As
part of the EU-funded VITAL project on learning analytics and online
language learning you are all invited to a free webinar with Dr Bart
Rienties from the
UK Open University today (10 June) at 11am UK time.
Further information here on the VITAL project website: http://www.project-vital.eu/en/2016/03/10/upcoming-webinars/
Dr Bart Rienties, Reader in Learning Analytics: http://www.open.ac.uk/people/bcr58
To access the Adobe Connect webinar room: https://connect.uclan.ac.uk/r8nkvlsjdp5/
Abstract
The impact of learning design on student behaviour, satisfaction and
performance: a cross-institutional comparison across 151
modules”Pedagogically informed designs of learning are increasingly of
interest to researchers in blended and online learning, as learning
design is shown to have an impact on student behaviour and outcomes.
Although learning design is widely studied, often these studies are
individual courses or programmes and few empirical studies have
connected learning designs of a substantial number of courses
with learning behaviour. In this study we linked 151 modules and 111.256
students with students’ behaviour (<400 million minutes of online
behaviour), satisfaction and performance at the Open University UK using
multiple regression models. Our findings strongly
indicate the importance of learning design in predicting and
understanding Virtual Learning Environment behaviour and performance of
students in blended and online environments. In line with proponents of
social learning theories, our primary predictor for
academic retention was the time learners spent on communication
activities, controlling for various institutional and disciplinary
factors. Where possible, appropriate and well designed communication
tasks that align with the learning objectives of the course
may be a way forward to enhance academic retention.