Watching Learning From Behind Closed Doors: The Impact of Surveillance on Student Online Behaviour

Universities are heavily investing in developing their online infrastructure in order to enhance flexible learning options and the overall student learning experience. Coinciding with the adoption of these technologies has been the emergence of new online activities that present the potential for unobtrusive modes of surveillance. This study offers a preliminary investigation into the impact of such modes of surveillance on student learning behaviours. Surveyed students indicate that their browsing behaviours, the range of topics discussed and the writing style of their contributions made to asynchronous discussion forums are influenced by the degree to which such activities are perceived to be surveyed by both the institution and teaching staff. This paper addresses the implications of this new mode of governance for learning and teaching and suggests areas of further investigations.