True Learning

Focus Group

The main issues that online learners tend to have with learning online at UHI were highlighted in this group interview with 6 BACYS learners.

• The importance of timely and consistent tutor feedback;
• A dislike of group work;
• Printing rather than reading on screen;
• A variety of learning approaches and preferences; and
• A preference for blended learning over totally online learning or totally face-to-face learning.

Email

Learners vary in the types of learning activities and experiences that they have learned successfully from doing.

The following is the range of criteria for what 24 UHI online learners consider to be why they have learned successfully online:

• Tutor who is prepared and skilled in facilitation online
• Quick tutor support and feedback
• Finding out for oneself and doing own work
• Reviewing transcripts
• Learners who contribute and participate
• Working alone and working with others

Overall, the results of the email interviews suggest to me that there are a number of key factors that can be taken into account in the design of online courses and the implementation that can encourage learning to take place online.

In particular what seems important is for online learners to be engaged in a variety of meaningful activities, either working alone or working with others, and receiving regular and prompt feedback from their tutors.
 

Telephone

The following is the common criteria for what 9 UHI online learners want in an online course and what is important to them in online learning:

• Tutor support, accessibility & consistency
• Learner support & contact
• Clear & consistent instructions and information
• Accessible and up-to-date information & materials
• Quick & consistent feedback
• Well-run & well-presented site

Overall, the results of the telephone interviews suggest to me that basically what online learners want in an online learning experience is: to feel part of a community, communicating with other people, with easy access to clear and consistent instruction and information, and regular feedback to keep them on track.

Tutor feedback is an important issue for those online learners who like to have continuing guidance and support. They tend to like regular and consistent feedback from their tutors, and some of them would like it immediately if at all possible. In many cases, it seems to me that what they are wanting is reassurance that they are doing the right thing and are on the right track as this kind of feedback improves their confidence and motivation.
 

 Having anlaysed and synthesised the data from all data sources, I am now writing up the research report to describe what the research tells us about the online learning preferences of some of UHI’s online learners.

Overall, what the results demonstrate to me is that the UHI online learners who responded to the survey have a wide range of different preferences for aspects of online learning, such as how they communicate online in groups and with a tutor 1-to-1, and how they like to learn and receive information in an online environment.

The research demonstrates that of the 205 people who completed the survey, many tend to favour what can be considered to be traditional learning methods. Although, the research also indicates that the younger learners (under 18’s) tend to prefer less traditional delivery methods in some areas.

The main learning preferences seem to be for those methods that support more of a verbal kind of learning through the written and spoken word rather than more visual learning and hands-on learning.

Main Survey Findings

The most popular group communicating tools are:

1. Discussion Board (79.1%),
2. Email (64.7%) 
3. Internet Classroom (48.8%).

The most popular ways of receiving information is by:

1. Word Documents (68.7%)
2. Webpages (60.1%)
3. Powerpoints with text or pictures (48.5%)

The most popular ways for taking in information when learning their subject are:

1. Reading text-based materials (71.7%)
2. Do a task (hands on activity (65.7%)

The two most popular ways of learning new information are:

1. Acquiring information by reading, listening to a lecture, watching a video (70.7%)
2. Sharing and discussing ideas and perspectives with others (67.2%)

The most popular ways for communicating 1-to1 with a tutor are:

1. In-person (69.2%)
2. Email (68.7%)
3. Telephone (53.3%)

The frequency they would like to communicate with a tutor directly and privately are:

1. Once a month (28.9%)
2. Once a week (25.4%)
3. Once every two weeks (24.4%)

Out of a sample of 15 UHI online learners asked ‘how quickly they would like a response from their tutor to an important email query or discussion board post’, the two most popular choices are:

1. Within 24 hours………..… 46.7%
2. Immediate response……… 26.7%

The two main reasons for studying the subject are:

1. Personal development (56.6%)
2. Get a qualification to get a job (51.2%)

The results reveal that learning alone is more preferable than working in a group:

• 79.6% tend to like to study alone
• 20.4% tend to like to study in a group

When working with online learning materials:

• 65.8% like to start at the beginning and work methodically through to the end
• 34.2% like to dip in and out, start at different points and access only relevant sections

The results reveal that they prefer more concrete than abstract courses:

• 64.8% favour course with facts, data and real life situations.
• 35.2%% favour courses with ideas, concepts and theories

They feel online learning is most useful for:

• 85.1% learning (information, opinions)
• 14.9% social communication (peer support)

They prefer to print rather than read on screen because:

• 81.1% state that they either ‘Always’ or ‘Often’ print text-based materials rather than reading the text on screen.

