We Don't Know What We Think (Darrel Lawlor, Michelle Vanginneken)

Student attitudes & experience with online learning

Do we really know what we think we know?

(Check your assumptions at the door)

University of Regina

In A Nutshell - Who We Are

Look At Us! Growth

Year 2004 2014

Enrollment 547 4362

Courses 22 112

Our Research

What was your experience taking an online course?

Our Big Underlying Question:

Focus of Discussion:

1. Demographics -- how are we doing overall?

2. Mobile devices3. Expectations4. Major assessments5. Motivation to learn6. Why choose online?7. Learning preferences

1. Demographics: Gender

81%

17%

0%2%

FemaleMaleGender Queer

1. Demographics: Age

48%

19%

13%

9%

11%

1%

18-2425-3132-3839-45Over 45Undisclosed

1. Demographics: Location

22%

17%

54%

8%

Location

Rural AreaUrban Area (not Regina)ReginaOther

1. Demographics: Online Courses Taken

36%

18%

19%

26%

1%

1234 or moreUnspecified

Did you know you were taking an online course?

6% did not know

Do you prefer spring/summer, fall or winter?-- 50% said it doesn’t matter

Least preferred:

-- 6% prefer summer

MORE COURSES OFFERED IN SUMMERFaculties do not want online competing with face to face

What was your experience taking an online course?

Our Big Underlying Question:

66% of students never travelled to our website for information

Failing website

87% were satisfied or somewhat satisfied

Satisfied

Somewhat satisfied

Somewhat dissatisfiedc

Dissatisfied

54%

33%

7%

6%

Your experience with online instructors has been...

How Are We Doing?

...online instructor has been...

available to answer questions within 24 hours

approachable and offers multiple ways to connect

respond but timing could be better (within 48)

frustrating and always late with responses (after 48)

instructor did not engage in my online course at all

I feel uncomfortable asking questions, so I don’t ask

54%

45%

26%

12%

9%

7%

How important is an engaged instructor or TA to you?

How Are We Doing?

...engaged instructor has been...

Very important

Important

Somewhat important

Not important

No answer: 1%

64%

25%

6%

4%

Overall, was your instructor proficient in UR Courses?

How Are We Doing?

Instructor proficient in URCourses

Excellent

Good

Fair

Poor

No answer: 1%

43%

43%

11%

3%

Do you actively seek out fully online courses?

How Are We Doing?

Actively seek fully online courses

All the time

Sometimes

Never

No answer: 1%

24%

52%

23%

2. Mobile Devices…

What mobile devices are students using?

Mobile Devices

Andro

id P

hone

Andro

id T

able

t

iPho

neiP

ad

Black

berry

Win

dows Ph

one

Win

dows Ta

blet

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

What Are Students Using Their Device For?

EmailReading Discussion Forums

Posting to DiscussionsAccessing Readings

Reading Course ContentAccessing PDF Documents

Accessing PowerPointVideos

Submitting AssignmentsCompleting Quizzes

0% 20% 40% 60% 80%

What is our LMS Mobile NOT Effective at Doing?

Submitting AssignmentsCompleting Quizzes

Accessing PowerPointAccessing Videos

Accessing PDF DocumentsPosting to Discussions

Reading Course ContentAccessing Readings

Reading Discussion ForumsEmail

0% 5% 10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

What is UR Courses Mobile NOT Effective at doing?

3. Expectations

What percentage of students thought that online would be easier than face to face?

3. Expectations

12% thought online would be easier

3. Expectations

What percentage of students thought online would be harder than face-to-face?

3. Expectations

18% thought online would be harder

29% thought it would be self-paced What is UR Courses Mobile NOT Effective at doing?

12%

18%

9%30%11%

4%

11%2% 4%

Harder than a face-to-face course

A course with defined start and end dates

Self-paced - a course where you can start and finish when you want

Personalized learning with oppor-tunities to choose what you will do with little or no interaction with others

Fully interactive and collaborative (i.e. with student-to-student inter-action and instructor-to-student in-teraction)

A course that follows a weekly schedule

Other: Please specify

no answer

4. Major Assessments

What is your preference for major assessment in an online course?

58% selected: “In lieu of a final exam, a combination of quizzes and assignments.”

Responses

Several graded quizzesOne final examIn lieu of a final exam a combination of quizzes and assignments

Major individual projectTerm paperTeam presentation

48%15%

58%

27%36%

4%

LCT: Putting the Research in Learning into Practice

“We must find ways to get ourstudents to use and practice overtime the new course material that we ask them to learn. Traditionalmethods of letting students listenpassively to lectures and then use

ashort burst of intensive study tocram for a test ...does not result instudents forming new neuralnetworks” (p. 19).

Terry Doyle (2012)

LCT: Putting the Research in Learning into Practice

“By definition, a teaching approachthat allows for cramming fails tomeet the definition of learning.

Cramming results in a hollow victory for students. They often earn a passing grade but they are unable to recall or use most of the information even a week later” (Bjor, 1994; Ebbinghaus,

1913) (p. 20).

Terry Doyle (2012)

CURRENCY?

5. Motivation to learn

What motivates you to learn?

What motivates you to learn (check all that apply

GradesApply knowledge to real world

Choice of assignmentsTimely feedbackParticipation by instructorEngaging with other students

66%

74%42%

46%37%

28%

5. Motivation to learn

Do you find participation in mandatory discussion forums a valuable way to learn?

Did you find participation in discussion forums a valuable way to learn?

Extremely valuablea

ValuableSomewhat valuable

Not valuable

14%

30%33%

21%

5. Motivation to learn

Do you find participation in quizzes a valuable way to learn?

Extremely valuablea

ValuableSomewhat valuable

Not valuable

8%

34%38%

17%

Do you find participation in quizzes a valuable way to learn?

6. Why Choose Online?

Why did you choose to take a course online?

6. Why did you choose Online?

75% selected: “Flexibility of location and time.”

7. Learning Preferences

If you could choose how to best learn course material, what methods would you choose? (check all that apply)

… what methods would you choose?

Videosa

Downloadable text (i.e. PDF)Powerpoint (text only)Powerpoint (with audio)Online conversations Text within URCoursesAudio filesLive real-time chats

65%60%

43%43%

26%

23%21%

21%

Thank you

Michelle van Ginnekenmichelle.vanGinneken@uregina.ca

Darrel Lawlor Darrel.lawlor@uregina.ca