Distance Education Programs Research Articles

A digital literacy predictive model in the context of distance education

Digital technologies are essential in the distance education environment. Several learners who enrol in distance education programs have difficulty using the technologies during the learning sessions. This study focuses on factors influencing digital literacy in distance education programs. A predictive model was developed based on four phases of the study; preliminary study, dataset preparation, experimental design, and analysis. For this study, 232 survey data were successfully collected. The experimental design has two phases, including data pre-processing and feature selection. - The target class is defined based on the device used and the generation. Five machine learning algorithms have been selected for the classifier model in the data analysis phase. They are logistic regression as a baseline model, k‐nearest neighbour, random forest, support vector machine (SVM), and multilayer perceptron. In addition, five cross-validation settings were chosen, which are 2, 3, 5, 10, and 20‐fold cross‐validation. The comparison result for two‐target data will be based on accuracy, precision, recall, and F-measure. Using the SVM algorithm, the best model shows the maximum accuracy with 82.9% for model learning based on generation and 41.4% for model learning based on the device. This study identifies interesting patterns based on learners’ generation. It shows that different generations have various ways of using digital literacy. Thus, the proposed predictive model proves that generation is a useful indicator to recognize the level of digital literacy among higher education learners, especially those for distance learning.

Program Pendidikan Jarak Jauh dengan Mempertimbangkan Konteks Sosial Budaya Turki Melibatkan Penyediaan Layanan yang Tepat dan Saluran Komunikasi yang Efektif

Understanding the socio-cultural context is key to developing the right support system for distance learners. The socio-cultural context in Turkey is an important element in the development of Turkish distance education programs, where the two elements of Turkish cultural patronage and oral tradition - seem to play an important role. The main objective of this study was to determine the role of the socio-cultural context in designing appropriate support services and improving interaction in the Turkish Distance Education System, namely, the Faculty of Open Education (OEF). The study first introduces the OEF technology and socio-cultural context then presents to consider the influence of those contexts in designing appropriate support services and enhancing interactions; and finally provide several suggestions to improve student support and interaction in accordance with the prevailing socio-cultural context.

Education as an effective strategy to promote nutritional knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors in street children

BackgroundLack of nutritional knowledge and ineffective attitudes can complicate the problems faced by this group of street children and have significant effects on their behaviors. This study aimed to examine the effect of nutrition education on nutritional knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of street children in Kerman in 2021.MethodsThis experimental study was conducted on 70 street children supported by Aftab Children Support Center in Kerman in 2021. The participants were selected using convenience sampling and were divided into two intervention and control groups using a random number table. A nutrition distance education program was implemented using an educational compact disk (CD) for the participants in the intervention group, while the children in the control group did not receive any training. The children’s nutritional knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors were assessed before and one month after the intervention using the Nutritional Behavior Questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed with SPSS software (version 22) using the chi-square test, paired and independent samples t-test, and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA).ResultsThe results revealed a significant difference in nutritional knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors after the intervention (p < 0.001) due to the effect of the nutrition training program. Accordingly, the mean scores of the participants in the intervention group for nutritional knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors increased by 11.45, 14.80, and 6.05 units after the intervention compared to their scores before the intervention. Furthermore, the effects of the training program on the participants’ nutritional knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors were 89.6%, 91.5%, and 64.3%, respectively.ConclusionThe findings of this study concluded that training based on nutrition education improved the children’s nutritional knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. Thus, the officials in charge of promoting the health of vulnerable groups in the community need to provide the necessary facilities to implement effective training programs for street children and encourage them to participate in training programs.

The choice of career in the distance education programs of the "Minuto de Dios University Corporation, UNIMINUTO"

The choice of career in the distance education programs of the "Minuto de Dios University Corporation, UNIMINUTO"

Market orientation of entrepreneurial university distance education and sustainable competitive advantage relationships: The mediating role of employee engagement

To be competitive in the distance education service delivery market, the need for a strategic approach by managers of these institutions to manage the increased competition cannot be compromised. Despite the available past and current studies on market orientation, the impact of market orientation on firms in the context of distance education is yet to be explored. Additionally, given the COVID crisis, the increasing reliance on distance education has resulted in a dynamic and turbulent environment in which market orientation assumes even greater importance. This study seeks to examine the mediating role of employee engagement in the link between market orientation and sustainable competitive advantage. Using the multistage sampling technique, 375 respondents were selected, consisting of key management and staff of a certain university’s distance education programme. Analytically, partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was used to address the various hypotheses of the study. Both customer and competitor orientations were found to have a significant positive effect on the university’s sustainable competitive advantage. The study’s outcomes will help shape policy and practise in distance education.

