Discussion
Discussion
The aim of this study was to gain an understanding of how students evaluated an online third year option module , traditionally delivered f2f , that had been re-designed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and delivered online . The evaluation hoped to provide an understanding of students ’ experience to enable enhanced student learning , experience and satisfaction in future delivery of the module .
Quantitative outcomes showed students agreed that the module was well organised , intellectually challenging , delivered in an engaging way with appropriate support available . Analysis of qualitative feedback indicated a generally positive response from students ( 82.5 % positive comments vs 17.5 % negative comments ). This indicated favourable effects of using technology in this case in facilitating students ’ learning ( Allen & Seaman , 2011 ; Graham , 2006 ). Students appear to have adapted well to the delivery of the module online . This may partly have been due to the current generation of students being familiar with technology ( Masood & Hibberts , 2021 ). Although not used in this capacity , students were also already familiar with the teaching and learning platform Moodle , having experience of Moodle during the first two years of their degree 1 . This may have helped the transition process .
Interactive teaching activities were incorporated in the design of the module , which increase student engagement and support active learning ( Leahy et al ., 2018 ). When looking at the thematic groupings of the positive comments , it appears they also enhance the student experience and satisfaction as strong themes in the positive feedback were around the structural organisation of the module incorporating interactive activities . These comments comprised almost half of student feedback ( 47 % of positive comments ). The module included a balance of textual and visual learning materials , which may have informed students ’ positive feedback , as this has been highlighted as important in online module design ( Nazrenko , 2015 ). Students also valued being able to work at their own pace in a more flexible manner , which has been documented in the literature ( Garris & Fleck , 2020 ). Including an interactive element with balanced textual and visual activities that enable students to work at their own pace should be retained in future delivery of the module .
The largest proportion of negative comments ( 73 %) referred to the volume of material students were required to work through each week , including reading , being too much . The module is a 15 CAT 2 module equating to 150 hours of learning . The traditional structure has been a two-hour lecture and a one-hour seminar each week with associated reading set . In this format , students receive 30 hours of ‘ formal ’ learning and teaching input across a 10-week term and two revision sessions , with the remaining hours comprised of self-directed study . With a shift to the online format , this negative feedback may be owing to the amount of ‘ formal ’ learning becoming more visible and / or concrete as the module was set out in a more structured and prescriptive way . In order to acknowledge this shift , the structure and organisation of the module in relation to CATs and study hours was communicated to students in a video message at the start of the module . However , it appears additional emphasis is needed in setting student expectations . A comparison to what students are already familiar with , i . e ., the traditional f2f delivery method of lectures and seminars with self-directed learning , may more clearly communicate the change in learning style and help to set expectations of what learning will look like when undertaking a module in this format .
It is likely that pedagogical practice will have been altered as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic ( Masood & Hibberts , 2021 ). Given student feedback , this is certainly the case for this particular module . Technology can be used to effectively deliver online learning ( Hodges et al ., 2020 ), even for a module traditionally designed for f2f delivery . Moving forward , therefore , it will be important to :
• Maintain a structured approach .
• Incorporate interactive activities as part of the module to permit students to work at their own pace in a flexible manner .
• More clearly and firmly set student expectations at the start of the module in terms of how the module structure translates into practical learning hours .
Overall , the outcomes of this module evaluation indicate that it was well received . What is outside of the scope of this study is whether the redesign and transition to online learning had an impact on achievement . An avenue for future exploration , therefore , is whether this method of delivery improves student learning and / or performance .
1
Moodle is adopted as the learning and teaching platform within the department to provide access to lecture slides , reading material , including information about modules such as exams and assessment .
2
The Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme ( CATS ) enables academic credit to be transferred between higher education institutions in the United Kingdom .
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