Self paced learners; expectations and concerns about social

Self-paced Learners’ Self-paced Learners’ Expectations and Concerns Expectations and Concerns

About Social Software About Social Software

Terry Anderson, PhD and ProfessorTerry Anderson, PhD and ProfessorAthabasca UniversityAthabasca University

Centre for Distance EducationCentre for Distance Education

Adem Akbiyik, Visiting ScholarAdem Akbiyik, Visiting ScholarSakarya University – TurkeySakarya University – Turkey

www.sakarya.edu.trwww.sakarya.edu.tr

The Canadian Network for Innovation in Education (CNIE)The Canadian Network for Innovation in Education (CNIE)May 16, 2011 – Hamilton, OntarioMay 16, 2011 – Hamilton, Ontario

• Social networking tools in Social networking tools in educationeducation

• Purpose of the studyPurpose of the study• MethodologyMethodology• Findings & EvaluationFindings & Evaluation• Demonstration of QDA MinerDemonstration of QDA Miner• Your comments & QuestionsYour comments & Questions

Presentation OverviewPresentation Overview

2Self-paced Learners’ Expectations and Concerns About Self-paced Learners’ Expectations and Concerns About Social SoftwareSocial Software

• Growing Interest in Social SoftwareGrowing Interest in Social Software– The term social software refers to a set of The term social software refers to a set of

network tools designed specifically to network tools designed specifically to support sharing, collaboration, socializing support sharing, collaboration, socializing and resulting in the development of and resulting in the development of multiple forms of social capital (Jones & multiple forms of social capital (Jones & Thomas, 2007). Thomas, 2007).

– profiles, wikis, blogs, posting walls, artefact profiles, wikis, blogs, posting walls, artefact tagging, web conferencing, calendaring and tagging, web conferencing, calendaring and other network-based toolsother network-based tools

Social Networking Tools in Education


• Growing Interest in Social SoftwareGrowing Interest in Social SoftwareAnderson et all (2010);Anderson et all (2010);

– Widely used in entertainment and social Widely used in entertainment and social

applications,applications,

– Growing interest in their use in formal Growing interest in their use in formal

education applications,education applications,

– Distance education and especially self-Distance education and especially self-

programming models may be the biggest programming models may be the biggest

beneficiaries of the use of these tools.beneficiaries of the use of these tools.



• Growing Interest in Social Growing Interest in Social SoftwareSoftware

Anderson (2006);Anderson (2006);

– EducationalEducational social software allows social software allows

individuals to meet, work together, and individuals to meet, work together, and

share insights, ideas and artefacts, thus share insights, ideas and artefacts, thus

affording learners the opportunity to affording learners the opportunity to

meet each other and forge learning meet each other and forge learning

relationships .relationships .5Self-paced Learners’ Expectations and Concerns About Self-paced Learners’ Expectations and Concerns About

Social SoftwareSocial Software


- Little is known about students’ interest, Little is known about students’ interest, expectations and expertise using these expectations and expertise using these tools.tools.

- The purpose of this study is to determine The purpose of this study is to determine self-paced learners’ expectations and self-paced learners’ expectations and concerns about educational social software.concerns about educational social software.

- In this study the qualitative results of an In this study the qualitative results of an online questionnaire (n=967) completed by online questionnaire (n=967) completed by undergraduate students enrolled in self-undergraduate students enrolled in self-paced distance education programming are paced distance education programming are presented.presented.

The purpose of the studyThe purpose of the study


- Two open-ended questions gathered the Two open-ended questions gathered the positive and negative expectations or positive and negative expectations or concerns about social networking use concerns about social networking use

- Received 574 responses,Received 574 responses,

- Coded and analyzed by using QDA MinerCoded and analyzed by using QDA Miner(a qualitative/quantitative analysis software)(a qualitative/quantitative analysis software)

- The coding scheme was inductively The coding scheme was inductively developed by the researchers using a developed by the researchers using a grounded theory approach.grounded theory approach.

MethodologyMethodology


Demographic Features - Demographic Features - GenderGender


Demographic Features – Age Demographic Features – Age RangeRange


Demographic Features – Work Demographic Features – Work StatusStatus


How many DE courses have you taken How many DE courses have you taken before?before?


