Anadolu University Open Education Faculty Research Articles

THE INVESTIGATION OF ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE ELEMENTS AND TYPOLOGIES IN A GIGA OPEN UNIVERSITY: ANADOLU UNIVERSITY OPEN EDUCATION FACULTY 40TH YEAR RESEARCH

Organizational culture acts as the mortar that connects the bricks. Every institution has its own unique culture which has been adopted and shared by all employees over the years. As establishment stories, ways of doing business, and communication styles change, culture also adopts itself to these in a way that is specific to that organization. Since there is no single understanding of culture covering all types of institutions, research has focused on classifying the concept of organizational culture according to types and concentrated on situational studies. As in for-profit businesses, culture is also significant in organizations that prioritize social goals. In this research, an academic organization within the realm of public institutions is discussed. The purpose of the article is to reveal the functioning of the elements that make up the organizational culture of the Open Education Faculty in the institution and the types of culture that are seen as dominant in the organization. In the case study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with the managers who have taken important roles in the history of the institution, and the documents containing information about the faculty culture were analyzed. The results of the qualitative content analysis revealed that Anadolu University Open Education Faculty has a strong and established culture, and this contributes to the work done and institutional development. Considering the dominant cultural styles in the institution; it is noteworthy that it started as an effective, collaborative, dynamic and work-based culture. With the institutional growth being experienced over time, the faculty culture has evolved towards a more protective, bureaucratic, and analytical one due to the difficulties in the organizational environment and the risks in the decisions taken. However, considering the scope, structural features, and stakeholder diversity of open education at home and abroad, the faculty still maintains a dynamic, collaborative and developmental cultural style with its ability to coordinate between units, its flexibility to respond to environmental changes, and its efforts to take innovative steps.

PROGRAM EVALUATION IN OPEN AND DISTANCE LEARNING: THE CASE OF OPEN EDUCATION SYSTEM CALL CENTER SERVICES ASSOCIATE DEGREE PROGRAM

In this study, it is aimed to evaluate Anadolu University Open Education Faculty Call Center Services Associate Degree Program, which is carried out through open and distance education, according to learner views within the framework of Stufflebeam’s Context, Input, Process, Product (CIPP) Evaluation Model and to make suggestions for the development of the program. In the study in which Exploratory Sequential design, one of the mixed method research designs, was used; “Anadolu University Call Center Services Associate Degree Program Evaluation Questionnaire” was prepared to collect quantitative data. The questionnaire was applied online to learners who graduated from Anadolu University Open Education Faculty Call Center Services Associate Degree Program. Semi-structured interview questions were used to collect qualitative data. In the interpretation of quantitative data, percentage and frequency tables, mean and standard deviation values were used to compare and interpret the average score that can be obtained in the four dimensions (Context, Input, Process and Product) in the measurement tool and the average scores of the participants in these dimensions. In addition, the mean score values obtained in the sub-dimensions were analyzed and interpreted in terms of gender, age, marital status and employment status variables. Descriptive analysis method was used to analyze the qualitative data. The results revealed that the program objectives were determined in accordance with the expectations of the learners, learning resources were designed in accordance with the objectives, learning activities were carried out in accordance with the expectations of the participants and learning outcomes were achieved in the program.

The transformative effects of the global pandemic on the distance education system and the model at Anadolu University Open Education Faculty

Koronavirüs salgını 2019 yılının sonlarında ortaya çıkarak dünyanın her yerinde sağlık başta olmak üzere demografik, ekonomik, sosyolojik, psikolojik, pedagojik bakımdan önemli değişimlere neden olmuştur. Global ölçekli bu salgın sürecinden etkilenen alanlardan biri de kuşkusuz eğitim sistemleridir. Pandemi kapsamında, dünya genelinde ortaya çıkan durumun yol açtığı kısıtlamalar doğrultusunda yüz yüze eğitim yürütülememiştir. Yeni ihtiyaçlara ve taleplere paralel olarak eğitim alanında ivedilikle uzaktan öğretim faaliyetlerine yönelinmiştir. Dünya genelinde, milyonlarca öğrenen uzaktan eğitim yoluyla eğitim görmeye başlamıştır. Bu nedenle salgınla birlikte gelen sosyal izolasyon döneminde, öğrenenlerin uzaktan eğitime karşı yaklaşımlarında da önemli değişimler yaşanmıştır. Global ölçekteki bu beklenmedik ve hazırlıksız yakalanılan salgın sürecinde, Türkiye’de de bütün öğretim kademelerinde yüz yüze eğitime ara verilmiştir. Uzaktan eğitim süreci başlatılarak ülke genelinde tüm öğrenciler için uzaktan eğitim sisteminin olanakları seferber edilmiştir.

