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Sharing the LOAD was an 18-month JISC-funded project on the reusability of online learning designs. The project aimed to capture a series of real-world learning designs through a review of existing reusable content, as well as through practitioner-focused workshops. These designs were then piloted in three subject areas to create learning object exemplars. The exemplars were evaluated for pedagogical effectiveness across a range of subjects by students and tutors from the Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning for reusable learning objects. 

Find out more about Sharing the LOAD. 

This narrative literature review mapped the ways that people manage how they’ll be remembered posthumously, via digital sites, services and devices. Researchers used this to identify the range of memory-making practices that are supported and diminished by these various digital resources. 

They then developed an informational reusable learning object (RLO) on the topic of posthumous digital remains. This RLO is a technical guide, aimed at bereavement services, to the range of personal content left on digital devices and services. It's designed to raise awareness among the bereavement-support community regarding the breadth of what can persist digitally after death. 

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One in six of the population, around 10m people, has a significant hearing loss, yet only 3m wear hearing aids. This research project, led by the Nottingham Hearing Biomedical Research Unit and supported by the Digital Innovations in Healthcare and Education (DICE) Research Group, created seven interactive tutorials to support hearing aid wearers. These were created with input from users and involved video clips, animation and photographs. Initial results showed that those who used the tutorials retained up to 40% more information about their hearing aids and how to use them.

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Research has shown that infants who are born very prematurely (less than 32 weeks) may have a greater risk of problems associated with motor skills (movement development). This can lead to difficulties with handwriting and sport which may be seen during school years. This study aimed to give parents the skills they needed to help their premature infants learn specific motor skills from an early age. Information about the specific motor skills was provided to parents on a DVD, called HOP-ON. We looked at how parents followed the guidance and whether this led to better motor skills for their infants. 

This research evaluated a computer-based educational intervention designed to promote parent-infant interaction following a child’s discharge from neonatal intensive care. The SMILES (Sharing My Infant’s Learning Experiences) programme uses pictures, interactive questions and video clips on a CD-ROM to help parents overcome any barriers to interaction with their children, such as maternal uncertainty and low expectations. 

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Read more about this project.