Education Commons^™

A Simulated Qualitative Study Exploring Higher Education Faculty's Perceptions Of Factors That Influence Dynamic Decision-Making When Choosing Opportunities For Student Engagement In Asynchronous Online Courses, Leticia De La Garza

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore higher education faculty’s perceptions of factors that influence dynamic decision-making when choosing opportunities for student engagement in asynchronous online courses. More specifically, this study sought to understand how faculty in higher education perceived these factors to prevent and facilitate dynamic decision-making when designing instructor presence, student-to-student collaboration, and student-to-academic content engagement opportunities in asynchronous online courses, as Garrison et al. (1999) suggest, for a community of inquiry. There has not been much focus on the dynamic decision-making of online instructors in higher education and a call to continue exploring factors that influence …

المهارات التدريسية والسمات الرقمية لمعلمي المرحلة الثانوية في ظل التعليم عن بعد في المدارس الحكومية والخاصة من وجهة نظر الطلبة, Nawal Abd Rahman Al-Shawabkeh, Fatima Mohammed Olalimat, Khaled Abdallah A. Albreizat

Journal of the Association of Arab Universities for Research in Higher Education (مجلة اتحاد الجامعات العربية (للبحوث في التعليم العالي

هدف البحث التعرّف إلى مهارات المعلم التدريسية وسماته الرقمية التي يريدها الطالب في ظل التعليم عن بعد وما الإجراءات اللازمة لتحسين أدائه لتحقيق التفاعل بينه وبين الطالب وانعكاس هذا التفاعل على تعلّم الطلبة، وقد تم استخدام المنهج الوصفي المسحي للإجابة عن أسئلته والتأكد من فرضياته، وقد أسفر البحث عن النتائج الآتية: جاءت متوسطات تقديرات الطلبة مرتفعة في مجالات الاستبانة وفقراتها كافة ، وهذا مؤشر كبير على حاجة الطلبة إلى توفر مثل هذه المهارات وتلك السمات في معلميهم. هناك فروق ذات دلالة إحصائية بين متوسطات استجابات الطلبة تبعًا لمتغير الجنس جاءت لصالح الإناث، ووجود فروقات تبعًا لمتغير المدينة كان لصالح مدينة …

Practical Leadership In Implementing Online Education Programs, Felix O. Quayson, Christopher Zirkle

Journal of Research Initiatives

The growing presence of online education can become a challenge for academic leaders and institutions to lead, manage, and explore in higher education. Online education can be complex when considering the social presence (Keast, 2022; Quayson, 2022), course development (Martin et al., 2019; Orlando, 2019), and economic outcomes (Burnett & Conley, 2013; Rubin, 2013; Seaman et al., 2019). However, unraveling the fundamentals of practical leadership can help educational leaders to facilitate, maintain, and implement online education programs. The study found published research studies that helped us to extricate the fundamentals of practical leadership in implementing online education programs in the …

Experiences Of Asian American Women In Distance Education Doctoral Programs: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Cathy Vu

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

It is well documented that doctoral attrition is a concern, and research into subgroups of doctoral student populations is needed. Researchers have begun to examine the experiences of women in distance education doctoral programs, but the experiences of women from Asian backgrounds have not been the direct focus on any research to date. This transcendental phenomenological study described the persistence experiences of Asian American women pursuing distance education doctoral studies. Tinto’s (1975) theory of student integration served as a foundation for understanding how an individual’s academic and social integration affects persistence. In addition to Tinto’s theory of student integration, Berry’s …

Development, Implementation, And Delivery Of A Remote Burnout Prevention Elective Course In An Accelerated Doctor Of Pharmacy Program During Covid-19, Melissa Santibanez, Jonathon May, Paul M. Boylan, Andrea Duque, Taylor Harris

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: There is limited evidence describing burnout among graduate health professions students, including pharmacy students, and there is a need for educational institutions to mitigate burnout and promote future healthcare provider wellness. Methods: A burnout prevention elective course was developed within an accelerated Doctor of Pharmacy program. Course faculty transitioned from live to fully remote instruction in April 2020. The modified course format combined discussion-based lectures, burnout self-assessments, reflective writing assignments, and applications-based presentations. Results: Twenty-one second-year pharmacy students completed the elective, and 13 completed post-course evaluations (61.9% response rate). Evaluations indicated substantial student support, with 92.3% “strongly agree” and …

Enhancing Technology-Based Distance Education Delivery Using Collaborative Team-Teaching Methods, Susan Egbert, Sean Camp

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version of this article here.

