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Getting
On: Analyzing the Accessibility of Distance Learning Technologies
By Teryl Sands-Herz
Getting
Online
Prioritizing
F2F Learning
Technology
Frustration
Works Cited
Advocates of distance education courses
tend to emphasize the positive aspects of online learning and avoid
discussing the kinds of problems that students' experience, especially
for those who are new to learning with technology. In particular,
students' frustration in working in online formats is a subject
rarely discussed in research looking at computers and writing. In
this paper, I examine why this subject is not a central part of
the dialogue in research in computers and writing and discuss how
students' frustration with online learning can impede on their ability
to learn in the course and even result in students dropping out.
From the graduate seminar "Writing in the Virtual Age,"
I will identify the kinds of frustrations that students might typically
experience not just in this online course, but any distance course.
With a focus mainly on those students' who are new to technology,
I found there to be three interrelated areas where this issue materialized:
in initially getting those students online, the persistent need
for students to compare and prioritize face-to-face learning as
better than online learning, and problems students experienced with
the technology. Additionally, I discuss some possible ways to remedy
student's frustrations with the goal of making online learning a
more satisfying experience for those who are new to distance learning.
Dr. Webb discusses the collaboration that
occurred in the graduate seminar course between the students and
herself as the instructor. Cheryl Greene and Zach Waggoner have
also brought up the creation of a community in our virtual writing
classroom. Studies in distance learning have also looked at creating
a community and the issue of student's isolation in online learning
(Besser and Donahue, 1996: Twigg, 1997). Isolation and community
are important, but I also believe that for those students' who are
new to online learning, to what degree they experience frustration
is a critical factor in determining how students will perform in
the course. I think it should be pointed out as well that it is
not unusual for students to experience some degree of frustration
with their courses at the university level for a variety of reasons
whether they are online or not. In "Writing in the Virtual
Age" I am attempting to show another side of the course and
the frustrations that some students experienced that can be found
in many online courses. Dr. Webb's willingness and openness in allowing
us to deconstruct not only the positive, but some of the negative
aspects of the course has provided an intense collaborative learning
opportunity for the four of us and one that should be brought more
into the broader dialogue on computers and writing. As teachers
and researchers, I firmly believe that we need to be sharing and
discussing our shortcomings as well as our success in order to make
progress.
So the question remains, why have students'
frustrations with online learning not been seriously studied in
research in computers and writing considering the impact it can
have on their performance? I believe this is in part due to the
field being so new and that not many qualitative studies have been
done that look closely at what is happening in the online classroom
from the students' perspective. Also online courses might not provide
students with opportunities to express their difficulties or they
may under report them or want to be kind to the instructor. I think
we have all experienced and seen this in comments from our own students
in evaluations, portfolio papers, and end of the semester emails
- "You are the best instructor I have ever had" or "I
learned so much in this class that I will take with me" - and
so on. The competitive academic environment itself may also prevent
instructors from discussing failures as well as successes, but in
order to continue to improve the online learning environment, it
is necessary that we study both. Bryson and de Castell (1998) tell
us that we need to pay closer attention to the failures of educational
innovation because they demonstrate why success stories are so subject
to individual judgment and selection. Additionally, Unsworth (1997)
points out that "many things that we take to be trivial, or
embarrassing, or simply wrong, will be of interest to our peers."
He also argues that we learn from our failures and mistakes, and
advises that in order to make progress, they need to be recorded
in order to be effectively addressed.
When students are frustrated they become
anxious and they cannot process course materials and assignments.
Sustained frustration also affects students' motivation, which has
a strong influence on their learning, especially in distance education
courses where students are required to be independent and self-motivated
learners (Abrahamson 1998).
I identify three interrelated areas where
some students experienced frustration in "Writing in the Virtual
Age": in initially getting new students online, the persistent
need for students to compare and prioritize face-to-face learning
as better than online learning, and problems students experienced
with the technology. In addition, I offer steps to remedy these
areas of frustration for students. Since I was a student in this
class, it may have affected my choices and own biases, however,
it also has allowed me access to my peers online postings as well
as to the two times the class met face-to-face. My position as participant/researcher
and also because I too am a teacher, I think, allows for multiple
perspectives in my interpretation of other students comments and
behaviors.
Getting Online [top]
A key factor in determining students' success
is getting them online for the initial class. In "Writing in
the Virtual Age" those students who were new to online learning
were unfamiliar with how to use the Arizona State University (ASU)
student web page called my.asu.edu. Even though they had been contacted
and given instructions by the instructor through email prior to
the beginning of the semester on how to enroll in the course and
navigate the Blackboard and WebBoard interfaces, these students floundered
in the initial crucial weeks. At our first F2F meeting, those having
difficulties described their initial frustrations with the course
even though they had the contact and support of the instructor by
email and in some cases by phone. One possible way to remedy the
initial frustrations experienced by students who are new to online
learning is to offer the first class as F2F in a computer classroom
for those who need the instruction and guidance that the teacher
can provide in a traditional setting allowing the student to become
rapidly adept at navigating the class online. The second class meeting
can also be offered for those still having concerns. F2F should
also be offered at various times during the semester to check students'
facility with the online format and to offer these students the
kind of support they might need. For those students who will not
be able to attend any F2F meetings, special efforts will be required
on the part of the teacher. In our seminar, Dr. Webb made these
kinds of efforts in the form of emails and phone calls to individual
students, but as is the case in many online courses this may still
not be enough for some students to get past these first crucial
weeks.
