Instructional Media Design Commons^™

S-Kmn: Integrating Semantic Features Learning And Knowledge Mapping Network For Automatic Quiz Question Annotation, Jing Wang, Hao Li, Xu Du, Jui-Long Hung, Shuoqiu Yang

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Quiz question annotation aims to assign the most relevant knowledge point to a question, which is a key technology to support intelligent education applications. However, the existing methods only extract the explicit semantic information that reveals the literal meaning of a question, and ignore the implicit knowledge information that highlights the knowledge intention. To this end, an innovative dual-channel model, the Semantic-Knowledge Mapping Network (S-KMN) is proposed to enrich the question representation from two perspectives, semantic and knowledge, simultaneously. It integrates semantic features learning and knowledge mapping network (KMN) to extract explicit semantic features and implicit knowledge features of questions,respectively. …

Impact Of Big Data Analytics On Banking: A Case Study, Wu He, Jui-Long Hung, Lixin Liu

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Purpose – The paper aims to help enterprises gain valuable knowledge about big data implementation in practice and improve their information management ability, as they accumulate experience, to reuse or adapt the proposed method to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage.

Design/methodology/approach – Guided by the theory of technological frames of reference (TFR) and transaction cost theory (TCT), this paper describes a real-world case study in the banking industry to explain how to help enterprises leverage big data analytics for changes. Through close integration with bank's daily operations and strategic planning, the case study shows how the analytics team frame the …

Protecting Students: Data Privacy In The African Union, Etienne Vallée, Yu-Chang Hsu

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The adoption by the African Union of its Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection in 2014 represented a step forward to protect personal data and to ensure that data remain private and secure. This is especially important for students, who often have no autonomy in the educational technology they use. Students cannot choose why data and information is collected, nor how it is used. In this paper, the importance of data privacy in general is explored, along with a particular focus on educational data privacy. The legal implications for the protection of data privacy in Africa are then …

Accessible Online Learning: A Preliminary Investigation Of Educational Technologists’ And Faculty Members’ Knowledge And Skills, Patrick R. Lowenthal, Amy Lomellini

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Colleges and Universities have a more diverse student body than ever before—this includes a growing number of students with disabilities. Many of these students are attracted to the flexibility and anonymity of learning online. However, research suggests that students with disabilities often face barriers learning online. Given this, we set out to investigate how faculty and educational technologists are prepared to design accessible online courses and instructional materials. We surveyed 95 educational technologists, directors, and disability access personnel in this exploratory study. In the following paper, we report the results of our inquiry into these professionals’ perspectives on faculty and …

What Is Pedagogy?: Discovering The Hidden Pedagogical Dimension, Norm Friesen, Hanno Su

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

What is pedagogy, exactly? Merriam-Webster defines it simply as “the art, science, or profession of teaching.” In contemporary academic discourse, however, pedagogy is generally left undefined — with its apparent implicit meanings ranging anywhere from a specific “model for teaching” (e.g., behaviorist or progressivist instruction) to a broadly political philosophy of education in general (most famously, a “pedagogy of the oppressed”). In this paper, Norm Friesen and Hanno Su follow the Continental pedagogical tradition in giving pedagogy a general but explicit definition. They do so by looking at how pedagogy arises both in everyday life and in school as unavoidably …

Teachers’ Experiences With And Perceptions Of Virtual Manipulatives Following The Covid-19 Pandemic, Fayth Keldgord, Yu-Hui Ching

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

While the use of virtual manipulatives (VM) is rising in classrooms, there is still limited research. regarding teacher experiences with and perceptions of virtual manipulatives. Most of the research regarding teacher perceptions of VM has focused only on short-term uses following professional development sessions and none has highlighted the experiences of teachers using them during emergency remote teaching during COVID-19. The purpose of this study was to explore teacher perceptions and. experiences with virtual manipulatives following emergency remote teaching during COVID-19. To achieve this, the researchers conducted an online survey to gather data on educator’s (n = 103) experiences, …

