Facilitators and Barriers to Developing Learning Communities
E. Lucy Mathers, and Mike Leigh
Faculty of Computing Sciences and Engineering
De Montfort University, Leicester
Abstract
The widening participation agenda in higher education has seen a growing problem
with the issue of retention. In order to encourage students into deep learning and to
improve their motivation by providing a rich learning environment, this project
investigates the facilitators and barriers to developing on-line learning communities
(LCs).
The study aims to produce a set of guidelines for fostering LCs at a modular level
that include student and staff actions that facilitate student participation and improve
student motivation.
There is no agreed consensus for a universal definition of a learning community.
However, the main idea is that a group of individuals cooperate in building an
environment in which members work together to achieve common goals (e.g.
Bickford and Wright, 2006; Palloff and Pratt, 2005; Rasmussen and Skinner, 1997).
Much of the literature relating to on-line learning communities is focussed on the use
of discussion boards (e.g. Palloff and Pratt, 2005; Hew and Cheung, 2003; Wilson
and Ryder, 1996). While discussion boards can be a useful tool to develop students’
thinking skills, to view different perspectives and to debate a topic, there are
limitations governed by the nature of their implementation. Blogs and wikis, however,
are more flexible in the way they can facilitate the students to both individually and
collectively construct their own learning space and enhance their understanding. This
may be achieved by providing flexibility in the way that the students can organise and
incorporate information with increased ease and as a mechanism to allow the use of
an extended range of external media. Work with blogs and wikis is not as widespread
as that with discussion boards. Doolan (2007) documents their use for enabling
learner-learner communities where “the emphasis is on a self-directed approach”.
This study differs by adopting the well-established e-moderating approach of Salmon
(2004).
LCs have been developed for (and by) students on three different 30-credit modules
on a range of computing science and engineering courses. The LCs are facilitated
by the use of wikis and blogs within the BlackboardTM Virtual Learning Environment
(VLE) and supported by face-to-face activities in lectures, computer lab sessions and
tutorials. The aim is to build participation levels and increase student enthusiasm
within an institutional space. Additionally this develops peer feedback skills,
promotes active learning (Bonwell and Eison, 1991) in their selection and use of
learning materials and allows the adoption of diverse assessment strategies.
Results from an initial questionnaire (before students started using the wikis and
blogs) indicate 65% of the students think it is important to agree a set of ground rules
to cover appropriate use of the wiki and to respect the other students in the LC.
Where ground rules have been developed they have mostly been adhered to. The
students’ reaction to and use of the wikis and blogs has been positive. There is a
wide variety in the presentation of information, reflecting their individuality in learning.
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It has been found that within the wikis students are commenting on and providing
constructive criticism of others’ work, and are also very encouraging towards their
peers.
Wiki use was observed to be most prolific when students were working on the
assessment tasks but general discussion about module topics has been limited.
This paper will start with a brief overview of the study and of the research tools
adopted within an action research approach. The main focus will be on the
facilitators, barriers and transferability of the LC model, resulting in guidelines for
pedagogically sound wiki use. This will include a discussion on the different
assessment strategies adopted, including the integration of self- and peerassessment on one of the modules. Feedback collected via the blogs & wikis and
results of two dedicated questionnaires provide the student perspective. The staff
perspective has been collated through questionnaire and the use of an electronic
voting system at an e-learning symposium. The paper will conclude with a discussion
on the important elements for good use of wikis: ownership, content, interaction and
synergy.
Introduction
This research project stemmed from the aims to find new ways to engender a deep
learning approach by students and to enrich the student learning experience through
the use of technology. VLEs such as BlackboardTM are often used as a content
management system and, as such, are often blamed as the cause of poor
attendance at lectures. With the addition of new Blog and Wiki tools into VLEs, the
opportunity was taken to explore their capabilities in developing online LCs within
modules.
This study considers online LCs as mechanisms to:
 provide a forum for discussion with student provided content
 facilitate peer feedback
 provide a space for students to build a “personal learning landscape”, i.e.
construct their own knowledge.
