Mae McSporran
UNITEC, New Zealand
mmcsporran@unitec.ac.nz

McSporran, M. (2004, November),Web-assisted teaching and learning strategies: Student perceptions. Bulletin of Applied Computing and Information Technology Vol. 2, Issue 3. ISSN 1176-4120. Retrieved from

ABSTRACT

More and more tertiary education delivery includes the use of a Managed Learning Environment (MLE). Within this environment lecturers are known as Instructors. The purpose of a MLE is to facilitate and enhance flexible online learning in a period of extraordinary growth of technology mediated or technology assisted learning. Academics have been encouraged to respond positively by applying the various strategies MLE tools provide. Many academics have published papers on the results of their efforts. However, the majority of the research to date has been focussed on case studies or, what academics feel is valuable about flexible learning versus in-class learning. There is a gap regarding what strategies the students perceive as valuable and useful to them.  This paper describes the results of a pilot study conducted with Post Graduate computing students in New Zealand. The writer asked and documented what teaching and learning strategies the students considered as valuable and were therefore more motivated to use.

Keywords

Teaching and learning strategies, Blackboard, e-learning, flexible learning, ranking, valuable strategies.

1. INTRODUCTION

The motivation for this paper came as a result of reading a paper by Frey, Yankelov and Faul (2003) who conducted a complex study with American Social Work students. Since the New Zealand study is conducted with computing students, the use of computers is built into the course and therefore it is felt that testing the students for their comfort in using computers is unnecessary. The post-graduate computing programme used in this New Zealand study is aimed at students in full-time employment, and classes are held on weekends. Each course is facilitated over four weekends, approximately monthly. Between classes, instructors (known in New Zealand as lecturers) and students communicate via electronic means. The Managed Learning Environment (MLE) of choice by the institution in question is Blackboard©.

2.  BACKGROUND

Like governments all over the world, the New Zealand government is committed to changing the economy from an agriculture-based to a knowledge-based one. The consequence for the New Zealand education sector is a strategic transformation of tertiary education with many institutions re-structuring their course delivery practices to include online teaching and learning. In Australia, according to Kenny (2003) some saew it as a form of cost shifting. Flexible e-learning has already happened and the Internet has already changed how teaching and learning is being delivered and processed (Downes, n.d.).  Web based learning is here to stay (Mason, 1999).

In UNITEC (New Zealand) flexible e-learning has been in place since 1998, when teaching staff members were encouraged to put resources online through a MLE (Northover and Donald, 2002). Even so, many instructors in UNITEC and elsewhere remain wary and sceptical concerning the pedagogy underpinning e-learning and constantly strive to use strategies they sense will be used by students to enhance learning.  And, like their Australian counterparts, a number of universities and most tertiary education providers in New Zealand are prepared to invest in MLE software, which supports flexible or e-learning concepts and materials. The key findings of a Higher Education report by Bell, Bush, Nicholson, O’Brien, and Tran (2002) for the Commonwealth Department of Education and Training Australia (DEST) states:

• Most universities (87.5%) provide an Intranet, which can be accessed by all students.
• A high percentage (92.5%) have made their handbooks available online.
• Online access to university libraries is high (95%).

Whilst the writer has been unable to find equivalent published research figures for New Zealand, a quick search of university web pages confirms that New Zealand institutions are not far behind their Australian counterparts in supplying their students with online resources through MLE software from either a ‘gateway’ or a ‘portal’ website.  In theory, these MLEs should enable any academic to upload material to a Website and transform their teaching material into an interactive resource based flexible e-learning experience for students. In reality, many of these MLE ‘shells’ become a holding pen where lecturers ‘park’ their presentation slides or course notes. The challenge is to encourage and train educators to use technology to a greater advantage and to implement the changes campus wide (Northover, 2002; McNaught, 2002).

