Preference of adult learners between the synchronous or asynchronous instructions in distance learning environment | Nor | Proceedings of AICS - Social Sciences 6415 13460 1 SM
Proceedings of The 3 rd Annual International Conference Syiah Kuala University (AIC Unsyiah) 2013
In conjunction with The 2 nd International Conference on Multidisciplinary Research (ICMR) 2013
October 2-4, 2013, Banda Aceh, Indonesia
PREFERENCE OF ADULT LEARNERS BETWEEN THE
SYNCHRONOUS OR ASYNCHRONOUS INSTRUCTIONS IN
DISTANCE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
1
NAILUL MORAD MOHD NOR AND AND 2MOHAMAD FAISAL ABD KARIM
1
2
School of Distance Education, Universiti Sains Malaysia Penang 11800, Malaysia;
School of Distance Education, Universiti Sains Malaysia Penang 11800, Malaysia
Corresponding authors: nmnor@usm.my and faisal@usm.my
ABSTRACT
E-learning is expected to play a greater role in accommodating the needs of the adult
learners to participate in the learning programs. Since most distance learners are adults, it is
critical for educators to understand several aspects of adults such as how adults learn and their
preferences in studying. These understanding could help educators to plan a more effective
learning programs and to provide a better support services to help adult learners. This paper
will attempt to highlight the preference of adult learners between the synchronous or
asynchronous e-learning instruction. The discussion is based on a study conducted on adult
learners who are studying at the School of Distance Education (SDE), Universiti Sains
Malaysia in Malaysia. The synchronous instructions are the live video conferencing and video
streaming which are held at certain scheduled time to augment the printing learning materials.
The asynchronous e-learning instructions are in the form of recorded video conference and
reading materials posted in the learning portal that are accessible to students at anytime and
anywhere. Factors related to the usage of these e-learning instructions will be identified and
discussed. Learners’ problems or avoidance in utilizing the e-learning instruction will also be
noted.
Keywords: E-learning, adult learners, synchronous instruction, asynchronous instruction
Introduction
In recent years, the ICT revolution has make a great impact on learning and distance
education has benefited the most from the explosion of internet technology and digital learning
contents (Ron Oliver,2003). Particularly, in the world of broadband and Internet-enabled
technologies, we realize the important of connectivity to adult learners in the distance learning
environment. The ability to communicate electronically in a high-speed Internet access
everywhere, anywhere and anytime with an inexpensive rate is essential for the success of any
distance learners.
The two primary types of distance learning are synchronous learning and asynchronous
learning. Syncronous learning is real time learning that closely resembles the traditional face
to face classroom environment allowing instant feedback but through different spaces.
Examples include webinar, video conferencing. However, the biggest drawback for this
approach to the distance learners is they have to be together at the same time which may not
suit students personal schedule. On the other hand, asyncronous learning is not dependent on
time or location (real or virtual) but required great deal of learner motivation since the instructor
is not a regular part of the picture. A self instructional printed material could be considered
278
Proceedings of The 3 rd Annual International Conference Syiah Kuala University (AIC Unsyiah) 2013
In conjunction with The 2 nd International Conference on Multidisciplinary Research (ICMR) 2013
October 2-4, 2013, Banda Aceh, Indonesia
asyncronous learning although not interactive in the e-learning sense.
The School of Distance Education (SDE), Universiti Sains Malaysia has been the
foremost provider of distance education at the tertiary level in Malaysia since 1971. The main
mode of instructions delivery at SDE, USM are printed materials in the form of selfinstructional module or text books, video conference (VC), e-portal. To further enhanced
student success and retention, SDE provides a unique support by requiring students to attend
three weeks residential face-to-face intensive course at the main campus. The opportunity to
meet their own lecturers give them a sense of belonging to the university and make
students feel a part of learning community (Rovai, 2002).
Lately, some intructors have expressed concerned with the low numbers of learners
attending live video conference at the regional centres. In some courses, notably mathematics
for example, students have stopped attending the live session and have opted to follow VC
through streaming (one way) from their respective home while the majority watched the
recorded session once they were uploaded to the e-portal. The VC is the nearest to face-to-face
traditional learning and the instructor expect active participation from the students. Feedback
from course intructors claimed that most students were unprepared when attending the live VC
at the regional centres. This forced the lecture styles presentation by the course instructors.