The main aims of the project are to:
 engender a deep learning approach
 enrich the student learning experience
The objectives of this paper are to communicate the work of the project in terms of:
 the facilitators and barriers to developing online LCs within modules
 guidelines for good use of wikis underpinned by pedagogical approaches
 the transferability of the online LC model
 appropriate assessment strategies that can be used with online LCs
Module Information
Multimedia Animation Production 2 (Level 2, 30-credit module)
The learning outcomes for the module are:
 to be able to design and evaluate multimedia interfaces for implementation of
a multimedia production.
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
to be able to produce a time-based multimedia production incorporating
animation techniques.
The module is based around the coursework assessment: individual production of a
multimedia application. The students are guided through stages of the multimedia
production process (e.g. England and Finney, 2007) supported by lectures and
computer laboratory sessions. The students were randomly allocated into “review”
groups to provide peer feedback and support throughout the coursework process,
specifically during the design stages (Figures 1a, b).
Figure 1. a) The coursework process (draft, review, revise, evaluate & reflect cycle); and b) The
coursework assessment process for the module Multimedia Animation Production 2.
Object-Oriented Systems Analysis & Design (Level 2, 30-credit module)
The main learning outcome for the module is:
 to be able to adopt a process to produce analysis and design models (UML)
from a given case study.
This module incorporates two coursework assessments based upon a case study:
one focuses on analysis and the second on design, adopting an industry standard
development methodology. After the first coursework, a specimen set of analysis
documents are provided so that students are all working from the same starting point
for their design phase. The coursework is a group submission, so the students work
in a team environment that mirrors system development teams commonly found in
industry. It was intended that the wikis would be used to discuss module topics,
prepare system models and documents and as a project management tool for the
coursework assessment (Figure 2).
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Figure 2. The coursework and assessment processes for the modules Object-Oriented
Systems Analysis & Design and Information Systems Development.
Information Systems Development (Level 1, 30-credit module)
The learning outcomes for the module:
 to be able to apply appropriate techniques to produce a requirements
specification and design for a constrained case study, based on supplied
information about user requirements
 to be able to apply practical systems development skills to implement a
prototype system.
The coursework and assessment processes are the same as those described for
Object-Oriented Systems Analysis & Design, shown in Figure 2.
While there are module-specific implementations that result in different use of wikis
and blogs, there is a common philosophy underpinned by the 5-stage e-moderating
model (Salmon, 2004). This describes the role of the e-moderator at various stages
of the wiki development. This approach may be used to develop the higher-order
skills in the cognitive domain of Bloom’s taxonomy (Bloom, 1956; Anderson and
Krathwohl, 2001).
Methodology
An action research approach incorporating:
 a longitudinal study of students’ views using two questionnaires distributed at
the beginning and end of the academic session, resulting in quantitative and
qualitative data;
 a one-off survey of staff views (within the Faculty), the questionnaire contains
some parallels to the student survey resulting in quantitative and qualitative
data;
 use of the same staff questionnaire during a wiki session at an e-learning
conference (Leigh, et al., 2008), resulting in quantitative data;
 observation / experience study resulting in both quantitative and qualitative
data obtained from running the modules.
Wiki and blog implementation
At the outset, stages 1 and 2 (access, motivation and online socialisation) from the
Salmon (2004) model were combined. Lectures provided the introduction, explaining
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the rationale for using wikis. Small group sessions (labs or tutorials) were used to
introduce in more detail what wikis are and how they may be used (Lefever, 2007).
Introductory tasks (introduce yourself, establish a group identity in the wiki, discuss
topics for coursework) were set for the students to carry out on the wiki. Technical
support was provided through the use of example wikis and short guides (e.g. how to
upload an image), as well as face-to-face support when problems arose. Students
were also encouraged at this early stage to think about developing a set of ground
rules for wiki use within their group.
Student tasks for stages 3 and 4 (information exchange and knowledge construction)
related either to initiating discussions on the module topics, or the coursework tasks.
Tutor support was provided mainly by feedback lectures, where information from the
wikis was downloaded by the tutor and discussed, and by demonstrating examples of
good practice of wiki use.
Stage 5 (development), where participants become more responsible for their own
learning, was mainly in evidence on students’ individual reflective blogs. As stated
by Salmon (2004), “… stage five often results in a return to more individual pursuits”.
Individual evaluation and reflection was specifically designed into the assessment
process.
