LEaD
Learner Experiences
across the Disciplines
Funded by JISC
February 2007 – September 2008
http://www.epcc.ed.ac.uk/projects/lead
The LEaD project team at the University of Edinburgh
– Judy Hardy, Project Manager
– Denise Haywood, Project Officer
• Across the Disciplines
– Jessie Paterson, School of Divinity
– Simon Bates, School of Physics & Astronomy
– Susan Rhind, School of Veterinary Medicine
• Support Services
– Jeff Haywood, Information Services
– Hamish Macleod, Educational Development Unit
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Your role
1. Expert practitioner
•
lecturers, tutors
2. Intermediary
•
learning technologist, e-learning champion, staff developer, educational
developer
3. Researcher or manager
•
course or institution level research to understand the learner
experience
4. Student
5. Education or Funding Agency representative
6. Other…
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Your generation
Age
Generation
“New” technology
A
Baby Boomer
Television
48-65
B
Generation X
Walkman, calculator
32-47
Playstation, Mobile phone
24-31
C
D
Generation Y
(Google pioneers)
Millennials (Google / Instant messaging, Facebook
Net generation)
“computers are not technology”
range
9-23
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The Net Generation
“Today's youth are different from any generation before
them. They are exposed to digital technology in virtually
all facets of their day-to-day existence, and it is not
difficult to see that this is having a profound impact on
their personalities, including their attitudes and
approach to learning.” (Tapscott, 1998)
• Agree?
Select T or 1
• Disagree? Select F or 2
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Aims of the project
• Critical moments: Transition to university and
progression through first year
– through students’ own voices
• Expectations
– regarding the availability and use of e-learning at university
• Adaptation and change
– approaches to e-learning during their first year
• Non-institutional technologies
– to support learning
• Choices
– of e-learning strategies
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Approaches
• One institution
– The University of Edinburgh
•
Three academic disciplines
– Divinity
– Physics
– Veterinary Medicine
Diary themes Semester 1
Early
• Surveys
– At start & end of year
Mid
• Reflective diaries (24 students)
– At key points across the year
– Freeform, guided by questions
– Video, audio or text
• Focus group discussions
Late
Semester 2
First
impressions Return after
first holiday
& transition
After first
assessed
assignment
Nearing the
end of the
first year
Exam
revision
More exam
revision,
holidays
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Student retention
•
•
•
•
•
•
Critical for success of project
Key factors for success included:
Close involvement of academic teaching staff
Being “part of something”
Flexibility of approach
Rewards and benefits
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Prior experiences of e-learning
• Diverse student group
– UK, EU, Overseas, mature (work / home), male, female,
vocational training, fast track, visiting students, disabled, drop
out
– But mainly “Net generation”
• 97% said computers and internet were helpful in
previous studies
• Wide variation in prior experiences of e-learning
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Prior experiences
“We had extensive computer training at my school from when we were
eleven, and we had our own school intranet which was very similar to
WebCT…We were taught touch typing. We had touch typing lessons.”
“The internet was not really introduced into our school until I was in 5th
year.”
“ We didn’t get a use of it and never really got taught it. We just kind of
went on and got slapped if you went on chat rooms. ‘How did you break
down the fire wall ?!!!’ ‘I don’t know, I really don’t know !!’ You know
that sort of thing.”
“Regarding the use of technology, most of my knowledge was gained
as a computer enthusiast and thus I did not have much to learn from
work.”
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Expectations
• 81% confident or looking forward to using technology at
university
• 94% have PC (>90% laptop)
• Expectations limited by lack of experience and
knowledge of what university could offer
– No clear vision of technology-rich education
– Views quite conservative and traditional
– Don’t set high expectations for innovative uses of technology
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Expectations
“I never used computers much at school but I think computers will be
used more at university as more resources are available online and it’s
how we keep in contact with lecturers/tutors.”
“At school you used computers to type up essays or find information
occasionally, whereas at university your whole study depends on
computers, so It’s quite hard if you can’t really use a computer.”
“MyEd I also found really useful in seeing what my timetable was like
and getting lots of other useful information before even getting to
university, other friends not at Edinburgh University did not have
anything like this and they thought it would have been great to have
had.”
