Online and Distance Education Commons^™

Learning From And Thoughts On The Handbook Of Research On Educational Communications And Technology (3rd Edition): Part 2 — Insights In Complexity Theory, Situational Theory, And Several Other Hot Topics, Kekang He

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

This paper elaborates on what the author has learned from the Handbook of Research on Educational Communications and Technology (3rd edition) in four respects: complexity theory and the complex learning supported by technology, situational theory and the scenariobased teaching model and strategy, the first principles of instruction and the four-component instructional design model (4C/ID), and the debate regarding the future of educational technology as a result of the changes in the direction of technical research.

Using Online Education To Transition Teaching Assistants To Teacher Certification: Examining The Differences Among Teacher Education Programs, Billie Jean Tingle

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compare The University of Southern Mississippi elementary education teacher candidates that completed the online or traditional route to determine if there was a significant difference in professional knowledge and skills using Praxis II test scores. The participants included 60 Teacher Assistant Program (TAP) online teacher candidates and 564 traditional face-to-face teacher candidates. This study also compared the two groups’ perceptions of self-efficacy. The instrument used in this part of the research study was the Teacher Education Preparation Program Exit Survey (Appendix A). A selection of the participants that completed their teacher internship during …

Growth And Decline Of "Second Life" As An Educational Platform, Christine Libby Mark

Dissertations

Second Life, a 3D online immersive virtual environment, emerged in 2003 and was predicted to become the predominant online course delivery platform by 2013. Educational institutions initially rushed to create a presence in the Second Life; however, after 2009 those same institutions were disappointed by their experiences and deserted the virtual world. This study sought to uncover the reasons for the rapid decline of such a highly lauded educational platform. Using a mixed methods research design, utilizing a qualitative phenomenology with in-depth personal interviews of higher education administrators followed by a detailed quantitative survey instrument, the researcher was able to …

Being Nontraditional And Learning Online: Assessing The Psychosocial Learning Environments, Self-Efficacy, And Affective Outcomes Among College Student Groups, Roslyn La'toya Ashford

Dissertations

The study compared traditional and nontraditional students’ attitudes about the psychosocial learning environment and their influence on self-efficacy, enjoyment of online learning, and student satisfaction by using Moos’ (1979) Model of Environmental and Personal Variables and the three dimensions of social climate as its theoretical framework. Traditional and nontraditional students were selected based on known differences between their personal characteristics/traits. A total of 151 undergraduate students taking online classes at a university in the southeastern United States participated in the online quantitative pretest/posttest. The findings revealed that nontraditional students preferred less student interaction and collaboration and more asynchronicity than traditional …

The Effectiveness Of Using Digital Movies As A Form Of Reflection, Taralynn Hartsell

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

Digital videos can be effective authentic assessment tools to help students reflect on their learning acquisition. Using digital video reflections to synthesize learning of abstract concepts and theories such as instructional design can be a method to evaluate how students perceive, understand, and arrive to certain conclusions. This paper describes the process of creating digital videos as part of a reflection assignment that graduate students in an instructional design course had to complete. Benefits and limitations of using this form of assessment are addressed, including some recommendations. The purpose is to help readers understand how digital videos can aid students …

A Case Study Of Applying Blended Learning In An Accelerated Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Education Program, Ying Wang Shen, Thomas H. Reynolds, Curtis J. Bonk, Thomas A. Brush

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

Blended learning has potential to improve teacher education in terms of accessibility and quality. This paper reports findings from a case study with mixed methods data collection analysis to examine the application of blended learning in accelerated post-baccalaureate teacher education at the program level. One hundred and sixty-seven recent graduates from a chosen teacher education program participated in the study by completing an online survey. Eight of the survey participants and six faculty members were interviewed. Findings from this study support the viability and benefits of applying blended learning in teacher education at the program level. On the other hand, …

Evaluating Online Social Presence: An Overview Of Social Presence Assessment, Guoqiang Cui

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

As an important variable in online learning environment, the construct of social presence has been widely studied by researchers in order to investigate students’ online communication behavior and their related performance. This study will provide an overview of the assessment of social presence throughout its historical development. In this review, both primary subjective and objectives measures of social presence will be introduced, followed by criticisms towards current social presence measures, and offer recommendations for future development of social presence measurement tools.

