Online and Distance Education Commons^™

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 …

Construction And Implementation Of Institutional E-Learning Development Framework In Continuing Higher Education, Weiyuan Zhang, Chenggui Duan

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

E-learning has become a popular teaching and learning mode in the education and training sectors in the digital age. Many studies have been done in the field of e-learning at course level. However, limited literature has been found about e-learning strategic development in continuing higher education sector at the institutional level. The purpose of this study was to explore the institutional development and implementation of e-learning, using the School of Professional and Continuing Education at the University of Hong Kong (HKU SPACE) as a case. In this paper, the comprehensive e-learning development framework at institutional level is proposed and seven …

Effect Of Texting With Friends During Video Lectures On High School Students’ Learning, Mike Schellen, Lin Lin, Chris Bigenho

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

The purpose of this study was to examine high school students’ learning by looking at the effect of texting with friends through a computer chat program on their comprehension and memory of video lectures. Two videos were selected and two settings (texting and no-texting settings) were created. Students were asked to watch one video while being interrupted by a friend to text with them, and to watch another video without being interrupted. The results of the students’ video lecture comprehension and memory quizzes showed that the students scored lower while texting with friends, and that they scored differently between the …

Innovative Web 2.0 Technologies To Support Struggling Readers, Haihong Hu, Mary Ellen Oslick, Donna Wake

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

Most Web 2.0 technologies are either free or inexpensive, making them accessible for teachers to use for instructional purposes, especially to assist diverse students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. This article discusses the qualitative findings of a mixed-methods study that investigated how a group of candidates in a reading licensure graduate program responded to Web 2.0 technology integration when working with struggling readers, including their perceptual reaction and their implemented practice. The results from the study may help K-12 classroom teachers and teacher educators better understand how to include technologies in working with teacher candidates and assist them in designing instructional …

Indicators Of Digital Leadership In The Context Of K-12 Education, Lin Zhong

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

International Society for Technology in Education Standards for Administrators (ISTE-A, 2009) has been published for six years and but few studies have been done to indicate digital leadership indicators. This qualitative study aims to explore digital leadership indicators in the context of K-12 education based on ISTE-A standards. Results show that visionary leadership is indicated as integrated technology vision and technology plan support by all stakeholders. Indicators of digital age learning culture include sufficient devices, technology modeling, and effective technology utilization. Digital learning opportunities and digital learning community are indicators of professional development. Indicators of systemic improvement include maximized learning …

Grade Point Level, Reading Fluency, And Perceived Digital Reading Ability Of Video Game Players And Nonplayers, Soonhwa Seok, Boaventura Dacosta

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

This study compared grade point level, silent contextual reading fluency, and perceived digital reading ability of 1,206 South Korean video game players and nonplayers in grades 9 through 12. The findings strengthen results reported in the literature while also contributing new information. Nonplayers had better grades, a finding that supports previous research showing that gameplay can negatively influence academic performance. Nonplayers were better readers, a finding in disagreement with studies showing that Internet use, to include video game play, can help with reading performance. While players held higher views of themselves regarding their digital reading ability, these perceptions were not …

Inclusivity: Universal Design Strategies For The Online Classroom, Sarah Keene, Amy Limbybliw

Innovate! Teaching with Technology Conference

The importance of inclusivity work is backed by the Association of American Colleges & Universities, who in 2005 charged higher education institutions to work toward "inclusive excellence" by promoting a positive campus climate, establishing diversity as a core component in achieving desired student learning outcomes, linking diversity with quality, and rethinking and modifying pedagogy to reflect and support goals for inclusion and excellence (Williams, Berger, & McClendon, 2005). In addition, research conducted at higher education institutions have demonstrated that the extent to which students felt their institution had a nondiscriminatory environment positively impacted students' openness to diversity and taking on …

Feeling Real: Social Presence Within Online Discussion Forums, Maggie Struck, Trish Harvey, Karen Moroz, Jennifer Carlson

Innovate! Teaching with Technology Conference

Research on effective online teaching indicates that social presence enhances learning in an online environment (Bolliger & Inan, 2012). Social presence connects students to the instructor and to one another and influences the online learning experience and perceptions of learning (Bibeau, 2001). By establishing social presence of the individual and honoring the social and historical experiences of the collective; a richer, more engaging learning community can be formed. However, social presence is not easily attained in online learning environments. Rethinking the discussion forums within the online learning environment is a possible strategy for increasing social presence. In this session, presenters …

Steam Travel Without The Field Trip Migraine, Tami Moehring

Innovate! Teaching with Technology Conference

Educator will discover how the Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration (CILC) can bring STEAM opportunities into the classroom without the hassle of a physical field trip. Participants will enjoy the arts, touch plants and discover organization from around the world while never leaving their seats.

K-12.

Trials And Tribulations Of Designing An Online Science Lab, Kalli-Ann Binkowski

Innovate! Teaching with Technology Conference

Between supplies, safety, simplicity, authenticity, inquiry, and time, online labs are really difficult to design. Learn how we utilized free resources and a vendor kit to create an authentic inquiry lab for online students, that includes safety instruction, videos, and group work.

