Web-Based Lecture Technologies (WBLT): Contributing to learning and control

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Research and Development in Higher Education Vol. 33 : Reshaping Higher Education

July, 2010, 654 pages
Published by
M. Devlin, J. Nagy and A. Lichtenberg
ISBN
0 908557 80 9
Abstract 

Universities are currently investing significantly in Web Based Lecture Technologies (WBLT). Yet there has been only limited investigation regarding their contribution to education and this has typically been descriptive in nature. Based upon a survey of 144 Business Information Systems students using the most widely deployed WBLT in Australia – Lectopia – factor analysis and multiple regression were used to provide improved understanding of the specific student motivations for use. It was found that students use Lectopia because it provides them with control over the management of their studies and assists them in their learning. The control factor suggests something more than convenience or being provided with additional options; that students value the ability to manage their own studies, in an active, rather than a passive, role. The learning factor relates to the role of Lectopia in helping students understand and apply foundational aspects of a subject. As such it is clear that WBLT can make a contribution to education. The findings may assist educators to more precisely target how WBLT are deployed.

Keywords: Lectopia, learning, control