Educational Technology and Web-Based Distance
Learning: Views of Undergraduate
Engineering Students
Cristina Pomales-García1 and Yili Liu
University of Michigan
Department of Industrial and Operations Engineering Ann Arbor, MI 48105
[email protected], [email protected]
1 Cristina Pomales-Garcia, University of Puerto Rico- Mayagüez starting August 2006.
Abstract - This study presents the views and perceptions of
engineering students on educational technology in general and Web-based distance learning in particular. Content analysis was used to understand the language used by engineering students and identify similarities and differences in views on engineering education between students and educational researchers. Fifty-two enrolled
undergraduate engineering students participated
voluntarily in the study to answer three questions about educational technology and distance learning. The results of the study show that students know the different types of technology used for educational purposes. On the other hand, the student responses suggest that most students do not fully understand the advantages and disadvantages of using educational technology and distance learning. Many students had misperceptions and negative perceptions about what distance learning is and how it works. Understanding the user perceptions and attitudes can help us design and tune distance learning methods and create stronger learning tools for the educational community. Index Terms - Education technology, Distance learning, Student perceptions, Content analysis, Undergraduate education, Engineering students.
INTRODUCTION
When designing Web-based distance learning (WBDL) environments it is important to understand the factors that influence the design of Web-based instruction [1]. The literature suggests that in designing effective distance instruction, one must consider not only the goals, needs, and characteristics of teachers and students, but also content requirements and technical constraints [2]. Reference [3] suggested that WBDL environments differ from each other in many aspects, including the identities of their originators (e.g., teachers, students, development centers, research centers), their goals, their target populations, the developers’ pedagogical conceptions and beliefs, which are either explicitly stated or implicitly embedded in the site’s design, and the configuration of technological features (e.g.,
communication tools and information resources). Reference [4] provides a different list of elements that must be accounted for in the overall design of WBDL courses, including administrative documents, course content material (textbooks, lectures, video/audio, graphics and images), interactions between students and instructors, and among students, additional learning resources, and monitoring assessment of course learning objectives. These elements address the content, which relates to the information itself, but do not address how the information is presented, excluding aesthetic factors as important variables in the design process. Understanding the perceptions and attitudes of students we can help design and tune our distance learning models and cerate stronger learning tools for the individuals [1].
The purpose of this study was to achieve a better understanding of the views and perceptions of engineering undergraduate students on educational technology in general and WBDL in particular. This paper will provide insights on student perceptions with respect to why take a WBDL course, events that would prevent a student from completing a WBDL course, and student perceptions about distance learner characteristics. The method of content analysis was used to analyze the language used by engineering undergraduate students and extract the underlying common factors or perceived characteristics of educational technology and distance learning.
PARTICIPANTS
Fifty-two University of Michigan undergraduate engineering students (26 females and 26 males) participated voluntarily in this study. Each participant attended one 1-hour focus group discussion with three to eight participants per group. The participants received a monetary compensation of $10.00 each for their time.
METHOD
Each participant was greeted individually and asked to read and sign a consent form if they agreed to it. The participants were first asked to answer three individual “brainstorming”
questions, one question at a time. Their task was to write on blank sheet of paper ten words or phrases that came to their mind for each question. The questions were: (1) What is educational technology and what are examples of educational technology, (2) What attributes come to mind when thinking about educational technology, and (3) What is distance learning? Each participant had three minutes to write down their responses for each question, and then hand back the sheets. For questions 2 and 3 each participant was asked to rank all the words and phrases they wrote according to what they felt was more important for them in order of 1 thru 10. After answering the three questions, participants were asked to participate in a focus group discussion on nine questions, which were asked by the experimenter and the responses were audio taped for transcription purposes.
Content analysis technique was the method used to analyze the data. It is a research technique for analyzing text data and making replicable and valid inferences from data to their context [5]. Reference [6], [7] applies content analysis within the context of engineering aesthetics, as a procedure to analyze selected texts with the aim of obtaining useful insights into a research question and make inferences about their substantive problems. In this study, word frequency count was the content analysis index used to summarize the data. The results are presented below using main keyword frequency count for the individual questions and a selection of the focus group discussion questions.
RESULTS Individual Brainstorming Questions
Using keyword frequency count, the number shown next to a keyword or a category represents the number of times a specific keyword was recorded in the collected data or the number of keywords grouped under each category respectively.
(1) What is educational technology and what are examples of educational technology?
