Ready or not?

[fieryred1]

Hi All

Questionnaires – CommonCharacteristics

Computer literacy
Time management
Ability to work alone
Ability to write well
Ability to read well
Not able to be physically on campus
Busy life/work life that prohibits normal course attendance

I’ve had a go at all the questionnaires. I found the most interesting results were where I was classed as ‘nearly ready’. I honestly said on these occasions that sometimes I procrastinate, which we all do when we’re busy. For example, although I managed to post for this week one of the Octel course I didn’t actually post my comments and responses until today. Within some of the questionnaires this made me ‘unready’. If I took the replies/ feedback re this to heart I might not actually attempt an online course. I found them off putting and unsupportive.

I would like to see the results of using these surveys from each institutions and what issues they found they needed to address with the resulting students which were not identified by the surveys? Do they keep the data and use it to support students? Is this a marketing exercise encouraging students to apply when perhaps they aren’t ready? Do these questionnaires give a clear idea of what an online course is actually like?

I think I’d like to see more research and refinement of these questionnaires before using them with students

Sandra (fieryred1)

[ElizabethECharl]

Hi Sandra,

It is interesting that you have picked up on a similar issue that Sancha @GraphDesProject  raised in response to my post – the issue of whether students completing the questionnaire would act on the feedback advice and suggestions made.  Her suggestion was to follow this up with a hang-out or webinar where personal interaction with the tutor might underscore the need to act on the advice.  The questionnaires’ tone is gentle rather than strident and this can be difficult to pitch correctly.  In answer to your points about the validity of the surveys and how these are further used by the institution to support the student; in the further reading Study of McVay Questionnaire this is addressed.

I would hope that with any of these questionnaires that this would be used as a device/tool to have further discussions with the student as to their skills set and readiness for this mode of study.  Almost like a self-assessment and then a detailed follow-up for those areas that were flagged as areas of concern.

[fieryred1]

Hi Elizabeth

thanks for the pointers and advice.

I’m just reviewing McVay

Are there any more studies in this area that you are aware of?

The pre study surveys I’ve been involved with setting before students study online have been more subject specific and also involved students completing a free discussion board and trying a ‘taster’ area before starting a course. The questionnaires seem odd in isolation.

Sandra (fieryred1)

[Rachel Temple]

Hi All,

The areas these questionnaires cover seem to me to fall into the following categories:

Goal setting and motivation
Learning styles
Study skills
Computer skills
Internet skills

I liked Elizabeth’s point (above) that the questionnaires are all quite light-touch, rather than acting as an in depth learning needs analysis for a potential student.

I’m not sure how different the skills listed are from those needed for on campus learning  – you need motivation, IT skills, focus and discipline to engage successfully with any form of study. Having now read the Michael Hall article on the McVay study, maybe I am agreeing with the recommendation that these questionnaires need to include a greater element of measuring ‘comfort with e-learning’ as Hall terms it.

What I got out of completing the questionnaires is that I am still underestimating the amount of time online learning takes.  Online learning gives me the ‘freedom to complete at the pace of my choosing’ to quote one of the questionnaires. But this means that I may never complete at all, as my online learning stuggles to compete with all the other demands of my time.

Rachel

 

[StuartCairns]

I agree with all that is being said.  One thing I did think about the questionnaires are that they are [generally] phrased in such a way, that an individual, wishing to be studious, would not want to provide an answer that would put them in a poor light (if only to themselves!).  I therefore, would want for a more demanding course the provision of  a more in-depth diagnostic assessment, whereby the potential student would be taken through a more comprehensive assessment of their: self-discipline; preferred learning styles; ability for self-directed learning etc; and even the capability of their computer (both hardware and software).  Stuart, Gloucester, UK

[ElizabethECharl]

Hi Sandra,

I found the following that might be of interest, looking at readiness:

Title: The role of readiness factors in E-learning outcomes: An empirical study
Author(s): Keramati, Abbas; Afshari-Mofrad, Masoud; Kamrani, Ali
Source: COMPUTERS & EDUCATION  Volume: 57   Issue: 3   Pages: 1919-1929   DOI: 10.1016/j.compedu.2011.04.005   Published: NOV 2011
 

Title: Distance Students’ Readiness for Social Media and Collaboration
Author(s): Poellhuber, Bruno; Anderson, Terry
Source: INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF RESEARCH IN OPEN AND DISTANCE LEARNING  Volume: 12   Issue: 6   Pages: 102-125   Published: 2011

 
 

[James Kerr]

Penn State University: Online Readiness Assessment
 
Penn State tool feels dated; in fact, it is (Windows NT? Mac OS 10.4?)
 
Results:
Your Total Score is :58        
           
Are you ready?
    You seem to realize that online courses require a considerable amount of time and you are willing to spend it. You have a perfect studying environment with minimum distractions. You finish all projects you start and are persistent in reaching your goals. You seem to learn very easily, have good problem-solving skills and feel very comfortable using online communications and discussing course topics with people you have never seen.
    All these are very important qualities for successful online learning, and you seem to be fully prepared to take charge of your own learning process. The fact that you consistently do things in advance and keep track of all your assignments also bodes well for your success in online learning. It looks like you are a very experienced computer user, and shouldn’t have any problems accessing or interacting with the online course. If you encounter a technical problem with your computer, you can always contact theITS HelpDesk.
    Hopefully this survey has helped you assess whether or not you want to enroll in an online course. If so, then Good Luck! Remember, you can talk with your advisor if you still have questions.
San Diego Community College: Online Learning Readiness Assessment
 
Dated:  comfortable using a mouse? Dialup?
 