Surveyed students constantly report that they find online resources useful (Kenny, 2001). Students appreciate resources that are accessible from anywhere provided they have an Internet browser and a login at their disposal. A great deal of research has been done into how well students learn from this Web assisted delivery in comparison to the traditional mode. However, we must extend our comfort zones and ask the students - what teaching and learning strategies do they perceive as most important to them? . Students are, after all, the ‘consumers’. Quoting a study by Felix (2001), Kenny (2003) suggests that the Web is a viable environment for language learning in particular, but asks: do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages? Kenny’s paper reports that the Felix study found the following advantages and disadvantages:

Table 1. Summary of qualitative feedback on the advantages of online resources after Felix (2001)

Kenny (ibid) warns alos of the changes during the transitional period institutions now find themselves in as they make a shift toward online learning. Examining and comparing the two methods of delivery, Frey et al. (2003, p. 444) argue that measured satisfaction or measured achievement studies conducted comparing traditional lecture courses with Web-assisted e-learning is no longer appropriate because the distinction between traditional and e-learning is diminishing.  Technology is now widely used and therefore in reality many instructors currently use at least some sort of electronic communication to facilitate their teaching (Polloff & Pratt, 2001). Comparing online learning with in-class learning is no longer fashionable as Simonson et al. (2000) report that the delivery mechanism makes no difference and that students learn no better and no worse, at a distance (ibid, p. iii).

Given that a number of teachers do not entirely trust Web-assisted delivery to transfer knowledge to students, it is imperative that any strategy used by the instructor is perceived as useful by the students, otherwise the instructor’s efforts are valueless.

Changing is not easy. Clay (1999) identifies four stages in teachers’ experience, together with levels of concern, as they adapt to the new practice (Clay, 1999, p.3). These stages are awareness, consideration, implementation and innovation. The awareness stage is over, consideration and implementation are proceeding. We need to make informed decisions regarding the strategies students find most useful as we work toward innovation.

This study reports on the strategies that the New Zealand computing students experience and perceive as valuable. To provide a basis for the compariosn, Table 2 displays a selection from the original American findings by Frey, Faul and Yankelov (2003). Note that the top priority, grades, is not a teaching strategy, but a convenience because it is part of the resource supply grouping.

Table 2. Overall ranking by the American Social Work students

3. DESIGN, DATA GATHERING AND RESULTS

The full Computer Attitude Scale (CAS) used by Frey et al (2003) was not used in this work as the participants in the New Zealand study are post-graduate computing students and are therefore extremely computer literate. The New Zealand student age group ranges from 25 to 50. The students are a diverse ethnic group of mainly males (80 - 85%) with female participation varying each semester from 15% to 20%.

One previous study featuring this group of students is Factors Affecting Contributions to Electronic Discussion Boards and Class Profiles (Joyce, 2002). The current sample is small but representative of the Masters Student cohort. Out of the 103 distributed surveys 14 were completed and returned (n=13.59%) No effort was made to ascertain particular learning styles since the Frey et al (2003) study concluded that there appeared to be no difference in student experience of the Web-assisted e-learning regardless of their learning style. Students were simply asked to indicate their perceived value of each of the 18 strategies and whether or not their instructor used the strategy. The strategies are displayed in the original grouping as per the themes suggested in the Frey et al (2003) study (Table 3). These are:

• communication strategies,
• course information strategies,
• learning resource material strategies and
• assessment and grading strategies.

Students were also asked to indicate whether their experience of a particular strategy was on their present course or if they had experienced the strategy elsewhere.

Table 3 below displays the strategies New Zealand Master of Computing students perceive as having the highest value in rank with  scores rated between 1 (no value) to 5 (very valuable). Data were gathered by distribution via email of a questionnaire to our Graduate Computing students. The questionnaire (see Appendix ) replicated the questions asked by Frey et al (2003). The language differed slightly. For example New Zealand tertiary education providers use ‘course prescription' rather than syllabus. One hundred and fifteen emails plus attachments were sent out. Of that number twelve were returned as undelivered. Of the remaining one hundred and three that can be assumed were at least delivered to the user's post box, fourteen completed questionnaires were returned. The replies were predominantly anonymous and the results tabulated in a spreadsheet.

