Use of ICT teaching aids in tertiary education – a case study of Moodle

implementation

Mr Ravi Foogooa

Lecturer

University of Technology, Mauritius

Mrs Shireen Panchoo

University of Technology, Mauritius

Chaired by: Prof Peter Maassen, Professor - Institute of Educational Research, University of Oslo,

Norway

ABSTRACT

ICT as a pedagogical tool for support in the teaching and learning processes is still used in

different degrees and with different levels of success. In view of the various applications of

ICT in other areas, it is a wonder that ICT is not more used in teaching at tertiary level. The

aim of this paper is thus to investigate the use of ICT teaching aids in the interactions

between lecturer and students at tertiary level from a student perspective. Student

perceptions and appreciation of the use of different ICT teaching aids in the interactions with

their lecturer were analysed.

The paper is based on the experience of the authors in their interactions with students at the

University of Technology, Mauritius. The interactions were mostly face to face interactions

between the students and their lecturers. However, various ICT teaching aids were used

during the interactions or outside the interactions (though in relation to the interaction). A

survey was carried out with third year students of the School of Innovative Technologies &

Engineering after they had had a variety of experiences with different lecturers (including but

not limited to the authors).

It came as no surprise that the use of ICT teaching aids is widely appreciated by students.

However, the research also brought to light reasons why some students prefer classical

modes of interactions. The study also highlighted the limits of classical ICT aids such as

sending notes through emails. Issues related to the implementation of more integrated

learning environments such as Moodle were uncovered.

The paper provides a student perspective in the use of ICT teaching aids and this may be

useful in the implementation of ICT-based learning environments at tertiary level. The paper

is concluded with the limitations of the current study and an identification of future research

opportunities.

Keywords: lecturer-student interaction, teaching aids, learning management system, learning,

face-to-face interaction

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1 INTRODUCTION Classroom interactions between teacher and students have not always been considered to be

the effective way of promoting learning (Giordan, 1998, Rousseau, 1994). However, from the

students’ perspective, face to face interaction is still the favoured mode due to its rapid and

spontaneous exchanges (Panchoo, 11). Research shows that teacher-student interaction is

very much beneficial in motivating students as well as in supporting them in their studies

(Panchoo, 2010, Audet, 08: 35-36). This support has gone beyond the classroom with the

advent of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT): the Internet and the social

networks are opening more possibilities to the field of education.

The use of ICT in the field of education is still used primarily as a communication tool rather

than a pedagogical tool (Panchoo, 2010). Electronic mail enables teacher-student and student-

student interactions and according to D’Halluin (1995), it is the tool which enables

coordination. With regards to the asynchronous tool, like the forum, students are encouraged

to exchange ideas on diverse themes on the Internet. The forum enables students to voice out

their queries and it gives them to ponder and reply back. However, unanswered threads are

very common and they may not necessarily promote learning. According to Devaux et al.,

(2009:7), a forum is primarily a tool for learners to support each other.

For the past years, at the University of Technology, Mauritius, some lecturers are using the

technological tools as supports in the delivery of their lecture. They have even made use of a

Learning Management support (LMS) environment, Moodle, in order to facilitate

communication between the lecturer and the students. They are however being used in a ad

hoc manner by lecturers and it is therefore imperative to investigate on the use of those

supporting tools in order to understand their usefulness and their pertinence from a student’s

perspective. It is worth noting though that the collection and use of those tools (forum, email,

chat) are not sufficient to promote learning and collaboration among the students (George,

2005). However, findings from the literature reveal that blended learning gives better

opportunities to promote learning (Marchand, 2003) and learning communities among the

students (Rovaï & Jordan, 04). When there is interaction, learning takes place: In addition to

the tools, “learning strategies should be devised in order to make learning an enjoyable, social

experience with appropriate collaboration with tutors and peers” (Sukon, Boojihawon, Gatsha

and Panchoo, 2012). It is important that the right tools should be used at the right place and at

right time in order to facilitate teaching and learning to take place.

2 RESEARCH APPROACH As the aim of this research was to discover the students’ perception on the use of ICT during

the lecturer-students interactions , a survey was carried out with the final year students

enrolled in various ICT-related programmes in the School of Innovative Technologies of the

University of Technology, Mauritius. All the students were exposed to a variety of ICT

teaching aids in their interactions with their lecturers at the University. Some of them also

had been exposed to Moodle as some lecturers were using Moodle to interact with the

students.

