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Title

Catch me I'm falling: using technology to assist educationally disadvantaged students: a case study on the western region of Melbourne, Australia

Author(s)

Madden-Hallett, Helen;  Ho, Henry Wai Leong

Abstract

This study examines the use of WebCT as a communication and learning facilitation tool in higher education. The case study is based on marketing students' experience of using WebCT in an undergraduate business degree in Victoria University, Melbourne. A sample of 328 undergraduate students, drawn from four marketing subjects, was selected. Students from non-English speaking backgrounds made up almost half the respondents and they indicated that certain add-on features of WebCT would be of interest to them and assist them in their studies. Age and gender were also measured and the findings indicated that students aged between 18 and 24 were more likely to use WebCT as a learning tool and socialising medium while older students (older than 24) were less likely to do so. Gender differences were also identified with females more likely to use WebCT for communication purposes and that they generally found WebCT easier to use than their male counterparts. It is recommended that further study be undertaken to establish WebCT's contribution to subject management and students' ease of use, thereby establishing more fully WebCT's overall contribution as a teaching and learning resource.

Publication type

Journal article

Research centre

Swinburne University of Technology

Source

International Journal of Education and Development Using Information and Communication Technology, Vol. 4, no. 2 (2008)

Publication year

2008

Keyword(s)

Colleges;  Educationally disadvantaged students;  Flexible delivery modes;  Gender differences;  Higher education;  Learning management systems;  Learning preferences;  Marketing education;  Marketing studies;  New technologies;  Online learning;  Tertiary education institutions;  Undergraduate studies;  Universities;  Victoria University;  WebCT TM

Publisher

University of the West Indies

ISSN

1814-0556

Publisher URL

http://ijedict.dec.uwi.edu/viewarticle.php?id=484

Copyright

Copyright © 2008 Helen Madden-Hallett and Henry Wai Leong Ho. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/). It may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes, provided that the original author is credited. Copyright for articles published in this journal is retained by the authors, with first publication rights granted to the journal. By virtue of their appearance in this open access journal, articles are free to use, with proper attribution, in educational and other non-commercial settings.

Full text

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