the use of e-resources in history, classics and archaeology subject centre survey 2005/2006 cary...

The Use of e-Resources in The Use of e-Resources in History, Classics and History, Classics and

ArchaeologyArchaeology

Subject Centre Survey Subject Centre Survey 2005/20062005/2006

Cary MacMahone-Learning Project Officer

JISC Distributed e-Learning Programme

e-learning according to the educationalists

development of open, distributed, or distance learning

new “learning spaces” being created

student at the centre and potentially in control of the learning experience

a “flexible form of learning delivery”

use the potential for enhancing student

learning presented by digital resources

in a discipline-appropriatediscipline-appropriate manner

Two JISC-funded projects:

Project 1Project 1: examination of use and sharing of e-learning resources in history

Project 2Project 2: examination of use of e-learning resources on decentralised campuses in history, classics and archaeology

snapshotsnapshot of the use of e-resources in of the use of e-resources in history, classics and archaeology teaching history, classics and archaeology teaching

in the academic year 2005/2006in the academic year 2005/2006

Phase 1: online questionnaire -184 analysable responses from 48 HEIs

Phase 2: 31 semi-structured telephone interviews with academics from 21 HEIs

Phase 3: 2 focus groups – 10 participants from 9 HEIs

survey methodologysurvey methodology

snowball sampling

grounded theory: “…emerging analysis guides the collection of further data.” (Douglas Ezzy: Qualitative Analysis: Practice and Innovation (2002), 87)

some methodological problems ‘self-selecting’ sample no monitoring over time not contextualised within individual

pedagogical structures

42%

32%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

interview

focus group

percentage of respondents who indicated that they were willing to take part in interview & focus group phases of survey, n = 183, 182

online questionnaire: quantitative and qualitative questions

ACCESSIBILITY 1. Our survey respondents have defined 'a resource which can be easily accessed by learners' as being the most crucial criterion when they select an e-learning resource. What do you feel makes an e-learning resource easily accessible to learners?

SHARING2a. Our survey respondents have, by and large, indicated that they would like to share more e-learning resources. If a colleague asked you what would be the best way in which to share e-resources, on the basis of your experience what advice would you give?OR2b. Our survey respondents have, by and large, indicated that they would like to share more e-learning resources. If you would like to share e-resources, what mechanisms or structures would you like to see in place to assist you? If you would not like to share e-resources, can you expand on why you do not wish to do this?

TEACHING & ASSESSMENT3. Do you feel that using e-resources in teaching alters how students learn? Do you feel that using e-resources in teaching should alter the assessment process?SUPPLEMENTARY QUESTIONIf using e-resources in teaching has altered how your students learn, has that alteration prompted you to make greater use of online learning materials?

DISTRIBUTED CAMPUS4. You have indicated in your responses that you feel that being located on a campus without easy access to main library facilities has affected the way in which you and your students use e-resources. Could you expand upon this?

questions sent in advance to telephone interviewees

focus groups’ agenda

Enhancement of Students' IT SkillsHow can we deal with variable levels of IT literacy amongst a student cohort? Should IT skills be taught separately at undergraduate level, or be embedded within subject teaching? Is the schools sector teaching pupils IT skills which are appropriate to the undergraduate curriculum in our disciplines?

Enhancement of Students' Research SkillsWhat particular research skills should we emphasise when directing students towards e-resources? How could an effective tutorial on the evaluation of websites be developed and structured? Does the use of e-resources encourage students to become more independent learners?

Sharing of e-ResourcesWhat types of e-resources would you like to share within your own institutions and between institutions? How can teaching materials developed for one group of learners be effectively and efficiently re-purposed for other groups? What structures would you like to see in place to assist you in the sharing of e-resources?

