What inspired or motivated you to use this tool/resource?
This resource was already a validated assessment format when I joined the module, but after using it and having to set up a subsequent cycle I realised there was a more efficient way to use it.
On joining the module multiple discussion boards were created under a folder for each supervisor (up to 10 supervisors in the module). Groups were then assigned to each discussion board, but you could end up with a student in more than 1 group and a student not assigned to any. This was also considerable work in setting them up and if a student left a group or moved group all previous information on that discussion board would be lost. This system was also visually complex to both staff and students as they had to look up their supervisor, open that folder then access the discussion board(s) they wanted to type in.
What was your aim in using this tool/resource?
Simplify the set-up process and following a minor modification in the assessment streamline the discussion boards so that students only had 1 board to write on. This would facilitate them making links between the 4 topics of study (Person-centred Care, Team Working, Interprofessional Collaboration and Professional Accountability) and also, they often found a resource could support multiple topics so presenting it once would reduce their workload in a very intensive module.
We still wanted to be able to provide students with a guide for completing the boards as well as starter questions for each topic to get them thinking of evidence they wish to look at. The text option when setting up a board allows us to provide both not just in the module handbook, but at the top of the boards where students are going to see it more often and have the information more readily available at the time of commenting on their boards.
What did you use the tool/resource for?
The discussion board is used as a platform for a small interprofessional group (4) of students to share evidence they have read on 4 key themes in healthcare practice (Person-centred Care, Team Working, Interprofessional Collaboration and Professional Accountability). They are encouraged to look at evidence from their own field so that they can all get a wider view on the topic than just their own field’s viewpoint. This allows them to compare and contrast the similarities and differences in their fields ethos and focus when it comes to providing care.
They then as a group use the boards to compose a 500-word essay on each topic and submit these essays on the board too. This allows them all sight of the essays through draft phases and the final completed version and gives them experience of working with others from various disciplines, possibly located in different areas across North Wales to complete a group task. This is important as this form of assessment is now required by many professional bodies as part of their undergraduate training expectations to mirror the realities seen in clinical settings.
Following discussion with digital services I discovered that creating groups separately on blackboard first would allow group members to be amended without affecting content within a board. This process also means that a student cannot end up in more than 1 group and you can clearly see at the end if any registered students on the module have been left unassigned. These groups can then be applied to other aspects of blackboard such as the discussion boards, tests or even resources.
Similarly, the discussion board set up was simplified by this process as you set up a single board with its opening aim and any instructions for the students you want to include then assign the groups. Once assigned the students by clicking on the discussion board will only ever have access to their assigned group board. Supervisors simply have to select the group they want to view (we label them with the supervisor's name and group number) to switch between different groups. This made set up much faster and simplified the view for both staff and students. Supervisors are tasked with providing a half hour tutorial each week to their groups collectively and also reviewing the group discussion board once a week to provide comments and support as they work through their assessment, including commenting on drafts and references attempted of the articles being discussed.
How did the tool/resource impact your teaching?
Simplifying the discussion board for students has meant we can spend less time showing students how to access their boards and more time providing new content and teaching to students and support on other issues they may have.
The students are also able to start using the boards sooner to start their research for the assessment and also to decide as a group how they will collate all the information they will bring to each other during this process which itself is an important skill to develop for both their academic and clinical careers.
How well did the tool/resource perform, would you recommend it?
When used correctly by a group this is an excellent resource and tool to allow the sharing of information and ideas, especially when face to face contact is not possible due to location distance or conflicting demands making synchronous meetings harder to arrange.
It does require the group to work to the guidance set, and where groups are falling short, a supervisor is overseeing to promote adherence with recommended usage, e.g. providing full references to evidence being discussed, students providing a summary for the group of the evidence so they are not all having to read every article, ensuring communication on the board is respectful and professional throughout. On the point of communication appropriateness, the boards are set that students cannot delete any comments made so that inappropriate comments can be investigated by supervisors.
Another limitation of this tool is that it only allows student to interact in a text based, asynchronous manner. It also does not alert students in the group when others have posted on the board so requires them to check it regularly or have other forms of keeping each other up to date of progress. This obviously has the limitation that it does not capture conversations that occurred off the board, either on TEAMS, face-to-face or other message systems though students are also aware that unless these interactions are summarised on the board then their supervisor cannot include this group work as part of the assessment. This encourages students to provide summaries of other contact on their board. Our students often utilise TEAMS meetings or face-to-face meetings following lectures to allow for synchronous, non-text-based interactions which they often find key to the success of the assessment overall.
Another limitation is that while the boards have an option of being marked, this mark system does not currently filter into gradebook for collation to pass to student administration. You either require a separate marksheet you populate from the boards, which can increase errors, or you have to have a separate submission portal where students upload a front sheet to which the discussion board mark is attached. This second option allows for students to share PSLP information and yellow slips with the marker without having to inform their group which is an obvious positive. Boards can though still be automatically hidden to prevent further additions at the submission deadline just like any assessment portal.
How well was the tool/resource received by students?
While students are initially anxious over this assessment as it is their first assessment on starting the course, they quickly adapt to it and most use it effectively. Many students go on to form a strong bond between themselves and other group members and continue to learn from each other and support each other as they progress through their career even when they move back to discipline specific teaching.
Share a ‘Top Tip’ for a colleague new to the tool/resource
This is a great example of utilising IT/digital resources to overcome distance and competing demands to facilitate group work between interprofessional student groups.
Recommended reading:
Blackboard Discussion Boards: https://help.blackboard.com/Learn/Instructor/Ultra/Interact/Discussions
Contact for more information:
Becky Moseley: b.moseley@bangor.ac.uk
Teaching & Learning Support Team: helpdesk@bangor.ac.uk