Learner Preferences With Respect To Online Content In A Mixed Mode Delivery Environment

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Learner Preferences With Respect To Online
Content In A Mixed Mode Delivery Environment

• Dr. J. Percival Dr. B. Muirhead
• University of Ontario Institute of Technology

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Who are we?

• Ontario's newest university
• Career-focused degree programs
• A unique combination of academic knowledge,
  hands-on skills, leading-edge research and a
  vibrant student life
• Located in Oshawa, Ontario
• Shares selected facilities and services with
  Durham College
• 2006 enrollment 4100 students

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Web-centric Learning

• Ontarios first laptop-based university
• Fully networked classrooms and learning spaces
  with full multimedia support
• Wireless technology throughout the campus

All students and professors use a current model
of the IBM ThinkPad
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UOITs Special Mission for Learning with
Technology

• To enhance face-to-face learning using
  information and communication technologies (ICT).
• Provide the training and support services the use
  of ICT for web-centric learning.
• Ensure that all online courseware is
  instructionally and pedagogically sound.
• Provide mobile technologies, resources and
  services that will provide faculty and student
  access at an internet-distance.

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UOIT Technological Environment

• LMS WebCT Vista
• Ubiquitous wireless and wired Internet access
  across campus
• Mobile learning program
• Online library resources available
  anywhere-anytime
• Multimedia resources in all classes
• Secure testing environment using Secure Exam

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Research Contexttwo coursestwo modes of delivery

• Core course for Bachelors of Commerce students at
  UOIT
• Taken by
• all 2nd year Business students
• students from other faculties taking the
  management option
• Bridge students entering the 3rd year of the BCom
  program from a college degree

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Methodology/Research Design

• Parallel course offering of Organizational
  Behaviour
• Face to Face n60
• Hybrid n38
• Data used for study
• Incoming demographic data
• course data
• survey data

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Course Designs and Pedagogy
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Content Designfor each course

• Electronic Publisher Material (WileyPlus)
• sample quizzes (self-scored)
• e-textbook
• cases
• reading assignments
• Online and paper-based self-assessment quizzes
• Online library material website (not just
  Google)
• Camtasia studio lecture recordings and support
  material presentations
• Online Quizzes
• Power Point for all lecture presentations
• Use of Group and Class Discussion Forums in WebCT
• Online Chat assignments for hybrid students

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ExamplesWebCT course site
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WileyPlus Home Page
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e-Book
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Self-Tests
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Online Assignments
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Sample Reading Assignment
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WileyPlus Self-Assessment
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Website Self-Assessment
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Discussion Board
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Content Material Lecture Presentations
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Content Material Reference Tutorial
Recordings
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Camtasia Studio Recordings
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The Research Questions

• What e-learning resources do students prefer to
  use?
• How do students use online resources for
  learning?
• When do students use online resources for
  learning?
• Do students in a hybrid course use online content
  differently then those in a face-to-face course?

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What e-learning resources do students prefer to
use?

• The use of e-learning resources is significantly
  higher than the use of physical resources
• Students prefer online communication to
  face-to-face office hours (stats on e-mail
  communication or discussion forms here)
• Synchronous communication through WebCT Chat was
  not widely used or desired by students as MSN
  filled their needs.

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What e-learning resources do students prefer to
use?

• Online Discussion boards were the most heavily
  used
• 89 of students use the discussion boards
• 28 use them 2-3 times per week
• 16 use them 4-5 times per week
• 27 use them at least 6 times per week

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What e-learning resources do students prefer to
use?

• 94 of students used the online version of the
  course outline
• 67 of students listened to the online lecture
  recordings
• 90 of students referred to the online reading
  assignments in WileyPlus
• 77 of students practiced using the self-tests
  and sample quizzes

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How do students use online resources for
learning?