Though the attendance of live VC at regional centers is not compulsory, the students are given
full freedom to follow the VC sesions either from the comfort of their home through live
streaming or the recorded VC upload to the e-portal. This study attempts to get some insight to
the learning styles and to find factors that influence students preference with respect to the use
of video conference.
Synchronous, Asynchronous and blended approach e-Learning
E-Learning is refer to all forms of learning be it in distance or traditional face to face
that uses a variety of technologies to deliver the course material in digital or electronic form
that include digital collaboration. According to Jereb & Šmitek, (2006 cited in Sangrà et al,
2012), “E-Learning refers to educational processes that utilise information and
communications technology to mediate synchronous as well as asynchronous learning and
teaching activities”. While online learning is synonymous with web-based learning, is actually
a subset of e-Learning. Thus e-Learning needs not have to be online as the learners can still
follow the digital learning material off line. If the learning material is delivered using the
handheld device and smart phone in the mobile networks, it is popularly known as mobile
learning. Each system has its advantages and disadvantages and all of them complement each
other and enrich the learning process.
E-learning can be described as synchronous, asynchronous or blended and each have
their own methods and characteristics. The synchronous and asynchronous E-learning
environment are importance in different scenario [3]. This study is about delivery of
instructions through video conference and a good example of synchronous learning if follow
live. Live video conference is a good example of synchronous learning and is one of the main
instruction component in the distance leaning system at SDE. The instructional quality through
live VC is much better if properly conducted and with active participation from the students.
The level of interactivity in video conference session can vary and depend on how the session
was conducted.
As argued by Haythornthwaite (2002), there are three types of communication that are
particularly important for building and sustaining e-learning communities: content-related
communication, planning of tasks, and social support. Video conference is used more in the
279
Proceedings of The 3 rd Annual International Conference Syiah Kuala University (AIC Unsyiah) 2013
In conjunction with The 2 nd International Conference on Multidisciplinary Research (ICMR) 2013
October 2-4, 2013, Banda Aceh, Indonesia
content-related communication and planning of tasks.
The second type of e-learning is asynchronous e-Learning. This type of e-Learning is
particularly best for adult students who have specific time concerns and chaotic
timetables/schedules in life. The learning resources used to support asynchronous learning
include email, recorded video conferencing, online discussions forums in e-portal.
Blended e-learning combines e-learning with more traditional learning traditions. They
still mainy teach in a classroom environment, amount of time spent in a class is largely
dependent on course content, with student group works and discussions but also maintain a
large number of students and classroom activities electronically.
Methodology
The School of Distance Education (SDE), Universiti Sains Malaysia started using the
video conference system for instructions since 1996. The system connects USM main campus
with 12 other regional centres scattered in major cities all over Peninsular Malaysia. With more
than 190 major courses and conducted by the lecturer normally from just one studio in USM
campus, only 6 or 5 slots for 1 hour video conference session can be allocated to each course.
The students would have to travel to the nearest regional centres to attend the scheduled live
video converence.This study focused on the selected students to get insight of their learning
styles preference with respect to the synchronous and asynchronous e-learning approach. The
research instrument used to gather data is a questinaionare that were sent via email to students
during the 2011/12 academic year. Discussion with some colleagues in the school were also
done to get information about their video conference classes. The guiding research questions
are
The reasons for attending/not attending live video conference sessions at the regional
centres
How do students perceive synchronous and asynchronous learning in the context
using VC
Focus groups are students taking mathematics, economic courses to obtain perceptions
in a defined area of interest, namely synchronous and asynchronous e-learning. We decided to
focus on video conference as the main delivery media for syncronous learning and recorded
video conference as the asynocronous learning. The distinction between the two is very
important because it determines the "feel" of the distance learning experience.
In synchronous VC approach, the interaction and participation is two-way if the
students attend at the regional centres and becomes one-way for streaming but in a fixed time.