The Nature Of Distributed Research: Narratives Of Shifting Experience, Jingjing Zhang

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

Distributed work over geographical distance is not new, but this century has witnessed a rapid extension of this kind of work (Juan, Daradoumis, Roca, Grasman, & Faulin, 2012). In academia, it seems that the use of many technologies has inevitably led to an increasing trend of distributed research. In an attempt to explore this phenomenon, a qualitative study involving 24 senior researchers was conducted, and their lived and told stories illustrated that they worked together privately and publicly, informally and formally, with a high degree of reciprocity and with written records of their discourse. All forms of research activities, mediated …

Entering The 3rd Generation Of E-Learning: Characteristics And Strategies, Weiyuan Zhang

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

With the rapid development of e-Learning practices in education, the principles and methods of e-Learning have gradually evolved and matured. The purpose of this paper is to identify developmental stages of e-Learning and propose some strategies in establishing a new generation of e-Learning. First, the paper describes the three generations of e-Learning development. Second, the establishment of a 3rd generation e-Learning platform is analyzed. Third, course development in 3rd generation e-Learning is discussed. Using emerging new and user-friendly software, teachers and trainers could design and develop interactive e-Learning resources by themselves. Finally, the importance of staff development in e-Learning knowledge …

The Influence Of The Scripted Task On Learning Outcomes In Collaborative Learning, Liang Yu, Rong-Huai Huang

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

Scripting task is one of the key issues on the study of collaborative learning thatprimarily focuses on the influence of scripted task on learners’ knowledge building. It is known that the outcomes of collaborative learning entail learners’ knowledge building as well as their acquirement of collaborative skills. The paper, through a quasi-experiment, examines the effects of individual characteristics (gender and learning style), group characteristics (task type and group production), and their interaction effect on learners’ knowledge acquisition and acquirement of collaborative skills. The result shows that (a) the group with the scripted task and the group with scripted task and …

Multimedia Instructional Tools And Student Learning In Computer Applications Courses, Debra Laier Chapman

Dissertations

Advances in technology and changes in educational strategies have resulted in the integration of technology into the classroom. Multimedia instructional tools (MMIT) have been identified as a way to provide student-centered active-learning instructional material to students. MMITs are common in introductory computer applications courses based on the theory that this type of educational tool should be effective in increasing student knowledge and result in positive changes to motivation and the learning strategies used in the course.

The purpose of this study was to examine the use of the MMIT in an introductory computer applications course to determine if there was …

The Effect Of Online Discussion Forums On Student Learning And Student Perception Of Learning In A Science Course At The Community College Level, Rachel Syring Ryan

Dissertations

Institutions of higher education are feeling the pressure to offer a greater number of courses through alternative methods of instructional delivery including hybrid and online courses in an attempt to meet the needs of their students. Among institutions of higher education, community colleges have become a forerunner in online education, in many cases incorporating the development of online education into the institution’s strategic plan. To some educators, hybrid course offerings provide the best of face-to-face education with electronic transfer of information. One of the greatest challenges which exists in the development of a hybrid course is the development of instructional …

Deep Learning Through Reusable Learning Objects, Rosalyn Rufer, Ruifang Hope Adams

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

Being able to leverage an organization’s processes and core competencies to sustain its competitive advantage is important (Ray, Barney, & Muhanna, 2004). One learning objective of an on-line MBA is to teach students how to apply the VRIO (value, rarity, imitate, and operationalize) model, developed by Barney and Hesterly (2006), in order to identify an optimum strategy. However students in the program have had difficulty in understanding this model, partially because of the traditional pedagogy used in online teaching. This case study demonstrates how reusable learning objects (RLO) can facilitate knowledge in an online learningenvironment. The RLO developed and …

On A Deeper Understanding Of The Constructivist Learning Principles And Constructivist Instructional Design, Kekang He

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

Compiled by the Association of Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) in the US, the Handbook of Research on Educational Communications and Technology has impacted the field of educational technology in many important ways, since the 1990s. The third edition, published in 2008, in particular, provides the reader with more innovative content due to the collected efforts of its co-editors and a large team of contributing scholars. This article will focus on the third edition of the handbook by first outlining its overall structure and contents, and directing the reader to those arguments that stimulate the field most. It will then …

The Potential Of A First Lego League Robotics Program In Teaching 21st Century Skills: An Exploratory Study, Yuxin Ma, Douglas C. Williams

