Blended Learning
for Extra-Occupational (part-time)
Students
Results Presentation of a Students‘ Needs Analysis
Kathrin Uedl, MSc.
Junior Researcher
Institute for Banking and Insurance Industry
FH JOANNEUM, Graz |Austria
CONTENTS
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
Status Quo
Results of a Students‘ Needs Analysis
Success Factors for part-time Students
Implementation
Discussion
Kathrin Uedl | Blended Learning for Extra-Occupational Students | August 2013 | ISBE Conference Berlin
I – STATUS QUO
BA Part-time studies in Austria |Facts & Figures
Also including
programmes that
finish with e.g.
„academic expert“
…
27
Banking,
Finance,
Taxation
No BA degrees;
MBA;
certificates …
688
specific
17
Presence
general
197 Distance
Kathrin Uedl | Blended Learning for Extra-Occupational Students | August 2013 | ISBE Conference Berlin
I – STATUS QUO
BA Part-time studies in Austria in the field of
“Banking/Finance/Taxation” in AUSTRIA
Finance,
Accounting &
Taxation
Banking &
Finance
Controlling,
Accounting &
Financial
Management
Banking & Insurance Industry
Tax Management
Kathrin Uedl | Blended Learning for Extra-Occupational Students | August 2013 | ISBE Conference Berlin
I – STATUS QUO
 PROBLEMS WITH PART-TIME STUDENTS
Heterogenous group of students
Different practical backgrounds;
Different educational requirements;
Different age groups and furthermore priorities;
 In the end: work/family = N° 1 priority;
Tight schedule & use of e-Learning;
Lack of time (learning, preparation);
No work-life-learn balance;
Different attitudes towards “learning” and the
importance of “sustainable learning”
Kathrin Uedl | Blended Learning for Extra-Occupational Students | August 2013 | ISBE Conference Berlin
I – STATUS QUO
RESULTS OF AN ANALYSIS OF STUDENTS‘ PRIORITIES
N=110 (students)
Factor-Analysis
21 factors  reduced to 6
Exams
Study Performance „light“
Job & Career
Family
Social Contacts
Friends & Freetime
Kathrin Uedl | Blended Learning for Extra-Occupational Students | August 2013 | ISBE Conference Berlin
I – STATUS QUO
RESULTS OF AN ANALYSIS OF STUDNETS‘ PRIORITIES
Frequencies-Analysis
Family
1
2
Exams
Social
Contacts
Job & Career
3
4
Study
Performance
„light“
Friends &
Freetime
Kathrin Uedl | Blended Learning for Extra-Occupational Students | August 2013 | ISBE Conference Berlin
II – RESULTS „Needs Analysis“
 RESEARCH QUESTIONS






How do students learn best? (learning type)
How do students organise their learing? (learning style)
When do students learn most?
What expectations do students have concerning the organisation of courses?
What expectations do students have towards teachers?
Does (Could) e-learning contribute to their learning process?
 ASSUMPTIONS






Students are communicative learners;
Students have to be flexible according to job and family duties;
Students learn in the evenings and not on fridays/saturdays;
Students prefer less blocked courses;
Students want teachers to be more available;
E-Learning is not used in order to contribute to the students‘ needs;
Kathrin Uedl | Blended Learning for Extra-Occupational Students | August 2013 | ISBE Conference Berlin
II – RESULTS „Needs Analysis“
RESEARCH METHOD
 Paper-Questionnaire among all students of
„Banking and Insurance Industry“ (part-time, BA) &
„Industrial Management“ (part-time, BA)
Complete-count;
Return-rate: 70 %; N=110 (students)
Statistical Analysis with SPSS
Frequencies-Analysis
Kathrin Uedl | Blended Learning for Extra-Occupational Students | August 2013 | ISBE Conference Berlin
II – RESULTS „Needs Analysis“
LEARNING-TYPE
Students are very communicative – also within
their learning process;
Discussions in different forms are very popular with
part-time students;
In discussions, students combine their knowledge from their
work with what they learn in theory;
By experience, we know that our students only built learning
groups in specific situations (e.g. final BA-exam);
Students are sensitive to written contents;
Students learn easier when „using“ contents;
Kathrin Uedl | Blended Learning for Extra-Occupational Students | August 2013 | ISBE Conference Berlin
II – RESULTS „Needs Analysis“
 LEARNING-STRATEGY
Students don’t have a fixed learning schedule;
They have to be flexible and find an appropriate
work-life-learn-balance;
38 % work overtime;
18 % are on business trips often;
Students are organised learners;
Relevant resources are available for learning;
Additional sources (e.g. books, internet) are used;
Students try to focus on “understanding” than on
“memorizing” contents;
Kathrin Uedl | Blended Learning for Extra-Occupational Students | August 2013 | ISBE Conference Berlin
II – RESULTS „Needs Analysis“
LEARNING-TIME
N=110
Parameter used: MODE
Learning-Time
Mondays
Evenings
Tuesdays
