Highly interactive online study skills course

Abstract

This poster describes the most important aspects concerning design and development of an highly interactive web based study skills course called "Unstuck" which is a work in progress to be finished June 2008. "Unstuck" is a project started by both teachers and students from Gjøvik University College and Telemark University College in Norway. This project started in 2006 as a result of experience from more than 10 years of teaching students with insufficient study skills. In this course we aim to present the theory and practice of "How to study" in an exiting interactive multimedia environment. Telemark University College has since 2002 educated students starting with only a certificate of completed apprenticeship. In 2007, approximately 70% of all the students studying electrical engineering have this type of background, and insufficient study skills are a challenge. "Unstuck" will be used by students in secondary High school and University Colleges in Telemark, and Gjøvik in Norway from August 2008. What makes Unstuck different from other study skills courses? The content of Unstuck is similar to other courses; the difference is the way the content is presented for the students. Unstuck will contain intensive use of interaction with the student, which involves various active actions such as pressing buttons, placing objects to specific locations on the screen, marking key words etc. Videos are used to demonstrate how to study in practice and to illustrate class room and other study related situations. At the end of the course the student will have a short test (quiz). If the student don't pass, it is possible to immediately repeat relevant sections, and subsequently repeat the test. "Unstuck" will be an easy to use interactive multimedia study skills course on the weB.