Table 3. Overall ranking by Master of Computing students, New Zealand (* denotes that the strategy was used by all lecturers)

4. DISCUSSION

The results from New Zealand are not consistent with the results if the Frey et al (2003) study. The New Zealand participants are Master in Computing students and it can be noted that they ranked the ability to communicate with peers much higher than the American students. Among the reasons for this ranking is surely the difference in the needs of each student community. The UNITEC Institute of Technology post-graduate papers rely heavily (and are assessed ) on group work whereas the American study does not state the extend to which the Social work and Education students were assessed in groups.

4.1  Communication Strategies

As post-graduate students who only meet once every month in weekend classes, communication and discussion are ranked higher compared to a ranking by students who might meet more regularly on campus. Furthermore, many of the students in post-graduate studies are ‘new’ New Zealanders and have specific language needs. The availability of class email contact addresses and online topic discussion groups ranked sixth and seventh respectively for the New Zealand students. As stated previously, within the Master in Computing classes much of the work is done in groups and these groups are facilitated by email and discussion groups set up by the instructor. Like their American peers, New Zealand students are scarcely interested in ‘Homepages’ for students.

4.2  Assessment and Grading Strategies

It should also be noted that posting of grades on line is still important to post-graduate students, however, the ranking in the New Zealand study is much lower at eighth position, as it is an after-the- event feedback and therefore of limited value. The "Assignment and Grading" group does not appear to be as important to the New Zealand students as the range in ranking for these strategies is from eighth to fifteenth.

4.3  Course Information Strategies

The New Zealand group ranked posting of ‘detailed’ assignment instructions as the most important strategy, with the American group giving this strategy second place.  What constitutes ‘detailed’ is somewhat subjective, however, the high ranking by both groups shows that students are highly concerned with having task related information and understanding exactly what their instructor requires from them. The course information strategy group appears to provide the greatest value to both groups with only the online calendar scoring low by the New Zealanders.  It should be noted that the calendar was not used by all New Zealand instructors.  The high student appreciation of this group of strategies could indicate that participants place more value on information retrieval compared to the other three groupings. The level of study or use of English may differ somewhat between the student participants and this is reflected in the disparity of the value of participating in the online discussion. New Zealand students rated this strategy as seventh whilst American students rated this strategy as seventeenth.  There is also a distinct gender and computer comfort difference in the two groups of students which is discussed below. 

4.4  Learning Resource Strategies

The availability and use of study guides could also be affected by expectations of a particular group of students and their level of study. In New Zealand it is expected that post-graduate students have developed the ability to self regulate their studies.  In UNITEC the post-graduate faculty regulations and forms are available online through the library resources. Quiz format is not considered appropriate for post-graduate study and is not used at all in the New Zealand setting. But, having experienced this in other courses some students marked it as valuable. The availability of online quizzes features tenth in the American study and somewhat lower at eighteenth in the New Zealand pilot.

4.5  Common Denominators

There is an area of commonality in both groups of students (see "Course Information Strategies" above). Tests, email, chat and homepages do not feature as important to both sets of students. Once again the reader is reminded that the pilot group participants in New Zealand are usually in full time work and would have limited time for these particular time-expensive strategies.

4.6  Major Differences between the Two Groups of Students

The American students reported a mean of 23 industry working hours per week whilst studying compared to the New Zealand students predominantly in a 40 hour working week. The participants also differed with respect to gender - only 14% of the American students who participated were male whereas male students made up 80% of the New Zealand Masters group.

4.7  Strategies Used

Of the top six strategies found most valuable by New Zealand students the fourth highest rating for usage by instructors was email communication but even then, according to the participants, only 71% of the instructors used this facility within the course studied. Fifty seven percent of instructors posted what students considered ‘detailed’ assignment instructions and facilitated email contact between all members of the class. Sixty four percent of New Zealand instructors posted a course prescription (syllabus) online. Fifty percent of instructors posted their lecture notes online but the students reported that a mere forty three percent of instructors used announcements. This strategy was perceived as second highest by the New Zealand students.

