Traditional and virtual teaching strategies: a comparative study

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Traditional and virtual teaching strategies a
comparative study

• Anne Becker and Samia Kamal abecker_at_brookes.ac.u
  k skamal_at_brookes.ac.uk
• School of Technology
• Department of Computing

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In this session..

• Analysis of course delivery via traditional and
  online mode
• Perceptions of the students
• Lessons learnt
• Framework for converting a traditional course
  into an online course
• Examples
• Software and Resources

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The Module IT Assisted Communications Study
Methods

• Pilot module for initiating e-Learning.
• Available in parallel via the two modes to all on
  campus undergraduate students.
• Same
• syllabus
• practical tasks
• web discussion topics
• coursework assignments
• Same staff taught the two versions.

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Module StructureIT Assisted Communications
Study Methods

• Online
• WebCT used as the platform.
• Online version was taken by on campus students.
• no F2F contact.
• all the material delivery, assessment and
  communication took place electronically.
• simple allowing easy accessibility.

• Onsite
• Critical information delivered to them with a F2F
  lecture.
• not provided with any supporting resources.
• Tutor assisted practical session.
• Clinic sessions.

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ObservationsWhat Made the Difference?

• Onsite students
• Attendance
• already have the necessary study skills
• early morning start
• Interaction
• no associated activity
• did not see the need
• Assessment
• left to the last minute
• reminder reliance

• Online students
• Attendance
• flexible access
• more receptive to learning
• Interaction
• forming cyber community
• eliminating isolation
• Belbin test (hyperlink away)
• Assessment
• taken onboard early
• more organised

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EvaluationOnline Student Experiences

• 92 found course contents in weekly units,
  clearly stated deadlines and 24-7 course access
  helped.
• 75 found audio lecture narrative useful.
• 97 felt web discussions gave them a sense of
  belonging to a virtual community.
• 39 realised that they had to take responsibility
  for their own learning.
• 36 felt online collaborative project was a
  valuable experience.

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Student Reasoning Why Not Study Online?

• 85 felt that they would miss the F2F
  interaction.
• 46 felt that they might not be able to get the
  technology to work.
• 32 admitted that they were worried that they
  might not receive adequate support.
• 27 had apprehensions of isolation.

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Lessons Learnt Development Cycle
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Online development

• Developed completely before run
• Different distribution of workload

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Models for online courses
ACCEL - Boettcher
ACTIONS - Bates

• Active
• Collaborative
• Customized accessible
• Excellent quality
• Life-style appropriate

• Access
• Costs
• Teaching learning
• Interaction user-friendliness
• Organizational issues
• Novelty
• Speed

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Components of an online course

• 3 major components
• Contents
• Interaction
• Assessment

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A simple frameworktenstep model

• Course goal and objectives
• Select your reading
• Create units
• Develop unit contents
• Record audio presentations
• Create self-assessment
• Develop unit interaction
• Design activities
• Design assignments
• Gather feedback

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Enhanced tenstep model(Kamal, 2000)

• Course goal and objectives
• Select your reading
• Create units
• Develop unit contents
• Record audio presentations
• Create self-assessment
• Develop unit interaction
• Design activities
• Design assignments
• Gather feedback

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Makes components visible

• Course goal and objectives
• Select your reading
• Create units
• Develop unit contents
• Record audio presentations
• Create self-assessment
• Develop unit interaction
• Design activities
• Design assignments
• Gather feedback

• Course goal and objectives
• Select your reading
• Create units
• Develop unit contents
• Record audio presentations
• Create self-assessment
• Develop unit interaction
• Design activities
• Design assignments
• Gather feedback

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Interaction and communication

• Unit Interaction
• announcement boards
• web discussions
• chat sessions
• email
• online activity
• webliography
• FAQ

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Interaction and communication

• Clearly state the communication policies
• how to behave?
• email reply time
• your logging in schedule
• access policies to discussion boards
• student contribution deadline
• Train the students
• check announcement board
• discussion forum
• FAQ page

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Interaction and communication

• Make use of Announcement board
• release new announcements around the same time to
  update students of weekly activities and
  requirements
• use it as a reminder board
• leave old announcements visible
• change font size or colour
• move old announcements to a separate section
• Make sure that students are aware

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Interaction and communication

