Online Learning: Better Results, Better Learning

1
Online LearningBetter Results, Better Learning

• Evelyn McLellan
• The Power of Online Learning Implications for
  Teaching Learning
• 9th Annual Sloan-C International Conference on
  ALN
• 14-16 November 2003

2
Introduction

• Background
• Educational Perspective
• Teaching in the Online Environment
• Student Motivation
• Conclusion

3
Background

• School of ICT at University of Paisley, Scotland
  started development of online programs in 1997
• Now three online postgrad programs
• MSc Management of eBusiness (2000)
• MSc IT with Web Technology (2002)
• MSc IT with eBusiness (2003)

4
Background

• Some modules on the postgraduate programs are
  taught both F2F and online
• Comparison of the online and F2F students
  results reveals that the online students
  performed consistently better
• than their F2F counterparts

5
Background

• Typical results
• Table 1 Results from Technologies for Global
  Commerce Module 2000-2002
• Table 2 Results from Fundamentals of Databases
  Systems Module 2002

6
Educational Perspective

• Advantages to students of studying online
• learning environment is asynchronous
• students can manage their circumstances to
• accommodate periods of study
• students choosing their own study time
• concentrate more on their subject
• students are relieved of the psychological
• pressures experienced by F2F students whose
  
• learning is dominated by the dictates of the
• Universitys timetable

7
Educational Perspective

• Online medium of discourse
• the written word imposes an intellectual
• discipline much more demanding than the
• spoken word
• the written word (language and/or symbols) is
  the
• means by which cognition is permanently
• expressed
• when engaged in study, online students are
  either
• reading or writing
• by communicating their thoughts in writing
  online
• students achieve clarity and precision

8
Educational Perspective

• Online learning gives students
• a greater measure of control over their
  learning
• more opportunity to reflect on concepts
• interaction with fellow students using the
  written
• word
• more opportunities to engage in active learning
  
• Students recognise the benefits of online
• learning
• I simply logon to Paisleys website to access
  the
• latest learning materials and interact with
• colleagues, no matter where they live or
  work.

9
Teaching Online

• Teaching Online
• teachers presence online encompasses
• design and organisation, facilitating
  discourse
• and direct instruction
• design curriculum, timetable, learning
  outcomes
• facilitating discourse provide timeous
  feedback,
• stimulate discussion, build up learning
  community
• direct instruction exploit the medium of
• interactive writing to explain/model
  concepts
• being taught thus offering students a
  vicarious
• experience of the teachers knowledge and
• expertise

10
Motivation

• Most online students are highly motivated
• students related the ability to pace learning
  with
• motivation
• students reported on high quality of teacher
  feedback
• in online environment
• students reported that their learning was
  relevant to
• their professional lives
• high levels of motivation coupled with good pass
  
• rates result in an enhanced educational
  experience
• online
• motivation as a function of enhanced interest
  makes
• for successful learning

11
Conclusion

• The online learning environment
• allows students to consciously manage their
  
• learning in terms of time/pace
• requires students active participation in
  learning
• through submissions to discussion forum
• makes for greater reflection on ideas and allows
  
• for the preparation of thoughtful responses
• enables teachers to exploit the medium of
• interactive writing to improve students
  
• understanding of the subject
• gives teachers valuable insights into how
  students
• understand and fail to understand topics

12
ICT in Education Research Group at the University
of Paisley, Scotland

• Group Members
• Development Miss E McLellan
• mcle-ci0
  _at_wpmail.paisley.ac.uk
• Mrs P. Robertson
• robe-ci0
  _at_wpmail.paisley.ac.uk
• Research Professor T. Connolly
• conn-ci0_at_wpmail.pai
  sley.ac.uk
• Dr M. Stansfield
• 
  stan-ci0_at_wpmail.paisley.ac.uk
• Miss E McLellan
• mcle-ci0
  _at_wpmail.paisley.ac.uk