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Choices and adaptation
• Technologies used by their lecturers become the norm
– Personal response system (Physics)
– Virtual farm (Vets)
– Blogs (Divinity)
• Find comfort zone and personal ways of working
– Some students are more digital than others
– Aim for balance between different activities/approaches to
learning
– Technology used where they offer added value
• Skills don’t belong to a particular generation
– Students learn from each other where they perceive a need
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Choices: achieving a balance
“I think that there are sufficient learning aids through technology, plenty
enough to busy yourself with.”
“Electronic resources should aid and not replace paper but all the time
the two should work in harmony and it’s brilliant that the WebCT service
has been very useful”
“Overuse of computers during revision will shut down creativity – I
prefer to scribble down things, even if you are going to type them up
neatly later…”
“Encourage lecturers to be more adventuresome… Offer a mixed
approach as students learn differently and want choice. Such as paper
or book, computer or internet, hand out or WebCT. This would fit the
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comfort of the student learning style…”.
Use of personal technologies
• Technology is embedded seamlessly into people’s
lives
Own mobile phone
94%
Own MP3 player
81%
Download music
69%
Use instant messaging
80%
Use social network site
86%
• Nothing special anymore about e-learning
– Just learning with strands of technology running through
• Technology is becoming mainstream
– Blurring of the distinction between technology for education,
administration, research and personal use
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Personal – and institutional - technologies
“I find using Facebook very useful for keeping in touch with friends…on
Facebook you can keep threads, email more than one person at once and
upload photos which is good from a social point of view and also to ask people
about work queries.”
[I] can't revise if I'm not in front of my computer. I use WebCT a lot, or msn for
asking someone who knows about what I need to know.”
“I will sometimes also check to see if there is anyone online on the social
network ‘FaceBook’ that I could send a quick question to...”
“I use a lot of MSN and forums to communicate with fellow students and
teacher, where I can ask questions and discuss with my colleague.”
“Don’t get caught up in too many things online. I have online pages I read, but
I’m still dodging Facebook. I know people who lose a lot of time to these
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things.”
Collaborative learning facilitated by technology
• Face-to-face study groups
“I find it really helpful to go over material with other students, whether
I’m organising that through IT discussion boards or just emailing a
person I know on the course and asking their opinion on something.”
• Direct collaboration online
“I use the forums more as exams become closer to develop an
understanding by talking to other people, work with friends which is
great if either of you is stuck. To teach someone else is just as good as
working through papers.”
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Students’ voices
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Advice from our students to new students
• Purchase a computer before you arrive and make sure you know
how to use and maintain it
• Check compatibility with university networks and course
requirements
• Take advantage of the IT courses and support on offer
• Practice your keyboard skills. This will save you time later
– But there are many occasions when pen and paper are needed
Exams are still mostly handwritten
• Log onto systems and check your email daily
– Much (important) communication takes place online
• University is about self-reliance
– Make sure you have acquired skills to support yourself.
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Advice from our students to the University
• Keep doing what you are doing
– Provision generally good
– Do more, and do it better
• Not everyone has a PC (or uses it on-campus)
– Improve availability of access
– Computer labs, student residences, wireless network coverage
– Promote laptop loan service & laptop check-up workshops
– Consider offering preferential laptop purchase schemes
• Good training and support available
– Make sure students know how to get access to them
– Information skills, IT skills
• More consistency in use of VLE across courses
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Summary
•
•
Diverse experiences
Expect to use technology
–
–
•
Personalisation
–
–
–
–
•
Technology is integral part of people’s lives
The term e-learning does not mean much any more
Find comfort zone & ways of working that are personal to them
Aim for balance between different activities/approaches to learning
Technology needs to offer “added value”
Blurring between personal and institutional technologies
Social
–
–
–
Like to engage in social learning
Supportive of their peers
Often mediated through technology
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Thanks to:
• Participating students
– for diaries, questionnaires and focus groups
• EUSA & SFC
– for ongoing advice and support
• JISC
– for partial funding under the e-Learning pedagogy programme
http://www.epcc.ed.ac.uk/projects/lead
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