Research, Reflections and Innovations in Integrating ICT in Education
Using VLEs to support student centred learning in Control Engineering Education C. Pislaru*, R. Mishra University of Huddersfield, Dept. Engineering and Technology, Huddersfield HD1 3DH, United Kingdom *Corresponding author:
[email protected] The paper comprises an investigation, analysis and evaluation on using Blackboard as a digital repository for the course material of Control Engineering modules for Master degree at the University of Huddersfield. The advantages and limitations of using Blackboard as a digital repository for course materials and discussion board facilities are discussed. Also the use of action, quantitative and qualitative research for evaluating the ICT use in teaching and learning contexts is estimated based on questionnaires and students’ results for consecutive academic years. The questionnaires are designed by taking into account the issues of reliability, validity and bias. In addition some suggestions for further the improvement of students’ centred learning by using other features of Blackboard are included in this paper. Keywords Innovative Teaching Practices Using Technology; Teaching and Learning Strategies in Engineering; VLEs
1. Introduction The course materials for Control Engineering modules for Master degree at the University of Huddersfield have been presented in the previous years on OHP slides and Power Point presentations. Several students have requested in the past that course materials should be accessible on Blackboard in the case they cannot attend lectures due to objective reasons and / or would like to reinforce what they have learnt during teaching activities by having access to the course materials in their own time and the opportunities to know better their colleagues and share experiences, resources and plans. Other reasons of using this technology-based approach concern University infrastructure and staff expertise: • Blackboard started to be used quite widely as Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) within the University of Huddersfield so it is easily accessible by lecturers and students and the technical support is available quickly. • The authors have attended several Staff Development courses regarding the use of Blackboard so we are familiar with its operation and features (such as adding course content, creating a discussion forum). This paper represent an opportunity to present our findings connected to the research-informed ICT teaching and learning after engaging with pedagogical research developments, linking them to teaching activities and focussing on the relationships between teaching and research. The methodology and literature search put emphasis on using VLEs generally as repository for course material and ‘Discussion Board’ facility in Blackboard. The reasons of choosing certain techniques and strategies for researching the use of multimedia in teaching and learning (action, quantitative and qualitative research) are explained. Then a comprehensive study is performed regarding to the effectiveness of using Blackboard in the educational process. A formal questionnaire was completed by one group of students in the academic year 07-08 regarding the usefulness of using Blackboard and their suggestions for further improvement. The course materials were changed in accordance with the students’ requests and a second questionnaire was completed by the new intake of students in the academic year 08-09. A statistical analysis of how the students’ results have improved by using Blackboard is also performed and the reliability, validity and bias of these methods are investigated. So the quantitative research was done by using formal questionnaires completed by students and statistical analysis of students’ answers and how the students’ results have improved by using Blackboard while qualitative research was performed through observation by checking the frequency of accessing Blackboard by the students. The conclusions and recommendations part reveals the advantages and limitations of using Blackboard as a digital repository for course materials and discussion board facilities. Also the use of action, quantitative and qualitative research for evaluating the ICT use in teaching and learning contexts is estimated. Some suggestions for further the improvement of students’ centred learning by using other features of Blackboard and other VLEs are included in this paper.
