online learners
...hey did not prefer it to face-to-face classes. There was no consistent opinion from students concerning which form of education took the most time; for educators however, online education is considerably more time-consuming than face-to-face teaching. Students indicated that they were not studying online merely because they could not get to class; the online model in many instances presented a much more convenient option for them. While students did not miss the discipline of getting to class, they recognised that they needed to be more organised to study online than in class. Hybrid or blended delivery was seen very positively, offering flexibility together with the benefits of both face-to-face teacher-supported instruction and online learning. Students appreciated the other skills gained while studying online: their IT skills and ability to use the internet were enhanced. They noted that they needed strong personal skills, especially motivation and time-management skills. Flexibility Flexibility was the most important and significant factor in high-quality, online learning, being the most common indicator of quality as defined by the students. Students strongly indicated that they relished the freedom of learning online and that online learning was more convenient than having to attend classes. Good teachers, good teaching The importance of good teachers, facilitators and tutors cannot be underestimated. The essence of good-quality online learning lies with the teacher. Online education is not concerned with replacing teachers with online content. Quality online learning relies on the work of good teachers. Responsive, helpful, knowledgeable teachers facilitate an effective online learning experience. However, without clear standards and expectations regarding the level and nature of teacher interaction online, the workload for teachers is untenable. A crucial aspect of this issue is the expectation of prompt responses from the teacher. Just what is ‘prompt’, and when and how often can a teacher be expected to be at the end of the line? Student expectations online are very different from those in face-to-face situations: they want responses the moment they request it, having no concept of waiting their turn as they would in class. Communication From the students’ perspective online communication is not a strong feature of online learning at present. They saw email contact with their teacher as fast and efficient, but they did not interact more with other students online than they did in class. There was no indication that learning communities were developing online. The principal relationship for students was with their teacher, whom they wanted to be accessible and available to help them as needed. These responses would indicate that the community-building aspect of online communication is in its infancy in the VET sector and certainly has not reached its potential. Online resources Online interactive materials were very important to students and they accessed more learning resources online than when studying in class. Print-based materials presented online were assessed as not appropriate, but the provision of well-designed course materials which were interesting and stimulating received very positive responses. Students generally found their materials easy to follow, easy to understand and more up to date than class materials. In some cases, however, lack of adequate instructions was an issue. The wealth of resources accessible online was a very positive factor as were the links to other sites. One of the students noted that one of the very positive aspects of studying online was the high quality of course material online with hyperlinks to other sites. Assessment Online assessment was important to students. They appreciated computer-generated feedback, but wanted a more rapid turnaround from teachers. The greatest problems with assessment related to understanding what was expected of them. Furthermore, many students noted the technical difficulties encountered when downloading assignments and submitting work. Validity of assessment and cheating online were not raised as issues for either students or educators. Support Students did not indicate that they needed a lot of support to study online. They believed that induction was important, but reported that no one had checked their skills before they started. Since they did not have ready access to online help they wanted a real person to help them, rather than a computer screen. This was one of the greatest areas of difference between students and teachers. Teachers thought students would need more support than the students acknowledged they needed. An online help desk was one area of common agreement—preferably offering support 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. Induction and instructions The technology, the course materials and the requirements for assessment often confused students in the study. Induction and clear instructions are ess...