Teaching

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Teaching Learning Conference University of
NottinghamSeptember 11-12, 2003Evaluating
E-Learning as a Supplement to Lectures Anthony
Cook, Boriana Koleva-Hopkin, Kate Malatt,
Francois Robitaille, Guoping Zhanghttp//www.cr
g.cs.nott.ac.uk/bnk/E_LearningProject/
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Contents

• Introduction objectives
• Blackboard? v5 overview
• Implementations
• Results
• Recommendations and Conclusions

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Introduction

• Growing numbers of students
• Class sizes (up to 400 in Comp Sci)
• Difficulties encouraging student
  participation/communication
• Diversity in background knowledge
• Challenge keeping everyone interested
• Need to support different learning styles
• Students expect use of IT

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Objectives

• Explore different usages and features of BB?
• Cater for diversity in aims and learning styles
  inherent to large groups
• Evaluate and document the usage of BB? for large
  groups in different Schools
• Produce guidelines on contents design,
  accessibility integration of BB? into lectures

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E-Learning Context (1)

• E-learning 42 years ago (Skinner, 1961)

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E-Learning Context (2)

• What is E-learning?
• Very broad term computer, communication and IT
• Technology enhanced learning vs. technology
  delivered learning (Jackson, 2002)
• Why E-learning?
• Promoting student centred learning (Dewhurst et
  al, 2000 Naber Köhle, 2003)
• Development of commercial s/w and increased
  computer literacy (Beetham Bishop, 1999)
• Dearing HE Committees recommendation for
  national development of e-learning materials in
  1997 (Wilson, 2003)

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E-Learning options

• Personal web sites
• School intranets

• Blackboard
• WebCT

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Why BB??

• Integrated on-line learning environment
• Intuitive, flexible, directly usable by students
  and lecturing staff
• To be integrated in University portal
• Open architecture
• e.g. different computers and OS
• Diverse features

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BB? v5 User access
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BB? v5 Announcements
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BB? v5 Sections
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BB? v5 Downloads
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BB? v5 E-mail
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BB? v5 Discussion board
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BB? v5 On-line tests
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BB? v5 Sub-groups
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BB? v5 Access stats
Student A Student B etc
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Module Information
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Individual implementations

• Core Features
• Lecture slides/notes
• Web links
• Notice board for announcements
• General course information
• Timetables
• Assessments
• Recommended reading

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Additional Features
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Methodology for Data Capture

• Blackboard logs
• Number of accesses over time
• Total accesses by user
• Questionnaire
• Paper questionnaire distributed at the end of
  modules

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BB Logs Statistics
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Access Over Time
H3BDMB Design Manufacture Materials
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Questionnaire

• General experience?

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Questionnaire

• BB and learning?

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Questionnaire

• Specific features?

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Questionnaire

• BB in the future?

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Questionnaire
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Questionnaire
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Questionnaire
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Questionnaire
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Response Rates
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Results
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Summary of Main Points

• Strongly positive
• All course material on BB
• Use BB again for course
• Ease of use
• Material well organised
• Complements lectures
• This should be encouraged for many more courses
  having material online can only help people
  learn better.

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Summary of Main Points

• Moderately positive
• Quizzes/online lecture
• Communication with lecturer
• Catered for level of expertise
• Motivated to use BB
• Helped me to learn more
• Shows we have been fairly successful in achieving
  our main aims

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Summary of Main Points

• Mixed attitude
• Quantity of material appropriate
• Lecturer access to statistics
• Use Blackboard to hand in coursework
• Could replace lectures
• Discussion board useful
• No strongly negative results
• I am usually bored and have nothing to do. So I
  go on BB to have fun.

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Open-ended comments

• How often did you use BB and why?
• 3 to 5 times a week (18)
• 1 to 2 times a week (38)
• Occasionally (31)
• Sporadically (20)

• Why
• To download notes
• Check announcements
• Do assignments
• Assist coursework
• For revision

• Why not
• Only needed for revision
• Could not remember address/login details
• Link was not working
• Was not assessed

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Open-ended comments

• What did you like about BB?
• Easy to use/navigate (40)
• Discussion board/
• communication with lecturer (18)
• Access to course documents (15)
• Well organised (11)
• Off-campus access (9)
• Centralisation of information (7)

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Open-ended comments

• How could BB be improved?
• General
• More widespread use by lecturers (28)
• Direct link to BB from University page (21)
• Standardisation of BB across modules (6)
• Specific
• More past exam papers
• More self test

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Recommendations (1)

• Provide an incentive for students to log on for
  the first time
• Provide a link to Blackboard in the School web
  page
• Encourage use of the discussion forum, by
  providing a practice forum where students can
  post test messages
• Standardise layout of the material (across
  school) so it is easy for students to find
• Reduce number of menu options

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Recommendations (2)

• Make Blackboard an integral part of the course
  (i.e. dont provide alternatives)
• Post Power Point presentations as .pdf files to
  allow offsite access
• Realise there is an administrative load
• e.g. formation of formal groups on BB
• Expect strategic use of BB by students
• Usage peaks around exam time

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Reflection

• Dealing with large classes
• Posting of student questions and answers
• Announcements and emails to the whole class
• Feedback from BB statistics, MCQ quizzes
  discussion board
• Potential for electronic submission of work
• Dealing with diversity
• Quizzes self paced learning
• Availability of notes prior to lectures
• Links to further web resources at different
  levels

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Conclusions

• BB was well received by students
• Easy to use
• Useful set of features
• BB supplemented lectures
• Redesign of BB use in order to replace lectures
  (e.g. Owston, 1997)
• Coursework/exercise driven?

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Acknowledgements

• Rachel Scudamore (Learning set advisor)
• Sanjiv Patel (Blackboard administrator)
• All our students

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Skinner 1961, Teaching machines (modified)