The Future of e-learning in History, Classics and ArchaeologyWhat developments would you like to see in e-learning in your disciplines and in the digital resources available to you and your students over the next five years?

themesthemes which we investigated during the Survey

types of e-resources used in teaching and research levels of teaching at which e-resources are used alteration in pedagogy when using e-resources sharing of e-resources accessibility of e-resources to us and our students use of e-resources in assessment student skills – IT and disciplinary institutional support future developments in electronic teaching in our

disciplines

breakdown of respondents to questionnaire, n = 184

41%

16%

34%

9%

History Classics Archaeology Multidisciplinary (H & A, H & C, C & A, H & C & A)

subject breakdown of responses to online questionnaire

breakdown of questionnaire respondents who indicated history as their discipline, n = 86

88%

3%2% 6%

History History & Archaeology History & Classics History, Archaeology & Classics

breakdown of questionnaire respondents who indicated classics as their discipline, n = 43

67%

16%

5%

12%

Classics Classics & Archaeology Classics & History Classics, Archaeology & History

breakdown of questionnaire respondents who indicated archaeology as their discipline, n = 77

79%

9%

5%6%

Archaeology Archaeology & Classics Archaeology & History Archaeology, Classics & History

breakdown of questionnaire respondents who indicated more than one discipline, n = 17

18%

12%

41%

29%

History & Archaeology History & Classics Classics & Archaeology History, Classics & Archaeology

institutional support for e-learning in history, classics and archaeology

percentage of respondents who believe that their institution provides them and their students with the necessary support to make full use of the range of e-learning

resources currently on offer, n = 182

45%

37%

18%

yes no no opinion

percentage of respondents who believe that additional institutional support would enable them and their students to make better use of the range of e-learning resources

currently on offer, n = 184

66%8%

26%

yes no no opinion

own institution websitesother institutional websitesother websitese-journalse-books

digital archivessoftware tools

virtual learning environmentsonline discussion groupsemail

sound resourcesimage resources

powerpoint

types of e-resources used

responses to question 1, broken down by disciplinary allegiance

in an ideal world, which of the following resources would you use for e-learning

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

own i

nstitu

tion w

ebsites

othe

r institut

ion w

ebsites

othe

r web

sites

e-jou

rnals

e-boo

ks

digita

l arch

ives

softw

are to

ols

virtua

l learn

ing en

viron

ments

online d

iscussio

n group

sem

ail

soun

d resou

rces

image r

esou

rces

powerp

oint

History Classics Archaeology Multidisciplinary

which of the following do you use at present for teaching purposes

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

own i

nstitu

tion w

ebsites

othe

r institut

ion w

ebsites

othe

r web

sites

e-jou

rnals

e-boo

ks

digita

l arch

ives

softw

are to

ols

virtua

l learn

ing en

viron

ments

online d

iscussio

n group

sem

ail

soun

d resou

rces

image r

esou

rces

powerp

oint


comparison between ideal and real world use of e-resources in history, classics and archaeology 2005/2006

93%

72%

87%

69%70%

63%

90%

70%

61%

25%

88%

47%51%

20%

59%

35%

59%

23%

84%

79%

34%

8%

71%

41%

70%70%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

own i

nstitu

tion w

ebsites

othe

r institut

ion w

ebsites

othe

r web

sites

e-jou

rnals

e-boo

ks

digita

l arch

ives

softw

are to

ols

virtua

l learn

ing en

viron

ments

online d

iscussio

n group

sem

ail

soun

d resou

rces

image r

esou

rces

powerp

oint

ideal world real world

the five five most usedmost used e-resources e-resources 2005/2006

1. email (79% of respondents currently using this for teaching)

2. own institution’s website (72% of respondents currently using this for teaching)

3. powerpoint (70% of respondents currently using this for teaching)

4. e-journals (70% of respondents currently using this for teaching)

5. other institutions’ websites (69% of respondents currently using this for teaching)

73%80%

66%

84%

69%

83%

18%

34%

53%

78%

25%

46%

5%

17%

4%1%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

UndergraduateYear 1

UndergraduateYear 2

UndergraduateYear 3

UndergraduateYear 4

PostgraduateMasters

PostgraduateDoctoral

Post-doctoral I do not makeuse/ wish to

make use of e-learning

resources in myteaching

comparison between levels of teaching at which respondents currently make use, and would like to make use, of e-learning resources

real world ideal world

24%

37% 39% 39%

52%56% 57%

75% 76% 78%

88%92%

98%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

soun

d resou

rces

softw

are to

ols

e-boo

ks

online d

iscussio

n group

s

digita

l arch

ives

image r

esou

rces

virtua

l learn

ing en

viron

ments

own i

nstitu

tion w

ebsites

e-jou

rnals

othe

r institut

ion w

ebsites

othe

r web

sites

email

powerp

oint

real world use of e-learning resources, expressed as percentage of ideal world use

the 7 most 7 most under-usedunder-used e-resources 2005/2006 e-resources 2005/2006

technologically, logistically, pedagogically more challenging?

