Reviewing our asynchronous resources (the ROAR project): using student voice to inform LD support

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47408/jldhe.vi37.1700

Keywords:

student voice, asynchronous resources, digital learning

Abstract

Asynchronous digital resources, such as videos, allow students to learn at times and in places that suit them and are widely used in LD. Such resources help students reinforce skills as well as learn new ones (Tomaszewski, 2023), with evidence to suggest that appropriate digital learning modes in HE also support the development of students’ digital literacies (McGuinness & Fulton, 2019). Furthermore, at a time of budget cuts and hiring freezes across Higher Education in the UK (Lewis & Bolton, 2024), and the resulting increases in the demands on Learning Developers, it is arguably more important than ever to ensure that these asynchronous resources are meeting the needs of students.

The Academic Skills Team at Edinburgh Napier University (ENU) has a range of these asynchronous online resources. To ensure the team are continuing to support diverse learners in the dynamic landscape of HE post-COVID, a review into the usability and accessibility of these resources was warranted, as research suggests these are factors in students’ engagement with online resources (Bringman-Rodenbarger & Hortsch, 2020).

Inspired by discussions during ALDcon24 around the role of using evidence in our practice, after a comprehensive literature review, we created a study into current offerings to assess whether these align with what is recommended from research. As student voice is at the heart of student engagement (Seale et al., 2015) we engaged 7 ENU students in scenario-based tasks. Using the Think Aloud Protocol (van Someren et al. 1994) we captured their thoughts and combined this with screencast videography (Kawaf, 2019) to see how they interacted with the resources.

The presentation discusses our findings and how we are using these to redesign the asynchronous offerings and develop new support resources as well as share our experiences of engaging in research within the field of Learning Development.

Author Biographies

Hannah Awcock, Edinburgh Napier University

Hannah Awcock has been an Academic Skills Adviser at Edinburgh Napier University since 2023. She was awarded a PhD in Human Geography in 2018 and has been a Fellow of the HEA since 2020. She aims to support students to achieve their goals regardless of the challenges they face. 

Lorrae Fox, Edinburgh Napier University

Lorrae Fox joined Edinburgh Napier University in 2022 as an Academic Skills Adviser. She holds an MA in TESOL and a PhD in Linguistics, with a research focus on phraseology. Her additional research interests include student engagement, student voice, and the development of effective academic materials. Her work centres on supporting students to connect academic learning to the wider world and to become confident, independent thinkers and communicators.

References

Bringman-Rodenbarger L., & Hortsch M. (2020). How students choose E-learning resources: The importance of ease, familiarity, and convenience. FASEB BioAdvances, 2, 286–295. https://doi.org/10.1096/fba.2019-00094

Kawaf, F. (2019). Capturing digital experience: The method of screencast videography. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 36(2), 169-184. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijresmar.2018.11.002

Lewis, J., & Bolton, P. (2024). Higher education funding: Trends and challenges. https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/higher-education-funding-trends-and-challenges/

McGuiness, C., & Fulton, C. (2019). Digital literacy in higher education: A case study of student engagement with e-tutorials using blended learning. Journal of Information Technology Education: Innovations in Practice, 18, 1-28. https://doi.org/10.28945/4190

Seale, J., Gibson, S., Haynes, J., & Potter, A. (2015). Power and resistance: Reflections on the rhetoric and reality of using participatory methods to promote student voice and engagement in higher education. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 39(4), 534-552. https://doi.org/10.1080/0309877X.2014.938264

Tomaszewski, R. (2023). Library snackables: A study of one-minute library videos. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 49(2), 102647. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acalib.2022.102647

van Someren, M. W., Barnard, Y.F., & Sanberg, J. A. C. (1994). The think aloud method: a practical approach to modelling cognitive processes. (Knowledge-based systems). Academic Press.

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Published

30-09-2025

How to Cite

Awcock, H., & Fox, L. (2025). Reviewing our asynchronous resources (the ROAR project): using student voice to inform LD support. Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education, (37). https://doi.org/10.47408/jldhe.vi37.1700

Issue

No. 37 (2025): Special Edition, ALDinHE Conference Proceedings and Reflections

Section

Conference Proceedings

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