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Impact of a Webenhanced Course Delivery Model on Approaches to Teaching and Learning from the Studen

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Title: Impact of a Webenhanced Course Delivery Model on Approaches to Teaching and Learning from the Studen


1
  • Impact of a Web-enhanced Course Delivery Model on
    Approaches to Teaching and Learning from the
    Student Perspective



Norm Vaughan Jim Zimmer Mount Royal
College Fall 2000
2
Overview
  • Study Background
  • Research Purpose
  • Conceptual Framework
  • Methodology
  • Results
  • Conclusions
  • Discussion

3
Study Background
  • assessment of web-based course development tools,
    Fall 1998
  • pilot test of Blackboards CourseInfo, Fall
    1999
  • research project funded by MRCs Scholarly
    Pursuits Committee

4
Research Purpose
  • To study the impact of web-supported course
    delivery on teaching-learning environments from
    the student perspective. Specifically
  • 1. Training and support needs
  • 2. Most and least useful features of the course
  • development tool
  • 3. Impact on teaching-learning methods/behaviours
  • 4. Perceived impact on learning
  • 5. Learner satisfaction

5
Conceptual Framework Flashlight Model
Conditions Favorable to Learning
Learning and Other Outcomes
Learner goals, needs and characteristics
Organization of teaching and learning
Selection of Appropriate Technology
6
Conditions Favourable to Learning
  • Seven Principles of Effective Practice
  • frequent student-teacher contact
  • cooperation and collaboration among students
  • active learning
  • rich and rapid feedback
  • time on task
  • high expectations
  • respect for different learning styles
  • Enabling Conditions
  • access to technology
  • pre-requisite skills, training, ongoing support

7
(No Transcript)
8
Study Population Methodology
  • CourseInfo users, Fall 99 and Winter 2000
  • 47 item in-class survey
  • 32 sections of students in courses of 16
    instructors
  • vast majority campus-based
  • Focus groups x 4
  • participants randomly selected from pool of
    volunteers
  • cash stipend of 25
  • Items drawn from the AAHEs Flashlight Current
    Student Inventory

9

Study Results
10
Demographics
  • 551 survey respondents 24 focus group
    participants
  • Arts - 61 (338)
  • Community Studies - 19 (105)
  • Science and Technology - 12 (65)
  • Center for Communications - 8 (43)
  • Gender
  • Female - 63.2, Male - 36.8
  • Age
  • 15 to 19 - 29.2, 20 to 24 - 53.1, 25 to 54 -
    17.7
  • Enrollment Status
  • Full time - 92.8, Part time - 7.2

11
Computer Skills and Access
  • Computer Skills - Self Rating
  • Novice Intermediate Advanced No Answer
  • 20.1 67.2 12.0 0.7
  • Home Internet Access
  • Yes - 74.2 No - 25.6 No Answer - 0.2
  • CourseInfo Access
  • Off-campus On-campus Both,equally
  • 39.6 31.4 28.9
  • Frequency of Use
  • gtonce/day once/day few times/wk once/week
    ltonce/week no answer
  • 1.4 3.3 40.5 33.4
    21.1 0.4

12
Research Question 1
Student training and support needs
13
Mastering CourseInfo
  • Hours to learn how to begin using it...
  • 0 to 3h 4 to 6h 7 to 9h gt10h No Answer
  • 91.5 6.7 0.4 0.5 0.9
  • Time until comfortable with it...
  • 0 to 2wk 3 to 5wk gt6wk No
    Answer
  • 87.5 9.6 1.8 1.1
  • Average Number of Hits (page visits)
  • per course - 7075 per student - 197

14
Ease of Use
  • Strongly agreed/agreed
  • 93.3 - easy to access via web browser
  • 94.4 - interface made sense
  • 93.1 - instructor gave enough info about using
  • 14.7 - needed lots of help from instructor or
    peers

15
Training and Support NeedsComments
  • I was introduced to it by two teachers, both
    were able to walk me through with proficiency.
  • A hands-on orientation in the lab worked great
    for me.
  • I learned how to use the software myself and was
    comfortable with it - within 10 minutes.
  • I mostly learned by trial and error on my own,
    after the basics were explained to me by my
    instructor.
  • I liked how each course had the same navigation
    buttons...I know what to expect when I click one
    of the buttons.

