Wes Hicks
Wes Hicks

Online lectures could be promoting superficial learning

Embargoed until: Publicly released:
Peer-reviewed: This work was reviewed and scrutinised by relevant independent experts.

University students studying maths may be memorising the bare minimum rather than truly learning the content, according to Aussie and international researchers. Following a study surveying just under 100 maths undergraduates which found many of them were moving towards 'surface' learning - where they memorised the content they needed to pass rather than getting a deeper understanding of the content - further interviews were conducted with 30 Australian participants. The interviews compared the participants' learning processes through engaging in video content with regular television viewing, and found evidence to support the increase of 'surface' learning when using video content.

Journal/conference: International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology

Link to research (DOI): 10.1080/0020739X.2021.1930221

Organisation/s: University of South Australia

Funder: This work was supported by Division Performance Research Fund grant awarded by the Division of Arts and Social Science at the University of South Australia.

Media release

From: Media Centre for Education Research Australia

THE REVOLUTION MAY NOT BE TELEVISED: ARE ONLINE LECTURES DELIVERING?
Online learning in higher education has, in recent times, become the virtual face of lectures formerly delivered in university lecture theatres.  Lectures today are more likely to be delivered to students sitting alone in their bedrooms surfing social media and eating 2-minute noodles.

Although numerous reports have addressed the challenges for teaching staff and the engagement (or lack thereof) of students, much remains to be understood about the quality of the learning experience in virtual environments.

A recent study by adjunct lecturer of mathematics education at the University of South Australia, Dr. Sven Trenholm, seeks answers to the effectiveness of online learning via undergraduates use of recorded maths lecture videos.

The study, published in the International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology, first surveyed 93 maths undergraduates, 30 in Australia and 63 in the UK, to understand how their dependence on recorded lecture videos impacted their developing understanding of mathematics.

This initial study found, “A reduction in live lecture attendance, coupled with watching more recorded lecture videos, was significantly associated with an increase of ‘surface’ approaches to studying,” said Trenholm.

“The surface approach may be considered one in which the student focuses on memorization to meet minimum requirements and pass required assessments. The preferred approach is ‘deep’ learning, whereby the student develops understanding and creates meaning by connecting what is being learned to what they already know.”

Evidence from a follow-up study helps explain how regular recorded lecture video use, overall, is negatively impacting student learning of mathematics.

The second study used interviews with all 30 Australian participants and was informed by prior cognitive research associated with television viewing which found people consistently reporting their experiences with television as being passive, relaxing, and involving relatively little concentration.  As the study by Trenholm asks - how is the experience of watching television comparable to viewing recorded lecture videos, particularly in relation to learning processes?

The study interviewed each participant with questions designed to understand their cognitive processes while viewing the videos. Each participant was asked to explain their conception of understanding mathematics, specifically at the point they judged themselves to have understood (or not) the mathematics they were learning.

Trenholm says, “Regular video users tended to rely more on ‘feelings of rightness’ rather than analytical or logical thinking typically associated with learning mathematics.  The study suggests that regular use of recorded video lectures for learning mathematics is, overall, not conducive to learning maths at a deep level but rather appears to facilitate a ‘surface’ approach which has a negative impact on academic outcomes for maths undergraduates.”

Trenholm believes there is considerable scope for future research. “One avenue to explore is how different video formats, outside of full lecture recording, may better help students learn. “

In the age of Covid, and the increased use of virtual learning platforms across all levels of schooling, there is still much to understand about the effectiveness of the virtual learning environment and the different pedagogical tools they rely upon.

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