Interactivity and Engagement in a Blended Class: Wimba Live Classroom Robert Keel Teaching Professor Department of Sociology UM-St. Louis St. Louis, MO.

Interactivity and Engagement in a Blended Class: Wimba Live Classroom

Robert KeelTeaching Professor

Department of SociologyUM-St. LouisSt. Louis, MO

Wimba Connect 2008

March 2-5, 2008

Wyndham Orlando Resort

Orlando, FL

UM-St. Louis

Publically funded metropolitan research university. “The University of Missouri-St. Louis is the land-

grant research institution committed to meeting diverse needs for higher education and knowledge in the state's largest metropolitan community. It educates traditional and nontraditional students in undergraduate, graduate and professional programs..” (UM-St. Louis Mission Statement, http://www.umsl.edu/services/academic/admin/mission.html)

UMSL Student Profile

15,500 students (12,000 on-campus) 64% of undergraduates are fulltime 78% of new undergrads--transfers Commuter campus: 20% residential 26% minority student population Middle/working class background Median age: 27.3 Netgen?

Developing a “Blended” Class WWW (release .01) circa 1993 MyGateway (Blackboard) circa 2000-2008

Combined sections: In-class, online, day and evening Asynchronous: discussion boards, lecture notes, group

wikis Synchronous:

Face-to-face Wimba Live Classroom

Concern: student engagement and interaction Focus: Access to the classroom anytime/anywhere

and social learning

What is Wimba Live Classroom? Online, synchronous presentation software Duplex audio Application sharing Archiving Tracking Polls and quizzes Check out the interface: MyGateway

Why Use? Increasing channels of communication and

interaction.1 “Collaboration is increasingly seen as critical

across the range of educational activities, including intra- and inter-institutional activities of any size or scope.2

Accessibility and Flexibility Why not?

1. Irons, Jung, Keel, “Interactivity in Distance Learning: The Digital Divide and Student Satisfaction,” http://ifets.ieee.org/periodical/vol_3_2002/jung.pdf and Irons, Keel, and Bielema, “Blended Learning and Learner Satisfaction,” http://www.usdla.org/html/journal/DEC02_Issue/article04.html

2. 2006 Horizon Report, The New Media Consortium, http://www.nmc.org/pdf/2006_Horizon_Report.pdf

Live Classroom Chronology Began using Centra Fall 2004

TA’s going back to FS 2003 Issues with Centra

Switch to Live Classroom Integrated into MyGateway FS 2005 experimented with one class (student presentations) Spring 2006 onward--used in all classes (blended model) Issues:

minor technical difficulties Benefits

TA use: review sessions Student group use In-class versus “Wimbians” competition

Getting Serious

Survey of students (SS06, FS06, WS07, SS07, FS07): Online demographics Perceptions of the usability and utility of Wimba

Live Classroom Perceptions of the usability and utility of wiki-

based assignments 716 students completed the survey

13 classes: online and face-to-face 50%-65% of students “internet only”

Student Online Access and ActivityMy primary location for accessing the Internet for educational

purposes is: (mark only one, N: 716)

Response total Percent

On Campus (labs, library, MSC, and/or classrooms) 126 17.6%

Student Housing (Dorms, Meadows, Honors College) 66 9.2%

At Home 503 70.2%

At Work 18 2.5%

Other 7 1.0%

Computers

What kind of computer do you use at home? (Check all that apply, N: 716)


Windows desktop PC 416 58.1%

Windows laptop PC 342 47.7%

Mac desktop 14 2.0%

Mac laptop 23 3.2%

Other 28 3.9%

None 28 3.9%

Off-Campus Access

If you connect to the Internet from off-campus, what type of Internet connection do you have? (select all that apply, N: 716)


Dial-up modem 87 12.2%

DSL/Cable modem 484 67.6%

Work LAN 22 3.1%

Wireless access at home 227 31.7%

Wireless access at work 24 3.4%

Other wireless 32 4.5%

Other Internet access 24 3.4%

Time Online

How much time did you spend online each week for your work in this course? (N: 716)


Less than 1 hour 38 5.3%

1-3 hours 333 46.5%

3-6 hours 267 37.3%

6-10 hours 70 9.7%

More than 10 hours 13 1.8%

Location of Wimba (Live Classroom) Use

63%

3%

15%

5%

14%

Home (450)

Work (22)

On Campus (110)

Student Housing (37)

Did not use Wimba (101)

From what location did you typically use Wimba?

SS 2006-FS 2007, N: 716

Technical Issues

SS 2006-FS 2007, N: 716

Did you have any technical problems when using Wimba?