Present pandemic-related circumstances have created unique challenges for educators and students alike. Information and communication technology (ICT) based team-teaching and collaborative course design can effectively mitigate feelings of isolation and disconnection, and enhance student engagement within a remote education context. This article presents a theory-driven framework and ‘how-to’ practical strategies for utilizing team-teaching methodology through web-based delivery platforms. Content focuses on student participation and active learning, curriculum- and technology-related issues, and challenges inherent in synchronous web-based course delivery.

Full Issue: Journal On Empowering Teaching Excellence, 2022 Special Issue (Vol. 5, Iss. 3)

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

The full-length 2022 Special Issue (Volume 5, Issue 3) of the Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version (with downloadable EPUB format) here.

Experiences In Remote Learning: Perceptions Of West Virginia Educators During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Craig Edward Arch

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

In March 2020, the threat of illness caused by Covid-19 prompted West Virginia Governor Jim Justice to abruptly close public schools statewide. Instruction was delivered remotely for the remainder of the 2019 – 2020 school year and sporadically across the state during the 2020-2021 school year with educators holding class meetings and delivering instruction where technology and a reliable internet connection were available. Gaining understanding as it relates to a teacher’s remote learning experience may provide insight into how administrators can prepare for future interruptions in in-person instruction. Identifying specific areas teachers felt were challenging or stressful may provide a …

Impact Teacher Perceptions Of Distance Education As A Strategy For Formal Education During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Monica Morgan

Student Research Poster Presentations 2022

Students cannot be successful if their basic needs are not met. Distance education led to many hurdles, especially for low-income families, including lack of access to the internet and required technology, inadequate home learning environment, and restricted human interaction. These hurdles may negatively impact teacher perceptions of distance education as a strategy for formal education.

The Attitudes Of New York State Public High School Teachers Toward Online Instruction, William Hooper

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This research examined faculty attitudes toward online instruction (FATOI) at public high schools across New York State. The research sought to better understand the role that perceived positive and negative aspects of online learning play in shaping FATOI and whether a teacher’s gender, years of service, age, academic background, or experience with online learning played a moderating role. The study further sought to analyze the impact of economic need, location, and instructional application on FATOI. The theoretical underpinning of the research was based on a new model-the Online Instruction Adoption Model (OIAM). OIAM is a derivation of the Unified Theory …

Examining Changes In Learning And Engagement Of Higher Education Students In A Fully Online Flipped Learning Distance Education Classroom, James David Riel

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

The challenge of implementing effective online distance education courses for academics and institutions is a centuries-old task. We can look across early developments in the 18^th century with the creation and delivery of correspondence courses; into the 20^th century with teaching and learning across analog methods such as audio and video; and now in the current era of digitized mechanisms that enable the online classroom. This includes advances in internet technologies and computing abilities that are the empowering the backbone processes, bridging connectivity between the student and the instructor. As society has trended toward massive increases in online …

Influence Of Curricular Organization On Cognitive Load And Student Performance In Online Learning Environments, Michael Wilder

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to explore the influence of curricular organization on student cognitive load and student performance in online learning environments. The findings of this study contribute to the development of usable instruction design principles for online education.

This research study used the lens of cognitive load theory to examine how online course organization affects student learning. A review of the literature included the elements of cognitive architecture that have been measured in prior studies, various methods in which cognitive load has been measured, and the basic requirements for measurement of cognitive load in instructional research.

A …

Exploring A Quality Assurance Tool On Remote Academic Advising For Higher Education Traditionally Underrepresented Students In Distance Education, Katrieva S. Jones Munroe

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to fill the gap in the literature by examining organizational stakeholders' perceptions of access to remote academic advising. Over the past years, traditionally underrepresented student enrollments in distance education at community colleges have increased, yet the retention rate of online students compared to on-campus students have decreased (Breit & Schreyer, 2018). The gap between ideal and reality serves as a powerful blind spot toward the lack of access to remote student support services in higher education. Remote access to technology and student support services (e.g. academic advising) negatively influence student persistence, retention and graduation …

The Remote Learning Experience At Portland State University In Spring 2020, Liana Bernard, Phoebe Brown, Peter Chaille, Brenden Clenaghen, Joshua Eastin, Andrea Garrity, Sherril B. Gelmon, Carolina Gomez-Montoya, Laura E. Jacobson, Susan Lindsay, Maya Mcgill, Nate Midgley, Stephen Percy, Judith A. Ramaley, Risto Rushford, Gayle Y. Thieman, Luis Balderas Villagrana

Office of the President Publications and Presentations

It is an endeavor to understand what we have and will learn about the impact of remote instruction on faculty, students and relevant academic support teams. Simply put: We want to learn from an experiment foisted upon us by a health crisis. We have engaged in an incredibly innovative response. And now, we ask what have we learned? How might we improve? And, most importantly, are there implications from this experiment for the future of instruction at PSU and throughout higher education?

