Students’ Need for and Satisfaction with Support Services in e-Learning
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Transcript of Students’ Need for and Satisfaction with Support Services in e-Learning
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Students’ Need for and Satisfaction with Support Services in e-Learning
Supporting the Learner in Distance Education and e-Learning
3rd EDEN Research Workshop, Oldenburg, March 4-6, 2004
Torstein Rekkedal, Professor, Director R & D Svein Qvist-Eriksen, Director Student Support Services
NKI Distance Education
Norway
Definitions and Terms
The Project: Student Support services in e-Learning
E-Learning? What is it?“E-learning is the collection of teaching – and information packages – in further education which is available at any time and any place and are delivered to learners electronically. They contain units of information, self-testing batteries and tests, which allow a quick self-evaluation for quick placement. E-learning offers more lower level learning goals. Higher order goals like understanding, reasoning and (moral) judging are more difficult to achieve. They require an individualised interactive discourse and can hardly be planned” (Dichantz 2001)
E-Learning defined in the project: ”…the provision of education or training electronically, via the Internet”
Student support services: ”…those part of adistance or electronic learning system, which areadditional to the provision of course content.”
NKI
The NKI Group – a non-profit foundation in education:
NKI Distance Education: Each year around 15,000 active students 100 programmes and 400 courses 60 programmes and 380 courses on the Internet
The Norwegian School of Information Technology (NITH) The Business Training Centre (NA) NKI Publishing House NKI Distance Education
NKI and Online Education
NKI Distance Education/NKI Internet College Online distance teaching since 1987 In continuous operation Integrated research/educational development/technological
development ’Mainstream’ technology
5800 students in 40 countries
380 courses/60 study programmes
4 phases of development
The Development of NKI Internet College – 4 ’Generations’ of Systems
1987 -1994: 1. Generation – based on the ’EKKO’ conferencing system
1994 -1995: 2. Generation – ’The Open Electronic College’: Philosophy: Constructing a
system as ’open’ as possible in relation to external networks and services, based on the Internet, e-mail and Listserve conferencing system
1996-2000: 3. Generation – ’from small scale to large scale’ and permanent operation based
on the WWW
2001- : 4. Generation – Introduction of a fully integrated system for development and
administration of teaching/learning, logistics, invoices and salaries to handle ten thousands of students in flexible learning on hundreds of courses, programmes and tutors
Systems Integration for Optimal Student Support Solutions
NKI basic philosophies concerning distance learning
Student autonomy and flexibility
Flexible and individual distance teaching with the student group as social and academic support for learning
Overall didactical solution:
Individual studies, exercises and emphasis on tutor support Support from the learner group through Forum interaction Social constructivist learning theory? Learning is a socially supported individual process Colleagues, friends, family and other resource persons as support for learning Great need for support and continuous concern for students
Student Support in the NKI Online Distance Education System
Prospective phase – information/guidance
Student Support in the NKI Online Distance Education System
Start-up phase
Student Support in the NKI Online Distance Education System
Learning phase
Student Support in the NKI Online Distance Education System
Graduation and after graduation
Survey
Needs for and satisfaction with support services
Research methodology:Qualitative and quantitative survey
Data collection
Selection of interviewees
Data processing and interpreting answers
Survey
Needs for and satisfaction with support services
Results: Prospective phase Direct personal contact with advisors important
Registration/start-up phase Technical support services important, but little used, introduction to study techniques important and should be improved
Learning phase Most important quality of feedback/quick turn-around time
Survey - Statistics
Survey - Statistics
Relationship between “Usefulness/Importance” of the support elements and“Satisfaction” with the support elements.
Conclusions
The studens find all support services provided to be important, and they are generally satisfied
Recommendations:Priory should be given to:
Close follow up and support during the start-up phase concerning how to get started and how to make personal progression plans.
Introduction to efficient techniques for online learning, specifically for students with little experience from independent learning.
Follow-up and guidance of tutors who do not satisfy requirements concerning turn- around time and quality of comments/feedback to students.
Developing course forums to function better for students who want more interaction with fellow students, without requiring too much participation for students who prefer more individual studies.
Thank you!
NKI Internet College: http://www.nettskolen.com/
Powerpoint Presentation: http://home.nettskolen.com/~torstein/Student SupportOldenburg.ppt
Presentation http://home.nettskolen.com/~torstein/Student SupportOldenburg.doc
Torstein Rekkedal home page: http://home.nettskolen.nki.no/~torstein/