Online and Distance Education Commons^™

Teacher Perceptions Of Internet-Based Distance Education In Adventist Colleges And Universities : A Mixed-Methods Study, Susan B. Smith

Dissertations

Problem. An examination of Internet-based distance education (IBDE) is important in order to maintain the delivery of quality higher education and to encourage the systemic adoption of policies and practices that promote excellence in IBDE. The quality of online distance education will increasingly become the standard by which students choose a program as their educational options have multiplied with the dramatic growth in distance education.

Method. This was a sequential exploratory mixed-methods study o f the perceptions of teachers on IBDE. It was conducted collaboratively with Pamela Cress who examined administrator perceptions. Data were collected for both studies from teachers …

Using Technology To Address Learning Style Issues, Donald J. Polzella, Greg C. Elvers, Ken Graetz

Psychology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Synchronous Text-Based Chat Vis-À-Vis Asynchronous Threaded Discussion: An Instructional Strategy For Providing An Option In Two Course Delivery Schemes, Shin Yi Lin

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether an instructional strategy of providing students an option of two types of online text-based discussion (chat vs. threaded discussion forum) had significant effects on student satisfaction, cognitive achievement, and self-efficacy. In an effort to identify any differential effects associated with student characteristics, students' age and learning preferences were used as blocking variables. The study sample was teacher education students. Statistical procedures employed were MANOVA; MANCOVA, regression analysis, chi-square, and correlation were employed. The findings show that such an instructional customization—providing the online discussion forum option—has positive impacts on student satisfaction and …

Women's Experiences With Distance Education, Jane Elizabeth Moody

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines issues that affect women in online learning, and discusses four women's particular experiences in the University of Central Florida's distance learning program. Online education involves aspects of support and communication that may affect women's learning experiences either positively or negatively. Distance learning may also allow women to pursue their education while still taking care of their families and outside work. In order to get a better idea of how distance learning impacts women, I discuss several studies that examine how distance learning affects women in particular. I identify three areas from this literature that seem to be …

Administrator Perceptions Of Internet-Based Distance Education In Adventist Colleges And Universities : A Mixed-Method Study, Pamela K. Cress

Dissertations

Problem . The quality of Internet-based distance education (IBDE) will increasingly become the standard by which students choose a program as higher educational options multiply due to the dramatic growth in distance education. A system-wide examination of perceptions of IBDE in Adventist highereducation is important to administrators for future institutional strategic planning purposes, systemic adoption of policies and practices that promote excellence, and identifying collaborative efforts.

Method . This was a sequential exploratory mixed-method study of the perceptions of administrators on IBDE. It was conducted collaboratively with Susan Smith who examined teacher perceptions. Data were collected for both studies from …

Psychological Sense Of Community In On-Line Learning Environments, Thomas Chris Laughner

Dissertations

Problem. Current literature discusses differences among populations as they relate to face-to-face learning communities. However, no literature exists to determine if these same differences exist in an on-line learning environment. Since community has been closely linked to social and academic integration and success, additional research on whether populations with certain demographics feel the same absence of a sense of community in an on-line environment must be addressed. This study examines differences in psychological sense of community among students based on ethnicity, age, and sex.

Method. A revised Sense of Community Index was administered to students enrolled in at least one …

Methods For Evaluating Interface Design For Online Learning Environments, Constance A. Lowe, Charlotte Nirmalani Gunawardena

University Libraries & Learning Sciences Faculty and Staff Publications

Designing online learning environments poses many challenges. One critical issue is the design of appropriate user interfaces so that the interface does not become a barrier to the learning process. The interface of a web site may be described as the sum of the visible (and/or audible) elements which convey to a user what functions and resources are available at the site and provide access to, or control over, those functions and resources. The interface is a key element of usability, where usability means the ease or difficulty with which the user can complete the intended tasks. Following a brief …

Research Readiness Self-Assessment: Assessing Students' Research Skills And Attitudes, Lana Ivanitskaya, Ryan Laus, Anne Marie Casey

Publications

Librarians and learning researchers at Central Michigan University collaboratively developed an online tool that assesses how student research attitudes and perceptions correlate to their actual research skills in order to educate them about state-of-the-art library resources and prepare them to write high-quality research papers. This article describes the reasons for developing the assessment as well as the design process and technical characteristics.

