Programme handbook

On the MScCT you will be studying in a flexible and supportive VLE hosted by the institutional online platform, Moodle.

In Moodle, courses are normally presented as a set of 4 – 6 themed topics each aligned to specific learning outcomes. After an introduction and overview, each topic is delivered with variable emphasis on: independent, self-paced activities, readings, collaborative assignments and scheduled online study sessions communicated through Moodle’s announcement tool.

Topic related tasks are linked to the use of tools such as e-portfolios, blogs and wikis. The tools used to support communication and collaboration include asynchronous (time-delayed) discussion forums and synchronous (real-time) conferencing systems which feature regularly in order to ensure that students and tutors engage in critical, academic discourse around clinical trials design, practice and management.

In Moodle your learning is supported by a rich range of study materials where a course tutor is never far away. Some of the features in Moodle include:

• Moderated themed asynchronous discussions
• Synchronous online tutorials and expert guest lectures with internationally renowned health practitioners
• Themed video lectures supplemented with text based lessons
• Links to course e-resources and e-books
• Assignment dropbox for electronic submissions
• Problems forum for questions
• Mobile learning capability (app for iPhone, iPad, Android)

Preparation and backups 

We have all had experiences of losing an important file, often something we have been working on for a long time!

It is particularly important when contemplating an online programme such as this to ensure that the computer system you will be using for the programme is reliable and has up-to-date anti-virus and computer security software. You should get into the habit of running regular scans of your system to catch any malicious software as early as possible.

You should also have set in place a number of file back-up options to ensure that, should your computer fail approaching assessment/dissertation submission deadlines, you do not lose your work.

These back-up options can include:

a.)   External hard drive
b.)   Pen drive (also known as a USB or memory stick)
c.)   CD-ROM
d.)   Cloud computing, e.g. Office 365, Google Docs (http://docs.google.com), DropBox (http://www.dropbox.com) or email
e.)   A paper printout of draft copies – if all else fails, you can type it back up from the last draft print.

The last option is not necessarily the most environmentally friendly, but it is particularly wise when preparing your dissertation. Electronic media may fail, but paper can usually be relied on to be accessible!

When using the online discussion forums on Moodle, it is a good precaution to compose your posts offline, e.g. in a Word document. The system may time out while you are working, and your work is then lost when you post.

If you have the original as a file on your computer, it is easy to copy and paste it into Moodle and this easy step removes the frustration of losing your work.