Education Commons^™

Institutional Responses To Covid-19, Gary J. Burkholder, Erwin Krauskopf

Higher Learning Research Communications

We are pleased to publish the second regular issue of Higher Learning Research Communications (HLRC) for 2021, which follows the publication of the first issue in June and the Special Issue, Implications of COVID-19 on Higher Education. The pandemic continues to impact higher education; in many parts of the world. While in some areas, higher education institutions have reopened, others are continuing to operate at least partially remote as they deal with the risk for COVID infections. The manuscripts in the current issue and those published in the previous issues this year indicate that the implications of the pandemic …

An Evaluation Of Local Mentor Support In Ae E-Teacher Educational Technology Integration Online Teacher Training Course, Yasemin Yelbay Yilmaz, Seher Balbay

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

This study addressed a different approach to online language teacher training programs. The researchers investigated the pros and cons of having local mentor support for an online course titled Using Technology in the English Language Classroom provided by the AE E-Teacher Program. The course was offered to preservice teachers from 24 different universities across Turkey. The study collected data through a pre- and post-online survey and individual semistructured interviews. The results revealed that while local mentoring as a supplement to the main course content contributed to teacher candidates’ emotional and professional attachment to their profession by helping them relate theory …

Multimedia Open Educational Resource Materials For Teaching-Online Diversity And Leadership: Aligning Bloom’S Taxonomy And Studio Habits Of Mind, Elizabeth Johnston, Cheryl Burleigh, Xeno Rasmusson, Patrick Turner, Drena Valentine, Liston Bailey

Higher Learning Research Communications

Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore, develop, test, and refine processes to incorporate meaningful and equitable use of open educational resources (OER) in online classrooms.

Method: The intent of this qualitative study was to use an action research process of interactive discussions between higher education practitioners to shape collective understanding of how to teach in an online learning environment using OER.

Results: The study resulted in the identification six exemplar learning opportunities which could be incorporated into the blended pedagogical model. Each exemplar OER included all four types of knowledge as defined by Bloom's taxonomy and required …

A Conceptual Continuous Improvement Framework To Examine The "Problems Of Understanding" Applied Research, Silvie Maclean

Higher Learning Research Communications

Objectives: Improving performance to meet strategic priorities, such as teaching balanced with increased applied research activities, has developed into a central, though contentious, discourse for faculty in Ontario colleges. The aim of this article is to analyze and better understand why faculty are not engaged in applied research practices.

Method: This article draws from social cognition theory and a social constructivist perspective. The literature review examines the evolution of colleges in Ontario, including the political factors and symbolic artifacts that shape values and organizational practices. This study sought to explore how a conceptual continuous improvement (CI) framework might advance …

Higher Education's Contributions To The U.S. Democratic Society, Robert L. Williams, Charaya C. Upton

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

College experiences can contribute to teaching, learning, and instruction within higher education. The framework for this essay treats the college community as prototypic of the U.S. political society. Several aspects of the national political culture have been approximated within a collegiate culture. For example, every political problem within our society can be represented in a miniature fashion within a program of studies in a university. Much of students’ political information can come from the interaction between teachers and students. However, a sizable portion of this learned information can extend through interaction among students. At that point, teachers would point students …

Impact Of Technology On Higher Education, Gary J. Burkholder, Erwin Krauskopf

Higher Learning Research Communications

We are pleased to publish the first regular issue of Higher Learning Research Communications (HLRC), which follows the Special Issue, Implications of COVID-19 on Higher Education. The pandemic continues to impact higher education; in many parts of the world, it is still resulting in classes being held remotely, while in other regions, classrooms are slowly reopening to face-to-face or hybrid instruction. As the manuscripts in the special issue, as well as those in the current issue, reflect, the implications of the pandemic on higher education will be far-reaching. We continue to encourage authors to submit empirical research and …

Design, Development, Implementation, And Support (Ddis): A Curriculum Supporting Online Doctoral Candidates, Donna Russell

Higher Learning Research Communications

Objectives: The purpose of this paper is to comprehensively describe and justify the case design of an approach for the integration of synchronous virtual meetings to support nontraditional online doctoral candidates. As more nontraditional doctoral students are completing their degree programs virtually through online universities, the nature of their degree progression and the development of critical knowledge and skills differ from traditional on-campus programs.

Method: The case design of an approach to integrating synchronous online interactive meetings to support these learners is identified and justified through references to research in the learning sciences including sociocultural learning, heutagogy, and constructivist instructional …

Implications Of Covid-19 On Higher Education (Special Issue), Gary J. Burkholder, Erwin Krauskopf

Higher Learning Research Communications

Students at all levels were impacted by the shift to online learning; in many cases, they and the institutions they attended were not prepared for the complexities associated with remote/distance learning. In this special issue, Implications of COVID-19 on Higher Education, authors of three essays and five empirical studies have described the various ways the shift to remote learning has impacted students, faculties, and the institutions of higher education in different regions of the world.

A Qualitative Study Examining Home As Faculty Workplace During Covid-19 Self-Isolation, Lee Stadtlander, Amy Sickel

Higher Learning Research Communications

Objectives: Using the lens of the virtual workplace model, the current basic qualitative study examined how COVID-19 self-isolation affected both online and land-based faculty (working online as an emergency due to COVID-19) workspaces and work processes.

Method: A total of 20 online and six land-based faculty completed e-mail interviews both one month and 3 months post self-isolation.

Results: Online faculty were more satisfied with their home workplace, but both groups felt more negative about their online work, as they felt a loss of freedom and independence due to the isolation.

Conclusions: Findings indicated that both land-based and online faculty showed …

Remote Community Engagement In The Time Of Covid-19, A Surging Racial Justice Movement, Wildfires, And An Election Year, Merith Weisman

Higher Learning Research Communications

Due to wildfires in fall of 2019 and the COVID-19 pandemic in spring of 2020, Sonoma State University lost 50 service-learning courses, and as a result, almost 900 fewer students completed a service-learning course than the previous year. During the summer of 2020, the Center for Community Engagement began developing service-learning projects that were designed to be done remotely and address either COVID-19 or engage students with involvement in the fall 2020 election. Later, opportunities to address racial injustice and the wildfires were integrated. The opportunities described require active participation but remotely within the community; however, it is possible that …

Changes That Should Remain In Higher Education Post Covid-19: A Mixed-Methods Analysis Of The Experiences At Three Universities, Águeda Benito, Kubra Dogan Yenisey, Kavita Khanna, Manuel Felipe Masis, Rosa Maria Monge, Mehmet Ali Tugtan, Luis Diego Vega Araya, Rekha Vig

Higher Learning Research Communications

Objectives: The goal of the present study is to describe how the transition to remote emergency delivery was addressed in three universities during the COVID-19 pandemic, to determine the satisfaction levels of their students and faculty with this new teaching-learning experience, and to gather their opinions about the future of higher education.

Method: The study uses a mixed-methods approach, including faculty and student surveys and focus groups

Results: The study shows high satisfaction with the emergency remote delivery and clearly reflects the relevance of enhancing the digital components of future learning experiences in higher education and a unanimous preference for …