Korkeakoulujen arviointineuvosto — Rådet för utvärdering av högskolorna—The Finnish Higher Education Evaluation Council (FINHEEC)
Web-based learning services
as experienced by students
in Finnish UASs
Seppo Saari FINHEEC Irja Leppisaari
Central Ostrobothnia University of Applied Sciences
Presented in 30th EAIR Annual Forum in Copenhagen 24-27.8.2008
Introduction
Study aims to highlight the student's
key role in QA and the development of web-based education.
The Finnish Evaluation Context: The Finnish
Higher Education Evaluation Council (FINHEEC) considers students’ active
participation in evaluation to be a significant resource.
Student representatives have been members
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Introduction
Student perspectives were a key feature of
evaluation 2007-2008.
Focus was on courses completed entirely or
partially through the Internet in UASs.
25 universities of applied sciences (UAS)
participated in the various stages of the evaluation.
The evaluation methodology was constructed
around the dialogue between HE representatives and the evaluation team, as a so-called
Background of web-based
teaching and learning in UASs
The development of web-based teaching and
learning in UASs as well as the Finnish Online
University of Applied Sciences (FOUAS), as partner organisation for all UASs, has been emphasised in prospective development documents of HEIs
published by the Ministry of Education.
The Ministry’s aims are articulated in the 'Education
and Research' document where ICT in teaching and learning presents a core function (2003-2008).
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Background of web-based teaching
and learning in UASs
The flexible study right allows students to
select courses at any Finnish UAS with
web-based courses primarily to be offered through the FOUAS portal.
This should ensure equal rights to virtual
student mobility for all students, which means taking advantage of courses at other HE
institutions primarily through web-mediated means. (FOUAS - strategy outline for 2008– 2015).
Description of the study
Study objective
Analyse web-based courses from a student perspective.
Research questions:
- How do services offered by UASs and FOUAS meet student needs?
- What are the uses, barriers and advantages in web-based teaching and learning from
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Description of the study
Research data:
- Evaluation report (Leppisaari et al 2008*)
- Empirical data - two evaluation seminars and online questionnaires for students (2006 and 2007, over 11 000 respondents, the
questionnaire reveals student perceptions rather than actual web-based learning experiences).
* Leppisaari, I., Ihanainen, P., Nevgi, A., Taskila, V-M., Tuominen, T. &
Saari, S. (2008). Hyvässä kasvussa – Yhdessä kehittäen kohti
ammattikorkeakoulujen laadukasta verkko-opetusta (Growing well – Developing together towards quality universities of applied sciences online education).
Description of the study
Research methodology
is the analysis and thematic organisation
of the qualitative data, which the evaluation report (further evaluation) and online
questionnaire (further questionnaire) guides. This is supported by a quantitative analysis
approach, enriching the information available from the researched phenomenon.
Korkeakoulujen arviointineuvosto — Rådet för utvärdering av högskolorna—The Finnish Higher Education Evaluation Council (FINHEEC)
Findings of the study
In the following, UAS student experiences and perspectives on web-based teaching, study and learning based on the evaluation
data and questionnaire are outlined thematically.
Student centredness
The evaluation aimed to focus on the
pedagogical development of online implementations.
The evaluation process highlighted the need,
from an online student’s perspective, for pedagogy to be in order.
Student’s role overall in web-based education
remains rather passive.
Student opportunity to participate in course
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Student centredness
Student centeredness was evidenced in that
students set goals, engaged in dialogue, and gave each other reasoned and argued feedback.
The final result of this kind of student centred
online implementation generally won approval
from the student representative, despite the hard work involved.
The evaluation recommendations noted the
necessity to consider more deeply what
pedagogical models online implementations are based on.
Student
centredness
According to the questionnaire many students feel
web-based study to be a far more effective way to learn:
The way of thinking on an online course is different – the method changes, you think more about your own learning with the result that it becomes more effective.
The questionnaire also indicated that not all students
desired such an active role in learning as demanded by web-based study (cf. Macdonald 2006).