5.  CONCLUSIONS

The results of the New Zealand pilot study suggest that the most important aspects of the flexible web assisted teaching strategies as far as the post graduate students are concerned are that:

• Course information and communication strategies are very important to students.
• Assignment and grading strategies are ranked lower on the whole by both groups.
• Peripheral extras such as homepages and chat have a lower perceived value.

The study’s findings also seem to suggest that:

• Instructors planning future online initiatives should be aware of what students perceive as valuable as there is the possibility of a gap between what instructors’ feel comfortable using and assume that students will value and what students actually value most.
• Instructors should develop what ‘learners’ value most during development time as well as experimental pedagogical time-expensive coursework initiatives. Otherwise, they risk having their work under-valued and under-utilised by busy part-time students.

The writer tends to agree with Frey et al (2003, p. 455) when they suggest that “more is not necessarily better” when implementing e-learning strategies. (The original instrument suggested that assignment instructions were ‘detailed’ and not ‘brief’ or missing completely).  How much detail should be supplied is of course subjective but this limited the students’ options.  What is clear from the study is that we should stick to the basics as students appreciate clear detailed communication.

Like students in other studies, New Zealand participants find web assisted teaching strategies useful when organising a busy life style. The New Zealand study participants are drawn from people already in industry and studying on weekends. In Australia a similar part time study situation is noted (McNaught, 2002). This situation this is exacerbated by recent increased immigration to both countries together with the rise of the export education industry (Maharey, 2002). Online education is new to many New Zealand students and they like the instructors have to extend their comfort zones by participating with their instructors in online pedagogical experiments. Students at both levels are hardly interested in homepages or chat as part of an educational course.  In the writer’s experience the former is an administration facility used by instructors more than students and unless the latter is assessed it is ignored.

By examining the strategies New Zealand Post Graduate computing students perceive as valuable, convenient and useful to them our instructors should be able to focus on organisation of their online arsenal of teaching and learning strategies. This is not to say that the instructors should refrain from providing and encouraging the use of strategies such as discussion groups for undergraduates. Instructors must continue to provide students with what students perceive as valuable in the first instance whilst encouraging development in the use of other teaching and learning pedagogical strategies as the participants grow and mature in confidence. For instance, the most valuable strategy ranked by the New Zealand is detailed assignment instruction and not all the instructors used this strategy.  Although subjective we must learn to communicate enough detail online to disclose exactly what our assignment requirements are. In a face-to-face (f2f) classes instructions can be queried in order to identify exact requirements. In written communication it is easy to misconstrue ambiguous instructions and students often take the wrong path. Clearly written instructions take longer but save time in the long term for busy students and instructors alike. Communication is the key according to Rossett, Douglis and Frazee (2003). Rossett et al. claim that we, as instructors, focus more on what resources we should provide when learners really want guidance and additional instruction as and when they are ready for it (ibid, p.5). Management, and or online pedagogical experts, must ensure appropriate guidance for instructors when they are planning useful online e-learning strategies that the students will appreciate and, more importantly, use.

5.1.  Future Research

The writer intends surveying the Bachelor of Computing (BCS) undergraduate student group in Semester 2 2004 using the adjusted questionnaire. It will be interesting as well as informative to note if the findings regarding an undergraduate group echo the American study more closely, or reflect the same preferences as the New Zealand Masters cohort. Having learned from this pilot study the extent to which ‘group work’ features in the New Zealand undergraduate courses will be analysed.  This analysis will help identify whether participation and appreciation of online discussion groups is related directly to assessment structure and requirements.

6. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

My thanks to the New Zealand Master in Computing students who took part in this pilot study and to my colleague and supervisor Bob Barbour for his support and encouragement.