Examination of online group discussions in terms of intrinsic motivation, social presence, and perceived learning

This experimental study within the scope of Anadolu University Open Education Faculty in Turkey aims to examine the effect of online group discussion techniques. In this context, the online group discussion technique, which is applied by dividing the learners into manageable groups in online learning environments, has been examined within the scope of intrinsic motivation, social presence, and perceived learning variables. Sequential explanatory mixed method design was used to conduct this study. The online group discussion process was applied in the study’s experimental group by dividing the learners into manageable groups. In this process, a field expert accompanied each group. In the control group, the discussion process was left to its natural state, and all learners who took the relevant course were included in a single group. Before and after the experimental process, data were collected from 250 learners through the study scales, and then five learners were interviewed. The findings obtained within the study’s scope show that the design to be applied in the online group discussion technique used in online learning environments is important in increasing the efficiency to be obtained from the process. In this context, it has been observed that to manage online learning processes effectively, attention should be paid to the fact that the groups must be less than 150 learners to not show mass features. Online group discussions in groups that do not show mass features positively affected the learners’ intrinsic motivation, social presence, and perceived learning levels. However, acting in line with the principles of social constructivism theory and the community of inquiry theory in learning processes has increased the discussions’ efficiency. Besides, it has been observed that the increase in the social presence and intrinsic motivation of the learners positively affects their perceived learning levels.

Distance Learners' Dropout Behaviors: The Case of Anadolu University Open Education Faculty

Distance Learners' Dropout Behaviors: The Case of Anadolu University Open Education Faculty

Anadolu University Open Education Faculty Students’ Opinions on the Use of Artificial Intelligence Based Systems and Applications

This study aims to examine to what extent are the students aware of the AI based systems used in language learning. The design of the study was determined as a quantitative research method. For this purpose, a web-based questionnaire was applied to 204 students with A1 and A2 English levels enrolled in the Open Education Faculty, and thus data were collected about the students' views on Artificial Intelligence-based systems that they use to improve their English speaking and writing skills. The data obtained from the students were analyzed using descriptive statistical procedures such as frequency and percentage analysis. The findings of the study revealed that many of the distance education students do not have an idea whether AI-based applications have an effect on improving their English 'speaking' skills. It also showed that most students who participated in this study had no idea whether these practices had an effect on improving their English ‘writing’ skills. In this context, the study proves that students are limitedly aware of Artificial Intelligence-based systems used while learning foreign languages, and therefore, more studies on the subject should be conducted and these systems should be introduced to students.

Use of Personal Learning Environments in English Learning: An Example of Anadolu University Open Education Faculty