A Study on Face-to-Face Exam Experiences of Distance Education Students

This study was conducted to reveal the views of the students enrolled in distance education programs about the face-to-face examination process. In the study, the survey model, which is one of the quantitative research methods, was used. The data of the study were collected online with an open-ended questionnaire prepared by the researchers. A total of 46 distance education students, enrolled in the 2022-2023 academic year fall semester, participated in the study. The data were analyzed using descriptive and content analysis methods. The results were tabulated and interpreted, including frequency and percentage values. When the research results are examined; it is revealed that the students primarily prepared for exams using the resources available on the learning management system (LMS), and they deemed these resources adequate. The students have stated that the majority of the obstacles they encountered prior to the exam stem from household and occupational responsibilities, and thus they have not been able to adequately prepare for the examination. The students have noted that the most prominent cause of their pre-examination anxieties is the fear of failure. The primary reason for their anxiety during the exams was the difficulty of the exam questions. The students' most prominent positive opinion about face-to-face exams is the opportunity to interact and socialize with classmates and instructors, while their most emphasized negative opinion has been identified as the financial and emotional struggles they face in the form of travel and accommodation, due to residing in a different location. Students have made suggestions regarding the face-to-face exams either being conducted online or in the location where they reside. It is thought that this study will provide an important perspective to researchers, instructors and institutions about face-to-face exam experiences of distance education students.

Belonging in distance learning

Abstract The purpose of this article is to describe adult learners’ sense of belonging when studying remotely in Malaysia. The methodology of the research involved carrying out in-depth interviews with twelve adult learners studying in a distance education institution to uncover their sense of belonging. The collected data was then analysed with Nvivo Version Twelve. The results showed that the annual campus meeting, the e-Learning platform and peer support all contributed significantly to the learners’ feeling of belonging in their distance-learning programmes. Nevertheless, these findings do not imply absolute belongingness, because their sense of belonging was observed alongside their sense of isolation amongst their peers in distance-education programmes.

Evaluation of Vocational E-Learning Seminars

The fourth industrial revolution emerges from a demanding need for reskilling and upskilling every active working person. Furthermore, the European Commission included key policy instruments for resilience, social fairness, and sustainable competitiveness in the European Skills Agenda. Distance training and education programs are key factors to succeed in the targets mentioned above. Due to the o COVID-19 pandemic, already 30% of the total education in European countries has further expanded. As a result, online evaluation approaches are more than necessary. Various methodologies have been applied to evaluate the online training sessions, from traditional statistics to context analysis and, the newly introduced text mining and sentiment analysis. This work used conventional descriptive statistical methods and advanced text mining methods to analyse data collected by private sector online training seminars—a total of 50 trainees in 5 seminars conducted by the private sector during COVID-19 pandemic training activities. A typical text mining analysis performed on a low is some open questions and a small number of texts.

A Comparative Study of Satisfaction with Distance Education programme of Distance Learners from Dual Mode and Open Universities

A Comparative Study of Satisfaction with Distance Education programme of Distance Learners from Dual Mode and Open Universities

Pemberian Pelayanan yang Tepat dan Saluran Komunikasi yang Efektif dalam Pendidikan Agama Islam Jarak Jauh Dirancang dengan Mempertimbangkan Konteks Sosial Budaya Turki

Understanding the socio-cultural context is key to developing the right support system for distance learners. The socio-cultural context in Turkey is an important element in the development of Turkish distance education programs, where the two elements of Turkish cultural patronage and oral tradition - seem to play an important role. The main objective of this study was to determine the role of the socio-cultural context in designing appropriate support services and improving interaction in the Turkish Distance Education System, namely, the Faculty of Open Education (OEF). The study first introduces the OEF technology and socio-cultural context then presents to consider the influence of those contexts in designing appropriate support services and enhancing interactions; and finally provide several suggestions to improve student support and interaction in accordance with the prevailing socio-cultural context

Introduction of digital technologies in education - Concepts and experiences

During the last decades technologies of information and communication technologies made a lot of progress, which increased the quantity and quality of distance education programs and the upcoming blended learning models. However, some basic difficulties in defining meaningful terms instead of buzzwords, often used in the present debate, will be discussed to raise consciousness of the rather vague terminology. The progress of digital technologies offered also a chance for better inclusion of disadvantaged parts of the population. The focus lies on the young generation of school attendants and how technology-oriented programs can provide better inclusion. We put a regional focus on development in Latin America. To highlight some of the issues discussed before, we will present a detailed case study about the Argentinean project “ConectarIgualdad”. We have also added a brief comparison with some other Latin American Initiatives. Summarizing we list considerations for a successful inclusive application of digital technologies in education.

Distance Under Pandemic Conditions (COVID-19): Professional Burnout of Primary and Secondary Grade Teachers.

