Introduction

The first year at university is a time of significant flux for many learners as they adjust to unfamiliar academic and social environments. They encounter new approaches to teaching and must start to develop fresh learning strategies as they take the first steps towards becoming autonomous learners. This sense of uncertainty may be compounded by the requirement to interact with unfamiliar and frequently complex online systems and learning technologies, possibly even before arrival.

Technology is embedded seamlessly into the personal and social lives of today’s learners, yet recent reports [1] have questioned the widespread assumption that young adults have the sophisticated information skills and digital literacy needed to become autonomous learners. Furthermore, there is a small but significant minority of learners who do not actively engage with information technology; the ‘digital divide’ may be narrowing but it has not disappeared.

We have recently completed a project addressing these important issues. Our study investigated the utilisation of learning technologies by first-year undergraduates from a variety of academic disciplines. The focus of this work was on ‘critical moments’; specifically, the impact of technology on learners’ transition to university and progression through the first year. In particular, we addressed the following questions:

• What are learners' expectations regarding the availability and use of learning technologies at university?
• How do learners adapt and change their approaches to e-learning during their first year?
• What are the key factors that influence learners' choices of e-learning strategies and how these are utilised?
• To what extent do learners use non-institutional online technologies to support their learning?

Research approaches

Our study focused on the student year through learners’ own voices. The overall shape of the research was based on two underlying principles. Firstly, to take a learner-centred approach, whereby the learners’ own views and opinions are central to the study. Secondly, to adopt a holistic approach in which learners’ use of e-learning and technology is set within the context of their learning experiences as a whole. To capture the breadth and complexity of learners’ experiences we used a mixed-mode approach, including a series of reflective diaries recorded by learners (in video, audio or text format) together with surveys and focus groups.

Key messages

Learners do not form a homogenous group, and research findings in this area are inevitably complex. However, some of the main messages that emerged from our work include:

Expectations and experiences

• Learners are confident with and find computers and the internet helpful, have their own laptops and gadgets and a range of abilities. This, coupled with their high expectations, offers huge potential for universities to engage with learners from a very early stage.
• There may be a window of opportunity to reach learners before arrival to help smooth the transition to university life. As the student population becomes more heterogeneous and diverse, and possibly less well prepared, this could become more important.
• However, there is a risk in assuming too much about the technology-immersed young adults, who may use very limited features of their devices and gadgets. Learners do not always recognise the potential of technologies that they have as learning devices.
• There is still a small minority who are either not confident with technology, or have no access to the internet or do not recognise the value of technology for studying their particular subject.

Institutional use of technology

• Technology is part of learners’ lives: the term e-learning does not mean much to them. There is simply teaching with strands of technology running through.
• Learners are not pushing us to use particular technologies.
• Learners are quite traditional in their views and value the ‘tried and tested’ methods. They have limited vision of what the future of technology holds for education. This is reflected in their strong desire for face to face, with technology to supplement and enhance this.
• Learners want clear explanations about technologies that they are expected to use. They recognise that some staff do not use technology, but would like more consistency across courses.
• The use of technology should be based on needs and be education driven not product driven. This means that learners can drive it as it is part of their personal learning choices.

Personal use of technology

• Learners are social; learning and support often takes place informally in groups, often facilitated by technology.
• Learners find their comfort zones and ways of working that are personal to them, and use technology to suit their own ways of learning.
• Skills do not belong to a particular generation. Learners will switch skills and learn from each other if they find the skills useful and there is a need
• Technology should not intrude on leaner’s personal space.

[1] See, for example,

• CIBER group (2008) Information behaviour of the researcher of the future http://www.jisc.ac.uk/whatwedo/programmes/resourcediscovery/googlegen.aspx,
• The ECAR Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology, 2008, http://www.educause.edu/ers0808/135156,
• JISC/Ipsos MORI (2008). Great expectations of ICT: How Higher Education institutions are measuring up, http://www.jisc.ac.uk/publications/publications/greatexpectations.aspx