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Researching the student digital experience:What we learned about WebLearnLiz Masterman25th September 2012
Project team:Stuart Lee, Melissa Highton, Liz Masterman (LTG, OUCS)Kat Lee (SSP)Zoe Enstone, Nesrine Abdel Sattar (Graduate Researchers)
Genesis of the project
SSP LTG
DIGE
Research into student experience in HE- Trigwell & Ashwin (2003)- Ertl et al. (2008)
LTG Freshers’ Fair surveys
Research into student experience of e-learning- JISC Learner Experience programme, incl. Thema (Masterman & Shuyska 2011)- Learner & Context (Davies et al.)
Research questions
Mapping the architecture What digital systems and services does Oxford
provide? Mapping the landscape
How are these services experienced by• Students?• Staff?
What shortcomings are there:• Technical and usability?• Gaps in support?
What will be required in 5 years’ time? Recommendations?
The challenge
Reconcile the needs and preferences of 21st-C students with…
…Oxford’s traditions:Research-led learning: student as
‘adult participant’• The tutorial system as well as larger
group teachingThe principle of subsidiarityThe buildings!
© KT Lindsay Photography. All rights reserved
How we did itStudent survey (687)
Staff survey (94)
Interviews with staff (37)
Digital diaries (7)
Digital suggestions box
Focus groups:TPGs, RPGs, international, accessibility(20)
Desk study: ‘Beyond Oxford’(20 universities)
Desk study: digital experience in schools
Mapping the current systems
(mostly between January and March 2012)
Literature review
The student perspective:How digital technologies can improve learning
1. Access to resources (find out where they are)
2. Improve quality of work3. Online resources4. Convenience5. Enhance communication6. Organise learning
Open-ended survey question
The student perspective:‘Creative’ use of digital technologies by teachers Aspect of learning
1. Lecture2. Resources3. Communication
s/admin4. Specific TEL
activity5. Online
submission & feedback
6. Tutorial
Specific benefit
1. Learning of concepts
2. Access to lecture materials
3. Show processes4. Vary/motivate the
learning experience5. Communications/
adminOpen-ended survey question
The student perspective:‘Top 3’ tools/websites
1. Subject-specific websites2. Facebook UG TPG3. SOLO library catalogue UG TPG4. Referencing software TPG RPG5. WebLearn UG TPG6. Wikipedia UG
Open-ended survey question
Students on WebLearn
Usability, usability, usability… (see later) Potential hub (portal) for studies:
WebLearn seems to have great potential to be at the centre of every student’s studies at Oxford if the appropriate information was provided, but the system is quite slow to navigate. It should have some sort of personal interface that directly links to what I could need.
It would also help to have everything in one place – email, GSS, WebLearn, OUCS registration things, even viewing your battels. There could be the Weblearn (or whatever) homepage with at least links to the the other sites at the top, instead of having 5 different websites for everything.
Open-ended survey question
The staff perspective:Why talk to them? Lend support to students’ view (empathise)
Need for ‘portal’/‘gateway’ to services Email ‘overload’
Complement data from students Student desire for instant access to online resources
vs Oxford pedagogic model Supplement data from students
Wider strategic context Staff experience of digital systems may
impinge on students’ experience Knowledge of the digital experience in
previous places of work Speak on behalf of students whom we cannot
reach
What staff value…
The materials that I use in my tutorials are available on WebLearn. At the same time I can download the lecture materials so my tutorials and the lectures are in sync.
The ability of WebLearn to store and retrieve data is outstanding.
…a great way to put problem sheet answers up for the students…
Systems that are intuitive and do not need frequent repair work. […] Weblearn is superb.
…useful for communicating with large numbers of people simultaneously and for people to be able to communicate with each other via the Forum tool.
Open-ended survey question
Staff on students’ use of WebLearn They use it primarily as a source of
materials Other forms of communication are
more functional and easy to access They only use it if told to – not on
their own initiative
So, what’s all this about usability?
Poor mobile interface Cumbersome
navigation
Where am I?
Visually unappealing
Resources pages too like file & folder system
Lack of flexibility in adding users and groups
No batch upload of files
Unintuitive interface
Forget functionality where use is infrequent
Poor integration with OxCORT
Lack of integration with other calendars
Poor integration between test tool & mark book
Summing up…
Difference between Oxford’s digital provision and other HEIs
But... increasing adoption of WebLearn Saïd Business SchoolBlavatnik School of GovernmentContinuing Education
Incoming lecturers enthusiastic
Summing up…
Investment of time needed to realise full potentialDivision of labour
Perceived shortcomings may also be related to:Lack of dedicated supportLow awareness of learning activities
supported……therefore a low level of training in
departments? Inconsistency in use inconsistency in
student digital experienceA necessary, but regrettable, consequence
of subsidiarity?
WebLearn-related recommendations Encourage storage of all learning material in
WebLearn (ES4e/5) Release central resources to assist
departments in: (ES5/6)a. enhancing WebLearn user interface and user
experience;b. overhauling and redesigning sites;c. supporting academic staff in setting up WebLearn
sites for their courses and making appropriate use of it in their teaching.
Further disseminate ‘best practice’ in using IT (32)
Adopt user-centred software design and development methodologies (ES12/18)
For more…
You can download the DIGE project report from the SSP area in SharePoint:
https://sharepoint.nexus.ox.ac.uk/sites/SSP/dige