Impact of A Websupported Course Delivery Model on Approaches to Teaching and Learning from the Instr - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Impact of A Websupported Course Delivery Model on Approaches to Teaching and Learning from the Instr

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Title: Impact of A Websupported Course Delivery Model on Approaches to Teaching and Learning from the Instr


1
  • Impact of A Web-supported Course Delivery Model
    on Approaches to Teaching and Learning from the
    Instructor Perspective



Norm Vaughan Jim Zimmer Mount Royal
CollegeWinter 2001
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
Number of MRC CourseInfo Sites
Currently 310 course sites
5
Research Purpose
  • To study the impact of web-supported course
    delivery
  • on teaching-learning environments from the
    instructor
  • 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 student learning
  • 5. Instructor satisfaction

6
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
7
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

8
(No Transcript)
9
Study Population and Methodology
  • Instructors using CourseInfo during Fall 99 and
    Winter 2000
  • 63 item survey
  • 28 faculty respondents
  • Focus Groups x 2
  • Items drawn from TLT Groups Flashlight Current
    Student Inventory

10

Study Results
11
Demographics
  • Instructors from following departments
  • Arts - Humanities Behavioural Science English
  • SciTech - Computer Science, ChemBio
  • Community Studies - Community Rehab, Social Work,
    Sports Management, Recreation Studies
  • Center for Communications - ACOM
  • Center for Health Studies CCNP Advanced
    Specialty Health Studies

12
Computer Skills and Access
  • Computer Skills - Self Rating
  • Novice Intermediate Advanced No Answer
  • 15 77 8 0
  • Home Internet Access
  • Yes - 77 No - 23 No Answer - 0
  • CourseInfo Access
  • Off-campus On-campus Both,equally
  • 15 54 31

13
Research Question 1
Instructor training and support needs
14
Mastering CourseInfo
  • Hours to learn how to begin using it...
  • 0 to 3h 4 to 6h 7 to 9h gt10h No Answer
  • 76 8 8 8 0
  • Time until comfortable with it...
  • 0 to 2wk 3 to 5wk gt6wk No
    Answer
  • 70 15 15 0

15
Training and Support NeedsComments
  • Im an historian. I learned it by printing off
    and reading the online manual.
  • I learned how to use it through conversations
    with ADC and by trial and error. When I did have
    a technical problem I used the listserv.
  • Im a self confessed workshop junky like to
    learn in a social setting where I can view other
    instructors sites and discuss teaching ideas
    with other faculty.
  • I learned most effectively from another faculty
    member who had used it before.

16
Training and Support NeedsSuggestions
  • Have ADC workshops focus on teaching as well
    technical issues of CourseInfo
  • Continue ADC drop-in support
  • Continue listserv - posting common problems
  • Develop FAQ page--for students and instructors
    linked to the CourseInfo home page

17
Training and Support NeedsConcerns
  • Need more time to learn and plan. Feel like Im
    learning on a need to know basis right now,
    rather than planning an overall concept and
    proceeding.
  • Biggest frustration is the time to learn all the
    functionality--want to learn more but how much
    time can you put into it?
  • I was frustrated at not being able to get a lab
    for training. I had to get the students to come
    in outside of class time. Most of them did but we
    shouldn't have to do that.
  • Problems with lab access are going to get worse
    as more and more faculty and students are using
    CourseInfo

18
Research Question 2
Most and least useful features of CourseInfo
19
Features of CourseInfo
  • VU or Somewhat Not No
  • Useful Useful Useful Answer
  • Online grade book 87.5 0 0 12.5
  • Course documents 84.6 7.7 0 0
  • Links to external web sites 70.0 20.0 0
    10.0
  • Statistics about student usage 63.7 27.3
    0 9.1
  • E-mail links 55.5 22.2 11.1 11.1
  • Instructor help manual 57.0 14.3 14.3
    14.3
  • Discussion board 50.0 12.5 25.0
    12.5
  • Digital drop box 42.9 42.9 0
    14.3
  • Student home pages 33.3 33.3
    16.7 16.7
  • Online quizzes 20.0 60.0 0
    20.0
  • Group tools 14.3 42.9 28.6 14.3
  • Student calendar 14.3 28.5 42.9
    14.3
  • Virtual chat 0 25.0 50.0 25.0

20
Features of CourseInfo Course Documents
  • Students really appreciated access to lecture
    notes, summaries.
  • Having access to notes enabled students to listen
    more carefully, participate in the discussion.
  • Less need to disseminate information - allowed
    for activities like group work and skill
    development.
  • Changed the dynamics of my class - allowed the
    class to be more action-oriented.
  • Allowed me to be more organized - clearer focus
    of where I was going with my course.
  • Didnt deter attendance in my experience.

21
Features of CourseInfo Discussion Forums
  • I used the discussion forum to introduce ideas
    that dont come up during class time, or that we
    didnt have time for
  • Often used comments from the discussion forum to
    spark discussion during class time
  • Seemed to encourage studentstudent mentoring
  • Allowed students to hear more voices and make
    connections and friends with other students
  • Helped to link theory to practice in my class -
    bridge classroom to practicum
  • I think online discussion is valuable but many
    students are not participating (even for 5). I
    don t know why.

