Pedagogical interventions and online learning: supporting part-time students in Hong Kong

Abstract

In a time of rapid socio-economic and technological change, universities have added pressures of dealing with a larger 'clientele' of learners from varied backgrounds, with diverse needs, motivations, abilities, learning preferences, time availability and course content requirements; a demand for more client responsive and flexible courses; and the drive to use effectively, information and communication technologies (ICTs) in teaching and learning. Learner-centered education works on the premise that, in an information age, the learner has increased responsibilities for managing his or her own research and learning. This is difficult for an increasing population of students who are mature and studying part-time who have previously learnt by traditional methods.

This research identified and documented the busy work and study lifestyles of 58 part-time students while they undertook two consecutive courses at the University of Hong Kong. The study attempted to understand these dimensions and explore how innovative pedagogical practice might support learning through the use of a learner management system over a two year period. The researchers monitored motivation, participation, and performance of the students and used this data as a basis of evaluating the interventions trialed.

The interventions were conducted within an action research paradigm which is most appropriate for those who recognize the existence of shortcomings in their educational activities and who would like to adopt some initial stance in regard to the problem, formulate a plan, carry out an intervention, evaluate the outcomes and develop further strategies in an iterative fashion. The interventions involved the use of social-constructivist approaches to teaching and learning whilst encouraging students to reflect on, and attempt to improve their own learning within both modules working collaboratively in groups and as individual learners. Four factors and 15 attributes were identified as having potential affect on the attitudes of part-time students’ learning including traveling distance to class, age, qualifications and digital connections.