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2. Methodology including literature search The emphasis of this section is on the effectiveness of using VLEs generally (Blackboard in particular) as repository for course material and ‘Discussion Board’ facility in Blackboard. Chin (pp. 1) [1] describes VLE as ‘self contained computer based (web) environment enabling interaction between lecture and student’ and as ‘online (computer) environment where various tools are provided for the student to facilitate their learning experience’ (pp. 2). The core features of VLEs are: content delivery, assessment, flexibility, communication, student support. The author also discusses about the facilities offered by VLEs which could contribute to the process of delivering high-quality HE by providing: automated assessment of students learning outcomes, increased number of students (including non-traditional ones), widening participation. The Online Resource Centres [2] classify Blackboard as off-the-shelf VLE. Blackboard is used at the University of Huddersfield as the institutional VLE and offers the facilities to include: course specification, teaching materials, announcements on noticeboard, student registration and tracking facilities, additional resources (links to outside resources in libraries and on the Internet), self-assessment quizzes, electronic communication support including e-mail, discussion board, external links. The on-line resources for the module have been developed by trying to keep a balance between content-centred versus problem-centred approaches and used a scaffolding learning approach [3] so that the students gain a better control of the information technology use and deep knowledge acquisition. Kember and Kwan [4] underline that the quality of teaching and learning depends on the lecturers’ conception about teaching: lecturers use content-centred approaches when they consider teaching as transmitting knowledge and learning-centred approaches when they see teaching as a facilitating process. The following techniques and strategies are used to evaluate the effectiveness of using Blackboard in teaching and learning: 1.action research – ‘on-the-spot procedure designed to deal with a concrete problem located in an immediate situation’ [5]. Kemmis and Mc Taggart [6] define action research as ‘ a form of collective self-reflective enquiry undertaken by participants in social situations in order to improve the rationality and justice of their own social and educational practices, as well as their understanding of these practices and the situations in which these practices are carried out’. So it is meant to improve education by changing it and reflecting on own practices by using the ‘self-reflective spiral’ (planning, acting, observing, reflecting) and remembering that ‘the educational change is usually a slow social process requiring that people struggle to be different’ after understanding our own and others educational values (pp. 26); 2. quantitative research - a questionnaire regarding the usefulness of Blackboard is formulated by considering the criteria presented by Snepenger [7]: relevancy, brevity, objectivity, specificity, non-ambiguity, vocabulary. Then statistics is applied when analysing the students’ answers for the questionnaire from the academic year 07-08 and students’ comments in the academic year 08-09 after the Blackboard implementation of the course material was changed in accordance with the students’ requests. Also a comparison between students’ results for these two academic years is performed. 3.qualitative research - observation is used to study the effectiveness of using Blackboard in the teaching and learning process. The quantitative research is combined with qualitative research in this intervention study as suggested by Strauss and Corbin [8] and Patton [9]. The insight gained by using this combination is more comprehensive than the conclusions of the two types of research done in isolation [10]. Strauss and Corbin (pp. 42) define the notion of the "theoretical sensitivity" of the researcher which influences the qualitative enquiry: Theoretical sensitivity refers to a personal quality of the researcher. It indicates an awareness of the subtleties of meaning of data. …[It] refers to the attribute of having insight, the ability to give meaning to data, the capacity to understand, and capability to separate the pertinent from that which isn’t. All the above mentioned aspects were taken into consideration and also the ‘naturalistic terms’ (credibility, transferability, dependability, confirmability) defined by Lincoln and Guba [11] were used for qualitative research. These terms correspond to ‘conventional terms’ (internal / external validity, reliability, objectivity) used in quantitative work.
3. Analysis of students’ answers for the first questionnaire The effectiveness of using Blackboard in the educational process for the academic year 07-08 is evaluated by formal questionnaires which have been handed in to students in order to complete them. Best and Kahn (pp. 324) [12] underline that ‘basic to the validity of a questionnaire is asking the right questions phrased in the least ambiguous way.’ Therefore a great amount of time, ingenuity and hard work was dedicated for writing relevant questions because clear messages should be transmitted to students from different cultures, generations, and family backgrounds.
