Understanding the context of distance
students: Differences in on- and offcampus engagement with an online
learning environment
Associate Professor Stuart Palmer
@s_palm .
Institute of Teaching and Learning
Deakin University, Australia
1
Introduction
Distance education continues to thrive!
In part due to a complex relationship with online
technologies
Much online learning research ignores the influence of
demographic characteristics of system users
There are very real differences in demography,
technology experiences and reasons for study between
on- and off-campus students
2
Context – Deakin University
Approximately 40,000 students
Approximately 30% off-campus
Mature and large-scale OLE implementation providing
support to both on- and off-campus students
Previous investigations identified differences in the
perceptions and use of elements of the OLE between on
and off-campus students
3
Methodology
DSO = Deakin Studies Online
In 2011 all coursework students were surveyed about:
• demographic and background information;
• place and mode of access to DSO;
• perception of importance of, satisfaction with, and
frequency of use of, a range of DSO functions;
• a number of overall DSO satisfaction measures; and
• open-ended written comments about DSO
4
Response rate & demographic information
Population
Sample
22760
1322
Female
59.5%
67.8%
Male
40.5%
32.2%
Arts and Education
30.4%
30.1%
Business and Law
36.9%
28.6%
Health
19.8%
22.9%
Science and Technology
12.9%
16.9%
Other
-
1.5%
12.1%
14.1%
Geelong – Waterfront
5.8%
7.5%
Melbourne – Burwood
50.3%
43.5%
3.2%
3.5%
Off-campus
28.6%
31.4%
Mean enrolment duration
2.24 years
2.42 years
Number of respondents
Gender
Faculty
Campus
Geelong – Waurn Ponds
Warrnambool
5
Place of access to DSO
100%
0.7%
6.2%
Other
80%
Home
60%
82.3%
On-campus
93.6%
80%
0%
68.6%
60%
On-campus
40%
40%
20%
20%
75.2%
22.8%
20.5% 17.1%
Home
Other
8.2%
17.0%
On-campus
students
0.2%
Off-campus
students
Primary place of access
0%
On-campus
students
Off-campus
students
Other places of access
6
Mode of access to DSO
60%
0.6%
0.1%
44.0%
29.5%
Desktop
Tablet
Laptop
29.1%
25.4%
30.5%
Tablet
16.6%
20%
Smartph.
Other
Smartphone
5.9%
1.8%
Other †
0%
On-campus
students
Primary mode of access
Desktop
40%
Laptop
69.8%
58.5%
5.9%
1.1%
Off-campus
students
Other modes of access
7
Mean importance and satisfaction ratings
for DSO functions
Importance:
1 = not important; 3 = neutral; and 5 = very important
Satisfaction:
1 = not satisfied; 3 = neutral; and 5 = very satisfied
1. Accessing unit guide and other unit information
2. Accessing unit lecture, tutorial or lab notes etc
3. Interacting with unit learning resources
4. Using the unit calendar
5. Reading unit announcements
6. Contacting teachers via internal unit messaging
7. Contacting students via internal unit messaging
8. Reading contributions to online discussions
9. Contributing to online discussions
10. Completing online quizzes/tests
11. Submitting assignments
12. Receiving feedback on assignments
13. Working collaboratively in a group
14. Reviewing unit progress
15. Using the e-portfolio
16. eLive synchronous communication tool
17. iLecture class lecture recording
18. Other iLecture recoding (eg podcasts etc)
19. Deakin’s social software
20. Turnitin plagiarism/originality assessment
8
5.0
17
4.5
3
14
Importance
16
13
18
6
1
5
8
10
4.0
2
11
12
9
20
7
3.5
15
3.0
19
♦ N.S.D.
