Abstract:

The aim of this paper is to demonstrate the challenges of implementing an institutional wide project –the use of Electronic Voting Systems (EVS), at grass roots level in the School of Health & Social Work and how that has been overcome to become a success. The drivers that defined the project were based on the critical role that assessment and feedback plays in supporting student learning and how technology can enhance that process.
The School of Nursing agreed to be a partner school in the second phase of this project. All students were given a handset. However it was identified that there had only been minimal use of the handsets in the first year of their studies and they were rightly questioning why they had been given one. On reflection there are many reasons for this-timing, the context in which to use this technology was not apparent to staff, not having champions’ embedded, new contracts where other technologies had to be used and the implementation of a new curriculum. This change model was viewed as imposed change.
Following a review of the use of technology with this curriculum it was identified to embed the use of EVS within clearly identified modules with key personnel identified as championing the use of EVS. Senior level support has been identified and thus sign up from the school by influential personnel has now brought about the wide spread use of EVS in teaching and learning. Support has been key in implementing this change. This has been done by having central support from an educational technologist available for hardware issues and having one to one practical support for academics in order to build their confidence in using technology in the classroom along with drop in sessions.
Practice has been informed by the student view through the previous EEVS project and student focused feedback on the value of using EVS. The student view has been reflective of previous published literature findings.
Some examples of use EVS in teaching include the testing of students’ knowledge in relation to basic life support and when debating ethical dilemmas.
The lesson learnt has been that on-going support is a requirement if a new technology is to be successfully implemented.

Keywords:

Change, Technology, Support.