Student Preference and Perceptions of Asynchronous Online Activities for First Year Allied Health Physiology Blended Block Units

Abstract

Foundational knowledge in Anatomy and Physiology is integral to all health courses, however, first year students often find the volume and complexity of the concepts challenging (Vitali et al., 2020). Furthermore, our typical demographic student profile comes from a low socioeconomic status with a limited Science background. To help students with their study, health science education literature supports the importance of self-directed study including the use of technology-enhanced learning in blended approaches to learning (Gagnon et al., 2013; Geng et al., 2019). In 2018, Victoria University (VU) launched the VU Block model (where students study only one unit at a time for 4 weeks, for all first year units, (McCluskey et al., 2019). Our design included a blended approach, combining pre and post class technology-enhanced online learning activities and resources supported by face-to-face workshops involving small team based guided inquiry learning with no lectures. Within a block, blended learning environment, little is known about which online learning activities and resources students prefer and engage with. We utilised surveys, student grades and learning analytics to investigate student outcomes including preference for and participation in learning activities. Studentspreferred and engaged the most with the asynchronous online formative quizzes and H5P learning interactives. Both the number of H5P’s and quizzes utilised by students were significant (p=.001, p=.001) in predicting final grade (F(2,1245) = 102.19, R2 =.141, p=<.001). Student satisfaction data via the institutional unit evaluation survey was high for our traditional 12- week blended design and reduced for the intensive block mode setting. We suggest that providing students with a variety of asynchronous online learning activities and resources supported the blended design for block.

ZOOMED IN, ZONED OUT: Academic Self-Reports on the Challenges and Benefits of Online Teaching in Higher Education

“…One of the more profound outcomes that staff mentioned was that their anxiety about engaging in the online setting was minimised by being able to shadow other staff and perhaps be a mentor in some cases. It gave me a unique insight in terms of receiving feedback from my peers about my teaching but also into how the design and development of online synchronous and asynchronous activities panned out in the classroom in real time [37]. We shared our stories at the end of a four -week block and it enabled myself and my staff to be able to implement changes in the subsequent block in a timely fashion, maximising our capacity to deliver quality education to our students.…”