Use Of WebCT Research Articles

Enhancing Learning and Learner Satisfaction Through the Use of WebCT in Social Work Education

Emerging technology has produced changes in the ways that social workers learn, practice, and interact. As communication and educational innovations have increasingly involved the use of ever-improving technologies for social work practice, so too has social work education evolved to incorporate these advances in the classroom setting. This article describes and evaluates various aspects of one particular type of web-based learning environment, WebCT, and its incorporation into five face-to-face foundation courses in a bachelor's and master's level social work program. The authors utilized an online survey to assess frequency of access of the web-based course management system and perceptions of the features. Results of this online survey assessing student use and perception of hybrid courses are shared along with implications and recommendations.

Aula virtual y presencial en aprendizaje de comunicación audiovisual y educación

The mixed model of Teaching-Learning intends to use Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) to guarantee an education more adjusted to European Space for Higher Education (ESHE). The following research objectives were formulated: 1) To find out the assessment made by teacher-training college students of the virtual classroom WebCT as an aid to face-to-face teaching. 2) To know the advantages of the use of WebCT and ICTs by students in the case study: «Values and counter-values transmitted by television series for children and teenagers». The research has been carried out using a sample of 205 students of the University of La Rioja who attended a course in Technologies Applied to Education. The technique of qualitative and quantitative content analysis has been used to provide an objective, systematic and quantitative description of the different documents content. The results obtained show that the communication, content and assessment tools of WebCT are favourably assessed by the students. We have reached the conclusion that WebCT and ICTS constitute an aid to ESHE methodological innovation based on student-centred learning. The students showed their audiovisual competence in the analysis of values and the construction of multimedia documents using different formats. Through their works these students give a new sense to the use of television series in education. El modelo mixto de enseñanza-aprendizaje pretende utilizar las tecnologías de la información y de la comunicación (TIC) para garantizar una formación más ajustada al Espacio Europeo de Educación Superior (EEES). Se formularon los siguientes objetivos de investigación: Averiguar la valoración que hacen los alumnos de Magisterio del aula virtual WebCT como apoyo a la docencia presencial, y conocer las ventajas del uso de la WebCT y de las TIC por los alumnos en el estudio de caso: «Valores y contravalores transmitidos por series televisivas visionadas por niños y adolescentes». La investigación se realizó con una muestra de 205 alumnos de la Universidad de La Rioja que cursaban la asignatura de «Tecnologías aplicadas a la Educación». Para la descripción objetiva, sistemática y cuantitativa del contenido manifiesto de los documentos se ha utilizado la técnica de análisis de contenido cualitativa y cuantitativa. Los resultados obtenidos demuestran que las herramientas de comunicación, contenidos y evaluación son valoradas favorablemente por los alumnos. Se llega a la conclusión de que la WebCT y las TIC constituyen un apoyo a la innovación metodológica del EEES basada en el aprendizaje centrado en el alumno. Los alumnos evidencian su competencia audiovisual en los ámbitos de análisis de valores y de expresión a través de documentos audiovisuales en formatos multimedia. Dichos alumnos aportan un nuevo sentido innovador y creativo al uso docente de series televisivas.

Use of WebCT in online and blended modes

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to compare the use of WebCT in support of online and blended learning in the Faculty of Architecture of a Hong Kong university.Design/methodology/approachPaper questionnaires are used to collect students' experiences, perceptions and attitudes towards the online course they have undertaken. Focus group interviews are conducted with two groups of students at the end of the semester. In addition, both formal and informal interviews are conducted with the instructor to understand his perceptions and perspectives.FindingsIn general, students prefer to have course management systems (CMS) as a supplement to face‐to‐face lectures rather than as its replacement. They perceive WebCT as mainly a platform for downloading materials and submitting assignments rather than a platform for teaching and learning. Learning fully online is perceived as self‐learning. The traditional lecture is considered more effective and efficient by many students to grasp concepts and principles.Research limitations/implicationsThis is an exploratory study at a Hong Kong university. However, it provides initial evidence to shed light on issues concerning the use of CMS in support of online and blended learning.Practical implicationsIn order to ensure a more engaging and rewarding online learning experience, teacher's online presence should be strengthened. Other than teacher presence, the cognitive presence could be fostered through engineering the student‐to‐student interaction in co‐located settings.Originality/valueThe paper usefully demonstrates how the blended mode of learning that combines face‐to‐face and online learning has become increasingly popular, while the courses conducted entirely online are comparatively rare at universities in Hong Kong.

