Insights from previous semesters’ students help new students engage better with the digital learning environments

• L.P. Andersen ^[2] ; M. Wichmand ^[1]
  1. [1] Roskilde University

     Roskilde University

     Dinamarca

     
  2. [2] Copenhagen University College
• Localización: Ikaskuntza-irakaskuntza akademikoaren eremu berriak arakatzen / Universidad del País Vasco - Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea (aut.), 2019, ISBN 978-84-1319-033-4, págs. 275-281
• Idioma: inglés
• Enlaces
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• Resumen

  • This paper is concerned with student engagement in online environments. Much research onstudents’ engagement in physical environments has been done, but an equal body of research onengagement in digital learning environments in Higher Education still needs to be developed.The paper will show and discuss how the use of an adapted version of Frigga Haug’s CollectiveMemory Work (CMW) method, can give new insights into the barriers of engaging in online learningactivities and help the new students engage better with the digital learning environments.The data presented is based on three CMWs applied on three successive semesters where studentswere asked to write about their experiences of advantages and barriers for exclusively studying andlearning online for a week. When returning to class, teacher and students discussed their experiencesand formulated advice to be passed on to next semester’s students about how to overcome thechallenges of the online week.CMWs revealed that when students are asked to study and learn exclusively in an onlineenvironment they meet different types of barriers:1. Missing the teacher as curator of materials.2. Change of study environment from private to public space.3. Missing academic reassurance.4. Missing reassurance of social acceptance.5. The feeling of having ones personal boundaries overstepped.Each semester the findings and reflections from the students’ CMWs were passed on to the newstudents the following semester in the form of advice. Students’ advice included e.g.: Allocating time forsocial activities, working at the same time as at least one other group member, frequent meetings andshort deadlines, defining own learning objectives and if necessary work outside home, e.g. in a library.The conclusion is that students clearly followed the advice, which led to increased learning eachsemester. The most decisive increase in student learning happened when they were advised to developtheir own learning objectives, which gave them a stronger sense of control and added more meaning tothe project. From the teachers point of view the CMWs were informative about the learning obstaclesstudents were facing and a helpful tool when meeting the students pedagogically