Online study and support groups for postgraduate students
Judith Jeffcoate, Associate Teaching Fellow
What is the problem?
The survey
The pilot study
Postgraduate students in Computing may feel
isolated, as there are no regular tutorials. They
have only limited contact with other students
through a First Class Conference.
At the end of the November 06 presentation,
students from one tutorial group completed a
questionnaire about five different tools that could
be supported by a VLE such as Moodle. The
tools were Wiki, Forum, Chat, Journal and Blog.
They were asked to say how useful each tool
might be in helping them to carry out a set of ten
tasks.
I carried out a pilot study with a
group of volunteers during the
May 2007 presentation.
Some students say that they feel the need for the
chance to discuss ideas with each other.
From an educational viewpoint, there is also a
need for tutorial work to develop the academic
literacies appropriate to postgraduate study. This
could be done through an iterative process of
writing and discussion.
A separate VLE space was
provided for these students.
The study concentrated on
developing the academic
analysis and writing skills required for
postgraduate courses. For example, students
were asked to use first a Wiki and then a
Question-and-Answer Forum to apply a set of
criteria to the evaluation of an academic paper.
Initial findings
40
35
30
The course M883
25
Total score (all tasks) 20
15
10
5
0
Not helpful
Future plans
Chat
Forum
These showed clear preferences for the use of
certain tools to carry out specific tasks.
I am in discussion with the course team about
introducing a revised set of activities to the May
08 presentation. It is proposed that this should
consist of a set of six activities, one for each
volume in the Study Guide. These would be
made available to all students but would remain
optional.
They also highlighted the need for a clear task
structure and the importance of usability.
After further analysis, a revised set of guidelines
will be produced at the end of the project.
Wiki
The project
Blog
Very helpful
The project is designed to look at ways of
supporting students through online study groups
in a VLE. Its main objective is to help them to
develop suitable academic literacies.
Step 1
Survey of tutorial
group from Nov 06
presentation
Analysis of findings
Centres for Excellence in Teaching & Learning
Volunteers will be asked to provide feedback at
the end of the study. The results will then be
analysed to provide a set of draft guidelines for
the design and management of online activities.
Journal
Step 2
Pilot study with
volunteers on May 07
presentation
Analysis of findings
Draft guidelines
Step 3
Proposed study
open to all on
May 08 presentation
Revised guidelines
COLMSCT
M883 (Software Requirements for Business
Systems) is a postgraduate computing course
that is presented twice a year, in November and
May. The course already makes use of some
features of the OU’s virtual learning environment
(VLE), including a Wiki and a reflective journal.