Mismatched Expectations of Staff and Students Towards Blackboard

1
Mismatched Expectations of Staff and Students
Towards Blackboard
Teaching And Learning Conference 2006
Elisabeth Yaneske
Andrew Bingham
2
Background e-learning
3-Part Study

• Students encouraged to use Blackboard (e-learning
  environment) for many modules within the School
  Of Computing
• Use of Blackboard within SCM best described as
  blended learning or technology enhanced
  e-learning
• Modules incorporating more and more e-learning
• Assumptions made about students comfort with
  e-learning especially when moving away from
  face-to-face contact online discussions instead
  of face-to-face etc. student preference
• Assumptions made regarding student IT skills
  (perceived to be of a high level in SCM). But
  what about older students and students from
  outside the UK?

3
Stereotypes (Basis For Assumptions)
Martin, C. D. (2004) 'Draw a computer scientist'.
Working group reports from ITiCSE on Innovation
and technology in computer science education,
Leeds, United Kingdom ACM Press. Beyer, S.
(1999) 'The Accuracy of Academic Gender
Stereotypes.' Sex Roles 40 787-813.
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Background - Blackboard

• Blackboard expected to be used for all modules in
  SCM as of 2005
• Core modules on Blackboard even though some staff
  use own intranet pages
• Some staff only use Intranet Sites to support
  their modules
• Some staff use Blackboard to support their
  modules
• All students will come into contact with
  e-learning delivered by Blackboard at some point
  during their course

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Research Questions

• Part 1 e-learning Attitude Survey
• What are Multimedia students attitudes towards
  e-learning versus face-to-face techniques?
• Are there any other factors that influence these
  attitudes? e.g. mature vs traditional students
• Part 2 Sociabilty
• Does sociability influence students attitudes
  towards e-learning versus face-to-face
  techniques?
• Part 3 Current Usage Expectations Of
  Blackboard Within SCM
• How are staff and students currently using
  Blackboard?
• What are staff expectations of Blackboard?
• What are students expectations of Blackboard?
• Do they match?
• Are they correct?

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Method
Part 12 e-learning Attitude Survey

• Online survey sent out to 168 second year
  Multimedia students within the School Of
  Computing
• Survey preceded by ethics statement
• Survey contained demographic, attitude (5-point
  Likert scale) and sociability questions
• Survey available for two weeks, with incentive
  offered for completion
• 41 respondents

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Part 1 e-learning Key Findings - Demographic

• Survey indicates that mature students prefer
  face-to-face teaching methods
• Current practice
• Lecture 1 hour in lecture theatre
• Tutorial 1 hour in computer lab

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Q8. It is important to attend all tutorials
Q8 Outcome Most mature students felt that it is
important to attend all tutorials. Over a third
of traditional students disagreed with this.
(Only some tutorials of value to them?)
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Q9. I can complete online tutorial tasks without
the help of a tutor
Q9 Outcome Traditional students attend when they
need help. Many Mature students find value in
tutorials even though they dont need help.
10
Q33. Lectures do not add anything to the notes
provided online
Q33 Outcome More Mature students feel that
lectures are a passive learning experience,
although a significant number of traditional
students also have this opinion.
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Q20. In order to pass a module I need to attend
lectures and tutorials
Q20 Outcome Mature students felt more strongly
that attendance was important even though they
said they didnt need help to complete tasks and
majority said that lectures did not add to the
online notes.
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Q12. I prefer to be handed tasks in tutorials
than to obtain them online
Q12 Outcome More mature students prefer to be
handed tasks, rather than obtain them online.
Potentially mature students more familiar with
paper based tasks.
13
Q6 I prefer to ask the tutor questions
face-to-face
Q6 Outcome Mature students prefer to ask
questions face-to-face
14
Q32. I learn when other people ask questions in
lectures
Q32 Outcome Mature students feel more strongly
that they learn when others ask questions in
lectures.
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Part 1Overall Results
A score of 93.29 indicates that the group had a
slight preference for face-to-face teaching
methods
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Key Findings From The Survey Attitudes -
Lectures (1)

• 26 (63) I feel it is important to attend all the
  lectures
• 22 (54) Felt that they missed valuable
  information if they missed a lecture
• 29 (71) Did not agree that they are not worried
  if they miss a lecture because the notes are
  available online
• 30 (73) I feel I learn more by attending the
  lecture than by just reading the notes provided
  online.