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The data collection instrument is the questionnaire and the data analysis is done by analysing the frequency distributions and determining the most frequent or average response. Here are some conclusions after the students’ responses were cross tabulated: a) 60 % of the students know the correct website for accessing Blackboard, but a great number of them would prefer a specific induction on a drip-feed basis at the start of term explaining how to use this VLE (apart from the existing guidelines on the University web site). c) 73.33 % of the students prefer emerging deadlines in the “Announcements” section (instead of details about foreign languages classes, events for international students or others). This is a proof that modern students are more ‘goal-oriented’ [13] than interested in finding out details about developing their social skills. d) 54 % of students are working part-time and they have found Blackboard very effective in making course materials accessible. So one of the advantages of this VLE is to offer students the opportunity to catch up on missed lectures due to their work and personal commitments. The sense of isolation as a result of working programme separation is greatly reduced because a sense of community [14] is developed and email and discussion tools features offer ongoing support. Blackboard gives students the possibility to access relevant materials from work, home or within the academic environment [15]. e) 86.6 % of students prefer to share suitable links found as a result of their own research websites with other students in the “External Links” section so they can learn from each other as well as from the lecturer. Also the use of the Internet and VLE ensure the right blending into a holistic package for students focused on the development of IT, research and interpersonal skills. f) 53.3 % of students found the “Discussion Board” somewhat effective in helping to know their colleagues better especially after the ‘online icebreaker’ where they were asked to present themselves and express the reason why they have enrolled for this MSc course. It was an informal exercise with no requirement for ‘academic writing style’ because it was intended to ensure that the students know how to use the discussion forums and reduce the anxiety for those who had not communicated this way before. g) 53.3 % of the students prefer to submit their work through Blackboard because they perceive this VLE as very effective and economical way of transmitting assignments. This would be our preference as Lecturers because we would have the opportunity to use Turn-it-in software for plagiarism in the case of assignments which involve a lot of text. h) 66.6 % of the students prefer multiple choice questions for supplementary tests due to the strong interrelationships which should exist between theory and practice. i) 53.3 % of the students want to work in small groups and share their findings within “Discussion Board” section. Students engage in collaborative learning [16] and take ownership of their own learning through active practices such as reflection, questioning and application. On the qualitative side, the same students who found the “Discussion Board” somewhat effective in helping to know their colleagues better prefer to submit their work through Blackboard and want to work in small groups. So more than half of the students are quite keen to use VLE which facilitates the student-centred learning because they can find other people’s views quickly, feel part of the group, have time to reflect before sending their replies, receive fast lecturer’s feedback about things that went well and those which could be developed further. Whilst it may scare some students who do not want to make a comment that can be viewed and commented on by the group, it frees other students from the fears of face-to-face communication and feels more student-centred reducing the intimidating presence of lecturer. This is a summary of the students’ answers for the open questions regarding their perception of Blackboard as a rich and active on-line environment. We have observed that the students started to communicate better on Blackboard after they have been encouraged to use it in an informal way because they became more confident from technical point of view and discovered some features of this VLE: get a quick answer to a question, see other people’s questions which could be in the back of their minds and the answers from their peers, obtain a positive reinforcement from the lecturer, develop their writing skills and overcome their shyness (the most active contributors on Blackboard are shy in the class discussions [17] ). Therefore the on-line read and written communication via Blackboard adds to the spoken and heard communication in class. The initial intention was to determine the reliability of this questionnaire in the next academic year when other students would be asked to fill it in and the results would be compared with the existing ones [12]. But ‘a questionnaire that was reliable with one population may not be with another’ [18]. Also the Blackboard implementation of the course materials was changed in accordance with the students’ comments so more research should be performed to develop a method for checking the reliability of this type of questionnaire. Regarding the bias of questionnaire, it was taken into consideration that ‘many apparently neutral questions can potentially lead to bias’ [19]. So the questions were formulated in such a way that the students would need to present their own views and not to ‘guess’ what the lecturer was expecting as an answer.
