Widening the Use of Online Learning Methods in Higher Education

This research aims to explore the potential of online learning methods in higher education. It examines the benefits and challenges of using ICT for teaching and learning, and evaluates the impact of online courses on student performance. The study also investigates the perceptions and satisfaction of students with online learning, and provides recommendations for improving online teaching methods.

INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
Development in Information and Communication Technologies has changed our lifestyle to a huge
extent.
However, despite of so much development in ICT, it has been observed that the present institutes
and universities are still not utilizing the complete benefits of ICT for higher education and are
continuing with the traditional pedagogical ways of learning and teaching methods.
Virtual or online teaching and learning methods with the help of ICT has the ability of changing the
complete picture of traditional setup of classroom teaching and learning. Online learning helps in
participation and provides access to higher studies to students who belong to different backgrounds.
Online learning is gaining popularity day by day and students consider it as an important part in their
higher education (HEFCE 2007), and this is the reason that today institutes and universities have
widen their opportunities and methods to include technology which supports online teaching and
learning. Different universities want to embrace this opportunity of having potential of changing the
future of learning and teaching and derive the best benefits of these methods.
Popularity of online learning is an evidence for future education system as it ensures more inclusion
and enrolment of students in higher education. However, online learning methods such as WebCT,
StudyNet, and many others have both opportunities as well as challenges in the handling of
informative, flexible, and accessible study materials to students.
Many studies and researches have estimated the future of education system and assumed that in a
short span of time from now approx. 10% of all courses will be based on computer and also by 2029,
50% of all courses will be conducted online from anywhere in the world (Christensen & Horn, 2008).
As per the data collected from the US National Centre for Educational Statistics, among students
who are taking enrolment in higher studies at different institutes and universities in USA, 25% of that
student population are opting at least one online course every year.
Development in Information and Communication Technologies, and innovation in field of internet
and online education has opened new doors for teaching and learning and considered as the most
powerful and attractive tool for bringing revolution in education system and the methods of higher
education as per seen by academics. Along with providing access to higher education to students
from different background, online education will also provide large potential to the academic
institutions (Hollenbeck, Zinkhan, and French, 2005; Medlin, Vannoy, and Dave, 2004).
While opportunities for using benefits of virtual learning are available since long but unfortunately
universities have not utilized facilities and benefits of technology for developing systems and
methods which can provide online learning on large scale and use of online learning is always limited
in higher education (Fox, Anderson, and Rainie, 2005; Spellings, 2006).

AIM AND RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The aim of this research is to widen the use of online learning methods in higher education. This
research is evidence based and will examine the use of ICT to help students from various
backgrounds to enrol and complete their studies without effecting in their everyday activities.
Data is collected through surveys, interviews, and using qualitative methodology for the research
work.
This paper also provides a comparison between online and conventional methods of teaching but
more focus is made on methods and potential of online teaching, planning of organizations for
online teaching and learning, drawbacks and recommendations for online teaching. Additionally, this
research will also evaluate mentoring relationships, online tutorials, and students’ performance
assessment.

LITERATURE REVIEW
A study conducted by Knightley (2007) at Open University of UK, suggested that online education
has eliminated different barriers such as physical, transcended geographical, temporal, and visual
and decreased socio-physical discrimination. However, in some studies it is found that change in
routine activities such as leaving home every day in the early morning, moving homes, and high cost
of transportation to reach to the universities is also barriers for many who cannot afford such costs.
Therefore, for many students spending a lot of time, money, and also facing difficulties in managing
balance in family to pursue higher studies are difficult. Whereas, on other side online learning
provide them access to higher education and help them in getting a degree more easily. Another
study conducted by Park and Choi in USA (2009), found that distance learning is an opportunity for
those adults who have responsibilities of work, family and several others to update their skills and
knowledge without spending on travel and at flexible timings.
As universities are start adding online courses in their curriculums, then main concern or the
question is that up to which extent students will be able to learn effectively in online courses as
compared to traditional courses. As it is difficult to measure the learning of students, but
performance of student in a course can be considered as a measure of student’s ability of learning.
Various studies have shown that there is no difference in students’ performance in both course
delivery methods traditional as well as online.
However, some studies have shown opposite results. A study by Hansen (2008) showed difference in
applied learning between traditional and online courses, and course performance. However, his
study also found difference in use of measures such as course performance (Everson & Garfiel,
2008). Satisfaction of students from online courses can be determined through surveys, learning
outcomes, and evaluations but performance of students is measured through assessment grades
(Utts et al., 2003; Bude, Van De Wiel, Imbos, Candel, Broers, & Berger, 2007).
Various articles have been published about online teaching which mainly focuses on enhancing
social situations and engagement. Oliver (1999) described online engagement issues, Tuckman
(2005) on motivating procrastinators for online learning, and Maor and Taylor (2000) assess online
constructive learning, and Waltonen Moore, Oswalk, Stuart, Varonis, and Newton (2006)
emphasized on developing cohesive environment on online learning. Several other articles support
the Holmberg’s theory (2007) which suggests enhancement in students’ learning and motivation
through personal relationships. Study of Menchaca (2008) focused on advantages of using various
technological tools which can promote different learning styles. His study also emphasized on
importance of reflection, collaboration, and developing a learning community to promote online
learning. Putnam, McCrory, and Jansen (2008) suggest focus of online learning and teaching on
communication and evaluation of learning outcomes as a result of online discussions. He suggested
effective and complete use of technology in order to improve learning to make it more appealing to
universities and students and improving its potential.