İnternet, eğitim alanında giderek önem kazanan eğitim teknolojilerinin önünü açarak, öğrenme sorumluluğunu öğrenciye bırakmıştır. Bu sürecin devamında, Kişisel Öğrenme Ortamları, öğrencilerin çevrimiçi platformlarda kendi öğrenmelerini organize etmelerinde aktif rollerini desteklemek adına önem kazanmıştır. Kişisel Öğrenme Ortamları, öğrenmenin kişisel boyutta yapılandırıldığı, planlandığı, paylaşıldığı ve yaşam boyu arşivlendiği platformlardır. Web 2.0 araçlarıyla oluşturulan bu ortamlar bireyselleştirilmiş izlencelerin tasarımına izin veren ve çevrimiçi katılımlı, bireysel ve grup etkinliklerini teşvik eden yapısıyla Açık ve Uzaktan Öğrenmeyi desteklemektedir. Bu çalışmada, kampüs dışında eğitim gören uzaktan öğrenenlerin yabancı dil olarak İngilizce öğrenmelerine yönelik oluşturdukları Kişisel Öğrenme Ortamları incelenmiştir. Bu bağlamda, bu çalışmanın temel amacı açık ve uzaktan öğrenme çerçevesinde Kişisel Öğrenme Ortamlarının İngilizce öğrenmede nasıl etkili, verimli ve çekici şekilde geliştirilebileceğine yönelik alan uzmanlarının ve uzaktan öğrenenlerin görüşlerini almaktır. Çalışma, tasarım tabanlı araştırmanın geliştirme döngüleri çerçevesinde yapılandırılmıştır. 2016-2017 Güz Döneminde (Mart-Eylül 2017) gerçekleştirilmiş olan araştırmanın katılımcılarını uzaktan öğrenenler ve alan uzmanları oluşturmaktadır. Tasarım tabanlı araştırma sürecinde nitel veriler toplanmış ve analiz edilmiştir. Araştırma sonunda, Kişisel Öğrenme Ortamlarına ilişkin bir tasarım çerçevesi önerisinde bulunulmuştur. Araştırma sorularına bağlı olarak ulaşılan verilere göre, Kişisel Öğrenme Ortamı, açık ve uzaktan öğrenme bağlamında kişisel öğrenme deneyimini destekleyen, tasarlanan ortamın benimsenmesini sağlayan ve İngilizce öğrenmeye yönelik genel beklentiyi karşılayan bir ortamdır. Ancak, öğrenmedeki bireysel farklılıklar nedeniyle her bir Kişisel Öğrenme Ortamı bireysel öğrenme gereksinime yönelik olarak oluşturulduğundan kişiye özgü olarak değerlendirilmelidir.

Sanatsal Bir Etkinlik Olarak Fotoğraf Yarışmasının Kültürel Değerlerin Paylaşımına Yansıması: Anadolu Üniversitesi Açıköğretim Fakültesi Öğrencilerinin Görüşleri

Uzaktan eğitim ile sanat, bilişim teknolojilerini ve
 tasarım disiplinlerini etkin olarak kullanmaktadır. Bu iki disiplinin
 ilişkilendirilmesi ile hedef kitlesi geniş ve yaygın etkisi olan projeler
 üretilebilecek bu da uzaktan eğitime ve sanat alanına yeni boyutlar
 getirecektir. Açık ve Uzaktan Eğitim ve Güzel Sanatlar eğitimi gibi evrensel
 boyutta etkileşim ve iletişimini sağlayan iki disiplinin kesişim noktası olarak
 bu çalışmanın bu tür bir araştırmaya duyulan gereksinimi gidereceği
 düşünülmektedir. Araştırmanın amacı; bu proje ile gerçekleştirilen sanatsal
 etkinlikler ile Anadolu Üniversitesi’ne ilişkin öğrencilerin görüşlerini
 belirlemektir. Bu amaç doğrultusunda bilimsel veriler araştırmanın amaçlarını
 doğrudan destekleyecek şekilde hem Anadolu Üniversitesi’ne ilişkin hem de
 sanatsal ve kültürel etkinliklere yönelik öğrenci görüşleri alınarak
 toplanmıştır. Araştırmada veri toplama aracı olarak açık uçlu anket ve yarışma
 sonunda başarı ödülü alan ve eserleri sergilenmeye değer bulunan 3 öğrenci ile
 yarı yapılandırılmış görüşme kullanılmıştır. Anket verileri betimsel analiz
 yoluyla çözümlenmiş, görüşme verileri destek veri olarak kullanılmıştır.
 Araştırmaya katılan uzaktan eğitim öğrencilerinin tamamı açık ve uzaktan
 eğitimin sanatsal etkinliklerle ilişkilendirilmesini çok yararlı bulduklarını
 belirterek olumlu görüş bildirmişlerdir. Bu bağlamda bulgulara dayalı olarak;
 Açıköğretim sistemi ile öğrenim gören öğrencilere yönelik öğrencilerin aktif
 katılımını gerektiren sanatsal ve kültürel etkinliklerin arttırılması
 önerilebilir. 

