Student satisfaction with a web-based dissertation course: Findings from an internation... - 0 views
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Key factors known to influence student satisfaction on e-learning courses include the relevance of the course materials, the learner’s autonomy, and their competence with technology
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The supervisor-student relationship is another important factor in the students’ performance and their levels of satisfaction
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Finally, we found no studies examining student satisfaction with their dissertation unit as part of an e-distance learning programme
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The aim of the study was to assess student satisfaction with key elements of a dissertation course, including but not limited to supervision
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he wide range of resources available to all students are designed to help prepare them for the dissertation unit and to provide further support and direction over the 12-month writing period.
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Giving access to the resources as soon as students register for the MPH gives an opportunity for students to familiarise themselves with the material and to help them think about ideas for their dissertation earlier in the course.
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The dissertation handbook
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“What is the role of a supervisor?” and “What students can realistically expect”
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self-directed learning unit which covers the following key topics: “What is a dissertation?”; “How to select and write a suitable proposal”; “How to write a critical literature review”; and “How to present your work”.
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Supervisors can seek additional support at an individual level from the course dissertation lead (RAH). As a guide, supervisors are expected to provide around 16-20 hours of supervisory support in total, over the academic year.
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PowerPoint presentations.
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nline access to copies of previous dissertations t
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nks to writing and study guides.
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Students submit a dissertation proposal using a structured application form to frame their ideas and methodology. They then receive written feedback from three dissertation tutors.
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short video presentations from dissertation tutors
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self-selected
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All supervisors are invited to training sessions and/or are sent written guidance
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hey are put in touch with a supervisor to support the remainder of their work
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At least 71% (24) of students were satisfied or very satisfied with each of these five areas (Table 4).
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students are encouraged to introduce themselves to their supervisor and to identify any immediate or potential future learning needs
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only part time students expressing a less than positive experience
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These differences were not statistically significant (Fishers Exact test = 0.830, p = 1.000).
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, ‘preparedness’ and ‘self development’.
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amount of information available about the different aspects of the dissertation process
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easy to access
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d any questions sent to members of staff, including the administrative team, were quickly answered
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“discussion with experienced supervisors for how to go about choosing a dissertation topic right at the beginning of the dissertation” [respondent 27].
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Whilst writing a dissertation was challenging, they had adequate support.
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to agree mutually acceptable methods for communication (e.g., email, telephone, Skype, Google+).
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‘developing the dissertation proposal’, ‘time planning’, ‘peer support’, and ‘location of information’.
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This included sending a timeline of key dates and stages for the dissertation unit to all students at an early stage.
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to discuss their ideas with a tutor during office hours and more examples of previous dissertations which included the marker’s critique
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“more video content on how to go about doing the dissertation, to choose the topic and type of work, emphasise the number of hours needed to complete...”
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Several students had found difficulties in accessing information, and that whilst the “information was adequate
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Others suggested an email to “prompt what stage students should be at with their dissertation”
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One student thought that it would have helped to have seen “hints and tips” [respondent 7] from previous students who had completed the dissertation unit. Another thought it would be a good idea to regularly summarize individual questions from students and produce a ‘live’ updated Frequently Asked Questions [respondent 14] section as an addendum to the handbook.
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“live chat forum”
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could expect around 16 hours of support from their supervisor over the academic year, and that they should allow up to 10 working days to receive feedback on written work.
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‘writing and structure’ and ‘assessment’.
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“the dissertation course had several good ideas and provided guidance but for students who had never written a dissertation, more help on the actual writing process would have been helpful”
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including a video from the tutor and from past students, to talk about some of the more practical aspects of writing a dissertation: “even a video of a past student(s) indicating what they did and what they would do differently”
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“it would have been helpful to learn different practical approaches that work well for others such as outlining the chapters and then starting a file for each chapter”
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ust over half the students, 19 (56%), stated that they initiated contact with their supervisor at least once a month, 9 (26%) about once every three months, and 5 (15%) less than three times over the dissertation year.
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he majority of students were satisfied or very satisfied with guidance on completing the dissertation proposal form (91%), the content in the self-directed teaching unit (91%), and the amount of general information on writing a dissertation (86%). But at least 26% (9) were less than satisfied with four of the other seven items examining this area (Table 5).
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The results suggest that students who initiated contact at least once a month were more likely to have had a positive experience of the course. However these findings were not statistically significant (Fishers exact test = 2.423, p = 0.694).
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“how supervision could be improved”.
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‘methods of communication’, how to use a supervisor’, and ‘availability’.
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Several students identified a need for them to be encouraged to make contact with their supervisor initially, and then during the supervisory period
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Similarly, we would need to consider the role (or not) of supervisors in social learning communities (Zhang, Perris, & Yeung, 2005).
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“the dissertation process is difficult, and supervisors can be over-critical sometimes even contradicting earlier directives given, which can be frustrating”
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Some students were clearly frustrated at the apparent lack of availability of their supervisor, and sometimes there were “long gaps in communication such as my supervisor being away for extended periods of time that I was not aware of”
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Several students praised their own supervisor
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However, our evidence suggests that providing student-orientated resources and support, informed with relevant pedagogical evidence, can provide clarity and transparency to the requirements of the final product.
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The survey highlights the need to provide better personal communication with our students before and after their dissertation proposal has been approved.
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students can use the discussion board in Blackboard to raise ideas and queries about their dissertation, and to receive feedback from other students, respond to other students, and with further postings from the dissertation tutor (RAH). Discussion boards have been found to be a valuable tool to support students in healthcare environments
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Having been allocated a supervisor, a number of students went on to report dissatisfaction with the amount, timing, and purpose of the supervisor-student contact
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Our study suggests that some supervisors need to be more proactive in communicating with their supervisees, and to provide better timely and constructive support. This includes providing students with relevant educational ‘scaffolding’ that encourages them to reflect on their ideas and to use this as part of the learning process (Quan-Baffour & Vambe, 2008). Supervisors also need to be encouraged to use their own and other real life examples, to support the students’ understanding and self-reflection (Sahin & Shelley, 2008).
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communication was a key theme in the literature exploring e-learning for adult learners who work
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but making a compulsory initial Skype or telephone call with the supervisor would be helpful, as “that way, the relationship will kick off immediately without delay”
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Yet higher levels of interaction can occur between student and tutor in an e-learning environment compared with face-to-face courses (Swan, 2006).