Additionally, wikis that can be accessed and modified by all students enrolled on the
module were also created for a variety of reasons, including for exam revision. In
comparison to the small group wiki use, little or no instruction, guidance,
encouragement or marks were provided to the students for their use.
Results and Discussion
The student perspective
To balance the observational study based around implementation of the wikis, as
described above, a longitudinal study using two questionnaires of the students
participating on the modules was conducted. The first questionnaire (see Appendix
1) was completed early in the session, while students had little or no experience with
using wikis or blogs in an academic environment. The second questionnaire utilised
the same questions (the tense of the questions were reworded) and was conducted
towards the end of the session. Quantitative results from the questionnaire
responses are provided in Appendix 1. Students were invited to make further
comments about the use of wikis on the questionnaire forms. For the first
questionnaire 31 comments were obtained out of a total of 143 returns, representing
approximately 22% of the sample. For the second questionnaire 23 comments were
obtained from 86 returns, representing approximately 27% of the sample.
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Based upon the use of the wikis by the students and the results of the questionnaire,
the discussion has been structured according to the following themes:
 Access to wikis, technical skills and issues
 Use of the wikis (ground rules, monitoring, frequency)
 Use of the wikis as an organisational tool
 Use of the wikis as an aid to learning / academic skills
Access to wikis, technical skills and issues
The majority of students felt satisfied that they had good access to the wikis.
However, a number of comments were received on their use. A minority of students
felt that the tools provided in BlackboardTM were limited, especially relating to the
interface and the uploading of different media types and their quota. A few students
also required technical help using the wiki throughout the module, even though this
was provided both in an example wiki for the students to investigate, and in online
user guides. However, most students were technically capable and presented
content on their wikis using a wide variety of methods and media.
Demonstration of good practice during face-to-face sessions gave other students
knowledge of what is technically possible; modifications to wikis were undertaken
after these sessions.
Use of the wikis (ground rules, monitoring, frequency)
Students agree that a set of ground rules is important for appropriate use of the wikis.
A few students believe that they already know how they should behave in a public
forum and as such to explicitly state ground rules on the wiki is not required. Quite a
few comments were received via the questionnaires relating to frequency of use.
Many students believed that wikis are of limited use unless they are regularly
updated. Students want to know that the wikis are monitored, especially for
accuracy of the content.
Use of the wikis as an organisational tool
Students commented on the usefulness of the wiki as a tool to organise group work,
manage meetings, place content and receive feedback. Very few negative
comments about this aspect of wiki use were received. A few students preferred to
conduct their group work “as they had previously”. The interaction and synergy may
have taken place at face-to-face meetings, yet the wikis were updated following the
meetings with the resulting content and decisions.
Use of the wikis as an aid to learning / academic skills
Collaborative knowledge construction mostly took place in relation to the coursework
tasks, suggesting that many students maintain a relatively shallow learning goal, i.e.
what they need to do to pass the module. This is supported by the questionnaire
results (Appendix 1) where > 40% of the students think marks should be awarded for
wiki use.
Towards deadlines wikis were enhanced in order to improve chances of a better
mark. However, many tasks along the way were completed as a means to an end,
with no immediate specified mark. Assessment is constructively aligned with
learning outcomes rather than specific activities. In this way we have encouraged
deep learning in our students: especially “teaching and assessing in a way that
encourages a positive working atmosphere, so students can make mistakes and
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learn from them.” (Biggs, 2003, p17). Despite different assessment approaches
within modules, they focussed on students’ use of the wikis in terms of:
 Ownership – establishing a group identity and ground rules
 Content – choice of materials, presentation of content, quality of the content
 Interaction and synergy – communication methods and evidence of enhanced
learning.
Module summary statistics for the level 2 modules (Appendix 2) appear to support
this view, at least for the Object-Oriented Systems Analysis and Design module.
Results for Multimedia Animation Production 2 are inconclusive, primarily due to the
small number of students undertaking the module during 2006-2007.
The work contained in the evaluation and reflection was not of outstanding quality.
However, many students had never written reflectively before and did articulate their
thinking about important aspects of their learning. It is anticipated that introducing
reflective writing at level 2 will result in higher quality evaluation in level 3 modules,
especially the dissertation. In fact, it could be argued that reflective writing should be
introduced earlier, at level 1 (Hay and Mathers, 2008).