Evaluation of the Student Support System of Anadolu University Open Education Faculty as a Democratic Information Sharing and Discussion Environment

Evaluation of the Student Support System of Anadolu University Open Education Faculty as a Democratic Information Sharing and Discussion Environment

Discussion on the applicability of the briefing method on open and distance learning: animated and scenarian expression applications

Purpose- Two basic issues in preparing and presenting presentations in the field of open and distance education are to inform the audience and present a general outline. In addition, it is sometimes necessary to include details the audience needs to a certain extent. This study explains certain issues regarding “briefing preparation and presentation” as a sub-element of “oral presentation”. Based on the fact that to what extent the issues related to “briefing method” match open and distance education presentations, it is discussed that it is necessary to adapt the briefing techniques to open and distance education presentations due to certain reasons such as time limitations of caused by today’s conditions and new generation’s impatience and lack of interest in long presentations. Methodology – In this study features of conventional and briefing presentations are compared. The criteria of this comparison are the methods and goals of open and distant education. The experience acquired from one of the animated and scripted presentations prepared in Anadolu University Open Education Faculty Learning Technologies Research and Development unit is told. Findings- The findings show that briefing presentation method is highly applicable in presentations in open and distant education. Conclusion- This article claims that the main principles of briefing presentation method is highly applicable in presentations in open and distant education.

A Phenomenological Research on Anadolu University Open Education Faculty Students' Attributions of Perceived Success

Learners' perception of success and their achievement attributions have both cognitive and affective consequences on learners' performance. According to attribution theory, the interpretations of the causes of outcomes by individuals have been identified as the most significant factors influencing individual's persistence, expectancy of future success, motivation, and in return, academic achievement. This study aims to get detailed information about Anadolu University Open Education Faculty (AUOEF) students' perception of success and causal attributions related to their performances. With respect to attributions' context and individual specific nature, this study is significant as it aims to gather information related to attributions for perceived success directly from the students themselves. For this reason, without making any presumptions multiple open-ended interviews were conducted with the students on their perception of success and causal attributions with a phenomenological approach. The extent to which these attributions are healthy or unhealthy was examined according to Wiener's attributional model of achievement motivation. According to the findings it was revealed that perception of success varies from individual to individual and the attributions are similar to those ones in many other attribution studies in the literature. Based on the attributions of the participants, some suggestions were made for open education system.

Organizational Commitment of Anadolu University Open Education Faculty Students

Organizational Commitment of Anadolu University Open Education Faculty Students

Anadolu University, Open Education Faculty, Turkish Language and Literature Department Graduated Students’ Views towards Pedagogical Formation Training Certificate, Special Teaching Methods Courses and Turkish Language and Literature Education from: Sampl

The aim of this study is to find out Anadolu University Open Education Faculty Turkish Language and Literature graduated students’ views towards Pedagogical Formation Training certificate and their opinions about special teaching methods. This study has been done in one of the universities of East Karadeniz in Turkey in which the 20 Turkish Language and Literature graduated students participated in Pedagogical Formation training certificated program. The data are collected from teachers’ candidate (prospective teachers) of Turkish Language and Literature who joined special teaching methods in Pedagogical Formation training program, as a result interviewing sessions had been held. During the interview, the approvals of participants have been taken into the consideration. The data collected from interviews has been analyzed according to content analysis method with emphasizing on accurate translation as possible. After approving its reliability by participants, audio recordings were shattered. The data which was collected with interviews was analyzed by content analysis method. At the end of study the teachers express that their participation in pedagogical training program and taking part in special teaching methods course helped them to overcome their deficiencies. So, especially in Turkish Language and Literature teaching they experienced difficulties in practice with the intense use of theoretical knowledge in textbooks, and are not able to develop written and oral expression skills in test-driven examination system. Accordingly at the end of Pedagogical Formation Education program it represented the efficiency of teaching methods and techniques, effective and efficient learning. So this paper signifies the practice opportunity which participants have experienced during the program and in this regard the recommendations have been suggested to the possible problems.

Relationships between Open Education Students' Economic Profiles and Their Use of Internet in Education.

