Evidence for sustainable e-learning in quality online learning environments: a purposive approach to content analysis

This paper examines a methodology for establishing quality in online learning environments. For e-learning to be sustainable in flexible, open and distance learning, its value in learning must be able to be analysed. In the case of computer conferencing, one way to do this is with content analysis. This methodology is discussed with a review of current frameworks. These indicate that while some researchers and evaluators either use or modify existing frameworks, most researchers develop new ones, generally through the adaptation of existing theories, concepts or model, but in some cases through grounded theory approaches. The development and implementation of two frameworks are then discussed in detail. Both were developed to investigate and evaluate both collaborative learning and deep and surface learning as evidenced in computer conferences. Evidence of such learning attributes are precisely the elements of value in e-learning that can be shown through such a methodology. These attributes can then be integrated into courses developed for quality online learning environments.

Communication dynamics : discussion boards, weblogs and the development of communities of inquiry in online learning environments

Online learning environments (OLEs) are now critical to teaching and learning across Australian higher education. Their influence impacts on the availability of content, the design of courses and, perhaps most pedagogically significantly, the nature of communication. The discussion board is the ubiquitous communication tool within these OLEs and hence significantly shapes the kind of communication that takes place. In light of this, the degree to which a successful community of inquiry can be facilitated through the use of discussion boards is examined and compared to the possibilities afforded by weblogs in the same role. Weblogs, it is argued, offer new opportunities in the development of social, cognitive and teacher presence online and should be considered in the development of or alongside established OLEs.

Personal pedagogies and online teaching

This paper describes the rationale for and approach to research that is investigating the context, use and effects of a new teaching and learning online environment on the pedagogical practices of academics in a Faculty of Education in a traditional university setting. The use of online communication software is not new to the university. There is a history of use of a different suite of online communication software, but a new set of ‘tools’ was imposed in a top down model. Associated with this imposition was a requirement that all units in all courses make use of this software at least at a most basic level.

Designing for online communities of learning

This paper will explore the development of online learning communities among postgraduate students at Deakin University who were studying while working. The main objective of the research project being discussed here was to identify impediments to the development of online communities of learning and to suggest how these may be overcome so that students could benefit from the enhancements that online learning communities bring to communities of practice in students' workplaces. While communities of practice develop quite naturally among people working in the same physical space, as people learn from each other as they carry out their tasks at work, they are more difficult to establish in an online setting. Interviews were carried out with students and teachers and the data collected are described. Differing designs of courses, particularly the role of the teacher and the size of the classes, are considered and learning community development in both blended and distance learning environments are discussed.

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.

Wholly online learning in environmental science

In recent years there has been a significant shift in the way courses and subjects are delivered to students in tertiary institutions. Advances in technology have resulted in a change to the traditional face-to-face lecture and tutorial teaching format, with many subjects in tertiary education now available online. Although research has explored the advantages and disadvantages of online learning, there has been little attention paid to this teaching format in the field of environmental science. In particular, there is little evidence in the literature to suggest that this method of teaching is appropriate for studies in environmental science or for environmental science students. This study examined the outcomes from a wholly online subject in environmental science at Deakin University, Australia. More specifically, the study aimed to investigate student views about online learning in environmental science as well as online group work. Questionnaires were distributed to all students who completed the core second year subject Society and Environment in semester 1, 2005. Although many of the responding students (n = 48) recognised the benefits of wholly online learning, the findings suggest that most prefer to learn in a face-to-face environment. This paper examines the implications of these findings for future online teaching methods in this discipline.

Achieving greater feedback and flexibility using online pre-laboratory exercises with non-major chemistry students

Compulsory online pre-laboratory exercises were required of non-major, first-year university chemistry students in response to poor student preparation for laboratory sessions. The online pre-laboratory exercises were designed to be straightforward, endeavoring to help students maximize the benefits of the introductory laboratory class. Diagrams and pictures were included in the exercises to improve descriptions. Students were allowed multiple attempts with immediate feedback provided to help them learn from their mistakes. The study is a descriptive account of students' perceptions of the impact of online pre-laboratory exercises on their learning. Students recognized the value of the exercises in improving their organization, their preparedness for the laboratory class, and their understanding of the chemistry concepts of the weekly experiments. The increased flexibility of doing pre-laboratory exercises online and the increased feedback to students were two important aspects of this project that nearly all students recognized as being beneficial to their learning.

The role of the online teacher in supporting student learning: A case study

As teaching and learning environments for many tertiary courses move to online delivery, it is important to ensure effective student learning is still taking place. This paper presents a review of the current literature on the roles of the teacher and e-tutor in e-learning environments. The research presented here is a case study of a wholly online course in which the role of the etutors was examined. This was achieved through analysis of their online interactions with students from two separate offerings of the course. The study found that in this environment the main role undertaken by all e-tutors was a managerial one. Differences were also noted between the roles undertaken by casual e-tutors and faculty staff.

Supporting first year student supporters : an online mentoring model for supplemental instruction leaders

Supplemental Instruction (SI), or Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PASS) as it is commonly known in Australia, involves experienced senior student Peer Leaders who provide regularly scheduled peer learning sessions with students enrolled in university courses. Commonly implemented on first year subjects, the sessions integrate “how to learn” with “what to learn”, helping students achieve better grades and helping raise student retention rates. This paper discusses the challenges of supporting SI Leaders who are geographically dispersed across multiple campuses and considers the theoretical and empirical literature that informs the development of an online mentoring model.