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

Business and political leaders in the US call for schools to teach 21st century skills. In the meantime, researchers call for more research to develop curriculum that teach 21st century skills. In this study, the authors examine the experience of a First LEGO League (FLL) robotics team to explore the potential of FLL for teaching 21stcentury skills. We found that the program provided opportunities for learning many 21st century skills such as systems thinking, decision making, problem solving, teamwork, conflict resolution, flexibility, perseverance, and selfmanagement. We also found that instructional strategies such as modeling, coaching, …

Development Of A Scaffold Design Model In Inter-School Collaboration Environment: A Design-Based Research, Xiaoying Feng, Li Chen

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

This study examines the development of a theoretical framework for scaffold design in an inter-school collaboration environment. The research question primarily deals with how to design scaffolds for an Inter-school Collaborative Learning (ICL). Design-based research methodology was used in this study. Literature review, questionnaire survey, field survey, and interviews were used during the course of research. Forty-seven secondary schools in 25 provinces in China were selected and participated in the study. This paper reports the first circle of design-based research. Through design-based research, a scaffold design model was developed and revised. Eight key types of scaffolding for ICL were identified. …

Examining Student Participation In Three Learning Activities Supported By Social Annotation Tools, Tian Luo, Fei Gao, Kathryn S. Hoff

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

ocial annotation (SA) allows learners to highlight and comment on Web pages and share annotations with each other online. Despite its potential in promoting collaborative learning, examining how to integrate it into educational settings has not been fully studied. The purpose of the study is to examine student participation in three different SA-based online activities: (1) peer review, (2) annotated discussion, and (3) collaborative reading. Students participated in all three SA-based activities and took a survey at the end reporting the effectiveness of these activities. The analysis of students’ annotations and their survey responses suggested that although participants perceived …

Development Of Visual Philosophy Under Impact Of Philosophy Of Technology, Li Zhao, Shuyu Zhang

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

Throughout history the development of technology has been affecting people’s lives. Any kind of technological innovation may give a qualitative leap in human society. The impact of technology has penetrated into the study of various disciplines. Philosophy is no exception. In 1877, Karp formally proposed the concept of“philosophy of technology.” Technology has been studied from the practical aspect of a tool to the level of philosophy. Although the concept of visual philosophy has not yet been formally proposed, the thinking of philosophical vision has already existed. This paper is to analyze the impact of philosophy of technology on the …

Jetde Preface, Marcus D. Childress

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

I am proud to introduce this issue of the Journal of Educational Technology and Development Exchange. This compendium of scholarly writing illustrates the breadth, depth, and diversity of work in the area of teaching and learning. The articles in this issue provide a glimpse into the ongoing research and scholarly dialogue in educational technology..........

First Steps To College And Career Success: Predictors Of Recent High School Graduate Readiness For Online Learning, Laura Mae Pannell

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine a number of factors related to traditional student online course readiness at a large community college prior to state initiated K-12 curriculum design initiatives, NCLB possible exemptions, passage of Senate Bill 2792, and possible future virtual charter school laws. This study analyzed the traditional college freshmen students' perceptions in several areas related to online learning. This study included surveys completed by 143 traditional online students at a community college. The study examined the students' perceptions of self-management of online learning, comfort of online learning, reported differences between males and females in the …

Jetde Preface, Timothy Newby

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

One of the real pleasures of working and studying in the field of Educational Technology and Instructional Design is being able to see the wide variety of content that is covered but yet the consistent, common underlying focus that always leads one back to the topic of learning. This set of articles in JETDE, volume 5 number 2 will not disappoint in that regard. While the participants, methodologies, and the content of the interventions may differ, each of the authors looks to find ways to impact the learning of their audiences.....

Evaluating E-Portfolio Using By Learning Stages: A Case Study In An Interdisciplinary Program, Ellis S.J. Fu, Jeff J.S. Huang, Stephen J.H. Yang, Anna Y.Q. Huang

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

This study conducts an investigation of posts in the e-portfolio platform of the program: “The interdisciplinary training program for talented college students in science.” Participants in this program were supposed to show their learning portfolios on this platform. Among the 2150 registered students, we randomly selected 126 students who have made at least 3 posts to become the target sample. By identifying the learning stages and posting styles shown by their posts, we find that students are mostly in the surface learning stages and weak in completing their learning portfolios. The results suggest that more strategies should be learned in …

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 …

Examining Pre-Service Teachers’ Instructional Strategies For Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge Via Video-Conferencing, Hsiu-Jen Cheng, Hong Zhan

