Understanding the Context of Distance Students: Differences in On- and Off-Campus Engagement with an Online Learning Environment

Autor/in	Palmer, Stuart
Titel	Understanding the Context of Distance Students: Differences in On- and Off-Campus Engagement with an Online Learning Environment
Quelle	In: Journal of Open, Flexible and Distance Learning, 16 (2012) 1, S.70-82 (13 Seiten) PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1179-7665
Schlagwörter	Educational Technology; Online Courses; Higher Education; Student Surveys; Student Experience; Telecommunications; Technology Uses in Education; Satisfaction; On Campus Students; Commuting Students; Student Attitudes; Foreign Countries; Statistical Analysis; Access to Computers; Australia + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Unterrichtsmedien; Online course; Online-Kurs; Hochschulbildung; Hochschulsystem; Hochschulwesen; Schülerbefragung; Studienerfahrung; Telekommunikationstechnik; Technology enhanced learning; Technology aided learning; Technologieunterstütztes Lernen; Zufriedenheit; Pendler; Schülerverhalten; Ausland; Statistische Analyse; Australien
Abstract	While a growing number of higher education institutions are providing online modes of study for both on- and off-campus students, do the differences in demography, technology experiences and reasons for study between on- and off-campus students mean that they interact differently with online learning environments (OLEs)? Australia's Deakin University is a major provider of distance and online education that provides a case study of a higher education institution with a mature and large-scale OLE implementation providing support to both on- and off-campus students. Deakin Studies Online (DSO) is Deakin University's OLE. Based on a representative sample of 1322 responses to the 2011 DSO evaluation survey, this paper presents a large-scale, up-to-date and fine-grained investigation of the impact of mode of study on the student experience of using an OLE. It was found that the primary place of access to DSO for both groups was home; mobile access to DSO seems likely to be of growing importance to both groups; and there was no statistically significant difference in the mean satisfaction ratings between on- and off-campus students for virtually all DSO functions. Off-campus students gave significantly higher mean ratings of importance (though not satisfaction) to a range of DSO functions that could be viewed as "value adders", enhancing their overall learning experience. For more than half of the DSO functions surveyed, on-campus students reported statistically significant higher mean frequency of access than off-campus students. The finding that elements of the institutional OLE are not universally perceived and used the same way by all student groups challenges the value of standard, "one-size-fits-all" institutional policies and templates relating to the use of OLEs. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	DEANZ: New Zealand Association for Open, Flexible and Distance Learning. Open Polytechnic, 3 Cleary Street Private Bag 31914, Lower Hutt 5040, New Zealand. Tel: +64-3-345-8246; Web site: http://journals.akoaotearoa.ac.nz/index.php/JOFDL
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01