Education Commons^™

Dichotomies: Lessons From A College Life On Tour, Alexander J. Dontre

All Faculty and Staff Scholarship

In this unique memoir, the author reveals his struggles and triumphs as a touring musician pursuing a college education. From 2011-2017, Alex Dontre performed 505 concerts with his band Psychostick while simultaneously enrolled in rigorous online courses. It culminated with a master's degree in Business Psychology from Franklin University, at which time he gave the commencement speech at his graduation as valedictorian.

Tipping The Balance Towards 21st Century Skills Through Peer-To-Peer Learning: A Cross-Disciplinary Pilot Of Peer Review Software, John Mccormick, Liv Cummins, Lisa Spitz

Staff Scholarship

There is growing recognition that many college students enter the workplace lacking “21st Century Skills” such as critical thinking, collaboration and communication. Peer-to-peer feedback provides a large number of benefits, including these “lifelong learning” skills valued by industry. Peer review, however, poses many challenges: for instructors; these include management of the process and poor quality of peer feedback; and for students, socioemotional barriers. Key socioemotional challenges are learners’ lack of trust in the process, in their peers, and in themselves as reviewers. This paper describes a pilot of a web-based peer review software called “Peergrade”, which was found highly effective …

Collaborative Mind Mapping To Support Online Discussion In Teacher Education, Rosa Cendros Araujo

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Mind maps that combine text, images, colour and layout elements, have been widely used in classroom teaching to improve retention, knowledge organization and conceptual understanding. Furthermore, studies have shown the advantages of using mind-maps to facilitate collaborative learning. However, there are gaps in the literature regarding the use and study of collaborative mind-mapping in online learning settings. This integrated-article dissertation explores the implementation of online collaborative mind mapping activities in a mathematics teacher education program at a Canadian university. The studies were developed with participants enrolled in three different courses where at least two of the online activities used collaborative …

Enhancing Online Or Blended Learning Environments With Active Learning, Ashley R. Salter, Alyssa L. Albrecht

FDLA Journal

Active learning is more than just a trending buzzword. This paper explores engaging strategies that are evidence-based instructional practices. With a little creativity and technology, these strategies can easily be implemented in any online or blended learning environment to engage learners and increase student learning outcomes.

Exploring Female Perceptions Of Metacognitive Development In Online Learning, Heather Richards

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

With increased access to higher education through online delivery mediums, it is necessary to evaluate the impact of the learning environment on disadvantaged populations such as female students. As the online learning classroom challenges through distance, isolation, and communication, these factors can influence a positive perception of the learning environment and interfere with deep learning. This qualitative study explored female perceptions of metacognitive development within the online learning environment, as metacognition is a core element of academic success in higher education. Through the design of the conceptual framework and with the support of the literature review, a methodology was selected …

Formative Assessment Techniques For Online Learning, Emily Faulconer, Beverly Wood

Publications

While most faculty think of assessments as used to measure learning after the fact, formative assessment classroom techniques (FACTs) give an instructor a snapshot of where students are in their learning so as to address any gaps in their understanding. Online instructors have a variety of tools at their disposal to incorporate engaging FACTs into their courses that will improve learning outcomes.

Developing Metaliterate Citizens: Designing And Delivering Enhanced Global Learning Opportunities, Trudi E. Jacobson, Thomas P. Mackey, Kelsey L. O'Brien

University Libraries Faculty Scholarship

Metaliteracy, originally developed in 2010 as a response to a then-limited conception of information literacy, provides a pedagogical model for thinking and knowing in a social media age that has allowed for the proliferation of false and misleading information. It is vital that individuals be thoughtful and critical consumers of information, and also responsible and ethical information creators and sharers. Metaliterate learners are developed across academic disciplines through teaching and learning that support self-direction, collaboration, participation, and metacognitive thinking. The creation of innovative, collaborative, and open online learning environments that apply the metaliteracy goals and learning objectives is imperative for …

Do Virtual Schools Meet Students' And Families' Expectations? An Investigation Of A Fully-Online High School In Arkansas, Christopher L. Davis

Theses and Dissertations from 2019

High school has evolved significantly over the last several decades. What was once a choice between public school and private school is now a decision that includes homeschools, magnet schools, charter schools, and virtual schools, to name a few. This was a mixed-methods case study that investigated students’ and families’ satisfaction with their decision to attend high school virtually. The study examined a fully online virtual high school in the state of Arkansas to answer the following research questions: 1. What factors best predict students’ interest in enrolling in a fully online virtual school in Arkansas? 2. Is there a …

Corporate E-Learning: Perceptions Of Persistence And Satisfaction, Staci Bain

Ed.D. Dissertations in Practice

This study examined eLearning perception factors of persistence and satisfaction in a for-profit business setting. The input of 32 company leaders, eLearning content designers, and course participants was investigated to identify the convergent and divergent eLearning beliefs of stakeholders. Using the Delphi consensus-building method, results suggested three salient course elements influenced eLearning persistence and satisfaction. Findings highlight the importance of being cognizant to include specific factors in eLearning courses when designing and implementing online learning, while also acknowledging and navigating the divergent eLearning beliefs of corporate stakeholders.

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.

Constructivists Online: Reimagining Progressive Practice

Occasional Paper Series

No abstract provided.