sound resources software tools e-books online discussion groups digital archives image resources virtual learning environments

nb: value axis maximum 70%

26%

33%

17%

33%

39%38%

46%

31%33%

42%

33%

41%

59%

51%

44%

52%56%

44%

59%

67%

48%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

soun

d resou

rces

softw

are to

ols

e-boo

ks

online d

iscussio

n group

s

digita

l arch

ives

image r

esou

rces

virtua

l learn

ing en

viron

ments

disciplinary breakdown of under-used e-resources: real world use expressed as percentage of ideal world use

(each discipline includes multidisciplinary sample)

History Classics Archaeology

which of the following do you use at present for research purposes

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

own i

nstitu

tion w

ebsites

othe

r institut

ion w

ebsites

othe

r web

sites

e-jou

rnals

e-boo

ks

digita

l arch

ives

softw

are to

ols

virtua

l learn

ing en

viron

ments

online d

iscussio

n group

sem

ail

soun

d resou

rces

image r

esou

rces

powerp

oint


72%

54%

69%

81%

63%

85%

70%

89%

25%

38%

47%

73%

20%

40%35%

8%

23%29%

79%82%

8%10%

41%46%

70%

31%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

own i

nstitu

tion w

ebsites

othe

r institut

ion w

ebsites

othe

r web

sites

e-jou

rnals

e-boo

ks

digita

l arch

ives

softw

are to

ols

virtua

l learn

ing en

viron

ments

online d

iscussio

n group

sem

ail

soun

d resou

rces

image r

esou

rces

powerp

oint

comparison between use of e-learning resources for teaching and research

teaching research

percentage of respondents who feel that their students possess the necessary skills to make use of e-learning resources, n = 184

63%

27%

10%

yes no no opinion

disciplinary breakdown of student skill levels

all disciplines include multidisciplinary

sample

percentage of history respondents who feel their students possess the necessary skills to make use of e-learning resources, n = 86

57%28%

15%

yes no no opinion

percentage of classics respondents who feel their students possess the necessary skills to make use of e-learning resources, n = 43

70%

28%

2%

yes no no opinion

percentage of archaeology respondents who feel their students possess the necessary skills to make use of e-learning resources, n = 76

60%

32%

8%

yes no no opinion

IT skills

are the necessary skills being taught at school?

mature students can be more, or less, competent

disciplinary skills““They are just not learned They are just not learned

enough to differentiate enough to differentiate between the crap and the between the crap and the

good stuff!”good stuff!”questionnaire respondent

Daniel J Cohen

Daniel J Cohen

“…the medium of the web has not been exploited to its fullest if the best we can say about historians’ use of this highly advanced computer network is that it has become a giant, global fax machine, faithfully reproducing and distributing copies of historical documents (primary and secondary), related commentaries and professional missives. And because of the openness of the medium—and the always tenuous relationship between the professoriate and the large population of lay historians and the general public interested in history—many historians have found the web to be a mixed blessing: prolific but unmediated, powerful but untamed, open to all but taken seriously by few.”

the most, and least, important criteria when selecting an

e-learning resource for use in teaching

recommendations on the resource from colleagues and/or students, n = 181

4%

23%

40%

26%

7% 1%

crucial very significant significant of some significance not significant no opinion

resource which can be easily accessed by learners, n = 181

44%

36%

16%3%

0%

1%


disciplinary breakdown of accessibility of e-resources

history classicsarchaeology

all disciplines include multidisciplinary sample


48%

32%

17%2%

0%

1%

crucial very significant significant of some significance not signficant no opinion


36%

45%

14%5%

0%

0%


resource which can be easily accessed by learners, n =77

40%

44%

14%

1%

0%

1%


accessibilityaccessibility==

physical accessdo students have access to computers and the necessary computing power?

