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Project: eLearning for Transition, Progression and Retention - Student evaluation of the 'Getting Started with u-Link' Programme at Brunel

Monday 06 October 2008Comment on this article Permlink

eLearning for Transition, Progression and Retention - Student evaluation of the 'Getting Started with u-Link' Programme at Brunel

This initial programme for mature and transitional students on u-Link (Brunel’s VLE) commenced on 18th August and concluded on 1st September.

The online evaluation survey was made available at the end of the programme and it was completed by 9 of the 52 participants.

The total number of participant online sessions was 247 and the average session length was 22 minutes.

The (sub)sessions for the significant VLE tools were as follows:

Tool Announcements
Sessions 117
Average time/session 00:00:30

Tool Assessments
Sessions 322
Average time/session 00:01:00

Tool Assignments
Sessions 176
Average time/session 00:01:36

Tool Chat
Sessions 152
Average time/session 00:00:53

Tool Discussions
Sessions 185
Average time/session 00:00:52

Tool Notes
Sessions 20
Average time/session 00:00:32

Tool Weblinks
Sessions 31
Average time/session 00:01:13

Tool Who’s Online
Sessions 76
Average time/session 00:00:47

Students indicated that they appreciated the assessments (quizzes and self tests) and the discussion tool most.

On a general note, the feedback received was very positive. Students felt that u-Link ‘looked efficient’, that the u-Link section was ‘well set out and reasonably easy to follow’, that the use of the facility ‘should help towards their organisational skills’ and that it gives students ‘an opportunity to learn and communicate with other students as well as lecturers.’

One student also went on to suggest that, if at all possible, this programme should be available to all students at Brunel. On a less positive note, one student felt that although the layout of the u-Link section was clearly defined, the section could benefit from ‘some jazzing up’.

The following statement summarises the benefit of the programme for the students: ‘The programme gave me the opportunity to learn and understand the system at my own pace, no pressure. It gave me confidence as I progressed through each assignment and/or assessment.’

Relevant suggestions for improvement included ‘more relevance of the assignments to starting university so that the students will be more interested’, more ‘visual appeal’, and more detailed guidance for tools ‘hard to understand’. Analysis of student access to the programme indicates sporadic access rather than continued involvement, which may explain the relatively low student evaluation response.

On the other hand, it could be assumed that most students were positive about the programme. Overall, 77% of the respondents felt that the overall programme was ‘Very Good’ whilst 23% rated the programme as ‘Excellent’.

The next available programme on u-Link, was the ‘Online Higher Education Preparation (HEP)’ programme which commenced on 15th September and concluded on 22nd September. A total of 63 participants accessed the following topics:

Monday, 15th September
Campus tour, Getting the most out of life at Brunel

Tuesday, 16th September
Note making strategies, Presentations, Numeracy for all, Fundamentals of academic writing

Wednesday, 17th September
Basic algebra, Getting to grips with an essay, Statistics, Coping with academic reading, u-Link / PowerPoint practical sessions

Thursday, 18th September
Using maths (practical applications), Critical thinking

Friday, 19th September
Student feedback

An overview of the student evaluation of this programme will follow soon.

Posted by Phil Alberts, Head of e-Learning at Brunel University

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