Interaction By Design: Exploring The Impact Of Communication Channel Selection On Social Presence In Asynchronous Online Learning Environments, Rachel Vigness

Publications

Building Small Commercial Airport Clusters to Increase Marketing Capability was presented at MBAA International, Chicago, IL in April, 2019.

Globalization, Culture, And Online Learning: An Exploration Of The Sociocultural Perspectives Of Indian Students Participating In U.S.-Based Online Courses, Mitsue S. Shiokawa

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

This study correlates the impacts of globalization on higher education and the generation of online learning programs offered to global audiences. Concomitantly, it examines the sociocultural experiences of international students participating in United States based online courses. Of specific interest is the socialized culture of learning students from India bring with them into an online learning course, and how that socialized culture is negotiated through strategies of acculturation alongside the student’s perceived American culture of learning. The overarching focus of the study explores the advent of cybercultures within online learning course environments as a potential result of the intermingling of …

Adaptive Leadership Approaches In Online Education: A Study Of Trust Creation And Change Management In Higher Education, Andrew R. Casiello

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

The focus of this study was to determine which aspects of “Adaptive Leadership” are most commonly used by leaders in online education at doctoral research institutions where online education is playing a major role in enrollment. Within this study, the current state of higher education is reviewed and major changes in the financial, technological and competitive landscape are discussed. Challenges within the higher education context are addressed. These challenges include the increasing cost of a college education, decreased state support for public institutions, reduction of regional hegemony caused by technological advancements, increasing competition for students, and student demand for greater …

An Investigation Of The Relationship Between Grades And Learning Modes In An Introductory Research Methods Course, Donna L. Roberts, John C. Griffith, Emily Faulconer, Beverly L. Wood, Soumyadip Acharyya

Publications

Education researchers have conducted studies on the relationship of learning mode to student performance, but few studies have evaluated pass rate, grade distribution and student withdrawal rate in an introductory research methods course. In this study, researchers examined 2,097 student grades from the 2015-2016 academic year to determine if such a relationship existed. In this study, learning mode was significantly related to failure rate, grade distribution and withdraw rate. Synchronous video home students had a significantly higher failure rate than traditional In-Person or online students. Online student grade distributions were significantly different than In-Person classroom, synchronous video home or synchronous …

Globalizing Online Learning: Exploring Culture, Corporate Social Responsibility, And Domestic Violence In An International Classroom, Daniela Peterka-Benton, Bond Benton

Department of Justice Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The construction of a successful online collaboration between distinct cultural groups requires an informed cultural awareness. This is the exploration of such an online collaboration between American and Turkish Students. The focus of the shared student interaction was the concept of corporate social responsibility. As the concept is enacted differently in different cultures, this represented an ideal opportunity for topical student reflection and for cultural exploration. The approach utilized focused on relationship-building as a preface to content discussion based participant preferences suggested by relevant cultural research (e.g., Hofstede). Corporate social responsibility campaigns in the United States and Turkey focused on …

Complexity Leadership: The Role Of Teaching And Learning Center Leaders In Online Learning At Small, Private Colleges, Tyler D. Watts

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

As online learning continues to grow and became an integral component of many higher education institutions (Allen & Seaman, 2017), the role of leadership in guiding those online learning initiatives differs from institution to institution. At small, private colleges and universities, where online learning is seeing greater enrollment and growth (Clinefelter & Magda, 2013), teaching and learning centers (TLC) often have involvement in guiding and shaping online learning initiatives. This study investigated the role of TLC leaders in leading online learning initiatives. The value of this study is an examination of leadership during a period of transformation and change that …

Online Learning Through Libguides For English Language Learners: A Case Study And Best Practices, Megan Hodge

VCU Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

Many of the international students in the U.S. first experience American education through English language programs, so the cultural norms taught by these programs are vital to the academic success of these students: without them, students struggle to recognize plagiarism in their writing, find reliable sources, and more, resulting in lower grades and honor code sanctions including expulsion. Librarians are uniquely equipped to meet this instructional need. This chapter introduces best practices for making the most of these opportunities for significant impact via Springshare's LibGuides platform.

Arriving At A Better Answer: A Decision Matrix For Science Lab Course Format, Emily K. Faulconer, Laura S. Faulconer, James R. Hanamean

Publications

At first glance, scientific laboratory experiences might appear to be challenging to move to the cloud. Skeptics may point to sensory feedback limitations and inequivalence of student outcomes. However, emerging data increasingly provide evidence that scientific laboratory courses are not only amenable to online learning, but also can deliver student outcomes at or above traditional in-person courses. In identifying a science lab format, each institution weighs factors like lab course goals, budget, program growth, access, and safety. This article presents a single case study and a decision matrix for how one institution informed their choice for the modality of a …

Factors Contributing To Student Retention In Online Learning And Recommended Strategies For Improvement: A Systematic Literature Review, Pauline S. Muljana, Tian Luo

STEMPS Faculty Publications

Aim/Purpose

This systematic literature review investigates the underlying factors that influence the gap between the popularity of online learning and its completion rate. The review scope within this paper includes an observation of possible causal aspects within the non-ideal completion rates in online learning environments and an identification of recommended strategies to increase retention rates.

Background

While online learning is increasingly popular, and the number of online students is steadily growing, student retention rates are significantly lower than those in the traditional environment. Despite the multitude of studies, many institutions are still searching for solutions for this matter.

Methodology

A …