Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
learning resources (movies, games and social media as included in the active virtual
presence) had an impact on the learning outcomes or engagement of students when
compared to the control and passive presence groups.
The experimental work involved a randomized control trial comparing the different
types of teaching presence. The trial involved four teaching staff and 984 students
across a period of nine years. The participants were all students involved in tertiary
level classes, and were engaged in the study for six-month periods. Participants
ranged in age from 17 to 54 years. They came from a range of cultural backgrounds
and were taught in the English language (a second language for many of them).
The trial began with each participant being surveyed and then randomly allocated
to one of the three levels of teaching presence (control, passive virtual or active
virtual). Each participant then undertook their course/project, using the method as
appropriate for their group. Interacting with staff, fellow participants and course
materials, submitting appropriate assessment items as required. The topic/course
content and assessment were consistent for all participants, thus keeping only the
delivery method as the altered factor. During the trial they were also surveyed to gain
insight into their feedback on how satisfied and engaged they were with the course
and its delivery method. The final data element that was collected looked at how the
students engaged with the online resources by recording the methods and times at
which they accessed the online resources, providing information on which resources
and personas were more or less effective in generating engagement and in driving use
of the resources.
At the conclusion of the course an assessment was made of the students
learning/creative outcomes in the form of examinations and project based work.
These assessments were used to measure the effectiveness of the teaching method in
terms of learning outcomes. Participant feedback was also collected as a means to
measure participant satisfaction and engagement. From this data comparisons
between the methods of teaching, with differing types of virtual personas, were
developed.
4.1
Findings from the Study
The results from the study show that the use of an active virtual presence and in
particular the level to which entertainment based techniques were applied, had
positive results in terms of the participants experience when compared to the control
group. Three key areas of interest were measured, those being learning outcomes,
satisfaction and engagement. The active virtual presence group (which included the
short movies, game play and social interaction) was significantly more successful in
terms of engagement and satisfaction, and achieved positive improvements in learning
outcomes for specific groups within the study.
In the key area of learning outcomes, the differing virtual presence did not cause a
statistically significant difference across the full group. Overall the learning outcomes
amongst students in the control group, averaging 64.7%, were similar to those
amongst both the active, averaging 71.4%, and passive virtual presence groups,
averaging 67.6%. When reviewed as 95% confidence intervals for the range of
