Session 6 – 12th April – 14.15-15.05

Title of Presentation:

Different routes, same destination? A comparison of learner and tutor experiences in the traditional and on-line learning environment

Presenter: Clare Woodward

Organisation: Dept. Adult Continuing Education, University of Wales Swansea

Summary:

In recent years the rapid pace of technological change has greatly influenced adult education, raising questions about the potential of technology to engage a more diverse population in learning (Gorard, Selwyn & Madden, 2003). For a geographical environment such as the valleys of South Wales, with a geography typically made up of isolated communities, and a workforce requiring retraining, it is possible for Higher Education institutions, by using a combination of face to face teaching and a virtual learning environment (VLE) in a community setting, to offer accessible new opportunities for lifelong learning. This can remove associated disadvantages of distance learning such as isolation while avoiding high costs for the learner, providing easy access to course materials and on-line pathways set out by tutors to information and research options. The effective use of communication tools may also contribute to the creation of a social group, or community of practice, with which the learner can identify, offering communication with other learners, tutors and study support professionals.

Much of the work carried out to date into the effectiveness of online learning and learner attitudes towards it has focused on learners with a history of formal education (Hara & Kling 1999, O’Malley 2000). This research looks at a group of non-traditional adult learners participating in a part-time degree programme. The participants have typically had little recent educational history, are unfamiliar with Information Communication Technologies (ICT) and have had limited or no prior experience of using computer mediated communications (cmc). The year long, 30 credit module they are currently participating in runs in both a traditional classroom and online environment. The face to face learners are offered the option of accessing materials and cmc via the virtual learning environment and the online learners are welcome to attend the face to face classes if and when convenient to them. Students on the part time degree programme also have access to a student online support site (S0S) using the same technologies.

This paper is a work in progress, analysing the learning experience gained by adult learners in an online learning programme compared to that achieved in a traditional classroom setting, and looking at the learners’ attitudes to the technology at the beginning, mid point and end of the module.

Gorard, S.; Selwyn,N.; Madden,L. (2003) Logged onto learning? Assessing the impact of technology on participation in lifelong learning. International Journal of Lifelong Education, Vol 22, No 3 (May-June 2003) 281 –296

Hara, N.; Kling, R. (1999) Students’ Frustrations with a Web-Based Distance Education Course. First Monday Vol 4, No 12 (Dec. 1999) Available at:http://firstmonday.org/issues/issue4_12/hara/index.html  Accessed March 2000

O’Malley, J. (2000) Students’ Perceptions of Distance Learning,

OnlineLearning and the Traditional Classroom. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, Vol II, No IV, Winter 2000.