Project Description

Was it worth it? An impact evaluation of a technology based*teaching development project

With an increasingly diverse range of pedagogical methods being employed by academics, little that students have previously experienced in traditional classrooms has prepared them for the era of online learning. In addition to struggling with the technical issues associated with online technologies, students are increasingly being confronted with new paradigms of learning. Many students under-utilise tools such as computer mediated communication (CMC) simply because they lack the competence and the confidence to do so effectively in their studies.

In an effort to address this issue, in 1999 Charles Sturt University piloted a supplementary subject for students called Skills for Learning Online (SSS003). The subject is delivered totally online, is voluntary, and aims to provide students with both the competence and the confidence to use the online resources provided for them in their studies. Since the initial offering of Skills for Learning Online, more than 300 students have enrolled in the subject. To date, student evaluations at the time of completion have been extremely positive.

This evaluation project is designed to ascertain whether students are able to transfer the skills learnt in SSS003 to their formal coursework and possibly into their work environment. The project also seeks to measure the level of student satisfaction with the course once they have had time to reflect on its usefulness, relevance and transferability, and to seek suggestions for possible improvement. Advice will be sought from students on whether they believe the course covers all the necessary areas to adequately equip them to operate successfully in the online environment. The evaluation study will also investigate whether the subject provided a positive introduction to CSU and whether it played any part in improving the student's initial perception of CSU.