While in asynchronous VC, students will download the recorded version from the e-portal and
respond to the discussions at a later time according to the students' own schedule. The students
are given freedom whether to follow synchronous or asynchronous instructions though for
some courses they were advised to attend at least 50% live at their respective regional centers.
Interactive nature of synchronous learning help to clarify difficult contents and questions and
feedback can be responded immediately.
Results and Discussion
The total number of respondents in the study was 147 and Table 1 below gives some
demographics data of the respondents. About 56.5% of the respondents were female and 43.5%
were male. Respondents from the management programme formed the majority (42.2%) and
humanities study the least respondents (1.40%). More than 90% of respondents were adult
students in the age range of 20-40 years old.
Almost all are working students with 71.4 percents working in the government sector
280
Proceedings of The 3 rd Annual International Conference Syiah Kuala University (AIC Unsyiah) 2013
In conjunction with The 2 nd International Conference on Multidisciplinary Research (ICMR) 2013
October 2-4, 2013, Banda Aceh, Indonesia
and only 0.7 % full time housewife. About 91.2% have accessed to Internet broadband and
66.7% use laptop while 27.2% use desktop to access the course e-portal. This is a positive
indicator that shows majority of the students are able to use communication technology for
their learning activities.
When asked respondents to list in order of preference on different types of learning
materials and activitites, it appears that printed materials namely, notes and modules are most
preferred by respondents (51.7% and 49.0% respectively). This is followed by the usage of
recorded VC (48.3%). This implies asynchronous instructions were preferred by distance
learners at the SDE. Text books was in the fourth rank and followed by the usage of discussion
with friends. The order of preference is shown in Table 2.
Table 1. Demographics of the respondents
Demographics
%
Frequency
43.5
56.5
64
83
Programme studies
Management
Social science
Science
Humanities
42.2
37.4
19.0
1.40
62
55
28
2
Age
20-30
31-40
41-50
51-60
>60
51.0
42.2
4.10
2.00
0.7
75
62
6
3
1
Occupation
Self-employed
Government
Private
Full time housewife
7.5
71.4
20.4
0.7
11
105
30
1
Access to internet broadband
Yes
No
91.2
8.8
134
13
Gender
Male
Female
281
Proceedings of The 3 rd Annual International Conference Syiah Kuala University (AIC Unsyiah) 2013
In conjunction with The 2 nd International Conference on Multidisciplinary Research (ICMR) 2013
October 2-4, 2013, Banda Aceh, Indonesia
Table 2. Order of preference of learning materials and learning activities by respondents
Learning materials & activities
%
Frequency
1 Notes
51.7
76
2 Modules
49.0
72
3 Recorded VC
48.3
71
4 Texts Books
18.4
27
5 Discussions with friends
15.6
23
Out of 147 students surveyed, 32.7% indicated they attended less than 3 sessions and
23.1% did not attend at all. The main reasons for not attending the video conference session
given are listed in Table 3.
About 68% of the students surveyed, cited work scheduled that prevent them from
attending live video conference at the regional centres followed by 58% indicated the choice
of listening to recorded VC.
Table 3. Reasons for not attending the video conference session
Reasons
%
Frequency
Due to Works
68.0
101
Listen to recorded VC
58.0
87
Distance from home
38.0
57
Follow online streaming from home
33.0
49
Family problem
25.0
37
The video conference were scheduled during weekends and at nights from 8-10 pm
during weekdays. The constraints face by working students with family and living far distance
from the regional centres are clearly reflected in the findings.
However, for 42.2% of the respondents who attended live video conference at the
regional centers indicated that their main reason for attending live video conference is the
ability to have two-way interaction with lecturers and 34.7% said they atended the VC because
282
Proceedings of The 3 rd Annual International Conference Syiah Kuala University (AIC Unsyiah) 2013
In conjunction with The 2 nd International Conference on Multidisciplinary Research (ICMR) 2013
October 2-4, 2013, Banda Aceh, Indonesia
of clear presentation by the course instructor.