Multiple Audiences

Proctoring Exams In The Online Environment, Chlene Anderson, Pamela Gades

Innovate! Teaching with Technology Conference

The University of Minnesota, Morris Online Learning program has a history of using proctors for off-campus online students taking paper and pencil or computer-based exams. These methods require coordination between the student, proctor, instructor, and the online learning coordinator. The program must verify proctors identified by students, safely distribute exams to proctors and instructors, and follow protocols for the occasional late or lost exam. Recently the program piloted a remote proctoring system that allows students the flexibility to test at a time and location convenient for them while maintaining the integrity of online exams by authenticating students and deterring cheating. …

Byov-Connecting Students Globally With Video Everywhere, Tami Moehring

Innovate! Teaching with Technology Conference

We often hear that we should be teaching our students how to interact and collaborate with their peers across different countries, background, cultures and practices. Indeed, the global citizens and the workforce of the future require employees that are adept with team problem solving through multi-cultural experience and collaboration skills. Using high speed bandwidth and cloud-based Interactive Videoconferencing (IVC) students across the globe are practicing these types of skills while covering the national curriculum!

K-12.

Enhancing & Extending Learning Through Innovative Wrap-Around Technology, Sara Croymans, Ellie Mccann

Innovate! Teaching with Technology Conference

Do you wish you had more class time to provide additional engagement among students and parents/guardians? Consider using a 'wrap-around' strategy to build anticipation and garner engagement around your program goals.

This session will focus on an innovative technology approach to extend, expand, and enhance learning beyond the formal classroom as well as build an engaged community. Together we will discuss how to create a simple series of cohesive and coordinated technology related activities to develop a story that generates excitement and promotes engagement.

Through a 'world-cafe' experience session participants will be exposed to wrap-around technology activities such as blogs, …

Sharpen Your Webinar Facilitation Skills, Karen Matthes, Kari Robideau

Innovate! Teaching with Technology Conference

This presentation is designed for participants to sharpen their skills in facilitating and teaching in web-based environments. The presenters will use an interactive format by presenting with a web-based tool (WebEx) to demonstrate how engagement strategies can be applied. Participants will learn about best practices and apply advanced teaching techniques to their work. Resources will be shared with participants, including a rubric for evaluating participant engagement in webinars. Note: Participants do not need to be familiar with WebEx but should have experience with teaching and/or facilitating with a web-based tool.

Multiple Audiences.

Online Biology With A Lab? It Can Be Done Well!, Kalli-Ann Binkowski, Annette Mcnamara

Innovate! Teaching with Technology Conference

Designing an online course from a face-to-face course took nine months, an instructor, two designers, one academic technologist, a usability lab, and one student worker. Our goal was to use current best practices to make an interactive, authentic learning experience for every online student, with a hands-on lab to boot! Join us to learn how we managed to build this complex course in a way that reduced instructor grading effort and was highly usable to students.

Multiple Audiences.

Engaging Student Learning With Interactive Videos, Karen Matthes, Pamela Gades, Scott Krenz, Paige Friedrich

Innovate! Teaching with Technology Conference

The experiences of passively watching a video online and actively engaging in a lecture in person are markedly different. During an on-campus lecture, an instructor has the ability to pose questions to students and give individualized feedback based on responses. In an online environment, however, these questions are at best rhetorical, and students' ability to receive feedback on their responses is limited. As a result, students are unable to check their understanding of a topic while watching a video. Similarly, non-classroom environments may prove to be more distracting for students, and the resulting potential decrease in engagement may be detrimental …

Assessment Online: Informing Teaching And Learning, Geoff N. Masters

Teacher columnist – Geoff Masters

Online assessments are capable of providing significantly improved feedback to teaching and learning. Experience in schools is demonstrating the potential of online assessment – provided the foundations are right.

The advantages of online assessment are often described in terms of its administrative convenience, efficiency and lower costs. However, well-constructed online assessments also are capable of providing more timely, more instructionally useful feedback to teaching and learning. For a number of years ACER has been investigating ways to enhance the educational value of online assessments.

Open Source Micro Diplomas: New Credentials For New Learning, Jack F. Powers

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The standard model for college in America—a four-year bachelor’s degree that teaches critical thinking, analytic reasoning, and written communication skills—is unaffordable and unattainable for most Americans. Only about a third of citizens aged 25 and over have achieved a baccalaureate degree or better. Two-thirds are left behind in precarious jobs that pay substantially less and that are losing ground. Everyone from politicians to parents repeats the mantra of “college for all”, but the reality is more like “college for the socio-economically gifted.”

At the same time, the modern world of work is evolving into a more complex, technical, and computerized …

Virtual Interaction: A Real Alternative, Emmett Tuite, Lavinia Mclean

The ITB Journal

Social care students on block placement have reported a feeling of disconnection from both the broader student group and the natural supports available in the college environment. Students experience a variety of challenges and opportunities on placement, and when combined with practical and geographical limitations on support this can provide a key obstacle for successful progression through placement. Appropriate navigation of practice placement challenges offer the opportunity for key personal and professional development. This article is intended to outline the implementation and use of a specific moderated online interactive support space designed for social care students on final practice placements. …

The Lecturer As Learner: Exploring That Digital Divide One More Time, Mary O'Rawe

Conference papers

Although there is widespread acceptance of the importance, and indeed superiority, of student-centred learning in the contemporary success equation (McCabe & O’Connor, 2014), charting the route to such success remains problematic. Many assumptions around the nature of digital learning, and inter-generational attitudes to such learning are still made.

Specific to the context of technology-enhanced teaching, learning and assessment in a higher education environment, a range of generic and particular debates around how to be student-centric arise. Technology-enhanced learning (TEL) has been examined extensively from both the student’s viewpoint, and the lecturer’s perspective (Waycott et al., 2010). But how can these …