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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 …

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.

Overcoming The Feeling Isolation In Distance Learning: A Collaborative Auto-Ethnographic Research, Jayrome Lleva Núñez, Marie Camille Cuisia-Villanueva

FDLA Journal

In this research, we present our own experience as distance education (DE) learners the process of overcoming the feelings of alienation and isolation. The participants of the study are the authors, themselves, which are graduate students from the University of the Philippines – Open University. Thus, auto-ethnography is used. Autoethnography is an approach to research and writing that seeks to describe and systematically analyze (graphy) personal experience (auto) in order to understand cultural experience (ethno) (Ellis, Adams, & Bochner, 2010). This research is significant because we, the authors ourselves, are distance learners and have experienced isolation in our journey. This …

Looking Through The Lens Of Online Faculty In Higher Education, Theresa West

FDLA Journal

This article aims to provide a meaningful, insightful, and educational perceptiveness of online faculty. Specifically, this article will provide specific insight of online faculty’s changing role, cultivate an educational teaching philosophy, incorporate a structural teaching methodology, and exemplify a multicultural teaching presence.

Exploring The Development Of Pre-Service Teachers' Knowledge And Attitudes Toward Integrating Computational Thinking And Robotics Into The Classroom, Jillian Powers, Ann Musgrove, Victoria Brown, Mohammad Azhar

FDLA Journal

This paper presents an introductory computational thinking (CT) module that can be implemented into teacher education curricula. The researchers examined how the integration of CT and robotics instruction into an undergraduate instructional technology course influenced pre-service teachers' understanding of CT and robotics and their attitudes towards adopting these tools in their future classrooms. The online module was developed as a result of a collaboration between computer science and education faculty from two universities. A total of 93 students participated in the study. The course was delivered during the spring, summer, and fall semesters of 2020 via distance learning at a …

Online Initial Teacher Education In Australia: Affordances For Pedagogy, Practice And Outcomes, Jillian J. Downing, Janet E. Dyment, Cathy Stone

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This paper reports on interviews with 19 senior teacher educators from 18 universities across Australia who offer fully online courses in initial teacher education (ITE). Teacher educators provided insight into four focus areas related to online ITE: 1) institutional practices; 2) affordances; 3) challenges; and 4) research priorities. Analysis revealed teacher educators perceived that online ITE can not only match on campus delivery but is also able to respond to reform agendas in ITE, including attracting students with attributes and characteristics that are likely to see them succeed as teachers, enabling students to experience contemporary approaches to learning, building strong …

Design And Development Of An Mph Program For Online Delivery, Steven R. Hawks, Julie A. Gast

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

The Master of Public Health (MPH) degree is growing in popularity and is now delivered fully online by a large number of highly respected, fully accredited universities. This paper offers an overview of program design and development strategies that promote successful online delivery of MPH programs. Design and development challenges are discussed in terms of new accreditation standards, student demand, faculty development, user needs, course content, and plan of study. The development of an online MPH program at Utah State University with a concentration in health education and promotion is used to highlight and consider various aspects of this important …

Engagement Across The Miles: Using Videoconferencing With Small Groups In Synchronous Distance Courses, Amy Piotrowski, Marla Robertson

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

This article presents suggestions for conducting small group work in synchronous distance courses taught using Interactive Videoconferencing (IVC) systems. One challenge of teaching over an IVC system is getting students involved in class activities. The authors share how they have used a videoconferencing tool to break up IVC classes into small groups for discussion activities and get peer feedback on written work. These activities engage students in applying what they are learning and constructing knowledge through discussion with their peers.

Full Issue: Journal On Empowering Teaching Excellence, Volume 1, Issue 2, Usu Center For Innovative Design And Instruction

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Volume 1, Issue 2 of the Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence, a publication of Utah State University focused on providing a forum for instructors in higher education to share best practices and ideas related to effective teaching.

