E-Learning

Universities globally are addressing the challenges of making learning and teaching more accessible and more flexible. The push towards greater flexibility of learning, supported by existing and emerging technologies, is substantially being driven by students who increasingly seek to engage in learning when and where they choose. UWS, like other higher education institutions, is leveraging the opportunities provided by technologies to support learners, many of whom are digitally literate, frequent users of mobile devices, and seeking highly interactive, visual, immediate, and socially engaging learning.

Student Experience of Technology Survey

The Teaching Development Unit conducted a UWS student survey, Student Experience of Technology (SET), in 2010. This significant institution-specific data was developed as part of a collaborative research project with Macquarie University and University of Technology, Sydney. Each of the three universities were responsible for gathering and analysing site-specific data. The rationale of the research was to provide relevant information for infrastructure and professional development planning, assist staff in developing programs and services that make more effective use of technologies for learning and teaching purposes, and to provide more effective learning environments for students.

The UWS survey results have yielded a detailed picture of how our student cohort experience and use technologies in their university life. The survey asked students 141 questions about their access and use of technologies for learning, administration, communication and social and work purposes. A total of 7,411 UWS student responded; a 20.4% return rate. The open ended comments embedded in the survey yielded 17,265 responses from students.

Survey findings

Data indicate UWS students are moderately to highly satisfied with the current level of services and supports for learning. Data also reveals UWS students are well equipped, with levels of computer ownership consistent across all age groups and cohorts. UWS students are reported as active users of technology for study related purposes with nearly all students indicating they use technology for study from home or campus, one or more times a day. UWS students rate themselves as technologically literate with capacity to learn new technologies.

The most frequently used technologies by students in their everyday lives are text messaging, email and mobile phone for voice calls. With students self-reporting using these technologies for university related purposes from one or more times a day to a few times a week.

Despite the private use of Social Network technologies such as Facebook, Twitter, wikis and blogs, students do not overwhelmingly want these technologies to be a part of their university experience. Students would prefer that more and better use is made of core learning technologies, such as greater access to online lecture recordings, discussion boards in vUWS, and tracking academic progress and grades online.

For further information about the Student Experience of Technology report please contact the Teaching Development Unit.

E-Learning Quality Framework

The E-Learning Quality Framework (ELQF) continues to be an important focus for the Teaching Development Unit (TDU) with all vUWS sites being reviewed for consistency with the Basic Standards for E-Learning Sites. TDU's continual review of e-Learning site quality showed significant increases in consistency with important technical and organisational criteria including the clarity of course and unit homepages, ease of navigation, instructions relating to tool use and access to information about student supports. Regular reports are provided to School and Colleges, allowing them to understand the components of the E-Learning Quality Framework and work toward consistency with all criteria. Surveys between 2008 and 2010 have showed ongoing improvement which we expect to be sustained in 2011.

This Framework supports staff to self review and improve the quality of their e-learning sites, with the explicit purpose of improving student learning in the online environment.

The E-Learning Quality Framework consists of three ‘layers’:

Basic Standards for E-Learning Sites
Staff Development Toolkit
Advanced Standards

Benchmarking E-Learning Usage

To better understand the extent of e-learning usage, a benchmarking exercise between UWS and Griffith University was initiated in 2008. Both universities are predominantly face-to-face, multi-campus teaching institutions with similar size student bodies and academic communities utilising a single enterprise wide e-learning system. The project team has developed a framework that provides regular, ongoing ‘snapshots’ of Learning Management System (LMS) usage. This enables each university to track change over time, as well as provide useful data that can contribute to better LMS management, staff development and institutional planning. Read the report Opens in a new window [PDF, 85KB].