This question about the definitions and examples of education technology generated 280 individual responses, which were described by 97 keywords. Forty-nine of those 97 keywords were considered definitions of educational technology. A phrase or individual response was classified as a definition when it started with “educational technology is…” In general, educational technology was defined by the sample as accessibility and availability of information to different people and locations, an atmosphere or designed environment, tools, locations and mediums to communicate, as distance learning and technological resources, a resource that facilitates teaching, knowledge and learning, interactions and exchange of information, diverse, and evolving. Based on these definitions, ten categories were defined to group the list of keywords and responses. The categories include teaching/ learning (n=46), equipment (n=43), media (n=29), software
users (n=2), and availability (n=1). Teaching and learning category grouped responses related to facilitating and enhancing education, providing feedback and help, tools and techniques. Sample equipment was used to group responses referring to calculators, computes, dolls, E-books, keypads, projectors, and boards. Media category grouped responses that mentioned audio, visuals, pod-casts, television, taped lectures, and video. Available material corresponded to computer simulations, demonstrations, online notes and lecture materials, and options, which are different from sample equipment and media. Interactions grouped responses about any type of human relationships and the communication between students and instructors via email, online or personal discussion forums, grading and homework. In general, examples of educational technology were educational resources, games, internet, multimedia, presentation, robots and Websites. Students also mentioned facilities as part of educational technology. These include physical environments such as laboratories for research or teaching. Within the participant responses, their definitions and examples of educational technology, the words that were repeated most often included technology (n=57), computers (n=51), online (n=37) and help (n=30).
(2) What attributes come to mind when thinking about educational technology?
This question generated a total of 435 words or phrases among the 52 participantsAll the responses were summarized by 198 keywords and grouped into 13 categories. The 13 categories grouped adjectives or descriptors (n=131), learning (n=76), resources (n=52), technical equipment (n=46), usability (n=34), issues (n=31), access (n=30), media (n=28), user (n=28), pleasure (n=25), interactions (n=22), cost (n=15), and aesthetics (n=8). The attributes ranked as the most important include concerns of access and availability of information, how to improve communication and share of information, educational technology being a medium that continues to develop, teaches and reinforces concepts, is conducive to learning, and improves quality of learning. Important adjectives that describe educational technology and were ranked as number one by some participants include clear, easy to navigate, effective, efficient, fast, fun, hands-on, helpful, innovative, interactive, interesting, online, organized, powerful, self-paced, simple, useful, and varied. All 13 categories had keywords and phrases ranked in the top five. Table 1 shows a list of attributes that were ranked by participants as top five based on their category and keywords. (3) What is distance learning?
Each participant was asked to write ten words or phrases that came to their mind when they thought about distance learning and then rank them in order of importance. A total of 457 responses were recorded and these were grouped in 17 categories described by 186 keywords. The categories include access, adjectives, communication, cost, degree, environment, equipment, example, interactions, learning, media, personal
uses. The participant responses were either positively or negatively framed. To take this into account, the keywords were phrased in positive terms and then identified as positive, negative or neutral. In general the keywords were 24% positive, 27% negative and 49% neutral. For example under the “personal” category the keyword “time” was recorded with two opposite meanings. A positive aspect of time mentioned by the participants is that distance learning is “non-rigid and personally manageable”. On the other hand another participant mentioned a negative aspect of time suggesting “more time is needed to study” when taking a distance learning course.
With respect to rankings only 11 out of the 17 categories had keywords ranked as the most important. The categories that had no keywords ranked as number one, included degree, environment, examples, policy, resources, and security. From this list, keywords under policies and security were ranked tenth and eighth respectively. Policy refers to cheating issues and security corresponds to having the information be secure. Table 2 shows a list of the categories which had keywords ranked between one and five with respect to distance learning. The responses ranked in the top five were 30% positive, 25% negative and 45 % neutral.
