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By: Dr. Bob Pawloski (rpawloski@mail.unomaha.edu) August 10, 2004
The Nebraska K12 eLearning Pilot Project was funded through a Technology Literacy Grant awarded from April 2003 through August 2004 by the Nebraska Department of Education. This grant enabled a group of teachers to pilot the use of course management software (CMS) such as BlackBoard or WebCT. These teachers spanned curricular areas, grade levels and geographic distances.
Providing data for this study were twenty-five classroom teachers and over one thousand of their students who experienced CMS-enhance traditional courses, as well distance learning courses. Surveys were administered to the teachers and the students at the beginning and at the end of their online learning. Furthermore, the teachers reflected on their experience in four separate online discussions throughout the project.
Positives that emerged from analysis of the data include:
· Teachers and students reported CMS provided more efficient means of disseminating schedules, handouts, worksheets, study guides, videos, examples, and online resources.
· Students said they benefited from the quick feedback and content mastery that can come from online quizzes. They appreciated the ability to take practice assessments or tests anytime and anywhere they had access to the Internet.
· According to their teacher, CMS assessments were well received in at least one third grade classroom, although students at this level faced challenges with keyboarding and navigation.
· Teachers and students found a CMS environment to be a great tool for students to ìget assignmentsî missed due to absence. Checking grades and digitally submitting homework were also viewed positively.
· Teachers noted a higher level of thinking in the online interaction of those students who engaged in online discussions.
· Teachers and students both reported increased comfort with educational technology in the classroom after experiencing a CMS-enhanced class. Teachers valued CMS as a way to integrate technology into their instruction.
· Teachers and students reported a feeling that the subject matter of their classes could extend beyond the traditional limits of classroom space and time.
· Better distribution of learning materials, a sense of community, and enhanced communication were reported as benefits to teachers who taught students at several sites over distance learning.
· Similar benefits were reported by the teacher of a group of sixth grade students who came together from eight different buildings for one period a day to study Pre-Algebra.
Some challenges with the use of CMS also emerged from the findings:
· Teachers found a definite learning curve to CMS. They found it difficult to find the time to develop content and assessments to post in the course. Some questioned the value of spending too much time, not knowing if the CMS will be available to them next year and beyond.
· Some students also complained that they found the environment to be challenging to navigate, not always finding what they needed without assistance.
· Online learning is but one more modality for learning, and it may not be for everyone. A noticeable few students expressed a dislike for it. Some students were insistent that they needed/wanted face-to-face with teachers to answer questions and give direction.
· Technical difficulties were frustrating to students, but also for teachers. These problems provide some students with another excuse for not being able to complete assignments.
·
There remains a digital divide in which an
increasingly smaller number of students have limited access to being
online ñ either because of not enough computers at school or
the lack of access at home.
Overall,
participating teachers ended up with largely positive feelings
towards their own future use of CMS. They were eager to learn more
ways to utilize its features and share the advantages with their
colleagues. This group of teachers often reported to be inclined to
try new things, and did not appear to be the least bit adverse to
technology prior to participation in the project. The larger
challenge may be with their more technology-reluctant colleagues.
A
majority of students preferred the opportunity provided by CMS to
study independently and to learn at a time, place and pace of their
own choosing. However, although students are definitely more
ìnativeî to digital worlds than most of their teachers,
online learning does not appear to be a learning modality that can be
used without face-to-face support for many students. The true
advantage may be that it can enable the teachers to spend more time
with those that require more personal interaction and guidance.
Digital learning environments are becoming better, cheaper and more accepted by K12 educators as they become increasingly exposed to CMS while taking graduate classes from institutions of higher education or they become aware of eLearning benefits through professional development. But research has shown that educational technology such as CMS requires training and technical support at all levels. Before making large-scale investment in CMS, education in Nebraska will certainly benefit from more pilot studies and the sharing of lessons-learned from CMS implementation along the entire range of the P-20 spectrum.
