Education Commons^™

Accessible Online Learning: A Preliminary Investigation Of Educational Technologists’ And Faculty Members’ Knowledge And Skills, Patrick R. Lowenthal, Amy Lomellini

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Colleges and Universities have a more diverse student body than ever before—this includes a growing number of students with disabilities. Many of these students are attracted to the flexibility and anonymity of learning online. However, research suggests that students with disabilities often face barriers learning online. Given this, we set out to investigate how faculty and educational technologists are prepared to design accessible online courses and instructional materials. We surveyed 95 educational technologists, directors, and disability access personnel in this exploratory study. In the following paper, we report the results of our inquiry into these professionals’ perspectives on faculty and …

How College Faculty Experience Designing Blended Courses They Teach, Judy Bauer Puritt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Blended learning has been growing and evolving in higher education since the early 2000s. Despite extensive quantitative research examining blended course use and exploration of how students experience blended-courses, more situated, local research about faculty members’ experiences was needed. The purpose of this qualitative study was to develop a deeper understanding of faculty members’ experiences during the decision-making process in designing blended courses they teach. The conceptual framework was grounded in Engeström’s activity theory to allow an exploration of individual agency within a specific community setting. Faculty members’ decision-making experiences and perceptions were explored using an interpretive description methodology. A …

Online Course Design: A Review Of The Canvas Course Evaluation Checklist, Sally Baldwin, Yu-Hui Ching

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The evaluation of online courses is an important step in providing quality online courses. There are a variety of national and statewide evaluation tools used to help guide instructors and course designers of online courses (e.g., Quality Matters, OSCQR). This paper discusses a newly released course evaluation instrument from Canvas, the second largest learning management system (LMS) used by higher education institutions in the United States. The characteristics and unique features of the Canvas Course Evaluation Checklist (CCEC) are discussed. The CCEC is also compared to established national and statewide evaluation instruments. This review is helpful for those interested in …

Does Class Size Matter?: An Exploration Into Faculty Perceptions Of Teaching High-Enrollment Online Courses, Patrick R. Lowenthal, Rob Nyland, Eulho Jung, Joanna C. Dunlap, Jennifer Kepka

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Class size has been a popular topic for decades. There is renewed interest in this topic now with the growth of online learning. Online courses can accommodate hundreds, if not thousands, of students in a single course. Very little research, though, has been conducted recently on class size in online courses and the research that has been conducted is mixed. As the demand for online courses increases, so likely will class size. In this exploratory study, we investigated the perceptions and experiences of 37 faculty teaching high-enrollment online courses. In the following article, we report the results of our inquiry, …

An Online Course Design Checklist: Development And Users’ Perceptions, Sally J. Baldwin, Yu-Hui Ching

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study examines users’ perceptions of an online course design checklist. We created the Online Course Design Checklist (OCDC) to help highlight very basic criteria that may improve the quality of online courses. The OCDC highlights criteria that should not be ignored during online course development. It is based on components of established instructional design principles and existing online course design evaluation instruments. To understand course designers’ perception of the OCDC, we surveyed nineteen current and prospective online instructors on their use of it. Participants found the OCDC facilitated online course design by providing criteria to consider before, during, and …

Achieving A Scaled Implementation Of Adaptive Learning Through Faculty Engagement: A Case Study, Constance Johnson, Emma Zone

Current Issues in Emerging eLearning

This paper presents a case study describing the implementation of adaptive learning at Colorado Technical University (CTU) with a focus on faculty adoption. A number of barriers to the adoption of technology will be discussed and more importantly, how CTU overcame these barriers. A description of the key elements of faculty support including training will be outlined as well as the information about the adoption of faculty using data to inform teaching strategies. The authors argue that if given the choice, faculty at CTU would prefer adaptive learning technology in their courses and welcome the use of technology and data …

E-Portfolios, Course Design, And Student Learning: A Case Study Of A Faculty Learning Community, Devshikha Bose, Patrick R. Lowenthal

