Capturing the Student Experience: What are the options?

Jason B. TruscottExperiential Learning CETL

University of Plymouth

Session Outline

Experiential learningWhy capture the student experience?

What are the options?Some ‘cyber’ & electronic based examples Why use them?

How do you keep them interested?Which method should I use?

Experiential Learning

‘Learning by doing’ (Kolb, 1984)“Learning is the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience”

TheorisingRelating experience

to course work & theory.

DoingUndertaking

fieldwork, labwork or work based learning

(WBL)

PlanningPlanning future

fieldwork, labwork or WBL activities

Reflecting Reflective journal

Self reflection

Experiential Learning

Our CETL is mainly but not limited to fieldwork, labwork or work-based learning

Geography, Geology, Biology & Environmental Sciences disciplines

interested in the wider student experience What/how do students think/feel about their experiences during their degree?

Affective domain (Krathwohl, Bloom & Bertram, 1973)

What are the options?

Consider:Type of data required?

Data in context (the student experience) Fieldwork is discussed in next session

The student concerns?Privacy, anonymity and freedom of speech?

How the data will be collected?What methods adhere to the above?

Privacy, anonymity and freedom of speechFreedom to express yourself without consequence!Popular idea with the students

Avoid situations where students feel exposed to their peers, consider:EnvironmentLocationStudent confidence

‘Cyber’ & electronic based data collectionThe following can create an environment where data collection is personalised and ‘safe’:

Video diaryAudio diaryOnline questionnaires (open ended)E-mailBloggingSMS or MMS (Mobile phone texts)‘Virtual worlds’ (future consideration)

Video or Audio Diary

Students are provided with their own camera/audio devicevideo or audio recorder

Webcam/microphone attached to PC?

Students are free to make a diary in their own timeReduces bias

Video Diary example

A female studentStarts camera and straight into conversation (before even sitting down)

“Hello! Today we have been going through personal stuff…it has been quite intense and people have got to know each other…people are quite tired today…I think a few of them are going to clash…”

Video Diary example

A male studentWaves at camera (to check it works)Shuffles around - a hesitant start

“Hello, this is a little odd, right, what have we been doing…mainly just trying to understand each other [swallows hard] and how everyone works in the group…people have been holding back on what they expect of each other…”

Audio Diary

Provides some dataTend to accumulate everything into one recording

Some read off pre-written notesautomated and lacking emotional content

Uncomfortable with the idea of recoding their voice

Not that popular

Online questionnaires

Questionnaires are web basede-mail links (targeting audience)Open ended questions

Also reduces biased

Returns can be the limiting factor (~35%)

Current examples of its use:Student conceptions surveys

E-mail

Why e-mail? (Woodfield, 2002)Email already used by students

NB Students use ‘other’ e-mail accounts!

Sets up a personal rapport with researcherE-mail once or twice a week some e-mails can and will be ignored

E-mail exampleIf there was ONE element of your student experiences that you could NOT be without, what would that be? What is really important to you?

“Mates and beer. its just the good times realy which make the experience so great. you could have a really bad day of lectures and courcework stress, but having a good bunch of mates (which you instantly get in halls) instantly makes you realise that really its all ok..... and a few beers help in extreme cases.”

Blogging (Weblogs)

One week or the whole degree?students can express themselves without researcher interferenceRich topic range from: social, family to educational.

Reveals their thoughts, perceptions and ideas

Some students lack motivation or consistency Private, group or open to the web?

A Student Blog

Blogging example

“two essays done one to go and friday as a deadline. heres heathfield landfill site, a sacred cow and phragmites Australis, which have been pretty much all thats been on my mind lately. Enjoy!” (male student)

Email & Blog returns

EmailExcellent response, typically 75% return

Fairly consistent throughout Response tales off near end

BlogsCan be sporadicSome students complete

Dropouts most likely near start of project

Texting (SMS + MMS)

Take advantage of the students closest companion.Questions and prompts straight to the phone.

SMS text + emoticons “smileys”… MMS multi-media possible

Audio, video and text. Can also be sent via e-mail

SMS – Short Message ServiceMMS - Multimedia Messaging Service

Texting Example

‘Hi there, what is the best thing and the worst thing about your job today? Pictures, video and sound are also allowed. Thank you! Jason’ (111 Characters)

‘Best is meeting with all the team this morning, worste is concern for a work mate who is not well and having to drive vp and down the a38’ (female student)

Texting Example

Hi! Please send me a picture that bests captures your week so far. Feel free to add additional text. Thank you. Jason (118 characters)

‘Mostly emails so far?’ (male student) MMS reply to SMS

SMS returns

Pilot showed typically around 50% return rateResponse tales off near end

Content can be limiting factor160 characters maximum (std. SMS)Long SMS (Combines)

Respondent replies are kept short Texting long messages is laborious

Virtual Worlds

Use of online virtual worlds… Takes cyber-social science to a new levelSecond Life http://secondlife.com/

Flexible 3D computer social environmentHas some educational institutional backing

Lectures & Events Virtual ethnography – Social interactions Focus groups (can be made private) Questionnaires not uncommon

Second Life lecture

How do you get/keep them interested?Advertising – e-mail, fliers, posters and in person.

Money…Vouchers, payment forms or cheques?

Do it for no money?Non-financial incentives

Food!

How do you get/keep them interested?Create a sense of community

A place to go…a website?Appeal to their ideas of helping to improve their learning environment

For others and themselvesShare the fruits of their participation,

how have they helped their fellow studentsReduce the ‘black hole effect’

‘What is happening with my personal thoughts?’

Which method should I use?

What do you want from your participant? Interactive

Response having commonality to all previous questions, discussions or prompts.

Reactive Response is direct and related to researchers

question or prompt.

Non-interactive Participants own (unbiased?) response to their

experiences.

Which method should I use?

Methods that are:Mainly reactive

Online questionnaires

Mainly reactive – some interactivity: E-mail SMS / MMS

Mainly interactive Virtual Worlds

Some reactive responses – due to environment

Which method should I use?

Methods that can be:Reactive, interactive or non-interactive:Video diaryAudio diary Blogging

Important to consider the amount of research bias in the data.

Which method should I use?

Summary – what would we choose?Suitable for pre, during and post.

Video diary Audio diary SMS or MMS (Mobile phone texts)

Suitable for pre and post-experiences Online questionnaires E-mail Blogging ‘Virtual worlds’

Acknowledgments

Methodological InnovationsHE AcademyHEFCEExperiential Learning CETL team

ReferencesKolb, D.A. (1984) Experiential Learning: experience as

the sources of learning and development, New Jersey; Prentice and Hall.

Krathwohl, D. R., Bloom, B. S., & Bertram, B. M. (1973). Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, the Classification of Educational Goals. Handbook II: Affective Domain. New York: David McKay Co., Inc.

Woodfield, R. (2002) Student Perceptions of the First Year Experience of University 2000-2001 - Results from a Qualitative email survey, Final Report to University of Sussex: 1-169