Designing for distance learners

These tools offer academics the possibility to share and disseminate knowledge, organise webinars and virtual seminars, allow for the possibility of closer collaboration between institutions, and facilitate communication with and instruction of students on placements.

The ways in which students engage in academic activity is constantly shifting. Across Cardiff University academics and learning technologists are implementing a wide range of innovative approaches to enhance the student experience through the use of learning technologies.

Internationalisation and employability play a crucial role in our strategic vision, and the role of distance, blended, and web-based tools in facilitating this vision is of fundamental importance.

The primary function of distance learning tools is to enable communication, instruction, and debate remotely. This should not be seen as the limit of the functionality of these tools. Indeed, many programmes adopt innovative hybrid or multi-faceted approaches to engagement in which distance learning is integrated into other learning paths, or used as a support tool for learners.

The modalities of interaction within blended or distance approaches to learning can vary from uses of virtual classrooms, webinars, and presentations, to the use of social media platforms, MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses), and the creation of bespoke solutions to address specific issues.

This section highlights a variety of approaches adopted at Cardiff University to enhance the learning experience of students who are not campus-based, but also ways in which distance learning approaches can enrich the curriculum of campus-based programmes.