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

This action research observes instructional strategies and appropriateness of the strategies that pre-service teachers have applied during their training based on the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) training model. Participants include 14 pre-service teachers who were enrolled in a Distance Education training course in Taiwan. During the course, pre-service teachers were trained to develop teaching skills based on the TPACK training model and applied their skills in video-conferencing teaching which involved 14 American students who were learning Mandarin Chinese as a Foreign Language (CFL) in an intermediate level course in the United States. Data were collected via screen recordings of …

Design Features And Academic Emotions In Educational Games, Yue-Xiang Zhang, Jian-Sheng Li, Yi Li

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

The purpose of this study is to investigate how the design features affect the players’ academic emotions in educational games. As a sample, 36 players were recruited to evaluate six electronic games on training players’ abilities to use the games. The researchers averaged their evaluation scores and considered related scales of three games concerning “Balance”, “Rescue” and “Gates of Logic.” Forty participants (19 female and 21 male) were tested on academic emotions and on the Learners’ Psychological Pleasure Scale. Results of this study reveal significant differences in educational games design features and academic emotions, such as a positive correlation between …

Analysis On The Applications Of Information Technology In Mathematics Classroom Teaching And Its Correlation With Students’ Mathematics Achievements In China, Yi Zhan, Jing Li, Mei Wang, Youqun Ren, Hong Chen

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

On account of the question of “how can teachers facilitate learning more efficiently with the help of information technology,” this research is going to probe into the application of information technology in mathematics classroom teaching and its correlation with students’ mathematics achievements in China. It is established in the data from “Research on the Relationship between Learning and Curriculum,” a program funded by Ministry of Education of China, that technology in mathematics education is important. Through the analysis of data, this research first describes how sampling teachers apply information technology in mathematics classroom teaching (including playing PPT lecture notes, using …

The Impact Of Outcome Intentions On Reading And Multitasking Performances, Lin Lin, Adrian Robertson, Jennifer Lee

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

This study investigated undergraduate students’ reading comprehension between two outcome intentions and three media multitasking conditions. The two outcome intentions were for accuracy and completion. The three multitasking conditions included silence, video background, and video test conditions. One hundred thirty university students participated in the study. Every participant completed two sets of reading, with two different intentions and in two different conditions. Results showed that the participants performed better in reading (a) when they strived for completion than for accuracy, (b) that the addition of an unobtrusive video (video background) did not inhibit the processing of the primary reading task, …

A Case Study Of Mobile Learning Pilot Project In K-12 Schools, Chientzu Candace Chou, Lanise Block, Renee Jesness

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

This case study reports findings from a four-month pilot project of one-to-one learning with iPads in four 9^th grade Geography classrooms in a large K-12 school district in the United States. The findings of the study revealed many promising opportunities and technical challenges for both teachers and students. The positive impact of iPad integration on student learning includes active engagement, increased time for projects, improved digital literacy, and digital citizenship. The challenge for student learning is mainly distraction by the multitude of irrelevant apps and Websites. With regard to instructional activities, the positive impact includes the implementation of student-centered …

Development And Evaluation Of An Educational Computer Game For A Certification Examination, Gwo-Haur Hwang, Chen-Yu Lee, Wei-Fang Tseng

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

Professional certification has become one of the important criteria for people to apply job positions in industries. Recently, computer-based learning has been widely adopted for helping students prepare for various professional certifications. However, most of the computer-based learning materials are not attractive to students, such that their learning performance is significantly affected owing to the lack of learning interests. Researchers have presented that joyful game-based learning can increase learner’s motive and pleasure. Therefore, this study builds a certification tutorial system containing two different modules that are the traditional e-version and the joyful game-based version. Moreover, an experiment has been conducted …

Field Experiences In Instructional Design And Technology:Legitimate Participation And Stolen Knowledge, Pearl Chen

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

This paper focuses on preparing effective instructional design and technology professionals through field experiences. A graduate-level internship seminar combining academic learning and onsite experience of working as an instructional technologist was analyzed through the lens of situated learning theory. Using a convergent mixed-methods analysis, this study examined the nature of learning that takes place in authentic practice and how learning is shaped by immersing in real-world instructional technology settings. The findings of this study suggest that legitimate participation in lived practice is conducive to active learning and engagement; moving from peripheral to central poses a special challenge for students in …