Cohort-level wikis resulted in very little use by the students and this brings up two
points. The first is that students appear more comfortable in using the wikis in small
groups where they are very encouraging of each other, and lack of knowledge is not
seen as a problem. Secondly, the importance of the e-moderator role in providing
suitable instructions and motivational factors in wiki use is highlighted.
The staff perspective
Staff opinions about the use of wikis and blogs in an online learning community
environment have also been solicited through the use of a survey undertaken at an
e-learning symposium (Leigh, et al., 2008), during a session on wikis and blogs. It
should be noted that staff attending this session are either currently engaged in elearning activities or motivated to engage in e-learning activities, and will have
interest in the educational use of wikis and blogs. The survey questions were also
distributed in questionnaire form to staff within the Faculty of Computing Sciences
and Engineering (CSE) who would consider themselves to be technically literate.
Quantitative results from the survey and questionnaire can be found in Appendix 3.
Nine comments (Appendix 3) were obtained from the CSE staff questionnaire out of
a total of 21 returns, representing 43% of the sample.
43% of (non-CSE) staff feel they lack the technical skills to implement the wikis and
blogs, yet are enthusiastic about including them in their teaching (76%). CSE staff
feel they have the technical skills (71%), but are less sure about using the tools in
their teaching (only 52% of the sample intend to).
Many staff incorporate activities in their teaching that would be easily transferable,
using wikis and blogs, yet 57% of the staff attending the symposium appear to be
unsure of the pedagogy when it comes to the use of technology in this way. CSE
staff are more confident with the pedagogical use of technology (only 38% are
unsure). The majority of staff (>85%) believe that pedagogical support should be
available when designing learning activities that utilise blogs and wikis.
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48% of CSE staff perceive that the time required to assess work will increase when
using blogs and wikis. Time needed for designing appropriate activities is viewed as
an increase in workload and a barrier to implementing wikis and blogs into teaching.
The lower percentage for CSE staff (57% compared with 75% for those at the
symposium) is surprising as many CSE staff have very high teaching workloads.
However, some of the comments reveal that a number of those surveyed already
implement wikis and blogs.
Conclusions
This study was primarily an action research project with the main aims of
implementing a transferable model using wikis and blogs to develop online LCs
within a range of modules. It was intended to find means of helping both staff and
students use the wikis to engender deep learning in an academic setting. The
conclusions of the project are presented in terms of the facilitators and barriers faced
by staff and students, guidelines for implementation of the e-moderating model
(Salmon, 2004), and a discussion on assessment strategies.
What are the facilitators and barriers?
Appendix 4 contains a summary of the facilitators and barriers to using wikis and
blogs to build an online LC within modules. It contains both the staff and student
views drawn from the questionnaires and observations of use in the modules.
Implementing online LCs needs to be core to the constructive alignment of the
learning and assessment strategies of the module. Many staff have interactive group
work and reflective components currently embedded within their teaching, yet are
unsure of the pedagogical use of the technology. They have not recognised that
wikis and blogs are just implementation tools, and feel that it is important to have
pedagogical support available when designing and implementing online learning
activities.
Perceived lack of required technical skills is more of an issue for (non Computing
Sciences and Engineering) staff than students even though they currently incorporate
use of VLEs in their teaching and learning activities.
Many tutors see setup time as a barrier to implementation within their own teaching
because it is viewed as an additional task, rather than a change in their methods.
Since they are on the whole enthusiastic in using web 2.0 tools, it is unclear whether
or not this is related to pedagogical or technical concerns, or both. It is true that
setup time for implementing wikis and blogs, especially the first time it is attempted,
involves a learning curve.
Engagement and motivation of the students using the wikis and blogs is difficult to
assess. Students that were motivated to attend the face-to-face sessions generally
engaged more with the module outside of class time. Students that did not
participate in the face-to-face sessions often did not engage with the wikis and blogs.
For the former group, this increased engagement appears to have led to improved
grades, at least for the Object-Oriented Systems Analysis and Design module. For
other modules this is less obvious as the assessment strategies have changed with
the change to the use of wikis and blogs. Evaluations and reflections generally
demonstrate a higher level of understanding of both module topics and learning
styles.