49%

14%

37%

Yes, but I was able to resolvethem (357)

Yes, and I wasn’t able to getWimba to run on my home orwork computer (98)

No (265)

Using Wimba (Live Classroom)

Did You Use Wimba? Check all that apply, (N: 716)


I did not use Wimba, I attended the regular class sessions 187 26.1%

I usually attended the regular class sessions 157 21.9%

I always attended the live class sessions via Wimba 64 8.9%

I played back Wimba archives for attendance credit 461 64.4%

I played back Wimba archives for study and review 238 33.2%

Usefulness of Wimba (Live Classroom)

Which of the following features of Wimba do you find most useful (check all that apply)? (N: 716)


Attending a live class session 267 37.2%

Playing back archived sessions for attendance credit 439 61.3%

Playing back archived sessions for study and review 307 42.9%

Attending live study sessions 74 10.3%

I did not use Wimba for this course 97 13.5%

Distractions, Interest, and Effort

5 point Likert scale items, 1=strongly agree, 3=neutral, 5=strongly disagree (N: 716)

Question Mean Score

The use of Wimba in this course created too many distractions during the live class sessions (Q9)

2.95

The use of Wimba in this course made the live class session more interesting and informative (Q10)

2.10

It takes too much effort to complete a course that uses online resources like Wimba (Q20)

3.26

Distraction, Interest, and Effort (Distribution)

Distraction, Interest, and Effort N: 716

0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

30.0%

35.0%

Strongly Agree Agree Neither Agree norDisagree

Disagree Strongly Disagree

Q9 Distraction

Q10 Interest

Q20 Too much effort

Distraction, Interest, and Effort

SS06 N: 86, FS06 N: 186, WS07 N: 239, SS07 N: 46, FS07: 159

Distraction, Interest, and Effort (mean scores SS06-FS07)

0.00

0.50

1.00

1.50

2.00

2.50

3.00

3.50

4.00

Q9 distraction Q10 interest Q20 too much effort

SS 2006

FS 2006

WS 2007

SS 2007

FS 2007

5 point Likert scale items, 1=strongly agree, 3=neutral, 5=strongly disagree

Wimba Utility: Learning5 point Likert scale items, 1=strongly agree, 3=neutral, 5=strongly disagree (N: 716)

Question Mean Score

Using Wimba in this course made me more likely to seek clarification when I did not understand something. (Q11) 2.39

Using Wimba in this course made me more likely to review lecture notes to gain clarification. (Q12) 2.27

Using Wimba in this course made it more likely that I spend time studying. (Q14) 2.51

Using Wimba in this course helped me do better (learn more). (Q16) 2.51

Using Wimba in this course made it more likely for me to complete course assignments. (Q19) 2.43

Wimba Utility: Learning (distribution)

Wimba Utility: Learning (N: 716)

0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

30.0%

35.0%

40.0%

45.0%



Q11 clarify

Q12 review

Q14 study

Q16 learn

Q19 complete work

Wimba Utility: Learning

SS06 N: 86, FS06 N: 186, WS07 N: 239, SS07 N: 46, FS07: 159


Learning (mean scores SS06-FS07)

0.00

0.50

1.00

1.50

2.00

2.50

3.00

Q11 clarify Q12 review Q14 study Q16 learn Q19 complete work

SS 2006

FS 2006

WS 2007

SS 2007

FS 2007

Wimba Utility: Communication


Question Mean Score

Using Wimba in this course made me more likely to communicate with other students taking this course. (Q13) 2.58

Using Wimba in this course made it more likely for me to communicate with my instructor. (Q15) 2.52

The online discussions through Wimba made me think more about course topics. (Q18) 2.36

Wimba Utility: Communication (distribution)

Wimba Utility: Communication (N: 716)

0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

30.0%

35.0%

40.0%



Q13 s-t-s

Q15 s-t-I

Q18 think

Wimba Utility: Communication

SS06 N: 86, FS06 N: 186, WS07 N: 239, SS07 N: 46, FS07: 159


Communication (mean scores SS06-FS07)

0.00

0.50

1.00

1.50

2.00

2.50

3.00

Q13 s-t-s Q15 s-t-I Q18 think

SS 2006

FS 2006

WS 2007

SS 2007

FS 2007

Wimba Utility: Enrollment and Retention


Question Mean Score

I am very satisfied with this course because of the way it used Wimba (Q17) 2.31

I would like to have Wimba used as a feature in all my courses. (Q21) 2.41

I am more likely to take another course at UMSL because it uses Wimba. (Q22) 2.64

The convenience and benefits associated with technologies like Wimba and wikis makes me more likely to stay at UM-St. Louis and complete my degree. (Q36) 2.61

Wimba Utility: Retention (distribution)

Wimba Utility: Retention (N: 716)

