Online and Distance Education Commons^™

Enhancing The Higher Education Quality With Mooc Penetration: Role Of Policy, Library And Curriculum, Flora Charles Lazarus, Rajneesh Suryasen

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The governments of emerging economies have realized the potential of MOOCs for enhancing the quality of higher education, but still, the MOOC penetration is very low in countries like India. This study explores the issues relating to MOOC integration and attempts to identify the key drivers for the adoption of MOOC based curriculum. 'Integration into Curriculum', 'MOOC Services of Academic Library', and 'MHRD Policy and Support' are identified as the key drivers for increasing the MOOC Penetration. The higher the level of MOOC penetration the greater would be the improvement in the quality of higher education. The practical implications for …

Exploring The Future Of Human Factors Education; Online Learning, Moocs, Next Generation Standards, And The Technological Skills We Need To Impart, Christina M. Frederick, Nathan Sonnenfeld, Heather C. Lum, Susuan Amato-Henderson, Thomas J. Smith, Kelly S. Steelman

Publications

The objective of this panel was to examine how the future of human factors education is changing given the influx of technology, a push for online learning, and adapting to the changing market. The panel will begin by Heather Lum briefly giving an overview and the precipice for this discussion panel. The panelists then provided their views and experiences regarding this topic. Kelly Steelman will discuss the potential for MOOCs and other online formats to create faster and more flexible postgraduate programs. Christina Frederick will discuss her perspectives on the technological skills we should be equipping our human factors graduates …

Perceived Barriers To Learning Process Of Rural-Based Female Students At The Open University Of Tanzania, Lulu Simon Mahai

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

This paper explores the perceived barriers to learning among rural-based female students studying through open and distance learning (ODL) mode in Tanzania. Specifically, it seeks to determine the perceived barriers hindering rural-based female students from active learning. A qualitative research approach informed the study using a single case study research design. Purposive and convenience sampling procedures were used to obtain 20 participants. Data was generated through semi-structured interviews, non-participant observations, and documentary reviews; and was analysed thematically. Findings show that female students in rural locations experience institutional, dispositional and situational barriers, which challenge their learning process. Moreover, the low level …

Building Community In An Asynchronous Write-To-Learn Course, Mary K. Tedrow

Teaching/Writing: The Journal of Writing Teacher Education

This study examines one online asynchronous course, Writing in Literature, devised by the researcher to determine the potential for building a student-centered course functioning as a learning community in spite of the limitations of the lack of shared space or time. The course was examined via student surveys that qualified experiences within the course as well as a review and coding of end-of-course student reflections. The survey and reflective commentary indicate that it is possible for an asynchronous course to effectively build a vibrant learning community. The learner to learner, learner to instructor, and learner to content framework recommended …

“Drown[Ing] A Little Bit All The Time: The Intersections Of Labor Constraints And Professional Development In Hybrid Contingent Faculty Experiences, Courtney Adams Wooten, Brian Fitzpatrick, Lourdes Fernandez, Ariel M. Goldenthal, Jessica Matthews

Academic Labor: Research and Artistry (2017-2022 archives)

Faculty teaching during COVID-19 have been asked to adapt to a wide range of instructional modalities that have often increased the labor they experience without commensurate compensation. Hybrid courses, which were already popular pre-pandemic, have become even more common as schools and universities have rushed to adapt instruction to students’ needs. This article reports on interviews with faculty teaching hybrid courses to investigate their perceptions of the labor involved in teaching in this instructional modality, drawing connections to the labor many faculty are experiencing as they adapt to hybrid or other, similar instructional modalities. It then argues that targeted professional …

March 2022, Lisa Friesen

The CETL Correspondent

SWOSU Faculty Focus - Dr. Mark Garcia

Originally from California, Dr. Mark Garcia was born and raised in a small Central Valley town. Growing up among the farm animals and hiking through the rolling foothills of the valley gave Dr. Garcia a great appreciation for nature and animals.

Assessing The Relationship Between Mandatory Faculty Development For Online Career College Instructors And Transformative Learning, Tremayne Simpson

Dissertations

Online teaching and learning has become a primary focal point for higher education administrators. Institutions have focused their strategic plans to maximize opportunities to grow their campuses, through distance education. A consistent issue that has surfaced with distance education initiatives is teacher preparation for online education. The issue is further compounded in proprietary institutions that may have limited resources and guidance for structuring effective faculty development programs. It is beneficial for faculty program developers to implement adult learning concepts into their courses to improve the overall training transfer for instructors. Transformative learning is an adult learning theory that focuses on …

Online Undergraduate Research In Science, Technology, Engineering, And Mathematics Courses, Emily K. Faulconer