This is a rather important feedback from those students for the instructors to post a well
structured VC agenda on the e-portal. This could help students to make prior preparation and
decide if time invested to travel to regional centers just for one or two slots were worthwhile.
If the VC session was just a lecture style presentation than it would make sense for the students
to follow via streaming or watch the recorded version if they have a conflicting times. The clear
advantage of having live interactions and getting real time feedback were an important aspect
of synchronous VC as they could engage in the content-related discussion. Good and clear
teachings would also matter to most adult learners as this could help them to understand
learning materials better.
Table 4. Aspect that help students to learn by attending live video conference session
Reasons
%
Frequency
Ability to interact with lecturer
42.2
62
Immediate feedback on academic problems
12.9
19
Meeting friends online
10.2
15
Clear presentation by lecturer
34.7
49
The students indicated clearly that they would would choose recorded VC (53%)
followed by live VC (44.9%) and streaming (21.8%) as shown in the table 5 below. They
preferred asynchronous in the form of recorded VC over synchronous (live VC).
Flexibility as the main feature of asynchronous learning with recorded VC were
believed to be the reason behind this preference. This is consistent with the reason for not
attending the video conference session as stated in Table 3 above.
Table 5. Student choice of following video conference
Mode
%
Frequency
Recorded video conference
53.1
78
Live video conference
49.9
66
streaming
21.8
32
Both synchronous and asynchronous forms of instructions have their own merits in
helping students to understand the learning materials. According to Johnson (2006)
asynchronous discussion facilitates student learning and higher-level thinking skills as students
283
Proceedings of The 3 rd Annual International Conference Syiah Kuala University (AIC Unsyiah) 2013
In conjunction with The 2 nd International Conference on Multidisciplinary Research (ICMR) 2013
October 2-4, 2013, Banda Aceh, Indonesia
have more time to reflect and also better cognitive outcomes are linked to structured and
mandated asynchronous discussion. As such lecturers need to have a thorough preparation of
teaching materials and at the same time not appear to spoon feed the students. This is quite a
daunting task, to balance between providing learning contents material and encouraging
students to explore all learning possibilities with curiosity and intelectual vigour.
The SDE was quick to reciprocate to student preference of recorded video conference
and students’ constraints for attending live video conferencing at regional centres by starting
e-lecture project to produce videos and create digital learning content for the new academic
year 2013/14 (PPPJJ, 2013). Flip learning approach can then be used where students watch
recorded videos for instructions in their individual learning space. Live video conference will
be for synchronous learning rather than exposition of the knowledge.
Conclusion
In general, students clearly indicated that video conference provide an important tool
for synchronously or asynchronously instructions in distance learning environment. Slightly
more than half of students said they preferred asynchronous in the form of recorded VC, over
synchronous (live VC).
Regardless of the choice, distance learning students should be make aware of the benefit
and advantages of synchronous and e-learning approach that are available to them. Syncronous
learning with video conference is particularly effective if a high degree of interaction is
required between student and lecturer. In the pípeline, SDE, USM has planned to introduce
webex, a web-based computer conferencing in which case students ultimately can follow live
video conferencing from home or office that has Internet connection. Further study to explore
effective ways to design and facilitate active social presence and meaningful interactions in
online learning to overcome many barriers and constraints that are common in distance learning
environments.
Acknowledgements
The authors wish to thank School of Distance Education, USM for enabling them to
participate in the Acheh conference 2013.
References
Caroline Haythornthwaite.2002. Building Social Networks via Computer Networks: Creating
and Sustaining Distributed Learning Communities. In K. Ann Renninger and Wesley
Schumar, (eds), Building Virtual Communities: Learning and Change in Cyberspace ,
pp. 159–190, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Iqrar Ahmad & M.U.Bokhari. 2013. The Combine Effect of Synchronous and Asynchronous
E-Learning on Distance Education, IJCSI International Journal of Computer Science
Issues, Vol. 10, Issue 1, No 1
Johnson, M.G. 2006. Synchronous and asynchronous text-based CMC in educational contexts:
A review of recent research. TechTrends, Vol. 50, No 4, pp46-53
PPPJJ. 2013. Unpublished working paper, Kertas Cadangan Projek Rakaman Kuliah (PROJEK
e-Kuliah), PPPJJ, USM.
