An Ecological Model of Learner Support for Tertiary Online Education

1. An Ecological Model of Learner Support for Tertiary Online Education Wang Tong Beijing Foreign Studies University

2. Outline • Research background • Research design & findings • An ecological learner support model for tertiary online education • Pilot results • Future directions

3. Part 1Research Background

4. 1.1 Tensions in learner support system design • Two empirical studies (national survey 2004, institutional survey 2005) • High institutional expectations vs. low uptake of support provisions • Learner support as a specific component vs. as a quality to whole organisation (learner support vs. Learner Support)

5. 1.2 Student retention • Retention is a key issue to distance/online education. • Key models of student retention

6. Some examples • Athabasca University • 75% non-completion rate • Korean National Open University • 90% dropout rate • Indonesian Open Learning University • 95% dropout rate • The Open University of the UK • non-completion rates between 25% and 50% • The Open University of Hong Kong • examination non-attendance about 30% • BeiwaiOnline • 35% non-completion rate

7. Tinto’s model for dropout from college (1975)

8. Bajtelsmit's model for dropout from distance education (1988)

9. Kember’s model for dropout from distance education (1995)

10. 1.3 Questions to answer • Why do students leave an elearning system? • What factors influence students’ uptake of support provisions? • “Who is the learner?” (Tait 2003) • “What is the realistic understanding of what it is the learners actually do?” (Goodyear, 1997)

11. Part 2 Research design and findings

12. 2.1 Research design • Qualitative and quantitative • Approach: bottom-up perspective, longitudinal study (a full term) • A new tool designed: student diary which can track students’ learning activities at minute level • Two pilots and the main study • 2005-2007

15. Participants

16. Data collected

17. 2.2 Findings • Time use • Time management • Uptake of support provisions • Frustration and pleasure • Strategies in use

18. 1) Daily use of time (whole)

19. 1) Daily use of time (sub-group)

20. 2) Weekly use of time (group)

21. 2) Weekly study time (individual)

22. 3) Typology of time use • “non-work-time”pattern • “work-time only” pattern • “mixed time” pattern

23. Non-work-time pattern

24. Work-time only pattern

25. Mixed-time pattern

26. 4) Time management

27. 4) Time management • “could find much time for study” (M=2.9) (no statistical difference among groups) (low achievers did the best) • “could manage time well” (M=2.7) (statistical difference between high and average groups) (high achievers did the best)

28. Self-reported time management strategies • using bits of time for learning • using leisure time for learning • having a study plan • exercising self-control

29. Self-reported problems in time management • conflict with work • personal state • failure in implementing study plan • conflict with family • lack of metacognitive strategy • conflict with other learning commitments • low language competence level • poor self control • unexpected happening

30. 5) Utilisation of support provisions

31. 5) Use of online provisions • Synchronous • The e-learners only utilised 39 minutes out of the 630-minute online provisions per week. • Asynchronous • The online forums received still worse student attention. Among the 42 forums provided by BeiwaiOnline, students only spent 18 minutes per week to browse them.

32. 5) Patterns of provision utilisation • Students tend to use more offline provisions. • As Goodyear (1999, p5) vividly put, “no matter how breathtaking the multimedia or how pure the instructional design, computer-based learning resources will not be used (other than at the margins) unless (a) their use is mandatory, or (b) successful completion of an assessed task requires their use.” • More framing effects than enabling effects • Learners tend to study alone.

33. 6) Frustration in elearning

34. 6) Pleasure in elearning

35. 7) Self-reported strategies in use

36. 7) Self-reported affective & social strategies • Loneliness • It is positive. • It is a feeling to be avoided. • Loneliness • Not feeling lonely (103 references) • Feeling lonely (45 references)

37. 2.3 Gap between learner ecologies & institutional expectations • Time use & management • e-learners invest a lot of time in English study • Gap between reality and design System approach vs. ecological approach in learner support design

38. 2.3 Gap between learner ecologies & institutional expectations • Uptake of support provisions • Critical review of all sub-systems within an elearning framework • Online technologies frame and enable e-learners • Mobile technologies needed • UKOU • NKI • The India Gandhi National Open University

39. 2.3 Gap between learner ecologies & institutional expectations • Strategy-based training • Both a goal and a process • A deep approach: should be embedded in curriculum design, resources development, assessment design, learner support.

40. Part 3 An ecological learner support model for tertiary online education

42. Key features of the model • learning-process-based • Learner-ecologies-driven • Interdependency analysis between framing and enabling effects • Multiple human roles • Core roles: administrator, administration staff, counselors, tutors • Supplementary roles: roles in other sub-systems • Four-layer loop for continuous review and improvement

43. Key features of the model • The model delivers identity (Thorpe), adaptability in scaffolding (Maclaughlin), and proactivity (Moore). • Learner-system interactive dynamism and system sensitivity to learner ecologies are the essence of the model.

44. Part 4Pilot Results

45. Intervention results in student retention at BeiwaiOnline

46. Part 5Future Directions

47. Future directions • More research into learner ecologies • More research into learner-system interactions • More research from ecological perspective • More research into learner support as a quality to whole organisation

48. Summary • Research background • Research design & findings • An ecological learner support model for tertiary online education • Pilot results • Future directions

49. Thank you!

50. Questions are welcome!