Learners’ Perceptions of Technology for Learning

In recent years there has been  a welcome increase in the attention given to learners’ experiences of e-learning, with several published studies on the subject, for example from JISC. This body of literature was added to by the University of Glamorgan’s Student Expectations Project which took place in 2008, and which was featured in a SLiDA case study published  in 2010. The project involved a survey of over 2000 learners on many aspects of University life including the use of technology in learning, teaching and assessment, and gave rise to several recommendations including the need for more computers for learning and teaching purposes and better access to high-speed internet.
The outputs of this research provided a stimulus to make key changes,  ultimately resulting in more extensive and consistent use of the institutional VLE, and online submission of assessments becoming the norm. Another outcome of the project as a whole was the establishment of Student Voice Representatives (SVRs) who, amongst their many other roles, have a key input into policies on technology usage, for example by attending meetings of the Technology-Enhanced Learning Steering Group.
The technology-related aspects of the Student Expectations Project have recently been re-visited, and questions specifically dealing with technology for learning, teaching and assessment were added to the online Student Experience Questionnaire (SEQ) made available to all students during May/June via Glamlife. An examination of early responses has indicated the following:

• Less than half of all respondents chose to answer questions about technology
• Nearly 80% of those who answered the technology-related questions stated that the technology provided by the University came up to their expectations. However, most also noted deficiencies in the availability and capabilities of campus PC provision
• 60% of respondents owned an internet-enabled phone, but only half of these indicated that they used it for learning in any way
• Nearly 80% indicated that their own laptops were very useful, though only 33% valued wifi hot-spots
• Tutors communicate effectively using e-mail, and play an important role in directing VLE usage. However, their use of VLE tools such as wikis and forums is infrequent, and they rarely direct students towards using software that could help with planning and organising notes and assignments
  These preliminary results raise several issues that need to be explored further. Firstly, the lack of response to the technology-focussed questions seems to indicate that learners are not, as we sometimes assume,  automatic ‘technophiles’ or ‘Digital natives’, and are probably highly dependent on their tutors for direction and guidance on the use of technology for their learning. This agrees with the findings of JISC studies which showed that whilst learners may be very familiar with technology for social purposes, they  are not necessarily proficient in using it for learning. It would also appear  (see bar chart above) that many tutors are not making best use of the range of available technologies which hence limits learner exposure to digital tools and their benefits. Secondly, whilst mobile phones are often assumed to be ubiquitous amongst the student population, it cannot yet be assumed that all learners can access online materials or online methods of communication via their phones. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, the results suggest some ambiguities that may reflect weaknesses in the survey methodology. For example, most students indicted that technology at the University was ‘as good as expected’, yet nonetheless had criticisms: might this mean that misunderstood the questions, or were their expectations just not very high? And what do students perceive as  ‘learning’ in relation to their mobile phones?
  These reflections highlight the importance of asking appropriate questions in appropriate ways if we wish to have a proper understanding  of students’ experiences and needs. One approach to tackling this issue is to involve learners in the process of question and survey design.