An online survey was developed with Kwiksurveys (www.kwiksurveys.com) and an email

link was generated to invite the students to the surveys. The link was sent to the class

representatives and to group emails of the students. In all, about two hundred students

enrolled in ICT-related courses were contacted. Requests and reminders to fill in the survey

were sent through personal contacts in class or on social networking.

3 RESULTS & ANALYSIS The results were compiled automatically by the survey tool and charts were developed using

Microsoft Excel. Thirty-four responses were obtained in all which amounts to a response rate

of 17%.

The profile of the respondents is depicted in the types of interactions which the student have

with their lecturer in the chart below.

Figure 1 - Types of interactions

The students surveyed were enrolled in classical face to face classes. It thus came as no

surprise that the main mode of interaction was face to face although 28% of students had

individual face to face interaction (assumed to be outside classroom interaction). However, it

was a surprise to note that there was considerable interaction (30%) on a distance mode. The

main mode of distance interaction was through email (23%) but there were also others such

as phone, skype and chat.

Face to Face in class 41%

Individual Face to Face 28%

Distance using phone 3%

Distance through email 23%

Distance using Skype 3%

Distance using Chat 1%

Other 1%

Figure 2 - Appreciation of interactions

Students seem to appreciate more face to face interactions (whether in class or individual). It

is a bit surprising as one would have expected the individual face to face experiences to have

a higher rating. One explanation is that usually classes are of reasonable size (20-40) and that

the lecturer has time to interact sufficiently well in class. However, the distance interactions

are less appreciated – the most popular being that through email, closely followed by Skype,

Chat and Phone. The students are well acquainted with those technologies and and are thus

used to this mode of interaction.

The survey confirmed that 67.6% students prefer ICT support to deliver notes. However, that

still left a surprising 32.4% preferring classical whiteboard and hard copy handouts. It is all

the more surprising as the students surveyed are young (in the age gap 20-23 years) and are

ICT students. This suggests that if the study is extended to other types of students, this figure

could be higher.

The possible reasons for preferring hard copy handouts are shown in the chart below:

0

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0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

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1

Face to Face in class

Individual Face to Face

Distance using phone

Distance through

email

Distance using Skype

Distance using Chat

Appreciation of Interaction

Figure 3 - Reasons for preferring handouts

It was surprising that the number of students who preferred hard copy handouts was higher

than those who preferred the classical white board and hard copy handouts. This means that

even those who prefer ICT teaching aids still have a need for hard copy notes. The main

reason for this preference is the clear need by the students for printed handouts. The hard

copies seem to be more convenient for the students. This fact shows clearly that the students,

even though registered on ICT courses, still follow a classical way of learning and use hard

copy handouts. Factors such as the cost to print the handouts and student mentioning that they

do not have a printer also support the conclusion that students are still in old fashioned

learning models with a dependency on hard copy notes. Another explanation for this

behaviour is that students preferring face-to-face interactions and printed copies fear the

element of uncertainty which is present online (Panchoo, 2010).

0

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0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

0.9

1

I need printed handouts

I don't have access to internet

It is costly to print them

I don't have access to printer

Rating

Figure 4 - Appreciation of ICT teaching aids

The above chart shows the appreciation of the students for the different ICT teaching aids.

The most popular ones remain the delivery of notes through emails (whether group or

yahoo/google groups). “Pull” modes where students have to go and download the notes. It

also suggests that the university intranet and richer learning environments like Moodle are

not being used to their full potential but rather just as a mailing group.

This is confirmed in the chart below which shows the reasons why students prefer notes to be

delivered through email:

0

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0.4

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0.7

0.8

0.9

Group Email Yahoo or Google groups

Personal website University intranet

Moodle

Rating

Figure 5 - Reasons for preferring email

Although the most important reason is claimed to be that students read the notes online (38%

of responses), it is noted that students also like this mode for the sake of convenience as well

and for environmental reasons.

