Evaluation of the OS2003 Questionnaire for the course start The significance and aims of the questionnaire Dear participants, in a series of courses, the attempt is currently being made to utilise the potential of new media for learning purposes and for university teaching. In order to improve the quality of online courses we ask the participants for their impressions, their acceptance and contentedness. This is necessary in order to determine where the course is working well and where changes or improvements have to be made. This research is being undertaken by the Institute of Applied and Computational Mathematics of the Foundation for Research and Technology - Hella (Heraklion). This first questionnaire is to find out about your motivation and expectation about the course that you registered for. There will be a second questionnaire at the end of the course concerning your experiences with the online-seminar. Of course, these questionnaires will be made anonymous. There are some questions that you have already answered for the registration. It is necessary to double these questions in order to preserve anonymity. To ensure reliable and precise results for the seminar in which you are taking part, please be sure to answer all questions carefully. It will take about 10 minutes to fill out the questionnaire. Most of the questions can be answered by simply marking the answer. There is no right or wrong. Here is an example: I don't agree at all I totally agree 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 I like ice-cream If you don't like ice-cream at all you have to mark the number 1, if you like it a little bit you mark 2, and so forth, if you totally like ice-cream you mark 7. If you still have questions regarding this study, please feel free to put a question into the Seminar Support Questionnaire adapted from German Institute for Research in Distance Education, Tuebingen. © German Institute for Research in Distance Education, Tuebingen. University of the Saarland, Department Mediapsychology, Saarbruecken. Your Motivation For what reasons are you participating in the Online Seminar? I don't agree at all I totally agree 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 because I am very interested in the content of the seminar because I am very interested in participating in a team in which communication is primarily conducted on the Internet because I consider the issues raised to be very important because my participation is obligatory because I need the seminar for my professional or scientific education because I will receive grades for the course because I am especially interested in visiting a seminar which uses new media for studying because I hope to come into contact with people who are working on similar topic as I am because I am curious about how one can study with new media because I enjoy working at the computer Do you agree with the following statements? I don't agree at all I totally agree 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Participating in the seminar is very important to me. Social contacts with fellow participants are very important to me. Your previous knowledge / your computer experience How would you grade your knowledge of teaching and studying in virtual learning environment? very low very high 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 How would you grade your knowledge of English? very low very high 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 On average, how much time per day do you spend on the computer? approx.hours per day For what purposes have you used the computer until now? never very often 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 for text processing (writing, editing) for processing and creating graphics /illustrations for processing numerical data for programming for surfing the Internet for communication via e-mail for communication with newsgroups, computer conferences as a study method (working with learning programmes) for games Access to PC Where do you have access to a PC with a modem/Internet connection? (multiple answers are possible) at home at work at a computer-pool at the university other (please cite) Your attitude to co-operative study What do you think about co-operative study? I don't agree at all I totally agree 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 I enjoy learning with others I enjoy discussing topics with others I enjoy participating in group work I profit by explaining things to others I profit by having things explained to me by others I enjoy studying alone Your opinion on computer-assisted study New media - e.g., study programmes, in which the student can independently work on study material – are increasingly being used in University education. What do you think about studying with the computer? (Even if you do not have the required experience, please answer this question carefully and avoid always marking the middle of the scale) I think/imagine studying with the computer is ... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 enjoyable not enjoyable tiring stimulating exciting boring inefficient efficient unpleasant pleasant interesting uninteresting confusing clarifying complicated easy satisfying dissatisfying How would you compare studying with new media to studying with traditional methods (e.g. lectures, text books)? The use of a computer-based study programme... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 encourages thorough studying leads to a superficial studying complicates discovering connections between different issues assists in discovering connections between different issues promotes creative thinking hinders creative thinking encourages the acquisition of detailed knowledge encourages the acquisition of knowledge by interrelating ideas offers less scope for selfcontrolled action offers greater scope for self-controlled action Your opinion on computer-assisted communication With the use of telematic media teachers and students will no longer have to communicate directly in seminars or lectures face-to-face but will be able to communicate with one another across any distance (e.g., in virtual seminars or virtual workgroups in which communication via e-mail, computer conferences or newsgroups will take place). What do you think about computer-assisted forms of communication for teaching and studying? (Even if you do not posses any experience, please answer the question carefully and avoid always marking the middle of the scale) I think/imagine studying with computer-assisted communication is ... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 enjoyable not enjoyable tiring stimulating exciting boring inefficient efficient unpleasant pleasant interesting uninteresting confusing clarifying complicated easy satisfying dissatisfying How would you compare computer-mediated communication and direct forms of (face-to-face) communication? The use of the computer for communication (e.g., by e-mail, computer conferences, newsgroups)... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 has a positive effect on studying has a negative effective on studying facilitates content-related discussion impedes content-related discussion takes more time takes less time is often impeded by technical problems is seldom impeded by technical problems promotes creative thinking impedes creative thinking makes it difficult to participate in a discussion facilitates active participation in a discussion simplifies co-operation with others hinders co-operation with others Questions concerning your person Age: years Sex: male female Country: Profession student / semester (please specifiy semester) doctoral student scientific employee at a research institute other (please name) Have you answered all the questions? We thank you very much for filling in the questionnaire!