Development and implementation of the MTutor on-line tutorial system for diploma level research students.

This study describes the development, implementation and evaluation of MTutor, a web-based tutorial system, which was developed for students undertaking a diploma level research module. The aim of the study was to evaluate the feasibility of using a problem solving approach through an on-line system, to provide additional academic support for health care students undertaking a research module. The extent to which students found it a useful approach and resource for reinforcing learning and for developing their computer and information technology skills was also evaluated. The tutorial was developed around a single researchable problem related to communication skills and nurse-patient interactions. It was based on an experimental design and consisted of four sub-problems supported by a variety of text-based resources relevant to the sub-problems. A series of multiple-choice questions accompanied each sub-problem and an evaluation questionnaire at the end of the tutorial was used to obtain formal feedback on the system. The evaluation questionnaire revealed that students found the system to be easy to use and that the on-line resources provided sufficient information with which to answer the tutorial problems. Students felt that the tutorial reinforced the taught sessions in the module and that working through the problems enhanced their understanding of research design. Further piloting of the system is planned to obtain feedback from an additional cohort of students as well as lecturers teaching the diploma level research module.