This study elaborates on the possibility that distant education via online platforms increased the levels of burnout among teachers of primary and secondary general education during the school year 2020-2021. The main goal was to identify the factors that cause additional stress and intensify burnout. Data was collected with Google Forms by simple random sampling method. A standardized questionnaire was used as a research tool which includes demographic data in the first part of the research and the scale of stress levels, the scale of professional burnout of teachers, as well as the teaching scale self-efficacy.The final sample consisted of 169 primary and secondary education teachers during the school year 2020-2021 both in live and distant teaching. The results showed that mostly women who were permanently employed in special education or language teachers with 6-15 or more years of experience suffered from depression, anxiety, stress, and burnout. In conclusion, live teaching is considered much more effective, regardless of teacher gender or age, with the exception of teachers experienced in distance education programs. Teachers do not feel ready and sufficient to implement distant learning regarding classroom management and student involvement.

Challenges in managing postgraduate distance education in a Sub-Saharan African higher education institution

Although distance education (DE) is steadily deepening its relevance in the contemporary global higher education landscape, its management is beset with challenges in some developing countries. This study examined the challenges in managing postgraduate DE programs in a public higher education institution in a Sub-Saharan African country. Qualitative data were gathered from course facilitators, managers of the programs, and students, through structured interviews and focus group discussions. It was established that the programs faced challenges related to course material development, internet access, access to the library, Information and Communication Technology, and physical infrastructure, The programs were more print-media supported and face-to-face based than technology-anchored and online-based. For purposes of modernity, cost-effectiveness, and continuous quality improvement, the program managers should develop course manuals and modules and utilise technology-supported virtual teaching and learning instead of the current state of overreliance on face-to-face interactions. For sustainability reasons, the program managers should devise innovative ways of making the programs more practice-oriented to meet the demands of the growing competitive job market.

코로나-19로 인한 원격수업 운영에 관한 특수학교 담임교사의 인식 및 경험 연구

[목적] 본 연구는 특수학교 교사의 학교단위 원격수업 운영에 관한 인식 및 경험을 알아보기 위해, 대전지역 D 특수학교 담임교사 8명을 대상으로 심층 면담을 진행하였다. [방법] 면담 자료 수집은 반구조화 질문지를 사용하였으며 반복적 비교분석법을 사용하여 참여자의 의미 또는 경험을 대표하는 2개의 대주제, 7개의 소주제, 32개의 키워드를 추출하였다. 연구 결과를 요약하면 다음과 같다. [결과] 첫째, 코로나로 인한 급작스러운 원격수업 운영에 특수교사는 원격수업 준비의 부담, 학급 운영의 어려움, 가정환경에 따른 원격수업 효과의 편차, 코로나 관련 행정업무의 과중을 경험하였다. 그러나 원격수업 전환 경험은 수업의 질 향상과 더불어 학부모와의 소통 창구 확대 및 교사의 전문성 개발 측면에서 학교 현장에 긍정적인 변화를 가져왔다. [결론] 본 연구는 포스트코로나 시대 전환에 따른 특수학교 원격교육 개선을 위한 심층적인 기초 자료를 제시하였고, 연구 결과를 바탕으로 향후 대면수업과 원격수업을 병행하는 형태의 모델을 적용하여 특수학교 교육과정 개발을 위한 시사점과 향후 연구 과제를 제시하였다.

Analysis of User Interface Design and Technological Aspects of Learning Management System

In past, many universities in Pakistan launches Distance Education programs to address the diverse educational needs of student. Many of them were banned by Higher Education Commission. Investigating learners and instructors’ perceptions about user interface design and technological aspects of the LMS in distance education can provide guidance and recommendations for institutes of higher education that are considering expanding the use of distance education formats. This study was conducted on the 2 years master-level students and their instructors at the Virtual University of Pakistan, which is offering all its programs through LMS. A stratified sampling technique was use. According to the findings of the study, the interface design of VU-LMS is suitable for students and technologically has flexible features and functions. Both students and instructors were satisfied with the LMS. It provides a suitable environment for teaching learning process.

Classroom management problems faced by education administrators in distance education during the pandemic period.

Distance education contributes to the development of teamwork skills that may be needed in business life and builds effective collaborative communication skills that allow individuals to learn on their own. Students are able to take online classes, interact with their teachers and become a member of interactive groups. During the pandemic, countries faced different constraints that changed the general perception of education. The use of distance education programs, especially during the recent global COVID-19 epidemic, has had a positive or negative impact on students and had similar impacts on teachers as well. The education sector has also been affected by the various measures taken by countries to minimize the risk of transmission during the pandemic period. In this period, the traditional understanding of education has been interrupted and teachers carried out their education and training activities in technological environments. Distance education has also brought some difficulties as well as provided certain advantages to teachers. Quantitative analysis was preferred as the research method to describe the difficulties teachers faced when implementing open and distance education in Turkey. Within the scope of this study, problems of distance education faced by educators in classroom management are tried to be examined during the pandemic period.