A Historical Overview Of Internet Reference Services For Distance Learners, Anne Marie Casey

Publications

The advent of library services and collections on the Internet revolutionized reference services to students enrolled in distance learning programs. Prior to the Internet, reference librarians who supported distance learning programs had few methods, and many of them costly, to provide the equivalent library services advocated by the ACRL Guidelines. Through the Internet, these librarians were able to approximate the services and resources that had always been available to students who came into the library. This article describes the development of reference services on the Internet in a variety of libraries that support distance learners.

Choice And Support: An Individualized Approach To Student Empowerment And Involvement In Combating Procrastination In The Internet Learning Environment, Han Liu

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

This study was designed to explore effective approaches that could help online students overcome online academic procrastination, raise their satisfaction ratings, and improve their academic performance.

The research was conducted at Old Dominion University, Virginia, with a sample of 165 undergraduate and graduate students (mean age = 30.67, SD = 8.98; male = 33, 20%, female = 132, 80%; undergraduate 95, 58%, graduate 70, 42%). The participants were taking an online course, Social and Cultural Foundations of American Education, required for teacher licensure. The treatments included the Choice Package (choice of assignment due dates, choice of rewards and punishments, and …

Assessment Methods For Comparison Of On-Camps And Distance Learning Laboratory Courses In An Engineering Technology Program, John R. Hackworth, Richard L. Jones

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

Assessment methodology and results for two Electrical Engineering Technology laboratory courses are shown. In these cases, courses are offered in both the traditional on- campus and non-traditional distance learning format, assessment methods are prescribed, assessment data are taken, and the results compiled and compared. Student comments are included which also support the assessment data. In addition, this paper describes ways in which the laboratory courses are structured in order to make the assessment process easier to manage. Pedagogical issues are addressed that were encountered when constructing the distance learning laboratory courses to assure that the learning experience could equal or …

Design Optimization Module For Hierarchical Research And Learning Environment, Oktay Baysal, Mehti Koklu, Ahmed K. Noor

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

The present paper describes a learning module on design optimization courses within a hierarchical research and learning network (HRLN). In this environment a knowledge organization can be created as a hierarchical learning network to link diverse inter- and trans- disciplinary teams from a consortium of universities, industry, government agencies and the providers of learning technologies. It is an approach that builds on computer-based training, intelligent tutoring systems, interactive learning, collaborative-distributed learning, and learning networks. The present design optimization module has been developed and described herein, as a demonstrator of a learning module in this environment. This module allows for the …

Mapping Of Thermo-Fluids Laboratory Experiments Into Web-Based Experiments, Sushil Chaturvedi, Rick Mckenzie, O. A. Akan, A. Priyadershini

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

A methodology is being developed for transforming physical experiments from the undergraduate thermo-fluids laboratory into a web-based virtual experiments. Important characteristics of physical experiments are identified in order to preserve them in physical to virtual domain mapping. Several commercially available software are employed to incorporate in the web-based experiments characteristics such as recreation of physical phenomenon in the virtual domain, measurement of physical quantities on a computer screen, assembly of virtual probes and coupling of the virtual experiment with a data acquisition software. A virtual reality software has been incorporated to enable web-based students to navigate through the virtual laboratory, …

Using The Web To Facilitate Active Learning: A Trans-Pacific Seminar On Globalization And The Law, Ruth Buchanan, Sundhya Pahuja

Journal of Legal Education

No abstract provided.

Student Satisfaction With Michigan Community College Distance Education Courses, Eugene H. Mckay Iii

Dissertations

Distance education courses offered by community colleges and other higher education institutions are becoming popular options for students who seek a more convenient method to obtain a college education. Community colleges are actively expanding their offerings of distance education courses, both nationally and in Michigan. Yet minimal research has been conducted on a large scale to discover the factors which contribute to satisfaction with distance education courses at community colleges.