The project was organized around two stages in the Spring 2020 term.

• Stage One: Out of the Gate: …

Teaching Remotely In The Time Of Covid-19: Answering Frequently Asked Questions: A Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion Coordinator Perspective, Óscar Fernández

University Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

FAQ about teaching online in the time of COVID-19. My FAQ is based on three experiences:

1. my role as Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Coordinator (2017-2020) in University Studies;
2. I teach a fully online SINQ course, Healthy People/Healthy Places; and
3. for the past year (AY 2019-2020), I have been interviewing University Studies faculty about online teaching and learning. Why? I am hoping to propose an online Immigration, Migration, and Belonging FRINQ in the near future.

Evaluating Impact And Perception Of A Structured Online Peer Evaluation System Among Graduate Communication Capstone Students Through Action Research, Karen Larimore Wilkinson

Theses and Dissertations

Although enrollment in online courses continues to accelerate, challenges exist in online learning. A failure to experience collaboration and interaction can impact student retention and success. While peer review activity provides student interaction and the development of a collaborative community of learners, higher education environments have failed to equip students with the knowledge and tools to ensure adept participation. As students offer limited participation and low-quality engagement in routine online peer review activities, the purpose of this action research was to implement and evaluate the impact of a structured online peer evaluation system for Graduate Communication Capstone students at the …

Grand Challenge No. 3: Digital Archaeology Technology-Enabled Learning In Archaeology, Meaghan M. Peuramaki-Brown, Shawn G. Morton, Oula Seitsonen, Chris Sims, Dave Blaine

Journal of Archaeology and Education

Archaeology is traditionally a hands-on, in-person discipline when it comes to formal and informal instruction; however, more and more we are seeing the application of blended and online instruction and outreach implemented within our discipline. To this point, much of the movement in this direction has been related to a greater administrative emphasis on filling university classrooms, as well as the increasing importance of public outreach and engagement when it comes to presenting our research. More recently, we have all had to adjust our activities and interactions in reaction to physical distancing requirements during a pandemic. Whether in a physical …

Interview: Schools Coping With Covid-19, Vishal Varia

Teacher India

Some schools have taken rapid measures to prevent learning loss due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Dr Vishal Varia shares the experience of the Rosary Group of Schools in a conversation that includes some useful tips for schools and teachers.

Teaching Happiness: Developing And Assessing A Happiness Course, Charles Hammersley

Journal of Tourism Insights

Can “happiness” be taught? In the spring of 2015 the Northern Arizona University’s Parks and Recreation Management program introduced a new course, PRM 205 Happiness. A study of the fall 2015 PRM 205 Happiness courses (campus section and distance section) were conducted to determine if the PRM 205 Happiness course resulted in measurable changes in student “happiness” scores. Also, if there were any differences between campus and distance delivery modes and student “happiness” scores. A Pre-test / Post-test survey design using the Fordyce Emotions Questionnaire (Fordyce, 1988) was conducted on both a campus class (N=49) and a distance class (N=23). …

Understanding Educators’ Experiences During Long-Term School Closures, Jessica Pryor, Jessica Pryor

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

In the spring of 2020, many public places closed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Most public schools in the United States suddenly closed buildings as educators and students scrambled to adapt to distance education. This phenomenological, qualitative study holistically explores elementary educators’ experiences during the extended school closures. The 18current elementary educators who participated in individual interviews, served rural, elementary students. Individual interviews allowed participants to discuss and explain their experiences concerning methods, materials, time commitments, and communication with colleagues, parents, and students. They also discussed how they used feedback to alter their teaching. The interviews were conducted during …

Electronic Field Trips For Science Engagement: The Streaming Science Model, Jamie Loizzo, Mary J. Harner, Deborah J. Weitzenkamp, Kevin Kent

Journal of Applied Communications

While institutions of higher education work to engage PK-12 youth in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) concepts and careers via in-person programming, PK-12 teachers and students face many logistical and access constraints for physically traveling to sites off of school grounds during the school day. Throughout the years, electronic field trips (EFTs) have offered a digital way for schools to engage in meaningful ways with museums, parks, laboratories, and field research sites. In order for EFTs to be effective, they should be cost effective and created collaboratively with teachers, students, subject matter experts, and instructional design and communication professionals. …

Examination Of An Emerging Community Of Practice For Instructional Designers: A Descriptive Case Study In A Midwestern University, Jiaqi Yu, Connie Hargrave

Constance P. Hargrave

This study examined the functioning of a group of instructional designers (IDs) in higher education through the lens of Communities of Practice (CoPs). The study particularly focused on whether and how the grouping of experienced and novice IDs operated as an effective CoP from the perspective of novices. The findings indicated that a group of IDs working in a midwestern university was able to cultivate a CoP within a clearly defined domain, a well-established community, and the shared practice with a specific body of knowledge. Particularly from the perspectives of novices, they highlighted the positive impact while participating in the …

