Perceiving Affordances as Basis for Determining Cloud Computing Needs in Language Teacher Education.

8/9/2019 Perceiving Affordances as Basis for Determining Cloud Computing Needs in Language Teacher Education.

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Perceiving Affordances as Basis for Determining Cloud

Computing Needs in Language Teacher Education.

BY

Abdulmalik Yusuf Ofemile

School of English

University of Nottingham, UK

email: [email protected]











5

OWNERSHIP KIND SOURCE

LEARNER’S

NEEDS

PERSONAL

NEEDS

Age; Sex; Socio-

cultural background;Access to IT resources

outside the school

LEARNING

NEEDS Previous IT Learning

experience; Gap

between target and

present levels of IT

knowledge (e.g. cloud

tools and their uses);

Gap between target

and present levels of

awareness, critical

online skills andstrategies expected of a

language teacher in a

low technology

context. Preferred

learning style

FUTURE NEEDS Requirements for

future practice: Key ITcompetences needed as

a teacher; as a student

in Higher education

TEACHEREDUCATOR’S

(TE’s)NEEDS

PERSONAL NEEDS

Cultural background,educational

background, IT proficiency; Access to

IT outside the school

PROFESSIONAL

NEEDS Preferred teaching

styles; Teacher

training; IT training;Teaching experience;

Key IT expertise &

competences needed as

a TE Access to IT

resources

ITMANAGER’S

NEEDS

INSTITUTIONAL NEEDS

Socio-political needs;market forces;

educational policies;

constraints (e.g. time;

budget, resources, IT

infrastructure)

Table 1: User Needs identified in Needs Analysis and ICT Literature

Table 1 above is derived from needs analysis literature (Masahura, 1998) and research on critical

competencies of an online teacher.



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Research (Dudeney & Hockley, 2009; Porter & Sturm, 2006; Gottschalk, 1995)indicates that

critical online competences desired, developed and passed on to learners by the TEs include how

to use assessment tools with learners; use synchronous and asynchronous online tools, give

appropriate feedback, motivate and encourage students at a distance. It also includes how to create

a positive online learning environment, manage discussions online, organize and monitor projects

online, retain students online, learn on a web based environment, and where to grow and update

their skills as new online technologies emerge (Sturm et al, 2009:375). Thus, needs are identified

by 'ownership'(i.e. whose needs); 'kind' (i.e. types of needs identified), and 'sources' (the sources of

these needs). This enables the researcher assessing needs to looks at each owner's self-perception

of needs, the needs of the owner as perceived by others and needs as objectively measured.

Research design and Methodology: Needs Analysis Framework

The NA framework used in this research is influenced by Queeney's (1995) prescribed NA steps,

Jordan’s (1997) views and Simpson (1996). The framework hopes to aid respondents differentiate

between interests and needs as well as identify their IT needs as they perceive them. Jordan's ten

steps provide clarity while Simpson's summary of needs and checklist analysis provides insights in

the setting of the research contexts. The framework is used to assess perception and triangulate

research methods relying on Long,( 2005) for effective management, comparison validation and

credible interpretation of different sets and sources of data as shown (fig 1)below.

Set the Context

Define the interest

Define the needs

Frame specific questions.

Administration and analysis

Figure 1: Needs Analysis Framework for checklist design (Ofemile, 2010:38)

Setting the context refers to stating the background to the problem from the perspectives of the

learner, teacher, and Institution/ 'other' (Simpson, 1996). Defining interest means specifying the

research focus which is assessing participants’ perception of CC affordances as used on the collegewebsite. Defining needs means recognizing, putting personal and perceived expectations in context.



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This leads to framing specific questions through focus and population specific questionnaire design.

The final stage comprises administration and analysis. Administration refers to data gathering

instruments like questionnaires, guided interviews, informal discussions and discussion interviews.

Analysis focuses on data classification, management and presentation. These might seem too short

when compared to Jordan's but, I believe that they are easy to use and adequate for my context and

purposes.

Study Population

This study population includes students, TEs and IT managers in the college in order to identify the needs of

the learner, teaching establishment, user institution and getting appropriate responses. Participants’

identities have been anonymised for ethics and to ensure confidentiality.

Table 1: Instrument Log (Ofemile, 2010:39)

A combination of sampling procedures was used. The first being purposive at Institutional levels

FCT College of Education Zuba Abuja and the school of Languages. Then Stratified Random

Sampling was used in the selection of students from the general population and staff. These ensured

equity in representation and checked possible absenteeism (Long, 2005). The population for this

research is shown on the Instrument Log (Table 1) above.



8

Data Gathering and Analysis

I adapted Schutz and Darwing's (1983) steps as used by Cowling (2007) to gather data because

they triangulate sources and ensure reliability and validity of methods. And like Richterich and

Chancerel (1980) recommend, this study used surveys, questionnaires, content analysis, job

analysis and interviews to gather data with the learner at the center of the process in a system that

includes the society and all its institutions. The steps are briefly described below.

Discussion and Interviews were conducted with TEs in order to informally gather information

about their perceptions of the students’ IT/CC needs

The self-completion survey questionnaires used have three sections comprising respondents'

characteristics, subjects' felt needs, learner-centered needs, gaps in IT facilities and process oriented

needs (Vernon et al, 2007; Nokelainen, 2006; Bartram & Gibson, 1997).

While discussion questionnaires (Cowling, 2007; Richterich & Chancerel, 1973/1980) were

administered on students, oral interviews were conducted over Skype with a student, TE and ICT

specialist randomly selected and these were transcribed using Audacity for accuracy. The

interviews aimed to understand what students and TEs want from the college website and how they

feel the current set up affects the potentials of the school of languages. Oral interviews were

conducted using interview guides (Sadler & Given (1987) to monitor conversation, allow free

flowing dialogue and where interviewees mentioned issues that needed clarification follow up

questions were asked.

