1. Listening to the e-Learner's Voice: letting the learners tell their own story Linda Creanor & Kathryn Trinder Glasgow Caledonian University Doug Gowan & Carol Howells The Open Learning Partnership

2. Overview  Introduction to LEX  Introducing the learners  (some!) Findings  Towards a conceptual framework  Summary

3. Introduction “We need to listen to people’s views and ensure that technology meets their needs.” (DfES E-Strategy, 2005)

4. Introduction to LEX  A national JISC research project on the learner experience of e-learning  Informed by a Scoping Study (Sharpe et al, 2005) that identified need for cross-sector, integrated research  Putting the learner’s voice centre stage  Complemented by the Learner XP study Conole et al: HE focus, discipline specific

5. Research questions 3 key areas highlighted:  What might characterise effective learners in an e-learning context?  What beliefs and intentions do effective learners display?  What strategies do effective learners display?

6. Research approach  We started from the premise that learners are experts on their own experiences  We adapted an Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) approach  Interviews and focus groups were conducted

7. Meet some Learners

8. Some Emergent Themes Personalisation of environment Influence of/on family Strategies/ways of coping Motivation to use technology Control & choices Course design issues Fitting learning around life Expectations of technology Time management

9. Characterising effective e-learners IT skills & confidence “Instead of being afraid of technology... I'm beginning to learn, well, it’s not as bad as it seems, take your time, if you make a mistake it doesn't matter, just do it again.”

10. Characterising effective e-learners Networking “Using... computers for your assignments and even mobile phones...getting with your friends or even tutors …. just by using text messages maybe and saying, ’Do you know how to do this bit?’”

11. Characterising effective e-learners  Flexible, resourceful, self-aware  Role of meta-cognition – knowing how they learn  Confidence to overcome technical problems  Highly skilled networkers

12. Beliefs & intentions Technology for a reason “If I’m just on an information course then I don’t need all the nice fluffy bits round the edges, whereas if it’s a sharing exercise you need the fluffy bits as well.”

13. Beliefs & intentions Feelings “...when I first went on and started to look at it I thought, 'Oh my God, I don't know whether this is for me!', but then I thought, ‘Calm down a bit, sit down and go through it step by step’.”

14. Beliefs & intentions  Willing to engage & expect tutors to engage also  Believe technology should enhance their learning  Learn to deal with strong emotional reactions  Intend to use technology to their own advantage

15. Strategies & behaviours Approaches to study “I was writing my project, I was doing my Blog, and doing my homework for economics all at the same time, and listening to music in the background... Who says men can't multitask!”

16. Strategies & behaviours Control & choice Q: … you’ve got the [online] calendar there where you arrange meetings and set deadlines etc? A: Well … we’re kind of keeping them happy by having that pretend meeting up there because we don’t meet every Thursday. Q: So you’ve got to make it look as if you’re doing it? A: Oh we are, just not on a Tuesday and Thursday.

17. Strategies & behaviours  Fitting learning around life  Blurring of boundaries between technology for learning & leisure  Books taking second place to the internet  Exercising control over environments, technology and learning tasks.

18. Towards a conceptual framework ControlIdentityFeelingsRelation- ships Abilities technology life people formal learning time What factors influence what I do with my learning? What factors influence how I feel about my learning?

19. Conceptual map of themes

20. Conclusions/Summary  Don’t rely on stereotypes!  Choice and control = engagement  A new ‘underworld’ of digital communication  Impact of emotions  Aligning e-learning with learner expectations