Evaluating WebCT Use in Relation to Students' Attitude and Performance

Teaching and learning are no longer limited by place or time. Large numbers of educational institutions are now using course management systems such as WebCT. This study examined students’ attitude and achievement in relation to their use of WebCT. Statistical data was gathered weekly from the WebCT tracking system log files. Students’ achievement was measured by the grades they obtained in the observed module. Students’ attitudes towards WebCT were measured using a Likert-type attitude scale. The results of this study indicated that students have a positive attitude towards WebCT. The module leader valued WebCT as a supporting tool to traditional face-to-face learning but not as an effective tool for helping students’ learning. The use of WebCT was found to have positive influence on students’ achievement as statistically significant relationships were found between students’ use of WebCT and their grades.

Students’ Views of a Learning Management System: A Longitudinal Qualitative Study

Over the past decade, Web-based learning management systems, such as Blackboard and WebCT, have been gradually integrated into college education. The strategic use and effectiveness of such systems have been investigated to a large extent. What is less covered is what students really think about such learning management systems. Understanding students’ evaluations can shed light on the development, selection, training, maintenance, use, and investment on such systems. In this paper, we report a longitudinal study that uses a bottom-up approach to gather qualitative data on student views of WebCT 6. Data were collected at three distinctive times that spanned two semesters to reflect students’ different experiences in using WebCT 6. Two different methods were used to collect qualitative data so that students could report their views in unconstrained ways. The content analyses results show that (1) students have an integrated view of their technology assisted learning environment, which can be represented by the notion of S-I-A (the system, the instructors and the administrators); (2) as students’ experience with WebCT 6 increases, their complaints and wishes for instructors and administrators increase; (3) communication-related features continuously dominate students’ views about WebCT 6; and (4) as their use of WebCT 6 increases, students grow more appreciative toward WebCT 6 features that support learning activities. The findings contribute to the literature with additional evidence on the nature and effectiveness of learning management systems. They provide a set of suggestions that should be carefully considered by all personnel involved. We identify a number of research implications. One particular research contribution is the identification of a fifth type of interaction that plays an important role in the technology-assisted learning context: the learner-administrator interaction.

Familiar problems re‐visited: the cooperative aspects of an e‐learning environment

PurposeThis paper sets out to highlight conclusions from computer‐supported cooperative work (CSCW) research, which are relevant to e‐learning environments, in this case, WebCT.Design/methodology/approachThe paper analyses the CSCW literature and identifies the main findings relating to the use and acceptance of collaborative technologies. These findings are applied to the analysis of 65 free‐form accounts of the use of WebCT obtained from student users in a higher education institution.FindingsThe challenges to cooperative work tools widely demonstrated within the CSCW research community since the early 1990s are alive and well in the context of e‐learning technology more than ten years later. In particular, there is strong evidence of discrepancies in benefits for different stakeholders, the need for a critical mass of users, and problems with lack of fit with social norms.Research limitations/implicationsConclusions are based on computing students from one institution, but there is no reason to believe that the sample is atypical.Practical implicationsThe conclusions identify a need for stakeholder involvement in the introduction of e‐learning environments in the tradition of participative design.Originality/valueThe paper brings well‐established findings from the CSCW community to the e‐learning domain.