Design And Investigation Of Cooperative, Scaffolded Wiki Learning Activities In An Online Graduate-Level Course, Kun Huang

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty Publications

Informed by the literature on community of inquiry, wikis in education, and scaffolding in technology-supported learning environments, this study reports the design, implementation, and investigation of wiki-supported cooperative learning activities in an online graduate-level theories class. The investigation of emerging research questions revealed students’ participation patterns in the wiki learning activities, the relationship between their participation and course performance, and the students’ experiences with the scaffolding strategies designed to support their cooperative activities. The study offers implications for designing and scaffolding wiki-based cooperative learning.

Epistemic Trust In Online Higher Education : A Mixed Method Phenomenological Research Study, Lisa F. Rapple

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The purpose of this study was to explore the online instructor’s role in building epistemic trusting relationships with adult learners in their online classrooms. A mixed-method phenomenology research (MMPR) approach was used to discover if certain instructor actions influenced an epistemic trust relationship to develop between the instructor and the adult learner. This study examined the instructor’s classroom management actions, communication immediacy actions, and regulatory actions, as well as the level of epistemic trust in 48 fully online courses, focusing on 4 exemplar cases for cross-case analysis. It was determined that the instructor’s classroom management actions and communication immediacy actions …

Experiences Of Instructors Using Ready-To-Teach, Fixed-Content Online Courses, Douglas J. Geilman

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Online instruction is now the prevalent tool for distance learning. Understanding the adaptable role of the instructor in online distance education is pivotal in the work of comprehending its affordances and limitations. Although there are some commonalities between all forms of online teaching, experiences instructors have may vary depending upon the structure of the online course. The ready-to-teach, fixed-content format merited further study because of the degree to which it unbundles or disaggregates traditional instructor responsibilities by removing the work of determining what to teach and how to teach it. This qualitative multiple case study examined the instructional experiences of …

Online Instructional Design In The New World: Beyond Gagné, Briggs And Wager, Mary Wilson

Adult Education Research Conference

MOOCs, Open Access, Badges... all these new technologies should provide a golden age for adult education online. Instead, profoundly traditional models of instructional design impose restrictions.

The Big Crunch: A Hybrid Solution To Earth And Space Science Instruction For Elementary Education Majors, Cinzia Cervato, Charles Kerton, Andrea Peer, Lesya M. Hassall, Allan Schmidt

Lesya Hassall

We describe the rationale and process for the development of a new hybrid Earth and Space Science course for elementary education majors. A five-step course design model, applicable to both online and traditional courses, is presented. Assessment of the course outcomes after two semesters indicates that the intensive time invested in the development of the course results in a manageable workload during the semester for faculty with an already full teaching load. We also found that average scores in proctored online exams for this cohort of students are identical to the average scores of students from the same major enrolled …

Engaging Students In A Synchronous Distance Setting: Asking Online Questions, Christopher J. Hartwell

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

One major challenge in higher education is engaging student in the learning process, and this challenge is of particular concern in synchronous broadcast classes, where students are geographically dispersed. This paper argues that the use of online questions, that students can respond to using their electronic devices, is an effective way to increase student participation and engagement in such settings. Personal experience with one particular online question platform – Poll Everywhere (www.polleverywhere.com) – is used to illustrate potential capabilities, question types. Both advantages and challenges of using online questions are discussed.

Occupationally Based Career And Technical Education (Cte) Teachers' Perceived Need For Student-To-Student Interaction In Distance Coursework To Gain Teaching Certification, Tina C. Barger

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to contribute to the body of literature regarding occupationally based career and technical education (CTE) teachers’ perceived need for student-to-student interaction in distance education coursework. The study was based on a previous study by Moore, Warner, and Jones (2016). Student perceptions on the topic of student-to-student interaction were gathered. Participants in the study were CTE teachers who had entered the teaching profession from industry. Participants were pursuing or had previously pursued coursework in online/distance education formats. Findings of the study indicated that, overall, survey respondents did not have high expectations or particularly positive feelings …

Program Evaluation Of A Competency-Based Online Model In Higher Education, Karen Digiacomo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In order to serve its nontraditional students, a university piloted a competency-based program as alternative method for its students to earn college credit. The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to conduct a summative program evaluation to determine if the program was successful in order to make decisions about program revision and expansion. The conceptual framework for the study was grounded in Knowles's adult learning theory and Bandura's social learning theory as they relate to adult learners being self-directed and self-motivated to complete their educational goals. The pilot program involved 60 students taking 12 different courses over 3 semesters. Quantitative …