Publications

What constitutes research can vary across fields. Even within science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines, the definition of research is flexible. For example, although science research and engineering research use similar methods and both produce valuable insights into the nature of our physical world, they have notably different focuses, with sciences aimed at expanding the outer edges of our knowledge and engineering fixed on systematic structuring of knowledge for application (National Academy of Engineering, 1995). Regardless of the STEM discipline, undergraduate research is a mentored experience in which students engage in original work, disseminating their outcomes to a larger …

Leading From A Distance With Lessons From Online Teaching To Engage A Remote Workforce, Heather J. Leslie Phd

Learning Design Center: Staff Scholarship

With many organizations and institutions now operating remotely due to the global coronavirus pandemic, leaders are now finding themselves in a position where they have to effectively lead and manage people and projects from a distance. Some are predicting that remote work may be a new normal for many organizations, with companies offering work-from-home opportunities permanently (Kelly, 2020). Because of the long-term implications for remote working, leaders will need competencies to successfully engage remote workers using new and creative strategies, techniques, and technologies. The field of online pedagogy has useful applications for engaging remote teams particularly in areas of communication, …

Enhancing Technology-Based Distance Education Delivery Using Collaborative Team-Teaching Methods, Susan Egbert, Sean Camp

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version of this article here.

Present pandemic-related circumstances have created unique challenges for educators and students alike. Information and communication technology (ICT) based team-teaching and collaborative course design can effectively mitigate feelings of isolation and disconnection, and enhance student engagement within a remote education context. This article presents a theory-driven framework and ‘how-to’ practical strategies for utilizing team-teaching methodology through web-based delivery platforms. Content focuses on student participation and active learning, curriculum- and technology-related issues, and challenges inherent in synchronous web-based course delivery.

February 2022, Lisa Friesen

The CETL Correspondent

CETL will be launching Blackboard Ally, an accessibility tool, in Canvas. Blackboard Ally will review documents uploaded into Canvas and make recommendations on improving accessibility. CETL will conduct a pilot in Spring 2022, which will be led by Steve Ray III, CETL Teaching and Learning Coordinator. Be looking for more information in the upcoming months.

Supportive Strategies For Human Services Online Internships: A Case Study Of Guttman Community College’S Remote Binary Model, Anya Spector, Nicole Kras

Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice

Creating a viable human services internship program at the community college level presents many challenges, from retaining partner agencies willing to supervise, often inexperienced, beginning students, to retaining students willing to overcome personal, academic, and financial challenges to participate in an internship. These challenges were exacerbated by restrictions placed on in-person teaching and internships during the COVID-19 pandemic. In response, Guttman Community College’s human services program has developed a remote binary internship model that offers fieldwork students the benefits of participating in an internship through online agency-based supervised field placements or class-based asynchronous assignments for fieldwork students that cannot participate …

Navigating A Calculus Course During A Pandemic: A Usma Perspective, Shane K. Smith, Tyson H. Walsh, Lee Evans

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

In this article we analyze publications written about different teaching modalities and evaluate how each applies to a calculus class during the on-going COVID-19 pandemic. We focus on the positives and negatives of teaching and learning in a virtual, classroom, or HyFlex environment. Although arguments could be made for each environment, especially given different institutional objectives, this work aims to explain why we eventually preferred teaching our Fall 2020 multivariable calculus course in a face-to-face classroom setting at the United States Military Academy at West Point. We also offer measures of performance to compare the current COVID-19 semester with previous …

Seeking Equity, Agility, And Sustainability In The Provision Of Emergency Remote Teaching During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Center For Teaching And Learning Takes An Expanded Role, Henry Trotter, Cheng-Wen Huang, Laura Czerniewicz

Higher Learning Research Communications

Objectives: The purpose of the study was to illuminate and assess the experiences and feelings of the staff of a center for teaching and learning at one South African university during the early months (April–June 2020) of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns when it switched from face-to-face teaching to emergency remote teaching (ERT). It explores the practical, operational, ethical, cultural, and emotional questions that the staff of this center dealt with as they supported the university in ERT provision.

Method: This paper draws on in-depth interviews with 23 staff members of the Centre for Innovation in Learning and Teaching (CILT) who …

Efl Learners’ Attitudes Toward The Usability Of Lmoocs: A Qualitative Content Analysis, Amir Reza Rahimi Mr, Dara Tafazoli Dr

The Qualitative Report

This qualitative study aimed to explore the usability of Language Massive Open Online Courses (LMOOCs) based on Iranian English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners’ attitudes. We used a qualitative questionnaire to collect data from 12 EFL learners from five cities in Iran. The study’s findings address a broad range of positive and negative aspects of LMOOCs. According to content analysis, learners have agreement on the positive aspects of LMOOC, including the learning environment, usability in language learning, inclusive educational technology, and parental presence. However, the learners’ attitudes were inconsistent regarding affective factors and feedback through LMOOCs. Finally, they believed …

Admission Variables Predict Success In A Hybrid-Online Physical Therapist Education Program, Evan M. Pucillo, Rossniel Marinas, Christine Salmon, Vibhor Agrawal

Physical Therapy Collection

Purpose: Screening student applicants can be a valuable measure for hybrid-online Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) programs.Institutions embrace a wide variety of measurements that drive admissions decisions. However, uncertainties exist regarding the most accurate admission predictors of academic outcomes, especially among hybrid-online DPT programs. The purpose of this study was to examine predictive relationships between applicants’ admission variables and program grade point average and National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) performance in a cohort of entry-level hybrid-online DPT students. Methods: A retrospective cohort design and convenience sampling method was used across two entry-level hybrid-online DPT programs in the Southeastern US. Hybrid-online …

A Virtual Physics Laboratory For Remote/Online Learning, Themistoklis Chronis

Summer Community of Scholars (RCEU and HCR) Project Proposals

No abstract provided.

Experiences In Remote Learning: Perceptions Of West Virginia Educators During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Craig Edward Arch

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

In March 2020, the threat of illness caused by Covid-19 prompted West Virginia Governor Jim Justice to abruptly close public schools statewide. Instruction was delivered remotely for the remainder of the 2019 – 2020 school year and sporadically across the state during the 2020-2021 school year with educators holding class meetings and delivering instruction where technology and a reliable internet connection were available. Gaining understanding as it relates to a teacher’s remote learning experience may provide insight into how administrators can prepare for future interruptions in in-person instruction. Identifying specific areas teachers felt were challenging or stressful may provide a …

Perceptions On Charter Schools In West Virginia, Donna R. Dixon

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

In 2018 and 2019, the public school teachers in West Virginia walked out of their classrooms to protest charter schools opening in the Mountain State. During a special legislative session in the summer of 2019, the state's first charter school law was passed, paving the way to open West Virginia's first charter school. This research provides data on whether the COVID-19 global pandemic changed how individuals in West Virginia view charter schools. A concurrent nested mixed-method approach was used for this research. A twenty-one-question survey, Perceptions on Charter Schools in West Virginia, was developed using both Likert scale and …

Introducing Students To Ethics And Professionalism Challenges In Virtual Communication, Katherine M. Koops, James E. Moliterno, Carol E. Morgan, Carol D. Newman

Scholarly Articles

As the practice of law, and the conduct of business generally, focuses increasingly on virtual communication, the ethics and professionalism challenges inherent in email, videoconference, text, and telephone communication continue to evolve. These challenges are particularly prevalent in transactional practice, which involves frequent communication with a variety of parties through a variety of communication channels. Exposing law students to these challenges through exercises and simulations contributes to the continued development of their professional identity as lawyers.

This article presents a variety of exercises that introduce students to client confidentiality, inadvertent disclosure, and other ethical issues that often arise in the …

Making Decisions About Asynchronous And Synchronous Engagement Strategies: Access And Inclusion, Jessica Lantz, Eric M. Stauffer, Jamie Calcagno-Roach, Andrea H. Adams, Kristen S. Shuyler, Aaron Noland, Juhong Christie Liu

Libraries

This chapter conceptualizes an inclusive framework for decision-making in the selection of synchronous or asynchronous technologies to enhance engagement in online learning. Technologies are discussed in light of their utilization and value for course and curriculum design and development in online environments, with the considerations of providing sustained support, and optimizing technology and teaching efficacy. The content presented in the chapter will benefit those who develop and support synchronous and asynchronous learning environments to address challenges when transferring courses to online or hybrid modes.

Student Perspectives On The Presence And Usefulness Of Navigational Course Elements In Distance Education Courses, Christopher Joseph Sochor

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The Quality Matters Standards for Course Design (2018) rubric is a course development rubric for online courses in higher education. General Standard 1 provides a list of specific review standards that are integral in the development of courses, including course expectations, course structure, learning guidance, communication expectations, technology skill requirements, criteria for student assessment, and overall course organization. Student feedback is necessary in order to determine whether students view elements of the course overview and introduction as present in their courses, and whether those elements are useful for the successful completion of their online course. This research utilized a mixed-methods …

Impact Of Covid-19 On Education In Rwanda: The Case Of Kepler Kigali, Ernestine Niyobuhungiro

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

The arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted many areas of life throughout the world, including the education sector. The pandemic brought on many changes that impacted both students and the instructors. To better understand the impact of COVID-19 on education in Rwanda, the research was made at Kepler Kigali; an education program that offers higher learning education. To collect the data, surveys and interviews were conducted with students and staffs. Forty-seven students and 18 staff members responded to the survey. The results indicated that 67% of the students found it hard to stay motivated and 77% of staff confirmed that …

Introducing The Remote Mentoring Of Undergraduate Research Students (Rementurs) Workshop Series: Initial Evaluation And Plans For Wider Implementation, Elizabeth Sargent, Abid Shaikh, Karla Sue Marriott, Taysia Porter, Dawn N. Cannon-Rech, Shainaz M. Landge

Justice Studies Faculty Publications

The primary objective of the Remote Mentoring of Undergraduate Research Students (ReMentURS) workshop series is to design a remotely available professional development training that will provide rigorous research concept and skills introduction to incoming undergraduate research students. This pilot run eight-week remote learning workshop series includes digital presentations, informational videos, virtual demonstrations, and aligned comprehension checks to foster student mindsets towards becoming independent research scientists. Preliminary assessment of the of ReMentURS program reveals that participants self-report gaining a variety of skills through the series and are likely to use the content in their future course and research laboratories. ReMentURS material …

Student Perspectives Of Eportfolio Implementation Within An Irish Hei Context, Fiona Walsh

Masters

This research study considers third-level student experiences of ePortfolio use during their education. Digital pedagogical tools provide educators with an authentic mode of assessment that presents a holistic view of student learning both inside and outside the classroom. ePortfolios are a digital pedagogical tool associated with the enhancement of the student learning experience and have received increased attention within the higher education sector; particularly during the Covid 19 restrictions where they offered educators an alternative mode of assessment to the traditional paper-based assessment. The purpose of this study was to identify the main challenges undergraduate students face when engaging with …

My First Time Ungrading: Approach Used And Reflections, Heather J. Leslie Phd

Learning Design Center: Staff Scholarship

A few months ago, I began devouring information about ungrading with a fervent appetite. I started with the book Ungrading: Why Rating Students Undermines Learning (and What To Do Instead), edited by Susan Blum, and listened to just about every podcast where she was interviewed about this topic. I then read other books she recommended, like Wad-Ja-Get: The Grading Game in American Education by Howard Kirschenbaum and Punished By Rewards: The Trouble with Gold Stars, Incentive Plans, A’s, and Praise by Alfie Kohn. Recently, I have become much more dialed in to the ungrading movement by reading articles from Teachers …

Online Teaching Of Program Planning & Evaluation, Manoj Sharma

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

Program Planning & Evaluation (PBH 440-1001) offered by the School of Public Health at University of Nevada, Las Vegas was taught asynchronously online by Manoj Sharma to undergraduate students (primarily from public health) in Spring 2021 (n=34). This course is designed to equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary to systematically develop, implement, and evaluate health-related programs, services, and interventions. The specific teaching techniques that were used in teaching this course were organizing the entire course in Canvas and making it available from day 1, recording all lectures beforehand in Panopto, utilizing cases studies in modules, embedding journal articles …

Improving Active Learning Through Advanced Teaching Practices On An Online Course, Jin Ouk O. Choi

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

Since the outbreak of the COVID, there has been a great need to advance learning experiences and opportunities for students when the courses are taught remotely. To address the need, the author incorporated the teaching strategies learned from the Culturally Relevant & Responsive Teaching (CRRT) fellows program supported by the NSF TRANSCEnD project. In Fall 2021, the author implemented multiple new teaching techniques and strategies in the CEM453-653 course, delivered entirely online. The specific teaching practices and technologies are: 1) Delivering lectures both live (synchronous) and recordings (asynchronous); 2) Using adaptive technology (Mentimeter & WebEx Poll) with real-time feedback; 3) …

Re:Thinking Virtual Faculty Learning Communities, Angela Atwell

Publications

Kickstarted with a POD Early Researcher Grant in 2016 and subsequent Research Grant in 2017, Virtual Faculty Learning Communities (V-FLC) have become a staple offering at our center. Since their inception, times and conditions have changed but the idea of reconnecting with colleagues, specifically remote colleagues remains at the heart of these V-FLC experiences. In this session, participants will explore the value and flexibility of V-FLCs by reviewing the development process, analyzing the concept of community, and scrutinizing the impact of size on a V-FLC. Participants will also leave with access to a framework for creating Virtual Faculty Learning Communities. …

Cognitive Load In Asynchronous Discussions In A Fully Online Course, Emily Faulconer

Publications

This study was designed as a quantitative descriptive investigation.