1.
The e-Learning phenomenon
Internet use has increased to the level where it
has become universally recognised as the dominant commercial and
social force (Sloman 2001) - but what does this mean for today’s
lecturers? The emergence of e-Learning has created a new platform for
the delivery of training, it is, a phenomenon, and the impact of this
technology will create opportunities that will enhance and transform
the learning experience for both student and teacher (Sloman 2001).
It is vital within any study of e-Learning to
illustrate the true nature of this new pedagogical resource. It is
believed to be a new medium “involving the delivery and administration
of learning opportunities and support via computer, networked and
web-based technology, to help individual performance and development”
(Pollard & Hillage 2001). Fry (2000) supports this and believes that
the focus of e-Learning is primarily channelled via “networked
interactivity and a range of other knowledge collection and
distribution technologies”. One of the problems with appraising
e-Learning however, is that it is eclectic and one can learn from many
different electronic mediums. For example, we can learn from surfing
the web, from online courses, from participating in an online
discussion forum or from being coached or mentored via e-mail (Honey,
2001). Nevertheless, there is one common thread running through all
these forms of e-Learning – they all offer the possibility of learning
from information exchanged electronically (Honey 2001). Whitlock
(2000) offers a more holistic perspective and argues that a suitable
term to cover all definitions has yet to emerge. He suggests that the
best way forward is not to search for the definitive definition but to
apply e-Learning as an ‘umbrella term’ that encompasses all forms of
electronic delivery, whether online or via other electronic mediums
such as CD-ROM. Irrespective of definition, e-Learning has
received attention from academia as it arguably able to offer
educational qualifications to a wider geographical population and
provides the means to further the education of those with other
work-life commitments unable to study full-time (Alexander 2001;
Daniel 1997; Johnstone 1992). It also provides the
most fertile ground for growing these key ingredients of university
renewal: lower costs and unique attraction (Daniel 1997). Green &
Gilbert (1995) anticipate that e-Learning will yield new levels of
institutional and instructional productivity.
The proliferation of e-Learning programmes on offer
within the UK however, raises critical issues that have yet to be
fully addressed in terms of the nature of e-Learning, effective
pedagogy and learner expectations. Moreover, issues associated
with e-Learning and retention, especially those associated with
widening participation, have made many institutions question the
benefits of the e-Learning (Aldridge & Rowley 2001; Higher Education
Funding Council for England (HEFCE) 2001; Select Committee on
Education and Employment (SCEE) 2001). Studies conducted alongside
e-Learning initiatives have often recorded varying levels of success
in retention, identifying student motivation and satisfaction as
reasons as to why a significant number of students ultimately decide
to withdraw (Mason & Weller 2000; Alexander 2001; Bonk 2001).
In addition, whilst technological advances have widened access and
provided what in essence is a new educational platform there are still
limits to technology’s ability to respond to individual learning
demands (Laurillard 1993).
Historically, a considerable amount of academic attention has been
given to why students withdraw from Higher Education (HE).
Reasons for non-completion are typically complex
and multiple, yet institutional records are often simplistic or
inaccurate (Hall 2001). In general, drop out rates ranging from 30% to
75% have been associated with e-Learning courses in the United
States (McVay-Lynch 2002). Further, McVay-Lynch,
(2002) identified a number of factors that contributed to withdrawal
including technology, the student experience, lack of tutor feedback
and online miscommunication. Concurrently, the work of Diaz (2002)
suggested that these factors could be further categorised into:
§
Student factors – where the educational
preparation, motivational and persistence attributes and the actual
academic self-concept of the student are important.
§
Situational factors – where the life circumstances
of students affect their ability to complete the course.
§
Educational system factors –examines the
educational standards and qualities of the course and the impact of
pastoral support for the student.
In fact, it has been argued that the above factors
are no different to the problems encountered by traditional students.
Nevertheless, much has been made of the need to improve current levels
of retention before e-Learning can be considered viable by most HE
Institutions.
1.1
Retention and e-Learning
A result of widening access to HE has been an
increase in the number of students without traditional qualification
being admitted through the clearing system. HEFCE (2001) however,
suggests that entrants with low or non-A-level qualifications are less
likely to complete HE study. It is also believed that entrants without
recent experience of HE lack the ability to be ‘self-determining’ and
to organise their studies effectively. Thus, induction and study
support programmes for these types of student become invaluable (SCEE,
2001). Furthermore, HEFCE (2001) maintain that students who are not
prepared for the HE experience can lack the necessary study skills
required. The SCEE (2001) recommend that wider access incentives for
HE institutions should include ‘completion incentives’ that encourage
the admission and support of student from non-traditional backgrounds.
Nonetheless, the literature also implies that despite the recent political agenda to
widen participation, those targeted may still be at a disadvantage.
Financial
difficulties and lack of student funding have also become significant
factors in student withdrawal from HE (Aldridge & Rowley 2001; AUT
2001; Bennett 2003). In an effort to alleviate student hardship, the
government has attempted to provide significant resources,
administered through HEFCE, in the hope of reducing its impact on
retention. According to one report, funds provided for academic year
2000-01 were £57m through the Hardship Funds, £15m through the Mature
Students Bursaries and £12m through the Fee Waiver Schemes (HEFCE
2001). Despite this support, the SECC (2001) reported that 20% of
students fail to receive sufficient funding, as their parents are
either unable or unwilling to make additional contributions.
