GREEN MODULES FOR SUSTAINABILITY IN
HIGHER EDUCATION: A LONGITUDE STUDY ON
IMPACT ON STUDENTS
By Dr. Fadi Safieddine & Dr. Sin Wee Lee
Keywords: Green Module, Paperless, Education, Student Experience, Virtual Learning Environment (VLE).
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Presentation Content
•
•
•
•
•
Introduction
Background
Methodology
Results and outcome
Conclusion and recommendations for
further research.
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Introduction: Part 1
• The concept of Paperless classroom is not new.
• No previous study looked at the effect the switch
has on students as they move from:
Paper based Classroom Paperless Classroom  Green Classroom
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Introduction: Part 2
• Green Classroom (or subject) is a term where a
module is delivered completely green.
• A completely green classroom means teaching,
delivery of material, assessment, feedback and
marking done:
– Paperless
– No use of storage devices
• This paper studies the progress of four modules
over period of six years as they switch from paper
based, to paperless and then to Green modules.
• The focus of this paper is the effect of this switch
on students performance and experience.
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Case Study:
• Four modules in Computing over five
years of teaching moving from paperbased (P) to paperless (PL) then totally
Green (G).
• Progress of these modules show table 1.
Module/Year
2006/2007
2007/2008
2008/2009
2009/2010
2010/2011
2011/2012
IM0002
P
P
P
G
G
G
IM1024
P
P
G
G
G
G
IM1701
P
P
PL
G
G
G
IM2701
P
P
PL
G
G
G
Table 1: Transfer from paper-based, paperless and onto Green modules.
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Methodology:
• Use of Virtual Learning Environment to
deliver subject:
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Methodology:
• Student submit their assignment online via
the website:
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Methodology:
• Course work collected by academics online and
marked using ‘Comments’ in MS Word.
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Methodology:
• Course work is uploaded back online with detailed
feedback returned with grade to students.
Methodology:
• The full management of course work is done online
by multiple groups and tutors.
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Methodology:
• The full management of course work is done online
by multiple groups and tutors.
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Methodology:
• Students end of term Feedback is collected and
analysed online.
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Methodology:
• Even work collated for external review, internal and
external validations are stored electronically.
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Research Questions
• Two research questions are examined to
determine the impact of switching from a paperbased module to a green module on students:
– What effect, if any, does the switch from paperbased to green module has on students
performance?
– What effect, if any, does the switch from paperbased to green module has on students
experience?
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Research Results:
• Questions 1: What effect, if any, does the switch from paper-based
to green module has on students performance?
• For question one, we shall review students’ grades and passing rate
from period 2006/2007 to 2007/2008 and compare them with period
between 2009/2010 to 2011/2012 and whether there is a difference
and is this difference statistically significant.
Module/Year
2006/07
2007/08
2008/09
2009/10
2010/11
2011/12
IM0002
68.0%
76.4%
76.4%
69.6%
71.9%
72.6%
Correlation
+0.04
IM1024
77.0%
78.8%
68.3%
72.9%
81.9%
78.8%
+0.25
IM1701
N/A
29.0%
38.8%
45.1%
72.9%
71.9%
+0.95
IM2701
72.0%
61.1%
85.7%
86.5%
80.6%
86.1%
+0.68
Table 2: Passing rates (UEL Delta Records, 2012)
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Research Results:
• Questions 1: What effect, if any, does the switch from paper-based
to green module has on students performance?
Module/Year
2006/07
2007/08
2008/09
2009/10
2010/11
2011/12
IM0002
45.0%
48.5%
48.6%
42.8%
46.5%
48.6%
Correlation
+0.14
IM1024
47.0%
46.7%
42.0%
44.1%
49.6%
49.0%
+0.38
IM1701
N/A
32.5%
32.5%
32.8%
45.2%
47.7%
+0.89
IM2701
45.5%
42.2%
54.0%
53.7%
54.0%
54.7%
+0.80
Table 3: Class average grade. (UEL Delta Records, 2012)
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Research Results:
• Questions 1: What effect, if any, does the switch from paper-based
to green module has on students performance?
• Analysis:
– While all correlation results show positive correlation on all the modules,
there are some significant variations.
– Passing rate: Only two out of the four module could be considered
statistically significant.
– Class average: three out of the four module could be considered
significant correlation with one module having minor or no correlation
significance.
• Conclusions:
– The team can safely conclude that the switch to from paper-based to
Green module will not have a negative impact on progression rate or
class average.
– In fact, positive impact should be expected in most cases.
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Research Results:
• Questions 2: What effect, if any, does the switch from paper-based to
green module has on students experience?
• For question two, we reviewed students’ feedback period between 2009/2010
to 2011/2012 on their experience with Green modules as compared to their
experiences with none Green modules that are running parallel and whether
there is a difference and is this difference statistically significant.
IM0002
(2010/11)
IM2701
IM1701
(2011/12)
IM1024
(2011/12)
Total
(0) 0%
(1) 3.6%
(1)1.9%
5.
Very
Unsatisfied
4. Unsatisfied
(0) 0%
(2010/11)
(0) 0%
(0) 0%
(2) 15.4%
(0) 0%
(0) 0%
(2) 3.8%
3.Neither/ unsure
(0) 0%
(2) 15.4%
(0) 0%
(6) 18.8%
(8) 15.3%
2.Satisfied
(3) 60%
(2) 15.4%
(2) 100%
(12) 37.5%
(19) 36.5%
1.Very Satisfied
(2) 40%
(7) 53.8%
(0) 0%
(13) 40.6%
(22) 42.3 %
Total
(5) 100%
(13) 100%
(2) 100%
(32) 100%
(52) 100%
Table 4: Green module feedback (Source WebCT assessment)
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Research Results:
• Questions 2: What effect, if any, does the switch from paper-based to
green module has on students experience?
• Analysis & Conclusion:
– The rate of satisfaction with the green module across all four
modules is 78.8% as opposed to 5.7% who are not satisfied with the
switch.
– We are able to conclusively demonstrate that the majority of
students welcomed the switch and the resistance to the switched
was within acceptable rate.
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Research Limitations:
• General limitations:
•
All four modules are computing, which not includes final year
computing, and module with exams as part of the assessment
method.
• All computing modules may have facilitated the switch given that
all students tend to have a computer and/or majority have
laptops or tablets as well.
• Some of the results in module improvements maybe attributed to
the natural process of improvements the module has over the
years as staff get more experienced in the subject.
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Further Research:
• More inclusive experiment in other schools.
• Answering two more questions regarding the
quantitative aspects of the switch which will
be in our future publication.
– What is the quantitative cost benefit effect of
converting a module from paper based to green?
– What is the qualitative cost benefit effect of
converting a module from paper based to green?
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Q&A
• For more details, please read our publication at:
– INTED 2013: Safieddine. F. and Wee Lee .S (2013).
Green Modules
For Sustainability in Higher Education: A Longitude Study on Impact on
Students. INTED. Valencia, Spain.
• Contact us:
– Dr. Fadi Safieddine, Dr. Sin Wee Lee
– f.safieddine@uel.ac.uk, s.w.lee@uel.ac.uk
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