Jo Coldwell

Learning through computer‐mediated communication: a comparison of Australian and Chinese heritage students

Twelve Australian and 12 Chinese heritage students from a third‐year university computer ethics subject completed a Readiness for Online Learning Questionnaire; and six students from each of these two groups participated in a student‐facilitated problem‐solving discussion through computer‐mediated communication. The questionnaire comparisons showed that the two groups of students were equally willing to self‐manage their own learning, but that Australian students were significantly more comfortable with e‐learning. The analysis of student postings in the CMC component showed that, collectively, Australian students posted more messages than did the Chinese students. Both groups participated equally in socialisation online; although Chinese heritage students posted a higher number of messages associated with organisational matters; and Australian students posted a larger number of message components associated with intellectual contributions to the discussion. These results are interpreted in a theoretical context and implications for practice are drawn.

Mapping Pedagogy to Technology – A Simple Model

As academics we are often encouraged to “go online” by our institution, by either moving or supplementing our teaching in an online environment. We have several options. We could simply attempt to replicate our face-to-face teaching, in effect changing nothing; we can enhance our face-to-face teaching with the available technology; or we can transform our face-to-face teaching by the available technology. The approach we choose will be determined by several factors, one of which will be our existing knowledge of the technological environment we are using. In this paper I propose a simple framework which provides novice eTeachers in particular with a simple mapping from classroom activity to technological functionality, reducing the need to have extensive technological literacy of the learning environment when designing online ac-

Automated assessment and marking of spreadsheet concepts

An academic goal of a university is to ensure that student learning outcomes are achieved to their maximum potential. Attainment of academic goals however, can often be in conflict with attempts to realise administrative or business goals, as these may be perceived as being easily achieved through rationalisation of academic costs. The modern university must find a balance in the optimisation of these goals. This was recognised by (Cranitch 1991) “...with large numbers of students with different learning styles, there is a need to develop instructional arrangements that maximise student learning, while trying to minimise the cost in terms of time, effort and money”. Practically this may mean trying to maximise individual learning outcomes within very large classes, while trying to cope with the problems associated with large classes. One method of doing this is to reduce the logistic load or the management complexity of large classes, eg the PACE system (Oliver & Mitchell, 1996) for assessment management. Another is by automating some of the tasks related to student learning outcomes, eg the provision of consistent, adequate and timely feedback.

An Initiative to Address the Gender Imbalance in Tertiary IT Studies

Gender imbalance in the IT sector is a problem with few females choosing information technology (IT) as a career. This paper describes an initiative conducted in Victoria, Australia, that aimed to expand the career horizons of secondary school girls aged 14 to 18 by showing them the range of career opportunities available in information technology. The event was a two day showcase where industry speakers from a wide variety of areas within the sector spoke about their careers. The event participants - students and their accompanying teachers - were surveyed. Both students and teachers indicated that the Showcase had been a worthwhile event that had made them much more aware of some of the career options available in the IT sector. The most significant finding was that after the event a considerable percentage of the students indicated that they would consider a career in IT, when only about half of those surveyed indicated that they had considered IT beforehand.

Students' perspective of online learning

When a student commences a course of study that includes an online component the initial feedback academics receive can reflect their fear of the online concept, their bias against the use of technology, as well as difficulties they may have encountered with using the supporting technologies rather than with online learning per se. In second semester 2002, an evaluation of an online unit in the B. Computing was conducted at the end of the semester to gain a better understanding of students’ perceptions of online learning as well as the effectiveness of the technologies that support these activities. We report some preliminary results from the evaluation. Initial indications are that poor first impressions are reflected in students’ perceptions of the overall online learning experience. We highlight some areas, normally considered outside the immediate domain of eLearning, that must be attended to in order to minimise the potential negative impact on students, maximise the benefits of learning online and improve the learning experience for students.

Can eLearning Provide Tools for Capacity-Building to Improve Performance in the Nonprofit Sector?

Can E-learning 2.0 provide a platform for improving performance in nonprofit organizations? It is argued that Web 2.0 technologies provide the tools that today’s students rely on in the learning environment. As such they may be the means to attract and retain learners in training and education programs designed to improve performance. E-learning delivered through a blended learning model has proven to be effective in corporate training and higher education. Can the interactive, collaborative model offered in E-learning 2 prove to be as effective? This paper reviews the literature on blended learning and capacity-building as background for a discussion of the potential that e-learning models enhanced by web 2.0 technologies have for expanding access to education and training and facilitating implementation of skills and knowledge gained in the workplace. We suggest that increasing training opportunities for staff and making nonprofit management education more accessible through online programs is not enough to meet the challenge. What is needed at this point is practicable education and training delivered in today’s user’s environment, that is online and “on the go.”