Using weblabs as a tool to support a culturally diverse student cohort

Abstract This paper looks at potential issues that may be encountered by engineering departments in the delivery of their curriculum to a more diverse student base resulting from the success of widening participation (WP). This paper outlines a piloted solution to these issues by setting up weblabs: short interactive experiments that can be carried out by the students at any time from anywhere and shows how a system originally developed to allow remote access to real experimental equipment (ReLOAD) can also be used to support the learning needs of a diverse student base. ReLOAD was incorporated into two different courses at University College London (UCL) and The University of Leeds, each with high proportions of WP students; and the use of the tool and feedback from the students was recorded. What can be seen from this research is that, whilst supporting the general student population in a positive way, the tool can also be shown to give specific support for issues encountered by WP students.

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