Online and Distance Education Commons^™

Using Online Education To Address The Challenges Of Small, Multigrade Schools, Lori Imasiku, Michael Gayle, Michelle Bacchiocchi, Melanie Kartik

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Supporting A Statewide Policy Consideration: Virtual Advancing Educational Leadership Training, Hamada Elfarargy, Beverly J. Irby, Nahed Abdelrahman, Gwendolyn Carol Webb, Angela Abney, Susan Holley, Elsa Villarreal, Carl Fahrenwald

Faculty Publications

COVID-19 pandemic was and continues to be a shock and a challenge to the entire world. This health and safety challenge found its way into the world of higher education, even in programs that were already delivered in online environments. In this study, we examined the perceptions of 79 developing principals enrolled in a Master of Education Degree program in Educational Administration at Texas A&M University in the United States as they processed the efficacy of a virtual professional development (VPD) leadership for a state certificate in Advancing Educational Leadership (AEL). The state agency has required AEL as a 3-day …

Strategies To Maximize Academic Integrity In Online Education, Glynis Bradfield, Ray Mcallister

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Experientiallearning@Socialmedia.Edu: Using The Tech Start-Up Concept To Train, Engage, And Inform Students, Stephanie J. Coopman, Ted Coopman

Faculty Publications

Undergraduate and graduate students were enrolled in an upper-division online experiential learning course organized as a technology company start up at a public university in the US. Students participated in an academic department’s social media team, publishing a weekly newsletter and producing and curating content for multiple social media outlets designed for public and university audiences, a website for the department’s students, and a career portal. Responses to survey questions provided support for Experiential Learning Theory’s cyclical learning model. In addition, students viewed the entrepreneurial approach to the team as both liberating and challenging as they engaged with each other …

Online Learning: Some Strategies For Success, Glynis M. Bradfield

Faculty Publications

The COVID-19 pandemic catapulted all levels of education into varied changes in delivery systems, including remote and e-learning. Both teachers and students are challenged to reflect and train on how online and face-to-face education differ in order to use online pedagogy and digital tools effectively

Strategies To Assist Distance Doctoral Students In Completing Their Dissertations, Janine M. Lim, Duane Covrig, Shirley Freed, Becky De Oliveira, Mordekai Ochieng Ongo, Isadore Newman, Isadore Newman Phd

Faculty Publications

Completing doctoral dissertations is difficult work and may be harder for distance students physically separated from institutional and collegial supports. Inability to complete independent research contributes to doctoral student attrition. Factors impacting completion include institutional factors, student characteristics, and supervisory arrangements (Manathunga, 2005). This paper shares proactive strategies used by a Midwestern university in the United States to support distance doctoral students. Strategies and technology tools are described that (a) cultivate a shared culture of responsibility and commitment, (b) increase effective communication between researchers, and (c) grow departmental and institutional services and technologies for faculty and students. This paper suggests …

Old Dogs Can Learn To Like New Tricks: One Instructor's Change In Attitude To Online Instruction From 2009-2017, Thomas V. O'Brien, Holly A. Foster

Faculty Publications

This qualitative case study examined a veteran instructor's change in attitude about university online instruction. After a short review of the literature and explanation of the project, researchers conducted a content analysis of an instructor's annual self-reports about his online teaching of a graduate course in the social sciences. The self-reports were written between 2009 and 2017. The researchers also examined students' end-of-semester evaluation scores about the course and instructor. Results suggest that the teacher began online teaching with a mixed attitude. After four years of teachin ghte online course (delivered once each spring) the instructor reported more about content …

Preparing For College & Career, Glynis M. Bradfield, Keri Conwell, Lorin Koch

Faculty Publications

Why a free online course on preparing for college and career?

• Andrews University Precollege Service: too little too late

• NAD Academies reduce counseling with downsizing

• No integrative course from an Adventist perspective

• Lack of Adventist career & college readiness lessons

Flipping Distance Student Services Through Technology-Mediated Orientation And Advising, Glynis M. Bradfield

Faculty Publications

Developing online student services to provide the level of support expected in traditional higher education can be challenging. This session will explore one private university’s journey through the development of a course to prepare students to maximize their personal growth in the online learning environment. Traditional advising centers on a student meeting with an advisor to discuss questions or concerns about their study experience. Since Bergmann and Sams first experimented with recording their high school science lectures in 2007, discovering how it saved them reteaching time, increased student access to foundational knowledge and freed class time for interactive learning, this …

Collaborative Online Instruction: A Care Ethics Perspective, Colette Rabin, Grinell Smith

Faculty Publications

Isolation is often a problem in online courses. In this qualitative study, we used care ethics perspectives to design the social organization of an online course to foster the development of robust collaborative professional relationships. Redesign focused on two areas. First, we centered all assignments on complex real-world problems. Second, we used dialogic instructor-assisted self-assessment. We found that students built professional relationships through dialogue, and simultaneously produced high-quality work. The significance of this work lies in its potential to help other instructors address the challenge of helping teachers adopt collaboration as a professional disposition.

