Students, who believe their performance in this formative mid semester exam to be less than desired, are encouraged to use web-based remedial materials which are aimed at enhancing understanding of major topic areas covered in the first semester course. Communication CyberTutor offers students a means of communicating with staff. The staff remain anonymous which encourages students to use the service and also allows for the involvement of several staff acting as CyberTutor during the course. A discussion group forum is set up for students to encourage them to access each other in real or virtual time. It allows students to post questions or discuss any topic with their peers.
Students can either join a topic currently under discussion or start a new topic for discussion.
We offer a more flexible delivery for some of our materials, such that our students can choose when they want to be engaged in these activities. Student responses to surveys show that we are using the technology in a way that is helping them to learn, in a way that suits their lifestyle and which we hope will enhance opportunities for participation in higher education. University teaching and student learning are moving through transition processes, driven by many factors including changing student requirements and economic forces. The next few years will show us the ways in which students will want to learn and communicate with staff and with other students and we need to be flexible in accommodating their preferred learning strategies. Effective university teaching is about making learning possible.