E-Learning as a Tool for Knowledge Transfer through Traditional and Independent Study at Two United Kingdom Higher Educational Institutions: A Case Study

Much has been made of the advances in computer-aided learning activities. Websites, virtual campus, the increased use of WebCT (an online proprietary virtual learning environment system) and chat rooms and further advances in the use of WebCT are becoming more commonplace in United Kingdom universities. However, the effectiveness of these learning methods from the student point of view needs to be questioned. This article looks for ways of changing higher education students' perception of the usefulness of recommended Internet websites for learning purposes, with the intention of increasing the usage rate of recommended module websites. The change could represent an adaptation of the existing, well-known technology to change students' perception regarding its potentially formative role. Subsequently, the outcomes from this preliminary research could be used in order to enhance the quality of Internet use for teaching and learning purposes. The article further draws on secondary sources, including the 2005 Oxford Internet survey that gives constructive perspectives into future policy direction. The article examines some of the learning technologies and introduces the discussion on the evaluation of web-based learning. The research problem that emerges from the discussion is defined and followed by the illustration of the investigative method deployed. The analysis of findings and recommendations conclude the article.

The Use of WebCt in Distance Learning Course in University of Manchester

The World Wide Web impacted the educational model and became part of distance education in this early century. There were many changes taking place in higher education for political, economic and educational reasons. New goals and educational objectives are being set within educational institutions. There were particular emphases to produce a more effective delivery of learning methods for distance learning students. The use of Internet was seen as an important issue in the development of an understanding of the complex process of instilling knowledge to post graduates students. Well-established universities are re-examining their missions and looking for different ways of providing lifelong education. The Building Division of the MACE was particularly keen to increase the use of web-based learning in its courses, which will increase the amount of students enrolled into these programmes, help them learn in a flexible and workable manner. This paper describes the outline for the design and development of a distance-learning module. Some benefits and setbacks will be discussed and recommendation for future improvement explained.

Perception of classroom climate, use of WebCT, and academic achievement

THE CURRENT INVESTIGATION sought to understand the relationships between college student perception of classroom climate, use of WebCT, and academic achievement. Fifty-three college students provided three categories of predictor and criterion measures: (1) rating scale responses that assessed perception of seven dimensions of classroom climate, (2) four metrics of use of WebCT, and (3) four measures of academic achievement. Results of stepwise regression analyses revealed that dimensions of classroom climate were useful in predicting student achievement and use of WebCT, but in ways that appear unique to hybrid learning environments. Results of backward elimination regression analyses suggested that student use of WebCT was predictive of academic achievement, but in ways that appear unique to hybrid learning environments.

WebCT: A Useful Support Tool for Psychology Undergraduates — A Q Methodological Study

WebCT is a web based course tool used as an additional source of information on the research methods module at the University of East London (UEL). A Q sort was conducted on 102 psychology students to assess their views about using WebCT. This resulted in one main factor and five small factors depicting the different approaches students have to using WebCT. A correlation between students' use of WebCT and marks on the research methods module led to a linear regression which revealed that students' overall marks increased by one for every 50 hits on WebCT. These results are discussed in relation to the way students approached the research methods module, their mode of attendance and the support they were given in using WebCT.

Comparing the Effectiveness on Student Achievement of a Student Response System versus Online WebCT Quizzes

This paper compares the effectiveness of an electronic student response system (SRS) to deliver ConcepTests with the use of WebCT quizzes for nursing students enrolled in general chemistry, organic chemistry, and biochemistry courses. SRS is a Web-based system designed to assist instructors in delivering and analyzing student responses to questions used in lecture and recitation. Student responses are captured and summarized graphically, providing students and instructors with immediate feedback. WebCT quizzes provide students with another opportunity for practice of the concepts presented in class. Student achievement after experience with either or both SRS and WebCT quizzes on teacher-written hour-long exams and an American Chemical Society final exam was investigated. Results show that small differences in teacher implementation of both of these innovations can have large effects on student achievement. As currently implemented, SRS did not provide opportunities for reflection and review, while WebCT ...

