Lifelong Learning in an Online Environment Undergraduate College Students Develop Lifelong Learning Skills

by Sheila Ellenberger Nova Southeastern University ITDE Cluster 7

The Setting  Midwestern Liberal Arts College  Rural Setting  1,500 Undergraduates –Traditionally-aged students –Residential  Opportunities for Interdisciplinary Study  Education, Business & Psychology

The Problem  College is slow to move into Information Age  No fully online courses available  No administrative support to license course management tools  Some Faculty using free online course management tools  Little training available

First Year Seminar  Academic orientation for incoming students  Instructors disseminate campus information and events  Instructors use common syllabus and assignments  Instructional design lacks intentional emphasis on lifelong learning skills

Solution Strategy for FYS  Blackboard as online course management tool  Common assignments built on lifelong learning skills –Information access –Communication –Quantitative reasoning –Higher level thinking

Solution Strategy for FYS  Assignments rooted in problem-based learning –Identify and explore theme-relevant topic individually –Teamwork through Blackboard’s BBS –Collaborative development of Webpage posted on Blackboard

The Participants  5 sections of FYS –61 students –6 instructors –7 student mentors

Blackboard Training  Instructors  Student mentors  Students –Some by instructors –Some by student mentors

Data collection  Blackboard artifacts –Announcements –Asynchronous discussions –Synchronous discussions  Survey: ILLL, LLLS & CLLL* –All first year students (pre-test) –5 participating groups (post-test) *Interest in Life Long Learning, Life Long Learning Survey, & Capacity for Lifelong Learning

Blackboard Results  All 5 groups used Blackboard for:  Announcements  Asynchronous and synchronous discussions  All 6 instructors used Blackboard for:  Posting announcements  Posting assignments  Communicating to the group electronically

Pre-Test Results  304 students from 32 sections  Interest in Lifelong Learning –M=8.25 (10 pt. Scale), SD=1.24 –Topics:  18% study/learning skills  13% skills for lifelong learning  12% lifelong learning topics  11% communication skills  11% working with others

Pre-Test Results  Capacity for Life Long Learning Index –11 lifelong learning capabilities – 4 pt. Scale –6 of 11 means >3.0 –Highest means  Getting along with different types of people  Functioning as a team member –Lowest means  Solving quantitative problems  Understanding recent developments in science and technology

Pre-Test Results  Life Long Learning Survey –Students rate skill, interest, motivation and importance for 4 lifelong learning skills –Communication  Highest in skill, interest, motivation, importance –Importance ratings  Information Management  Higher Level Thinking  Quantitative Reasoning

Pre-test Results  Concurrent Validity –Correlations between CLLL & LLLS  Significant positive correlations: –From.41 (CLLL & interest) to.49 (CLLL & skill)

Post-test Results  42 subjects from 5 participating sections –29 matches  No significant differences in: –Interest in lifelong learning –CLLL –LLLS  Possible Causes: –Ceiling Effect –State vs. Trait

Roadblocks & Unanticipated Outcomes  Faculty Participation  Delay due to Human Subjects Research Committee  Participation of student mentors  Involvement of student intern  New Programs

Questions? Comments?