16
Training and Support NeedsConcerns
  • A lot of self practice is required to increase
    comfort level with the tool - nice to be able to
    build some of this into class time.
  • I observed that new users struggled because we
    were not given time in class to be introduced to
    CourseInfo. Those I know who went to the
    orientations were happy with what they understood
    at the end.
  • It would be nice if the web site was easier to
    find from the MRC home page.

17
Research Question 2
Most and least useful features of CourseInfo
18
Features of CourseInfo
  • VU or Somewhat Not No
  • Features () Useful Useful Useful
    Answer
  • Course documents 91.6 6.7 0.8 0.8
  • E-mail links 79.9 15.9 3.3 0.9
  • Links to external web sites 78.0 15.9
    4.6 1.5
  • Online grade book 77.5 13.0 3.5
    6.7
  • Online quizzes 74.1 16.0 6.8 3.1
  • Digital drop box 71.8 18.7 6.0
    3.5
  • Student calendar 63.2 22.5 11.9
    2.5
  • Student help manual 58.3 28.0 10.6
    3.2
  • Discussion board 57.5 27.9 13.0
    1.7
  • Group tools 51.8 29.8 13.8 4.6
  • Student home pages 47.9 26.1 23.2
    2.9
  • Virtual chat 22.8 36.5 37.0 3.7

19
Course Documents
20
Course DocumentsComments
  • I liked to print off the notes before class - I
    found that I was more prepared and ready for what
    the instructor was going to be talking about in
    class.
  • I enjoyed reading the lecture notes ahead of
    class time. I highlighted these printed off notes
    during class time and was able to be more focused
    on listening and being part of the class
    discussion rather than on just taking notes.

21
Course DocumentsComments
  • It made the classroom experience less stressful
    - I didn't have to worry about copying down
    everything from the board and also didn't have to
    worry about losing things like handouts
    (everything is always available on the CourseInfo
    site).
  • Posting lecture notes on the web saved me the
    time, cost and frustration of photocopying
    Library reserve material.

22
Course DocumentsConcerns
  • I personally prefer short and explicit study
    notes to long and dry lecture essays on the web.
  • I dont think that the lecture notes on the web
    affected our class attendance. The keeners
    used the online notes and still came to class.
  • These lecture notes must be time consuming for
    instructors to produce but I find them very
    useful and Im sure that other students do as
    well.

23
External Web Site Links

24
External Web Site Links - Comments/Concerns
  • Linking to external sites is really valuable for
    explaining difficult concepts or terms (often
    with excellent visuals or animations incorporated
    into these sites).
  • External links helped me access and integrate
    material into my course learning.
  • I found that I would sometimes get distracted by
    the external links - Id go off and not come back
    - but maybe thats myself not CourseInfo.
  • Sometimes only a small part of the external link
    was useful - we need some direction.

25
Digital Drop Box
26
Digital Drop Box - Comments/Concerns
  • Appreciated the flexibility and convenience of
    submitting digitally - not having to travel to
    campus.
  • Liked the confirmation note that the assignment
    had been received by the instructor
  • Great way to move assignments and instructor
    comments back and forth - especially with online
    journaling activities
  • Useful for handing in an essay or assignment
    early to an instructor to receive feedback and
    revision ideas before the due date
  • I couldnt send information from home through
    the drop box, I had to save my documents and
    bring them to the schools labs and send them

27
Discussion Board
28
Discussion BoardComments
  • I think the discussion forums were really good
    because they stretched your knowledge by hearing
    about what other students thought
  • The discussion board enabled me to get to know
    my classmates better and make friends - helped to
    see different perspectives when others shared
    their ideas
  • Im usually very shy about participating in
    classroom discussions and the online discussions
    allowed me time to reflect and express myself in
    a format which made me feel more confident about
    my opinions

29
Discussion BoardConcerns
  • The discussion board is a great after class
    activity or follow up but needs to be relevant
    to the class - a way for students to share ideas
    with other students or get/give feedback to the
    instructor about the class
  • I felt I was disadvantaged from participating in
    the online discussions because I didnt have home
    internet access
  • With less human interaction, Im less motivated
    to learn. CourseInfo should be one tool in a
    classroom, not the way an entire class is run.

30
Research Question 3
Teaching-Learning Methods and Behaviours
31
Student-Instructor Contact Student-Student
Interaction
32
Related Comments
  • I felt more connected to my instructor than in
    any other class.
  • It enabled greater intimacy and openness between
    students and instructor.the instructor got to
    know us better.
  • The best part was the interaction with other
    students, especially related to working on
    projects together.
  • The discussion board helped us to see different
    perspectives.