TABLE 1
SUMMARY OF TOP FIVE RANKED ATTRIBUTES OF EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY BY KEYWORDS AND CATEGORY
Categories Keywords
Access Flexibility in time and location, number of users, accessible, and available
Adjectives Adaptable, clear, commercial, flexible, comprehensive, convenient, creative, different, effective, efficient, facilitating, fast, informative, innovative, interactive, interesting, modern, network, gives more options and opportunities, organized, powerful, practical, precise, with a purpose, real-life, reliable, secure, standard,
unbreakable, unique, valuable, and varied Aesthetics Well designed
Cost Efficient or expensive (two opposite views)
Interaction Communication using email, group work, and sharing of information with peers
Issues or concerns
Abused, complex, not stimulating, difficult to use, frustrating, hindering, monotonous, and underutilized Learning Conducive to learning, diverse, experience, helpful,
hands-on, improves learning and understanding, simpler, useful, and varied
Media Audio, visuals, movies, multimedia, and transparencies Pleasure Comfort, fun, interesting, memorable, pleasing, and
stimulating
Resources Demonstrations, information, laboratories, online-grading, and use of World Wide Web
Technical Calculators, computers, engineering, software, and TV Usability Easy to use and navigate, friendly, and intuitive User Focus on consumer, develop skills and learn at “own
pace”
TABLE 2
SUMMARY OF TOP FIVE RANKED DESCRIPTIONS OF DISTANCE LEARNING BY KEYWORDS AND CATEGORY
Categories Keywords
Access Availability, distance from classroom, flexibility in time and schedule, global access, and number of users Adjectives Available, beneficial, convenient, comfortable, easy to
understand and use, fast information transfer, flexible, high-tech, informal, informative, interactive, organized, practical, quality, shorter, hands-on, periodic, reliable, stable, structure, and valuable
Communication Feedback, video and telephone conference, email, chatting, and instant messaging
Cost Affordable
Degree Graduate education, convenient, and options for adults with job or family responsibilities
Environment Relaxed and good visibility e.g. “no bad seats” Equipment Computers, latest technology, telephone, electronic
devices, television, software and network
Example Online office hours and classes, and location (taking courses at other universities)
Interaction Asking questions, lack of teamwork, and personalized Learning Demonstrations, understanding and knowledge, and new
ways of teaching Media Audio and video
Personal Independent, experience, more opportunities and options, individualized, motivation, health, self-control, less stress, and own pace.
Resources Books, allows for more resources, and online tutors Uses To supplement class material, allows for electronic
submissions of homework and tests, teaching tools, share information, reading, and view grades
Twenty-seven percent of the responses for distance learning were negative and many of them described concerns (see Table 3), which were common among the different focus groups.
TABLE 3
SUMMARY OF THE GENERAL CONCERNS AND NEGATIVE RESPONSES ABOUT DISTANCE LEARNING
Categories Individual Responses
Adjective Boring, no clarity, ambiguous, dependent on technology, how to measure outcomes and measure effectiveness of class (n=7), hands-on experiences, less interactive and less information provided, quality concerns and less stimulating
Communication Disconnected, no immediate feedback or poor feedback, and difficulty to communicate
Cost Costly to implement and to take Equipment Problems with technology Example Making less teaching jobs available
Interaction Impersonal (n=20) with respect to having personal interactions (n=8), instruction tailored to you, lack of individual attention and contact with other people (social issues), ability to ask questions (n=8), and lack of teamwork
Learning Demonstrations, more difficult to learn concepts and understand material (n=7), and no discussions
Personal Comfort, lack of control, needs discipline and motivation, procrastination, hard to focus, promotes laziness, need technological skills, and needs more time to study Policy Possibility of cheating
Security Security issues Uses Lots of typing
Focus Group Discussion
Results are shown using keyword frequency counts. The numbers that accompany each keyword represent the number of times a different idea was brought up by any of the group members. In the analysis, if one participant shared a new idea and other group members assented then it was counted as one; but if one idea was brought up and another member specifically repeated the statement and added other new thoughts or a different perspective then the idea was counted twice.
During the focus group discussion the participants answered nine questions that were based on topics found in the literature. In this paper only three of the questions will be discussed, including: (1) Why would you take a distance learning course? (2) Which events or course attributes would stop you from finishing/completing viewing a course module? (3) What are the characteristics that distance learners should have? Each sentence spoken by the participants was considered a recordable unit. A keyword was extracted from each recordable unit and used to summarize the group discussion.
Based on the participant responses, some of the reasons why students would take a distance learning course include:
a class is not offered at the university students are currently enrolled (n=9)
when “you are working and you have a family” (n=9)
when you have no other choice (n=4), because of time constraints (n=3) or scheduling conflicts
as an alternative to review material that you missed when in class (n=4) or to provide material to “supplement” the course content (n=3)
when you have curiosity for learning something different (n=5) or learning a subject more in depth
when you need to take a “useless class” or a class you are not interested in taking (n=2)
for someone who is “self-taught” and doesn’t need the interaction with other people (n=2)
it is fun and enjoyable (n=2)
it is an option for individuals with physical disabilities or having a “health challenge,” because it offers “flexibility of location and opportunities”
In the reasons why students would take a WBDL course, the answers suggest that distance learning is perceived as more relaxed, convenient, cheaper and as a system where it is difficult to communicate. For example participants mentioned that a distance learning class involves less stress (n=3), no pressure, it is more convenient (n=14) and allows you to work at your own pace and create your own schedule (n=4). Based on the participant views, other advantages of distance learning relate to convenience as they would “be at home” and “not commute.” With respect to cost, WBDL courses were perceived as cheaper than attending a university (n=3) or as an alternative for those people who did not have the resources to attend a university campus. On the topic of communication in
contacting the instructors and interacting with other students (n=14). Many of the responses started with the premise that students could not “ask questions” in a distance learning environment. This is important as it shows general misconceptions about what distance learning entails and how it works.
