The Impact of e-Learning on Student Identity

This presentation will reflect upon the findings of a SOLSTICE funded project on the way in which the utilisation of wikis impacted upon student learning and identity on a first year literature module. What the data implies is that student activity on the wikis was indicative, and predicative, of student attainment. With that in mind, suggestions will be made as to how and why (in this instance) online activity was so closely related to achievement in assessment. In order to support the arguments and explanations for the impact of the wiki tasks, reference will be made to elements of CHAT theory and to the ethical philosophy of Alasdair MacIntyre. It will be argued that the notion of social practices has a direct impact on the way in which a person forms and conceptualises their own identity, and that, through engaging with wikis, students were engaged in a form of social practice that altered their identity and thereby changed (possibly for the better) the way in which they engaged with the module content. The presentation will conclude with a critique of the way in which wikis were used on this project, and will highlight deficiencies and strengths that will go towards honing the use of this technology in future.