This study consists of a cross-sectional survey of over 6000 Michigan community college students in Michigan, who completed a distance education courseduring the fall semester of 2002. Sixteen of Michigan's …

Technology In The Service Of Tradition: Electronic Lectures And Live-Class Teaching, Paul Wangerin

Journal of Legal Education

No abstract provided.

Student Ecosystems Problem Solving With Computer Simulation, Melissa A. Howse

Dissertations

Computer simulations, such as the BioQUEST Environmental Decision Making (EDM) program, represent a viable supplement or alternative to traditional science teaching approaches. This study concentrated on the manner in which knowledge is acquired and then disseminated through the use of the simulations. In addition, the study took into account the nature of science by revealing what notions of ecosystems and simulation were revealed when students encountered concepts imparted to them via this method. The following research questions guided this study: (1) What content knowledge do students use to solve ecology problems? (2) What procedural knowledge do students use to solve …

Education In Costa Rica: Best Practices And Beyond, Trey Fitch

Perspectives In Learning

Costa Rica is considered to be the most developed of the Central American countries because it has a relatively high Gross Domestic Product per capita as well as best indicators of life expectancy at birth, infant mortality rate, and adult literacy rate (United Nations Development Program, 1999). Much of this success has been attributed to its progressive education system. Costa Rica is one of the few countries in the world to exist without a national military system, consequently, more money can be diverted into educational programs. The adult literacy rate is near 95% and rivals the United States where the …

Story-Based Foreign Language Learning, Jose' Villavicencio

Perspectives In Learning

Foreign language education has transitioned from a grammar-based approach, with an emphasis on form, to a communication-based approach, with an emphasis on meaning (Brown, & Vidal, 2001). Although both approaches are philosophically juxtaposed, the knowledge of grammar is required to accurately communicate in the target language. This review will clarify the distinctions between programs based on meaning and form, and then show that story-based learning improves the teaching of grammar as well as the learning of the target language. Story-based learning bridges meaning and form instruction by contextualizing both. This approach, known as “Language Arts” in English education, has surfaced …

Constructivism In Online Learning : A Literature Review, Zishan Hong

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this paper is to look at the interaction of constructivist-based approaches, adult learning characteristics and six online learning issues. Constructivist learning environments allow learners to build their own meaning and understanding from learning resources and circumstances. Constructivists claim that learners accumulate new knowledge by themselves and use this to pile up previous knowledge and experiences. The learner is the learning focus, and the instructors act as facilitators or guides, which provide appropriate and enriching supplies. This theory supports well the adult style of learning. Based on constructivism, the online instructor is a facilitator to monitor and provide …

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Perspectives In Learning

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Beyond Diversity: An Academic Infusion Model (A.I.M.) Of Multicultural Teacher Education, Rita Mitchell, Bonita Williams, Paulina Kuforiji

Perspectives In Learning

Teacher Education Programs provide the knowledge, skills and experience that enable pre-service teachers to become effective educators. Multicultural Education should be a significant part of the academic foundation for preservice education programs. This article examines the rationale for the utilization of the Academic Infusion Model (A.I.M.) of Multicultural Education in Teacher Education Programs. Teachers are ultimately responsible for establishing and maintaining an educational environment where students are provided opportunities to develop to their full potential. Therefore teacher quality is the most important factor in considering the effectiveness of a school. Educational administrators are faced with the responsibility of hiring qualified …

Equine Assisted Therapy, Kristie Luckett, Cindy Witsell

Perspectives In Learning

Equine Assisted Therapy (EAP) is a unique, intensive, short-term approach to helping individuals with various mental health concerns. This article will explain what EAP is, what is needed in order to conduct an EAP therapy session, provide a case study to demonstrate how EAP has been and can be utilized in practice, and finally, list the strengths of EAP. The information contained in this article is based on information provided by a therapist experienced in utilizing Equine Assisted Therapy.

