Extramural President's Blog » digitization

Distance Education NZ (DEANZ) Conference 2012

ralph — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 21:07:48 +0000

Dr Oblinger CEO EDUCAUSE offering a USA perspective

I have had the honour of attending both this and the previous DEANZ conference (2010) on behalf of distance students at Massey University. At both conferences I have made contacts and found information that has benefited EXMSS and have had the opportunity to present EXMSS, and students views, to the conference.

This year the Review It poster was included in the proceedings and it won the Best Poster competition. Credit need to go to EXMSS staff member Adam Dodd for the brilliant visual interpretation of my ‘crayon’ drawings.

The value of these conferences is two-fold:

Through discussion and connections with other delegates, the President is more able to comment publically, plan for the future, and be seen as a credible player in the field of distance education;
Typically EXMSS represents students at these conferences. No other student organisation exists to represent distance students. The people at DEANZ are aware of this and seek to include the student representative in plenary discussions. This is good for the conference and good for the reputation and reach of EXMSS.
Review It poster wins Best Poster

Attendance at the DEANZ conference is therefore valuable for our Society: in order to inform our President and to build our reputation as the distance student voice in New Zealand. I encourage EXMSS to support continued presence at this valuable bi-annual conference.

The Review It poster can be found here

Absolutely Compulsory Contact Courses

ralph — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 01:34:14 +0000

For a start, Absolutely Compulsory is silly; it’s either compulsory or its not. The terminology needs to change for clarity, and this is what Massey is doing. Their recommendation is two categories: Compulsory and Recommended. This proposal also offers an opportunity to consider the purpose of contact courses in distance education

Wake up! Arn't you meant to be at a contact course?

If a contact course is truly compulsory there are consequences: a reduced pool of students willing to take the paper, the need to make the contact course academically essential, and the impact on students’ lives.

Accessibility, the mantra of distance education, should be a key principle on which academic delivery and support are based. Modern distance students are busy people. They are often in a life-transition period where finances are difficult or they have family responsibilities. So accessibility for a distance student means low cost and low impact on routine.

Massey is known for its quality distance provision, so compulsory contact courses that deliver essential learning are important. Students also need to be confident that compulsory contact courses are essential for the learning required. So what are recommended contact courses for, enhancing learning for those who can make it? On the face of it this seems reasonable.

Getting students together to meet is not a reason to have a compulsory contact course. So it must be clear to lecturers that a compulsory contact course must satisfy certain criteria, for example:

The contact course must be essential for the pedagogy – the process of learning – that the paper requires
There should be no exemptions
The contact course should not be able to be reproduced on Stream or the web
The contact course must be fully integrated into the course delivery

The acid test is this – is this contact course environment essential for the process of learning, and can this learning not be reproduced in a web environment?”

I would like to think that there are relatively few contact courses that satisfy this mandate. Creative Processes is one, as may be a Drama paper. If hands-on experience is needed in a laboratory environment then that would qualify.

For students, fewer compulsory contact courses would be better, but will this mean recommended contact course become the norm? With recommended contact courses students will need to be told that attendance will provide advantages, but none that are essential to course completion. For lecturers it may seem inefficient to be delivering to only a portion of the students, and they would likely put the material on the web for all students. So how many students will turn up to a ‘recommended’ contact course?

It seems to me that you either have a contact course or you do not. And if a course controller wishes to run a compulsory contact course they would need to demonstrate its essential nature to someone other than their own department – as well as the students who attend.

So that’s sorted then.

Stream Sites and Study Materials

ralph — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 06:03:48 +0000

Let's communicate Massey

Stream

Students should expect their Stream sites to be opened in the week before semester. If this has not happened by Friday please contact Ralph@exmss.org.nz and EXMSS will find out what is going on. If EXMSS has its way there will soon appear some sort of notification on not-open sites that tells you when to expect engagement. We struggle to understand why the admin guide could not be available weeks in advance alongside a date for the site to open. EXMSS continues to bring these issues to the attention of the University.

Printed Study Material

Providing printed study material has been messy this year. Massey is in the throes of changing its policy and has struggled to label its papers accurately. Furthermore the web-material is often a batch of PDF’s that Massey seems to be expecting students to print. Many will do so, being unaware that the policy states that material will be provided at no cost. But getting the material has meant spending time on hold with the contact center and then being told to speak with the course coordinator and then waiting for the material to arrive. From the student point of view a pretty poor show.

But Massey does has good intentions. Squeezed financially and looking to develop a better web environment for students, it must change the way it delivers its study material. My point is that this should be a managed process with the students informed at each step. EXMSS will continue to work with Massey to find solutions that do not leave students with poor material and wondering what the hell is going on.

Print Material last resort hotline

EXMSS has brokered a direct line into Massey that can quickly resolve your printed study materials issues. Please try the contact center first, but if you are being pushed from pillar to post then email

student-information-resources@massey.ac.nz

All the best for your study. Don’t forget to join EXMSS and support your voice on campus.