Currently, the literature suggests that persistence and understanding the two of the main factors that would prevent a student from finishing/completing viewing a course module. Although the participants in our sample had no previous experiences with WBDL environments, their responses were very insightful. According to the study participants, some of the factors that would prevent a student from finishing a course module include personal events such as family emergencies, getting a job or other responsibilities like work (n=6), design issues like size of screen and words (n=2), unexpected changes in the course, course difficulty and workload (n=5). Perception of information was also important for example, if course content is considered to be “boring, monotonous or dry” (n=10), confusing (n=2), irrelevant (n=8), and not original (n=3). Also, other factors include instructor quality (n=6) and clarity, content characteristics like problems with unclear or small figures (n=2), audio or video quality, size and focus (n=5), poor organization, no resources to get help (n=2), if the class doesn’t meet expectations (n=2) or it is too long (n=2). Interruptions and distractions (n=14) were other problems that would prevent a student from completing a WBDL course. Examples of possible interruptions and distractions include “Instant Messenger,” interruptions at home which have no penalties for the student leaving the computer station, taking breaks (n=5), and personal commitments (n=4). Technical problems (n=11) were mentioned as something students would not like to experience. It seems that technical problems such as audio delay, slow speed (n=3), the system not working, network failures, and server problems would also impact persistence. Other general issues include the cost of the course, security problems (n=3) like posting course information on the web where you don’t have to pay to access, feelings of not progressing, and procrastination.
It is important to ask why students would take a WBDL course also well as what would impact their persistence. These two previous questions are based in the premise the students see themselves as users of WBDL technology. In order to better understand the student perception about distance learners, we were also interested in exploring if distance learners should have any special characteristics. Only three of the 52 participants, mentioned that there were no special characteristics, as it “all depends on the teacher and course material”. This suggests then that 94% of the participants believed that distance learners should have some special characteristics. The two most common responses suggested that distance learners have motivation (n=16), and to be “independent learners” (n=13) by being able to work on their own and keep their own pace. Other characteristics that distance learners should have include patience (n=6), being
predominant visual learning style (n=5), being responsible (n=4), organized (n=2), dedicated (n=2), proactive (n=2), resourceful, intelligent, “physically lazy”, having personal drive or will power, previous experience or pre-requisites for the class, a specific age, commitment, competence, and self control. With respect to skills, participants suggested that distance learners should have skills in computers (n=7), time management (n=4), communication (n=2), teamwork (n=2), technical (n=2), language and reading, and social skills. Communication, teamwork and social skills were mentioned as important characteristics primarily because participants were concerned these were not developed through distance learning courses. In particular these three skills refer to valuable skills that learners should have or learn as students not skills needed to be a successful distance learner.
DISCUSSION
The definitions of educational technology provided by the sample support both the physical [8] and the behavioral [9] science concepts that traditionally define educational technology. These concepts focus on tools, devices and procedures (physical science), as well as in the individual learning needs and the total process of learning which include designing, carrying out and evaluating the total process of learning and teaching in terms of specific objectives, based on research in human learning and communication (behavioral science). A review of the most repeated words in the text (technology, computers, and help) suggests that there seems to be an emphasis on both concepts. If the keyword frequency count is taken as an indicator of the relevance of each concept then the participant views would suggest a stronger emphasis on the behavioral science concept, which agrees with creating a learner-centered environment. An important aspect of the behavioral concept is the combination of human and non-human resources to create a more effective educational environment.
Top ranked attributes of educational technology refer to the content (clear, organized, varied, fun, and interesting), quality (innovative, effective, and efficient), its use (easy to navigate, useful, helpful, interactive, simple, and hands-on) and other attributes like its speed, power, the ability to be self-paced, and how the information is delivered. The content and quality attributes defined by our sample are also mentioned by [10] as important to motivate students. It is not only important for the content to be accurate, credible, organized and clear, but there should also be no mistakes, grammatical errors or lapses of logic, and the content presentation should be varied and evolving [10]. From the participants’ perspective there were some advantages of taking a distance learning class, including, for example, the opportunity to have flexibility in time and schedule, and providing access to more people around the world. According to the participants, WBDL is also an option to get a graduate education for individuals with a family or a job and who cannot go to a college campus. This idea suggests that distance learning benefits adults more than younger generations. Finally, taking a distance learning class
provides an opportunity to have more resources available for students to complement and support their learning process.