• On-campus
Off-campus
4
2.5
3.00
3.25
3.50
3.75
Satisfaction
1. Accessing unit guide and other unit information
2. Accessing unit lecture, tutorial or lab notes etc
3. Interacting with unit learning resources
4. Using the unit calendar
5. Reading unit announcements
6. Contacting teachers via internal unit messaging
7. Contacting students via internal unit messaging
8. Reading contributions to online discussions
9. Contributing to online discussions
10. Completing online quizzes/tests
4.00
4.25
11. Submitting assignments
12. Receiving feedback on assignments
13. Working collaboratively in a group
14. Reviewing unit progress
15. Using the e-portfolio
16. eLive synchronous communication tool
17. iLecture class lecture recording
18. Other iLecture recoding (eg podcasts etc)
19. Deakin’s social software
20. Turnitin plagiarism/originality assessment
9
5.0
2
17
4.5
5
14
4.0
18
6
Importance
20
7
3.5
15
3.0
♦ N.S.D.
• On-campus
Off-campus
2.5
3.00
3.25
3.50
3.75
Satisfaction
1. Accessing unit guide and other unit information
2. Accessing unit lecture, tutorial or lab notes etc
3. Interacting with unit learning resources
4. Using the unit calendar
5. Reading unit announcements
6. Contacting teachers via internal unit messaging
7. Contacting students via internal unit messaging
8. Reading contributions to online discussions
9. Contributing to online discussions
10. Completing online quizzes/tests
4.00
4.25
11. Submitting assignments
12. Receiving feedback on assignments
13. Working collaboratively in a group
14. Reviewing unit progress
15. Using the e-portfolio
16. eLive synchronous communication tool
17. iLecture class lecture recording
18. Other iLecture recoding (eg podcasts etc)
19. Deakin’s social software
20. Turnitin plagiarism/originality assessment
10
5.0
11
12
4.5
1
3
8
9
Importance
4.0
16
13
3.5
3.0
19
♦ N.S.D.
• On-campus
Off-campus
4
2.5
3.00
3.25
3.50
3.75
Satisfaction
1. Accessing unit guide and other unit information
2. Accessing unit lecture, tutorial or lab notes etc
3. Interacting with unit learning resources
4. Using the unit calendar
5. Reading unit announcements
6. Contacting teachers via internal unit messaging
7. Contacting students via internal unit messaging
8. Reading contributions to online discussions
9. Contributing to online discussions
10. Completing online quizzes/tests
4.00
4.25
11. Submitting assignments
12. Receiving feedback on assignments
13. Working collaboratively in a group
14. Reviewing unit progress
15. Using the e-portfolio
16. eLive synchronous communication tool
17. iLecture class lecture recording
18. Other iLecture recoding (eg podcasts etc)
19. Deakin’s social software
20. Turnitin plagiarism/originality assessment
11
5.0
4.5
10
Importance
4.0
3.5
3.0
♦ N.S.D.
• On-campus
Off-campus
2.5
3.00
3.25
3.50
3.75
Satisfaction
1. Accessing unit guide and other unit information
2. Accessing unit lecture, tutorial or lab notes etc
3. Interacting with unit learning resources
4. Using the unit calendar
5. Reading unit announcements
6. Contacting teachers via internal unit messaging
7. Contacting students via internal unit messaging
8. Reading contributions to online discussions
9. Contributing to online discussions
10. Completing online quizzes/tests
4.00
4.25
11. Submitting assignments
12. Receiving feedback on assignments
13. Working collaboratively in a group
14. Reviewing unit progress
15. Using the e-portfolio
16. eLive synchronous communication tool
17. iLecture class lecture recording
18. Other iLecture recoding (eg podcasts etc)
19. Deakin’s social software
20. Turnitin plagiarism/originality assessment
12
5.0
4.5
Importance
4.0
13
3.5
15
3.0
19
♦ N.S.D.