The reasons why students prefer social networking groups such yahoogroups and

googlegroups are shown in the chart below:

Figure 6 - Reasons for preferring social networking groups

These results are enlightening as they show the appreciation of students of features beyond

notes. Students like being part of a community and share other resources apart from lecturer

0.74 0.76 0.78 0.8 0.82 0.84

I read my notes online

I think that printing hard copies affects the environment

The notes come to me / I don't need to look for them

Rating

0.65 0.7 0.75 0.8 0.85 0.9

I read my notes online

I don't print notes as it affects the environment

We can share other notes and not only lecturer resources

We can chat and participate in discussion forums

It is easy for class representative to set up

We students are in control of the group

We feel we are part of a community

It is more secure

Rating

notes. The ease with which the group is set up, the collaborative tools and the fact that the

students are themselves in charge were also highlighted. Reading notes online is the least

rated reason by students preferring yahoogroups/googlegroups. Security and environmental

reasons are also mentioned but are less rated.

The reasons why Moodle is preferred are shown in the chart below:

Figure 7 - Reasons for preferring Moodle

These results are also englightening when compared to the results for

yahoogroups/googlegroups. The feature which is most appreciated by the students is the

possibility to submit assignments and get feedback from lecturer. Students still feel part of a

community here also despite the fact that they are not in charge of the group. Again factors

such as user friendliness, reading notes online, security and environment are mentioned but

are less rated.

The main problems faced by the students who used Moodle are shown in the chart below:

0

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0.5

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I read the notes online

I don't print notes

because it affects the

environment

It is more user friendly

I can also submit

assignments

I can get comments from my lecturer

I can sit for online tests

It is more secure

I feel part of a community

Rating

Figure 8 - Problems with Moodle

The main complaint from the student was that the lecture did not give feedback soon enough.

Other major complaints included connection problems and slow speed. Forgetting the

password was also a common problem. Students also felt a lack of confidentiality. These

complaints confirm that the problems of using Moodle lie more in its implementation and its

use by lecturers rather than in the software itself. It is obvious that when assignments are

submitted online, there is an expectation to get feedback sooner. Moreover, some students

probably believed that feedback would not be individual and therefore felt a lack of

confidentiality. Connection and speed problems were due to the type of hosting of Moodle

which points to the need for reliable and performing hosting for such services (in our case

free hosting was used). Password problems were linked that one of the free hosting of

Moodle required a strong password which many students do not use and thus had a problem

remembering. This is also something unexpected for ICT students. It is worth noting that

students are now being exposed to evolving, dynamic collaborative online applications such

as social networks (facebook, blogs, tweets) and probably found Moodle not as user-friendly.

The desired features in an ICT-based student-lecturer interaction system are shown in the

chart below:

0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8

It is not user friendly

It is slow

There is a lack of confidentiality

I forget the password often

I get connection problems

I feel it is not secure enough

The lecturer does not give feedback soon enough

Rating

Figure 9 - Desired features in a student-lecturer interaction system

Obviously having notes online is one of the most important features desired by the students in

anLearning Management System. However, possibility to submit assignments, get feedback

and marks promptly from lecturer are also ranked high by the students. Fast performance and

hassle free connection also scored high. Personalised learning speed and comparison with

peer were slightly less ranked by the students. It was also surprising to note that students

were less interested with chatting/videoconferencing with the lecturer. Possibility to catch on

missed lectures and discuss with classmates were rated higher.

4 CONCLUSION This research showed that although students appreciate ICT-based teaching aids, many

students are still attached to hard copy notes. However, it was encouraging to see that those

0

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0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

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1

Rating

who appreciated ICT-based teaching aids like yahoogroups/googlegroups and Moodle

appreciated features of such systems which were beyond mere “notes” such as submission of

assignments, groupwork and other collaborative tools. It was also discovered that the

implementation of these ICT-based student-lecturer interaction systems also affected the

success of these systems as much as the available features. Moreover, such the high level of

interaction of such systems also increases the expectation of interaction from the students –

they thus expect feedback on assignment earlier and welcome collaboration with their

classmates.

This case study was restricted to ICT students. It would be interesting to have such studies on

a larger scale and with a more variety of students. However, despite the fact that a large

sample is needed for statistical validation of results, it is felt that each student and lecturer

population has its own specificity. Thus, each one would have its own set of expectations.

Nevertheless, the main results of this research could be helpful to lecturers who want to

implement Moodle or another ICT-based student lecturer interaction system. It would also be

interesting to study the role played by such systems on the success rate of students and on

their effectiveness in promoting learning and collaboration among students.

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