METHODOLOGY
Purpose of the Study
Although, development in ICT has improved chances of online learning to a great extent but still it is
an evolving platform. Despite of this, several institutes and universities are adopting online
education as a means of offering their courses instead of traditional methods of teaching. However,
evidences which show successful design and management of web based courses are very less and
evidences which even exist, very few of them examines benefits and/or social aspects of online
learning.
The purpose of this study is to determine the opportunities that universities and students can drive
from online learning portals. This study will examine and provide a relationship between perception
of students about online course, perceived learning by students, and satisfaction of students with
the instructor. Some research hypotheses will also be tested in the report such as:
a. Perception of students about online courses in relation to perceived learning and
satisfaction of them with their instructor.
b. Perception of students about online courses benefits as predicted by their learning
outcomes.
c. Activities of students related to course through highest level of online presence.
d. Gender, age, ethnic background and number of college students who successfully enrol and
complete an online course as against those who does same in regular classroom settings.
This research uses the questionnaire survey to know the perception and views of students. The
abstraction of quantitative research is to collect data systematically and critical processing of data.
This report provides the result of online survey in detail. Along with online survey, it also includes
several arguments. Advantage of questionnaire over pre-recorded questions is fast and reliable
processing of data. Conduction of online survey is more practical as it is easier to capture, process,
and analyse data and also getting information from it. The biggest advantage of online questionnaire
is that there is no issue of interviewer bias, and respondents can answer any kind of question
honestly.
Due to standardization, it is easier to quantify and processing answers. As results are comparable
then for analysing data, sophisticated statistical methods can be used. A large number of people are
included in this survey and therefore sample is not representable completely but still possible to get
a realistic picture of present research and issues. This research can be considered as general as well
as specific. It provides the real scenario of higher education of ICT elements in the present situation,
and also focuses on providing answers for defined questions.
This report in its further progression will try to understand the advantages of technology usage for
teaching within higher education as well as corporate training settings.
This research is based on evidences and thus efforts are being made to measure performance of
students in online courses and traditional learning methods. This report also focuses on the benefits
and opportunities that online courses can provide to students as well as to universities by
considering case study of Hertfordshire University. This report is examining the performance of
students in a single course in different sections by the same instructor over many academic years.

Student’s views and perceptions are determined through interviews and distributing questionnaire
about both online and traditional learning methods. Students of online courses will also take part in
classroom sessions for few weeks.

