Does gender matter in online learning?

It is generally noted that computing is gendered, with women opting out of IT. Will the impact of online learning change this? Some researchers claim that women are disadvantaged in online courses. Others argue that we need a ‘women‐friendly cyber‐classroom’. Yet our experience is that the women achieve better results than the men; it is loner males that are disadvantaged by distance learning. We argue that online courses need to be people‐friendly so that no learners are disadvantaged

Gender issues in computer‐supported learning

Contemporary research identifies significant gender‐related differences in performance and interaction style in computer‐supported learning (CSL) environments. Evidence suggests that initial perceptions of these environments as democratic and offering equal opportunities to all students were flawed because interactions that take place through electronic channels lose none of the sociocultural complexity or gender imbalance that already exists within society. This paper presents a summary of gender‐related issues identified by international research and academic practice together with the opinions expressed by participants in a discussion forum staged at Alt‐C in 2001. Two main questions were addressed during the conference forum. Firstly, if computer access and literacy levels are assumed to be equalizing as the literature suggests, how can educational designers using CSL technologies best serve all student groups? Secondly, does the existence of gender‐based differences in behaviour and interaction style in CSL environments mean that any student group is disadvantaged? The paper concludes with suggestions about how educational designers might increase the flexibility of CSL courses to offer equal opportunities to all students. A number of issues for further research are also identified

A response to the critique of gender issues in computer‐supported learning

We find the critique of our paper both interesting and informative. The author raises a number of points as a caution against oversimplification of the issues surrounding gender and computer-supported learning. We fully acknowledge the difficulty of reporting findings from a number of studies and of attempting to define or analyse the complex interaction of already complex concepts such as gender, identity and behaviour within computer-supported learning environments

Online learning: Which strategies do New Zealand students perceive as most valuable?

More and more tertiary education delivery includes the use of a Managed Learning Environment (MLE). Within this environment academic 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. Instructors have been encouraged to respond positively by applying the various strategies the tools within the MLE software provides. Many instructors 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 instructors feel is valuable about flexible learning versus traditional teaching and learning. There is a gap regarding what strategies the students perceive as most valuable and useful to them. This paper describes the results of a pilot study conducted with Masters computing students (MComp) in New Zealand. The writer asked and documented what teaching and learning strategies the students considered as most valuable and, consequently more motivated to use. Keywords: Teaching/learning strategies, Blackboard, e-learning, flexible learning, valuable, rankin