Using Elluminate to faciliatate student support, collaboration and engagement

This case study describes the different ways that ElluminateLive! (a virtual classroom) has been used as an integral part of the teaching and learning approaches on the MSc Blended and Online Education. The BOE is delivered fully online and attracts a range of students from within our own University and from other diverse education institutions in the UK and beyond. This case study is not just about how tutors can use this tool, but it is also about how ElluminateLive! could be used by students on a wide scale to support all sorts of group work for campus based and online programmes. We present three different types of learning and teaching activity that have been supported and enabled by the use of the ElluminateLive! on the BOE programme. 1. Student support – weekly Virtual Office Hours enable students to meet with their lecturer(s) and with each other in order to address questions and share solutions to common problems. These sessions are often very informal and create an ideal opportunity for students and staff to meet together regularly irrespective of location, and to build supportive relationships that enable the achievement of student outcomes. Where confidentiality is required, lecturer and student can take a step aside from the main room and into the easily created break out rooms. PDTs make regular use of ElluminateLive! for meeting with their tutees. 2. Collaboration – ElluminateLive! offers a widely used space to enable group work. Student groups are each assigned a link to their own virtual classroom which they use to host group meetings and to meet with their group tutor. Students also make use of the virtual classroom to host their own assessed student run seminars which create opportunities for them to develop their online facilitation skills and confidence in a safe learning environment. 3. External engagement – ElluminateLive! is used to host regular Guest Speakers sessions which are arranged for both module and programme participation. Our guests contribute highly valued external expertise, knowledge and scholarship directly in to the programme. Students are invited to post questions for guests in advance, often as part of the assessed collaborative element of the module.