I’m ready – are you?

[ElizabethECharl]

I completed the following questionnaires:

Penn State University: Online Readiness Assessment  Scored 56

San Diego Community College: Online Learning Readiness Assessment  Scored above 45

University of Houston: Test of Online Learning Success Scored 211

Some of the characteristics that are common to all three questionnaires:

* Asked about the personal motivation for undertaking the course via this method

* Checked the learning style, reflective, participatory, kinesthetic and ease with modes of delivery face-to-face, audio-visual, images, textual

* Checked  previous experience of using forums, emails, online discussions, communication with others on the course

* Checked awareness of time needed each week/supportive environment/space to study

*Asked if self-motivated re will keep on track and not fall behind as an independent learner even when subject becomes difficult

*Time management – deadlines and organisation skills

*IT skills – use of PC (emails,internet, file management, updating software), hardware support, keyboard/mouse and if something goes wrong (business continuity)

*Academic skills – from ability to read instructions, express oneself in writing etc.,

THOUGHTS

It was interesting to complete these questionnaires when I am already undertaking an online course and it really made me think about what was required from me regarding equipment, motivation, organisational skills, digital literacy and time. I think it is very important that learners understand what participating in an online course will entail.  It is quite interesting that for most students this level of information is not communicated for traditional face-to-face courses; well certainly not from my experience of education.  There is an assumption that the learner ‘knows what is involved’ without it being explicitly expressed.  Much of the checking is of previous knowledge/expertise of wide range of  IT issues – ones that would normally be addressed and support provided as and when they arise if the learner was being taught on campus. The questionnaires are used as a device to reorientate the student to this way of learning and where necessary to provide an opportunity to address skill gaps in a formative approach that will equip the learner with transferable skills.

Yes the test did accurately identify my readiness to participate on an online course.  So for a learner where it identified they were not, I would hope that the advice or suggestion that both San Diego and Houston provided would be acted upon.  Of course all of this only works if the student is honest/realistic in their responses and don’t over estimate their abilities when completing the questionnaire.

This is a great way of ensuring that students really do understand what is required from them and to ensure that the infrastructure is in place, if you will, to underpin their studies in this medium.  The checking for readiness is is not something I had considered before but I can see how helpful it would be, especially if one wants to improve retention rates.  The more in advance basic issues/skill sets can be dealt with before the course begins the better the outcome for the learner.  Having students coming new to a topic/subject/discipline whilst also trying to become familiar with a new way of studying is like setting them up to fail with two fences rather than just one to clear!

[GraphDesProject]

Hi Elizabeth, I’m picking up on your point about expectations in f2f courses. In the uni course I teach we do make a huge issue of expectations when we induct the f2f learners and indeed as we go on. I really believe that what you set out at the start will “take”. I teach graphics and we always had a problem with learners wanting to do fancy, glamorous image-making rather than learn the basic fundamentals. So we pushed the expectations thing across all issues/areas, stressing that the learners should now be critical young professionals (many of them are directly from school). However, I felt with these surveys that if you got a quite blase or get-by learner they might not take on board the survey feedback and just wave it away. I still think f2f inductions get messages across more strongly and that the start of online courses is more wobbly. Too much “enforcement” goes against the ethos, but it is so easy to miss some of this stuff however well-intentioned both learner and provider are. Perhaps a hang-out or webinar or light-hearted-but-serious video at the start might do the trick better than written materials. Any thoughts??

Sancha (@GraphDesProject)

[GraphDesProject]

Quite by chance I came across the Open Uni (free) 4 hour course for complete beginners at online learning – http://www.open.edu/openlearn/science-maths-technology/computing-and-ict/information-and-communication-technologies/living-the-internet-learning-online/content-section-0

Sancha (@GraphDesProject)

[ElizabethECharl]

Sancha – thank you for that link to this resource – really useful.

[ElizabethECharl]

Sancha

I am glad that this is the case with your f2f course and it is clearly stated right at the beginning and that getting the balance right can be difficult. I agree that students can be blasé and without any additional impetus will probably ignore the advice suggested in the feedback from the questionnaire.  I love the suggestion of a hang-out event or webinar in conjunction with the questionnaire feedback. That would provide that personal interaction that is sometimes needed to underline and explain in more detail why acting on the advice is necessary and important.  If the hangout took place well in advance of the course starting that would allow the opportunity to acquire necessary skills etc., without concerns of falling behind in the course.  A social event or webinar where this issue and previous experience could be discussed amongst participants in groups of 2/3 would also facilitate the students starting to get to know each other at an early stage.  The assumption is that the student is already self-directed and knows and understands the important differences in this mode of study. That would probably be true of quite a large number of online students but if this was a student straight from school – I think the difference would be the same as moving from high school to university and sometimes just as scary.

[SueFolley]

Hi Elizabeth, I think dealing with expectations is a very important thing to tackle whether the course is f2f or online. I think people often assume that it is clear what is expected in f2f courses as that is the norm, and people understand the unwritten rules of engagement. The reality though is that every f2f course is different in terms of what is expected, hours needed to put in, tutor support, how much time needed for independent study, how much group or collaborative work is involved etc. I think that maybe we ought to think about making these expectations clear before people sign up to any course and also having an initial discussion at the start of the course.

[Anortcliffe]

I am revisiting webinars as have time and access to PC finally. Week 2 activity not only digital fluency that is the issue, but also technology.

Good technology should be enabler and inhibitor. We are still in the case of this MOOC has been inhibitor, for example in my experience;

– email overload
– PC for webinar, not tablet compatible
– webinar technology not always been straight forward for speaker and audience
– ocTEL forum logs you times out as you prepare your forum comment
– array technology to engage positive, but also overwhelming
– bandwidth required to support the technology

We need to note Tech’ press recommend to our learners for home use and learning invest in tablets not PC, Brehen (2013). Tablets sales out sells Bradley (2013). We need to ensure technology we use is compatible with our users, so they can use in their own context and technology seamless, or work with as well as challenge their horizons.

Brehen, D. (2013) Tech Talk: Microsoft would do well to look to history, Yorshire Post 26th May 2013, last accessed 29th May 2013 at http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/lifestyle/indoors/gadgets-and-tech/tech-talk-microsoft-would-do-well-to-look-to-history-1-5700822

Bradley, T. (2013). R.I.P. PC? A Closer Look At Gloomy IDC Forecast, Forbes 28th May 2013, last accessed 29th May 2013 at http://www.forbes.com/sites/tonybradley/2013/05/28/r-i-p-pc-a-closer-look-at-gloomy-idc-forecast/

[SolentRoger]

I was ‘ready’ at 12:30 for the webinar which this week is at 5pm (UK BST)

So I ‘d say time management (both me as student and course leaders) is another expectation to manage.

I’m barely keeping track of this course, but trying to stay engaged. One consistent is the webinar which I duly put into my diary for same time every week because I can at least block that time out in advance.
Then the time changes, other commitments already at the new time. Engagement falls off etc etc.
I find webinars much more engaging if I am taking part rather than watching the replay.

One plus is that it has given me time to dig through the forums and post this 🙂

 

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