Extending the Use of WebCT Through the Development of Generic Online Tutorials

1
Extending the Use of WebCT Through the
Development of Generic Online Tutorials

• Margaret Kendall
• Senior Learning and Teaching Fellow
• Helen Booth, Research Associate
• Department of Information and Communications,
  Manchester Metropolitan University

2
Outline

• The context
• Action research
• Actions during 2002/3
• Aims in creating the 2 tutorials
• Results
• 3.1 Student responses
• 3.2 Addressing accessibility issues
• Survey
• Usability testing
• 3.3 Measuring the impact
• Student performance
• Tracking student use
• 4 Outcomes and future plans

3
Use of WebCT at MMU
4
Department of Information and Communications

• Prior to 2002-3, WebCT used by 3 tutors for
  optional units
• Department Learning Teaching strategy
• Short tutorials in WebCT
• Fitness for purpose
• Maximum return of investment
• Promoting wider use of WebCT as Senior Learning
  and Teaching Fellow

5
Action Research
A spiral of cycles of planning, acting
(implementing plans), observing (systematically),
reflecting.. And then replanning, further
implementation, observing and reflecting Kemmis,
S. and McTaggart, R. (1992)

6
Actions during 2002/3

• Staff Development for all 24 staff
• followed by Dept Research Forum using WebCT
  communication tools
• Teams creating WebCT tutorials
• Adaptation of Internet Detective tutorial (3
  staff)
• Citing Proficiency Test tutorial (8, including 3
  library staff)
• Delivered to all 1st year undergraduates (116)
  and 58 taught postgraduates by 7 further tutors
• Networked Information
• Learning, Communication and Technology
• Information Retrieval

7
Aims in developing the tutorials

• Address issues of common concern
• Indiscriminate use of resources from the web
• Poor acknowledgement of sources and inaccurate
  citation practice
• Make learning more fun through interactivity
• Follow guidance on accessible design and identify
  any further steps needed
• Measure the impact

8
(No Transcript)
9
(No Transcript)
10
(No Transcript)
11
Student responses
I personally feel much happier now with citing
references
The quizzes are really helpful and test my
knowledge there and then
Im likely to remember what I read here rather
than information in a booklet
12
Accessibility and WebCT

• Improvements with each version, although still
  some problems.

• The methods, structure, design and presentation
  of materials by the designer may pose
  difficulties in accessing the learning
  environment for students with disabilities. These
  generic issues are not because of any constraints
  imposed by WebCT itself
• Pearson, E. and Koppi, T. , 2002

13
Aspects of the design of the tutorials

• Pages written in valid html code
• Cascading style sheets used to specify layout and
  appearance
• Links from the home page, course map and course
  menu followed the same sequence
• Comic Sans font used for Internet Detective, but
  after feedback from students, changed to Arial
  for this and Citing Proficiency Test tutorial

14
Student views of WebCT Internet Detective
15
Usability testing

• Usability testing by 8 students with dyslexia, 1
  with dyspraxia, from other Departments.
• None found the tutorials difficult to navigate
• Need identified for more instruction in altering
  appearance of text and background.
• Solutions could include personal style sheets, a
  fixed selection (Wright and Stephenson, 2003) or
  user customisation in WebCT itself, as on the
  British Dyslexia Association page.

16
Measuring the impact
What we are most interested in regarding
learning as a consequence of using technology
often cant be measured in the short term or
without different approaches to measurement.
Measure what can be measured, such as short-term
gains in efficiency or increases in
flexibility Collis, B. and Moonen, J. 2001

17
Undergraduate performance after Internet
Detective tutorial

• 16 gaining marks of 70 or above
• all read all pages of the tutorial

• 8 failed assignment
• 8 borderline passes
• all had made little or no use of the tutorial

18
Quizzes in Citing Proficiency Test
19
Postgraduate performance
20
Undergraduate performance
21
Reasons?

• Method of counting hid some improvements
• Change in practice during the year to conform
  with British Standards BS1619 and BS5605
• Authors name in lower case in 59 of references
  to books with errors after tutorial
• Tutors reading lists not changed
• Low motivation and attendance in term 2
• Electronic register hid fact that 25 hadnt
  attempted tutorial at all

22
Outcomes Departmental

• Changes to LCT unit for 2003/4
• Replacing lectures with WebCT tutorials
• Learner profiles, regular tracking
• Greater levels of support through tutorials and
  weekly seminars/lab sessions
• Citing Proficiency Test tutorial adopted for all
  students from 2003, standardised practice
• Further use of WebCT for
• postgraduate integrative study
• Personal development plans

23
Outcomes MMU

• Tutorials
• adopted by other Departments, e.g. Law
• available as part of librarys information
  literacy initiative
• Faculty WebCt developers group, liaison with
  English Department
• Funding for companion tutorial on avoiding
  plagiarism

24
OutcomesExternal

• Demonstration copies available now
• Internet Detective
• http//odl.mmu.ac.uk/public/internet_detective/in
  dex.html Login WebCT ID password
  netskillsdemo
• Citing Proficiency Test tutorial
• http//odl.mmu.ac.uk/public/citing_proficiency_te
  st/index.html Login WebCT ID ltsndemo
  Password ltsndemo
• Downloadable copies to be made available soon
• Future conversion into Blackboard

25
References

• BRITISH DYSLEXIA ASSOCIATION online cited 11th
  August 2003 Available at lthttp//www.bda-dyslexi
  a.org.uk/main/view/index.aspgt
• COLLIS, B. and MOONEN, J. Flexible learning in a
  digital world experiences and expectations.
  London Kogan Page, 2001, p. 129
• KEMMIS, S. and MCTAGGART, R. (eds.) The action
  research planner. 3rd ed. Geelong, Victoria,
  Australia Deakin University Press, 1992
• NETSKILLS, Quality Internet training, University
  of Newcastle, online cited 11th August 2003
  Available at lthttp//www.netskills.ac.ukgt
• PEARSON, E. and KOPPI, T. Inclusion and online
  learning opportunities designing for
  accessibility Alt_J Association for Learning
  Technology Journal 10(2) 2002, pp.17-29
• PLACE, E. et al The Internet Detective tutorial,
  online cited 11th August 2003 Available at
  lthttp//www.sosig.ac.uk/desire/internet-detective.
  htmlgt
• WRIGHT, L and STEPHENSON, J Issues around the
  use of WebCT in on-line learning for dyslexic
  students at the University of East London.
  online cited 7th July 2003 Available at
  lthttp//www.uel.ac.uk/clt/research/documents/SoTL_
  Paper01.PDFgt