usabilityare the learning materials easily downloaded and navigable?

special needs accesscan the learning materials be adapted for use by students with special learning needs?

distributed campus sample

13%

87%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

yes

no

percentage of respondents based at an outlying or remote campus without easy access to main library facilities, n = 182

67%

33%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

yes

no

percentage of respondents based at an outlying or remote campus who believe that this constraint on them and their students motivates them to make use of e-learning

resources, n = 24

disciplinary breakdown of distributed campus sample

all disciplines include multidisciplinary

sample

67%

33%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Yes

No

percentage of history respondents based on an outlying or remote campus who believe that this constraint motivates them and their students to make use of

e-resources, n = 15

80%

20%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

yes

no

percentage of classics respondents based on an outlying or remote campus who believe that this constraint motivates them and their students to make use of

e-resources, n = 5

50%

50%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

yes

no

percentage of archaeology respondents based on an outlying or remote campus who believe that this constraint motivates them and their students to make use of

e-resources, n = 12

creation and sharing of e-resources

62%

38%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

yes no

percentage of respondents who have created e-learning resources for use in teaching, n = 182

76%

2%

22%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

yes no no opinion

percentage of respondents who believe that their teaching could benefit from the sharing of e-learning resources with colleagues, n = 174

yes no no opinion

the benefits of sharing:

• it saves us time• it allows us to access others’ disciplinary

knowledge and expertise• it allows us to access others’ pedagogical

knowledge and expertise• it’s what higher education is all about

the barriers to sharing:

• we don’t know what’s out there• our learning materials need to be tailored to a

specific learner group or specialised area• we’re concerned about ownership of the

learning materials• we don’t have any incentives

nb: value axis maximum 60%

Histor

y

Classic

s

Arch

aeolo

gy

Multidi

scipl

inary

41%

5%

11%

43%

53%

0%

16%

32%36%

5%

10%

49%

38%

25%

13%

25%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

disciplinary breakdown of sharing of e-learning resources with colleagues at own and/or other institutions

yes, own institution yes, other institution yes, own and other institutions no

Histor

y

Classic

s

Arch

aeolo

gy

Multidi

scipl

inary

69%

4%

26%

89%

0%

11%

74%

2%

24%

88%

0%

12%0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

disciplinary breakdown of respondents' beliefs with respect to teaching benefits from sharing of e-learning resources with colleagues

yes no no opinion

percentage of respondents who believe that their teaching practice has altered as a result of having access to e-learning resources, n = 183

71%

18%

11%

yes no no opinion

72%

59%

76%

55%

71% 69%

59%

82%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

History -

has a

ltered

History -

wou

ld alt

er

Classic

s - ha

s alte

red

Classic

s - w

ould

alter

Arch

aeolo

gy - ha

s alte

red

Arch

aeolo

gy - wou

ld alt

er

Multidisci

plina

ry - h

as alt

ered

Multidisci

plina

ry - w

ould

alter

disciplinary comparison of respondents who indicated that their teaching practice has altered through the use of e-learning resources in their teaching, or would alter if they

had access to a wider range of e-learning resources

e-learning occasions an alteration in our teaching practice by

changing the ways in which we can deliver our learning materials

changing the learning materials we can deliver

“Modern historians wonder if it is still possible to have the kind of impact that such teachers as Socrates or Confucius had in their face-to-face conversations with students in a new world where the digital byte is king. This difficulty is all the more apparent when one considers that the majority of historians tend to use educational technology primarily as another delivery tool for traditional hard copy resources, whereas…

……creating an effective online creating an effective online course or other interactive course or other interactive

online materials demands that online materials demands that they learn to use the computer they learn to use the computer

as a cognitive tool.”as a cognitive tool.” Deborah Vess

used well, e-resources can be “more than just an overhead projector for the new century”

used well, e-resources can cause a re-examination of teaching styles and, on occasions, philosophy – sometimes for the better…

for optimum usage of e-resources, the pedagogical justifications for and underpinnings of their use must be a starting point in planning

disciplinary differences in core skills, values and attitudes must be acknowledged when using e-resources

(e) (e) learninglearning

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