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Key Findings From The Survey Attitudes -
Lectures (2)

• 25 (61) Did not think it was important to ask
  questions in lectures
• Suggests lectures viewed as a passive learning
  experience
• 26 (63) learned when other people asked
  questions

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Key Findings From The Survey Attitudes -
Tutorials

• 27 (66) I feel it is important to attend all
  tutorials
• 28 (68) When I attend tutorials I learn from my
  fellow students
• 33 (81) I prefer to attend tutorials so I can
  receive feedback from my tutor
• 21 (51) I attend tutorials because I need to ask
  questions
• Feedback driven by tutors

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Key Findings From The Survey Attitudes -
Contact In General

• 30 (73) In order to pass a module I need to
  attend lectures and tutorials
• 24 (59) I prefer to ask my tutor questions
  face-to-face
• 21 (51) The support provided by tutors in
  lectures and tutorials could not be provided by
  online resources alone

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Part 2 - Sociability Results
Outcome Average with a slight tendency to be
slightly unsociable
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Research Method
Part 3 Current Usage Expectations Of
Blackboard Within SCM

• Survey handed out to 168 Multimedia students 45
  staff within the School Of Computing
• Survey preceded by ethics statement
• Survey contained usage and expectation/opinion
  questions
• 41 Student respondents
• 18 Staff respondents

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Questions (Staff)

• Which Blackboard applications do you use?
• What is the one thing you would change about
  Blackboard?
• Can you give an example of how you use Blackboard
  to enhance the students learning experience?
• What other online resources do you use and would
  recommend to enhance student learning?

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Questions (Students)

• Which Blackboard applications do you use?
• What is the one thing you would change about
  Blackboard?
• Can you give an example of how Blackboard has
  enhanced your learning experience?
• Taking into account all the online resources you
  are directed to use in your modules, which is the
  most useful and why?

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Key Findings From The Survey Blackboard Usage

• Main Usage Course content (lecture notes,
  tutorial tasks, book list.)

Comparison of Staff and Student Blackboard Usage
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Key Findings From The Survey Usage And
Expectations

• What is the one thing you would change about
  Blackboard?
• Usability
• Functionality
• Administration
• Training
• 13 students (32) felt Blackboard was fit for its
  purpose. (They would not change anything) But
  no staff

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Usability (Both Staff Students)

• Confusing interface
• Students have to log in twice
• Format of discussion forum confusing
• Format of announcements
• Not all modules and their resources on Blackboard

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Extra Functionality Requested (Both Staff
Students)

• Email notification of updates
• Exam timetable
• Grades for each subject
• Overall individual pathway results
• Ability to upload multiple files at a time
• Customisable to learner needs, accessibility and
  learning style
• Closed access prevents dissemination of good
  practice

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Functionality (Both Staff Students)
Closed Access
Lack of Control over Environment
Some staff using intranet page instead
No one-stop-shop for students
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Administration (Both Staff Students)

• Management of links to modules- Remove old and
  redundant links- Leave old links for reference
• Problems with student enrolment

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Training (Both Staff Students)

• 2 students requested training
• One student said I dont know how to use
  Blackboard

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Results (Staff Students)

• How is Blackboard used to enhance the learning
  experience?

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Question asked to staff. What other online
resources do you use and would recommend to
enhance student learning?


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Question Asked To Students. Taking into account
all the online resources you are directed to use
in your modules, which is the most useful and why?
No Mention Of LRC
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Summary of results

• Learning Environment sets an expectation
• Staff expect Blackboard to Enhance learning by
  itself
• Students expect Blackboard to be used as a
  distance learning tool
• Misusing Blackboard means students miss out on
  the learning experiences they told us they valued
• Students expect a single point of access for all
  course related information (exam timetable,
  grades, etc..) One login!
• VLE (really a dissemination tool)
• Notice Board
• Document sharing
• Communication tools

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Summary of results

• Need to set expectations for staff and students
• How can we achieve this? Need to provide training
  to set expectations and to get the most out of
  the VLE- Induction week for students- Induction
  for new staff. On-going training for existing
  staff