Creating online learning experiencesthat learners will valueLou McGill, Helen Beetham, Heather Price, Sarah Knight

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07/09/2016

What do we mean by ‘online learning’?

» Most learners will experience some online component to their learning: as they move into lifelong learning/professional development, this component will probably become more significant

» Online learners are not a distinct group of learners: they are any and all learners in situations where online resources, networks and interactions are significant to their learning

» For some learners, in some situations, ‘online’ is the strongly preferred or only available space of learning

» For most learners, ‘online’ is an adjunct space of learning which intersects with offline learning at many points

Our assumptions:

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What is the challenge?

» Online learning is seen by universities and colleges as a key opportunity for development

» Most organisations do not feel fully equipped to exploit the opportunities. eg with strategic vision, mainstream processes, and confident teaching staff

» There are challenges in scaling up online learning from development projects and flagship courses to mainstream provision

» The online learning experience is still not fully understood

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Consultations by Jisc during 2014-16 found that:

Background: Scaling up online learning

Worked with the UK academic community to understand the barriers stopping institutions from adopting more online learning and find the best solutions to address those problems.

jisc.ac.uk/rd/projects/scaling-up-online-learning

Jisc Scaling up online learning project (2014-16)

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Image source: flickr.com/photos/yodelanecdotal/4092671749

Background: Experiences of online learners

Part of a wider project Jisc ‘Digital Student’ project investigating students expectations and experiences of the digital environment (2014-present):

» Higher Education (HE) study http://ji.sc/Digital_Student_Expectations

» Further Education (FE) study http://ji.sc/Digital_Students_Expectations_FE

» Skills study http://ji.sc/Digital_Student_Skills

» Pilot of a digital student experience tracker tool jisc.ac.uk/rd/projects/student-digital-experience-tracker

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Findings from the online learners study

» Extensive literature review (over 260 refs)

» Expert advisory group

» Consultation (#OLsuccess week + others)

Based on:

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1. What are successful online learners like?

2. What do successful online learners do?

3. How do successful online learners feel about learning online?

4. What differences among online learners are significant to their success?

5. How can providers and teachers/facilitators support online learners’ success?

To answer to our key questions:

Lou McGill, Helen Beetham and Tim Gray

Key points

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» Online learners are highly diverse: key differences include prior learning, self-efficacy and self-regulation, confidence, motivation

» Many continuities between online and offline learning

» Contexts and motivations for online learning vary across life stages

» Complex relationship of motivation to success: learners see them through the same lens

» 'Readiness to learn online' a consistently used but contested metric: providers devising one-off instruments with little evidence base

» Emotional responses significant to success: curiosity, confidence, independence and pleasure; vs boredom, frustration, loneliness

Finding: How do you prefer to use online resources?

Slightly more of our participants preferred to use recommended resources than to find resources online for themselves: the preference would almost certainly have been stronger with a less confident and experienced group of learners.

Find myself Use recommended

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46%54%

Finding: How do you like to use your social media?

Our participants were fairly evenly split between using their social media informally for learning, using it as a core/essential element of their learning, and keeping it quite separate from their learning, with informal use marginally the more popular.

Essential Informal

Keep separate Don't use

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29%

31%

35%

6%

Recommendations to online teachers

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» Teach responsively, with consideration to learners’ different: motivations, interests, learning histories and resources

» Prepare online learners to study online: norms, practices, expectations, good study habits, functional access

» Enable learners to use their own devices, services and skills

» Support access to rich and diverse learning content

» Provide a digital environment that is accessible, social and personalisable: open (for some learners); secure (for others)

» Address the barriers to success we have identified for specific groups of learners

» More detail in our report ‘What makes a successful online learner?’

http://ji.sc/onlinesurveyreport

What next? Online learners experience tracker

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Following the successful pilot of the Jisc Learner digital experience tracker …

» We are producing a version of the tracker specifically for online learners

» Guidance will accompany the tracker to encourage engagement with online learners about their experiences and expectations

Image source: flickr.com/photos/yodelanecdotal/4092671749

Solutions: Scaling up online learning

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We have produced a series of guides and associated checklists to help staff understand the decisions that need to be made and the processes involved around scaling up online learning at an organisational level:

» Scaling up online learningjisc.ac.uk/guides/scaling-up-online-learning

» Curriculum design and supportjisc.ac.uk/guides/curriculum-design-and-support-for-online-learning

» Technology and tools for online learningjisc.ac.uk/full-guide/technology-and-tools-for-online-learning

Image source: flickr.com/photos/yodelanecdotal/4092671749

Online learning readiness tool

Takes you through key questions to help identify your personal or teams readiness for creating, delivering or supporting online learning.

https://onlineready.jisc.ac.uk

Our Online learning readiness tool

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Help us to understand how you use our beta Online learning readiness tool and your user experience by completing our online evaluation form:

http://ji.sc/learningtoolfeedback

Get involved!