• On-campus
Off-campus
4
2.5
3.00
3.25
3.50
3.75
Satisfaction
1. Accessing unit guide and other unit information
2. Accessing unit lecture, tutorial or lab notes etc
3. Interacting with unit learning resources
4. Using the unit calendar
5. Reading unit announcements
6. Contacting teachers via internal unit messaging
7. Contacting students via internal unit messaging
8. Reading contributions to online discussions
9. Contributing to online discussions
10. Completing online quizzes/tests
4.00
4.25
11. Submitting assignments
12. Receiving feedback on assignments
13. Working collaboratively in a group
14. Reviewing unit progress
15. Using the e-portfolio
16. eLive synchronous communication tool
17. iLecture class lecture recording
18. Other iLecture recoding (eg podcasts etc)
19. Deakin’s social software
20. Turnitin plagiarism/originality assessment
13
5.0
11
12
4.5
1
3
8
9
4.0
Importance
16
3.5
3.0
♦ N.S.D.
• On-campus
Off-campus
2.5
3.00
3.25
3.50
3.75
Satisfaction
1. Accessing unit guide and other unit information
2. Accessing unit lecture, tutorial or lab notes etc
3. Interacting with unit learning resources
4. Using the unit calendar
5. Reading unit announcements
6. Contacting teachers via internal unit messaging
7. Contacting students via internal unit messaging
8. Reading contributions to online discussions
9. Contributing to online discussions
10. Completing online quizzes/tests
4.00
4.25
11. Submitting assignments
12. Receiving feedback on assignments
13. Working collaboratively in a group
14. Reviewing unit progress
15. Using the e-portfolio
16. eLive synchronous communication tool
17. iLecture class lecture recording
18. Other iLecture recoding (eg podcasts etc)
19. Deakin’s social software
20. Turnitin plagiarism/originality assessment
14
Mean frequency of use for DSO functions
1 = never; 2 = less than once/week; 3 = once/week; 4 = once/day; and 5 = multiple times/day
15
Mean frequency of use for DSO functions
1 = never; 2 = less than once/week; 3 = once/week; 4 = once/day; and 5 = multiple times/day
On-campus
Off-campus
Mean frequency rating
4.0
3.5
3.0
2.5
2.0
1.5
1.0
1
2*
3
4* 5*
6
7
8
9 10* 11* 12* 13* 14* 15* 16 17 18 19* 20*
DSO Function
16
Mean frequency of use for DSO functions
1 = never; 2 = less than once/week; 3 = once/week; 4 = once/day; and 5 = multiple times/day
Mean frequency rating
4.0
On-campus
Off-campus
2. Accessing unit lecture, tutorial or lab notes etc
4. Using the unit calendar
5. Reading unit announcements
10. Completing online quizzes/tests
11. Submitting assignments
12. Receiving feedback on assignments
13. Working collaboratively in a group
14. Reviewing unit progress
15. Using the e-portfolio
19. Deakin’s social software
20. Turnitin plagiarism/originality assessment
3.5
3.0
2.5
2.0
1.5
1.0
2* 4* 5* 10* 11* 12* 13* 14* 15* 19* 20*
DSO Function
17
Overall satisfaction with DSO
1 = strongly disagree; 3 = neutral; and 5 = strongly agree
Statement
DSO enhances my learning
DSO is reliable and available when I need it
I am satisfied with the level of support I
received in using DSO in my studies
Oncampus
4.25
3.93
3.82
Offcampus
Significance
4.33
F1314 = 2.34
p > 0.12
4.21
F1314 = 23.85
p < 2x10-6
3.93
F1314 = 2.95
p > 0.08
18
Conclusions
In some ways, on- and off-campus students are
becoming more alike …
19
Conclusions
In some ways, on- and off-campus students are
becoming more alike …
… but, there were still significant differences between
on- and off-campus student engagement with the OLE
20
Conclusions
In some ways, on- and off-campus students are
becoming more alike …
… but, there were still significant differences between
on- and off-campus student engagement with the OLE
These differences challenge the institution to understand
the reasons for them …
21
Conclusions
In some ways, on- and off-campus students are
becoming more alike …
… but, there were still significant differences between
on- and off-campus student engagement with the OLE
These differences challenge the institution to understand
the reasons for them …
… and also challenge the value of one-size-fits-all
institutional policies and templates for the use of OLEs
22
Thank you for your time
Presentation: http://myqr.co/IvMW
23