Online and Distance Education Commons^™

Exploring Vr User Experiences, Sarah Ferguson, Demetrice Smith-Mutegi, Brett Cook-Snell

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

Virtual reality (VR) has unique potential for simulating environments and situations beyond real-life experiences. This study investigates the limitations of VR equipment design for learning spaces, specifically online environments. Presented are the findings of an exploratory study that examined the immersion, ease of use, and physiological and emotional experiences of seven university students participating in a 30–60 min VR session. Given the small sample size, the findings were analyzed with descriptive statistics and qualitatively. The results revealed that participants recognized the potential of VR as a teaching and learning tool, while also identifying certain limitations associated with health and safety. …

Transforming Online Courses: Practical Strategies For Educators, Jacqueline A. Gilbert, Kelly G. Manix, Kristie A. Abston

Journal of Excellence in College Teaching and Learning

In this article, we examine strategies for enhancing student engagement in online higher education courses through targeted course restructuring. Given the increased demand for high-quality online learning, it is essential for institutions to adopt a proactive, student-focused approach to course design and delivery. The paper highlights research underscoring the critical connection between active student participation in online courses and improved academic performance. It emphasizes the fundamental need for strategic organization and consistent course design to foster engagement and optimize student learning. Our research explores the value of soliciting and implementing student feedback through multiple mechanisms, including pre-term and midterm surveys, …

Collaborative Online Interactive Laboratory On Software Defined Radio Fundamentals, Otilia Popescu, Dimitrie C. Popescu, Emanuel Puschita

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

Teaching of fundamentals of communication systems varies widely across programs in US and abroad, mainly due to the type of undergraduate engineering programs and the depth of the communications field within the curricula. The variety is spread across electrical engineering and electrical engineering technology programs, and programs with focus on telecommunications or which only offer core or elective courses in communications. Adding to the variety, some programs include hands-on laboratory courses, others include simulation-based laboratories most of the time using Matlab, while others may only include lecture courses with no labs. The accessibility of the new software defined radio (SDR) …

Accessing Online And Remote Learning Platforms In Kenyan Remote Areas During Covid-19 Pandemic, Florence Deya, Jane Rarieya

Institute for Educational Development, East Africa

Online learning has taken root and with the advancement in technology more and more educators are embracing online learning. During the COVID-19 pandemic, with total shut down of face-to-face learning, the Kenyan government had moved learning online and remotely. To find out on how learners in remote areas were experiencing learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, a study was carried out using rapid ethnography design. Five final year secondary students were sampled. Data was collected through interviews, observations, and document analysis. This paper reports on the findings of online and remote learning platforms, which were available, accessed, and preferred by the …

Setting The Stage For Success: Readiness And Connectedness As Antecedents Of Learning Continuance Intention In Online Learning, Yingqi Tang, Hungwei Tseng, Yu-Chun Kuo, Hsin-Te Yeh, Jianfang Liu

Research, Publications & Creative Work

Through a hierarchical multiple regression analysis, this study investigated how dimensions of online learning readiness and online connectedness influence students’ intentions to continue to take online courses. Data from 369 students who took at least one online course at a four-year public university showed that online learning readiness had a stronger relationship with continuance intention than online student connectedness, while online learning readiness had a significant correlation with online student connectedness. Online learning readiness and connectedness were indicators of online learning persistence. Factors such as age, computer/internet self-efficacy, self-directed learning, learner control, and facilitation influence students' intention to continue with …

Relaciones De Las Competencias Docentes Con El Bienestar En Docentes De Ciencias Empresariales Bajo La Modalidad A Distancia En Una Universidad Privada En Colombia, Camilo Ernesto Aguirre Martínez

Theses and Dissertations

El propósito de esta investigación consistió en determinar las relaciones de las competencias docentes con el bienestar en docentes de Ciencias Empresariales bajo la modalidad a distancia en una Universidad privada de Colombia. El estudio buscó identificar las relaciones entre las competencias docentes y el bienestar psicológico, el bienestar subjetivo y el bienestar social, cuáles de esas relaciones predominan, así como la identificación de cuáles elementos de estos tipos de bienestar contribuyen con el desarrollo de las competencias docentes.