The study aims to identify the economic profiles of Open Education Faculty students and to determine the relationship between their economic profiles and the following of online courses using Internet. In the study survey model was used. The population of the study was composed of 4652 Anadolu University Open Education Faculty students who live in Bolu. Sample of the study consisted of 361 students randomly selected from research population. Data were obtained by surveys. Some of the research findings are as follows: the income levels of parents for both unemployed and single and employed students are in the range of 0-1300 TL. Since almost all the mothers are housewives, they do not have separate incomes. Fathers for both unemployed and single and employed students are commonly workers, retired individuals, self employed indibviduals and public officials. Meaningful relationships were observed between the economic profiles of employed students which include opportunities such as having access to a computer at the workplace or owning one at home and following the classes through Internet.

A Study on the Role of Open Education Faculty, the Leader of Distance Learning in Turkey, in Higher Education and its Educational-Social Dynamics

The distance learning method has changed the conception of classical education and training. In Turkey the distance learning mission has been undertaken by Anadolu University Open Education Faculty (OEF). Therefore, the presence of OEF in higher education has been considered as the need and demand for higher education through “distance learning system”. However, studying the state’s OEF move “a demand” is not sufficient for an integral analysis. The economic and political structure in the period when OEF was integrated into the education system was critical. In this context, there are significant social dynamics underlying the foundation of OEF as well. In this study, the differences between the distance learning experience in Turkey and other countries are analyzed. Besides the role and share of the OEF in higher education in Turkey is discussed and the socioeconomic reasons of the foundation of the OEF, as specified above, are studied within the framework of the background of the state’s educational move. Finally, the positive and negative views of the individuals on the OEF are presented in the study and suggestions are made in this framework.

EDUCATING THE PEOPLE AS A DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHER AND CAMERA OPERATOR VIA OPEN EDUCATION SYSTEM STUDIES FROM TURKEY: Anadolu University Open Education Faculty Case

Today, Photography and visual arts are very important in our modern life. Especially for the mass communication, the visual images and visual arts have very big importance. In modern societies, people must have knowledge about the visual things, such as photographs, cartoons, drawings, typography, etc. Briefly, the people need education on visual literacy. In today’s world, most of the people in the world have a digital camera for photography or video image. But it is not possible to give people, visual literacy education in classic school system. But the camera users need a teaching medium for using their cameras effectively. So they are trying to use internet opportunities, some internet websites and pages as an information source. But as the well known problem, not all the websites give the correct learning or know-how on internet. There are a lot of mistakes and false information. Because of the reasons given above, Anadolu University Open Education Faculty is starting a new education system to educate people as a digital photographer and camera person in 2009. This program has very importance as a case study. The language of photography and digital technology is in English. Of course, not all the camera users understand English language. So, owing to this program, most of the camera users and especially people who is working as an operator in studios will learn a lot of things on photography, digital technology and camera systems. On the other hand, these people will learn about composition, visual image's history etc. Because of these reasons, this program is very important especially for developing countries. This paper will try to discuss this subject.

Organizational Commitment of Anadolu University Open Education Faculty Students

Organizational Commitment of Anadolu University Open Education Faculty Students

Digital Broadcasting and Interactive Television in Distance Education: Digital and Interactive Television Infrastructure Proposol for Anadolu University Open Education Faculty

Rapid changes and improvements in the communication and information technologies which emerged in the mid 20th Century and which are still being developed today require new methods, constructions, and arrangements in the production and distribution of information. We can easily say that Television has experienced the dexterity of presenting complex and difficult processes to comprehend concepts, subjects, and experimental studies to learners from different points of view. This is a result of 2D or 3D graphics and animations using audio visual stimulators and in doing so, it has replaced its technology from analog to digital leading to a digital-interactive. As such, it has also begun to convert the broadcasting technolo gy in Turkey by adopting this direction. In the light of this approach, we can argue that television broadcast the infrastructure of Anadolu University Open Educati on Faculty needs to be replaced with a digital and interactive one. This study contains basic concepts of digital and interactive broadcasting and the new improvements. Furthermore, it incorporates the approaches of the fundamental groundwork to introduce a digital television broadcasting infrastructure.