Profiles of Online Learners Aldo Caputo Centre for Extended Learning University of Waterloo
Reality not all students digital natives nor all staff digital immigrants tech can improve learning outcomes – but pedagogy, technology, and admin must align innovation requires new skills of both students and staff Educating the Net Generation Handbook
CEL Survey 3 years, 7 terms of data about 10-15% response rate (average n=575) delivered via LMS ¾ way through term
Student Profiles: Technology 90% access their course from home using a laptop (77%) with broadband (98%)* * includes campus network, hi-speed, DSL, and hi-speed lite
Student Profiles: Technology Do you use the CD we ship you?Would you buy one if there was a charge?
Student Profiles: Technology
Student Profiles: Learning 76% “comfortable learning online” (trending up) 66% believe it’s possible to learn as effectively from online course as face-to-face
Student Profiles: Learning
based on Chickering & Gamson; Seven Principles of Good Practice in Undergraduate Education Student Profiles: Learning
slight preference for learning independently 55% vs. collaboratively Student Profiles: Learning
Student Satisfaction overall satisfaction 71% – 41% of courses last term had 100% satisfied – 60% were above the 71% average I would enroll in another online course: 81%
Decisions & Actions move to CD on demand online marking and turnaround policies exploration of mobile learning continuous course improvement making the case for online
Questions… correlation between course satisfaction and comfort with online learning? if not generational, what student characteristics contribute to a successful experience? what course characteristics or support could help those that are not comfortable and/or successful learning online? does time spent on course (or other factors) correlate with student success? what’s our bounce rate?
References Kennedy, G., Dalgarno, B., Bennett, S., Judd, T., Gray, K., & Chang, R. (2008). Immigrants and Natives: Investigating differences between staff and students' use of technology. [188kb] In Hello! Where are you in the landscape of educational technology? Proceedings ascilite Melbourne 2008.Immigrants and Natives: Investigating differences between staff and students' use of technology. Kennedy, G., Dalgarno, B., Gray, K., Judd, T., Waycott, J., Bennett, S., et al. (2007).The net generation are not big users of Web 2.0 technologies: Preliminary findings. [188kb] In ICT: Providing choices for learners and learning. Proceedings ascilite Singapore 2007 (pp ).The net generation are not big users of Web 2.0 technologies: Preliminary findings. Bullen, M., Morgan, T., Belfer, K. & Qayyum, A. (2009). The Net Generation in Higher Education: Rhetoric and Reality. International Journal of Excellence in E-Learning, 2(1).The Net Generation in Higher Education: Rhetoric and Reality