El enfoque de la investigación fue el empírico analítico o cuantitativo, el diseño fue no experimental y su alcance fue de …

Understanding Shifts In Student Satisfaction Between Peak And Post Pandemic, Brian Verkamp

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates student satisfaction in online learning environments at the University of North Florida (UNF), with a focus on how satisfaction levels have fluctuated between the peak-pandemic and post-pandemic periods. Utilizing a combination of descriptive and inferential statistical techniques, the research examines the relative importance and satisfaction ratings of various educational factors, including demographic influences such as gender, race, and academic program. By creating a composite measure of overall student satisfaction, this study provides a comprehensive analysis of the factors that most significantly impact student experiences in online courses. Findings highlight the critical role of both satisfaction and importance …

Technology-Enhanced Professional Development For Early Literacy: A Comparative Study Of Online Teacher Learning Models In Kenya, Constanza Uribe-Banda

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Growing recognition of early literacy as essential for lifelong learning, along with evidence that teachers’ mastery of foundational literacy instruction influences student outcomes (Darling-Hammond et al., 2017; UNESCO, 2020), has led to increased investment in teacher professional development. Despite these efforts, many educators face significant challenges in accessing high-quality training, particularly in resource-constrained settings where geographical barriers and limited institutional support persist. This is especially true in rural Kenyan communities, where teachers often work in under-resourced schools with unreliable electricity and internet connectivity yet bear responsibility for laying critical literacy foundations. The present study examines the potential to deliver effective …

Strategies For Success: Developing The Hero Within To Increase Persistence Of Community College Students Returning From Academic Dismissal, Angela Cavazos

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Students are enrolling in college at a higher rate than ever before, yet retention rates continue to be problematic for higher education institutions across the United States. Many students fail to persist beyond their first year and are often forced out due to academic difficulties. Students who return from academic dismissal are likely to be dismissed again. This quasi-experimental quantitative action research study aimed to evaluate the impact that a student success intervention course designed through an asset-based positive self-leadership framework and focused on the development of psychological capital constructs of hope, efficacy, resilience, and self-efficacy (HERO) had on the …

A Learning History Of Online Portfolio Development In Kinesiology: Academic Innovation From Pilot To Powerhouse, Lyndsay M. Burneisen Phd

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study examines the phased development of an online kinesiology education program, tracing its evolution from inception to institutionalization through Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovations (DOI) theory. Using a learning history methodology, this research synthesizes document analysis, stakeholder interviews, and focus groups, and historical program data to explore how strategic leadership, faculty engagement, student support, and technological advancements influenced the program’s growth and sustainability. The research is structured around three critical phases: inception, maturation, and institutionalization, highlighting key adaptations in curriculum design, administrative structures, and quality assurance. Findings reveal a transition from a decentralized, experimental model to a structured, integrated online …

Clinical Pharmacology And Medication Safety: A Remote Learning Elective Designed For Senior Medical Students, Elizabeth B. Graham, William T. Wightkin, Curt R. Bay, Uzoma S. Ikonne

Department of Biomedical and Translational Sciences Faculty Publications

In the United States, medical educators have expressed concern that an integrated and condensed pre-clerkship curriculum risks leaving gaps in student pharmacology knowledge. This study evaluates a remote-learning clinical pharmacology elective that integrates fundamental pharmacology concepts and principles of medication safety and explores how the course impacts senior medical students' self-reported readiness for residency. Clinical Pharmacology and Medication Safety is a remote elective course for senior medical students. The course integrates a review of basic pharmacology with clinical pharmacology topics through case-based learning sessions led by clinical pharmacists and physicians. To evaluate the elective's effectiveness, students in the fall and …

Spotlight: Tako Lako, Diverse Russian, & Professional Russian, Margaret Godwin-Jones

Russian Language Journal

The Digital Resources Corner (DRC) offers reviews of new digital resources that could be beneficial in the teaching and/or learning of Slavic languages. It is intended for instructors looking for or evaluating different materials to use in the classroom.

