Experience of Learning and Studying and the use of VLE Questionnaire

(ELSVLEQ)
We would like to ask you to complete this questionnaire which will help the academic staff at the Department of Geology to understand how
well your learning and studying needs were supported by Blackboard. The information that you provide will help your staff improve teaching
and learning through better provision of learning resources.
We very much hope that you will be complete this questionnaire as accurately as possible.
We also hope that some of you will be willing to talk to us about your experiences at a later time in the semester. Thank you!

Data Protection
This information is collected by a research team working independent of your teaching staff. We assure you that all the information we collect
will be used only for the purpose of improving the use of Blackboard within the module and kept confidential to the research team itself: it will
not be released to anybody else. According to the data protection act we have to ask you sign the following declaration.
I agree that this information, and the data collected from me, may be held and processed by the research team for the purpose of research.

Signature: Date:

A. Information about yourself

Name: CFS Username: Age:

Programme of study: This module: Gender:

B. Your access to a networked computer and the use of Blackboard

01. Do you have the use of a computer at your term-time address?

No 
Yes but without internet access 
Yes with unlimited dial-up (slower) internet access 
Yes with pay-as-you-use dial-up (slower) internet access 
Yes, with unlimited high-speed (e.g. broadband) internet access 
Yes, with pay-as-you-use high-speed (e.g. broadband) internet access 

02. From where did you normally access the module (except on-line assignments)?

Always/nearly always off the university campus (e.g. at home) 

Usually off the university campus 
Split roughly equally between on and off campus 
Usually from the University Campus 
Always/nearly always from the University Campus 

03. Did you experience any technical problems in accessing this module?

I did not have any technical problems 

I had some technical problems but these were resolved quickly 

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 I had some technical problems and these took too long to resolve 
I still have some technical problems. (If so, please describe these in the 'other comments' box at the end of this survey.) 

04. How often do you access Blackboard to study this module?

Daily 
Every other day 
Twice a week 
Once a week 
Less than once a week 
Occasionally 

C. Your experience of learning and studying

Please give your immediate reaction to every comment listed below, indicating how you really have been studying. We want you to relate your
answers directly to this particular module.
Put a cross in the relevant box to indicate how strongly you agree with each of the following statements. Try not to cross the middle box
(unsure) unless you really have to, or if it cannot apply to you or your module.

agree agree unsure Disagree disagree

somewhat somewhat

1.I often had trouble in making sense of the things I have to remember     
2. I have been over the work I have done to check my reasoning and see that it makes sense.     
3. I have usually set out to understand for myself the meaning of what we had to learn.     
4. I have generally put a lot of effort into my studying.     
5. Much of what I’ve learned seems no more than lots of unrelated bits and pieces in my mind.     
6. In making sense of new ideas, I have often related them to practical or real-life contexts.     
7. On the whole, I have been quite systematic and organised in my studying.     
8. Ideas I’ve come across in my academic reading often set me off on long chains of thought.     
9. I’ve looked at evidence carefully to reach my own conclusion about what I’m studying.     
10. When I’ve been communicating ideas, I’ve thought over how well I’ve got my points across.     
11. I’ve organised my study time carefully to make the best use of it.     
12. It has been important for me to follow the argument, or to see the reason behind things.     
13. I’ve tended to take what we are taught at face value without questioning it much.     
14 .I’ve tried to find better ways of tracking down relevant information in my subject.     
15. Concentration has not usually been a problem for me, unless I’ve been really tired.     
16. In reading for this course unit, I’ve tried to find out for myself exactly what the author means.     
17. I’ve just been going through the motions of studying without seeing where I’m going.     
18. If I’ve not understood things well enough when studying, I’ve tried a different approach.     

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D. Your experience of learning with Blackboard
agree agree unsure Disagree disagree
somewhat somewhat
19. Lecture notes and slides on Blackboard allowed me to read ahead of the lectures and prepare
in advance; I knew ‘what I was going in for’ when I went to lectures.
    
20. Lecture notes and slides available on Blackboard helped me to revise after lectures     
21. Lecture notes and slides available on Blackboard helped me to complete the notes that I took
during lectures
    
22. Notes and other material on Blackboard helped me to understand lectures or topics that I found
difficult
    
23. Blackboard was helpful for me to catch up on the lectures that I missed     
24. Blackboard served as a backup for the materials and handouts that were given by lecturers     
25. Variety of resources available on Blackboard (external links, sample exercises, practice
assignments) were helpful for my studies.
    
26. Blackboard was a useful means of contacting staff members     
27. Blackboard enabled me to ask questions that I normally find difficult to ask in classes/lectures     
28. Blackboard helped me to communicate with other learners who are doing the same module     
29. Discussion board on Blackboard helped me to carry out group work with my group members     
30. Blackboard helped me to revise and learn at places and times convenient to me     
31. Blackboard helped me to get in touch with students whose email addresses I didn’t know     
32. Announcements in Blackboard enabled me to plan my study time/how I spend my time in the
university
    
33. Blackboard enabled me to study effectively     
34. Please write other comments that you may have on Blackboard below

E. How well do you think you are doing in this course unit as a whole?
Please try to rate yourself objectively by crossing the appropriate box below, based on any marks, grades or comments you have been given.

Very well Well Quite well About average Not so well Rather badly
9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

        
Please check back to make sure you have marked every question.
Thank you very much for spending time completing this questionnaire: it is much appreciated.
Would you be interested in us contacting you to discuss your responses to this questionnaire at a later stage? If so, it would be helpful if you
provide your contact details below

Email address: …………………………………………………… Mobile/Tel no: …………………………………………………………