Rovai, A. 2002. Building a Sense of Community at a Distance. International Review of
Research in Open and Distance Learning Vol 3, No 1.
Ron Oliver.2003. The role of ICT in higher education for the 21st century: ICT as a change
agent for education, proceedings of the Higher Education for the 21st Century
284
Proceedings of The 3 rd Annual International Conference Syiah Kuala University (AIC Unsyiah) 2013
In conjunction with The 2 nd International Conference on Multidisciplinary Research (ICMR) 2013
October 2-4, 2013, Banda Aceh, Indonesia
Conference, Curtin.
Sangrà ,Albert., Vlachopoulos, Dimitrios.,& Nati Cabrera. 2012. Building an Inclusive
Definition of E-Learning: An Approach to the Conceptual Framework. International
Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning , Vol 13, No 2.
285
In conjunction with The 2 nd International Conference on Multidisciplinary Research (ICMR) 2013
October 2-4, 2013, Banda Aceh, Indonesia
PREFERENCE OF ADULT LEARNERS BETWEEN THE
SYNCHRONOUS OR ASYNCHRONOUS INSTRUCTIONS IN
DISTANCE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
1
NAILUL MORAD MOHD NOR AND AND 2MOHAMAD FAISAL ABD KARIM
1
2
School of Distance Education, Universiti Sains Malaysia Penang 11800, Malaysia;
School of Distance Education, Universiti Sains Malaysia Penang 11800, Malaysia
Corresponding authors: nmnor@usm.my and faisal@usm.my
ABSTRACT
E-learning is expected to play a greater role in accommodating the needs of the adult
learners to participate in the learning programs. Since most distance learners are adults, it is
critical for educators to understand several aspects of adults such as how adults learn and their
preferences in studying. These understanding could help educators to plan a more effective
learning programs and to provide a better support services to help adult learners. This paper
will attempt to highlight the preference of adult learners between the synchronous or
asynchronous e-learning instruction. The discussion is based on a study conducted on adult
learners who are studying at the School of Distance Education (SDE), Universiti Sains
Malaysia in Malaysia. The synchronous instructions are the live video conferencing and video
streaming which are held at certain scheduled time to augment the printing learning materials.
The asynchronous e-learning instructions are in the form of recorded video conference and
reading materials posted in the learning portal that are accessible to students at anytime and
anywhere. Factors related to the usage of these e-learning instructions will be identified and
discussed. Learners’ problems or avoidance in utilizing the e-learning instruction will also be
noted.
Keywords: E-learning, adult learners, synchronous instruction, asynchronous instruction
Introduction
In recent years, the ICT revolution has make a great impact on learning and distance
education has benefited the most from the explosion of internet technology and digital learning
contents (Ron Oliver,2003). Particularly, in the world of broadband and Internet-enabled
technologies, we realize the important of connectivity to adult learners in the distance learning
environment. The ability to communicate electronically in a high-speed Internet access
everywhere, anywhere and anytime with an inexpensive rate is essential for the success of any
distance learners.
The two primary types of distance learning are synchronous learning and asynchronous
learning. Syncronous learning is real time learning that closely resembles the traditional face
to face classroom environment allowing instant feedback but through different spaces.
Examples include webinar, video conferencing. However, the biggest drawback for this
approach to the distance learners is they have to be together at the same time which may not
suit students personal schedule. On the other hand, asyncronous learning is not dependent on
time or location (real or virtual) but required great deal of learner motivation since the instructor
is not a regular part of the picture. A self instructional printed material could be considered
278
Proceedings of The 3 rd Annual International Conference Syiah Kuala University (AIC Unsyiah) 2013
In conjunction with The 2 nd International Conference on Multidisciplinary Research (ICMR) 2013
October 2-4, 2013, Banda Aceh, Indonesia
asyncronous learning although not interactive in the e-learning sense.