7. REFERENCES

Bell, M., Bush, D., Nicholson, P., O’Brien, D., Tran, T. (2002). Universities online: A survey of online education and services in Australia, Commonwealth Department of Education Science & Training, Retrieved 21st June 2004 from http://www.dest.gov.au/highered/occpaper/02a/02_a.pdf

 Clay, M. (1999). Development of training and support programs for distance education instructors. Retrieved April, 3rd 2003 from, http://www.westga.edu/~distance/clay23.html

Downes, S (n/d). Retrieved 17th June 2004 from http://www.acm.org/ubiquity/views/v4i25_downes.html

Felix, U. (2001). “A multivariate analysis of students’ perspectives of web based learning.” Australian Journal of Education Technology 17(1), pp. 21-36.

Frey, A., Faul, A. & Yankelov, P. (2003). Journal of Social Work Education; Fall 2003; 39, 3; Proquest Education Journals, p.443. Retrieved 21 June 2004 from http://www.highbeam.com/library/doc3.asp?docid=1G1:108837072

Joyce, D. (2002). Factors Affecting Contributions to Electronic Discussion Boards A preliminary analysis,  In Kinshuk, R. Lewis, K. Akahori, R. Kemp, T.Okamoto, L. Henderson, & C.-H. Lee (Eds.), Proceedings of International Conference on Computers in Education, pp. 433-434.. Los Alamitos, California: IEEE Computer Society. Paper presented at the Conference, 3-6 December, Auckland.

Kenny, J. (2001). Where academia meets management: A model for the effective development of quality learning materials using new technologies. In G. Kennedy, M. Keppell, C. McNaught & T. Petrovic (Eds.) Meeting at the Crossroads. Proceedings of the 18th Annual Conference of the Australasian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education, pp.327-334, niversity of Queensland, December 9 –12.

Kenny, J (2003). Student perceptions of the use of online learning technology in their courses, ultiBASE, RMIT Retrieved March 21st 2004 from http://ultibase.rmit.edu.au/Articles/March03/kenny2.htm

Maharey, S. (2002). Highways and pathways: Exploring New Zealand’s e-learning Opportunities. The Report of the E-Learning Advisory Group, Chapter One, Exploring Opportunities, Exploring New Zealand’s E-Learning Opportunities, Challenges to the sector, pp.1 – 8. Retrieved 22 July 2003, from http://www.executive.govt.nz/minister/maharey/highways/exploring.htm

Mason, R. (1999). The Globalisation of education: Do we need it? Retrieved 17th July 2003, from http://www-iet.open.ac.uk/pp/r.d.mason/globalbook/globaledu.html

McNaught, C. (2002). Effecting Change in Higher Education: Managing the essential factors, Inaugural Professorial Address at UNITEC, Auckland, New Zealand.

Northover, M. (2002). Online discussion boards – Friend or foe.  In A. Williamson, C. Gunn, A. Young & T. Clear (Eds.) Winds of change in a sea of learning. Proceedings of the 19th Annual Conference of the Australasian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education, pp. 477- 484, Auckland, New Zealand, December, 8 – 11.

Northover, M. & Donald, C. (2002). The Development of online learning at UNITEC – Same environment, New landscape, in A. Williamson, C. Gunn, A. Young & T. Clear (Eds.) Winds of change in a sea of learning, Proceedings of the 19th Annual Conference of the Australasian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education, pp. 443-451, Auckland, New Zealand, December 8 – 11.

Polloff, R.M., & Pratt, K. (2001).  Lessons from the cyberspace classroom. The realities of online teaching.  San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Rossett, A., Douglis, F., & Frazee R.V. (2003). Strategies for Building Blended Learning, Learning Circuits Retrieved 25th June 2004 from http://www.learningcircuits.org/2003/jul2003/rossett.htm

Simonson, M. Smaldino, S., Albright, M. & Zvacek, S. (2000). Teaching and Learning at a Distance, Foundations of Distance Education, New Jersey, Prentice-Hall Inc.

APPENDIX

Questionnaire (with explanations) sent to New Zealand Master of Computing students

Copyright © 2004 Mae McSporran
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