Printed Study Materials – Part Two

ralph — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 22:44:08 +0000

There has been extensive discussion about the provision of print material, particularly for distance students. On realising that lecturers understanding, students expectations and Massey policy often contradicted each other, Associate Professor Mark Brown, Director: Blended and Distance Education, has clarified the University position and put systems in place for the Contact Centre to deal efficiently with student enquiries. If you have concerns that your request for printed material has not been respected then plese contact the President of EXMSS, your independent representative, at Ralph@exmss.org.nz

Massey Statement – Requesting Printed Study Materials

Printed study guides are available!

Massey University is committed to providing distance students with a rich, digitally mediated learning experience, in keeping with global developments in learning technology. It is rapidly becoming the norm for study materials to be online and for learning to be

interactive and dynamic, displacing static print materials. The benefits of a well-integrated, convenient and portable digital study medium are now widely recognised.

In certain circumstances, however, some students find printed materials preferable. Wherever feasible, Massey University will provide a print version of materials on request. At this time there is no charge for this service. To find out if a paper you want to take has study materials that are suitable for print and can be made available, please ask contact@massey.ac.nz or call 0800MASSEY (0800 627739 or from outside NZ +64 6 350 5701).

Study Materials Solution

ralph — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 02:21:24 +0000

What to expect?

Following students concerns about access to printed study material I have brokered a solution with Massey University. The issue is a transition that is not clear to all those involved. The discussion in the Materials and Modes forum suggested that a set of criteria would be applied to the free provision of study material, but as this has not yet been finalised the existing policy stands. The policy states that material essential for course completion must be provided in printed form if the student requests it.

The problem is that not all lecturers are aware of this. If you have a problem with getting hold of printed material, send me an email and I will ensure you receive it post-haste and for free. I am urging the University to clarify this with lecturers so the problem does not become widespread.

The VC’s Student Forum

ralph — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 00:01:44 +0000

Described as the place to get answers, the 2011 VC’s Student Forum has been very useful for getting a sense of where the University is going, and what the changes Massey is making mean for students. The Forum was captured on video. To that end the Vice Chancellor, Steve Maharey, was invited to give his take on the tertiary environment and discuss related changes Massey is undergoing. Maharey explained the struggle for funding, mentioning the upcoming pay bargaining round for Massey staff as one of the factors needing attention as Massey seeks to balance its books. Maharey took time to explain that Massey is a lean organisation and that student fee increases are not for creating a comfort zone for management. In 2010 Massey’s profit of 2.1% did not meet the Government expectation of 3%.

Vice Chancellor Steve Maharey

Indeed, the tertiary sector is being driven towards a model of efficiency. The Government is aiming for graduate numbers 20% higher in 2013 than in the 2000’s. However, this does not mean more money for Universities, in real terms funding is declining. You can read more about sector issues in the excellent MUSA/EXMSS article, Turning the Tide: How Best to Buoy a Drowning Tertiary Sector.

Maharey went on to explain that within this highly threatening environment the University itself has a very clear plan, including digitization, providing professional development courses, and reforming Massey’s academic portfolio; meaning what is to be taught. This is in balance with initiatives in generating research income and a comparatively reserved marketing budget, Maharey stating that Massey prefers to spend money on real activities and real things like staff development and buildings.

The Student’s Questions

Will hard copy study notes cost students in the future? Massey is looking to work towards a digital environment. No date has been set for full digitization. Currently the University offers hard copy for free. It was suggested that the Assistant Vice Chancellor (Academic) may provide further information.

What is the future of contact courses? Technology is providing opportunities for change. Students will drive change through their engagement and feedback. Lecturers are free to respond to student and teaching needs, so where there is a need there is likely to be contact courses continuing.

Does the University intend to provide video lectures? If the lecturer sees a need for video material that supports their teaching and learning then they are free to explore that avenue. Currently there is no dedicated resource or strategy for video lectures.

Will the University support an independent advocacy service if, under VSM, the student associations are unable to provide this service universally? The difficulty is in Massey providing support for advocacy that is potentially against itself. The University would like to see an independent advocacy service continue under VSM but the money must come from students, and willingly. How this can be done is something that needs to be worked out between student associations and the University. At this stage there is no guarantee of an independent advocacy service continuing under VSM.

What is the eight year rule? This proposed rule defines a maximum of eight years to complete a Massey qualification where completion times are not already described. This is being introduced to improve completion figures and to impress on students the importance of progression. The move is being made in response to the Government focus on completions.

What changes are being made to enrolment processes? Enrolments dates will be brought forward and some courses will be capped. The criteria for enrolment is changing to attend to the Governments priorities. New software seeks to be more useful for students as well as providing the information for the TEC.

Will the summer school enrolments be capped? Last years reactions to the Government’s capped environment are behind us. For Massey the task of restricting enrolment has been difficult. Distance student numbers will continue to reduce. However, the process in 2011 is clearer and there will not be a cap on summer school although courses in the summer semester may change to fit with strategic needs.