Evaluating An Online Family Assessment Activity: A Focus On Diversity And Health Promotion, Paul Smith, Melissa Jones

Faculty Publications

This article describes the development, implementation and evaluation of a family assessment activity that was designed for a transition course in an RN-BSN program. The family assessment activity emphasized diversity and health promotion as key curricular concepts highlighted through the use of constructivist teaching strategies in the online classroom. The activity was developed and implemented by utilizing the Family Health Systems (FHS) approach to family assessment and Healthy People 2020 as a framework for family health promotion. The activity was evaluated through faculty observation and student feedback which is discussed in the article.

Service Learning Enhances Conceptual Learning In A Rn To Bsn Program, Henny Breen, Melissa Robinson

Faculty Publications

A qualitative study using transcript analysis was conducted to examine the effectiveness of service learning in enhancing conceptual learning in RN to BSN students. As part of their capstone course in an online program, students engaged in 64 hours of service learning in their local community. The transcripts of asynchronous discussions and journal entries formed the data for analysis. The findings illustrated that the student’s conceptual understanding was enhanced from the service learning experience. Further, the students demonstrated higher-level thinking by linking concepts that could be applied to nursing practice. Service learning reinforced the community-based philosophy of the School of …

Trans-Pacific Doctoral Success – A Collaborative Cohort Model, Helen Partridge, Christine Bruce, Sandra Hirsh, Ken Haycock, Sylvia Edwards, Cheryl Stenstrom, Susan Gasson

Faculty Publications

The San Jose Gateway PhD program is a doctoral partnership between the School of Information at San Jose State University (SJSU) in the USA, and the Information Systems School at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in Australia. Because of Californian legislation, SJSU has not been able to offer PhD degrees. The Gateway Program therefore provides a research pathway for SJSU’s coursework students. It also helps the School to grow the research capacity of academic staff. For QUT, the Program provides the opportunity to advance research agendas and to build strong international connections and partnerships. The Program began in 2008. …

The Added Value Of Conducting Learning Design Meeting To The Online Course Development Process, Denise Shaver

Faculty Publications

Do you find it challenging to have discussions with instructors about designing online courses and best practices in teaching? This article will highlight key components to conducting effective Learning Design Meetings. It outlines techniques used by our institution in engaging faculty in a discussion regarding better use of Learning Management Systems (LMS), storyboard layout, learning outcomes, student engagement, learning activities, formal assessments, and content delivery. Learning Design meetings have proven to be a compelling manner of decreasing faculty resistance while exposing instructors to best practices in pedagogy, andragogy, and online learning. Instructional Designers (IDs), Instructional Facilitators (IFs), and Course Authors …

The Relationship Between Successful Completion And Sequential Movement In Self-Paced Distance Courses, Janine M. Lim

Faculty Publications

A course design question for self-paced courses includes whether or not technological measures should be used in course design to force students to follow the sequence intended by the course author. This study examined learner behavior to understand whether the sequence of student assignment submissions in a self-paced distance course is related to successful completion of the course. The study included 543 students in 89 different general education courses at a private university in the United States during a two year period. Results indicate that students who completed at least one assignment or exam out of the intended sequence of …

Virtual Peer Teams: Connecting Students With The Online Work Environment, Thalia Anagnos, Alicia Lyman-Holt, Sean Brophy

Faculty Publications

This study examined the potential of online collaboration tools to develop team cohesiveness and research skills of undergraduates participating in Virtual Peer Teams (VPTs) in a geographically distributed research experience for undergraduates (REU). The VPTs mimic geographically dispersed virtual teams that are now common in industry. VPTs consisted of four to six students from multiple REU sites around the United States who were asked to experiment with various collaboration and social network technologies to complete specified research-based and social tasks. Surveys were used to collect formative and summative feedback. Students agreed their VPT experiences were significant in their professional development …

Experiential Learning: Using Virtual Simulation In An Online Rn-Bsn Program, Henny Breen, Melissa Jones

Faculty Publications

This article highlights the innovative experiential learning used by an online RN-BSN program through the use of simulation that takes place in an online classroom. Three experiential learning activities using a virtual community are described. These learning activities engage the students in thinking about social justice and health policy as well as teaching concepts that include community, leadership, influence, advocacy, networking, collaboration, and vulnerable populations. These concepts are critical to the learning needs of diploma and associate degree-prepared nurses who wish to continue their education to be better prepared to meet the complex needs of today’s health care environment.

Joining Forces: Enriching Rn To Bsn Education With Veteran-Centered Learning, Melissa Jones, Henny Breen

Faculty Publications

This article highlights the commitment of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing to engage nursing schools to support the Joining Forces initiative by enhancing the education and preparation of the nation’s nurses to care for veterans, service members, and their families. The progress toward meeting the Joining Forces pledge and integrating veteran-centered learning in an online RN to BSN program is described.