Using a course management system (CMS) to meet the challenges of large lecture classes

Purpose – This paper aims to describe the process and the outcome of a situation in which a professor of anatomy and physiology made supplemental use of a course management system (CMS) to assist with the instruction of 242 students. The purpose of this instructor's use of WebCT was to: increase student autonomy and improve access to information; improve student learning and achievement through the expert use of student “Self‐Tests”, which are an ungraded, interactive tutoring/quizzing feature; create a more active, student‐centered learning environment. Design/methodology/approach – Features that were provided in the WebCT site include: student self‐tests are ungraded, but act as a basic form of expert system or informative tutor by providing very specific feedback to answers students selected in this multiple choice experience. The feedback to each question was designed by the instructor, who advised students to use the system as a tutor by clicking on a variety of possible answers to gather new information. Comments on answers were designed to demonstrate to the student the “way of thinking” of a professional in the field. Current grade information for individual students. Schedule‐related information on labs, due dates, etc. syllabus lecture audio. Findings – Findings suggest that the implementation of the WebCT self‐tests contributed to the substantial increase in student test scores. Research limitations/implications – The implications are very exciting and far‐reaching in that – through a fairly unobtrusive course re‐design – the use of a CMS yielded a measurable improvement in student achievement. Practical implications – The use of these expert‐system‐like self‐tests, gradebooks, and other CMS features has the potential to improve teaching and learning in all manner of courses, including those that are on‐ground, blended, and fully online. Originality/value – This paper uses concrete data to demonstrate how a course management system was used to re‐design traditional courses and how this re‐design resulted in improved student achievement.

Students' Perceived Ease of Use of an Elearning Management System: An Exogenous or Endogenous Variable?

Five factors affecting student use of an eLearning management system in two Web-enhanced hybrid undergraduate courses are investigated using the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). This research represents a causal relationship existing between students' attitude toward WebCT and their actual use of the system. Students' perception of the WebCT use, Computer Self-Efficacy, and Subjective Norms are also taken into account. Multigroup structural modeling procedure, specifically PROC CALIS, is used to extract those factors from student use of WebCT and to determine their interrelatedness among one another. Results show that extended adaptations of the Technology Acceptance Model are not as suitable for Engineering students as they are for Psychology students. Of the two competing models in the psychology class, Perceived Ease of Use is deemed an exogenous variable. A multi-sample analysis suggests that covariance structure differences between psychology and engineering students were found obvious over Computer Self-Efficacy and Subjective Norms variables. Lessons and experience from a southeastern metropolitan university in the United States are addressed.

Web-Based Technology: Its Effects on Small Group “Problem-Based Learning” Interactions in a Professional Veterinary Medical Program

The objective of this investigation was to ascertain whether and how the introduction of a new technology (WebCT) influenced faculty teaching styles while facilitating small group problem-based learning (PBL) sessions in a professional veterinary medical (PVM) program. The following questions guided the study: (1) How does the use of technology affect faculty teaching behaviors? (2) Do the facilitators' interactions with WebCT technology change over the course of one semester? (3) What is the perceived impact of WebCT on facilitators' role in PBL? The study employed a combination of qualitative (case study) and semi-quantitative (survey) methods to explore these issues. Nine clinical sciences faculty members, leading a total of six PBL groups, were observed over the course of an academic semester for a total of 20 instructional sessions. The qualitative data gathered by observing faculty as they facilitated PBL sessions yielded three major themes: (1) How do PBL facilitators adapt to the addition of WebCT technology? (2) Does this technology affect teaching? and (3) How do PBL facilitators interact with their students and each other over the course of a semester? No direct evidence was found to suggest that use of WebCT affected teaching behaviors (e.g., student-centered vs. teacher-centered instruction). However, all facilitators showed a moderate increase in comfort with the technology during the semester, and one participant showed remarkable gains in technology skills. The teaching theme provided insight into how facilitators foster learning in a PBL setting as compared to a traditional lecture. A high degree of variability in teaching styles was observed, but individuals' styles tended to remain stable over the course of the semester. Nevertheless, all facilitators interacted similarly with students, in a more caring and approachable manner, when compared to the classroom or clinic atmospheres.

