Over 2000 and 2001 the Flexible Learning Advisory Group (FLAG) funded a program of 9 research projects related to the implementation and use of online learning and delivery. This research has been managed by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research, the principal research and evaluation organisation for the VET sector in Australia.
Summaries of this research are being published in the LearnScope Virtual Learning Community once a week between 4 September 2002 and 28 November beginning with the article What the FLAG research says about online learning publised on September 4.
This week we look at Summary 9 - Online in Regional Areas (b). This study examined factors influencing the uptake and effectiveness of online learning in regional Australia. It also focused on the benefits and barriers this mode offers either as ‘stand alone’ delivery or as part of a mixed mode (or blended) program of delivery.
A number of factors, including, personal circumstance, requirement of the course, availability and the perception that online learning was a challenge determined student choice of online study.
The vast majority of students surveyed indicated they would study online again largely because of the convenience and flexibility online learning offers. Students who did not have positive experiences related the disadvantages to technology, telecommunications, feelings of isolation, time management and self-discipline issues.
Practitioners cited the benefits of online learning as:
- Exposing students to technology
- Allowing greater flexibility
- Catering for a range of learner needs
- Providing access to those who might not otherwise access education
Barriers from a practitioner viewpoint included student technological literacy levels, higher operational costs and slow Internet access.
Some interesting observations in this study have focused on the management of online learning by providers. They include:
- Informal vision of online delivery and lack of clear direction about online delivery at an organisational level
- Lack of systematic method of managing online students via Student Information Systems
Competition of online activity – somewhat unsuccessfully - with conventional modes of delivery for priority and attention from providers.
Online in Regional Areas (b)
Project title and authors: Where to with online learning in regional Australia?(C Horton, R Brennan, C McNickle, J Osborne & K Scholten)
Project Outline: The aim of the study is to examine the factors that influence the uptake and effectiveness of online learning in regional Australia, looking in particular at the benefits and barriers this mode offers either as ‘stand alone’ delivery or as part of a mix mode program of delivery.
A qualitative process has been gathering data from students, teachers, developers and stakeholders engaging in online learning in 4 providers drawn from regional areas in 3 states. To date, interviews have been conducted with 33 students, 24 teachers & 10 stakeholders.
What the research has found so far (work still in progress)
Learner's experiences
- Students indicated they were studying online for a range of reasons, including: good experience, challenge, part of the course, personal circumstance, requirement of the course, and that there was no choice as the course was only available online.
- The majority of students interviewed are studying in mixed delivery mode with online components and found studying online to be a positive experience. Those who haven’t had positive experiences have related the disadvantages to the technology, the telecommunications platforms, and the inability to interact directly with their peers and with teachers. Other drawbacks include feelings of isolation, nervousness with technology, time management issues, greater need for self-discipline, fear that technology may fail and that there will be long response times for queries. In fact, the vast majority of respondents indicated that they would study online again. Their reasons were based on the convenience online learning offers.
- Almost equal numbers of students like online in a mixed mode program as those who like solely face-to-face. They attribute their choice of online to the flexibility it allows, whereas those who prefer face-to-face find online frustrating and slow. This may be related to the fact that some have limited computer knowledge.
Benefits
On the positive side, practitioners feel that online learning:
- exposes students to technology
- allows greater flexibility
- caters for a range of learner needs
- provides access to those who may otherwise not access education
- can be customised to students’ needs
- better meets the need of some students
Barriers
- Practitioners acknowledge that the information technology/internet literacy of student’s significantly impacts upon the experiences of students engaged in online learning.
- Practitioners concurred with these drawbacks, adding insufficient teacher / organisational support, insufficient teacher induction, higher operational costs and
slow internet access to the range of drawbacks.
Other issues: unanticipated findings on management of online learning by providers
Some interesting preliminary observations of the research, which the researchers are following up in the third phase of their investigations, include:
- Organisations do not yet appear to have thorough and systematic ways of identifying and managing online students in their Student Information Systems.
- Organisations have a variety of ways of articulating their vision of online delivery, but at this stage, and from the research, the articulation of views is fairly informal.
- The design of the research methodology made it important to be able to identify and contact online students early in the academic year. The practice in organisationsdoes not appear to be as connected to the academic year. This may be a positive aspect of flexibility in some cases, but may also signify that online activity competes – somewhat unsuccessfully – with conventional modes of delivery for priority and attention from providers. The researchers have found online study beginning and ending in unpredictable cycles in each of the organisations in which they are conducting research.
- There are often different views held in organisations about the role and strength of online as a delivery medium. These seem to contribute to a lack of clear direction inside organisations about how online delivery should be developed, marketed and delivered, and how students should be supported in the online environment.