Understand Group Interaction And Cognitive State In Online Collaborative Problem Solving: Leveraging Brain-To-Brain Synchrony Data, Xu Du, Lizhao Zhang, Jui-Long Hung, Hao Li, Hengtao Tang, Yiqian Xie

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The purpose of this study aimed to analyze the process of online collaborative problem solving (CPS) via brain-to-brain synchrony (BS) at the problem-understanding and problem-solving stages. Aiming to obtain additional insights than traditional approaches (survey and observation), BS refers to the synchronization of brain activity between two or more people, as an indicator of interpersonal interaction or common attention. Thirty-six undergraduate students participated. Results indicate the problem-understanding stage showed a higher level of BS than the problem-solving stage. Moreover, the level of BS at the problem-solving stage was significantly correlated with task performance. Groups with all high CPS skill students …

From Emergency Remote Teaching (Ert) To Sustained Remote Teaching (Srt): A Comparative Semester Analysis Of Exchange Students’ Experiences And Perceptions Of Learning Online During Covid-19, William H. Stewart, Youngkyun Baek, Patrick R. Lowenthal

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The COVID-19 pandemic caused universities worldwide to close campuses, forcing millions of teachers and students to resort to Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT) and learning. Though necessary, the sudden move to remote delivery marked a significant departure from the standards and norms in distance education. In Korea, the pandemic coincided with the start of the 2020 academic year. Though ERT was new and unplanned during the first semester of the year, it became Sustained Remote Teaching (SRT) in the second. Through the lens of performance improvement theory, we sought to determine if students’ experiences and perceptions with learning remotely via SRT …

Strategies To Improve The Use Of Live Synchronous Meetings In Blended, Remote, And Online Courses, Patrick R. Lowenthal, Mickinzie Johnson

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Distance education over the years has been defined by the ability of students to learn at any time, from anywhere. Thus, it is not surprising that most online courses rely solely on asynchronous text-based online communication, such as email and discussion forums. However, the COVID- 19 pandemic and the rise of emergency remote teaching have sparked an increased interest in using web conferencing software (e.g., Zoom, WebEx, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams) to hold live synchronous meetings, often on a set day and time each week, instead of asynchronous discussions. But as convenient as it can be to move classroom instruction …

Interaction In Asynchronous Discussion Boards: A Campus-Wide Analysis To Better Understand Regular And Substantive Interaction, Crystal Gasell, Patrick R. Lowenthal, Lida Uribe-Flórez, Yu-Hui Ching

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Discussion boards can provide a glimpse into the regular and substantive interaction required in online courses. Advances in technology and an increased interest in learning analytics now provides researchers with billions of data points about instructor and student interaction within a learning management system (LMS). This study used LMS data to explore the frequency of interaction between instructors and students in discussion boards in online courses at one institution. Overall, 415 courses were analyzed spanning two semesters. Results from the study found that the average number of posts by an instructor was 32.9. The average instructor interaction was 1.49 instructor …

Investigating Students’ Perceptions Of Screencasting Style Of Video Feedback In Online Courses, Patrick R. Lowenthal, Holly S. Fiock, Dana L. Shreaves, Eric S. Belt

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Feedback is an essential part of the learning process. Asynchronous online courses are marked by an abundance of text-based feedback. Yet, video feedback in asynchronous online courses is a nascent field of inquiry. This study investigated student perceptions of screencasting style of video feedback in online courses. During this course, students received video feedback from their instructor, and provided and received video feedback to their peers. A total of 84 graduate students completed an end-of-course survey between 2018 and 2020 that focused in part on student satisfaction and perceived learning with video feedback and overall perceptions of social presence. Results …

Distance Education Under Duress: A Case Study Of Exchange Students’ Experience With Online Learning During The Covid-19 Pandemic In The Republic Of Korea, William H. Stewart, Patrick R. Lowenthal

