Gathering student perception about online/distance practical science at level 1

Project leader(s): Victoria NicholasSteve Swithenby
Theme: Online/onscreen STEM practice
Faculty: STEM
Status: Archived
Dates: December 2013 to February 2016

This eSTEeM project has investigated student perception about online practical science for two modules at level 1. Students were interviewed and completed online questionnaires before and after studying these modules. The interviews confirmed the anecdotal evidence that students felt more positive about studying practical science online after they had studied the modules and 71.2% of students were pleased that they participated in the module.

High percentages of students agreed that they were able to carry out practical science when it suited them and that they were able to design experiments and draw conclusions from experiments with other distance learners. There was an increase in students agreeing that they were able to learn well by reading text on screen. Only a low percentage of students agreed that their group found it easy to make group decisions together, this aspect of collaborative group work forms the basis of another ongoing eSTEeM project.