Encompassing design - exploiting the VLE to create the online resource for nursing students planning a voluntary placement

This presentation showcased a new educational VLE based innovation collaboratively developed by a nursing academic and a learning technology advisor. A VLE space has been developed to assist students with their plans for their placement or voluntary experiences. VLE provide a range of simple tools for sharing content and enabling interactivity, but don't necessarily provide the most engaging or visually interesting experience. However with some basic design skills and simple techniques we have provided an inspiring and engaging interactive space for information and advice on how to get started as well as inspirational stories from students who have already planned and undertaken an adventure. The space exploits the universities VLE tools to allow staff and students to share their views and experiences. The context of this development is a recent change to the new nursing curriculum at a North of England University that presented an opportunity to offer undergraduate nursing students the chance to undertake a placement or voluntary experience at home or abroad. The placement is optional and is intended to complement the compulsory placement activity in the course. Undertaking such an experience is potentially enormously valuable , not only at enhancing the students experience whilst studying but also potentially positively affecting employability upon qualification. Future plans include the expansion of the resource across the university and to undertake a research project looking at the benefits of national and international short experiences during undergraduate courses .