Profile of a fully online unit in an Australian arts and education faculty

Australia's leading distance education provider, Deakin University, has a policy to ensure all graduates in most courses must successfully complete at least one wholly online unit. Historically, all distance education at Deakin University has been undertaken solely in print. Off-campus students normally receive a Set Text, a series of additional photocopied readings and a Study Guide providing assistance on how to navigate through each weekly topic. Some fully online units currently offered by the University replicate this approach, ever though a distinct pedagogy is needed to ensure wholly online units truly enhance student learning.

This paper outlines the approach we adopted in developing AIX 391 - Work Transitions in the 2Ist Century, a wholly online unit designed to improve the capacity of Arts and Education students to identify viable career paths after they have graduated, The paper outlines the unit's rationale and development over a two-year period in adopting a student-centred approach to enhance teaming outcomes, while exposing students to new and often challenging online technologies. The paper also highlights results from the Student Evaluation of Teaching and Learning surveys, which ranked the unit in the top 5% of all Arts and Education faculty units offered in Semester 2, 2008.

ChemCAL prelabs online

ChemCAL Online is a suite of web-deliverable interactive multimedia tutorials covering a full range of topics in first year chemistry, developed at The University of Melbourne. The resources form an integral part of our first year courses and the system typically delivers over 500,000 pages of information, interactive questions and animations to students in our large first year classes each year.

In 2001, the program was developed further with the addition of the Online Prelab resources - modules of questions and animations, which students must complete before undertaking each laboratory class. The objective was not to replace direct laboratory time or experience for our students, but to increase the effectiveness of this core but expensive aspect of our undergraduate teaching program. Examples from the now over 40 ChemCAL and 16 Prelab modules will be described and demonstrated.

Our evaluation incorporates observations of patterns of use of the product, pre-use and post-use questionnaires and focus group interviews with users. Results indicate that students find the product extremely valuable in their learning and that the inclusion of graphics and interactive features that cannot be found in other media are of particular benefit. Some guidance on possible enhancements is also provided from the analysis. The results are discussed in the context of the wider student experience, especially the now established need for campus-based, full-time students to have access to high quality learning resources that they can access and use flexibly.

Advice on online assessment

A good deal of investigation and development is underway in Australian universities into the possibilities for effective and efficient on-line and computer-based assessment. The current commercial ‘virtual learning environments’, which integrate various curriculum elements at subject level into a single software portal, usually offer various built-in options for student assessment. As well, many on-line assessment initiatives are being locally developed to suit specific curriculum needs.

There are many reasons why on-line assessment is being adopted by Australian universities. Many academics are seeking to diversify assessment tasks, broaden the range of skills assessed and provide students with more timely and informative feedback on their progress. Others are wishing to meet student expectations for more flexible delivery and to generate efficiencies in assessment that can ease academic staff workloads. All staff involved in such initiatives are discovering they face a large number of technical and educational decisions.

The move to on-line and computer based assessment is a natural outcome of the increasing use of information and communication technologies to enhance learning. As more students seek flexibility in their courses, it seems inevitable there will be growing expectations for flexible assessment as well.

At the same time, in a climate of increasing academic workloads, the adoption of on-line assessment may help to manage large volumes of marking and assessment-related administration efficiently. The automation of routine on-line tasks, in particular, may have the potential in the long-term to provide time/cost-efficient student assessment, though the present evidence suggests that some on-line assessment, at least in the early stages, can add significantly both to staff workload and to overall expenses.

Students' use of online academic resources within a course web site and its relationship with their course performance : an exploratory study

Prior research suggests that the online provision of course materials can have a positive impact on students' examination performance. This study adds to the existing literature by investigating the link between the students' use of different forms of online course provisions and tools (i.e. course materials, links and discussion forums) and the final examination performance of students in a second year undergraduate accounting course. Findings indicate a positive association between the number of online files viewed by students, the number of online discussion messages posted by them, and their examination performance. A significant relationship was not found between examination performance and the amount of time spent on the subject's web site, the viewing of links to web sites that were not core to the course being studied, or the passive reading of discussion messages. These findings support the benefits to be gained by providing course materials online and encouraging students to access the materials posted and to participate actively in online discussion.

Quality in flexible, online and distance education at Deakin University, Australia

This chapter presents an overview of the management of quality for flexible, online and distance education (off-campus education) at Deakin University in Australia. In 1974, Deakin University was established as a dual-mode institution educating large numbers of both on- and off-campus students. From its foundation it has increasingly sought to provide the same learning resources, equivalent learning experiences and parity of outcomes to students studying in all modes (Hay, Lowe, Gibb & Anderson, 2002). While this was the ideal on which Deakin was founded, in practice approaches differed across various schools and courses where in some areas integration was achieved through an open-campus model, while in others the tendency was towards separation of the modes of delivery by course. Deakin’s history can be characterised as moving from dual-mode approaches to educating its student cohorts, to a now well articulated, integrated and institution-wide approach to assuring and improving the quality of all modes of educational delivery for an extremely diverse and complex set of student cohorts. In this regard, it makes no particular distinction between these student groups in its policies, procedures and processes relating to educational matters.

Exploring online learning for intersecting communities of practice

The article reports on some research from a larger project into the connections between online learning communities and communities of practice for teachers’ professional learning. The research was conducted in Aotearoa New Zealand within a university graduate diploma programme on ICT education that is provided entirely online. The research reported here explores the experiences of 15 teachers as they studied the GradDipICTEd programme while working as professionals in their school contexts. The findings indicate that online educators working on professional development courses need to work imaginatively in their curricula and pedagogies to enable learners’ reflexive movements between their online and professional communities. This benefits, not only the students as professionals, but also their professional communities of practice. Furthermore, by so doing, the courses provide for productive relationships between educational institutions and related professional bodies.