Students use a 'just-in-time' approach to accessing online resources

Lecture notes and recordings, tutorial exercises, readings, study questions, revision quizzes, instructional videos and crosswords were provided online so that students who could not attend classes (flexible learners) were not disadvantaged. D2L's progress viewing tool was used to track student access to resources, class attendance was monitored, and a questionnaire asked about the value of the online resources for completing the unit. While students thought it was important to attend classes, attendance was low and centred on tutorials and practical's, rather than lectures. The main reason for non-attendance was employment. Students accessed most of the online resources immediately prior to tests rather than on a week-by-week basis. Both attenders and flexible learners indicated that lecture notes, readings, revision quizzes and study questions were the most useful resources. Attenders accessed online resources more than flexible learners. There was only a weak correlation between class attendance and successful completion of the unit.