Results:
You scored above 45!
You are ready for online learning!
Please review the suggestions below to improve your learning experience.
TASK                     SUGGESTIONS

Online Participation                        Regular and routine visits to your online course will improve your chances of success.
               
               
Interaction                         Interaction online is a positive aspect of distance education.
                              
               
Learning Styles                 Be prepared to read more material for your online course than you would for your traditional courses.

Having an understanding of visual and auditory tools and the software and hardware needed to use these formats of learning will increase the online learning experience.
                              
               
Communications                             You will communicate often with the instructor and other students through email, bulletin boards, and chat rooms.
                              
               
Time Management                          Being motivated and deadline driven will improve your chances of receiving good grades. Depending on the number of credits you will receive for the class you are taking will determine the amount of hours you will need to spend on the course.

You will need to budget your time to meet those needs. Plan on logging on to your course for at least 6 hours a week to ensure completion.

Many assignments are released based on date and time. If you miss that date or deadline, you cannot run to the instructors office and drop off your assignment.
                              
               
Technical Skills                 Having technical skills will only help you in the online learning process. Consider taking more advanced computer skills such as Web Page Creation to improve the quality of your homework.
                              
               
Accommodations                            If you have learning disabilities and if you have adaptive software and hardware to assist you with taking an online course, be sure to contact your instructor and let them know of your needs and abilities.
Online courses are now being designed to meet the needs of ADA requirements. So you should find the online learning experience to be very effective.
If you are a student with a disability, here are the links to the DSPS Department webpages:
San Diego City College
San Diego Mesa College
San Diego Miramar College
Continuing Education
                              
               
Equipment and Software Requirements                   You may be expected to use Plug-ins for your course.
Be prepared to download Plug-ins such as Acrobat Reader and RealPlayer.
                              
               
If you are a very busy individual, yet have the motivation and technical skills to complete an online course, you will find this experience very rewarding. Taking online courses is also a great alternative to the traditional classroom because it allows you to explore emerging technology and to enhance your computer literacy.

You can succeed as an online student if you…
•             Are self-motivated
•             Enjoy problem-solving
•             Practice good time management techniques
Distance learning is a great alternative to the traditional classroom. It provides students with the opportunity to continue with their hectic lifestyle while meeting the needs of completing their education.

Distance education with SDCCD Online Learning Pathways is a flexible and convenient opportunity for self-motivated students who have computer skills and feel they can communicate effectively through reading and writing. This program is perfect for people with busy schedules because class work can be completed at any time, day or night. Our virtual classrooms are asynchronous, so you choose when you’re ready to “go to class.” With an Internet participate anytime, anywhere. All courses are taught by instructors who will develop the curriculum, conduct the classes, give the assignments, post quizzes, answer questions, lead discussions, assign grades, and much more.

Prospective students should have skills or feel comfortable in the following areas in order to successfully complete an online course:
•             Technical Requirements
•             Standard word processing (Microsoft Word)
•             Handling e-mail, including sending e-mail attachments
•             Basic file management
•             Downloading software
•             Finding information on the Internet
Illinois Online Network: Self Evaluation for Potential Online Students
 
Dated:  phone line? Results are sparse; no meaning is given for the score or for the questions.
 
Results:
 
Your score is 12
Sign me up! You are a great candidate for online learning.
 
University of Houston: Test of Online Learning Success
 
Best of the lot.  Questions are specific but not technology-specific.  Comprehensive set of questions. Feedback is explicit, very explanatory.
 
Results:

Your Test of Online Learning Success Results
   

Your overall score is                         216.

If your overall score is:
190 – 201: You’re ready to go!
Individuals with a score in this range are more prepared for online learning than 50-75 percent of their student peers.
178 – 189: You’re almost there!
Individuals with a score in this range may experience a little difficulty with taking online courses. Look through the statements again and identify which areas you think you may need help. Are you a procrastinator? Do you need some help learning some time management skills? Do you need a little help overcoming some technical hurdles? With a little effort, you could be ready to go!
0 – 177: Proceed with caution.
Individuals with a score in this range may need to acquire some new skills before proceeding with online courses. You may need to increase your reading and writing skills, learn some time management skills, or take an introduction to computers course. Look over the statements again to identify the areas in which you need the most help and start there.

 

                                                            Your Computer Skills score is                                 5.00.
               
               

                                

Your Independent Learning score is                                                                  4.60.
               

                                

Your Dependent Learning score is                             5.00.
               

                                                     

Your Academic Skills score is                                 4.62.
               

                            Your Need for Online Delivery score is                             5.00.                        

Unlike the other subscales, the Need for Online Delivery score identifies a need instead of a skill. If your score is 3.4 or higher, it indicates that your lifestyle (i.e., career, family structure, personal responsibilities, distance to higher education entities) may demand the flexibility that the online classroom can provide.
                           
A score below 3.4 suggests that you do not have a pressing need for online delivery of instruction. Online courses are just one of several options for you.
                           
For more information on the scoring of this self-assessment, visitDr. Marcel Kerr’s website. You will find more information on the different sections of this survey as well as links to study skills websites and technology tutorials.

[James Kerr]

Well, that went badly.  My response formatted properly in the editor, then got completely munged.  Oh well.  I thought the University of Houston test was the most comprehensive in both the questions and the feedback.

[AngelaSmith]

Hi All,

A late response  so apologies! The questionnaires do allow you to manipulate the outcome as the desired response is obvious, and there may also be inconsistencies in that your willingness to commit to the programme or task in hand might depend on the time demands of the of task, perceived level of difficulty or other external influences.

I found the San Diego questionnaire gave the most detailed feedback on how to address individual development needs though some of the guidance was somewhat generic.This is a serious shortcoming but perhaps indicates an area of further exploration for such readiness assessments.

[Author]

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