Prioritizing F2F Learning
[top]
The persistent need for students to compare
and prioritize F2F learning as better than online learning is another
area where new students' exhibited their frustrations. Especially
in the beginning part of the course, these students often posted
comments that reflected their bias towards the traditional F2F classroom.
The following are some examples of students making this comparison:
"To experience what many of my classmates
feel, I too am logging in from home tonight, for the first time.
So far, no troubles, but it doesn't "feel" quite the
same. I'm not sure if it's better or worse, or just different."
"I'm not sure online courses are as
rewarding as f2f ones. What do you think?"
"I *know* that's absolutely true.
Something about the process isn't as satisfying, rewarding."
"The lack of face-to-face contact
is difficult. I'm sure Patricia knows lots and lots about what
we're reading, but we don't get the chance to hear from her. She
can't lecture."
"Presence and participation are an
integral part of the classroom traditionally, but not on the web.
I truly miss the give and take that a class has to offer, and
I'm not at all sure how/if this can be attained in an online class."
"Although I like using the computer
and being at home, etc., I really do miss the f2f aspects. In
a classroom, I think a lot more would be discussed because we
can talk a lot faster than we could type."
"Well, when I am in a face-to-face
classroom, it seems that I have more time to think. I don't know
how to explain it, but I have time to develop questions, throw
them out for the class to discuss, and during the discussion,
I am able to process and organize the issue in my mind. Online,
it seems that I am too actively involved to stop, think, and process."
It is not unusual for students to feel discomfort
and frustrations because they have not accepted that distance courses
offer a different way of learning, neither necessarily better nor
worse than F2F learning. Until students get comfortable and accept
the technology and stop comparing and prioritizing F2F as being
much better and effective, they will display this kind of anxiety
and resistance. New students may just need time, but if these kind
of comments become apparent and continue in students' postings,
the teacher may want to take the opportunity to have a dialogue
as to why they feel one way of learning is more effective than the
other. This may provide students the chance to reflect, express,
and hopefully understand their frustrations with this new way of
learning.
Technology Frustration
[top]
Although these aspects are all interrelated,
a multitude of factors with the technology itself can frustrate
students as well. For instance, one student in the course did not
have a 56K modem and was highly frustrated by not being able to
participate in weekly online discussions because of the slow response
time. At times the ASU server was down or unavailable off campus,
again causing difficulties for students who would get on late or
not at all. Each of the classroom software applications, WebBoard and Blackboard,
has its advantages and disadvantages in use during synchronous discussions.
Those students who were new to online learning, lacked computer
skills, or had no access to technical support had the most difficulty.
Some problems cannot be addressed and are out of the hands of the
teacher. Dr. Webb expressed at times her own frustration and problems
with being unable to solve students' technical problems in ENG 591
in the course.
One way for students to deal their frustrations
is to talk to another student; then their participation in an online
course might not be such a negative experience. The students who
successfully completed the course supported each other by sharing
their frustrations one-on-one or with all of the participants of
the class. Those students who were outside of what became a virtual
learning community, did not have that support and ultimately dropped
out. Those who also had actual contact with other students outside
the class developed a community of learning with each other and
Dr. Webb. One of the benefits of online learning should be the potential
for increased interactions among students and between the teacher
and the students (Bates 1994). In ENG 591, even though some students
did have interactions with other students and the teacher, they
were not able to overcome their frustrations and dropped out of
the course. The frustrations of students cannot be ignored because
they inhibit learning opportunities and ultimately effect student
retention in online courses. More research is needed to make online
learning more satisfactory and beneficial for students. Specifically,
we need to learn how to use the technology and pedagogy more appropriately
in online courses.
Works Cited [top]
Bates, A. W. (1994). "Distance education,
educational technology," In T. Husen and T.
N. Postlethwaite (EDS). The International
Encyclopedia of Education. Second edition. Oxford: Elsevier
Science: 1573-1580.
Bessar H. & S. Donahue (1996). "Introduction
and overview: Perspectives on distance
Education."
Journal of the American Society for Information Science: 47.11:
801-804.
M. Bryson & S. de Castell (1998). "Telling
tales out of school: Modernist, Critical, and
Postmodern "true stories "
about education computing." In H. Bromley and M. W. Apple
(Eds.) Education/Technology/Power: Education computing as a social
practice. Albany, N. Y. State University of New York Press:
65-84.
Twigg, C.A. (1997). "Is technology a
silver bullet?" Educom Review (March/April): 3, 2.
J. Unsworth (1997). "The Importance
of failure," Journal of Electronic Publishing, 3: 2.
(http://www.press.umich.edu/jep/03-02/unsworth.html).
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