Code Categories - ConcernsCode Categories - Concerns



Code Categories - Code Categories - Expectations Expectations

ConcernsConcerns & & ExpectationsExpectations About Social About Social SoftwareSoftware


ConcernsConcerns About Social About Social SoftwareSoftware


ExpectationsExpectations About Social About Social SoftwareSoftware


ConcernsConcerns by Genderby Gender


ConcernsConcerns by Genderby Gender


FemaleFemale MaleMale Student's FStudent's F P valueP valueC2.2(skill)C2.2(skill) 12.80%12.80% 4.10%4.10% 7.0337.033 0.0010.001C5(privacy)C5(privacy) 7.80%7.80% 13.40%13.40% 2.3512.351 0.0960.096C1.1(peer)C1.1(peer) 4.40%4.40% 1.70%1.70% 1.661.66 0.1910.191C6(noconcern)C6(noconcern) 11.80%11.80% 16.90%16.90% 1.0381.038 0.3550.355C3.2(flexibility)C3.2(flexibility) 17.20%17.20% 15.70%15.70% 0.6380.638 0.5290.529C2.3(technicalproblems)C2.3(technicalproblems) 9.80%9.80% 10.50%10.50% 0.610.61 0.5440.544C3.1(waste)C3.1(waste) 10.20%10.20% 9.30%9.30% 0.440.44 0.6450.645C1.2(tutor)C1.2(tutor) 1.80%1.80% 1.20%1.20% 0.2760.276 0.7590.759C2.1(complexity)C2.1(complexity) 5.20%5.20% 7.00%7.00% 0.2730.273 0.7610.761C4.2(quality)C4.2(quality) 7.80%7.80% 8.70%8.70% 0.1570.157 0.8550.855C4.1(satisfied)C4.1(satisfied) 3.60%3.60% 3.50%3.50% 0.1060.106 0.8990.899C7(mandatory)C7(mandatory) 4.00%4.00% 4.10%4.10% 0.0860.086 0.9180.918C4.3(other)C4.3(other) 3.60%3.60% 4.10%4.10% 0.070.07 0.9330.933

ExpectationsExpectations by Genderby Gender


ExpectationsExpectations by Genderby Gender


FemaleFemale MaleMale Student's FStudent's F P valueP value

E4.1(ease)E4.1(ease) 13.90%13.90% 16.80%16.80% 3.9683.968 0.0190.019

E4.2(enrichment)E4.2(enrichment) 9.00%9.00% 15.50%15.50% 3.0473.047 0.0480.048

E1.1(peer)E1.1(peer) 27.80%27.80% 20.00%20.00% 1.3281.328 0.2660.266

E1.2(tutor)E1.2(tutor) 17.50%17.50% 12.90%12.90% 0.8790.879 0.4160.416

E5(noexpectation)E5(noexpectation) 6.20%6.20% 8.40%8.40% 0.6760.676 0.5090.509

E3.1(transaction)E3.1(transaction) 4.90%4.90% 5.80%5.80% 0.2330.233 0.7920.792

E2.1(simplicity)E2.1(simplicity) 10.00%10.00% 10.30%10.30% 0.1960.196 0.8220.822

E3.2(flexibility)E3.2(flexibility) 10.80%10.80% 10.30%10.30% 0.1630.163 0.8500.850

Privacy Concern Privacy Concern by Ageby Age


- Concern about skillsConcern about skills – females were higher than – females were higher than males, males,

- Expectation of improvement in learning and Expectation of improvement in learning and success of students success of students – males were higher than – males were higher than females,females,

- Expectation of content enrichment Expectation of content enrichment – males were – males were higher than femaleshigher than females

- As age increases, As age increases, concern about the concern about the confidentialityconfidentiality of students’ personal information of students’ personal information but also plagiarism and privacy tend to increase. but also plagiarism and privacy tend to increase.

• Particular attention should be paid to the Particular attention should be paid to the concerns of female and older students.concerns of female and older students.

ConclusionConclusion


- Despite the fact that there are some concerns Despite the fact that there are some concerns

about social softwareabout social software, these tools have the , these tools have the

potential to improve self-paced learning.potential to improve self-paced learning.

- The flexibility of being able to study at times The flexibility of being able to study at times

that suit learners’ lifestyles should be that suit learners’ lifestyles should be

maintained while practising social software maintained while practising social software

applications.applications.

ConclusionConclusion


• Anderson, T. (2006) Anderson, T. (2006) Proceedings of the Open & Distance Learning Proceedings of the Open & Distance Learning Association of AustraliaAssociation of Australia: Distance learning - Social software's killer app? : Distance learning - Social software's killer app? Adelaide: ODLAA. Adelaide: ODLAA.

• Anderson, T., Poellhuber B., & McKerlich, R. (2010) Self-paced Learners Anderson, T., Poellhuber B., & McKerlich, R. (2010) Self-paced Learners Meet Social Software: An Exploration of Learners’ Attitudes, Expectations Meet Social Software: An Exploration of Learners’ Attitudes, Expectations and Experience. and Experience. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration,13 (4). Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration,13 (4). http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/Fall133/anderson_poellhuber_mhttp://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/Fall133/anderson_poellhuber_mcKerlich133.htmlcKerlich133.html

• Jones, N., & Thomas, P. (2007). Inter-organizational collaboration and Jones, N., & Thomas, P. (2007). Inter-organizational collaboration and partnerships in health and social care; The role of social software. partnerships in health and social care; The role of social software. Public Public Policy and Administration, 22Policy and Administration, 22, 289-302. , 289-302.

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Self paced learners; expectations and concerns about social

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