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Students generally believe they have sufficient skills to evaluate the academic worth
of materials they post onto the wikis. However, this is not demonstrated in practice. It
is recommended that appropriate study skills are embedded into the module,
specifically in relation to evaluation of on-line materials.
Guidelines
The findings presented in Appendix 4 have been used to develop guidelines for
implementing the online LC model.
 As is recognised good practice, all learning activities should be constructively
aligned to the learning outcomes of the module.
 A staff-only wiki set up for tutors on a particular module or course could be
used to build pedagogical and technical confidence.
 Produce back-up plans for important components should the technology be
inaccessible.
 While technical issues are not seen as a concern for students, it cannot be
assumed that everyone is technologically capable in a web 2.0 environment. It
is important for students to get good support from the tutor at the outset; this
may include example wikis created by the tutors and provision of user guides
(e.g. for embedding different types of media). Good practice needs to be
regularly promoted (e.g. through a face-to-face session) which can be used to
increase motivation and participation, as well as to demonstrate technical
possibilities.
 Use face-to-face sessions to deal with misconceptions of module topics and
inappropriate use of the forum.
 Students should be encouraged to add (appropriate) personal information in
order to aid the socialisation process and enable the students to practice with
the technology before they start any real work. For example, “State why you
chose to undertake this module / course of study”, “Add an avatar or picture of
yourself to your wiki page”.
Transferability of the online LC model
Salmon’s (2004) e-moderating model was chosen to underpin the implementation of
the online LCs because it was developed to be transferable. The strategy employed
closely followed the stages in the model and worked well for modules with different
learning outcomes as well as with different assessment mechanisms.
Although there is some commonality among the three chosen modules in terms of
analysing a problem and then designing and implementing a solution, it is felt that
this strategy is transferable to other disciplines.
For example, in the Dance: principles in practice module belonging to another faculty,
it is essential that students engage in peer evaluation since they are unable to view
their own performances as they occur. Self-evaluation and reflection is currently
undertaken through the use of video. Evaluation and feedback takes place in a faceto-face activity, where personal opinions of the student can (and often do) bias the
feedback (Hay and Mathers, 2008). The videos and the feedback mechanism could
be placed within a wiki environment; the fact that all the work is in one location would
make it easier for students to evaluate and reflect upon their achievements. Peers
may also provide more considered evaluative feedback, as an immediate response is
not required.
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Assessment strategies
While the learning outcomes and the assessment processes were different for all
modules, the elements that were assessed of students’ use of the wikis and blogs
were essentially the same: ownership, content, interaction and synergy, which are
seen as indicators of good use for learning. The approach undertaken was to
motivate the students by assigning marks to their use. It was found that a significant
number of students are still marks-focussed. Moderation across the modules
confirmed that, even though different assessment strategies were applied, the marks
awarded for the four elements were comparable for students with similar levels of
achievement. If wikis and blogs are to be used for developing an online LC, it is
suggested that even if no marks are to be awarded, these are the important four
elements that should be focussed on for successful use for learning.
Concluding remark
While Doolan (2007) recently adopted a student self-directed approach to
implementation of wikis and blogs in developing online LCs, this study discusses the
adoption of the e-moderating approach (Salmon, 2004). Similarly, the
implementation described in this study contains different assessment strategies and
differences in the activities conducted on the wikis for different modules. It is
therefore argued that implementation method, as long as the activities conduced
within that method are determined by constructive alignment (Biggs, 2003), is not the
important factor in determining successful use of the wikis for learning. This study
offers the following indicators of good wiki use: ownership of the wiki, discussion of
content brought to the wikis (including presentation and quality), evidence of
integration and synergy resulting in deep learning.
References
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Teaching and Assessing: A revision of Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives.
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http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/PUB7102d.pdf
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Doolan, M.A. 2007. Collaborative Student learning and the Role of the Tutor: Using
online Web 2.0 technologies (Wiki) to enhance traditional face-to-face teaching and
to improve the HE student learning experience. HEA Annual Conference 2007.
