Online and Distance Education Commons^™

Designing For Universal Success, Nicole Martin, Trey Conatser

Greater Faculties: A Review of Teaching and Learning

Dr. Deb Castiglione is the Universal Design and Instructional Technology Specialist at CELT. She has worked to get a campus-wide license at the University of Kentucky for the software Read&Write Gold, which follows principles of universal design for learning. We asked Dr. Castiglione about what the software can do for learners, and why we should think more about inclusive practices such as universal design in our teaching.

Connect Oer Annual Report, 2016-2017, Brady Yano

Copyright, Fair Use, Scholarly Communication, etc.

Earlier this year, SPARC launched Connect OER—a platform to share and discover information about Open Educational Resources (OER) activities at campuses across North America. Through Connect OER, academic libraries create and manage profiles about their institution’s efforts on OER, producing valuable data that we use to populate a searchable directory and produce an annual report.

As the first Connect OER Annual Report, this document summarizes insights from the Connect OER pilot, which ran from May - July 2017. The data encompass 65 SPARC member libraries spanning 31 U.S. states and five Canadian provinces who participated in the pilot. Our analysis …

Nine Potential Solutions To Abate Grade Inflation At Regionally Accredited Online U.S. Universities: An Intrinsic Case Study, David Blum

The Qualitative Report

Grade inflation must be abated. The effect of grade inflation weakens academic standards to the point where accurately assessing levels of competency and student knowledge is difficult to determine. Using intrinsic case study design, I contacted 411 online instructors in the United States exploring potential solutions to abate grade inflation. Of 411 faculty members contacted via personal e-mail, 27 instructors at three regionally accredited online universities in the United States agreed to be interviewed by the use of an interview protocol and recorded via Skype. The research question guiding the study was “What are potential solutions to abate grade inflation?” …

September 2017, Marci Grant

The CETL Correspondent

No abstract provided.

Arghhh! My Computer Screen Froze: A “Glitch” In K-12 Blended Learning Classrooms, Tricia P.A. Herbert

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Our life-world occupies spaces drawn to new and emerging technologies that mediate our experiences to self, others, and the world. The presence of old and new technologies, the blackboard to the computer, in classrooms play a prominent role in shaping America’s education system. Schools today evolved from the technologies we design and use as individuals and as a society. Also, private and public K-12 education stakeholders believe blended learning, the meeting of traditional, face-to-face schooling with online learning at or from a school building, will transform schools. However, blended learning as a field lacks inquiry focused on K-12 school settings …

Exploring Factors That Help Students Feel More Connected To Their Online Instructors, Debra Austin

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

This research explores business students’ perceptions of connectedness with their online instructors in higher education. The results were analyzed to discover the basic constructs of these perceptions. The findings will help faculty understand how they can improve their connection with students in an online environment in an effort to form stronger relationships with students and better their teaching practice. Students across multiple sections of introductory level business courses at Portland Community College were asked to participate in this qualitative study. Narrative research methods were used to best understand the complexities of the students’ lived experiences. Journey maps and interviews were …

A Phenomenological Study Of First-Career Millennial Novice Elementary School Teachers’ Use 0f Technology, Karla Ontiveros-Karr

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to describe the attitudes and understandings for millennial first-career novice (FCMN) teachers toward transformational technology integration in the elementary classroom as it relates to the technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge framework (TPACK). Three research questions framed this study: (a) How do millennial first-career novice teachers from the Midwestern United States describe their level of content knowledge, technological knowledge, and pedagogical knowledge (TPACK) to support their teaching practices in the elementary classroom? (b) How do participants describe their approach to instructional decision-making based on their technological knowledge in the elementary classroom? (c) How, …

The Impact Of 1:1 Laptop Environments On The English Language Arts Achievement Of Fifth Grade Students From Diverse Socio-Economic Backgrounds, Nicole Miller

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative study extends previous research on the impact of one to one (1:1) laptop environments on student outcomes in English Language Arts (ELA) by focusing on students from various socio-economic backgrounds, while using a new technology-enhanced, state-administered assessment to measure performance. This study is significant because policy makers focus on state test scores when planning educational investments. Therefore, results from this study can assist policy makers in determining best practices related to technology integration to ensure equitable opportunities for all students. A non-experimental ex post facto causal comparative research design was used to explore the impact of 1:1 laptops …

Building Multicultural Competency Through Direct Experiential Contact: An Immersive Case Study Experience, Michael Baltimore

Perspectives In Learning

As American society becomes more diverse, counselor training programs have the responsibility for instilling multicultural competencies for counselors-in-training. Teaching multicultural competency is a requirement in professional counseling training programs through graduate level courses with the content infused throughout the program. In this case study approach, students were asked to immerse themselves within a different culture in order to become more aware of their own cultural values, become aware of other cultures and to learn appropriate relationship skills necessary for building helping relationships. Resulting writing and presentations show an increase in awareness, knowledge and skill for students. Recommendations for including an …