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

COVID-19 caused universities around the world to transition overnight to some type of remote learning or online format. The way this occurred, though necessary, was a departure from the standards and norms of traditional distance education and was a drastic change for the majority of faculty and students who had no prior experience with remote, blended, or online learning. This case study was conducted in the Republic of Korea with 15 international exchange students who found themselves forced to take distance education courses on an empty campus during the COVID19 pandemic. Themes of isolation and loneliness, diverse learning experiences, little-to-no …

Exploring Student Perceptions Of Asynchronous Video In Online Courses, Patrick R. Lowenthal

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Research suggests that video can improve social presence in online courses. Video, though, is not a panacea; rather the success of video use depends in part on how and when it is used. Online instructors are increasingly using video in various ways, but questions remain on which types of videos students value most when it comes to establishing social presence. Given this, this mixed-methods sequential explanatory study explored student perceptions of three types of asynchronous video: video announcements, instructional videos, and video feedback. The results suggest that while video has the potential to improve social presence, it ultimately depends on …

Synchronous Tools For Interaction And Collaboration, Patrick R. Lowenthal

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The history of distance education in many ways is a history about the evolution of synchronous and asynchronous communication technologies. Distance education, and online learning in particular, has primarily relied on asynchronous communication technologies over the years. However, COVID-19 has sparked a new interest in using synchronous tools for interaction and collaboration in open, distance, and digital education. Given this it is incumbent upon educators and researchers alike to be familiar not only with the current iteration of synchronous communication technologies but also with how they have developed and evolved over time, the affordances and constraints of synchronous communication, interaction, …

An Exploration Of Levels Of Choice In Online Assignments And The Relationship To Students' Work And Their Thoughts About Motivation, Jonathan Crocker

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

This case study explored the relationship between levels of content choice in three high school online English language arts courses and evidence of student motivation in student work and students’ thoughts about motivation. These courses were designed around the main components of Self-Determination Theory (autonomy, competence, relatedness) and with a personalized learning framework. During the 2020-2021 school year, students in the courses were given reading options and writing prompts that offered “no choice” (zero options), “low choice” (2-3 options), and “high choice” (4+ options). Forty students completed anonymous end-of-course surveys designed to gather details about the relationship between motivation and …

Faculty Perceptions Of Using Synchronous Video-Based Communication Technology, Patrick R. Lowenthal, Richard E. West, Leanna Archambault, Jered Borup, Eric S. Belt

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Online learning has traditionally relied on asynchronous text-based communication. The COVID-19 pandemic, though, has provided many faculty members with new and/or additional experience using synchronous video-based communication. Questions remain, though, about how this experience will shape online teaching and learning in the future. We conducted a mixed method study to investigate faculty perceptions of using synchronous video-based communication technology. In this paper, we present the results of our inquiry and implications for future research and practice.

Exploring Factors That Influence Computational Thinking Skills In Elementary Students’ Collaborative Robotics, William H. Stewart, Youngkyun Baek, Gina Kwid, Kellie Taylor

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Recently educational robotics has expanded into curriculum beyond traditional STEM fields, and which can also be used to foster computational thinking (CT) skills. Prior research has shown numerous interdisciplinary benefits related to CT, however, these influential factors have often been investigated with relatively few variables. This study investigated factors that may lead to 4th and 5th grade elementary school students’ development of computational thinking skills in collaborative robotics activities by hypothesizing a model which proposed that a problem solving inventory, intrinsic motivation, and enjoyment were the main predictors of computational thinking skills. The model was then tested by surveying students …

The Hidden Costs Of Connectivity: Nature And Effects Of Scholars’ Online Harassment, Chandell Gosse, George Veletsianos, Jaigris Hodson, Shandell Houlden, Tonia A. Dousay, Patrick R. Lowenthal, Nathan Hall

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

A growing body of research reveals that some scholars face online harassment and that such harassment leads to a wide variety of adverse impacts. Drawing on data collected from an online survey of 182 scholars, we report on the factors and triggers involved in scholars’ experiences of online harassment; the environments where said experiences take place, and; the consequences it has for personal and professional relationships. We find that online harassment is heavily entwined with the work, identity, and in some cases, the requirements of being a scholar. The online harassment scholars experience is often compounded by other factors, such …

