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Evaluating the impact of blended or flexible
learning in a single M.Sc. module in Alcohol
and Drug Studies, University of Paisley
2001-2004. Iain McPhee Centre for Alcohol and
drugs Studies
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Observations made on evaluating a blended
learning environment.

• 1. An overview of the impact of blended learning
  on recruitment and performance
• 2. The student experiences in a blended learning
  environment
• 3. An understanding of workload implications and
  the Tutor experience

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Alcohol and Drug Studies at the University of
Paisley

• M.Sc. in alcohol and drug studies first validated
  the 1979.
• 2005 offer flexible modes of study in a virtual
  learning environment (VLE) using the web based
  learning platform, Blackboard.

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Alcohol and Drug Studies at the University of
Paisley

• 3 modes of delivery from 2001 to 2004 for 1 level
  11 module.
• Study mode 1 on campus study (full and part time)
• Study mode 2 online study (part time only)
• Study mode 3 online study with face-to-face
  tutorial (part time only)

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Selected themes from literature

• (Diaz Cartnal 1999)-Institutions often assume
  that module delivery is appropriate for any
  setting
• Harasim et al (1995) note that volume of
  communications increase markedly with online
  teaching
• Shaw and Young (2003) for online teaching to be
  at least as effective as on campus teaching
  requires concerted effort from tutors, in terms
  of flexibility in approach to working hours.

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Overview of the evaluation

• The assessment results of this study largely
  support previous research
• summative grades do not differ greatly between
  online and on campus cohorts.
• Why?
• students are not disadvantaged by the isolation
  of online study (regularly reported by distance
  learners),
• Tutors increase effort to achieve parity in the
  learning experiences of all 3 modes of teaching
  delivery.

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Learning and support for the 3 modes of learning

• All students receive a set of interactive core
  reading materials
• all students are registered on VLE blackboard.
• All students are regularly contacted both in
  real-time (synchronous) via the VLE web chat
  facility, and offline (asynchronous) via the
  discussion boards and the University and
  blackboard e-mail facility.

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Student numbers by year and study modality
Table 1

• This is a core module and it is essential that
  all students study this module.
• Previous to 2001, part time flexible online study
  was not an option.

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(No Transcript)
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Sex ratio and completion rates

• Students who did not complete the assessments in
  one semester were omitted from this analysis.
• Part time students (groups 2 3) take longer to
  enrol on the course due to all paperwork having
  to be posted out, sent back for signing, before
  registration can take place.
• They are usually in work, are older than
  traditional postgraduate students.

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On campus teaching

• power point slides, flip chart and whiteboard.
• short activities focus on the development of
  specific cognitive and affective skills required
  for this module.
• This power point presentation is uploaded to the
  VLE to be accessed by all students.

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Online teaching

• follows on campus learners although modified for
  dissemination via the VLE.
• All lecture content core reading and additional
  reading are all made available via the VLE as
  flash files.
• discussions take place both in real time
  (synchronous) via the fortnightly web chats, and
  in the weekly discussion boards (asynchronous).
• discussion topics are based on the 5 unit
  learning outcomes.

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Online teaching

• Synchronous via the web chat facility in the VLE
• Live chats every 2 weeks take 1 hour to
  deliver.
• topics driven by the learning outcomes -
  participants share their views by keyboard
  conferencing.
• virtual chat allows social interaction
• live chat promotes a social matrix -students
  begin to use each other as a learning resource.

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Online teaching

• Asynchronous contact and the discussion board
• In the module under scrutiny - 5 learning units
• generate at least 2 questions per unit, which are
  uploaded to the VLE discussion boards.
• maintaining contact and motivating students
  requires constant monitoring to be effective.
• the discussion is summarised weekly and the
  summary can be archived as an educational
  resource.

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Tutors experience

• On campus cohort (group 1)
• 1.5 hours direct teaching contact.
• not including drop in and informal discussions
  out with scheduled teaching.
• Online cohort (group 2)
• 5 hours 30 minutes
• includes all e-mail and discussion forum contact
  and 1 hour per week in virtual synchronous
  teaching.
• Blended cohort (group 3)
• 6 hours and 30 minutes
• as group 2 plus1 hour per week direct teaching
  (accounting for 2 days face to face tutorials and
  seminars).

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Tutors experience

• This increased teaching input and contact for
  online and blended learning students is thought
  to be essential
• balances the regular contact that on campus
  students experience.
• The attempt to create parity and treat the
  students as one cohort does increase workload.
• Weekend and evening work is now essential.