Consequently, many students are forced to work part time (PT)
alongside their full time studies, which can also have a significant
impact on commitment and performance.
Associated
to the issue of PT working is time, whereby its limitation to students
has become one of the primary reasons for withdrawals (Mason 2001;
Powers & Mitchell 1997). Griffith’s (2002) study indicates that 60% of
employees have difficulty finding the time to use online training
systems. Time related issues involved in online courses have also
replaced the problem of distance (Mason 2001). Whilst education has
now extended geographically it has limited students with time
restrictions. Indeed, Mason & Weller (2002) found that one of the
major complaints about online courses were associated with limited
time. The study highlighted that time constraints had, on occasion,
led to a modification in course content and delivery. Hunt (1998)
however, argues that the survival of online courses will be dependent
on their ability to reduce overall time-scales as well as providing
the necessary flexibility demanded by today’s learner. Nevertheless,
issues of time-management, individual study patterns, and completion
time-scale variations suggest that students also play a pivotal role
in their ability to complete a course successfully.
Similarly, Hunt (1998) acknowledges that the constant pressure of time
on staff and students, although creating a sense of empathy between
them, is not conducive to sustained continuing professional
development for either group.
Recently, it has
been commonly accepted that most students should possess basic
Information Technology (IT) skills and the ability to use these skills
competently within an educational setting. Arif (2001) however, warns
that it should not be assumed that any given population is
‘technology-conversant’. In fact, Arif (2001) maintains that many
students entering University have had no exposure to the Internet and
very little to IT generally. Participation in e-Learning courses can
therefore be seriously affected by the IT deficiencies of students and
thus a significant contributor to withdrawal (Hara & Kling 1999).
Reliable technical support is crucial for both staff and students as
they become familiar with e-Learning, indeed students will readily
give up if they are unable to get the technology to work and do not
receive support (Alexander 2001; McVay-Lynch 2002). Moreover, given
that many students are not ‘technology-conversant’, usability is also
considered to be an important factor in improving retention
(Frontend.com, 2001).
It is
important for students to know what is expected of them before
committing to a task (Frontend.com, 2001). Hall (2001) suggests that
it is no surprise that a course failing to meet student expectations
and lacking in pre-course information is linked to low rates of
student retention. For example, many
learners often find the whole online experience to be contrary to what
they believe to be the best form of learning (particularly
inexperienced learners). Therefore, for e-Learning courses to improve
rates of retention, time and effort must be given to preparing
students for the e-Learning experience (Alexander 2001).
Ultimately, high withdrawal rates are a measure of
the negative quality of the student's experience of HE (Aldridge
& Rowley 2001).
2.
e-College Wales: A case study
Despite complimentary feedback the BA Enterprise
suffers a significant withdrawal problem. As our literature review has
already highlighted, retention is influenced by a plurality of factors
including admissions policy, pedagogy, course structure and nature of
study (i.e. full or part time). This paper examines the retention
issues within the program and identifies whether the causes of
withdrawal correlate with the existing academic literature. ECW is a
project designed by the University of Glamorgan aimed at creating and
improving entrepreneurial and managerial capacity in the European
Union Objective One Areas of Wales, where such activity has been
deficient. This distance learning (with local partner Further
Education colleges located throughout the objective One areas)
platform has been created with the aim of aiding individuals and
communities to generate their own economic development solutions,
through the tools of entrepreneurship and promotion. A key component
in this provision is the BA Enterprise programme, which was initiated
in September 2001. Course materials are available on-line via the
Blackboard Virtual Learning environment (VLE) and students have access
to electronic database journals and library catalogues. Students
interact online with module tutors via virtual classrooms, chat rooms
and discussion boards.
3.
Research strategy
To investigate the research proposition the
research methodology involved quantitative and qualitative research.
Descriptive statistics are utilised to provide a demographic profile
of learners. Thereafter the study used content analysis of student
feedback to identify reasons for withdrawal. The study focused on 44
students within the Coleg Sir Gar, Partner College. Initially a
detailed analysis of the demographic breakdown of the student cohort
and completion, withdrawal and deferral information was undertaken.
Thereafter the authors identified and interviewed twenty (87%)
withdrawn students from the programme using a semi-structured
questionnaire.
A semi-structured research instrument was
constructed to identify prime motivations for student withdrawal.
Former students were contacted via telephone and the questionnaire was
completed in a ten-minute interview with each respondent. Twenty
former students (87%) completed the questionnaire, whilst 3 (13%)
respondents declined or could not be contacted.
The aim of the questionnaire was to elicit the
prime causes for student withdrawal and identify the student attitudes
to an on-line programme. The initial question established the date of
withdrawal from the programme, whilst the second questions asked the
respondents to explain their reasons for leaving the course. The third
question enquired whether the University could have influenced the
respondents’ withdrawal decision. The next question asked whether the
respondent would consider studying for an online programme in the
future. Finally the respondents were asked to summarise their learning
experience of the programme.
4.
Results
Forty-four students undertook the first year of the
programme. Fifteen students successfully completed the first year, 23
withdrew and 6 deferred to the next academic year (see Table 1).