Information obtained from interviews and questionnaires were analysed using the content analysis

matrix (Bartram & Gibson, 1997:32-33). Content analysis was used to identify and describe the

intention, focus and perceptions of affordances by students and TEs. The process began with

focusing on themes generated from ideas expressed. The number of concepts was not limited since

they emerged continuously and similar ideas were grouped under one theme. The concepts were

interpreted in their daily everyday use except where registers were used and irrelevant Ideas were

discarded.



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Findings: Perceptions Emerging

The analysis of responses resulted in some emerging themes among the research population. The

results from the students indicate four trends. They were able to identify gaps in the services

provided in the areas of slow internet speed, difficult access, poor management, high cost of access,

and power outages. They also identified successful activities like partial registration, research and

getting information. In addition, there were academic and non-academic activities that reinforce or

aid learning on the internet like emails, Facebook, chats, research and collaboration. However,

facilities needed included comprehensive course materials, Personal Learning Environment (PLEs),

online multimedia and chat facilities, high speed internet, college Facebook forum, college emails

and adequate storage facilities for students; office applications, online editors and access to free

quality journals for academic and research work

TEs were expected to express their opinions and perceptions on the Strengths, Weaknesses,

Opportunities, Threats, e-tools available and those required without limits. These were grouped as

themes from statements and questions. The TE perceptions are presented in content analysis matrix

(Table 2) below

Table 2: Content analysis matrix of TEs’ responses (Ofemile, 2010:52)



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Themes emerging from table 2 (above) indicate that TEs perceived the college website as good for

student registration and record keeping. While weaknesses identified include lack of information,

poor network and access and one TE said “I hardly have access to it”. They however saw

opportunities for the facility to become better if it is made into an interactive learning environment

that is highly with free academic materials, supported with constant power supply, creating more

awareness and engaging in consultancy services. Threats include poor resource management and

inadequacy of learning facilities available like projectors and Interactive White Board (IWB). They

felt that they needed virtual meeting tools like Skype, chat facilities, dedicated staff emails,

facilities for virtual storage, uploading and downloading teaching materials.

The ICT specialists Hardware, software managers and website managers were interviewed and their

perceptions (Tables 3, 4, 5 below) were technical and managerial.

STATEMENTS AND QUESTIONS

Hardware

Strengths

Hardware

Weaknesses

Internal/

External

Opportunities

Internal/External

Threats

E-Tools

Available

E-Tools Needed

Onlinestudent

registration

Power supply Regular Internetaccess

Frequent change ofequipment

Email facilities

Record

keeping

Virus attack Regular power

supply

Initial cost Text, chat facilities

Weather Updated antivirus Maintenance cost

Table 3: Content Analysis perceptions of Hardware specialists (Ofemile, 2010:53)





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and obsolete software and equipment halt success. They believe that the system needs virtual

storage facilities, multimedia editors, dedicated college email, instant messaging and chat facilities

that enable collaborative learning.

Discussion: Analysing perceptions as needs

The perceptions expressed were analysed as needs and I recognise that details tend to get lost in

generalizations as the voice of the majority becomes more dominant. Demographic information was

classified as personal needs in fig 2 and fig 3 below. They indicate that 97% of the students are

digital natives (born after the information revolution) while only 3% are digital immigrants (were

born before the information revolution).

Figure 2: Age, Sex and course Distribution of Students (Ofemile, 2010:45)

Figure 3: Student's exposure to the Internet (Ofemile, 2010:57)



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Fig 3 indicates that the younger ones (100 Level) have more exposure than older ones to the

internet. This background information form part of the student’s rich experience in the context and

may have profound impact on their perceptions.

Secondly, perceptions have yielded target needs (Hutchinson and Waters, 1987) and these come as

gaps or problems associated with the system like slow and difficult access, poor maintenance and

lack of information. In addition, learning needs (McDonough, 1984) aid successful learning for

students as presented in academic activities possible on the college website.

For TEs the needs are professional (Masahura, 1998) which include virtual meeting and teaching

tools, facilities for chats, downloading and uploading teaching materials. Similarly, ICT

professionals need regular training, increased supervision and periodic audit reports.

Furthermore, these perceptions yielded future needs (McDonough1984) or hypothetical needs

(Bedri, 2010). For the students it was comprehensive course materials and information, personal

learning environments, high speed internet and collaboration facilities. While for the TEs it was a

more interactive learning environment, training workshops and the establishment of a more robust

campus-wide ICT facility.

The institutional needs (Masahura, 1998) cut across the spectrum but resounded more with the ICT

specialists and they perceived the site as effective for managing student registration and

information. However, they saw the need for a robust and strategic ICT policy, efficient power

supply, increased funding, revenue generation through consultancy, upgrading obsolete

infrastructure and software, providing faster campus-wide access to the internet, ensuring data

integrity and regular training for staff and students.

CONCLUSION

This aspect of the study indicates that even with differences in age, experience and training,

interactive perception of an environment could provide the same opportunity for assessing the level

of engagement with an environment (Layne, 2009; Dainoff & Mark, 2007) thus, the needs

perceived could be the same as in the universal recognition of dedicated college email by

participants. However, findings also indicate that perception and needs derived could also be

influenced by experience and training (Norman, 1988) as shown in the diverse perception across

the population segments.



14

The practical implications for the college include the need for a strategic IT policy and

comprehensive training programme for the college. While future research needs to widen the

population base and scope to be more representative.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hplXnFUIpmg



http://explainingcomputers.com/cloud.html#paas








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Perceiving Affordances as Basis for Determining Cloud Computing Needs in Language Teacher Education.

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