Mindi Sehra1, Katrina Pavelin1*, Jospeh Rosetto1, Thomas Laurent1, Sarah Morgan1, Cath Brooksbank1 1 EMBL-European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SD * Corresponding author,
[email protected]
Challenges involved in developing a dynamic e-learning platform for EMBL-EBI
There is a growing need for e-Learning in the scientific community E-learning is playing an increasingly important role in the continuing professional development of life scientists. The main drivers are a desire to learn about new methodologies and resources in a way that fits around their daily schedule, and a need to reduce the costs associated with ‘traditional’ training. Web-based resources can address these needs, with high-quality courses that provide researchers with effective ways to gain new skills and knowledge in their own time.
EMBL-EBI addresses this need with Train Online Train online (www.ebi.ac.uk/training/online) is a free web-based learning resource produced by EMBL-European Bioinformatics Institute. It contains a range of courses, from quick tours and in-depth guides to EMBL-EBI resources, to video-based courses and general introductions to a topic. Courses can easily be searched by theme (e.g. Genomics, Proteomics), knowledge level or duration.
The challenges of maintaining an e-learning resource – and our solutions • Course currency and relevancy: Keeping courses up-to-date when the underlying data resources are continuously changing. Especially important if a course feature screenshots and guided exercises. Courses also need to adapt to changing research applications.
• User engagement and accessibility: Ensuring that our courses cater to a range of knowledge levels, are easy-to-use and maintain the users’ interest for the duration of the course. The portal also needs to be readily accessible.
Our approach: We maintain close collaborations between the e-learning team and our resource experts via a network of training champions across the software teams. These champions produce the written material and exercises for the courses, which are then edited and uploaded into Drupal.
Our approach: Train online provides guidance on the level of knowledge required to complete each course (e.g. a BSc in Biology). Learners work at their own pace in their own time. Attendees of our face-to-face sessions are also encouraged to access Train online to reinforce their learning once the formal training has ended. • Course evaluation: Collecting information on whether these challenges are being addressed is difficult because many users dip in and out of the system as required - they do not want to be faced with lengthy evaluation forms at the end of each period of learning. Our approach: At the end of each course users are invited to give a brief comment on whether they found the course useful. However, we are looking to revise this process because the feedback provided is not always clear or actionable. Course feedback survey
EMBL-EBI collects feedback from every course and workshop we run. The survey is a way for you to inform us about the course you have participated in, what you enjoyed, what you found useful and how we can make improvements. This information is also used to inform the development of new courses. Where possible, please take the time to provide written answers and explain as much to us as you can.
About you
This section asks for a few personal details. We may want to contact you about future EMBL-EBI courses and to gather long-term feedback. You do not need to provide these details if you do not want to. EMBL-EBI will not use your personal details for any purpose other than that stated above. We will not pass your details to any third party.
1. Name
2. Email
Course content
This section asks for your thoughts on the content and delivery of the course.
*3. Please tell us what you thought of the entire course. Poor
Satisfactory
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Excellent
*4. Please rate each section of the course. Did not attend
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Speaker 1 Speaker 2 Add rows as needed Comments
To create a dynamic platform requires a dynamic approach, identifying new challenges.
*5. What was the best part of the course?
User experience testing We are conducting user experience testing to gain direct opinions from our users and to see how they use train online. UX testing is an important component of web and service development across EMBL-EBI. Enhanced functionality Whilst the current system is widely used and provides a wealth of information, we are keen to make the courses more interactive and to encourage users to network. To achieve this, we plan to add more interactive exercises (with ‘live’ walk-throughs), moving screen shots and discussion boards. These measures should help elevate Train online to the dynamic platform we believe it can and should be.
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www.ebi.ac.uk/training/online
EMBL-EBI Wellcome Trust Genome Campus Hinxton, Cambridgeshire, CB10 1SD, UK
Tel. +44 (0) 1223 494 444
[email protected] www.ebi.ac.uk
