This paper focuses on the students’ experiences of learning to learn online as a key part of the overall approach to using computer mediated opportunities in courses. Many writers have noted the discrepancy between the intentions and beliefs behind the use of consumer technologies and the reality. As the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) for teaching and learning move away from technical and technological courses and into a wide variety of disciplines and levels of study, this issue is becoming of greater significance in achieving successful transitions to online teaching methodologies.

The paper considers the role of novice users of computers but also more experienced users who may be faced, for the first time, with learning to communicate and construct new knowledge through computer mediated opportunities. Many of our efforts as providers of education go into creating worthwhile learning resources, environments and applications and we concern ourselves constantly with their appropriateness. However, in this paper I argue that we must take far greater responsibility for ensuring that all our learners are entirely comfortable with the applications we choose to deploy so that the technology becomes an enabling device rather than a barrier. It could be that the achievement of pre-learning and "Just In Time" online learning support to create student "comfort zones" is the key to future success.

E.Mail: gks13@leicester.ac.uk   Web: http://oubs.open.ac.uk/gilly

Several writers have noted the discrepancy between what consumer technology people are expected to use and what they actually will use. Caldwell and Robertson point out that, in 1996, despite the explosion in computer sales in the 1990s, "it cannot be assumed that the majority of the population has the technological base or social comfort to... replace existing forms of community interactions and information." (Caldwell and Robertson 1996 p20) The potential benefits of CMC may not be readily available to all new users without careful support. Reingold articulates the novice's fears:

To this can be added add "fear of running up a large telephone bill" where a beginner is using a conferencing platform online that does not include an off-line reader and local telephone calls are charged. To participate and learn effectively, new users need to progress to a stage where lack of proficiency in using the medium does not get in the way of their learning.

Rohfeld et al suggest that "The amount of support novice users are likely to need cannot be overestimated." (Rohfeld and Hiemstra 1995) (p3 of electronic version). Commentators from the field of reflective practice, point out that users search for rules and recipes early in the learning process and that offering a start, but then "standing back" and gradually letting the learner embed the learning experience in his or own experience is the best way forward (Putman 1991).

Prior experience of success or failure can be crucial. Rogers lists the "tests" that adults use when deciding likely ease or difficulty in learning something new:

However there is a great need not only to learn to use the software and attendant technology for the purposes of teaching and learning but that "CMC is unique in that it is perhaps the only medium... (where) its users change the very nature of communication." (Metz 1994 p. 47). Communicating online can be seen to be a unique combination of interactive writing and speaking (Mason 1993) and therefore it has considerable implications in terms of learning new ways of communicating through composing and responding in writing through the keyboard.

A Conceptual Approach: Development of a Model of Understanding

Studying Open University Management Students led me to modelling the processes of new users of Computer mediated Conferencing:

Figure 1: Five-Stage Model of CMC Use

Stage 1 – Gaining Access To and Using the CMC System

At this stage, learners get to know about the availability and benefits of the CMC system, set up their own systems of hardware, software and password, dial up the system and get to the point where conferences are available on screen. They need information and technical support to get online and high motivation for the necessary time and effort to tackle the technical aspects, especially if dialling in from remote sites.

CMC is a new and potentially alien world for many participants (Rowntree 1995). Students recognise the need to identify with each other and to develop a sense of direction online. They need guidance about judgement and behaviour. Schrum comments that electronic connections have "the power to transmit great emotions" and has the potential for the building of communities (Schrum 1993 p. 171). Such depth and power is not inevitable but dependent on the early experiences associated with access and then integration into the virtual community.

At this stage the students appreciate the broad range of information available to them online. Information flows very freely and the "cost" of responding to a request for information is low. The interaction occurring at this stage is around content or sharing of information.

At this stage participants start to interact with each other in participative ways. The role of the conference moderator is important at this stage. The more successful moderators demonstrate the skills related to group building and maintenance.

At this stage, students become responsible for their own learning and need little additional support.

The needs and benefits of directly supporting novices, and indeed singling them out for extra special attention at the beginning of their programme of study was suggested by a number small scale studies undertaken in the Open University Business School during 1996-8 (Salmon, Giles and Prendergast 1997). This needs to be undertaken in a purposeful and planned way which takes account not only of the novices’ need to learn the skills and procedures of the software but also ways of operating successfully and productively in the new online context of CMC. This implies a staged but extensive process to be undertaken through the context itself, i.e. online, rather than to revert to more traditional ways of teaching. This need is likely to continue for some years.

The integrated nature of the CMC environment, with its tripartite learning needs associated with the software and the system itself, the tutoring and moderating, and the impact of the learning environment, led to the need to build and focus on an environment that would prepare students in a parallel way and at the same time as the tutors.

Researchers have commented on the importance of exploring perceptions of students when attempting to unravel learning processes (Tonks and Armitage 1996). Wild argues that designing training for teachers and designing courses for students should be closely linked (Wild 1996). Heppell argues for the importance of allowing "space" for students’ communal exploration (Heppell 1993).

Howard suggests:

My concern was that OUBS students might be enthused by the idea of taking part in CMC but turned off quite quickly, especially when pressures of the course proper started. Duke University’s Global MBA found that many of the students spent most of the first term just getting up to speed with the technology (Mason 1998)

There was little evidence in the literature of the use of induction and training courses for students, with a few exceptions (McComb 1993) although there was awareness of and the assertion of the importance of providing guidelines (Warren and Rada 1998). A useful review of the student perspective can be found in Dillemans’ et al recent book, but even here with the advocacy of constructivist approaches, there is no specification of the how of online induction and continuing support (Dillemans et al. 1998). Some practitioners suggest that meeting face to face is appropriate, especially for small groups (Steeples, Vincent and Chapman 1997). This was not feasible for OUBS since we deal with very large numbers of geographically dispersed students and we felt strongly that the medium itself should be used for induction.

From February 1997 all OUBS MBA students on all 10 MBA courses started to work online as part of the media mix on their courses. We prepared an online induction programme for new and continuing MBA students was prepared. This programme used the five stage model as a basis, together with the key learning points, feedback, concepts and messages from parallel online Tutor Training programmed. Issues such as communication styles and online Netiquette were included, as well as key software skills. At levels four and five, conferences were offered to enable the student inductees to use CMC to prepare them for study. At level four, the emphasis was on setting and sharing personal experiences and at Level 5 on continuing development and "added value" to the use of CMC.

Illustration of Large Scale Online Induction for MBA Students

The 5-stage model seen in figure 1 was "translated" to provide a coherent series of interactive exercises for new MBA students.

Figure 3 – Arrivals Area and Instruction to Place First Message

Figure 5 – Learning to connect with others through Chat Online (Stage 2 of Induction)