Video Use In Online And Blended Courses: A Qualitative Synthesis, Eric S. Belt, Patrick R. Lowenthal

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The use of video has become commonplace in education today. Educators are engaging students with video communication technology more frequently than ever before, given COVID-19. However, questions remain on how instructors use video as a communication and teaching tool in online and blended courses. The purpose of this literature review was to synthesize research on the use of video as a teaching tool in online and blended courses. A systematic approach was used to identify 64 peer-reviewed studies published from 2010 to 2020. A qualitative synthesis of the studies resulted in four themes: delivering video lectures, fostering discussions with video, …

Experiences And Perceptions Of Exchange Students Learning Online During The Covid-19 Pandemic In The Republic Of Korea: An Exploratory Descriptive Study, William H. Stewart, Patrick R. Lowenthal

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The COVID-19 pandemic forced schools worldwide to suddenly transition to remote learning. The change forced students, who might not choose to take distance education courses, to adjust to a new way of completing their coursework. Further, this impacted certain student groups like exchange students more adversely since distance courses complicated academic exchanges by rendering short-term exchange students isolated on an empty campus in a foreign country, all while recently arriving to both. There are many intrinsic hardships to academic exchanges but there is a lack of research on exchange students' experiences learning online when immediately transitioning from face-to-face courses to …

Addressing The Challenges Of Online Video Analysis In Qualitative Studies: A Worked Example From Computational Thinking Research, Chareen Snelson, Dazhi Yang, Torrence Temple

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

In this paper, we share our approach and the process for qualitative analysis of online video data recorded during an after-school robotics program that emphasized computational thinking (CT). Online research strategies may be necessary for various reasons such as when working with a geographically distributed research team, when conducting research with students in an online program, or when resources are inaccessible due to campus closures like those experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. We followed a three-stage process during qualitative analysis of the videos that included planning and setup, online analysis of videos, and structural coding of memos to explore patterns …

Lessons Learned From Creating Videos For Online Video-Based Instructional Modules In Mathematics Teacher Education, Patrick R. Lowenthal, Laurie O. Cavey

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Video can be a powerful tool, with a long history of use in teacher education. Despite the increased popularity of using video in teacher education over the years, questions remain about effective ways to create and use video in online video-based instructional modules. Given this, in this paper we describe some lessons learned creating videos for online video-based instructional modules for secondary mathematics teacher candidates, as a part of a National Science Foundation (NSF) IUSE program (Award No. 1726543) funded project. We specifically focus on how we recorded interviews with middle and high school students, and iteratively developed the online …

Community And Connectedness In Online Higher Education: A Scoping Review Of The Literature, Jesús Trespalacios, Chareen Snelson, Patrick R. Lowenthal, Lida Uribe-Flórez, Ross Perkins

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Community and connectedness are important concepts in online higher education. However, researchers debate how they are defined, operationalized, or enacted in practice. A scoping study was conducted to review the research literature on the extent, range, and nature of research in community and connectedness in online higher education. A total of 66 studies published from 2001 through 2018 were identified for review. The findings illustrate how research on community and connectedness has focused on areas such as course design, technology tools, faculty, and students as well as highlight the important role these concepts have played in the last two decades …

Teaching Mathematics Education Online: Instructional Theories, Strategies, And Technologies, Angie Hodge-Zickerman, Cindy S. York, Patrick R. Lowenthal

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

This overview chapter provides an introduction to instructional theories, strategies, and technologies that can guide teachers new to teaching mathematics (both content and methods) online in a formal online classroom setting. We begin by discussing different types of online learning environments, including synchronous, asynchronous, bichronous, and HyFlex environments. We then focus on different theories, such as cognitive apprenticeship, individualized/personalized instruction, social learning, and inquiry-based mathematics education theories. After that, we focus on some common technologies and strategies, such as think/pair/share, student groups, whiteboards, discussion boards, and more that someone new to teaching mathematics teachers online may use to engage learners.