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4. Updating the course materials in Blackboard and analysis of second questionnaire The action research was chosen as a method of study because it is “a constructive enquiry, during which the researcher constructs his or her knowledge of specific issues through planning, acting, evaluating, refining and learning from the experience.” (Koshy (pp. 9), [20]). One disadvantage of the action research is the researcher’s role of participant observer – so the conclusions might be subjective. However, in our opinion this is partially true because the fact that the researcher works at the studied institution might be a bonus (the person knows its structure and operation and could be able to suggest appropriate solutions to the problems). Also the techniques of measurement and strategies of thinking are easier to understand through active involvement. Koshy [20] discusses other concerns expressed by the critics of action research: a) Lack of rigour and validity – can be overcome by using various research methods based on strict standards, triangulation to ensure that the gathered data is robust and without bias. b) Results are not general – the author emphasizes that “any findings from the research are generalisable only within that situation and context of work, which is declared in advance. Dissemination of findings could be applicable to those who are interested and to other practitioners in similar circumstances.” c) The process is a deficit model – due to its problem-solving nature. The author sustains that the progress and development of ideas are ensured by action research when trying to find solution to a problem through careful planning, flexible approach and continuous reflection from researcher. National Extension College [21] presents three stages which are compulsory in a research activity: 1. planning stage – select the topic meaningful and relevant to researcher’s situation, define research questions and aims, comprehensive and critical review of relevant literature, choose suitable research methods, prepare a work plan taking into account the availability of time, people and physical materials. 2. collect data – based on the nature and usefulness of evidence needed to be collected, research timescale, ethical considerations, appropriate methods of instrumentation. 3. process, analyse and present data – generate answers to research questions justified by supporting evidence from the data, evaluate their validity and reliability, make recommendations for change of practice or policy, formulate new questions for theory, research, practice or policy arisen from this research So the first questionnaire intended to determine the Blackboard features which attracted the students in terms of usability, relevance to their studies, and successfully meeting learning outcomes. Then the Blackboard implementation of the course materials is changed accordingly and the second questionnaire produced in the next academic year (08-09) aim to determine the effectiveness of these changes as it was perceived by the students. The issues of reliability, validity and bias are taken into account when the second questionnaire is designed. Again the data analysis is performed by examining the most frequent or average responses. Here are some conclusions after the students’ answers for the second questionnaire are cross tabulated: a) 80 % of the students pointed the correct website for accessing Blackboard after a specific induction session was provided by the Lecturers (apart from the existing guidelines on the University web site). b) 95.3 % of the students admitted that the reminders of emerging deadlines in the “Announcements” section were extremely useful in planning their time in order to produce good quality coursework. c) 85 % of students recognised that the use of the Internet and VLE was enabling the development of IT, research and interpersonal skills. d) 75.2 % of students found the submission of homework in the “Discussion Board” helped them to know their colleagues better and be able to identify who are the best people to give them peer support in the learning process and fulfilling homework requirements. These collaborative learning opportunities [16] enabled them to take ownership of their own learning through active practices such as reflection, questioning and practical application of their knowledge. e) 92 % of the students found the submission of their work through Blackboard as being effective and economical by allowing electronic submission and feedback. f) 65 % of the students admitted that multiple choice questions from computer quizzes tested deeply their degree of understanding of theoretical and practical issues because right and wrong answers were wisely included. The effectiveness of modifying the Blackboard implementation of course materials is also estimated by analysing how the students’ final marks for these modules have improved. The average mark for the academic year 07-08 was 57 % and the average result for the academic year 08-09 has increased to 62 %. So the use of Blackboard features into educational processes has increased the students’ active learning and is suited for diverse learning styles as it is shown by the improvement of their marks and from their feedback through second questionnaire.
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5. Conclusions The paper comprises an investigation, analysis and evaluation on using Blackboard as a digital repository for the course material of Control Engineering modules for Master degree at the University of Huddersfield. The advantages and limitations of using Blackboard as a digital repository for course materials and its ‘Discussion Board’ facilities are discussed. The findings of a study of up-to-date publications regarding the theory and practice of learning and teaching using multimedia tools (with emphasis on Blackboard) are discussed. The reasons of choosing action, quantitative and qualitative research methods are explained. The questionnaires are designed by taking into account the issues of reliability, validity and bias. The students answer a questionnaire about the effectiveness of using Blackboard in the educational process in the academic year 07-08. The Blackboard implementation of course materials is changed in accordance with the students’ comments and the new group of students studying the MSc course in the academic year 08-09 are asked to answer the second questionnaire. Quantitative research is done by using formal questionnaires completed by students while qualitative research was performed through Lecturers’ observation during consecutive academic years. In conclusion Blackboard represents a useful tool to create an appropriate on-line learning environment and nourish conversation and discussion off-campus within learning communities. This VLE is quite attractive to modern students who are IT inclined and / or have to work to fund their studies. Also the ‘Discussion Board’ feature offers various opportunities for the improvement of students’ centred learning and their final academic results.
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