Developing Ict Skills Of Stem Teachers In Mexico: The Key Role Of The Tutorial Function, Alexander N. Chen, David Mccalman, Mark E. Mcmurtrey, J. Gabriel Domínguez Castillo, Víctor Manuel Cab Pech

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

It is well documented in distance education literature that one of the factors that are considered essential to the success of an online course is the tutorial function. The role of counselor consists of assisting and encouraging students, building learning activities, and developing support strategies for the use of technology. The tutor thus was assessed as one element of great importance in on-line education, and, to some, an essential feature of this mode. In this paper, the importance of the tutorial function and its effect on the development of skills for using information and communication technology (ICT) in science, technology, …

The Road To Hybrid Courses: Challenging Yet Rewarding, Phyllis K. Adcock

Journal of Curriculum, Teaching, Learning and Leadership in Education

Faculty who have good technology skills and are searching for a way to adapt a course into some form of a distance education course have a number of options. Faculty who have the support of a technology specialist who can share many opportunities such as collaboration technologies and digital media, enable more flexibility in how courses are delivered. The ability to reach beyond the four walls of a classroom has helped developed an attitude that faculty are looking for innovative methodology, using technology in the classroom. Online programs, hybrid courses, audio-video conferencing, and virtual office hours have the power to …

A World Apart: How Distance Education Can Effectively Reach Around The Globe, Joseph J. Frantiska Jr.

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Distance education has revolutionized the field of education by giving faculty the ability to reach students anywhere on Earth. In many cases, the distances between faculty and students can be rather large with associated opportunities and challenges. An obvious challenge is the need for timely communications between faculty and students as well as among the students themselves. This can be compounded if the nature of the course requires widely dispersed students to work together as a group with the transfer of documents and frequent communications driven by deadlines as well as the desire to produce a complete document that adheres …

Participant Perspectives And Critical Reflections On Language Teacher Education By Distance, John S. Knox

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Language teaching is a profession which is international in character. Language teachers often work and study in foreign countries, and distance education has become very important in the education of language teachers. Drawing on two international surveys, this paper explores language teacher education by distance from the perspective of students (i.e. trainee or practicing language teachers) and teacher-educators in such distance programs. There are significant educational advantages for language teachers who choose to study by distance, and e-learning technologies have enhanced these benefits. This paper also includes an in-depth analysis of the qualitative survey responses from two individual students, highlighting …

Practising Teaching Using Virtual Classroom Role Plays, Barney Dalgarno, Sue Gregory, Vicki Knox, Torsten Reiners

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Practice in the role of the teacher is an essential part of teacher education, however professional experience placements are becoming increasingly difficult to find. Consequently, additional university-based teaching practice, such as classroom role play with student teacher peers is important. Classroom role plays can be effective but there are limits to the realism of the experience and such strategies are not feasible for students studying at a distance. This article reports on a study in which a classroom in the virtual world of Second Life was used to house role plays of student teachers in preparation for their first professional …

Creating Flickr Photo-Narratives With First-Year Teacher Education Students: The Possibilities And Pitfalls Of Designing Emergent Learning Tasks, Marta Kawka, Kevin M. Larkin, Patrick Danaher

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This paper explores the implementation of a Flickr (Web 2.0 photo sharing software) learning task in a first year primary education course. The context for the task was a Multiliteracies course where students designed digital media activities for later use with primary age students. The Flickr task was constructed to determine how a learning activity might be designed to afford the best opportunities for emergent learning (Kawka, Larkin, & Danaher, 2011). Emergent learning describes learning situations where: the student is self-directed; the content is created and distributed by learners; and the learning destination is open-ended and unpredictable (Williams, Karousou, & …

Online Graduate Study In Education: An Examination Of Tuition Costs And Faculty Salaries For Public, Private, And Proprietary Institutions Of Higher Learning In Texas, Scarlet Anderson, Amy Davis, Brandy Fair, Leah Wickersham

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal

Technology plays a major role in the delivery of educational services in today’s colleges and universities. Gumport and Chun (2005) stated that enrollment in for-credit distance education courses had more than doubled between 1997 and 2000. Distance education is undergoing rapid growth and expansion as colleges and universities rush to offer online courses and degrees in a variety of subject areas. Schrodt and Turman (2005) found students often expect college instructors to incorporate some form of technology into the class design even in traditional non-distance education courses. Although many educators feel that advances in technology will positively change the way …

