David Dewhurst, of the University of Edinburgh gave an evaulation of online medical programmes offered by his institute. He described how online scenarios could allow students to conduct 'experiments' that they couldn't otherwise do, working on tailored 'virtual patients'. This certainly has the advantage of avoiding costly and time consuming ethics procedures. Not ALL practical skills can be learnt online though - a fish dissection I did in my second year springs to mind. But online resources can certainly be useful in supporting limited wet lab sessions. In this case, watching a video uploaded onto the University online network was invaluable - when practicals are typically hectic, cramped, rushed affairs with the demonstrators struggling to turn everybody out after three hours, any advance preparation helps the experiment to go more smoothly, allowing students to learn more from the experience. perhaps a good example of online/ practical complementation is the 'Hazard Perception' element of the driving test. Exposing learner drivers to these situations ie real world would be frankly dangerous, yet it cannot replace the practical 'hours behind the wheel' ( more like days in my case) needed to master the skill.
Hello and welcome to my blog! My name is Caroline and I am a PhD student at the University of Sheffield. My research project focuses on Striga - a genus of parasitic plants that devastates harvests by infecting food crops. I am exploring the defence reactions that can make host plants more resistant against Striga. Due to my ongoing battles with anorexia, I haven't made as much progress as I would have liked but I am determined to finish the course.
This blog charts the ups and downs of life in the lab, plus my dreams to become a science communicator and forays into public engagement and science policy....all while trying to keep my mental and physical health intact. Along the way, I'll also be sharing new plant science stories, and profiles of some of the researchers who inspire me on this journey. So whether you have a fascination for plants, are curious about what science research involves, or just wonder what exactly I do all day, read on - I hope you find it entertaining!
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Monday 22 July 2013
IUPS 2013: Is online learning the future?
David Dewhurst, of the University of Edinburgh gave an evaulation of online medical programmes offered by his institute. He described how online scenarios could allow students to conduct 'experiments' that they couldn't otherwise do, working on tailored 'virtual patients'. This certainly has the advantage of avoiding costly and time consuming ethics procedures. Not ALL practical skills can be learnt online though - a fish dissection I did in my second year springs to mind. But online resources can certainly be useful in supporting limited wet lab sessions. In this case, watching a video uploaded onto the University online network was invaluable - when practicals are typically hectic, cramped, rushed affairs with the demonstrators struggling to turn everybody out after three hours, any advance preparation helps the experiment to go more smoothly, allowing students to learn more from the experience. perhaps a good example of online/ practical complementation is the 'Hazard Perception' element of the driving test. Exposing learner drivers to these situations ie real world would be frankly dangerous, yet it cannot replace the practical 'hours behind the wheel' ( more like days in my case) needed to master the skill.
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