Extending the Use of WebCT Through the Development of Generic Online Tutorials Margaret Kendall Senior Learning and Teaching Fellow Helen Booth, Research Associate Department of Information and Communications, Manchester Metropolitan University

Outline 1.The context 2.Action research –Actions during 2002/3 –Aims in creating the 2 tutorials 3.Results 3.1 Student responses 3.2 Addressing accessibility issues Survey Usability testing 3.3 Measuring the impact Student performance Tracking student use 4Outcomes and future plans

Use of WebCT at MMU

Department of Information and Communications Prior to , WebCT used by 3 tutors for optional units Department Learning & Teaching strategy –Short tutorials in WebCT –Fitness for purpose –Maximum return of investment Promoting wider use of WebCT as Senior Learning and Teaching Fellow

Action Research “A spiral of cycles of planning, acting (implementing plans), observing (systematically), reflecting.. And then replanning, further implementation, observing and reflecting” Kemmis, S. and McTaggart, R. (1992)

Actions during 2002/3 Staff Development for all 24 staff –followed by Dept Research Forum using WebCT communication tools Teams creating WebCT tutorials –Adaptation of Internet Detective tutorial (3 staff) –Citing Proficiency Test tutorial (8, including 3 library staff) Delivered to all 1 st year undergraduates (116) and 58 taught postgraduates by 7 further tutors –Networked Information –Learning, Communication and Technology –Information Retrieval

Aims in developing the tutorials Address issues of common concern –Indiscriminate use of resources from the web –Poor acknowledgement of sources and inaccurate citation practice Make learning more fun through interactivity Follow guidance on accessible design and identify any further steps needed Measure the impact

Student responses I personally feel much happier now with citing references The quizzes are really helpful and test my knowledge there and then I’m likely to remember what I read here rather than information in a booklet

Accessibility and WebCT Improvements with each version, although still some problems. “The methods, structure, design and presentation of materials by the designer may pose difficulties in accessing the learning environment for students with disabilities. These generic issues are not because of any constraints imposed by WebCT itself” Pearson, E. and Koppi, T., 2002

Aspects of the design of the tutorials Pages written in valid html code Cascading style sheets used to specify layout and appearance Links from the home page, course map and course menu followed the same sequence Comic Sans font used for Internet Detective, but after feedback from students, changed to Arial for this and Citing Proficiency Test tutorial

Student views of WebCT Internet Detective

Usability testing Usability testing by 8 students with dyslexia, 1 with dyspraxia, from other Departments. None found the tutorials difficult to navigate Need identified for more instruction in altering appearance of text and background. Solutions could include personal style sheets, a fixed selection (Wright and Stephenson, 2003) or user customisation in WebCT itself, as on the British Dyslexia Association page.

Measuring the impact “What we are most interested in regarding learning as a consequence of using technology often can’t be measured in the short term or without different approaches to measurement. Measure what can be measured, such as short-term gains in efficiency or increases in flexibility” Collis, B. and Moonen, J. 2001

Undergraduate performance after Internet Detective tutorial  16 gaining marks of 70% or above  all read all pages of the tutorial  8 failed assignment  8 borderline passes  all had made little or no use of the tutorial

Quizzes in Citing Proficiency Test

Postgraduate performance

Undergraduate performance

Reasons? Method of counting hid some improvements Change in practice during the year to conform with British Standards BS1619 and BS5605 –Authors’ name in lower case in 59% of references to books with errors after tutorial –Tutors’ reading lists not changed Low motivation and attendance in term 2 –“Electronic register” hid fact that 25% hadn’t attempted tutorial at all

Outcomes: Departmental Changes to LCT unit for 2003/4 –Replacing lectures with WebCT tutorials –Learner profiles, regular tracking –Greater levels of support through tutorials and weekly seminars/lab sessions Citing Proficiency Test tutorial adopted for all students from 2003, standardised practice Further use of WebCT for –postgraduate integrative study –Personal development plans

Outcomes: MMU Tutorials –adopted by other Departments, e.g. Law –available as part of library’s information literacy initiative Faculty WebCt developers’ group, liaison with English Department Funding for companion tutorial on avoiding plagiarism

Outcomes:External Demonstration copies available now Internet Detective ex.htmlhttp://odl.mmu.ac.uk/public/internet_detective/ind ex.html Login: WebCT ID & password: netskillsdemo Citing Proficiency Test tutorial /index.htmlhttp://odl.mmu.ac.uk/public/citing_proficiency_test /index.html Login: WebCT ID: ltsndemo Password: ltsndemo Downloadable copies to be made available soon Future conversion into Blackboard

References BRITISH DYSLEXIA ASSOCIATION [online] [cited 11 th August 2003] Available at: COLLIS, B. and MOONEN, J. Flexible learning in a digital world: experiences and expectations. London: Kogan Page, 2001, p. 129 KEMMIS, S. and MCTAGGART, R. (eds.) The action research planner. 3 rd ed. Geelong, Victoria, Australia: Deakin University Press, 1992 NETSKILLS, Quality Internet training, University of Newcastle, [online] [cited 11 th August 2003] Available at: PEARSON, E. and KOPPI, T. Inclusion and online learning opportunities: designing for accessibility Alt_J Association for Learning Technology Journal 10(2) 2002, pp PLACE, E. et al The Internet Detective tutorial, [online] [cited 11 th August 2003] Available at: WRIGHT, L and STEPHENSON, J Issues around the use of WebCT in on-line learning for dyslexic students at the University of East London. [online] [cited 7 th July 2003] Available at: