Online and Distance Education Commons^™

A Brief Examination Of Predictors Of E-Learning Success For Novice And Expert Learners, Emily Stark, Andrea L. Lassiter, Ashley Kuemper

Psychology Department Publications

As the prevalence of e-learning continues to grow in higher education settings, so too does the need for empirical research examining the antecedents of success in this environment. Previous research has suggested some characteristics that may determine success in an online course; however, little empirical evidence exists relating potential predictors of e-learning success with actual performance outcomes, particularly for different levels of learners. Students new to college may need different kinds of support to succeed in an online course compared to students with more experience in taking college-level courses, whether online or in-class, and navigating institutional resources. A primary goal …

Late Registration And Student Success In On-Campus And Online Classes, Patrick Tompkins

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

The study examined the effect of late registration into on-campus and online classes upon student performance when accounting for completion of a college success skills course and the demographic factors of sex, race/ethnicity, age, and full-time/part-time enrollment status. The data source was 2010-2013 ex post facto data from 23 colleges in a large community college system in the southeastern United States. The statistical method of binary logistic regression was applied to the data. The regression models failed to yield strong predictions of the association between registration timing and student success. Coupled with previous studies, this study demonstrated that the presumed …

Social Networking Systems As A Vehicle To Promote Sense Of Community And Performance In Online Classes, Jonathan Mark Woodward

Dissertations

Academicians are navigating through the intersection of information technology and social change. The path that educators choose will help determine the future of higher education in traditional and online settings. The journey of teachers is clouded by the abundance and rapid creation of emerging technologies, but the trends of Net Generation students offer direction. Among Web 2.0 applications, social networking systems (SNSs) offer students a new approach to communicating, learning, and collaborating.

The sociocentric view of knowledge and learning and the theories of Vygotsky and Dewey are helping to drive educators to look for a solution to a missing link …

Overcoming Barriers: How Community College Faculty Successfully Overcome Barriers To Participation In Distance Education, Matthew Meyer

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

To determine the primary barriers encountered by community college faculty in participating in distance education, community college faculty and administrators from community colleges in North Carolina and Virginia were surveyed using both quantitative and qualitative methods. Two separate online surveys were provided to faculty and distance education administrators (including chief academic officers) that included demographic questions and barrier assessment questions for both groups. Follow-up interviews were conducted among faculty and administrators at colleges that self-reported having successful or poorly performing distance education programs. To further frame the attributes of faculty participators and non-participators in distance education, the diffusion of innovations …

Academic Predictors Of Online Course Success In The Community College, Christy D. Hawkins

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify academic factors that might predict online course success for community college students. Online course success was a focus of national research and debate as studies consistently indicated lower success rates in online courses as compared to traditional courses; however, research that identified academic predictors to guide the development of policies and services that support student success in online courses was limited.

A random sample of 20 online course sections held at one multi-campus, urban community college resulted in 491 enrollees being examined for seventy-eight factors that might predict online course success. Factors …

Elis: Embedded Library Instruction Services, Michael F. Strahan, Sarajane Jones Tompkins

Conference Presentations

An 11+ year collaboration between faculty and librarians at a Michigan comprehensive (II-A) university evolved from individual innovation to a campus-wide program, Embedded Library Instruction Services (ELIS). ELIS is introduced as a model for embedding personal librarian support and instruction in academic courses utilizing various course management systems. ELIS contains four elements necessary for successfully infusing library support with course instruction: library resources & services, course specific library instruction, librarian instructor collaboration, and student/ faculty needs assessment. The presenters will discuss the history of embedded librarianship at Olson Library; define the four elements; discuss implementation; and address factors affecting the …

Community College Students' Perceptions Of Effective Communication In Online Learning, Donna Alice Hill Parker

Dissertations

This quantitative research project analyzed the application of instructional communication tools and techniques used by community college students to determine how they perceive communication in their online classes. Online students from a community college participated in this study by completing an electronic survey. Data analysis revealed that these participating students communicated primarily through written online communication tools such as posting of class notes, email, and discussions. Students lack exposure to more innovative communication tools such as teacher-made audio and video presentations or live conversations and demonstrations through the use of Wimba or other tools, which are readily available in the …

An Analysis Of Factors Expected To Impact Student End-Of-Course Grades In Introductory College Science Classes, Kimberly Shaw, Pinar Gurkas, Zodiac Webster

Perspectives In Learning

Research shows brain-based learning is achieved best when the students are in an active, low-stress state (Jensen, 2008), and people have unique learning styles that facilitate the assimilation of new knowledge (Gardner, 1983). However, current testing practices hinder the creation of an optimal learning environment, because teachers feel they have to build test-taking skills and spend valuable educational time teaching in ways they believe are not best practices. Changes in the brain can be seen with highly sophisticated imaging technology such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), functional MRI, and positron emission tomography (PET) (Drevets & Raichle, 1998). This imaging technology …

Measles On The Rise: Academic Institutions Be Prepared, Sally Richter, Amanda Hawkins, Leslie Painter

Perspectives In Learning

Measles is a highly contagious, acute viral illness that can lead to serious complications and death. From January 1 through May 20, 2011, a total of 118 measles cases were reported from 23 states and New York City, the highest reported number for the same period since 1996. Patients ranged in age from 3 months to 68 years. Of the 118 cases, 105 unvaccinated persons were associated with importation from other countries. Transmission occurred in households, child care centers, shelters, schools, emergency departments, and at a large community event. It is important for those in academic institutions to understand measles …

The Impact Of The “Failure Is Not An Option Policy” On Student Grades, Tamara Brown

Perspectives In Learning

Benjamin Bloom, well known for his Bloom’s Taxonomy, coined the term “mastery learning”. Bloom’s process of mastery learning involved initial instruction, assessment, feedback, and corrective instruction. Various researchers demonstrated success with a mastery learning model at the elementary, middle school, high school, and community college levels. Based on the idea of mastery learning, a rural high school developed and implemented a “Failure is not an Option Policy”. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of the “Failure is Not an Option Policy” at a rural high school on student grades. The program evaluation found the policy improved …

Reviewers For Volume 13

Perspectives In Learning

Reviewers for Volume 13

Editorial Board

Perspectives In Learning

Editorial Board

Cultivating An Environment For Continued Growth In Nurse Educators, Amanda Hawkins, Elizabeth Frander, Stephanie Lewis

Perspectives In Learning

Along with the significant shortage of registered nurses, the United States is also experiencing a serious shortage of nursing faculty. Despite the high demand for nurses, many nursing programs are unable to accept all qualified students due to this shortage. This essay identifies reasons why nurse educators are leaving the academic setting and why there are fewer qualified and willing candidates to fill the vacant positions. In addition to discussion of the problem, practical strategies for recruitment and retention are proposed. Through appropriate planning and leadership, there are many practical solutions that can be implemented in the workplace setting to …

The 4 Cs Of Teaching At-Risk Youth, Jeanine Fittipaldi-Wert, Claire Mowling

Perspectives In Learning

The purpose of this article is to assist educators in creating an environment that is safe and conducive to learning for at-risk students through implementation of the 4 Cs (caring, choices, commitment, and challenges). The 4 Cs can provide a framework for educators in providing suggestions on how to engage and meet the needs of all students, including those at-risk, while creating an emotionally safe environment that facilitates cooperation, responsibility, motivation, and respect for self and others.

Strategies For Success For English As A Second Language (Esl) Students In The Post-Secondary Setting, Tamara Condrey, Sherika Derico

Perspectives In Learning

English as a Second Language (ESL) students in the college setting have a higher rate of attrition than non-ESL students due, in part, to communication barriers. Retention and graduation rates of these students impact cultural diversity in practice settings for professionals who work with diverse populations. Colleges and universities must seek ways to assist ESL students with communication barriers in order to lower the attrition rate for this segment of the population and, ultimately, to improve the diversity needed in these professions. This article seeks to explore communication barriers for ESL students and offer strategies for overcoming these challenges in …

Table Of Contents

Perspectives In Learning

Table of Contents

About This Issue

Perspectives In Learning

About this Issue

Social Networks In Higher Education: A Study Of The Relationship Of Social Structural And Proximity Factors To Teacher Credibility And Perceived Quality Of Academic Life, Gordon R. Haley

Publications

As Berge (1998) tells us, learning is a lifelong process that is important to effective participation in cultural and economic life in a democratic society. In their research on cultural issues in distance education, Enoch and Soker (2006) note one of the major concerns of modern societies today is to ensure increased access to higher education, and to include members of formerly under-represented social groups and categories, such as ethnic and racial minorities, women and people who live in distant rural or disadvantaged areas or who have to combine their studies with full-time or part-time jobs. Building on the work …

Interstate Distance Education Partnerships: Case Study Of Challenges And Accomplishment, Michael P. Munro, Janet L. Kamps

Faculty Publications

Abstract

This paper chronicles the challenges in development of a partnership to deliver specialized teacher training across state lines. The authors present a framework of needed steps and use information from their experiences in a case study format to support and explain the progression of a proposed partnership to train teachers of the visually impaired between the Training Program for Professional in Visual Impairment at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, TX, and the Arkansas School for the Blind in Little Rock, AR. The authors discuss the initial concept and need, the development commitment between the two parties, the …

Google+ Hangouts, Pinterest And Twitter @ The Library, Robin Ashford

Faculty Publications - George Fox University Library

No abstract provided.

Toward A Sustainable Embedded Librarian Program, Robin Ashford

Faculty Publications - George Fox University Library

No abstract provided.

Academic Librarians In Second Life, Denise Cote, Beth Kraemer, Diane Nahl, Robin Ashford

Faculty Publications - George Fox University Library

The multi-user virtual world Second Life is an online software platform that allows users to jointly explore realistic three-dimensional environments via avatar characters, communicate via voice and text chat, and collaborate using shared creation tools. Librarians and educators have been developing academic content and services in Second Life for use with students and other constituency groups since 2005. This study surveyed academic librarians working in Second Life to discover their perceptions of virtual world environments for teaching and learning and to gauge the impact of this technology on their work with faculty and students. Sixty-two librarians provided details on various …

Interdisciplinary Collaborative Research For Professional Academic Development In Higher Education, Elizabeth Johnston, Cheryl Burleigh, Andrea Wilson

Higher Learning Research Communications

Although faculties are more diverse, decentralized, and increasingly isolated in technology-supported modern universities, effective technology use can also foster faculty professional academic development and collegiality. This scoping literature review applied Cooper’s systemic review model and a categorical content analysis technique targeting decentralized collaborative research teams in higher education. Findings indicate technology supports formal and informal university and nonuniversity networks, as well as various collaborative research structures; all contributing to professional academic development. Shared attributes of successful collaborative online teams include a sense of social presence, accountability, institutional and team leadership. Collaborative teams are integral to research and allow more faculty …

Is Service Learning More Or Less Effective Than Traditional Face-To-Face Learning In Technology Education In The Community College Environment?, David C. Childress

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Business and Public Affairs at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science by David C. Childress on November 29, 2011.

Socioeconomics And The Digital Divide : Access, Literacy, And The Online-Classroom Space At The U.S. Postsecondary Institution, Alison Lorraine Nolan

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

This study examines the challenges faced by educators and students and how socioeconomics, the digital divide, and a lack of access can potentially lead to low digital-literacy rates. The digital divide describes those who have access to broadband (high-speed) Internet connections and those who do not. Since education has become reliant on technology, those who cannot access the academic-digital space are at a disadvantage. The primary focus of this thesis is to define digital literacy in online, hybrid, and face-to-face composition classrooms at the postsecondary level. A review of literature was supplemented by a brief survey to students attending Montclair …

Faculty And Student Perceptions Of Students' Sense Of Community In Online Courses, William C. Fiege

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

The Classroom Community Scale (Rovai, 2002b) was used to examine faculty and student perceptions of students' sense of community at two points during an academic semester. The study also examined the relationship between student sense of community scores and their final course grades. A non-experimental research design was used by the researcher to analyze pre-survey to post-survey score means of students' sense of community as perceived by students and faculty. Two hundred sixty-nine (269) students and 48 faculty members representing 56 online arts and science courses at a community college in Virginia completed the pre-survey and post-survey surveys.

Students' perceptions …

Determination Of Selected Course Management Systems Advantages And Challenges: A Case Study, Dolruedee Suppacheewa

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Science and Technology at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science by Dolruedee Suppacheewa on May 12, 2011

Utilizing A Web-Based Career Development Workshop To Address Career Decision-Making Difficulty Among Community College Distance Learners, Johanna Michele Brown

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Career decision making difficulty, as it relates to undecided college students and career indecision, has been a concern for counselors and academic advisors for decades (Gordon, 2006; Mau, 2004). Individuals struggling with career indecision often seek assistance via career counseling, self-help tools, and/or computer-assisted career guidance systems (Gati, Gadassi, & Shemesh, 2005). The past decade has brought a large increase in the development of a number of web-based career guidance systems (CGS) (Bobek, Robbins, Gore, Harris-Bowlsbey, Lapan, Dahir, & Jepsen, 2005). Despite the rapid growth in the type and use of computer-assisted CGS, little empirical research has been conducted on …

Faculty Compensation For Developing And Delivering Online Courses, Jeffrey Allen Burleson

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

The intent of this dissertation was to determine the most common compensation practices higher education institutions provided faculty for developing and delivering online courses. Many higher education institutions provided compensation as motivational tools to elicit faculty participation in new online learning initiatives; however, limited research was available on equitable compensation for these services. The population consisted of 263 small, medium, and large baccalaureate and masters level private and state-funded not-for-profit United States higher education institutions. This population was selected using the maximum number of institutions identified by the Carnegie Classification system that met these criteria.

Data for this study were …

Managing Childhood Asthma In The School Environment, Amanda Hawkins, Leslie Painter, Sally Richter

Perspectives In Learning

It is often taken for granted that schools are instrumental in the spread of illness from child to child as well as from child to teacher. In addition to the nagging colds, stomach viruses and other temporary maladies, the school environment may actually contribute to some lifelong medical conditions. Many children face an unhealthy school environment on a daily basis, year after year, which may contribute to a condition called asthma. Asthma causes the airways of the lungs to swell and constrict and can often flare up without warning. Asthma is one of the top childhood disorders and is also …