Student perceptions of ICT : a gendered analysis

This paper investigates the attitudes and perceptions of secondary school students to ICT. During the last decade there have been decreasing numbers of students completing ICT subjects at secondary school in their senior years. The data was collected from university students enrolled in a range of first year units. Although the survey was undertaken by university students, the data collected related to their opinions whilst still at secondary school. This study explored two areas: firstly, the reasons why students had elected not to study ICT in their senior years at secondary school; and secondly, it describes a gender analysis of the attitudes and perceptions of students who had elected to study ICT. The analysis found that many students were not interested in studying senior ICT subjects, and for those that were, there were only a few differences between the gendered opinions to ICT

Student perspectives of online learning

The advent of online learning in tertiary education has changed the way students interact with institutions and undertake their studies. All students at Deakin University interact with their courses through an online learning environment. While online learning environments can be evaluated in a number of ways, the perceptions of the key users and their levels of satisfaction with the online learning environment are important measures.This paper presents results of a survey of students studying at Deakin University in 2005. The survey explored their perceptions of learning in the online environment. The results indicate that overall students were enthusiastic about learning in such an environment. The main advantages are the flexibility that it provides and the ability to study when it suits students. The disadvantages include technical issues such as speed of access, and the need to participate regularly. The size and spread of the responses suggest that these outcomes can be generalized for all students studying online.<br /

Accommodating culture and cultural diversity in online teaching

The term \u27culture\u27 has been in common use for a long time. However there is no universally accepted definition and hence it is important to define clearly what culture means in a particular research context. The research reported here is part of a project undertaken at a large Australian university in late 2005. The overall aim of the project was to identify the characteristics of culture and cultural diversity, and to consider how these manifested themselves when teaching and learning in an online environment. The article reports on particular outcomes from the second stage of the project. This involved conducting focus groups with experienced academics and educational developers of online units. The aim was to gain an understanding of culture and cultural difference in the online environment and to consider what strategies were effective in teaching a culturally diverse cohort of online students. The findings from the focus group sessions were benchmarked with other external faculty. The cultural factors of ethnicity and language, attitudes to educational learning, education and prior learning, learning styles and socio-economic background were well supported by the external faculty. However the factors of religion and gender were not supported. Practices for accommodating such cultural differences amongst students within the online class are presented.<br /

Which e-learning technology is right for me?

The range of technologies available to support teaching and learning in higher education continues to grow exponentially. There is a growing expectation for educators to be well informed and familiar with the many suitable technologies and systems that are available to be used for delivering courses online, and to complement classroom (face-to-face) education. Detailed evidence of the perceptions and applications of the use of e-technologies is needed to inform not only teaching practice, but also policy development. These e-technologies need to be matched to pedagogical styles in order for online teaching and learning to be successful. Based on 33 semi-structured interviews, this paper presents a study of staff experiences of e-technologies, using Chickering and Gamson\u27s \u27Seven Principles of Good Practice\u27 to provide educators with information about the most appropriate e-technology to support their pedagogical aims.<br /

Development of an information management knowledge transfer framework for evidence-based occupational therapy

Purpose - Digital technology has changed how people interact with information and each other. Being able to access and share information ensures healthcare practitioners can keep abreast of new and ever changing information and improve services. The purpose of this paper is to present an Information Management - Knowledge Transfer (IM-KT) Framework which emerged from a study looking at digital literacy in the occupational therapy profession. Design/methodology/approach - The research was undertaken in three stages. First an in-depth literature review was undertaken, which enabled the creation of an initial conceptual framework which in turn, informed the second stage of the research: the development of a survey about the use of digital technologies. Occupational therapy students, academics and practitioners across five different countries completed the survey, after which refinements to the framework were made. The IM-KT framework presented in this paper emerged as a result of the third stage of the study, which was completed using the Delphi technique where 18 experts were consulted over four rounds of qualitative questionnaires. Findings - The IM-KT framework assists individuals and groups to better understand how information management and knowledge transfer occurs. The framework highlights the central role of information literacy and digital literacy and the influence of context on knowledge transfer activities. Originality/value - The IM-KT framework delineates clearly between information and knowledge and demonstrates the essential role of information literacy and digital literacy in the knowledge era. This framework was developed for the occupational therapy profession and may be applicable to other professions striving to keep up to date with best evidence

