How Digital Learning Can Improve Students’ Satisfaction

How Digital Learning Can Improve Students’ Satisfaction (Satisfaction) At the University of Sydney

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How Digital Learning Can Improve Students’ Satisfaction (Satisfaction) At the University of Sydney

Introduction

Digital learning is a fundamental disruptive learning technology with the established capacity to ultimately transform the way the higher education system is provided and delivered. The effective implementation of digital learning has propagated the delivery of online courses, which are rapidly emerging the delivery method of choice for numerous educational programs, particularly at the graduate and professional education level. Consequently, online enrolments have grown exponentially over the years in comparison to the general college population. This has been spurred by the increase in the population of students undertaking at the minimum one course in developing nations in a higher magnitude to the increasing education population. As digital learning continues to spread rapidly, gain popularity and approval across the world, it is necessary to evaluate how digital learning can improve students’ satisfaction and overall performance at the University of Sydney.

Digital Learning at the University of Sydney

According to Callaghan (2018), one in every five domestic students studies online. The cited represents a 25% increase in the statistics over the last decade. Furthermore, studies establish that digital learning results in better scores on the majority measures of learners’ fulfillment, as evident in a study carried out in Vietnam (Pham, Limbu, Bui, Nguyen & Pham, 2019). For such, the transition has compelled course designers such as the University of Sydney to be more innovative in the manner they approach digital learning.

The University of Sydney is dedicated to the constant augmentation of the students’ learning experience besides examining means to be more creative. Canvas is the key digital learning platform in the institution where students can find extensive information and resources for their study units (The University of Sydney, 2020a). In Canvas, students can access unlimited learning materials for each unit they are enrolled in. Each unit has its distinct site that usually comprises of the unit’s study plan, learning resources like lecture notes and presentations, assessment classes, recordings, interactive videos, links to various reading and articles. A unit equally contains communication tools like discussions and announcements, discussion posts, assignment submission, unit coordinator or instructor contact information and a calendar that displays significant course dates. An essential feature about Canvas learning management system is that a student can access all their units at any given time they are a student at the University.

Similarly, all the institution’s learning and teaching are currently conducted online via the canvas amid the COVID-19 pandemic (The University of Sydney, 2020b). Moreover, the institution established a “Centre for Research on Learning and Innovation” to provide a foundation for the institution’s research on both education and innovation (The University of Sydney, 2020c). The center was developed from the “Computer Supported Learning and Cognition Centre (CoCo),” the “Sciences and Technologies of Learning” research system with strong pedigrees from different faculties in the institution, as well as administration department. The University of Sydney ranking among the top universities in Australia and the best institutions of higher learning in the world can be attributed to the institution’s excellent research and learning infrastructure.

Accordingly, to establish how digital learning can enhance learners’ satisfaction at the University of Sydney, a survey was conducted on the institution’s ICPU unit to obtain data on the various faculties that apply online learning, the digital platforms utilized, and their satisfaction level with the platforms. The survey comprised of a sample population of 30 students who were asked of their overall satisfaction with the existing digital learning platforms- Canvas. More than 70% of the students acknowledged that the disruptive online learning technology, Canvas, and current use of Zoom for class lectures amid the pandemic, is highly effective during the ongoing epidemic. The students contended that the platform’s convenience and support for high-quality learning programs fulfill their learning expectations besides their satisfaction with instructors’ performances and course quality hence the need for the University to continue investing in digital learning.

SWOT Analysis

SWOT analysis is a premeditated planning instrument employed by organizations or individuals to identify their “strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and the threats” linked to business competition, thus the acronym- SWOT. It is difficult to precisely map out an organization’s future without formerly evaluating it from all the possible angles. The features mentioned above a meticulous exploration of all its internal resources, external resources threats (Sarsby, 2016). SWOT analysis principally assists organizations in establishing a comprehensive awareness of all the aspects involved in making a decision. Most importantly, the tool enables firms to realize recommendations and approaches appropriate for leveraging the strengths and opportunities to overcome the established weaknesses and threats in the firm.

S

INTERNAL STRENGTHS W INTERNAL WEAKNESS

Links instructors and students.

Facilitate communication between instructor and student

Contains information on institutional syllabus and course for all learners

Hosting a large volume of online and learning materials (Selleo, 2020).

Assignment submissions

Grade monitoring Technical failures or issues during use.

Confusing zoom features.

User error since not all instructors are tech-savvy.

O EXTERNAL OPPORTUNITIES T EXTERNAL THREATS

Canvas is the fastest growing learning management platform.

Canvas makes education more effective, efficient, and interactive.

It simplifies teaching, promotes learning, and eradicates the struggles of supporting and increasing learning technologies hence the need for the University to invest more in the technology. Giant competitors such as Blackboard, inteVISTA, D2L.

Conclusion

Digital learning is vital to the long-term advancement of institutions as established by the increased demand for off-campus (online) courses than on-campus or face to face learning. The presence of digital learning platforms such as Canvas in the University of Sydney inarguably satisfies students learning as indicated in the survey conducted for the platform’s convenience, availability of vast learning materials, and liaison between instructors and students. The cited stresses the need for the University to continue investing in digital learning infrastructure to reach an expansive population of learners.

References

Callaghan, R. (2018). Digital learning on course for growth. The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved from https://www.smh.com.au/business/workplace/digital-learning-on-course-for-growth-20181119-p50gy1.html

Pham, L., Limbu, Y. B., Bui, T. K., Nguyen, H. T., & Pham, H. T. (2019). Do e-learning service quality influence e-learning student satisfaction and loyalty? Evidence from Vietnam. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 16(7), 1-26.

Sarsby, A. (2016). SWOT Analysis. Lulu.com

Selleo. (2020). Canvas LMS – Pros & Cons. Retrieved from https://selleo.com/blog/canvas-LMS-pros-and-cons

The University of Sydney. (2020a). Current Students: Learning in Canvas. Retrieved from; https://www.sydney.edu.au/students/canvas.html

The University of Sydney. (2020b). Flexible study: Decide how and when to study. Retrieved from https://www.sydney.edu.au/study/study-options/postgraduate-courses/flexible-study.html

The University of Sydney. (2020c). Centre for research on learning and innovation. Retrieved from; https://www.sydney.edu.au/arts/our-research/centres-institutes-and-groups/centre-for-research-on-learning-and-innovation.html