Evenings
Wednesdays
Evenings
Thursdays
Evenings
Fridays
In special cases: Evenings/10 pm
Saturdays
In special cases: Early in the morning/4 am
Sundays & Official Holidays
Full-time
Kathrin Uedl | Blended Learning for Extra-Occupational Students | August 2013 | ISBE Conference Berlin
II – RESULTS „Needs Analysis“
 COURSE- & TEACHER-EXPECTATION
Students dislike enormously blocked courses;
They prefer courses up to a maximum of 4 lessons/course
(= 3 hours);
They have problems concentrating, when courses are planned
longer than 3 hours;
Students dislike courses with partial performances;
Students don’t have enough preparation time for courses,
exams and so on;
Students prefer a methods-mix within classroom-teaching,
like group-working, single-working-tasks, presentations;
Kathrin Uedl | Blended Learning for Extra-Occupational Students | August 2013 | ISBE Conference Berlin
II – RESULTS „Needs Analysis“
COURSE- & TEACHER-EXPECTATION
It is important for the students that contents
refer to their practical knowledge;
Students expect teachers to allow active
discussion;
Students are sensitive to group-working tasks;
they prefer time that is available within the
presence courses and teachers that are available
in the meantime;
Students expect feedback from their teachers;
Kathrin Uedl | Blended Learning for Extra-Occupational Students | August 2013 | ISBE Conference Berlin
II – RESULTS „Needs Analysis“
E-LEARNING & BLENDED LEARNING
95 % of the students claimed that “Moodle” was
only used for up- and downloading of materials;
Students think that “Moodle” can help organising
their learning process more flexible;
Students claim that teachers are not available on
the platform;
Students claim that the combination of e-Learning
and classroom-teaching is not balanced;
Kathrin Uedl | Blended Learning for Extra-Occupational Students | August 2013 | ISBE Conference Berlin
III – SUCESS FACTORS
FOR FOSTERING STUDENTS WITHIN THEIR
LEARNING PROCESS
Responding to the student’s learning type and
strategy;
Allow for active discussions online & in the classroom;
Increase the availability of teachers;
Use of related practical examples in all courses;
Provide written learning documents;
Provide time- and place independent learning
possibilities ( e-Learning);
Kathrin Uedl | Blended Learning for Extra-Occupational Students | August 2013 | ISBE Conference Berlin
III – SUCESS FACTORS
FOR FOSTERING STUDENTS WITHIN THEIR
LEARNING PROCESS
Responding to the student’s learning type and
strategy;
Increase e-Learning;
 External lecturers have to be made aware that e-Learning is
a very important part within part-time organised studies;
 E-Learning tasks should correspond to the students’ learning times;
Organise block-phases up to a max. of 3 hours/course;
Implement different types of instruction;
Provide feedback whenever necessary/possible;
Kathrin Uedl | Blended Learning for Extra-Occupational Students | August 2013 | ISBE Conference Berlin
IV – IMPLEMENTATION
CONSIDERATIONS FOR COURSE-PLANNING
Classroom
Online „Moodle“
Difficult contents;
Organise easy theory blocks
online, e.g. with podcasts;
Use different forms of instruction
(methods-mix);
Provide enough time for groupworking tasks in the classroom;
Feedback-Sessions;
Adopt „Moodle“ to the students‘
learning times during the week;
Allow for discussion;
Use study-related contents, e.g. industry, banking/insurance and so on;
Being available for the students‘ questions;
Kathrin Uedl | Blended Learning for Extra-Occupational Students | August 2013 | ISBE Conference Berlin
V – DISCUSSION
RESTRICTIONS
45 external lecturers vs. 2,5 teachers (degreeprogramme: Banking and Insurance Industry);
External lecturers don’t have enough time for an
appropriate course preparation;
External lecturers are not willing to deal with the
platform “Moodle”
External lecturers (mostly) don’t have a pedagogical
background;
External lecturers adapt the courses to their schedule
and not vice-versa;
Kathrin Uedl | Blended Learning for Extra-Occupational Students | August 2013 | ISBE Conference Berlin
REFERENCES
(1) Meisel, Klaus (2002): Organisationsforschung, Ergebnisse für die
Erwachsenenbildungspraxis, in: Grundlagen der Weiterbildung, Praxishilfen,
p. 1-32, Neuwied
(2) Seufert, Sabine (2001): e-Learning, Weiterbildung im Internet, das “PlatoCookbook” für internetbasiertes Lernen, Smart Books, Kilchberg
(3) Uedl, Kathrin (2012): Implementation of a blended learning concept at the
bachelor-degree-programme Banking and Insurance Industry, Conference
Proceedings, Int. Conference on e-Learning, Belgrade, Sept. 27th to 28th 2012
(4) www.fachhochschulen.at [17.7.2013]
Kathrin Uedl | Blended Learning for Extra-Occupational Students | August 2013 | ISBE Conference Berlin