A Quiz Becomes a Multidirectional Dialogue with Web-Based Instructional Tools for an Anatomical Pathology Rotation

Senior veterinary students in the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine (ISU CVM) participate in clinical rotations, among them a two-week necropsy rotation. The students have access to the rotation syllabus on the ISU CVM intranet site. To promote rapid comprehension of necropsy protocol, students completed a pre-exam on the syllabus. This exercise evolved from a paper quiz to an online pre-exam, using course management software to improve use of class time, increase feedback, and shift the focus to acquisition of knowledge. The students were encouraged to work collaboratively on the pre-exam and could make repeated attempts. We predicted that professional students would make multiple attempts at the pre-exam until the desired score was attained. This exercise achieves multiple goals. First, the exam encourages early review of necropsy protocol. Second, use of WebCT allows for instant, automatic, and consistent feedback from the instructor, reducing redundancy while improving the quality of communication between student and instructor and thus using faculty time more efficiently. The instructor can quickly identify and rectify common misunderstandings through this interface. Third, by allowing discussion and repeated attempts, we can ensure that there is less pressure associated with the exam. Statistical analysis of the students' performance supports the prediction that students would repeat the exam until the desired score was achieved. Subjectively, as a result of implementation of an online pre-exam, the instructor has observed students to be more engaged with the material at an earlier point in the rotation.

E‐learning at Sultan Qaboos University: status and future Ali Sharaf Al Musawi and Ahmed Yousif Abdelraheem

Describes issues emerging from research conducted on e-learning in higher education in Oman. E-learning at Sultan Qaboos University (SQU); Positive points regarding e-learning instruction; Research on information technology in teaching at SQU.

Using a Virtual Learning Ervironment (VLE) to create a commmunity of learners studying people and place

AbstractThis article examines the use of WebCT for a Level 1 module in the School of Environment at the University of Gloucestershire where diverse groups of students explore the relationship betwe...

Supporting and Assessing First Year Programming: The Use of WebCT

Abstract Java is used to teach introductory programming to a large cohort enrolled on a variety of degree programmes presented on the University of Ulster’s Magee Campus. There are two introductory programming modules taught in the first year through the traditional medium of lectures underpinned by tutorials and practical laboratory classes. Typically the class is composed of students ranging widely in ability, age, experience and motivation. Historically, students seemed to have great difficulty in achieving a reasonable standard within the twelve-week semester and each year their performance in programming presented a significant hurdle to their academic progression. In an effort to provide opportunities for guided self study and individual progress monitoring, an integrated suite of on-line resources was developed within a WebCT environment. This arrangement provided for stepped tutorials which mapped onto the lecture materials, informal (non-assessed) progress tests and formal (assessed) class tests. Upon completion, the assessed tests returned the score attained along with model solutions for those questions scored as incorrect, and the non-assessed tests returned an immediate response of correct or incorrect along with appropriate feedback. This paper presents the resources provided within the WebCT environment along with a study of students' experiences. The use of WebCT for coursework assessment was used in conjunction with the more traditional methods of laboratory tests and written tests ( a 50-

Getting Help from Course Management Software to Teach a Large-Enrollment Introductory Geology Class

Course management software allows instructors to introduce an Internet-based component to their classroom teaching even without any prior knowledge of HTML language. I used one of the most widely available software, WebCT, for two introductory geology classes of approximately 250 students each at Iowa State University in fall 2001. The software is easy to use and I established a variety of content and communication tools in less than a day, using the procedure described in the paper. Student responses to the use of WebCT were in general positive and they especially liked the opportunity to communicate with me, to keep track of their assignments with the “Calendar” tool, and to view their grades online. Students who earned good grades in the class are also the ones that made more extensive use of WebCT, especially with the “Discussion” tool. However, it cannot yet be demonstrated that the use of WebCT helps learning in a measurable way.

Not one or the other but both: hybrid course delivery using WebCT

Hybrid course delivery combines conventional face‐to‐face instruction with distance education in the same course. At Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey, WebCT course management software is used in graduate library science courses to mitigate the effects of commuting and to integrate use of the Internet in teaching. Each WebCT course has its own password‐protected Web site for faculty and student use, providing access to lecture notes and class discussion from a distance, as well as other uses. Use of WebCT allows flexibility and continuity for all class members.