22
Features of CourseInfo - Concerns
  • Interface and Navigation - would like more
    flexibility and control
  • Course documents - posting documents in native
    format vs. converting to html format
  • Virtual chat tool -slow unstable inconvenient
  • Digital drop box - doesn't work with older
    versions of Netscape or IE
  • Assessment tool - in the construction of a quiz -
    if you accidentally hit the back button - you
    lose all of your quiz data and have to start
    again
  • Gradebook tool - not very flexible (e.g. cant
    weight grades)

23
Research Question 3
Teaching-Learning Methods and Behaviours
24
Student-Instructor Contact Student-Student
Interaction
  • In comparison with other More About
    Less Not
  • courses not using Likely
    Same Likely Sure
  • CourseInfo, how likely
    () () () ()
  • were your students in this
  • course to . . .
  • . . . interact with instructor 54
    31 0 8
  • . . .participate effectively in
    46 23 0
    23
  • in-class discussions
  • . . . discuss ideas and concept
    39 15 0
    39
  • with their classmates
  • . . . work on assignments
    23 39 0
    31
  • with other students

25
Related Comments
  • Brought out the reserved students, online and
    in-class too
  • Discussion board enabled students to see issues
    from multiple perspectives, and encouraged
    connections
  • Used the group tools to support collaborative
    writing projects generally worked well but
    students without home Internet access felt
    disadvantaged
  • I put an anonymous CAT up and they could fill it
    out as often as they wanted I think the students
    felt they had a constant channel to me at
    points in the course they would express certain
    tensions that we could talk about in class

26
Related Concerns
  • Getting students to post messages of depth was a
    challenge
  • Made me a little too accessible--lots of junk
    e-mail
  • Evening virtual office hours appreciated by
    students, but did increase my workload, my sense
    that even at home my work wasn't ever done
  • CourseInfo has some great e-mail tools, but
    unless the college supplies the student with
    e-mail access theyre not useful

27
Active Learning
  • In comparison with other More About
    Less Not
  • courses not using
    Likely Same Likely Sure
  • CourseInfo, how likely
    () () () ()
  • were your students in this
  • course to . . .
  • . . . use the Internet as a 62
    0 0 23
  • source of course-related
  • information
  • . . . Independently search for
  • answers to your questions 39
    15 0 39
  • rather than ask other students
  • or instructor

28
Related Comments
  • Students came better prepared--they would go to
    the site and read the outline of what I thought
    was important.
  • Student access to course documents meant that I
    could hit the highlights of the theory and use
    class time for interactive exercises and
    discussion. There was a real difference in what I
    could do in class.
  • I can cover more ground in the course because the
    students cover more material independently
    outside of class time.
  • Mandatory or optional for students? Issues of
    student workload and unequal access to computers
    and Internet.

29
Research Question 4
Perceived Impact on Learning, and Other Outcomes
30
Perceived Impact on Learning
  • Because of the way I used Agree
    Disagree Not Sure CourseInfo,
    students . . . ()
    () ()
  • . . . had access to a greater variety of 92
    0 8
  • learning materials
  • . . . were better able to understand the 62
    0 38
  • ideas and concepts taught in
  • this course
  • . . . acquired skills that will be
    62 8 30
  • useful in their chosen profession
  • . . . spent more time on course related 54
    8 38
  • work

31
Related Comments Concerns
  • I sensed students giving more time to their
    learning and taking more responsibility
  • Enhanced the generic skills, especially computers
    and information research.
  • Students commented that using the site forced
    them to learn basic computer skills. This is
    positive. I had students who wouldn't know how
    to turn on a computer.
  • External web links opened up another world to my
    students forced them to move beyond the
    classroom
  • CourseInfo was only one of the computer tools
    used. I cant say that it produced changes
    either way. The computer lab situation and
    CourseInfo proved distracting for some, drawing
    them away from course focus at times.

32
Access, Flexibility and Convenience
  • Increased convenience for both myself and the
    students we knew where all the course documents
    were
  • Easily modifiable from anywhere with web access
    great convenience for instructor
  • Students really appreciate access to course
    materials from anywhere at anytime, and so do I
  • One of the best things was that it was easily
    modifiable by the instructor--dont have to rely
    on I-S for simple updates
  • Liked the practice tests being marked for me so I
    could just focus on patterns of how they're
    doing.
  • Concerned about the student computer hardware and
    software requirements to run CourseInfo - certain
    students are loathe to use the student labs.

33
Research Question 5
Instructor Satisfaction
34
Instructor Satisfaction
  • Agree Disagree Not
    Sure
  • () ()
    ()
  • ...CourseInfo offered advantages
    92 0 8
  • over the way I previously taught
  • my course.
  • ...Students seemed to enjoy using 69
    23 0
  • CourseInfo
  • ...I would use CourseInfo with 85
    8 0
  • another class or course
  • ...I would recommend the use of 85
    8 0
  • CourseInfo to other instructors
  • ...Overall, I thought the use of 85
    8 0
  • CourseInfo enhanced my course

35
Related Comments
  • Overall, really happy with it and look forward to
    using it again.
  • Very positive experience. Am using it in all of
    my courses.
  • The simplicity was great--took a fragmented group
    of technologies and assembled them in one place.
  • CourseInfo definitely added to my workload but
    it's worth it Im building my skills and
    growing my web site with time.