Assessing Online Collaborative Discourse, Henny Breen

Faculty Publications

This qualitative study using transcript analysis was undertaken to clarify the value of Harasim’s Online Collaborative Learning Theory as a way to assess the collaborative process within nursing education. The theory incorporated three phases: (1) idea generating; (2) idea organizing; and (3) intellectual convergence. The transcripts of asynchronous discussions from a two-week module about disaster nursing using a virtual community were analyzed and formed the data for this study.

This study supports the use of Online Collaborative Learning Theory as a framework for assessing online collaborative discourse. Individual or group outcomes were required for the students to move through all …

International Perspectives In Lis Education: Global Education, Research, And Collaboration At The Sjsu School Of Information, Sandra Hirsh, Michelle Simmons, Paul Christensen, Melanie Sellar, Cheryl Stenstrom, Christine Hagar, Anthony Bernier, Debbie Faires, Jane Fisher, Susan Alman

Faculty Publications

The IFLA Trend Report identified five trends that will impact the information environment (IFLA, 2015), such as access to information with new technologies, online education for global learning, hyper-connected communities, and the global information environment. The faculty at San José State University (SJSU) School of Information (iSchool) is engaged in a wide range of activities that focus on these trends—benefiting students, enhancing faculty professional development, and extending the school’s impact on the global information environment. The importance of incorporating global perspectives in the curriculum to reflect changes in the way that communities around the world access and share information is …

Population Focused Nursing: Advocacy For Vulnerable Populations In An Rn-Bsn Program, Melissa Jones, Paul Smith

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this article is to describe an innovative learning activity for online RN-BSN students designed to foster advocacy for vulnerable populations. The Vulnerable Population Advocacy Assignment, included as a component of the online Population-Focused Nursing class, provides students with the opportunity to identify and develop an awareness of issues impacting vulnerable populations and to advocate for policy changes that will influence the health of individuals, families, and populations. RN-BSN students build on previous knowledge and skills in professional communication and advocacy as they develop a policy statement designed to address health disparities impacting local, national, and global populations.

Student Characteristics And Achievements In Online And On-Campus Fcs Courses, Paula Tripp, Mary Olle, Michelle Jones

Faculty Publications

With a growth in online course offering in recent years, there is much research focusing on student performance and student learning outcomes. However, research focusing on characteristics and achievement in Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) higher education courses was not found. The purpose of this study was to compare student characteristics and achievements in online and oncampus FCS courses. The original study collected data from students enrolled in either the online or face-to-face section of the same junior-level course so variables were consistent. The study was later extended to another university using the same research set-up, but with a freshman-level …

Virtual Collaboration In The Online Educational Setting: A Concept Analysis, Henny Breen

Faculty Publications

This study was designed to explore the concept of virtual collaboration within the context of an online learning environment in an academic setting. Rodgers’ method of evolutionary concept analysis was used to provide a contextual view of the concept to identify attributes, antecedents, and consequences of virtual collaboration. Commonly used terms to describe virtual collaboration are collaborative and cooperative learning, group work, group interaction, group learning and teamwork. A constructivist pedagogy, group-based process with a shared purpose, support and web-based technology are required for virtual collaboration to take place. Consequences of virtual collaboration are higher order thinking and learning to …

Work-In-Progress: Linking A Geographically Distributed Reu Program With Networking And Collaboration Tools, Thalia Anagnos, Alicia Lyman-Holt, Sean Brophy

Faculty Publications

The George E. Brown, Jr. Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation coordinates a geographically distributed REU program with up to 30 students at 5 to 7 research sites each summer. Creating a sense of cohort and providing opportunities for the students to interact is challenging. The program coordinators have leveraged the NEES hub cyberinfrastructure to engage students in professional development and peer-to-peer interaction. Some experimentation with Facebook to sustain engagement with alumni is underway. Resources include a course management system (Moodle embedded in NEES hub) and a virtual world called Quake Quest. Through the course management system students post a variety …

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 …

Assessment Of Multi Media & Web Based Instruction In A Science Technology & Society Course, Patricia Backer

Faculty Publications

Multimedia can be a powerful tool in exploring the nature of the world around us, including its technological systems. This paper describes the assessment of self-paced multimedia and web- based modules that are used in an advanced General Education (GE) course in the College of Engineering at San José State University. The development of these modules began in 1994 and has undergone many revisions. Currently, four of the seven units in this class are taught using either multimedia CDs or web-based material.The General Education course, Technology and Civilization (TECH 198), is designed to introduce students to the realm of history …

Constructing A Partnership With The Community: Distance Education, Ronnie G. Bankston

Faculty Publications

The Department of Communication Studies at the University of Northern Iowa has made a commitment to establish and maintain partnerships with its Iowa Communications Network (ICN) based learning communities and with the institutions of higher education throughout the state that facilitate the delivery of experiential learning to students. In January 1997; graduate student enrollment doubled when the department began offering programs in Communication Education and Public Relations over the ICN. The program has moved from a top-down pedagogical model to the creation of a partnership with its learning community. Students in the ICN Communication Education program must successfully complete a …