Kathrin Uedl, MSc. Junior Researcher Institute for Banking and Insurance Industry

Blended Learning for Extra-Occupational (part-time)

Students

Results Presentation of a Students‘ Needs Analysis

Kathrin Uedl, MSc.Junior Researcher

Institute for Banking and Insurance Industry FH JOANNEUM, Graz |Austria

CONTENTS

I. Status QuoII. Results of a Students‘ Needs AnalysisIII. Success Factors for part-time Students IV. ImplementationV. Discussion

Kathrin Uedl | Blended Learning for Extra-Occupational Students | August 2013 | ISBE Conference Berlin

I – STATUS QUOBA Part-time studies in Austria |Facts & Figures


688 Presence27

specificBanking,Finance,Taxation

general

197 Distance17No BA degrees;

MBA; certificates …

Also including programmes that

finish with e.g. „academic expert“

…

I – STATUS QUOBA Part-time studies in Austria in the field of

“Banking/Finance/Taxation” in AUSTRIA


Banking & Finance

Controlling, Accounting &

Financial Management

Finance, Accounting &

Taxation

Tax ManagementBanking & Insurance Industry

I – STATUS QUO PROBLEMS WITH PART-TIME STUDENTS

Heterogenous group of students Different practical backgrounds;Different educational requirements;Different age groups and furthermore priorities;

In the end: work/family = N° 1 priority;

Tight schedule & use of e-Learning;Lack of time (learning, preparation);No work-life-learn balance;Different attitudes towards “learning” and the

importance of “sustainable learning”


I – STATUS QUORESULTS OF AN ANALYSIS OF STUDENTS‘ PRIORITIES

N=110 (students)Factor-Analysis

21 factors reduced to 6ExamsStudy Performance „light“Job & CareerFamilySocial ContactsFriends & Freetime


I – STATUS QUO

RESULTS OF AN ANALYSIS OF STUDNETS‘ PRIORITIESFrequencies-Analysis


Family

Exams

Social Contacts

1

2

3

4

Job & Career

Study Performance

„light“

Friends & Freetime

II – RESULTS „Needs Analysis“ RESEARCH QUESTIONS

How do students learn best? (learning type) How do students organise their learing? (learning style) When do students learn most? What expectations do students have concerning the organisation of courses? What expectations do students have towards teachers? Does (Could) e-learning contribute to their learning process?

ASSUMPTIONS Students are communicative learners; Students have to be flexible according to job and family duties; Students learn in the evenings and not on fridays/saturdays; Students prefer less blocked courses; Students want teachers to be more available; E-Learning is not used in order to contribute to the students‘ needs;


II – RESULTS „Needs Analysis“ RESEARCH METHOD

Paper-Questionnaire among all students of„Banking and Insurance Industry“ (part-time, BA) &„Industrial Management“ (part-time, BA)

Complete-count; Return-rate: 70 %; N=110 (students)Statistical Analysis with SPSS

Frequencies-Analysis


II – RESULTS „Needs Analysis“ LEARNING-TYPE

Students are very communicative – also within their learning process; Discussions in different forms are very popular with

part-time students; In discussions, students combine their knowledge from their

work with what they learn in theory;By experience, we know that our students only built learning

groups in specific situations (e.g. final BA-exam);Students are sensitive to written contents;Students learn easier when „using“ contents;


II – RESULTS „Needs Analysis“ LEARNING-STRATEGY

Students don’t have a fixed learning schedule;They have to be flexible and find an appropriate

work-life-learn-balance;38 % work overtime;18 % are on business trips often;

Students are organised learners; Relevant resources are available for learning;Additional sources (e.g. books, internet) are used;

Students try to focus on “understanding” than on “memorizing” contents;


II – RESULTS „Needs Analysis“ LEARNING-TIME


N=110Parameter used: MODE Learning-Time

Mondays EveningsTuesdays EveningsWednesdays EveningsThursdays Evenings

Fridays In special cases: Evenings/10 pm

Saturdays In special cases: Early in the morning/4 am

Sundays & Official Holidays Full-time

II – RESULTS „Needs Analysis“

COURSE- & TEACHER-EXPECTATIONStudents dislike enormously blocked courses;

They prefer courses up to a maximum of 4 lessons/course (= 3 hours);

They have problems concentrating, when courses are planned longer than 3 hours;

Students dislike courses with partial performances; Students don’t have enough preparation time for courses,

exams and so on;Students prefer a methods-mix within classroom-teaching,

like group-working, single-working-tasks, presentations;


II – RESULTS „Needs Analysis“ COURSE- & TEACHER-EXPECTATION

It is important for the students that contents refer to their practical knowledge;

Students expect teachers to allow active discussion;

Students are sensitive to group-working tasks; they prefer time that is available within the presence courses and teachers that are available in the meantime;

Students expect feedback from their teachers;


II – RESULTS „Needs Analysis“ E-LEARNING & BLENDED LEARNING

95 % of the students claimed that “Moodle” was only used for up- and downloading of materials;

Students think that “Moodle” can help organising their learning process more flexible;

Students claim that teachers are not available on the platform;

Students claim that the combination of e-Learning and classroom-teaching is not balanced;


III – SUCESS FACTORSFOR FOSTERING STUDENTS WITHIN THEIR

LEARNING PROCESS Responding to the student’s learning type and

strategy; Allow for active discussions online & in the classroom;Increase the availability of teachers;Use of related practical examples in all courses;Provide written learning documents;Provide time- and place independent learning

possibilities ( e-Learning);


III – SUCESS FACTORSFOR FOSTERING STUDENTS WITHIN THEIR

LEARNING PROCESS Responding to the student’s learning type and

strategy; Increase e-Learning;

External lecturers have to be made aware that e-Learning is a very important part within part-time organised studies;

E-Learning tasks should correspond to the students’ learning times;

Organise block-phases up to a max. of 3 hours/course;Implement different types of instruction;Provide feedback whenever necessary/possible;


IV – IMPLEMENTATIONCONSIDERATIONS FOR COURSE-PLANNING


Classroom Online „Moodle“

Organise easy theory blocks online, e.g. with podcasts;

Feedback-Sessions;

Difficult contents;

Provide enough time for group-working tasks in the classroom;

Use different forms of instruction (methods-mix);

Allow for discussion;

Use study-related contents, e.g. industry, banking/insurance and so on;

Adopt „Moodle“ to the students‘ learning times during the week;

Being available for the students‘ questions;

V – DISCUSSIONRESTRICTIONS

45 external lecturers vs. 2,5 teachers (degree-programme: Banking and Insurance Industry);External lecturers don’t have enough time for an

appropriate course preparation;External lecturers are not willing to deal with the

platform “Moodle”External lecturers (mostly) don’t have a pedagogical

background;External lecturers adapt the courses to their schedule

and not vice-versa;


REFERENCES(1) Meisel, Klaus (2002): Organisationsforschung, Ergebnisse für die

Erwachsenenbildungspraxis, in: Grundlagen der Weiterbildung, Praxishilfen, p. 1-32, Neuwied

(2) Seufert, Sabine (2001): e-Learning, Weiterbildung im Internet, das “Plato-Cookbook” für internetbasiertes Lernen, Smart Books, Kilchberg

(3) Uedl, Kathrin (2012): Implementation of a blended learning concept at the bachelor-degree-programme Banking and Insurance Industry, Conference Proceedings, Int. Conference on e-Learning, Belgrade, Sept. 27th to 28th 2012

(4) www.fachhochschulen.at [17.7.2013]


Kathrin Uedl, MSc. Junior Researcher Institute for Banking and Insurance Industry

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