Community College: The Chameleon Of Higher Education, Louis Fletcher

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal

A perceived dichotomy in higher education frames the relationship between four-year universities and community colleges. The four-year university thrives on publishing research as much as it does on administering curriculum leading to a degree. The community college is focused on instruction which could lead to a degree, certificate, or other outcome that serves the needs of the community. The four-year university serves the traditional student who typically attends the institution full-time and is a recent product of secondary education. The community college serves the non-traditional student who typically attends the institution part-time and often has already entered the world of …

Empowering Faculty To Facilitate Distance Education, Jane Arenas, Henry Gray, Paulette Hamner

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal

Traditional education has undergone major changes over the past decade. Higher education has evolved from brick and mortar to virtual campuses. Technological advancements in communication have changed the way information is presented. The manner in which students learn has also evolved. Educational leaders must also evolve to meet the needs of both students and faculty because, faculty members struggle with changing curricula, non-traditional learning environments and new technology. They need their leaders to assist them with the transitions (Tjosvold 2006). This paper attempts to provide a research-based framework through which educational leaders might empower faculty to better meet the mission, …

Importance Of Eq Skills For On-Line Professors, Joseph Neptune

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal

Distance learning has become widely used around the world and is available in a number of forms that greatly reduce the restrictions imposed on by the traditional class room environment. Various platforms allow the professors to hold live lectures, utilize PowerPoint presentations, and provide a learning environment that is as close to the campus lecture experience. Distance learning has grown and is continuing to grow in popularity as more and more colleges and universities are offering distance and hybrid programs.

Profile Of Online Programs In Private Colleges: From College To University With A Click, Michael Miller, Adam Morris

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal

Private higher education institutions have traditionally relied heavily on tuition revenues for their operation. Historically, these colleges have realized 80-90% of their operating revenue through tuition funding, making them reliant on their ability to attract and retain tuition-paying students (Gansemer-Topf & Schuh, 2006). This means that they are not only more tuition dependent than their public university counterparts (Summers, 2004), but that they must forecast expenditures and revenues with tremendous accuracy.

Academic Leaders Use Innovative Doctoral Programs To Respond To Shortage Of Business School Faculty, Darrell Burrell, Asila Safi

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal

As more universities create weekend, evening, and on-line master’s programs in business (MBA) in the United States, the shortage for university faculty in college business schools continues to grow, especially in Information Technology, Management, and Finance. If you review the USA university job search website http://www.higheredjobs.com/, you will see that there are plenty of high paying jobs for business school faculty around the country. These jobs require instructors to publish articles, work on research projects, make presentations at professional conferences, while teaching on average of only 3 classes a semester for full time salaries. Having a doctorate degree also provides …

E-Learning Enhances Both Student Achievement And Career Change Options, Rochelle P. Ripple

Perspectives In Learning

It seems as if everyone is using e-learning (online learning) these days. There are many options available, including self-paced courses, skills-based courses, virtual classrooms (and their cousins, live web seminars), web-enhanced courses, and asynchronous courses. There is a plethora of technological methods that can be utilized for course delivery. Which of these technologies and methods of use will maximize e-learning’s effectiveness? In other words, for the university, the instructor and students, which seems to work the best? In a nutshell - all of them. The beauty of e-learning is that there are so many options that can be tailored to …

Leading Community College Distance Education, John Adams

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal

Technological, demographic, and competitive changes in distance education (DE) pose complex leadership and strategic issues for community colleges. Leaders must establish institutional and academic objectives, develop financial and technological strategies, and organize, market, and evaluate DE initiatives. Their objectives and strategies should anticipate and help shape the developing competitive environment in which their colleges operate. This qualitative case study examined DE administrative and staff leadership roles, organization structures, and strategies at three Midwestern community colleges with expanding DE programs. Leadership teams were small. New roles and organizational structures were evolving, and the colleges were maintaining strong video delivery while developing …

Web-Enhanced Instruction: A Mixed Bag Of Contradictions And Possibilities For Doctoral Education, Carol Mullen

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal

This article explores some of the contradictions and possibilities of web-enhanced learning through the qualitative analysis of a pedagogical experiment. The parameters for this study are, broadly, doctoral education and, specifically, one doctoral course. However, extrapolations beyond these lenses are ventured.