Trust the Process

What are the benefits or drawbacks of a low-residency educational delivery model? How does the process of designing one's own study impact the work completed in a distance education program with this form of delivery? As researchers who found success in a low-residency undergraduate program, we engaged in a duoethnographic study to mine our experiences and better understand the advantages and disadvantages of this educational model. We engaged in four recorded conversations over the course of three weeks, with sessions ranging from 35 to 60 minutes each. Between sessions, we journaled in a shared online document, discussing our emerging understandings of the topic, responding to each other's perspectives, and pushing one another to articulate and revisit our stances. Through these oral and written dialogues, we identified six themes featured in the low-residency educational model: reduced stigma for non-traditional students, diversity of community, flexibility, self-designed study, staying connected, and clarity of boundaries.&#x0D; Keywords: low-residency, distance education, duoethnography, self-designed learning, non-traditional students

Learners' Attitude towards Distance Education Programme: Case of Bachelor Program in Agriculture of Bangladesh Open University

The study aimed to explore learners' attitudes toward 'the Bachelor of Agriculture Education (BAgEd) distance education program' and to show its relationship with the selected socio-economic characteristics of the learners. The target population for this study were learners at different BAgEd Study Centers of Bangladesh Open University BOU). Data collection was conducted from June 15, 2020, to April 30, 2022, by the survey through Google form in the web link. Random sampling was used from 438 learners who participated in the study out of 1750 learners. The findings show that around 57.3% of participants stayed in earlier stages in the innovation-decision process related to learners' attitude toward BAgEd distance education (no knowledge, knowledge, persuasion stages). About 42.7% were in later stages (decision, implementation and confirmation). A large portion (22.2%) of the learners think that after acquiring BAgEd degree, one may apply earned knowledge in own service field. On the other hand, only eleven participants think combining web-based and traditional methods in distance education can help learners access higher education. Out of ten selected characteristics of the learners, only one characteristic, family member, showed a no relationship with their attitude towards the BAgEd distance education program. Six of the significant characteristics, such as earning members, training, organizational participation, cosmopoliteness, uses of e-resources and creativity with correlation at 0.01. On the other hand, three independent variables, such as an academic semester, age and educational qualification, are significant at 0.05.

Learning Quality of Senior High School Distance Education During the COVID-19 Pandemic

In the new normal, educational institutions find ways for teaching-learning to continue. It is remarkable that distance education has been a great means of continuous learning. In this kind of learning condition, access to quality learning is paramount. The main goal of this research was to determine the effect of the factors of distance education on learning quality during the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. The research design was an exploratory descriptive approach that involved the teachers and students in the Senior High School (SHS) Department of four different campuses. Based on the results, the factors in distance education such as instructional design, support system, and implementation significantly predicted the learning quality of SHS students during the COVID-19 pandemic. When grouped according to campuses, the perceived level of learning quality in distance education noted a significant difference. This may indicate that learning quality can be intensified by the factors in distance education and be carried out on the four campuses. This intensification may be considered in the formulation of the Distance Education Program in the SHS on all campuses of the university.

ÖĞRETMENLERİN UZAKTAN EĞİTİME YÖNELİK TUTUMLARININ ÇEŞİTLİ DEĞİŞKENLERE GÖRE İNCELENMESİ

The purpose of this study is to determine the general attitude levels of teachers towards distance education and whether the attitudes of teachers differ according to the district, education level, gender, institution type, graduation, experience year, and branch variables, as well as to seek answers to the questions of whether there is a relationship between the frequency of in-service training on distance education and the perception of technology competence of teachers and their attitudes. The sample of the study, which was carried out in the descriptive survey model, consists of 886 teachers working at primary, secondary, and high school levels, private and public schools in Gaziantep Şehitkamil, and Şahinbey districts in 2020-2021. The research used “Personal Information Form” and “Distance Education Attitude Scale towards Teachers” as data collection tools. The data were collected in the digital environment and the Jamovi (1.6.9) package program was used in the analysis of the obtained data. The study concluded that teachers' attitudes towards distance education were low, although close to the medium level. In addition, the variables of gender, district, and graduation status of teachers do not change the attitudes of teachers towards distance education, however, the type of institution (private / state), education level, experience year, branch, and in-service training related to distance education affect teachers’ attitudes towards distance education and have a decisive effect on their attitudes. The study results also showed a positive relationship between teachers’ perceptions of technological competence and their attitudes towards distance education. Creating supportive in-service training opportunities related to distance education for teachers can increase success in distance education and increasing the technological competence of teachers will facilitate them to have a positive attitude towards distance education. Developing distance education programs applied to younger age groups will increase primary school teachers’ negative attitudes towards distance education.