36
Related Concerns
  • Increased workload and time issue - developing
    the site keeping external links up to date
    increased availability to students via phone and
    e-mail - technical trouble shooting student
    issues
  • With 210 students I get so many e-mails, delete
    lots and sometimes miss the really important ones
  • Student expectations of rapid response
  • Not a great synchronous tool works very well
    asynchronously
  • Too early to know whether all the extra hours are
    worth the effort. If it makes the student
    experience more positive, then its worth it.
    But if Im just adding to their workload, and
    mine, its not worth it.
  • Student accessibility a concern off-campus
    Internet, dated HW and SW

37
Conclusions and Study Limitations
38
Conclusions
  • Majority of instructors felt that their use of
    CourseInfo had enhanced the teaching-learning
    experience in a number of ways
  • more student-student and student-instructor
    contact
  • students more actively involved in the learning
    process
  • increased flexibility and convenience for faculty
    and students
  • development of generic skills

39
Conclusions (contd)
  • Instructors generally found CourseInfo easy to
    learn and easy to use, but noted that
  • variety of learning styles necessitates variety
    of training and support mechanisms for faculty
  • limitations with various aspects of the tool they
    would like addressed
  • frustration with limited computer lab access for
    student training/orientation sessions
  • overall effectiveness of the tool is compromised
    by lack of college e-mail system

40
Conclusions (contd)
  • Results suggested that use of CourseInfo was
    associated with teaching-learning approaches
    conducive to student learning
  • increased student-instructor interaction
  • increased student-student cooperation and
    collaboration
  • increased active learning
  • increased student time-on-task

41
Conclusions (contd)
  • Majority of instructors perceived student
    learning gains in
  • understanding of course materials
  • skills useful in their chosen profession
  • generic skills, notably computing, knowledge of
    the Internet, and information research skills
  • Additional research is needed to verify and
    further describe impact of web-supported approach
    on student learning outcomes

42
Conclusions (contd)
  • Majority of instructors were satisfied with their
    experience, would recommend it to their peers,
    and would engage in the experience again
  • Significant concerns about
  • Workload implications
  • training
  • development of materials
  • delivery
  • maintenance
  • Student access to computers and Internet, on and
    off campus

43
Study Limitations
  • Small sample size
  • Sample weighted with early adopters
  • Reliance on self-report measures
  • Halo effect?
  • Cross-sectional design no cause-effect
    relationships

44
Follow Up
  • Instructor Support
  • ADC drop in, Monday-Friday, 9am to 2pm in T110
  • One hour workshops combining technical and
    pedagogical aspects of Courseinfo
  • Instructor listserv - sharing teaching ideas and
    resources, trouble shooting technical issues and
    concerns
  • MRC's Virtual Centre for Online Learning and
    Teaching
  • www.mtroyal.ab.ca/adc
  • CourseInfo's online instructor manual and
    resources

45
Follow Up
  • Instructor Support
  • CourseInfo tutorial modules on the web (ADC web
    site)
  • One Day Workshops (Reading Week, May, August)
  • CourseInfo's online instructor manual and
    resources
  • Instructor FAQ in development
  • ITS pilot of web-based email system

46
Follow Up
  • Student Support
  • START Program (T106, phone 7214)
  • Available to instructors to provide lab-based
    orientation to CourseInfo
  • Drop in support for students, Mon-Fri 10am-2pm in
    the START area, T106
  • One hour scheduled workshops, led by START
    students on various topics related to CourseInfo
  • CourseInfo's online student manual and resources
  • Student FAQs now available (courseinfo.mtroyal.ab.
    ca)

47
Future Study
  • The Effect of Online Discussion Forums on the
    Teaching-Learning Process from the Student and
    Faculty Perpective
  • Study to begin in winter 2001 semester
  • Looking for interested instructors and their
    students to participate in this study

48
Questions, Comments, Discussion
49
Key Contacts
  • Faculty Training Support
  • Andrew Reil (7203)
  • Student Training Support (START)
  • RuthAnne Scaddan (7214)
  • New Course Creation and Accounts
  • Brenda Quantz (7231)
  • Technical Problems Support
  • Help Desk (6034)

50
Reference
  • Chickering, A. Ehrmann, S. (1997).
    Implementing the seven principles technology as
    a lever.
  • www.aahe.org/technology/ehrmann.htm
  • MRC CourseInfo Study Student Perspective
  • www2.mtroyal.ab.ca/nvaughan/norm/courseinfostuden
    t/v3_document.htm
  • MRC CourseInfo Study Instructor Perspective
  • www2.mtroyal.ab.ca/nvaughan/norm/courseinfoinstru
    ctor/v3_document.htm
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