0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

30.0%

35.0%

40.0%



Q17 very satisfied

Q21 use in all courses

Q22 take another

Q36 stay and complete

Wimba Utility: Retention

SS06 N: 86, FS06 N: 186, WS07 N: 239, SS07 N: 46, FS07: 159


Enrollment and Retention (mean scores SS06-FS07)

0.00

0.50

1.00

1.50

2.00

2.50

3.00

3.50

4.00

Q17 very satisfied Q21 use in all courses Q22 take another Q36 stay and complete

SS 2006

FS 2006

WS 2007

SS 2007

FS 2007

Selected Comments: Benefits “Wimba was great for listening to lectures later on in the archives.” “Overall the best part of the course was the use of the wimba, it enabled me

to not have to be at the campus to attend the lecture. I really appreciated having it as a resource.

“Using wimba is a good tool to review, lecture, and to clarify things..” “I did not use Wimba live to attend the class but I am glad it was available. I

have used it to play back for attendance credit only. I would like for this feature to be added to other courses at UM-StLouis.”

“The flexibility and convenience of Wimba allowed me to attend EVERY class. In a traditional classroom course, I would have missed at least 4 classes.”

“I think that all courses should have the wimba archives available!!! I travel a lot and it was great to have a class that I could be out of town and still attend.”

If it weren't for WIMBA I would not have been able to take this class. I have taken other "on-line" courses at other colleges and hated them. The archived "live" classes were great.

Selected Comments: Benefits Part 2 “With the use of these technologies it has become easier to balance

my schedule than it ever was before. I really enjoy the opportunity to attend class through wimba. It offers many students better opportunities to learn because sometimes a student might not be able to attend class but if they have the opportunity to attend from home they can still benefit from that days class without having to miss anything. I would like for almost all classes at UMSL to incorporate the advantages Wimba provides.”

“The availability of being able to attend class whenever I had time made my life much easier because I work full time, go to school full time, and am a full time mother. This kind of flexibility in attending class, and doing the work when it fits into my schedule made my things so much nicer, I would definitely sign up for any other courses that were offered in this format.”

“The use of wimba to review achives was sooo nice. It made me not stress about missing classes due to illness. I wish there was this feature in ALL my classes. It would really benefit my learning process.”

Selected Comments: Problems

“I hate wimba.” “Wimba and wikis were so confusing at the beginning. I fell

behind the first three weeks trying to learn how to get around on the online system. I also had to spend extra money to get my computer set up to go online. Now it's a piece a cake, but it was really frustrating at first.”

“The use of wimba and wiki certainly have problems to work out. Had I not had trouble listening to archives...I would have been more pleased with the features. As they are currently, however, they take up more time trying to use them than they are worth trying to convey information. If they were improved they might be more useful to students.”

Selected Comments: Problems Part 2 “Just because UMSL offers Wimba and Wiki does not mean every

student wants to use it. Students also have lives, each student is not :fresh" out of high school and adding these programs makes it that much harder when you have a full time job, kids and try to attend school all at the same time. Not everybody can handle the internet.”

I don't think that watching courses on Wimba should be a requirement for students that are registered for Internet sections of a course. Wimba should be an available tool for those that want to use it, but as a requirement, it made even completing an Internet course on my own weird schedule difficult. I sign up for Internet classes because of the odd and changing hours I works, so having to work around an application like this was, at times, difficult.

“Wimba still has some technical glitches that need fixing.”

Issues from My Perspective Technical issues (bandwidth, microphone, video) Archive labeling Screen space—application sharing vs. PowerPoint Online chat during class—difficulties in paying

attention to online and in-class students, yet “social learning”

Students resistant to use of microphone (tech issue), now camera.

User (instructor) error ;-)

Conclusions Students clearly appreciate the flexibility and

accessibility Using Live Classroom works well for traditional

classes, as well as distance/online Students are learning to use archives as a resource If nothing else, students think they do better (learn

more) The more these tools are used, the more students

want them Tools like Live Classroom are key in improving

student engagement and retention

Where to Go From Here Video integration (talking head or class) Integrating online activities and group work—

breakout rooms seem easy to configure. Developing archive library Wish we could edit archives Integrate with podcasting (issue of tracking) Working from home (or the beach ;-) say,

now that I am here in Florida……

Contact

Robert Keel

Teaching Professor

Department of Sociology

UM-St. Louis

[email protected]

314-516-6052

http://www.umsl.edu/~rkeel

Interactivity and Engagement in a Blended Class: Wimba Live Classroom Robert Keel Teaching Professor Department of Sociology UM-St. Louis St. Louis, MO.

Documents

mygatewaymygateway slide

fl slide

live classroom chronology

student online access

student engagement

student satisfaction

social learning slide

classroom anytimeanywhere