Teachers' Perceptions And Use Of E-Readers, Paulina Kuforiji, Bonita Williams

Perspectives In Learning

waiting on authors

Reflection On Retention: An Evaluation Study On Minority Students’ Success In An Online Nursing Program, Amanda Hawkins, Elizabeth Frander, Melissa Young, Kaylen Deal

Perspectives In Learning

The United States nursing workforce faces a health care challenge for providing culturally competent care to the growing number of racial and ethnic minority groups. According to Gertner et al (2010), cultural competency in health care is defined as providing care to patients with diverse backgrounds to meet the social, cultural and linguistic needs. Research has shown that patients receive a higher level of culturally competent care from nurses who are from their own cultural background. Administrators and faculty working in Schools of Nursing must recognize this important fact and take action to ensure the admissions, progression, and graduation of …

Volume 16 Issue 1 Preliminary Pages, Jennifer Brown

Perspectives In Learning

n/a

A Security And Privacy Framework For E-Learning, Radwan Ali, Humayun Zafar

Faculty Articles

Prior research in the e-learning area has appeared with a focus on its adoption aspects. Limited research has been carried out solely on the interplay between e-learning and security and privacy. Considering the wide acceptance of e-learning, and a plethora of cybersecurity breach incidents, it is surprising that the two topics have not been discussed together. An effective e-learning environment depends on stakeholders who understand the importance of security and behave responsibly within it. In this paper, we present a conceptual model that looks at some of the information security and privacy factors related to e-learning.

Analyzing The Online Environment: How Are More Effective Teachers Spending Their Time?, Scott Davis Barrentine

Dissertations and Theses

Teaching at an online school is so different from classroom teaching that traditional training includes few of the skills necessary to be a successful online teacher. New teachers to an online environment face a steep learning curve in how they'll use the instructional technology, prioritize their time, and establish relationships with their students. The literature has advice for these teachers about effective online practices, but there has been little research to establish which strategies are most effective in motivating students. This pre-experimental study, conducted at an online 6th-12th grade hybrid school, investigated the practices used more often by the most …

Cool Newsletter, Fall 2017, Coastal Office Of Online Learning

Coastal Office of Online Learning/Digital Learning Publications

No abstract provided.

Social Presence, Identity, And Online Learning Research: Research Development And Needs, Patrick R. Lowenthal, Vanessa P. Dennen

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Scholars across many disciplines have grappled with questions of what it means for a person to be and interact online. Who are we when we go online? How do others know we are there and how do they perceive us? Within the context of online learning, scholarly questions tend to reflect more specific concerns focused on how well people can learn in a setting limited to mediated interactions lacking various communication cues. For example, how can a teacher and students come to know each other if they cannot see each other? How can they effectively understand and communicate with each …

August 2017, Marci Grant

The CETL Correspondent

No abstract provided.

Integrating Google Apps And Google Chromebooks Into The Core Curriculum: A Phenomenological Study Of The Lived Experience Of Public School Teachers, Paula Bartolo

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of public school teachers using Google Suite for Education with Google Chromebooks integrated into the core curriculum. With the adoption of Common Core standards by 46 states, the increased use of technology has occurred due to standards that integrate technology. Google has created a free cloud-based educational suite for K-12 and Higher education institutions. The central research question that guided the study was: How do grade 4-8 public school core content teachers perceive the experience of using Google Suite for Education with Chromebooks in the classroom? The theory …

A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Exploration Of The Impact Of Technology On The Collaborative Practices Of Rural Middle School Teachers, Kimberli Dailey

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative study described the impact of collaboration and technology-based communication on the professional experiences of rural middle school classroom teachers. A hermeneutic phenomenological approach was used to determine if technology-based tools, such as online discussion boards, email, social networking sites, and short message service (SMS) texting has made an impact on instructional collaboration for rural middle school teachers. The theory guiding this study was connectivism (Siemens, 2005) as it addresses the concept that in the digital age knowledge is stored outside the learner and distributed knowledge as it relates to the connections formed between individuals and/or networks (Downes, 2005, …

How To Merge Courses Via Skype™? Lessons From An International Blended Learning Project, Yasemin Akbaba, Filiz Başkan

Political Science Faculty Publications

This study reports on an international project in which students taking the course Contemporary Issues in Turkish Politics in spring 2011 and fall 2011 at two institutions of higher education, ‘Gettysburg College’ in the United States and ‘Izmir University of Economics’ in Turkey, worked together in virtual learning environments to complete various tasks as part of their course work. The project employed a blend of traditional and technology-based teaching methods in order to introduce a technology like Skype in a bi-national learning environment in Turkey. Students collaborated and interacted with their international counterparts in two different virtual contexts. First, classrooms …

