The Engineering Institute of Technology (EIT) is both a vocational and higher education provider, offering online and on-campus courses in a variety of engineering disciplines. EIT offers a blended-learning approach that is accessible to students all over the world. As a result, its teaching materials must be compatible with, and suitable for, an online learning environment as well as for face-to-face delivery. This presentation addresses the challenges of developing materials for a blended learning model, and the measures put in place to ensure there are robust, effective and regular review and continuous improvement processes.
This is particularly significant as EIT’s material development process is unique in that all teaching materials are developed entirely in-house, from lecture and tutorial slides, to assessments, and even reading materials. As a result, a high level of academic review and quality assurance is crucial to the development of quality resources. This depends on developing and managing strong partnerships with industry experts, academics and writers, as well as the lecturers who teach the content.
This presentation will shed light on the role of EIT’s academic resources department in coordinating the development of course materials from inception through to delivery. Presented by the Academic Resources Manager, it will highlight the core components of the material development process and the input required from key stakeholders.
Lastly, EIT’s material development also includes integrating virtual and remote laboratories for the purpose of teaching and assessing practical engineering skills. This presentation briefly touches on how typically ‘practical’ activities, such as hands-on workshops, can be successfully adapted for a virtual learning environment to provide a holistic educational experience for remote students.
In summary, a robust review of teaching materials is critical for any education provider, and maintaining partnerships with key stakeholders must be at the centre of developing and delivering quality resources.