Exploring Student Perceptions Of Flipgrid In Online Courses, Patrick R. Lowenthal, Robert L. Moore

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Asynchronous video-based discussions have affordances that can address some of the constraints of asynchronous text-based discussions. However, little research has been conducted on the use of asynchronous video-based discussions in online courses. As a result, the purpose of this exploratory study was to investigate students’ perceptions of using Flipgrid for asynchronous video-based discussions in fully online courses. We used a cross-sectional survey design to survey 79 students who used Flipgrid in a fully online course. Students overall reported that they liked using Flipgrid, it was easy to use, and that it helped improve social presence. In this paper, we will …

Social Presence And Online Discussions: A Mixed Method Investigation, Patrick R. Lowenthal, Joanna Dunlap

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Researchers have been investigating social presence in online learning for decades. However, despite this continued research, questions remain about the nature and development of social presence. The purpose of this mixed method exploratory case study was to investigate how social presence is established in online discussion forums in an asynchronous online course. The results suggest that social presence is more complicated than previously thought. In particular, situational variable such as group size, instructional task, and previous relationships influence how social presence is established and maintained in online courses. In the following paper, we report the results of our inquiry and …

Using Schema Training To Facilitate Students' Understanding Of Challenging Engineering Concepts In Heat Transfer And Thermodynamics, Dazhi Yang, Ruth Streveler, Ronald L. Miller, Inanc Senocak, Jim Slotta

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: Chi and colleagues have argued that some of the most challenging engineering concepts exhibit properties of emergent systems. However, students often lack a mental framework, or schema, for understanding emergence. Slotta and Chi posited that helping students develop a schema for emergent systems, referred to as schema training, would increase the understanding of challenging concepts exhibiting emergent properties.

Purpose: We tested the effectiveness of schema training and explored the nature of challenging concepts from thermodynamics and heat transfer. We investigated if schema training could (a) repair misconceptions in advanced engineering students and (b) prevent them in beginning engineering students. …

Faculty Perceptions Of Online Teaching At A Midsized Liberal Arts University, Dana L. Shreaves, Yu-Hui Ching, Lida Uribe-Florez, Jesús Trespalacios

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

In this mixed-methods study, faculty perceptions of online teaching at a midsized liberal arts university were examined to better understand faculty acceptance and participation in online teaching at the university. Seventy-nine participants responded to a survey that collected qualitative and quantitative data. Content analysis of faculty perceptions of online teaching was employed and resulted in the identification of six themes. An examination of 21 quantitative factors identified 17 factors reported by more than 50% of respondents to influence their decision to teach or not teach online. Study participants perceived online learning as attractive to students but they wanted any online …

The Administration Of Online Programs In Statewide Systems: A Case Study Of The University System Of New Hampshire, Chris L. Labelle, Patrick R. Lowenthal, Kerry Rice

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

As enrollments in postsecondary online programs have grown, many institutions have pursued a more centralized business model that consolidates their online programming under a single executive leader, a statewide system office, or a coalition of institutions that have merged operations and assets. In this study, the researchers used an exploratory case study design--using both surveys and interviews--to investigate how online programs are administered at four institutions in the University System of New Hampshire (USNH). Several findings emerged from the data. First, participants struggled finding a common vocabulary when talking about online programs and the potential benefits of system-level collaboration; second, …

'Education As A Geisteswissenschaft': An Introduction To Human Science Pedagogy, Norm Friesen

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Human Science Pedagogy is ‘a strange case,’ as Jürgen Oelkers has recently noted: In the Anglophone world, where Gert Biesta has compellingly encouraged scholars to ‘reconsider education as a Geisteswissenschaft’ (a human science) its main themes and the contributions of its central figures remain unknown. For Germans, particularly in more ‘general’ or philosophical areas of educational scholarship (i.e. Allgemeine Pädagogik), this same pedagogy is recognized only insofar as it is critiqued and rejected. Taking this strange situation as its frame, this paper introduces Human Science Pedagogy to English-language readers, providing a cursory overview of its history and principal contributors, …