The School of Distance Education (SDE), Universiti Sains Malaysia has been the
foremost provider of distance education at the tertiary level in Malaysia since 1971. The main
mode of instructions delivery at SDE, USM are printed materials in the form of selfinstructional module or text books, video conference (VC), e-portal. To further enhanced
student success and retention, SDE provides a unique support by requiring students to attend
three weeks residential face-to-face intensive course at the main campus. The opportunity to
meet their own lecturers give them a sense of belonging to the university and make
students feel a part of learning community (Rovai, 2002).
Lately, some intructors have expressed concerned with the low numbers of learners
attending live video conference at the regional centres. In some courses, notably mathematics
for example, students have stopped attending the live session and have opted to follow VC
through streaming (one way) from their respective home while the majority watched the
recorded session once they were uploaded to the e-portal. The VC is the nearest to face-to-face
traditional learning and the instructor expect active participation from the students. Feedback
from course intructors claimed that most students were unprepared when attending the live VC
at the regional centres. This forced the lecture styles presentation by the course instructors.
Though the attendance of live VC at regional centers is not compulsory, the students are given
full freedom to follow the VC sesions either from the comfort of their home through live
streaming or the recorded VC upload to the e-portal. This study attempts to get some insight to
the learning styles and to find factors that influence students preference with respect to the use
of video conference.
Synchronous, Asynchronous and blended approach e-Learning
E-Learning is refer to all forms of learning be it in distance or traditional face to face
that uses a variety of technologies to deliver the course material in digital or electronic form
that include digital collaboration. According to Jereb & Šmitek, (2006 cited in Sangrà et al,
2012), “E-Learning refers to educational processes that utilise information and
communications technology to mediate synchronous as well as asynchronous learning and
teaching activities”. While online learning is synonymous with web-based learning, is actually
a subset of e-Learning. Thus e-Learning needs not have to be online as the learners can still
follow the digital learning material off line. If the learning material is delivered using the
handheld device and smart phone in the mobile networks, it is popularly known as mobile
learning. Each system has its advantages and disadvantages and all of them complement each
other and enrich the learning process.
E-learning can be described as synchronous, asynchronous or blended and each have
their own methods and characteristics. The synchronous and asynchronous E-learning
environment are importance in different scenario [3]. This study is about delivery of
instructions through video conference and a good example of synchronous learning if follow
live. Live video conference is a good example of synchronous learning and is one of the main
instruction component in the distance leaning system at SDE. The instructional quality through
live VC is much better if properly conducted and with active participation from the students.
The level of interactivity in video conference session can vary and depend on how the session
was conducted.
As argued by Haythornthwaite (2002), there are three types of communication that are
particularly important for building and sustaining e-learning communities: content-related
communication, planning of tasks, and social support. Video conference is used more in the
279
Proceedings of The 3 rd Annual International Conference Syiah Kuala University (AIC Unsyiah) 2013
In conjunction with The 2 nd International Conference on Multidisciplinary Research (ICMR) 2013
October 2-4, 2013, Banda Aceh, Indonesia
content-related communication and planning of tasks.
The second type of e-learning is asynchronous e-Learning. This type of e-Learning is
particularly best for adult students who have specific time concerns and chaotic
timetables/schedules in life. The learning resources used to support asynchronous learning
include email, recorded video conferencing, online discussions forums in e-portal.
Blended e-learning combines e-learning with more traditional learning traditions. They
still mainy teach in a classroom environment, amount of time spent in a class is largely
dependent on course content, with student group works and discussions but also maintain a
large number of students and classroom activities electronically.
Methodology
The School of Distance Education (SDE), Universiti Sains Malaysia started using the
video conference system for instructions since 1996. The system connects USM main campus
with 12 other regional centres scattered in major cities all over Peninsular Malaysia. With more
than 190 major courses and conducted by the lecturer normally from just one studio in USM
campus, only 6 or 5 slots for 1 hour video conference session can be allocated to each course.