Distance learning was described as being relaxed, less stressful and lacking pressure, which is alarming as it shows the common perception that distance learning is easy. In reality WBDL courses require the same or a greater time investment than a face-to-face course [4]. The participants were also concerned with development of skills such as teamwork and social-communication. Other negative aspects with respect to technology are related to communication and interactions. The participants pointed out that there is an issue of impersonality, lack of individual attention and contact with other people leading to a disconnection. The problem is not only the contact with the instructor but the need to be with other students and create a social environment. It is important to keep in mind that our participants had no previous experiences with distance learning and they seem to have a bias towards being in a college campus environment. In this case lack of understanding and experience could be a common factor between these students which suggests that the on-campus community needs to be educated on what is distance learning so that they would be able to fully embrace this method of educational technology. Understanding the user (students) perceptions and attitudes we have more information to improve the design and refine our distance learning methods and create stronger learning tools for the users [1].
When designing WBDL environments, one of the concerns is persistence and understanding which factors would prevent the student to finish/complete viewing a course module. The distance learning community is facing two main problems. These are maintaining student motivation, and lowering attrition rates and increasing retention of students, as online learners have a higher course dropout rates compared to traditional students [10], [11]. Instructional strategies and practices that will facilitate and retain WBDL learners include communication as the common denominator. According to the literature, to enhance retention of online learners, best practices include: focused communication, student and faculty interaction, and mass communication. Other strategies should include proper support services, improving instructional design and delivery quality, and using multimedia to appeal to several senses [11]. The participants in this study supported the ideas presented in the literature and suggested other issues that would prevent students from finishing or completing viewing a course module. These issues include unexpected changes in the course, course difficulty, length and workload. Also perception of information, originality, and the class not meeting the student expectations were considered as important factors. In a recent experiment [12], the effects of module duration and course information delivery modality (instructor audio, video or text) on the likelihood of a student finishing a course module were studied. The results of the experimental study showed that as module duration increases, participants were more likely to not complete the modules. The results of this study and the experimental results by [12] both show concrete evidence to suggest that systematic evaluations of WBLD module duration along with its appearance gives us
insights into important factors that need to be considered when designing WBDL environments.
With respect to learner characteristics, reference [11] stated that online learners are very similar in demographic characteristics to learners in the general population as the online student population is gender balanced and tends to range in age from 18 to 24 years. This contradicts the general perspective that online student are adult learners [13], [2]. In our study many participants suggested that distance learners were adults, individuals with families or working. This is important as the student perceptions suggest the common misconception that distance learning is mostly an alternative for the adult population and not for young adults. Reference [2] suggests specific factors which influence success including autonomy, active listening, and the ability to work independently in the absence of a live instructor, testwiseness, concentration, time management skills, diligence, and positive attitude. Reference [4] includes other user competencies or factors such as responsibility as self directed learner, sound study skills, personal efficacy and willingness to learn. Assuming distance learners have the necessary resources to participate in an online class (e.g. computers, technical and computer skills, money and access to internet); our sample would add to the list other important characteristics. These characteristics include motivation, patience, discipline, ability to focus, visual learning styles, responsibility, organization, dedication, being proactive, resourceful; having previous experience or pre-requisites for the class, the appropriate age, commitment, competence, self-control, and communication skills.
Understanding how undergraduate students perceive both distance learning and educational technology is important for the design and improvement of these technologies, as user perceptions can create barriers in the use and acceptance of technology. In this study we found that students know at a basic level about the technology used for educational purposes. On the other hand, the general feeling was that they still do not understand the advantages and disadvantages of using educational technology and distance learning. Many students had misperceptions about what distance learning really is and how it works. In general, these erroneous perceptions could be an explanation for the negative comments about distance learning. Viewing distance learning and educational technology as one more tool used in the classroom, it is important for students to understand how it works so that they can fully embrace the technology and make informed decisions about it. Students were generally concerned about what it takes to “be a distance learner” and affirmed in many instances that they could not do it as they do not have the motivation needed and they fear they would not gain teamwork or social skills that are important in a competitive engineering environment.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
We would like to thank undergraduate students Megan Boekeloo, Carolyn Bertelsen, Becky Hamer, Kristin King, and Virginia Soto who helped us to conduct the interviews, and transcribed the group discussions.
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