College Instructors’ Experiences Of Online English As Second Language (Esl) Teaching And Learning Environments, Jianan Zhou

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates college ESL instructors' experiences in teaching online ESL courses. It explores the differences in teaching focus and online modes for teaching speaking, listening, reading, and writing courses. It also investigates how ESL instructors' perceived level of technology competence varies across different online teaching modes and examines how teaching and learner engagement strategies differ depending on the instructional modality. Key findings include the observation that both BICS and CALP were prevalent in online reading courses. Although no significant difference in technology competence between asynchronous and synchronous modes was found, it was shown that instructors used more synchronous modes …

Saudi And American Students’ Motivation And Anxiety In Online Collaborative Learning In The United States, Nawal Alqarni

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research study aims to explore motivation and anxiety Saudi and American students in online collaborative learning environments through online courses in U.S. universities and how they relate to their academic performance.

The study utilized a quantitative approach for data collection through an online survey of 99 Saudi students and 39 American students who were enrolled in U.S. universities. The results showed that there was no significant difference in motivation scores between undergraduate Saudi students and their American counterparts. Nor was a significant difference observed in motivation scores between graduate Saudi students and graduate American students. The data also indicated …

How Does Health Professions Student Engagement Differ Across Campuses In A Synchronous Multi-Campus Learning Environment?, Satera Nelson

Theses & Dissertations

Student engagement is positively associated with academic achievement, student satisfaction, and retention. In synchronous multi-campus learning, students learn simultaneously while physically located at several campuses throughout the state. This educational model is one way to address the rural health care shortage, as many students who study at rural campuses tend to stay in rural areas to practice. Student engagement is crucial to ensuring that students at rural campuses have a comparable learning experience and to help those students feel like they are a valued part of the class. The purpose of this study was to evaluate health professions student and …

Exploring Student Engagement In A Blended And Gamified Statistics And Probability: Designed With Learning Styles And Player Types, Reymund R. Gonowon

Sinaya: A Philippine Journal for Senior High School Teachers and Students

Educators are called to contribute towards achieving SDG 4: Quality Education. A major determinant in achieving this goal is providing learners with essential skills such as analyzing and interpreting data, making inferences, and driving evidence-based decisions which are the expected competencies in Statistics and Probability (STATPRO), one of the core subjects of the senior high school curriculum in the Philippines. To progress towards SDG 4, achieving the learning competencies of STATPRO is vital, however engaging students in a blended learning environment may be challenging. This study aims to explore the behavioral engagement of students in a gamified STATPRO class through …

How To Design An Effective Mooc To Promote Media Literacy: A Study Based On The Educational Design Research Approach, Lílian Tropiano, Pedro Reis

Journal of Media Literacy Education

The research aims to establish a conceptual framework to design a MOOC to promote media literacy in the context of information disorder. Information disorder is a phenomenon that mainly occurs from the large flow of false or incorrect content posted on the internet. Promoting media literacy is a way of helping citizens to face the challenges of disinformation processes. The educational design research involves the development of a MOOC prototype based on the literature review and improvement through successive iterations with groups of experts and MOOC participants. The first stage of investigation is the literature review for the development of …

Teaching Sociology Through Reality Tv: Understanding Society Through The Small Screen, Monica Bixby Radu

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version of this introduction here.

This article explores reality TV’s value in teaching sociological concepts and theories for a better understanding contemporary society. Reality TV serves as a rich canvas for illustrating key tenets of major sociological theories such as structural functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic interactionism. By analyzing reality TV through a sociological lens, insights into societal dynamics emerge, revealing how individuals navigate social norms. Additionally, reality TV serves as a cultural mirror, reflecting and shaping societal values. Globally, it influences cultural attitudes and social dynamics, transcending geographical boundaries through adaptations and social media engagement. …

Fall 2024 Introduction, Nichelle Frank

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version of this introduction here.

An introduction to the Fall 2024 issue of the Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence.

Full Issue: Journal On Empowering Teaching Excellence, Volume 8, Issue 2, Fall 2024

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

The full-length Spring 2024 issue (Volume 8, Issue 1) of the Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

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

The Fall 2024 issue presents practical ideas and prompts for those who teach at colleges and universities in a variety of disciplines. Articles ways to use popular culture (in this case, reality TV) to teach higher-level concepts; strategies for adapting Lesson Study techniques for preservice teachers; and a review of McNair et al.'s 2022 book on creating student ready colleges.