Jonassen et al (2008) observe that even students who
believe in a passive role can find a new role and validity in web-based study when they have access to content, tools and methods that support constructive learning
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Authenticity and working life
connections
- were central elements of the learning process
in a successful implementation
Good implementations took into consideration
peer work required in the workplace and also developed interactive skills.
The evaluation recommended working life be
utilised as an active teaching partner in order for UAS web-based education to produce
authentic and situational learning and working life experts be employed as guidance resources in web-based learning.
Reflection
A good implementation promoted a student’s
thinking and the development of his/her reflection skills.
In the evaluation, student productions as
learning material and learning reports with
teacher and peer feedback during the process were raised as valuable implementations.
Individual and collective reflection were both
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Reflection
The questionnaire indicated that web-based
teaching provided time and space for reflection: an opportunity to concentrate in peace, think
about issues and consider responses and one’s own opinions.
Discussions, tasks and recorded lectures were
saved in the online environment, thus they could
be returned to as needed. Æ Reflection was also
supported as issues already handled could be revisited later.
Reflection
Writing was seen to promote reflection.
However, written based reflective learning can be considered rather burdensome.
Too heavy a workload was one disadvantage
raised in the questionnaire. Æ A development
challenge is a diverse utilisation of teaching technology to promote reflective learning (Jonassen et al 2008).
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Activeness, interaction and
collectiveness
In the evaluation, students considered sense of
community a valuable result of web-based
education: collaborative online work was seen as important.
Central to a good practice might have been
learning in a group, shared feedback and the synthesis formed by the group in discussions. Learning was reciprocal; students had the
Activeness, interaction and
collectiveness
The evaluation team expressed concern about
the little interaction in some online lecture implementation models and also how little students were supported to consider issues together.
The evaluation recommended teachers aim to
employ collaborative methods, and that student partnership needs strengthening: entirely new models for online lecture implementation need
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Guidance and feedback
The evaluation showed that students felt the
individual feedback given by a teacher to be a significant feature of web-based education.
The evaluation clearly indicated the
development of web-based education requires teachers to devote more time to student
guidance. In entirely web-based degree
programmes, there needs to be greater attention paid to student support and guidance.
The use of "guru students" and peer learners
Guidance and feedback
According to the questionnaire students
expected immediate, meaningful and
significant feedback from the teacher, not just an OK comment.
Feedback from other students was
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A uniform and clear learning
environment
A good implementation is part of organisation’s
online pedagogical operational culture, and not dependent on one individual teacher.
In good practices students actively gave
development feedback on online lecture content and technical solutions.
Clarity was considered a central characteristic of
a good web-based learning environment.
Students also wanted a visually interesting online environment.
Contact hours were seen to support completion
Flexibility and freedom
In the evaluation’s good practices presentations,
students raised flexibility as a special topic of discussion, i.e., the added value brought by being able to select time and place.
Questionnaire results (see also Lehto & Korpela
2008) indicated that the schedule flexibility and flexibility according to the circumstances of
one’s life are valued components of web-based education: I can balance family, work and study well.
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The Finnish Online University of
Applied Sciences and student mobility
FOUAS has especially facilitated movement of entire
student groups between UASs but mobility funding has still remained untapped in many UASs.
The FOUAS portal was not known very well.
More professional courses need to be offered, and
generally more courses for the summer term.
The added value of web-based study was also
recognised in the progress of studies, for example, through internships or student exchanges abroad.
2.4% of students were very satisfied and 28.1%
satisfied with how web-based studies are organised at their UAS (50% neutral). Dissatisfaction was
expressed by 15% and 4.7% were extremely dissatisfied. (see Lehto & Korpela 2008)
Growing towards a student’s
active role
Reflection Flexibility and freedom A uniform, and clear learning Student mobility Activeness, interaction, collaboration Authenticityand working life connections Guidance and feedback STUDENT CENTRED-NESS
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References
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