This collection of reflective essays is a treasure trove of advice, reflection and hard-won experience from experts in the field of open and distance education. Each chapter offers tried-and-tested ...advice for nascent academic writers, delivered with personal, rich, and wonderful stories of the authors’ careers, their process, their research and their writing, and the struggles and triumphs they have encountered in the course of their careers. The contributors explore the philosophies that guide their work, the conflicts and barriers they have overcome and the mentors and opportunities that sustain and stimulate them, always focused on making their experiences relevant and useful for scholars who are in the early stages of their writing lives. These rich and informative essays will appeal to anyone who wants to learn more about the crafts of research and writing, and the unseen struggles involved in publishing and “being heard.”
In their investigation of assessment methods and learning approaches, Conrad and Openo aim to explore assessment that engages learners and authentically evaluates education. They insist that moving ...to new learning environments, specifically those online and at a distance, afford educators opportunities to embrace only the most effective face-to-face assessment methods and to realize the potential of delivering education in the digital age. In this volume practitioners will find not only an indispensable introduction to new forms of assessment but also a number of best practices as described by.
Given the rapid growth in online coursework within higher education, it is important to establish and validate quality standards for these courses. While many online learning quality rubrics do ...exist, thus far there has been little empirical evidence establishing a clear link between specific course design features and concrete, student-level course outcomes. In the current study, the authors develop an online course design assessment rubric that includes four areas, and explore the impact of each area on student end-of-semester performance in 23 online courses at two community colleges. The results indicate that the quality of interpersonal interaction within a course relates positively and significantly to student grades. Additional analyses based on course observation and interview data suggest that frequent and effective student–instructor interaction creates an online environment that encourages students to commit themselves to the course and perform at a stronger academic level.
•A new online design assessment rubric is developed.•The relationship between four online course design features and student course grades is examined.•Quality of online interpersonal interaction relates positively to student grades.•Typical practices of online courses with high- versus low-quality interpersonal interaction are showcased.•Potential strategies to improve online learning outcomes are discussed.
Culture and online learning Insung Jung, Charlotte Nirmalani Gunawardena / Insung Jung, Charlotte Nirmalani Gunawardena
2014, 2015, 2023-07-03, 2015-03-16
eBook, Book
Culture plays an overarching role that impacts investment, planning, design, development, delivery, and the learning outcomes of online education. This groundbreaking book remedies a dearth of ...empirical research on how digital cultures and teaching and learning cultures intersect, and offers grounded theory and practical guidance on how to integrate cultural needs and sensibilities with the innovative opportunities offered by online learning. (HRK / Abstract übernommen).
Education and communications has been shaped by the Internet since it arose. Today there are no limits for contents distribution and scientific information dissemination. Lab professionals can build ...its own network of contacts on social media, create online contents and access to a huge amount of educational materials. By this way, any professional can build a PLE (Personal Learning Environment), a system of contacts and contents that helps to manage their own learning.
Online learning is ubiquitous for millions of students worldwide, yet our understanding of student experiences in online learning settings is limited. The geographic distance that separates faculty ...from students in an online environment is its signature feature, but it is also one that risks widening the gulf between teachers and learners. In Learning Online, George Veletsianos argues that in order to critique, understand, and improve online learning, we must examine it through the lens of student experience.
Approaching the topic with stories that elicit empathy, compassion, and care, Veletsianos relays the diverse day-to-day experiences of online learners. Each in-depth chapter follows a single learner's experience while focusing on an important or noteworthy aspect of online learning, tackling everything from demographics, attrition, motivation, and loneliness to cheating, openness, flexibility, social media, and digital divides. Veletsianos also draws on these case studies to offer recommendations for the future and lessons learned.
The elusive nature of online learners' experiences, the book reveals, is a problem because it prevents us from doing better: from designing more effective online courses, from making evidence-informed decisions about online education, and from coming to our work with the full sense of empathy that our students deserve. Writing in an evocative, accessible, and concise manner, Veletsianos concretely demonstrates why it is so important to pay closer attention to the stories of students—who may have instructive and insightful ideas about the future of education.
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