The students would have to travel to the nearest regional centres to attend the scheduled live
video converence.This study focused on the selected students to get insight of their learning
styles preference with respect to the synchronous and asynchronous e-learning approach. The
research instrument used to gather data is a questinaionare that were sent via email to students
during the 2011/12 academic year. Discussion with some colleagues in the school were also
done to get information about their video conference classes. The guiding research questions
are
The reasons for attending/not attending live video conference sessions at the regional
centres
How do students perceive synchronous and asynchronous learning in the context
using VC
Focus groups are students taking mathematics, economic courses to obtain perceptions
in a defined area of interest, namely synchronous and asynchronous e-learning. We decided to
focus on video conference as the main delivery media for syncronous learning and recorded
video conference as the asynocronous learning. The distinction between the two is very
important because it determines the "feel" of the distance learning experience.
In synchronous VC approach, the interaction and participation is two-way if the
students attend at the regional centres and becomes one-way for streaming but in a fixed time.
While in asynchronous VC, students will download the recorded version from the e-portal and
respond to the discussions at a later time according to the students' own schedule. The students
are given freedom whether to follow synchronous or asynchronous instructions though for
some courses they were advised to attend at least 50% live at their respective regional centers.
Interactive nature of synchronous learning help to clarify difficult contents and questions and
feedback can be responded immediately.
Results and Discussion
The total number of respondents in the study was 147 and Table 1 below gives some
demographics data of the respondents. About 56.5% of the respondents were female and 43.5%
were male. Respondents from the management programme formed the majority (42.2%) and
humanities study the least respondents (1.40%). More than 90% of respondents were adult
students in the age range of 20-40 years old.
Almost all are working students with 71.4 percents working in the government sector
280
Proceedings of The 3 rd Annual International Conference Syiah Kuala University (AIC Unsyiah) 2013
In conjunction with The 2 nd International Conference on Multidisciplinary Research (ICMR) 2013
October 2-4, 2013, Banda Aceh, Indonesia
and only 0.7 % full time housewife. About 91.2% have accessed to Internet broadband and
66.7% use laptop while 27.2% use desktop to access the course e-portal. This is a positive
indicator that shows majority of the students are able to use communication technology for
their learning activities.
When asked respondents to list in order of preference on different types of learning
materials and activitites, it appears that printed materials namely, notes and modules are most
preferred by respondents (51.7% and 49.0% respectively). This is followed by the usage of
recorded VC (48.3%). This implies asynchronous instructions were preferred by distance
learners at the SDE. Text books was in the fourth rank and followed by the usage of discussion
with friends. The order of preference is shown in Table 2.
Table 1. Demographics of the respondents
Demographics
%
Frequency
43.5
56.5
64
83
Programme studies
Management
Social science
Science
Humanities
42.2
37.4
19.0
1.40
62
55
28
2
Age
20-30
31-40
41-50
51-60
>60
51.0
42.2
4.10
2.00
0.7
75
62
6
3
1
Occupation
Self-employed
Government
Private
Full time housewife
7.5
71.4
20.4
0.7
11
105
30
1
Access to internet broadband
Yes
No
91.2
8.8
134
13
Gender
Male
Female
281
Proceedings of The 3 rd Annual International Conference Syiah Kuala University (AIC Unsyiah) 2013
In conjunction with The 2 nd International Conference on Multidisciplinary Research (ICMR) 2013
October 2-4, 2013, Banda Aceh, Indonesia
Table 2. Order of preference of learning materials and learning activities by respondents
Learning materials & activities
%
Frequency
1 Notes
51.7
76
2 Modules
49.0
72
3 Recorded VC
48.3
71
4 Texts Books
18.4
27
5 Discussions with friends
15.6
23
Out of 147 students surveyed, 32.7% indicated they attended less than 3 sessions and
23.1% did not attend at all. The main reasons for not attending the video conference session
given are listed in Table 3.
About 68% of the students surveyed, cited work scheduled that prevent them from
attending live video conference at the regional centres followed by 58% indicated the choice
of listening to recorded VC.
Table 3. Reasons for not attending the video conference session
Reasons
%
Frequency
Due to Works
68.0
101
Listen to recorded VC
58.0
87
Distance from home
38.0
57
Follow online streaming from home
33.0
49
Family problem
25.0
37
The video conference were scheduled during weekends and at nights from 8-10 pm
during weekdays. The constraints face by working students with family and living far distance
from the regional centres are clearly reflected in the findings.
