Does anyone else use the healing spell as a shield? I find its much easier to survive during battle (using one handed weapons) by holding down the heal button to keep healing rater than using a shield which depletes stamina.
I dont even think that shields are that useful in this game IMO.

Shields are amazing, unless you mean the restoration ward spell.
The shield bash is incredibly useful if you play a melee character, it can interrupt enemies before they power attack, can interrupt mages channeling, and it lowers their defenses for you to get more hits in after they stagger from the bash.

There are times I have a Destruction spell in one hand and Healing in the other and it's saved me from some real baddies so I could run away instead of dying immediately. Not every enemy can be beaten when you encounter them. Sometimes you have to wait until you're stronger and that's fine by me.