{"id":619,"date":"2020-08-21T16:48:20","date_gmt":"2020-08-21T15:48:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/learning-design\/?p=619"},"modified":"2021-05-28T11:31:15","modified_gmt":"2021-05-28T10:31:15","slug":"engagement-with-others-online-students-view-of-course-design","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/learning-design\/?p=619","title":{"rendered":"Engagement with others online: students\u2019 views of course design"},"content":{"rendered":"

As learning designers, it\u2019s essential that we\u00a0<\/span>explore\u00a0<\/span>students<\/span>\u2019 needs<\/span>\u00a0and goals<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>That way, we can make sure that learning activities\u00a0<\/span>address these needs and support students to reach their goals. For example, each time we design a new module, we take time to explore\u00a0<\/span>student data and\u00a0<\/span>course teams\u2019 experience to build up student profiles or personas <\/a>that can be referred to\u00a0<\/span>throughout<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>module design<\/span>\u00a0process<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It’s also important that we understand students\u2019 experiences of their learning<\/span>, such as\u00a0<\/span>the times and day<\/span>s<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>they study, and how and if they work with other students.\u00a0<\/span>Without this, we risk making assumptions that could\u00a0<\/span>cause students to struggle or even drop out.\u00a0<\/span>I<\/span>n\u00a0<\/span>2018<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>our\u00a0<\/span>Learn<\/span>ing<\/span>\u00a0Experience<\/span>\u00a0& Technology<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>team<\/span>\u00a0conducted a series of focus groups with students at\u00a0<\/span>a range\u00a0<\/span>of\u00a0<\/span>distance learning institutions<\/span>, including the OU<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>This post takes a look at what they learnt.<\/span><\/p>\n

How do students view their courses?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

T<\/span>he focus groups were a small sample size in total (only 22 students<\/span>:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>eight\u00a0<\/span>from\u00a0<\/span>the OU\u00a0<\/span>and\u00a0<\/span>14 from a range of other distance learning providers)\u00a0<\/span>but\u00a0<\/span>they<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>did provide an opportunity to find out how\u00a0<\/span>some\u00a0<\/span>students see their courses when given an opportunity to talk about their experiences<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The six hours of students talking provided a lot more data that didn\u2019t make it into the videos.<\/span>\u00a0Mark Childs, a lecturer in\u00a0<\/span>microcredentials<\/span>\u00a0and technology enhanced learning at\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>OU\u2019s Institute of Educational Technology, analysed the data\u00a0<\/span>to identify trends<\/span>\u00a0and other information that could inform our work.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What does face-to-face teaching mean?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Mark\u00a0<\/span>analysed the students separately depending on whether they were\u00a0<\/span>under 30 or over 30<\/span><\/a>\u00a0(30 was the median age), to look for differences in their experiences<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>T<\/span>wo stood out:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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  1. The y<\/span>ounger students tend<\/span>ed<\/span>\u00a0to have jobs\u00a0<\/span>that<\/span>\u00a0have less flexibility, so the synchronous elements\u00a0<\/span>tend to be<\/span>\u00a0less accessible for them<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. The y<\/span>ounger students use<\/span>d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u2018<\/span>face-to-face<\/span>\u2019<\/span>\u00a0to describe videoconferencing<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u2013<\/span>\u00a0t<\/span>he logic being you can see the other person\u2019s face.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    \u2018<\/span>I\u2019ve noticed this last one before, in a project I did at Loughborough University<\/span>,\u2019 Mark says. \u2018<\/span>I now try and drop using the phrase \u201cface-to-face\u201d as it\u2019s obviously ambiguous,\u00a0<\/span>and\u00a0<\/span>use \u201cco-located\u201d\u00a0<\/span>\u2013 meaning physically present \u2013\u00a0<\/span>instead. However, it\u2019s difficult to stop the habit.<\/span>\u2019<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    To provide some focus to the analysis,\u00a0<\/span>Mark<\/span>\u00a0looked at how\u00a0<\/span>the students<\/span>\u00a0engaged with other people.\u00a0<\/span>He used\u00a0<\/span>qualitative analysis\u00a0<\/span>to review\u00a0<\/span>the transcripts<\/span>, then\u00a0<\/span>identif<\/span>ied<\/span>\u00a0themes\u00a0<\/span>and grouped\u00a0<\/span>similar\u00a0<\/span>ones\u00a0<\/span>together.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>What emerged was that the students saw their engagement with others on the course as being in three main scenarios:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n