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Tuesday, 13 July 2004: 9:30 AM-10:30 AM | |||
Northern A-3 (Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel) | |||
A-8: Graduate Students’ Perceptions of WebCT: A Five Year Quantitative Analysis | |||
| Detailed Description: | As a follow-up to the 1998 study presented at the first WebCT conference in Vancouver, student users of WebCT at Marshall University’s Graduate School of Education and Professional Development were surveyed for five consecutive years (1998-2002). Demographic data, technical information, delivery recommendations and student perceptions concerning WebCT will be presented. Presenters will describe how study results have influenced procedures, policies, and practice in the delivery of online courses and programs. | ||
| Presentation Format: | Paper | ||
| Topic: | Driving student success: Attracting, supporting and retaining learners | ||
| Target Audience: | Course Designers, Faculty and Other Instructors, System Administrators, E-learning Managers | ||
| Appropriate Audience Level: | Beginning or new users of WebCT, Experienced WebCT users | ||
| Abstract Text: | During the first WebCT Conference in 1999, faculty from Marshall University Graduate College presented a one-year study, “A Quantitative Analysis of Graduate Students’ Perceptions of WebCT”. The study provided demographic data, information about student access to technology, and student perceptions about the viability of WebCT as an instructional tool. Recognizing the importance of student feedback and its significance for program development, the study was continued from 1998-2002. During the five-year span of this longitudinal study, surveys have been collected from more than 800 respondents. The data provide an informative picture of students completing coursework within graduate programs, including: demographics -- age, sex, and distance from campus -- and technology -- computer access, technical difficulties, and participation in orientation activities. Students’ perceptions provide recommendations about course formats, examining the inclusion of a limited number of face-to-face meetings and analyzing their benefit, and the instructional effectiveness of WebCT courses, including overall quality and comparison with traditional instruction. In addition, student retention (in online courses) is explored with questions about willingness to participate in additional online courses and to recommend participation in WebCT-based courses to others. Student feedback from the study has proven invaluable in expanding online course delivery efforts and in developing the infrastructure required to sustain success. Campus-wide policies and procedures, faculty development initiatives, and student orientation strategies have all been influenced by results of the study. The data have guided faculty in making revisions to individual courses, while also providing direction for development of new courses and programs throughout the past five years. | ||
| Session Leader: | Rudy Pauley Marshall University Graduate College | ||
| Co-presenters: | Lisa A. Heaton Marshall University Graduate College Michael Cunningham Marshall University Graduate College | ||
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