Understanding And Responding To The Needs Of Nontraditional College Students, Joyce Hickson

Perspectives In Learning

The statistical profile of today’s American college student indicates that this sector is overwhelmingly “nontraditional”. The nontraditional student possesses at least one or more of the following characteristics: married; a parent; 25 years or older; returning to college after having been out of school for a number of years; financially independent from parents; attending school on a part-time basis (U. S. Department of Education, 2002). According to the Columbus State University Fall, 2002 Enrollment Report (Wallman, 2002) the average age of undergraduate students is 25 years, while the graduate student mean age is 37 years. Additionally, large numbers of CSU …

An Academy For The Development Of Transformational Leaders, Roger Hatcher

Perspectives In Learning

The Summer of 2002 ushered in an important training model for aspiring local school leaders. Through a joint partnership funded by the Muscogee County School District, Columbus State University began this training with a cohort of twenty-four leadership candidates chosen by the school system. The mission of this newly formed leadership academy was to develop transformational leaders who would possess the knowledge, the performance skills and the dispositions vital to create and foster positive cultures of learning for all students.

Metaphor: A Counselor's Tool For Change, Kenyada Owens

Perspectives In Learning

Counseling and metaphors encompass the process of change and action through language and dialogue. According to Gareth Morgan (2002), “Images and metaphors are not only interpretive constructs or ways of seeing, they also provide frameworks for action. Their use creates insights that often allow us to act in ways that we may not have thought possible before” (p. 1). Metaphors, from the counseling perspective, can serve as a vehicle for implementing change. Whether directly or indirectly, clients seek the help of therapeutic professionals with the intent of initiating some form of growth or change. Although the process of transformation is …

Edison Schools In Bibb County, Georgia, Amy P. Fouse

Perspectives In Learning

In March of 1999, the Bibb County Board of Education made a controversial decision to hire private, for profit Edison Schools to run two of its low-performing elementary schools. Parents of nine Bibb County elementary schools were given the option to adopt this corporation and contract them to run their schools (Cass, 1999). Of the nine elementary schools, Riley Elementary and King Elementary chose the program. Investigation of The Edison Project was initiated by Superintendent Dr. Gene Buinger in 1998. Less than one year later, and after many heated debates, a five-year contract was signed to pay Edison “roughly $1 …

Evolving Practices In Art Education, Todd Applegate, Kristen Evans

Perspectives In Learning

More than 100 years ago, university-dominated educational commissions began ascribing a priority to school subjects in primary and secondary education. In defining the roles and purposes of the modern secondary school, educators struggled with how best to determine the relative importance of individual school subjects. In 1894, Harvard president Charles Eliot led the Committee of Ten on Secondary School Studies, established by the NEA to recommend that all secondary school students study a common curriculum focusing on sciences, history, reading, writing and arithmetic. Art and music were eventually placed in positions of curricular inferiority.

Evolution Vs. Creationism: Separation Of State And Religion In The Science Classroom, Linda Lenhard

Perspectives In Learning

The U.S. Supreme Court in 1987 stated that creationism is a form of religion and thus was not to be taught in a public school (CBSNEWS.com, 2002; Holden, 2002). Since that ruling at least four court cases have reiterated that public schools are under mandate to teach evolution as the science of the origin of man. However, the continuing debate and legal maneuvering indicate that the fight between those who favor the decision and those who support teaching creationism is far from over (Matsumura, 2002). Intelligent design, or the teaching that living things are too complex to have occurred through …

Considering The Possible Elimination Of Foreign Language As A Requirement For A Georgia High School College-Prep Diploma, Kay Agnew

Perspectives In Learning

The front page headline informed readers of the Atlanta Journal- Constitution (AJC) that an education initiative of serious importance was under consideration: “Adios, francais? Maybe in Georgia school board may end language requirement” (Salzer, Sept. 2002). This proposal before the state Board of Education became the source of tremendous controversy. It was reported that the Board was interested in exchanging the required two years of language for four years in both science and math. Salzer (Sept. 2002) wrote that Cathy Henson, chairwoman of the state Board of Education, was in favor of the change as many students have trouble earning …