learners' and teachers' experiences of live online learning with web conferencing
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Teachers’ and learners’ experiences of live online learning with web
conferencing
Sarah Cornelius
School of Education
Seminar, King Saud University, March 2013
Video
Audio
Text chat
Whiteboard(displaying a powerpoint slide)Timer
Interaction tools – eg yes/noemoticons, hand raise
Web tourFile sharing
Participant list
Blackboard collaborate interface
Web conferencing softwarecreates opportunities for
– Participants in different locations to get together
– Learning in real time
– Interaction using a range of media
– Sharing and creating resources
– Collaboration and group work
Used for…
• Online workshops
• Small group tutorials
• Postgraduate supervision
• Research seminars
• Meetings
• Research interviews
Web conferencing and the TQFE
Groups of 12-15 students
– Face to face induction
– Online Workshops (10 x 3 hours)
– Online Tutorials (6 x 1 hour)
– Online Drop-in ‘open office’ sessions (6 x 1 hour)
– Student-only online sessions (unknown)
* Over 40 hours learning in virtual classroom *
1. Learners’ experiences
Technology issues
– No prior experience, easy to learn
– Headsets with built in microphone works best
– Audio problems impact on experience
– Need to prepare (technology, space and support)
Engaging in the sessions
Statement
(n=16)
Using Elluminate Live! has…
Mean
(5 = strongly agree
– 1 = strongly
disagree
SD
… allowed flexibility in my learning 4.27 1.01
… allowed me to communicate effectively with
tutors
4.13 1.06
… allowed me to communicate effectively with
peers
4.0 0.97
… made me feel part of a community of learners 3.81 0.98
… allowed me to collaborate effectively with peers 3.75 1.06
… reduced my isolation as a distance learner 3.6 0.99
Other issues: pace, focus‘I think it encouraged a higher level of engagement than I might have had without it’
2.
I hope you never use the ‘team captains’ approach..
That would dredge up memories of the gym class
I remember being in a breakout room and no-one
else being there…feels lonely
Sub-recommendation 2:Select optimum numbers for breakout rooms and allow learners to move in and out of rooms as appropriate
It is fairly easy to get into the breakout rooms although …I
sometimes wait until the rush is over and then drag my name into
the room
I think [allowing participants to move themselves to rooms] gives participants autonomy as well, to
know that you can do that yourself, instead of someone
taking you
• Icebreakers – good for helping with ‘settling in’ and learning how to use tools
• Sessions need variety
• Group work – Group size 3-4 optimum.
– Issues – facilitation and minimalists
• Large group discussions– protocols for contribution helpful
• Control and confidence – e.g. like moving themselves around, don’t like too many technical
issues distracting from content
3. TQFE tutors’ experiences
• ‘Teaching with a blindfold on’
• Everything takes longer
• Importance of collaboration
• Reflections on practice
4. Other teachers’ experiences
4 experienced online teachers from across the UKInterviewed in ElluminateInterpretative phenomenological analysisNov 2010 – Feb 2011
it’s quite exhausting
its’ extremely demanding, for me and
everyone else
it’s quite intense
A demanding environment
In David’s words
“There is so much going on *…+. Obviously you have the verbal communication, you have the written communication of the text chat … we’re monitoring who’s in the session, some people come in and out, some people come in late, some go out early … sometimes they lose connection because something goes wrong … monitoring who’s got good connections and who’s not …
In David’s words (2)
“if it’s very interactive monitoring who’s speaking, when they’re speaking, … the order in which things happen and just trying to manage *that+ …
“Then of course you’ve got the slides. Sometimes they’re writing on there, you’re writing on there … monitoring the discussion *…+, so there’s so much…
In David’s words (3)
“and obviously you’re moving between windows – it’s not just *the web conferencing software+ you’re working with, you’re working on … word documents to get information…
“So in terms of level of concentration, in terms of the things you’ve got to pay attention to, its’ extremely demanding, for me and everyone else.”
Limited feedback
‘No idea’ what the experience is like for learners
‘teaching to a wall’ - ‘into the ether’
Tools ‘provide limited information’
Needs strategies for e.g.– Bringing people into discussion
– Ensuring everyone (who wants to be) is heard
– Silences
– Interrupting those who ‘hog the floor’
– Facilitating small group discussions
– Giving learners responsibility
Competence &Confidence
Cognition & Multimodality
Strategies &Experience
Technology Media
Teaching
Challenges of teaching
and learningwith web
conferencing
from Cornelius and Neumann, 2012
Acknowledgements
• Thanks to members of the TQFE team and students who participated in the research
• Co-researchers and authors:
– Carole Gordon (University of Aberdeen)
– Tim Neumann (Institute of Education, University of London)
More information
1. Evaluation of TQFECornelius S (2011) Convenience and Community? An exploratory investigation into learners' experiences of web conferencing. In T Bastiaens& M Ebner (Eds), Proceedings of World Conference on Educational Multimedia, Hypermedia and Telecommunications 2011 (pp. 2696-2704). Chesapeake, VA: AACE.Retrieved from http://www.editlib.org/p/38240.
2. Recommendations based on learners’ experiencesCornelius Sand Gordon C (2012) Facilitating learning with web conferencing: recommendations based on learners’ experiences. Education and Information Technologies. Online early at http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10639-012-9241-9Project final report and recommendations: www.slideshare.net/sarahcornelius
4. Teachers’ experiencesCornelius S(2013) Facilitating in a demanding environment: experiences of teaching with web conferencing. British Journal of Educational TechnologyOnline early at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bjet.12016/abstract
5. ChallengesCornelius Sand Neumann T (2012)The realities of teaching and learning with web conferencing: challenges and issues. Workshop for ALT-C 2012, Manchester, UK, Sept 2012 Resources available from http://altc2012.alt.ac.uk/talks/28046
Sarah Corneliuss.cornelius@abdn.ac.ukwww.slideshare.net/sarahcornelius
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