Author: Kate Green 4th October 2014
Learnium is a social network for learning and teaching, created by Coventry University graduates. It is currently being used at Coventry University in a variety of disciplines, including Health, Business, Education, and Computing. The Disruptive Media Learning Lab is supporting its use across the institution, and undertaking a cross-disciplinary evaluation into its effectiveness for teaching and learning.
At present, educators are using Learnium as a means by which to engage students in discussions around a variety of educational topics; it acts as both an environment for seminar discussions and a space in which students can share further course-related information. Katherine Plunkett, Senior Project Manager, and Gemma Tombs, Senior Research Assistant, are evaluating the student and staff experiences of the social network Learnium. Preliminary reflections suggest that the use of Learnium can enhance student engagement in discussion topics, and the DMLL is presently focusing on gathering robust data to ensure its effectiveness as a technology for Coventry students. It is being used in Health and Life Sciences courses, Engineering and Computing courses and Business, Environment and Society courses.