How will Massey deal with peak load issues of library space and parking? This is a shared issue, other Universities offer space to Massey students and students from, say, Auckland or AUT, use Massey facilities. There is no easy solution but Massey is aware of the problem, especially at Albany.

How engaged are students in the wider issues, such as student services and government priorities? Students worldwide have never been that focussed on issues outside of their daily life and study. It is only in an immediate crisis that students get fully involved. It is not apathy or disinterest, it is busy people focussed on other concerns.

Is Massey prepared for natural disasters? In short, yes. But there is always room for reviewing our systems. For distance students the regional support proved its effectiveness during the Christchurch earthquakes.

Are international student numbers going to increase at Massey? The government is pushing very hard in this area and have made their expectations of improved performance clear. There is room for more international students at Massey.

Can international fees be grand-parented? Without financial information a decision cannot be made. However, discussion of the grand-parenting option will continue and be settled.

Will mature students, through government policy direction, be prevented from studying at university? An alarming trend seems to be the reduction of support for adult students. Some policies may have little impact but the trend is concerning. Massey will continue to lobby for life-long learning.

With Albany non-tuition fees proportionally high, is the University planning on reducing them over time of prorating them for part time students? In short, no. The mechanism for discussion is the fee setting process, but it should be noted that the Albany Student Association engaged with students and supported the building levy initiative. The solution may be in increasing student numbers on the Albany campus which would spread the cost of the new Student Amenities building.

What is likely regarding fee rises for 2012? There will be an increase in tuition fees. For student service levies there is a connection with the VSM legislation currently before the house. The final fee will be decided through a process of engagement and alignment with the principles of fee setting. The fees decision will be made at the September 1^st meeting of the Massey Council.

Not all questions were able to be asked in the Forum. The following questions have been sent on to the Vice Chancellor and the responses will be posted here.

Is there an option of a student area at Massey Wellington that is not the common rooms? A place where we can chill out, with some games, magazines and maybe some music that’s for students? Over exam week there was something in the Pyramid – can that be done again? Tussock and the common rooms do not have a student feel – most students feel that it’s more corporate and for more mature staff and students.

Should Massey sports teams across the country have some kind of national competition, maybe play against each other to help grow sports teams? Would Massey support this?

When will the Wellington campus library be upgraded?

What consideration has been given to older students who have challenges reading a screen as opposed to hard copy? I am concerned for a number of students with less than 20/20 eyesight their difficulty at reading screens and not receiving hard copy

Will student magazines be supported if associations disappear? Which student magazine do you think is the best across the campus’.

A lecturer has mentioned a Plagiarism database that record students who plagiarize. Is this a new system? What does it mean for students?

Video Linked Teaching

ralph — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 04:50:36 +0000

Students enjoy it when they have options in how they receive information. I recently received an email from a student who raved about being able to view a paper’s lectures online. The paper proved to be the exception rather than the rule, but there are advocates within the University that seek to see online lectures as standard practice.

At the May Council meeting a suite of projects revolving around Massey’s Information Technology capabilities was approved. Among them was a project that provides resources and capability for delivering lectures by video linked teaching.

This is not the production of lectures on video but it is a step in that direction. With video linked teaching, lectures can be delivered across campuses. It would therefore be possible to record these sessions and make them available on Stream sites. The barrier appears to be a potential for these sessions to vary. The University is not prepared to open the floodgates and let lecturers record whatever they wish and post it onto Stream; the quality and consistency and therefore reputation of the University is at risk.

The problem for students is the speed of progress. Too slow Massey! Students understand that finances are tight, but students also see this issue as central to providing a learning environment that fits with current student’s learning needs. This should be a very high priority for the University

As a distance student representative I undertake to bring this matter to the attention of the Director of Distance Education at Massey. I will keep you posted of developments.

The Many Guises of Increasing Costs

ralph — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 01:52:31 +0000

Hard copy is important at contact courses

It is going to get more expensive to study. It’s not just the fees that hit students hard. Students won’t receive a tax break or increase in Super. Instead they will get hit from all directions with any GST rise. The cost of papers will go up 2.5%. The cost of travel, accommodation and text books will all increase, not to mention the items of daily life - like food. There are two issues I can take to the university here: one is digitization of study material and the other focuses on contact courses.

Digitization of study material has the potential to cost students. For some it is a blessing for others a hassle and a cost. I will be lobbying Massey to provide choice. “Would you like digital or not?” should be a key question asked of students. Ideally the costs should remain in the students control regarding printed material.

The second area is some sort of regulation regarding contact courses. Currently there are extramural papers that require four visits to Albany campus – the reason they need this is because the website is a simple blog with no forums or discussion available. Not good enough! Stream the site and halve the contact courses. I will be bringing this up with Massey management to see if we can get some traction on providing course controllers with clear policies for contact courses that fit with student’s reality. Your comments assist with this so let me know what you think.