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Assessments

• All TMAs are delivered to and from the
  assignments facility within the VLE.
• The Tutur downloads the essays from the VLE,
  marks them, and delivered back to the student via
  the VLE, grades can be accessed via the grade
  book facility in BB.
• This module uses a 2-stage assessment
• TMA1-a 1000 word essay or an online multiple
  choice test (not discussed here).
• formative feedback is intended to help students
  with the end of term essay called TMA2 consisting
  of 3500 words.
• Feedback for TMAs is structured to comply with a
  marking frame and standardised feedback sheet
  gives the students clear directions on what they
  should do to prepare for the end of term
  assignment.

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Assessment results
table 2

• a small but significant difference in mean scores
  between study modes 2 and 3.
• This suggests that the blended mode of study
  (group 3) results in a higher average pass rate.
  
• It could just as likely be a cohort effect.

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Results ANOVA OF ON CAMPUS BY YEAR AND BY MODE
OF DELIVERY
Dependent Variable Scores a R Squared .220
(Adjusted R Squared .203)
as a significant difference was found (.000) I
decided to run a T test to compare the groups by
year.
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T-test by group year

• For all study modes
• Significant differences 02-03 02 04
• No differences 2003-2004
• The mean score is 10 points less overall for all
  groups in 2002. This may be due to global
  changes in TMA 1 assessment from 2002. A multiple
  choice online test using questionmark
  perception.

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1 way ANOVA by group year

• 2002 no significance between groups (.785)
• 2003 no significance between groups (.729)
• 2004 no significance between groups (.993)

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Student experiences
Section A What is worth noting is that in general
these student cohorts have had an overall
positive experience on the module. 1 student
(6) did not consider the feedback on assignments
useful (A6) nor did they seek advice from the
Tutor.
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Student experiences
Section B The respondents considered that the
teaching contributed to their critical thinking
and was intellectually stimulating. One
student (6) thought that the seminars were not
effective (B5).
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Student experiences
Section C A significant number of respondents
considered that the library did not provide them
with good support. This issue should be
addressed. One student (6) did not have
access to computing facilities (C3) during this
module.
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Conclusion

• In summary while flexible teaching and delivery
  has increased the numbers of part time and
  distance learning students,
• resulted in a marked increases in Tutor time
  allocated to online contact with these students.
• Any planned increased in student numbers will
  necessitate a dedicated tutor to maintain and
  support online students.

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Conclusion

• The following conclusions my be drawn from this
  evaluation, drawing on both staff perceptions and
  the student experiences as indicated in the
  questionnaire returns and qualitative
  discussions.
• At this level for this type of learning the
  intellectual social dynamic of face-to-face
  learning plays a key role, which may not
  adequately be replaced by a VLE, without major
  workload implications for the Tutor and for the
  Institution.
• The most effective learning environment may be
  one, which combines elements of both

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Conclusion

• Online and virtual learning technologies have
  definitive advantages especially in their
  flexibility.
• They do not however offer any magic solutions to
  the problems encountered in teaching students in
  other contexts.
• The technology and the reading materials
  available online and in paper format do not in
  and of themselves generate motivation and
  engagement.
• students on the module all face many demands on
  their time, and many who may need additional
  online support, do not always seek it out.
  Persuading students to engage with each other and
  the materials requires constant encouragement of
  students by the tutor to participate.
• A VLE requires a different style of approaching
  teaching and learning, and thus entails a
  considerable amount of time and effort before,
  during and after taught inputs. Therefore any
  value of adopting this flexibility in approach
  must be balanced against the opportunity costs
  entailed in implementation.

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Selected references

• Harasim L et al (1995) Learning Networks A Field
  Guide to Teaching and Learning On-line. Cambridge
  MA MIT.
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• Diaz, D. P., Cartnal, R. B. (1999). Students'
  learning styles in two classes Online distance
  learning and equivalent on-campus. College
  Teaching 47(4), 130-135.accessed
  athttp//www.collegedegreeguide.com/articles-fr/
  styles.htm
• Shaw, D. Young S., Costs to instructors in
  delivering equated online and on-campus courses
  (2003) The journal of Interactive Online
  Teaching, volume 1, number 4, Spring 2003.
  accessed at http//www.ncolr.org/

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Contact details

• Paisley university website for centre for alcohol
  and drugs studies
• http//www.paisley.ac.uk/socialsciences/cads/
• Email for iain mcphee
• Iain.mcphee_at_paisley.ac.uk
• Web page
• http//www.paisley.ac.uk/socialsciences/cads/staff
  /iain-mcphee.asp