What is an e-learning SSC?
This SSC gives you the opportunity to create online learning material on a subject related to your MB ChB. You will also be required to submit a written report. It is one of the options available to you for the year 3 external SSC. However, we have supported year 5 external SSC students in the past and would be happy to do so again.
What kind of material can you produce?
In the past students have developed e-learning tutorials (many of the tutorials in the additional material sections of the medicine and surgery pages have been written by students) that include interactive content, images and video, or a series of educational podcasts, either as video or audio, or even their own teaching website, such as Medicles by Chris Gillett and Chris Bailey, and Meducation by Alastair Buick.
Why should you choose an e-learning project for your SSC?
This is an opportunity to learn about using technology in education, alongside learning more about your chosen topic. You may have received some excellent teaching on a particular topic that you would like to share, or may want to revisit something that you want to study in more depth. It will enable you to engage with teaching three years before you become an F1 - you will gain transferable skills for your medical career.
Your material could appear in the Bristol curriculum!
Some of the projects will be incorporated into existing MB ChB e-learning resources such as Hippocrates or Blackboard - you may be contributing to future medical students' education. It’s essential that you obtain copyright permission and/or patient consent where appropriate for the material you produce. It’s easy to, and there is lots of information available to help on Blackboard.
An example of a prize- winning e-Learning SSC project
This aim of this project was to reinforce students' existing knowledge in neurology. Haj Kamali and Owen Lewis wrote tutorials on cranial and peripheral nerves. This project won the SSC and Aungshuk Ghosh e-Learning Prizes in 2009.
We provide plenty of support – you do not have to be a technical wizard!
You will have access to a wide variety of support material available, including guides on how to write a tutorial, a recommended software list, an FAQ resource, and a new guide to help you avoid the pitfalls where students have fallen in the past.
All the software we recommend is straightforward to use without requiring any programming knowledge. The software will be free, or available as a 30-day trial.
There will be specialist guidance available to you throughout the July study period and you will be able to book appointments at our weekly support sessions.
What should you do next?
We will be giving presentation on the e-Learning SSC at a central teaching day in January. There will be a workshop in March that will give you a good idea of how to write e-learning material. This workshop was well received by the attending students last year (details will follow).
We have 25 places available each year for this SSC. You will need to submit an outline for your project and we will let you know if you have been successful so you can register your project as an SSC. More details on the selection process will be available on Blackboard.
Contact us in the meantime if you have any queries
Stephanie Eckoldt (se8960@bristol.ac.uk) or Dominic Alder (dominic.alder@bristol.ac.uk)