From those who provided a comment to ‘what would make learning more enjoyable’:

• 35.5% mention they would like more interaction
• 32.7% mention they would like more tutor support
• 10% mention the desire for meeting up face-to-face with other learners and the tutors during the course.
• 9% mention they would like more structure and better organised group sessions.

From those who provided a final comment:

• 23.4% specifically mention that they value the flexibility of online learning due to family, work, location, or life commitments
• 10% mention that they do not like online learning.
• 9% mention that online learning can be lonely and isolating.

Survey Implications

From these results, it seems to me that more of a variety of delivery tools and presentation methods could be used when designing and facilitating online UHI courses. In particular, more use could be made of email for group work activities and for presenting information to learners, and PowerPoint’s also could be used more for presenting information online.

I think the research results suggest a basic structure and format for online learning that involves making use of those presentation and communication methods and practices that most learners are already familiar with and which are easy to access. Such as:

• Presenting information to read and activities to complete through word documents, web-pages, PowerPoint slides and email;
• Delivering group work activities via a discussion board, and email;
• Providing activities that sometimes involve working alone and sometimes working with others, with regular, quality feedback from tutors.

(I think that online learners getting enough prompt and accurate feedback is probably the single most important variable for improving learning online.)

“I dont like learning online, you cannot ask the tutor a question and get an answer, that you understand, when you need it.”

“Due to family, work and general life commitments on-line learning is the only way I am able to study. It really works for me.”

Some people love it, some people hate it. What is clear is that online learning is not for everyone. For some it is isolating, for others it is rewarding.

From the survey of the UHI online learners, it is clear from many of the optional comments provided that those who are not able to study any other way are more motivated and appreciative of online learning. They really value the flexibility of learning asynchronously.

It is also not surprising that many of those who like learning online happen to be women who are at home with children. (90% of the respondents are female.)

Of the 88 respondents who provided a final comment, 24% specifically mention that they value the flexibility of online learning due to family, work, rural, or life commitments.

From the survey and interview data provided by UHI online learners, I reckon online courses at UHI favours those learners who tend to like to:

• Start at the beginning and Work Methodically Through to the end of online materials
• Learn by Reading text-based materials (word documents, webpages)
• Use the Discussion Board for communicating in group work activities
• Use the Telephone for communicating 1-to-1 with their tutor
• Feel that online learning is most useful for Learning (information, opinions) rather than Social Communication (peer support)

As a result, I think that these learners will tend to be more successful at online learning and will find the whole experience more enjoyable.

UHI online courses tend to be text-based and presented linearly without continual tutor guidance so they tend to favour verbal, sequential learners who are persistent, able to self-evaluate and require little tutor feedback.

I also think that these learners tend to be more internally-motivated than externally-motivated, although they do like external feedback to confirm that they are on the right track.

Of the 205 who completed the survey, I reckon just over 15% fit the above criteria.

Of this 15%, over 90% prefer to Work Alone rather than in a study group, over 80% like to Acquire Information and Discuss Ideas and Perspectives With Others, and over 80% state their main reason for studying their subject is for Personal Development.

I am also analysing the data from the 19 online course developers and facilitators (members of the Canadian Institute of Distance Education Research) who completed the 3-question survey.

What I am looking for here is to find out the type of learning materials, activities and online applications that different educators use to ensure that what their learners are actually doing will result in the desired learning outcomes.

1) What types of online learning materials and learning activities do
you provide to meet the learning outcomes and target learners’ needs?

Although it depends on the nature of the course, lecturers, target learners and their needs, the common experience is to provide some variety of learning materials, media and activities that target learning outcomes, such as textual information, exercises, quizzes, word files, excel files, powerpoints, online articles, email, audio, video, sharing of ideas and experiences etc.

2) How do you deliver these learning materials and activities - through
which online presentation and communication applications (e.g.
discussion board, virtual classroom, email etc)?

Synchronously and asynchronously through virtual learning environments such as Blackboard, Webct and Moodle, and using online communication tools such as discussion boards, email, virtual classrooms etc.

3) Why do you think this combination of online learning experiences and
delivery methods helps your learners to learn your subject?

The instructional designers tend to use a variety of learning experiences and delivery methods in order to meet the learning outcomes and a range of learning preferences. The reasons mentioned for why this works include the following main criteria:

• Provide variety & choice
• Engage learners
• Help learners to feel a sense of community
• Interaction with learner and tutors
• Support from tutors
• Put learner in charge of own learning
• Time for individual work
• Specific materials with clear directions

Summary

Overall, the survey results indicate that having a variety and choice of online learning experiences and delivery media tend to work in meeting learning outcomes and a range of learning preferences for the intended audience in different subject areas. Although the exact combination of delivery methods used does depend on the nature of the course, lecturers, target learners and their needs, there are a number of common factors that are present across different subject areas.