Communication And Security Issues In Online Education: Student Self-Disclosure In Course Introductions, Tonya Mcmillion, Carie S. Tucker King

Communication Design Faculty

In designing online and hybrid courses, instructors should consider structure, student motivation, and interaction (per Moore’s 1993 Theory of Transactional Distance). To motivate students to interact and to build course community, instructors may assign student introductions. However, after examining students’ introductions in a hybrid content-design course and an online design course, we noted that students self-disclosed private information in their introductions, whether to classmates or instructors. To investigate further, we analyzed the content of discussion-board and email-to-instructor introductions in a community college (first data set). Then, we analyzed discussion-board and memo-to-instructor introductions at a four-year university (second data set). We …

July 2017, Marci Grant

The CETL Correspondent

No abstract provided.

Creating A Positive Atmosphere In Online Courses: Student Ratings Of Affective Variables In Teacher Education Courses, Sarah Hamsher, Cynthia A. Dieterich

Education Faculty Publications

Instructors in higher education have to work to create a positive atmosphere. Yet, the behaviors instructors must exhibit to create such an atmosphere are different for online courses than face-toface (F2F) courses. The current study surveyed graduate and undergraduate students in a teacher education program to identify which affective variables identified in academic literature for creating a positive online atmosphere are most and least important. The results of this study suggest undergraduate and graduate students rank logistical behaviors (e.g., clearly described directions and expectations, constructive feedback) as most important and emotional-relational behaviors (e.g., interpersonal relationships, humor related to content) as …

Academic Dishonesty In The Digital Age From The Perspective Of Rural High School General Education Teachers In Southwest Ohio: A Phenomenological Study, Nathan Hamblin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe high school general education teachers’ experiences with academic dishonesty in the digital age in rural school districts in southwest Ohio. Academic dishonesty in the digital age is defined as student use of digital technologies to receive credit for academic work beyond their own ability or their willingness to attempt said work. The guiding research questions formulated investigate four areas of the phenomenon that include how teachers experience academic dishonesty, how they define it, how their role has evolved, and the connection of this experience to their pedagogy. The foundational theory that …

Ma In International Education - Low-Residency Singapore Program, Joyce Ting (Chen)

Capstone Collection

The Master’s of Arts (MA) in International Education (IE) Low-Residency Singapore Program is a new graduate program designed for SIT Graduate Institute. It is created to value-add to the current program offerings of SIT Graduate Institute. The MA in IE Low-Residency Singapore Program is a two year long program, and is delivered via a unique combination of online coursework and low-residency periods in Singapore. The program is designed to allow current working professionals to keep their current job in the field of International Education while pursuing a higher degree. Participants will study in Singapore for two weeks in the first …

Immigrant Parental Involvement In Student Academics, Charles Tebben

Empowering Research for Educators

Abstract

This study is meant to focus discussions about the importance of the involvement of immigrant parents in respect to student academics. In this study I intend to make evident a relationship between parental involvement and student academics, after which I will draw in a conclusion of the resources utilized by my community at the elementary and middle schools. I’m conducting my research study starting at elementary school and running through middle school. I’m eliminating the high school period because of their unique parental involvement complexities which share little constraints and outcomes with the lower levels. To build my study, …

Growth Mindset In The Classroom, Luther L. Kiger

Empowering Research for Educators

This article discusses how Mindset can effect a students educational and social life.

The Language Of Learning In Family And Consumer Sciences: English Language Learners In Career Technical Education, Kali S. Lenhoff

Empowering Research for Educators

Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) content and English as a Second Language (ESL) strategies can be organically incorporated to create a successful education for an English Language Learner (ELL). The first objective of this research project is to discover how prepared Family and Consumer Sciences teachers feel to work with English Language Learners in the classroom. The second objective is to identify practical and effective methods and strategies that are useful for Family and Consumer Sciences teachers instructing English Language Learners. The rationale for this project is that by identifying the challenges faced by English Language Learners in education, teachers …

Emphasis On Test Scores In Education, Lindsay Olson

Empowering Research for Educators

This article discusses how too much emphasis on standardized testing can affect student learning as well as teaching in the classroom. It includes a personal interview with a high school teacher as well as an article from the Washington Post regarding a study that was completed involving testing students.

The Road To Hybrid Courses: Challenging Yet Rewarding, Phyllis K. Adcock

Journal of Curriculum, Teaching, Learning and Leadership in Education

Faculty who have good technology skills and are searching for a way to adapt a course into some form of a distance education course have a number of options. Faculty who have the support of a technology specialist who can share many opportunities such as collaboration technologies and digital media, enable more flexibility in how courses are delivered. The ability to reach beyond the four walls of a classroom has helped developed an attitude that faculty are looking for innovative methodology, using technology in the classroom. Online programs, hybrid courses, audio-video conferencing, and virtual office hours have the power to …