• Create discussion boards with a purpose
• Keep discussion boards
• size is small and private
• Create separate discussion boards for group work
• limit the access to students within the group and
  tutor
• Make weekly participation mandatory by assigning
  some marks
• Require posting to be unique
• Create an online activity which requires posting
  to the discussion board
• Set up a webliography and FAQ forum

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Assessment and grading

• Assessments can be
• Self- assessment
• Projects, exercises and activities
• Assignments
• Include weekly self tests giving students a
  chance to practice and test their skills
• Allow multiple attempts to a quiz
• Tell students how you will score self-tests
• Create a large question bank which is reusable

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Lessons Learnt

• Assess the e-learning tools and use them for what
  they were designed to do best.
• Research the pedagogy for e-learning.
• Address the needs of students new to this mode of
  study.
• Give explicit instructional guidance on how to
  study online courses.
• Provide self-assessment tools and materials.

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Lessons Learnt

• Ensure that there is clarity of aims, structure,
  and purpose for each activity.
• Clearly communicate tasks for students to
  participate in online discussion.
• Archive the previous successful runs of the
  courses.
• Provide training to teachers/facilitators new to
  online mode of delivery.
• Adhere to e-learning standard.

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Paradigm Shift(Tapscott, 1999, Growing Up
Digital)
Linear, sequential/serial Hypermedia
Learning Instruction
Construction/discovery Teacher-centered Learn
er-centered Absorbing materials
Learning how to learn School
Lifelong One-size-fits-all Customized Teacher as
transmitter Teacher as facilitator
Broadcast learning
Interactive Learning
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Resources

• Web portals or platforms
• WebCT
• Blackboard
• eCollege
• PurpleTrain
• Open Source
• Assessment Development Tools
• Respondus
• Hot potatoes
• MCQ Student Manager
• Content Development Tools
• Demo Builder
• Breeze
• e-Learning Tools Projects (JISC)

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Example of ConversionTraditional to Online

• Yearly Debate
• Topic Computer do more harm than good
• Traditional format
• Speakers from university and industry
• Open to all computing students
• Evening slot
• Online Format
• Speakers from various countries
• Open to all computing students taking the module
• 24/7 access
• Assessed/moderated discussion using e-debate
  framework (Catley, Hancock, Kamal and Whittaker.
  2002)

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Online Debate framework(Catley, Hancock, Kamal
and Whittaker. 2002)
Cast you vote either in favour or against the
motion
Listen to all the speakers of the debate
Once you have heard the speakers, do the vote
again
Finally as the final web discussion put your
views forward (no more than a paragraph) with
supporting argument in favour or against the
argument.
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The Modules IT Skills Word Processing,
Spreadsheets, Presentations, Multimedia

• Skill modules for non-computing students.
• Practical skills for application within the
  students field.

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Module Structure

• Information delivered via F2F lecture.
• Use of a textbook
• Use of a Workbook
• Tutor assisted practical session.
• Clinic sessions.

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Important Pointers

• Existing knowledge
• Self taught or previous course
• Need to find the holes in their knowledge
• None The Terrified
• Need support and reassurance
• Practice makes Perfect
• Need to apply the knowledge in different
  situations

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Problems identified

• Variability in staff approaches.
• Support cannot be available 24 hours a day.
• See it miss one vital move struggle for a
  week!

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Solution (?)

• Change the status of the lecture by providing
• Demonstrations on-line
• Notes on-line
• An integrated exercise using all of the skills
• Keep the tutor assisted practical sessions for
  supervision of the demonstrations and exercises
• Add an on-line discussion board used to drive a
  question and answer style F2F lecture to END
  rather than START each topic.

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Resources

• Software
• Demobuilder to record software demonstrations
• SPX to build annotated examples
• Respondus for MCQ self tests
• WebCT to make the materials available

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To be assessed
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Final Thoughts

• In our module this form of teaching and learning
  has clearly worked.
• you need to explore and find out if this mode of
  learning works for your modules.
• It is important to give the students the
  opportunity to be able take an online course and
  discover for themselves if it enhances their
  learning style.
• Students need incentives
• Track students and let them know
• Be clear in communication
• Maintain consistency in structure and style
• Self tests improves learning, provide them!
• Defy conventions!

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You will succeed..

• Evaluate your online course and make positive
  changes

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On a lighter note