Online students : relationships between participation, demographics and academic performance

Using information technology to support teaching and learning is becoming ubiquitous in tertiary education. However, how students participate and perform when a major component of the learning experience is conducted via an online learning environment is still an open question. The objective of this study was to investigate whether any relationships existed between the participation, demographics and academic performance of students in an information technology course that was taught wholly online. Tracking data generated by the online learning environment was collected throughout the semester. Through a detailed analysis of this tracking data it was found that a relationship existed between students\u27 participation in the online learning environment and their performance, as measured by final results in the course. Relationships also existed between gender, nationality, participation and performance. However, there was no relationship between age and performance and participation. These findings suggest that when designing online learning for a diverse population, student demographics should be taken into account to maximise the benefits of the learning experience. The results also suggest that the tracking data can be used as an early indicator of students who are likely to fail the course since lack of participation early in the semester is indicative of lower outcomes in the course. Being able to identify such students allows staff to take remedial action proactively rather than reactively in the latter part of the semester. <br /

Longitudinal evaluation of ICT intervention programs for girls

Intervention programs creating awareness among girls about the wide range of career opportunities in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) field are conducted in many countries to tackle the problem of female under-representation in ICT. The long-term effects of these programs, however, are rarely evaluated which hinders the understanding of how they could be improved, their value and success factors. The goal of this study is, therefore, to investigate the longitudinal influence of one such program held biennially in Australia since 2006, by analysing survey data both quantitatively and qualitatively (n = 153). The results show that continuous study of an ICT subject at school by girls positively influences both their intention to choose a career in ICT and the actual choice of ICT as a university major. Moreover, the attitude towards the intervention program has a weak, but significant positive effect on the decision to study ICT at school

Students\u27 computing use and study: when more is less

Since the turn of the century there has been a steady decline in enrolments of students in senior secondary computing classes in Australia. A flow on effect has seen reduced enrolments in tertiary computing courses and the subsequent predictions of shortages in skilled computing professionals. This paper investigates the relationship between students&rsquo; computing literacy levels, their use and access to computing tools, and students&rsquo; interest in and attitudes to formal computing study. Through the use of secondary data obtained from Australian and international reports, a reverse effect was discovered indicating that the more students used computing tools, the less interested they become in computing studies

A review of e-learning technologies – opportunities for teaching and learning

The number of different e-learning technologies available to support teaching and learning is growing exponentially. A major issue for faculty and educational developers in higher education is to determine which e-learning technology is most appropriate to support their particular teaching needs and provide optimum learning opportunities for students. Over the last few years a vast amount of literature has been published on e-learning technologies and how they are used in education Therefore the decision to use a particular technology should be based on sound research and clear evidence. This paper reviews many of these e-learning technologies and provides information regarding their use and the opportunities afforded by them.<br /

The impact of IT intervention programs for girls

The goal of our study is to investigate the longitudinal effects of one intervention program for schoolgirls in the Information Technology (IT) field. This bi-annual event has been conducted regularly since 2006 with the aim of confronting a decline in the interest among girls to study IT and promoting study and work opportunities in the field. Each event has been evaluated with pre- and post-event surveys. Longitudinally, both students and teachers have also been surveyed three to four years after the event in which they participated. Results from the 2006 cohort surveyed in 2009-2010 are reported on in this paper. The main conclusion is that, unfortunately, any increase in the uptake of IT in schools that occurred as a result of attending the event was transitory. Therefore, it is crucial that inspiring, engaging, and empowering computing classes are being offered continuously at all secondary schools