Mohawk College
Project Description
We integrated four Labster modules into four courses: two in the fall and two in the Winter.
- Lab Safety Labster: Medical Laboratory Assistant (MLSC10012) fall 2017
- Microscopy Labster: Laboratory Basics for MLA (MLSC10013) fall 2017
- Intro Lab Labster: Transfusion Medicine for MLA (MLSC10018) winter 2018
- Hematology Labster: Hematology for MLA (MLSC10015) winter 2018
The intent was to integrate the modules into our learning management system (LMS), eLearn. However, we received the licences late in September and did not have enough bandwidth to have a full integration. We did not reach 100% compliance; however, we do feel it was still a success. During the fall 2017 semester, a province-wide strike occurred which negatively impacted total enrolment slightly.
The feedback we received from students was very positive and they have asked for more modules to be integrated into other courses to continue to enhance their learning experience.
Team Description
The team involved included faculty members, Continuing Education support, Program Advisory Committee (PAC) members, the senior leadership team (SLT), and our Centre for Teaching and Learning. Updates of the initiative were provided to our PAC and SLT during the scheduled meetings, and instructors were updated of new Continuing Education initiatives through email announcements. During this time we also had a program review where many of the students indicated that they wanted to receive more interactive modules like Labster.
Integration Details
We only had one faculty integrate Labster into four courses. We provided students a link in our LMS with instructions on how to access and set up a log-in. The program manager also emailed all the students with instructions. If a student had not created a log-in we sent out another notification.
The first two modules were linked to a grade and the last two were linked to questions within the final exam. We wanted to see what students responded to better. There was great uptake on the first modules related to grades, although there were some challenges from the faculty side with enforcing Labster as a requirement. The students who wanted engaging learning found the modules valuable.
User Experience
We had one educator and 32 learners who were provided with licences over the course of the two semesters. The only time the students did not complete the module was if they dropped out of the course (attrition). The learners did not like that the modules were not mobile friendly. There were a few technical issues, but the help provided by Labster was quick and responsive. The overall support was extremely helpful and improved the student experience.
Value
We surveyed the 32 students, but unfortunately received only four responses. We asked eight questions to determine the satisfaction of the students. We will share the responses with our PAC.
Future Plans
We are looking at integrating more modules into each course. For our Introduction to Medical Laboratory course we want to introduce lab safety and pipetting modules. In Chemistry, we would use Acid and Base, and for Microbiology we would use Microbiology Biosafety and Bacterial Isolation. We would look to achieve full integration into our LMS using the grade import port functionality as well.
Lessons Learned
Lessons Learned
- Creating content with the idea of using Labster from the beginning instead of piecing in components to fit would create a better experience for the students and faculty.