Experts on e-learning: insights gained from listening to the student voice!

The Student Experience of e-Learning Laboratory (SEEL) project at the University of Greenwich was designed to explore and then implement a number of approaches to investigate learners’ experiences of using technology to support their learning. In this paper members of the SEEL team present initial findings from a University-wide survey of nearly a 1000 students. A selection of 90 ‘cameos’, drawn from the survey data, offer further insights into personal perceptions of e-learning and illustrate the diversity of students experiences. The cameos provide a more coherent picture of individual student experience based on the totality of each person’s responses to the questionnaire. Finally, extracts from follow-up case studies, based on interviews with a small number of students, allow us to ‘hear’ the student voice more clearly. Issues arising from an analysis of the data include student preferences for communication and social networking tools, views on the ‘smartness’ of their tutors’ uses of technology and perceptions of the value of e-learning. A primary finding and the focus of this paper, is that students effectively arrive at their own individualised selection, configuration and use of technologies and software that meets their perceived needs. This ‘personalisation’ does not imply that such configurations are the most efficient, nor does it automatically suggest that effective learning is occurring. SEEL reminds us that learners are individuals, who approach learning both with and without technology in their own distinctive ways. Hearing, understanding and responding to the student voice is fundamental in maximising learning effectiveness. Institutions should consider actively developing the capacity of academic staff to advise students on the usefulness of particular online tools and resources in support of learning and consider the potential benefits of building on what students already use in their everyday lives. Given the widespread perception that students tend to be ‘digital natives’ and academic staff ‘digital immigrants’ (Prensky, 2001), this could represent a considerable cultural challenge

A experiência do aluno em sites de redes sociais como ambientes de aprendizagem

Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro de Comunicação e Expressão, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Design e Expressão Gráfica, Florianópolis, 2016A motivação para esta pesquisa parte de uma percepção a respeito das limitações de interatividade, relativas a comunicação e socialização entre os usuários, em hipermídias de ensino-aprendizagem tradicionais. Considerando que esses processos ocorrem com facilidade em sites de redes sociais, cujo acesso e popularidade são crescentes, investiga-se de que forma o uso dos mesmos como ambientes de aprendizagem influenciam a experiência de participação do aluno. Por meio de estudos exploratórios foram categorizados alguns dos recursos interativos presentes em sites de redes sociais, com foco em suas funções práticas, verificando a aplicação dos mesmos em sites de ensino-aprendizagem. Com o intuito de identificar como o uso de sites de redes sociais influenciam a experiência do aluno, foi realizada uma atividade no Pinterest com alunos de graduação. Essa atividade foi avaliada por meio de um questionário e um grupo focal. Com base nos relatos dos alunos são propostas de recomendações para o uso de sites de redes sociais como ambientes de aprendizagem. Essas recomendações dizem respeito à importância da familiaridade dos alunos com o site de rede social e da necessidade de uma estratégia de uso alinhada com os recursos e dinâmicas de uso dos sites, entre outros aspectos. Abstract : This research comes from a perception about interactivity limitations in traditional teaching-learning hypermedia, related to communication and socialization among users. Whereas these processes occur easily on social networking sites, the use of them as learning environments and the influence in student s participation experience are investigated. Some of the social networking sites interactive features were categorized through exploratory studies, focusing on their practical functions, also checking their application in websites for teaching and learning. An activity with undergraduate students, using Pinterest, was held in order to identify how the use of social networking sites influence their experience. This activity was analyzed through a questionnaire and a focus group. Recommendations for the use of social network sites as learning environments are proposed, based on students feedback. These recommendations concern the importance of student s familiarity with the social network site used and the need for strategies aligned with the website resources and its use dynamics, among other things

Are digital natives a myth or reality?: Students’ use of technologies for learning

This paper outlines the findings of a study investigating the extent and nature of use of digital technologies by undergraduate students in Social Work and Engineering, in two British universities. The study involved a questionnaire survey of students (n=160) followed by in-depth interviews with students (n=8) and lecturers and support staff (n=8) in both institutions. Firstly, the findings suggest that students use a limited range of technologies for both learning and socialisation. For learning, mainly established ICTs are used- institutional VLE, Google and Wikipedia and mobile phones. Students make limited, recreational use of social technologies such as media sharing tools and social networking sites. Secondly, the findings point to a low level of use of and familiarity with collaborative knowledge creation tools, virtual worlds, personal web publishing, and other emergent social technologies. Thirdly, the study did not find evidence to support the claims regarding students adopting radically different patterns of knowledge creation and sharing suggested by some previous studies. The study shows that students’ attitudes to learning appear to be influenced by the approaches adopted by their lecturers. Far from demanding lecturers change their practice, students appear to conform to fairly traditional pedagogies, albeit with minor uses of technology tools that deliver content. Despite both groups clearly using a rather limited range of technologies for learning, the results point to some age differences, with younger, engineering students making somewhat more active, albeit limited, use of tools than the older ones. The outcomes suggest that although the calls for radical transformations in educational approaches may be legitimate it would be misleading to ground the arguments for such change solely in students’ shifting expectations and patterns of learning and technology use