INSTRUMENT
Survey-Share tool is used to develop online questionnaire and is used it as an instrument for
conducting online survey. These questions are grouped into three sections according to the present
situation and future scopes of online education in higher studies.
The first section consists of questions regarding the demographic information of respondent. The
second section consists of questions regarding the present situation of online learning in
organization of respondent and what benefits they are getting from it. And the third section consists
of questions about predictions related to online learning and teaching. Various kinds of questions
are developed for the survey such as multiple-choice, liker type, and open-ended questions. Sample
question on learning is “What are the advantages of having class online? In addition to issues such as
convenience, and then thinking about how it will impact your learning”. Students’ learning and
reviewing of study material is the responsibility of students itself and they will be encouraged for
this. Another sample question will be “What would help to increase your learning/understanding of
topics when taking classes online?” One more sample question will be “What are the impacts of
taking classes online entirely on their learning (negatives or positives)?”
DATA ANALYSIS
As already mentioned before, this research will take sampling and research measures. Analysis of
data is conducted through a three step approach. First step compares descriptive information by
using t-test comparisons between types of course delivery. Second step analyse the variance in all
tables by using two kinds of indicative behavior that is withdrawers vs. course completers and mode
of delivery that is traditional vs. online. Third analyse various regressions to determine if any
similarity or difference between regressing variables. Backward elimination method is used as a
follow-up to this method to determine statistical significance of reduced set of variables that is
variables having largest p-value and exceed specified cut-off value will be removed from the model.
To evaluate all possible subsets of regression model, Akaike’s Information Criteria (AIC) is applied to
the data. Model having smallest AICs is considered to be the best one for best possible statistical
result.
RESEARCH DESIGN
A correlation research design is used in this research. Overall satisfaction of students on online
learning, perceived social presence by the students, overall satisfaction of students with the course
instructor, and perceived learning and social presence of student for individual course activities are
continuous variables. A correlation between demographic variables and overall perceived social
presence by students also exist. However, there is one limitation of this method which includes that
this method might establish a relationship, but establishing a cause-effect relationship using
correlational method is not possible even they are correlated. Therefore, it might be possible to
develop a relationship between perception of students about social presence and perceived learning
of students. And hence this will allow straight entry of those regression variables in order to examine
weather perception of students about social presence can predict perception of students about
learning.

Pedagogy and Technology for Online Education
Effective pedagogical strategies for online teaching have been covered in various studies. A study in
Delphi by experts found that online courses and instructional technology as interactive,
collaborative, relevant, and project-based if designed from constructivist principles. Moreover,
Keeton conducted a study to determine effectiveness of online teaching practices which is based on
the framework of effective instructional practices in classroom teaching in higher education. He
interviewed various instructors of postsecondary institutes and asked to rate the effectiveness of
instructional strategies of online courses. All of these instructors gave more ratings to online learning
as it creates an environment which encourages and support inquiry, enhance experience of learner
about the subject matter, and obtain critical and active views of learners on their improving
experience base. In one other study by Bonk of pedagogical practises, it is found that only 23-45 per
cent of instructors actually use creative and critical thinking, data analysis, hands on performance,
scientific simulation, and interactive labs online activities. From those participants, 40 per cent of
them admitted the significance of online activities for their learning environment. The results have
shown a significant gap between preferred and actual teaching practices of online. Significance of
technology in expansion and enhancement of online education was important initially as well as
even today also playing important role in its expansion. Many institutes accepted the increasing use
of online tools for teaching in their universities. Efforts have been made from the past decade to
increase the use of advancement in technologies and evolving usage of internet for online learning
and teaching methods in higher education. In order to determine the promotion of online education
to collaborate and motivate students for online studies, several researches have conducted and
found many cases of promotion related blogs. There exist several researches which promote and
make use of wikis for collaborating students online. In this direction, podcasting is the first step to
seek the attention of educators or students for the use of instructing. Although, from the literature
review it has found that several researches show the effective use of advancement in technology for
the online education, but in order to support or disprove the effectiveness of these technologies for
the online education need empirical evidence or may be more predictions that depict the future of
education enabled with technology.
WHY E-LEARNING, OPEN AND DISTANCE LEARNING? AND IT'S BENEFITS
Benefits of E-learning or distance learning are vast. This is the reason many government bodies, the
private sectors, and students are supporting this method of teaching and learning.
A knowledge-based economy is the first advantage of online learning in developed countries and
these countries have identified the significance of e-learning for enhancing economic
competitiveness. As countries with advanced economies are unable to compete with the lower costs
of labour in developing countries, they are focusing more to develop industries which are highly
productive and knowledge based such as financial systems, telecommunication, computing, and
education also. Establishing such industries require highly educated work force to get leverage and
benefit over countries which are less advanced economically. E-learning has two different roles as
seen by governments such as e-learning is new industry based on knowledge which use the benefits
of advanced educational systems and thus create educational services and products that are
recognised internationally. And the second role of e-learning is its usage for improving quality of
education that create educators with technology education which can use enhanced technologies

for enhancing economy. It improves business also as workforce is learning continually without
spending much on travel and wastage of time. Therefore, it is concluded that e-learning plays a
significant role in knowledge management and making organizations as ‘learning organizations
(Senge, 1990, and Rosenberg, 2001).

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