Available online. Accessed (12/6/08):
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/assets/York/documents/events/conference/L5.doc
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England, E., and A. Finney, 2007. Managing Interactive Media. 4 th Ed., Addison
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Leigh, M., E.L. Mathers, and J. Philpott, 2008. Using wikis to enhance group tasks.
De Montfort University e-Learning Symposium. Leicester, UK, 16th May 2008.
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http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/icl/monograph/ICL-Monograph.pdf
Salmon. G., 2004. E-moderating, 2nd Edition. Taylor & Francis (Routledge).
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http://www.atimod.com/e-moderating/5stage.shtml
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Acknowledgements
This research was funded by De Montfort University’s Research Informed Teaching
Awards for Excellence scheme. We would like to thank our colleagues and students
for their support and feedback, especially those who undertook the questionnaires
and surveys.
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Appendix 1 – Quantitative results from Student Questionnaires
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Appendix 2 – Module summary statistics
Table 2-1. Object-Oriented Systems Analysis and Design module mark statistics
No. of students on module
>70
60-69
50-59
40-49
30-39
<30
2006 – 2007 2007 – 2008
150
102
10%
22%
18%
33%
27%
24%
21%
11%
13%
7%
11%
3%
Table 2-2. Multimedia Animation Production 2 module mark statistics
No. of students on module
>70
60-69
50-59
40-49
30-39
<30
2006 – 2007 2007 – 2008
18
36
17%
3%
33%
33%
33%
25%
17%
28%
0%
3%
0%
8%
Appendix 3 – Quantitative results from Staff Questionnaire and Electronic
Voting Survey
e-Symposium relates to the staff that conducted the electronic voting survey during a
wiki session at the De Montfort University e-learning symposium (Leigh, et al., 2008).
CSE staff relates to the questionnaire and comments (below) distributed to 21
members of Computing Science and Engineering staff.
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Table 3-1. Staff comments
Blogs/wikis are a good idea, but require particular thought from tutors and extra
work to get students engaged.
I consider Blackboard to be such a poor system that I avoid it. I can do better with
my own web page / scripts.
Q1. I offered this opportunity to final year project students. One or two started
using the blogs then chose to use hard copies instead.
Q4. Possibly due to occasional unreliability of Blackboard.
Wikis are used on one module on which I teach, for students to collaborate, post
up ideas, Q&A etc. – and gain credit later. They seem to work okay – students do
use them.
In general a mechanism for achieving an end that can be reached by other means,
BUT beneficial if students are used to this technology and, therefore, more willing
to engage.
Pressure of work restricts my ability to explore and use this important technology.
I already use wikis and blogs as key instruments for teaching and assessment.
I haven’t used a wiki to date on Blackboard, but I have this year been exposed to
their potential for project management – either individual or group. I intend to
encourage final year project students to use wikis instead of blogs.
I attended a course concerning blogs/wikis. If I hadn’t attended this I wouldn’t have
considered using them in my teaching.
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Appendix 4 – Summary table of facilitators and barriers in developing online
learning communities from both the staff and student perspective.
Facilitators
Barriers
 Enthusiasm for incorporating
new (web 2.0) technologies
into learning activities
 Time required for assessment
not seen as likely to increase
Staff
 Seen to be an aid to
engendering deep learning
 Interactive group work
activities currently embedded
in teaching

Some staff perceive a lack of
required technical skills

Apparent lack of confidence in
understanding pedagogy when
applied to use of technology

Requirement for pedagogical
support when designing online
learning activities

Perceived increase in workload
needed to design and implement
online learning activities

Unsure as to the usefulness of
blogs and wikis in helping them
to learn module topics

Still a large number of students
motivated by marks for using
blogs and wikis

Perceive themselves to have
good evaluation skills for
material selection (but not
strongly evident in postings)

Fewer students accept public
forum for large group activities
and prefer anonymous postings
 Student reflection exercises
common in teaching
 Access to VLE not considered
a problem for most students
 Required technical skills in
place (but small barriers &
need guidance at start)
Students
 Public forum accepted for
small group activities
 Generally adopt sensible
approach to use of online
forums and agree ground rules
are important
 Most agree use of web 2.0
technologies is acceptable for
academic use
Mathers and Leigh
2 July 2008
15