However, for 42.2% of the respondents who attended live video conference at the
regional centers indicated that their main reason for attending live video conference is the
ability to have two-way interaction with lecturers and 34.7% said they atended the VC because
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Proceedings of The 3 rd Annual International Conference Syiah Kuala University (AIC Unsyiah) 2013
In conjunction with The 2 nd International Conference on Multidisciplinary Research (ICMR) 2013
October 2-4, 2013, Banda Aceh, Indonesia
of clear presentation by the course instructor.
This is a rather important feedback from those students for the instructors to post a well
structured VC agenda on the e-portal. This could help students to make prior preparation and
decide if time invested to travel to regional centers just for one or two slots were worthwhile.
If the VC session was just a lecture style presentation than it would make sense for the students
to follow via streaming or watch the recorded version if they have a conflicting times. The clear
advantage of having live interactions and getting real time feedback were an important aspect
of synchronous VC as they could engage in the content-related discussion. Good and clear
teachings would also matter to most adult learners as this could help them to understand
learning materials better.
Table 4. Aspect that help students to learn by attending live video conference session
Reasons
%
Frequency
Ability to interact with lecturer
42.2
62
Immediate feedback on academic problems
12.9
19
Meeting friends online
10.2
15
Clear presentation by lecturer
34.7
49
The students indicated clearly that they would would choose recorded VC (53%)
followed by live VC (44.9%) and streaming (21.8%) as shown in the table 5 below. They
preferred asynchronous in the form of recorded VC over synchronous (live VC).
Flexibility as the main feature of asynchronous learning with recorded VC were
believed to be the reason behind this preference. This is consistent with the reason for not
attending the video conference session as stated in Table 3 above.
Table 5. Student choice of following video conference
Mode
%
Frequency
Recorded video conference
53.1
78
Live video conference
49.9
66
streaming
21.8
32
Both synchronous and asynchronous forms of instructions have their own merits in
helping students to understand the learning materials. According to Johnson (2006)
asynchronous discussion facilitates student learning and higher-level thinking skills as students
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Proceedings of The 3 rd Annual International Conference Syiah Kuala University (AIC Unsyiah) 2013
In conjunction with The 2 nd International Conference on Multidisciplinary Research (ICMR) 2013
October 2-4, 2013, Banda Aceh, Indonesia
have more time to reflect and also better cognitive outcomes are linked to structured and
mandated asynchronous discussion. As such lecturers need to have a thorough preparation of
teaching materials and at the same time not appear to spoon feed the students. This is quite a
daunting task, to balance between providing learning contents material and encouraging
students to explore all learning possibilities with curiosity and intelectual vigour.
The SDE was quick to reciprocate to student preference of recorded video conference
and students’ constraints for attending live video conferencing at regional centres by starting
e-lecture project to produce videos and create digital learning content for the new academic
year 2013/14 (PPPJJ, 2013). Flip learning approach can then be used where students watch
recorded videos for instructions in their individual learning space. Live video conference will
be for synchronous learning rather than exposition of the knowledge.
Conclusion
In general, students clearly indicated that video conference provide an important tool
for synchronously or asynchronously instructions in distance learning environment. Slightly
more than half of students said they preferred asynchronous in the form of recorded VC, over
synchronous (live VC).
Regardless of the choice, distance learning students should be make aware of the benefit
and advantages of synchronous and e-learning approach that are available to them. Syncronous
learning with video conference is particularly effective if a high degree of interaction is
required between student and lecturer. In the pípeline, SDE, USM has planned to introduce
webex, a web-based computer conferencing in which case students ultimately can follow live
video conferencing from home or office that has Internet connection. Further study to explore
effective ways to design and facilitate active social presence and meaningful interactions in
online learning to overcome many barriers and constraints that are common in distance learning
environments.
Acknowledgements
The authors wish to thank School of Distance Education, USM for enabling them to
participate in the Acheh conference 2013.
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