News / York St John awarded for students’...
York St John awarded for students’ mobile learning device
Monday 12th October 2009
A handheld learning initiative at York St John University has picked up a prestigious award at the Handheld Learning Awards for Innovation 2009, the mobile learning industry’s most famous conference.
York St John is a partner university in the ALPS programme (Assessment & Learning in Practice Settings), a collaboration between five universities in the region, the NHS and professional health practice bodies. The ALPS programme enables students to receive assessments and feedback direct to their mobile devices whilst on work placements. The cutting edge software walked away with the ‘Best Innovation’ award in the Tertiary, Further Education and Higher Education category.
The Handheld Learning Award’s judging panel recognised the versatility of the ALPS programme. For York St John’s 400 Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy students, the software allows students to download learning materials, complete assessments and communicate with their tutors whilst working on real life cases in hospitals and clinics. They can also access email, the internet, and create videos, photos and audio recordings using the devices.
Peter Gray, deputy dean of the faculty of health and life sciences at York St John University and ALPS partner lead, said: “This award demonstrates the quality and innovation in the development of new approaches to learning and teaching from the Faculty of Health & Life Sciences at York St John and its ALPS partners.
“York St John University has received many accolades over recent years for the quality of its campus; it is really good to see the innovative learning and teaching that goes on in those buildings recognised in this way.”
Speaking at the awards ceremony, host Jason Bradbury, from TV’s 'The Gadget Show', said that he had been impressed at the “high standard of projects” he had learned about. The winners were ultimately decided by the general public, who were invited to vote for the programme they felt was the most innovative in each category.