Undergraduate students: interactive, online experiences and ePortfolio development

Results of a previous study by the authors into the perceived value and potential of ePortfolios to assist undergraduate students indicated that technology was an important aspect of their everyday lives. It was also felt it to be beneficial to their learning. A large percentage of students were found to be using digital techniques to store evidence of their learning, and were also using interactive, online tools in their learning activities. There was, however, little reported structured use of ePortfolio development in their learning. Students acknowledged they were discovering for themselves the value of online technologies in learning. This paper focuses on student skills and experiences of online tools on entry to university, and considers their experience of ePortfolio development using the Wordpress personal publishing platform. Results indicate that students’ skill level of online, interactive tools was high and wide-ranging. Although previous experience of using these tools was unstructured and informal, ePortfolio creation was found to be an engaging, relevant and worthwhile activity. The ePortfolio development exercise also provided an experiential learning experience, and had a positive effect on students’ attitudes to learning

The role of E-portfolios in higher education: their perceived value and potential to assist undergraduate computing students

Whilst not a new concept, ePortfolios embrace the interactive nature of Web 2.0 technology and are beginning to show signs of bringing about a new pedagogy in education. The wide range of commercial and open source ePortfolio and associated tools currently available allows students to maintain an online repository of digital artefacts. These tools can facilitate reflective, collaborative and lifelong learning, and allow students to showcase skills, knowledge and understanding. A key benefit identified in the literature is the ability to create a personalised and reflective learning experience. Previous research has shown that the lack of competent and effective use of ePortfolios and the inability of students fully to recognise the benefits to them as learners, are hindering their widespread use. This paper focuses on a small pilot research project, which seeks to identify the Web 2.0 tools that students following undergraduate awards in technology subjects across various levels at the authors’ institution are currently using. It investigates the extent to which students keep a digital record of their learning and how they perceive ePortfolios as a learning tool. The students were surveyed by questionnaire providing quantitative data. Qualitative information was also gained by interviewing a smaller group of those students individually to ascertain whether they were able to identify the value of an ePortfolio and how they might envisage using one in their learning. The outcome of this initial study has helped to determine whether an ePortfolio application was worthy of further development and trialling as a subsequent project

Bridging the Gap: 21st Century Media Meets Theoretical Pedagogical Literacy Practices

In this chapter, the researchers used an ethnographic stance to demonstrate how conversation evolved within a social media platform. They investigated the online discussions and face-to-face dialogues between teacher educators and pre-service teachers. They compared the participants’ reciprocal conversations within this case study to analyze patterns in the language used in each forum in order to identify the affordances and constraints of perceived understanding. Through this discourse analysis the authors sought to identify indicators of each participant’s metacognitive development while engaging in an online book discussion through a social media platform. Data analysis indicated that there was metacognitive growth when comparing the initial reciprocal conversations with the final conversations

Adaptation to Cesarean Birth: Implementation of an International Multisite Study

The purpose of this column is to describe the implementation of an international multisite Roy adaptation model-based study of women’s perceptions of and responses to cesarean birth. The need for the study arose from the concern that women’s childbearing needs may not be met to their full satisfaction, especially if the infant is born by cesarean. Serendipity and networking played a part in the selection of four study sites in the United States (Boston, Milwaukee, Norfolk, Oklahoma City) and two in other countries (Finland, Australia). Data were collected by nursing students and staff nurses. Post-hoc consideration of the diversity of study sites revealed opportunities for examination of the influence of the contextual stimuli of culture and geographic region on the women’s adaptation to cesarean birth. Strategies used to foster integration of teaching, practice, and research are discussed

A literature review of the use of Web 2.0 tools in Higher Education

This review focuses on the use of Web 2.0 tools in Higher Education. It provides a synthesis of the research literature in the field and a series of illustrative examples of how these tools are being used in learning and teaching. It draws out the perceived benefits that these new technologies appear to offer, and highlights some of the challenges and issues surrounding their use. The review forms the basis for a HE Academy funded project, ‘Peals in the Cloud’, which is exploring how Web 2.0 tools can be used to support evidence-based practices in learning and teaching. The project has also produced two in-depth case studies, which are reported elsewhere (Galley et al., 2010, Alevizou et al., 2010). The case studies focus on evaluation of a recently developed site for learning and teaching, Cloudworks, which harnesses Web 2.0 functionality to facilitate the sharing and discussion of educational practice. The case studies aim to explore to what extent the Web 2.0 affordances of the site are successfully promoting the sharing of ideas, as well as scholarly reflections, on learning and teaching