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The purpose of this case study was to investigate faculty perceptions of participating in a Faculty Learning Community (FLC) and how the FLC contributed toward their pedagogical use of e-portfolios. The researchers were also interested in faculty perceptions of the potential impact of e-portfolios on student learning. An online survey and focus group were used to collect data for this study. Results suggest that the FLC, as a professional development experience, enabled faculty at different levels of e-portfolio adoption, to learn from their peers, become more confident instructors, reflect on course design, and plan for changes in the instructional use …

Online Course Design In Higher Education: A Review Of National And Statewide Evaluation Instruments, Sally Baldwin, Yu-Hui Ching, Yu-Chang Hsu

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

This research identifies six online course evaluation instruments used nationally or in statewide systems. We examined the characteristics (i.e., number of standards and criteria) and coded the criteria that guide the design of online courses. We discussed the focus of the instruments and their unique features.

Interactive Storytelling: Opportunities For Online Course Design, Sally Baldwin, Yu-Hui Ching

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Compelling interactive stories can be used to get and keep learners’ interest in online courses. Interactive storytelling presents information in a manner that involves learners by allowing them to connect with the content. Incorporating interactive storytelling into online education offers the potential to increase student interest and knowledge retention. Interactive storytelling also allows learners to create a personalized experience. By analyzing examples of interactive stories, we identified five features of interactive storytelling: dynamic presentation, data visualization, multisensory media, interactivity, and narration. We explain each feature, and its educational benefits, with illustrations provided from five interactive storytelling examples. We also discuss …

Closing The Loop: Building Synergy For Learning Through A Professional Development Mooc About Flipped Teaching, Donna Harp Ziegenfuss

Current Issues in Emerging eLearning

This case study describes how a MOOC, funded through an NSF grant, was used to create and assess faculty professional development. The MOOC, designed and developed using a backward design process, guided participants through an online project-based learning experience that integrated learning about the flipped classroom and about how to flip a classroom as the participants designed flipped teaching materials. The course structure involved an introduction to flipped teaching and learning content, experimented with flipped ideas and concepts, and emphasized reflection and sharing of experiences with peers.

Although mentoring faculty in flipped pedagogical design was the primary MOOC goal, the …

Impact Of An Eportfolio Faculty Learning Community On Course Design And Student Learning: A Progress Report On A Case Study, Devshikha Bose

University Author Recognition Bibliography: 2016

The purpose of this paper is to present a progress report on a case study which documents faculty perceptions regarding the impact of a Faculty Learning Community (FLC) on the pedagogical applications of ePortfolios in course design. The study will also document faculty perceptions on how changes made/planned to course design as a result of participation in the FLC may impact student learning. A post-completion electronic survey and a focus group meeting will be used to collect data from nine research participants. Initial observations made by FLC facilitators are reported and implications for future iterations of a similar FLC are …

The Relationship Between Course Design, Sense Of Community, And Student Achievement Of Students In Online Courses, Maria Eugenia Perez-Butron

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The number of students enrolled in at least one online course reached nearly 6.7 million for the 2011-2012 academic year, which represents around 32% of the total enrollment (Allen & Seaman, 2013). As more higher education institutions offer online courses, it is necessary to further study course design and effective online strategies. Numerous researchers (LaPointe & Reisetter, 2008; Liu, et al., 2007; Ouzts, 2006; Rovai, 2002a) have established that high-quality online learning fosters a strong sense of community among its members. The purpose of this study is to describe the strength and direction of the relationship between online course design …

Moocs Comparison And Implications For Purdue Nanohub-U Moocs, Wei Zakharov

Teaching and Learning Technologies Presentations

A massive open online course (MOOC) is an online course aiming at large-scale participation and open access via the web. Currently there are three main MOOCs providers: i.e. Udacity, Coursera, and edX. This presentation compared these providers in terms of their technical features and business models. On the other hand, the author presented how Purdue NanoHUB-U designed and developed MOOCs.