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E-Learning Universities globally are addressing the challenges of making learning and teaching more accessible and more flexible. The push towards greater flexibility of learning, supported by existing and emerging technologies, is substantially being driven by students who increasingly seek to engage in learning when and where they choose. UWS, like other higher education institutions, is leveraging the opportunities provided by technologies to support learners, many of whom are digitally literate, frequent users of mobile devices, and seeking highly interactive, visual, immediate, and socially engaging learning. Student Experience of Technology Survey The Teaching Development Unit conducted a UWS student survey, Student Experience of Technology (SET), in 2010. This significant institution-specific data was developed as part of a collaborative research project with Macquarie University and University of Technology, Sydney. Each of the three universities were responsible for gathering and analysing site-specific data. The rationale of the research was to provide relevant information for infrastructure and professional development planning, assist staff in developing programs and services that make more effective use of technologies for learning and teaching purposes, and to provide more effective learning environments for students. The UWS survey results have yielded a detailed picture of how our student cohort experience and use technologies in their university life. The survey asked students 141 questions about their access and use of technologies for learning, administration, communication and social and work purposes. A total of 7,411 UWS student responded; a 20.4% return rate. The open ended comments embedded in the survey yielded 17,265 responses from students. Survey findings Data indicate UWS students are moderately to highly satisfied with the current level of services and supports for learning. Data also reveals UWS students are well equipped, with levels of computer ownership consistent across all age groups and cohorts. UWS students are reported as active users of technology for study related purposes with nearly all students indicating they use technology for study from home or campus, one or more times a day. UWS students rate themselves as technologically literate with capacity to learn new technologies. The most frequently used technologies by students in their everyday lives are text messaging, email and mobile phone for voice calls. With students self-reporting using these technologies for university related purposes from one or more times a day to a few times a week. Despite the private use of Social Network technologies such as Facebook, Twitter, wikis and blogs, students do not overwhelmingly want these technologies to be a part of their university experience. Students would prefer that more and better use is made of core learning technologies, such as greater access to online lecture recordings, discussion boards in vUWS, and tracking academic progress and grades online. For further information about the Student Experience of Technology report please contact the Teaching Development Unit. E-Learning Quality Framework The E-Learning Quality Framework (ELQF) continues to be an important focus for the Teaching Development Unit (TDU) with all vUWS sites being reviewed for consistency with the Basic Standards for E-Learning Sites. TDU's continual review of e-Learning site quality showed significant increases in consistency with important technical and organisational criteria including the clarity of course and unit homepages, ease of navigation, instructions relating to tool use and access to information about student supports. Regular reports are provided to School and Colleges, allowing them to understand the components of the E-Learning Quality Framework and work toward consistency with all criteria. Surveys between 2008 and 2010 have showed ongoing improvement which we expect to be sustained in 2011. This Framework supports staff to self review and improve the quality of their e-learning sites, with the explicit purpose of improving student learning in the online environment. The E-Learning Quality Framework consists of three ‘layers’: Basic Standards for E-Learning Sites Staff Development Toolkit Advanced Standards Benchmarking E-Learning Usage To better understand the extent of e-learning usage, a benchmarking exercise between UWS and Griffith University was initiated in 2008. Both universities are predominantly face-to-face, multi-campus teaching institutions with similar size student bodies and academic communities utilising a single enterprise wide e-learning system. The project team has developed a framework that provides regular, ongoing ‘snapshots’ of Learning Management System (LMS) usage. This enables each university to track change over time, as well as provide useful data that can contribute to better LMS management, staff development and institutional planning. Read the report [PDF, 85KB].	E-Learning Exemplars Although vUWS is being upgraded to Learn 9, the principles shown in these exemplars still apply. These short Flash videos show how e-learning can be used to enhance student outcomes. You will need the free Adobe Flash Player to view them. Botany [Flash .swf, 5:00 mins] Mathematics Toolbox [Flash .swf, 9:30 mins] Occupational Environments [Flash .swf, 11:00 mins] Psychology [Flash .swf, 6:00 mins] Representing Crime [Flash .swf, 13:00 mins] Resources Basic Standards for E-Learning Sites [PDF, 356KB] Benchmarking LMS Usage Report [PDF, 85KB]