• The course outline and discussion boards are
  primarily read for determining expectations for
  assignments and as reference
• The reading assignments and lecture recordings
  are used to learn content and as reference for
  assignments
• Self-Quizzes are primarily used for practice of
  the quiz questions
• Self-Assessments are used evenly for reading,
  references, taking notes, and determining
  expectations

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When do students use online resources for
learning?

• Course outline and discussion boards are used
  primarily before lectures and to complete case
  assignments
• Online lecture recordings are used for lectures
  by the hybrid students and to study by all
  students
• Reading assignments are used for studying and
  completing assignments
• Self-tests are used primarily for studying for
  quizzes
• This is very different from physical office hours
  that are used immediately after class to clarify
  lecture content

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Do students in a hybrid course use online content
differently then those in a face-to-face course?

• Students in a hybrid course do use online content
  differently and in various amounts
• All students use the online resources
  significantly due to the laptop program and
  previous experience with the tools
• Hybrid students tend to plan to work only 1-2
  times per week on the course
• Traditional students tend to work more often
  throughout the week on the course

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Do students in a hybrid course use online content
differently then those in a face-to-face course?

• Discussion Board use

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Do students in a hybrid course use online content
differently then those in a face-to-face course?

• Use of Self-tests

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Do students in a hybrid course use online content
differently then those in a face-to-face course?

• Use of Physical Office Hours or make Scheduled
  Appt. with Professor

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Do students in a hybrid course use online content
differently then those in a face-to-face course?

• The use of online discussion boards is similar
  for both groups of students
• Hybrid students use other forms of online content
  at different times than students in a traditional
  style of lecture

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Do students in a hybrid course use online content
differently then those in a face-to-face course?

• 65 of hybrid students use the course outline for
  preparing case assignments compared to only 48
  of traditional students
• 40.5 of hybrid students use lecture recordings
  for studying compared to only 35 of traditional
  students
• 46 of hybrid students use online reading
  assignments for preparing assignments compared to
  only 23 of traditional students

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Do students in a hybrid course use online content
differently then those in a face-to-face course?

• 32 of hybrid students use self-tests for
  studying compared to 48 of traditional students
• 24 of hybrid students use self-tests for
  studying compared to 13 of traditional students
• 3 of hybrid students use physical office hours
  after lectures compared to 23 of traditional
  students

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Implications

• For IT
• Courses growwhere faculty create recordings of
  face-to-face lectures
• Student interaction grows and creates special
  challenges regarding access, network traffic and
  reliability (7x24 is required not requested!)
• LMS are a necessity for todays learner
• WebCT is fine now, i cannot think of anything at
  the moment but it would be really helpful if
  teachers and TAs post more often and keep
  everything we need to know in WebCT and not on
  their own websites, etc.
• Expectations from faculty and students will never
  be met as demand constantly grows for services
  and toolshardware and software

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Implications for Faculty

• Students demand greater flexibility for learning
  both online and face-to-face
• I would recommend adding teacher conferencing
  over the chat so people who cannot make it into
  the office hours can get help from home
• Faculty must now be both subject matter experts,
  researchers, and technically knowledgeablecompete
  nce creep
• Students increasingly demand online video-audio
  lecture recordings.

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Implications for Academic Leaders

• Changing pedagogy will require additional
  resources for both technical and human resource
  infrastructures
• Increasing diversity of student population and
  diversity of pedagogy will create new
  complexities for the academic enterprise
• Student pedagogical demands are creating
  challenges for academic staffing and professional
  development
• Student engagement rather than being based on a
  campus environment is being morphed to one
  defined by an online neighborhood

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Recommendations

• While many recommendations are possible, our
  research and experience at UOIT suggests that
• The scope of technical and pedagogical changes
  are growing and as such no definitive conclusions
  can be determined. This results in the necessity
  to balance flexibility against institutional
  necessities for continuity and service. In short,
  we are still in the middle of the rapids and
  whether we capsize or sail through troubled
  waters is an open question.