The document discusses a study exploring reasons why students passively withdraw from an online English course. It summarizes interviews with 9 such students, who faced challenges with the online format, including lack of awareness it was fully online, difficulties navigating the course materials and using the online tools, and a preference for printed materials. The document recommends offering additional IT support and some face-to-face instruction to help improve retention of students, especially those from widening participation backgrounds.

1. Technology and passive
withdrawers
Jan Jones,
Learning & Teaching Development
IET
Wide Open Symposium
1/11/11

2. Background
 Part of a project to explore retention on
L185: English for Academic Purposes
Online
 To obtain a rich picture of the reasons
why students ‘passively withdraw’ from
L185
 Passive withdrawers are students who
had submitted no more than two TMAs
 New and/or BME students were targeted
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3. Activity
What do you think are the challenges
that face EAL students when
they are about to start an entirely
online module ?
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4. Methodology
 Passive withdrawers identified by the team
 Email invitation sent to sample available at
the end of Block 5
 Special attention was paid to the language
used in the invitation
 Semi-structured telephone discussions (x9)
 Discussions were recorded and transcribed
 Survey was sent to all L185-11B students
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5. Passive withdrawer interviewees
 7 were from BME backgrounds
 6 were EAL students
 4 males and 5 females
 Age range 29 to 54
 6 new and 3 continuing OU students
 5 had submitted 0 TMAs, 4 had submitted 2
 Previous qualifications varied widely
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6. Expectations of an online module
 3 withdrawers hadn’t realised that the module
was ‘entirely online’
I didn’t realise that L185 was entirely
online, so I wasn’t prepared for it. I have
done an entirely online course with
LearnDirect, but that was different. With
LearnDirect when you returned to the
website, it took you straight back to where
you left off. It was a lot easier….
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7. Preparation for an online module
The advice was that you need to be used to
computers and my answer is ‘yes, I am used to
computers, I do emails, I can write using word
processing and I do spreadsheets and everything, but
not something like that….the description was okay but
it was the delivery of the materials. Using a computer
in this way is different from how I usually use it.
Maybe in the description it could say a bit more about
what you have to do. It’s not the materials; it’s the
technical aspects that were difficult for me.
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8. Navigation
With this course if the computer crashed or you couldn’t
remember where you were, then you have to log back in
again and you have to go through it page by page to find
out where you were. My computer crashed several times.
You have to remember what unit, what block, what page
number and all on that. I don’t believe the course is easily
accessible. That is the main problem I had. I need
someone to show me. I found it difficult to follow the
course online. It’s very hard to find your way around. It
would be a lot easier if it took you back to the page where
you last started when you log back in. I was surprised
that was not the case. It was very annoying.
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9. Accessing the online tutorials
I’ve not been able to get to the online tutorials
because they are at a certain time when I
wasn’t available. The teacher did try to explain
to me how to get there, but it didn’t sink in. I
still don’t know how I can get to the online
tutorials, where to click…. I spoke to my tutor
once or twice and had a few emails with her.
But I would like to have been shown how to
get there. I still need some face-to-face
tuition.
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10. Using the online tools
 78% students use a laptop all/most of the time
 73% found the module website easy to use
 73% said Elluminate is easy to install
 85% students said the drag and drop activities
were easy to use
 71% were confident in using all the
technologies required for the assignments in
L185 so far (i.e. at the end of Block 5)
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11. Accessibility and online study
Some students with disabilities struggle to
study ‘entirely online’ materials.
For example, those who have a vision-
Impairment and those with arthritic
or joint mobility problems that affect the
wrists
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12. Help and support in using technology
 I was very concerned so I went twice to the office in Camden
but no-one could explain me anything. I am sorry to have to
say this. Then I spoke to my tutor….she was very nice, but she
thinks that other sections of the University have to resolve my
computer problems. She told me to ring the Computer Helpdesk.
It’s hard for someone to explain it on the phone. If I could talk
to someone who could show me how to go through it step by
step then maybe I could do it…..It is complicated to switch from
the course materials the online…
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13. Digital literacy
These findings suggest there is a difference
between level of confidence in using a
computer and using the technologies that
are embedded in an entirely online module:
e.g. Elluminate and online audio recording
tools, electronic TMA submission and
complex navigation
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14. Studying online v printed materials
 I prefer a book because I can read beyond
a given topic to get more knowledge.
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15. Studying online and widening
participation – is there a conflict?
 The Learning & Teaching focus area means improving
pedagogy and reducing costs
 Understanding and improving the student learning
experience in this context suggests that some
print-based materials and some face to face tuition
should be available
 Should L185 be a ‘key introductory’ Level 1 module
given its role in improving writing and literacy skills?
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16. Positive trends in the survey results
87% satisfied with the teaching materials (60%)
82% satisfied with their study experience (73%)
84% were enjoying the module (69%)
81% would recommend this module (75%)
82% module meets its learning outcomes (78%)
96% satisfied with the tutor support provided
(86%)
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17. Widening participation in an online
context – what can we do?
Ask tutors to be more pro-active in
1 contacting WP students
Offer IT support through volunteer ‘module
2 champions’ or peer mentors
Offer some face-to-face tuition or a podcast
3 to show how the technologies work
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18. References
 Cull, B.W. (2011) Reading Revolutions: Online digital text and implications for reading in
academe, First Monday, Volume 16, Number 6. Online at: http://firstmonday.org/htbin/cgi
wrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/article/viewArticle/3340/2985
 Goodfellow, R. & Reedy, K (2010) Learn about Digital Literacy (EPD Guide)
http://epd.open.ac.uk/browseLAG.cfm?lagID=66&method=displayLAGDetails
 Jary, D. & Jones, R. Widening Participation: Overview and Commentary, HEA.
 Jones, J. & Kirkup, G. (2010) Report on Widening participation case studies for FELS
language programmes http://kn.open.ac.uk/document.cfm?docid=13181
 Jones, J. & Kirkup, G. (2010) The Experience of Widening Participation students on FELS
Foundation Course 2009-2010: http://kn.open.ac.uk/document.cfm?docid=13180
 Watson, D. (2006) How to think about widening participation in UK higher education,
Discussion paper for HEFCE. http://www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/rdreports/2006/rd13_06/
Jan Jones,
Learning and Teaching Development, IET
j.s.jones@open.ac.uk
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