33
Active Learning
34
Related Comments
  • Im a visual learner so the hands-on stuff was
    great for me----I like being an active part of
    the learning.
  • Constructing my own learning through the
    hands-on approach was very valuable.
  • It makes you want to learn more--because you
    want to use it and you have to use it.

35
Time-on-Task Productive Use of Time
36
Related Comments
  • I didnt mind the extra time I had to put into
    the discussion forum-----it stretched my learning
    and broadened my perspective.
  • Handing things in digitally was a time-saver as
    most of my courses are at the university.
  • Sometimes I got lost looking for things---often
    clicked on the wrong button. The slow computers
    in the lab made this worse, waiting for things to
    load then re-load.

37
Research Question 4
Perceived Impact on Learning, and Other Outcomes
38
Perceived Impact on Learning
39
Related Comments
  • The CourseInfo site encouraged me to look at
    materials I normally wouldnt have.
  • It was very helpfulI understand the course
    material a lot better.
  • Honing my computer skills was the most important
    benefit.
  • I found that CourseInfo wasnt enforced well
    enough to make an impact on my learning.

40
Engagement in Learning Positive Addiction to
Technology
  • Comments
  • For me, it made learning more interesting.
  • Makes you want to learn more.
  • I was new to computers---Im a computer freak
    now.
  • CourseInfo enabled me to learn about computers
    in the context of my course.
  • I dont like working on computers at all. I
    dont feel that those who do should have an
    advantage in class.
  • I still dont like computers but Ive come a
    long way from hating them.

41
Access, Flexibility, Convenience
  • Convenience was great----being able to access
    course materials from anywhere at any time.
  • I dont have to catch the bus all the way down
    here to get the timetable, assignments or notes
    from the lecture I missed.
  • I think the CourseInfo websites should continue,
    but its unfair to students without Internet at
    home. The college should have a program to help
    all students get a computer and Internet access.
  • The college needs to do something about the
    computer labs (line-ups and slow computers).

42
Research Question 5
Learner Satisfaction
43
Learner Satisfaction
44
Related Comments
  • CourseInfo helped me one heck of a lot.
  • Its too new to be certain if its useful.
  • I wished my other courses used CourseInfo. I
    find it very useful.
  • It should be only one tool of many used in a
    course.
  • Its great--I hope more teachers adopt it.
  • Its usefulness depends on students being aware
    of it and comfortable with it.

45
Predictors of Learner Satisfaction
  • Differences in gender, age, and computing skill
    were not associated with differences in learner
    satisfaction
  • Home Internet access was associated with
    significantly higher levels of learner
    satisfaction

46
Conclusions and Study Limitations
47
Conclusions
  • Majority of students felt that their instructors
    use of CourseInfo enhanced the learning
    experience
  • flexibility and convenience
  • access to variety of learning materials
  • engagement in learning
  • development of technology skills

48
Conclusions (contd)
  • Students generally found CourseInfo easy to learn
    and easy to use, but noted
  • that a one-hour, hands-on, lab-based orientation
    is preferred
  • access to just-in-time support is needed
  • awareness of college computing resources and
    support providers needs to be enhanced

49
Conclusions (contd)
  • Results suggested that facultys use of
    CourseInfo was associated with teaching-learning
    approaches conducive to student learning
  • student-instructor interaction
  • student-student cooperation and collaboration
  • active learning
  • time on task and productive use of time
  • rich and rapid feedback
  • accommodated diverse learning styles

50
Conclusions (contd)
  • Majority of students perceived gains
    (self-reported) in
  • understanding of course materials
  • skills useful in their chosen profession
  • computing skills and knowledge of the Internet
  • Additional research is needed to verify and
    further describe impact of web-supported approach
    on student learning outcomes

51
Conclusions (contd)
  • Vast majority of student users were satisfied
    with their experience, would recommend it to
    their peers, and would engage in the experience
    again
  • Satisfaction varied significantly between users
    with Home Internet access, and those without
  • Computer and Internet access issues remain a
    concern for a significant minority (approx.
    20-25) of students

52
Study Limitations
  • Self-report measures
  • Sample not randomly selected uncertain
    representativeness
  • Sample heavily weighted with UT students, esp.
    Faculty of Arts
  • Halo effect?
  • Cross-sectional design no cause-effect
    relationships

53
Questions, Comments, Discussion
54
Reference
  • Chickering, A. Ehrmann, S. (1997).
    Implementing the seven principles technology as
    a lever.
  • www.aahe.org/technology/ehrmann.htm
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