material, the trainer and each other. A brief experiment with StudyNet quizzes suggested this might be an area for future development. A series of short quizzes at key points throughout the session would give participants opportunity to reflect and let the trainer know if the participants have learnt the materials.