Qualitative comments from students
Whenever students have to undergo new learning or are positioned outside of their comfort zones, there is some sense of disequilibrium. A well-structured e-learning environment coupled with careful facilitation from the lecturer guides the students through the process of learning so that they have an understanding of how to approach the topics and actually learn using a 'deep' learning approach instead of just memorizing and regurgitating facts resulting in 'surface' learning. The rich assessment tasks coupled with tools such as Turnitin allow students to work using higher order cognitive thinking skills such as analysis, for example, comparing and contrasting data, and the synthesis and evaluation of that data where students are required to integrate components into a new whole. Representative comments gathered from students after two successive semesters of the running of this module illustrate the success of this process:
What has your e-learning experiences been like?
“e-learning in class can be mapped to a project-based learning environment. We were often given tasks and the group worked together to complete the task. We can learn efficiently from fellow group members and from other classmates. Since each of us has our own computer terminal, we usually divided the tasks up amongst ourselves ... each of us ... looking at a specific area. Then one member of the group summarizes the gathered information and packages the outcome and uploads to ILN to be shared online with other students beyond our group. I find this interaction stimulates each student to think, reflect and participate in class activities.”
“I was amazed by the amount of work (or words) that can be generated in each session. I think I have been guided to produce some products that I can use later out-of-class. The materials in the course and developed in class are useful, not only for the final assignment for this course but also for other MITE courses and beyond.”
Have you been able to learn within this e-learning environment?
“Yes, I have had e-learning experiences before, but I did not get as much information nor learn as much as I did in this course. I gained experience and some insight into the enormous knowledge available in the world. ...[Also] I could learn at my own pace [and] I could choose what I needed [to learn].”
“Wow! It was really great. Although we did not meet face-to-face [every session] we had a great learning environment to collaborate with each other. It was completely a new environment that has given me a new perspective and a new learning experience.”
“I liked e-learning during MITE [this course]. It was challenging, fun and brainstorming. I could practice my language and develop my thinking as well.”
Have you been provided with authentic experiences?
“Yes. For instance, sharing and comparing our [various] schools' ICT situations were good and useful.”
“Yes, the instant response in the website was encouraging. Although I was a slow learner and responder, I could follow with the help from my group members during the lesson. After lessons, I could spend more time to think, read the content and give my response again.”
“It is often hard to encourage students to contribute at a high level when they expect to be taught exactly what they need to know instead of developing their own understanding. ... [the] methodology was very open to personal development and focused on what 'we' as professionals in the field had learned and how it applied to the state of ICT in developed countries. The assessment format reflected this.”
“Group assignments made me learn more from other groups.”
However, it became obvious that some students need more scaffolding and support as they may not appreciate being expected to be more self-directed and achieving at a higher cognitive level, which is expected of the students through the learning, teaching and assessment in this e-learning environment. While the KWL process was well received by the majority of students as a process to help them reflect on and construct their own learning, there were some who could not find anything to say about the 'L' in the KWL process during class. It appears it is not a normal practice for students to think about what they have learnt at the end of a class, perhaps a symptom of previous "spoon-feeding" (TEHE, 2002). Reflecting on and then further developing their learning through writing out-of-class was an important strategy used. The following comment is representative of this:
“I ‘hate’ having to do the KWL. I don't buy the idea of completing the ‘K’ and ‘W’ at postgrad level. And perhaps I am a ‘slow learner’, I can't write anything for ‘L’ during the class. ... Furthermore, I do not agree with the idea of assessing the KWL for marks. Every person will have their own way and method to keep track of their learning.”
It was also noted that for many students the only time they spoke English was during these classes. Providing quality English e-learning environments for Chinese students allows them to review the materials at their own pace to gain greater understanding, and working in groups allows students to reinforce their knowledge in their native language (Cantonese) giving adequate cognitive processing time to go back and forth between the two languages to further understand meaning. The lecturers felt that their module had allowed their students to achieve this.
