E-learning Portal Research Articles

Perceived learning outcomes from Moodle

This study explores the intrinsic and extrinsic features of Moodle learning managements system and how these features motivate students to use an e-learning portal, which subsequently influences their perceived learning effectiveness and academic performance. Theoretical underpinning of motivation theory, self-determination theory (SDT), and cognitive evaluation theory (CET) is used to design the framework. The quantitative empirical research to test the hypothesized relationships was conducted on 276 online students in Pakistan who use Moodle for online learning. By analysing the responses using AMOS, the findings reveal that both the intrinsic motivators (communication module features, course content module features and course delivery module features) and extrinsic motivator (assignment module feature) significantly influence the students’ perceived learning effectiveness, which results in improve academic performance.

YouTeach-An E-Learning Portal

The acquisition of knowledge along with its use facilitated and distributed by electronic means is called as E-Learning. E-learning can take the form of smaller learning objects or courses as well as modules. The physical barriers of learning are eliminated and have enhanced indigenous participation in education. E-learning also allowed flexible learning opportunities. A lot of resources are needed by an individual to gain an expertise in a particular domain. The knowledge required to gain expertise is now easily available due to the advent of E-learning. The resources on the internet are growing at a very fast rate. A secure and efficient system is needed so that users can be directed to area of his interest such that he can learn and gain insights in the domain. Development of an organized learning atmosphere will help the user to find the required information at a same location. ELearning has been identified as positive, interesting and creative way for indigenous students to learn by the literature. This paper presents Youteach an E-Learning portal which focuses on providing an accessible and user friendly interface to the students to learn any educational concepts based on varied fields. The portal will be made with the capability of generating multimedia content (video or files) which will be uploaded by distinguished professors of the college or competent users and the content could be on varied educational topics. General Terms Cloud Computing, Content Management System

Examining civil servants’ decisions to use Web 2.0 tools for learning, based on the decomposed theory of planned behavior

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this study was to investigate the decisions of civil servants to use Web 2.0 applications while engaging in online learning. The participants were 439 civil servants enrolled in asynchronous online learning programs, using an e-learning portal provided by Taiwan's Regional Civil Service Development Institute. The participants completed a questionnaire which measured their responses to 12 constructs (perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, compatibility, peer influence, superior influence, self-efficacy, facilitating conditions, attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavior control, behavior intention, and behavior) based on the decomposed theory of planned behavior. The research results revealed that the participants’ perceived usefulness of online learning was the strongest predictor affecting their attitude. Peer influence was also the primary factor influencing their subjective norm. The construct of self-efficacy appeared to be the most important element determining their perceived behavioral control. Also, the results of the path analysis showed that the participants’ attitude was the strongest indicator of their behavior intention to use Web 2.0 applications, followed by the perceived behavior control and subjective norm. Theoretical and practical implications and recommendations are provided based on the results of the study.

Implementation of e-learning portal for academic education and lifelong learning

Distance education is entering the area of university education with increasing strength, particularly including lifelong learning. Distance education requires a well-structured organisation and resource management tools, namely an e-learning portal. Universities which are still at the beginning of the portal implementation process may encounter numerous technical and organisational issues. This article was created with a view of educational centres in which the portal is implemented with scarce financial resources by several academic employees having little experience in the field. The authors point to several key issues, such as: analysis of the school's needs in terms of distance education server resources, choice of portal in terms of technology, supported standards or functions necessary for proper course and lastly, user management. The article also mentions the often-underestimated aspect of portal management. The authors further present the capabilities of computational clouds, their deployment in the academic environment and their use in distance learning. Such a solution is extremely rare, particularly in Eastern and Central European countries.

Creating Digital Question Databases: Use of Self-Tests in Teaching Medical Subjects

Abstract Enhancement of teaching using digital materials is rapidly entering the world of medical studies. Creation of a self-learning environment supported with self-tests is received well, or even enthusiastically, among students. On the other hand, there is a relatively large group of opponents among university teachers, who do not see the need for changes in teaching and testing methodology to be made. This attitude may be surfacing as a result of anxiety connected with implementing new technologies in teaching medical subjects, as well as the belief that implementing new technologies does not have an immediate effect on learning quality. The authors of this article attempt to demonstrate that a thoughtful choice of e-learning platform facilitates the process of implementing online learning and testing aids in medical faculties. The second part of the article presents initial results of studies concerning the efficiency of learning enhanced with self-tests. Our analysis details the results of exams in pathophysiology taken by students of the medical faculty at the Poznan University of Medical Sciences. After the course, an evaluation survey was completed by 195 students concerning the quality of teaching with the use of the OLAT (Online Learning and Training) e-learning portal. It showed that students had positive attitudes toward learning with the use of online materials, particularly with regard to the use of self-tests, which allowed students to check their knowledge independently in exam-like conditions. The article that follows is targeted at those teachers who are interested in implementing a self-study and electronic knowledge evaluation environment for their courses, not necessarily in medical subjects.

E-learning Portal Tools for Medical Education

Abstract The necessary prerequisites for efficiently pursuing distance learning include carefully planned organization of work and resource management tools, typically found in an internet application – a distance learning portal. The portal application must meet a number of capacity and functionality requirements. Learning goals are pursued through implementation of appropriate tools available in the portal. In the article that follows, the authors attempt to analyze this aspect of medical education as utilized by blended learning and e-learning classes. The article presents a proposal for a set of tools to organize classes in an e-learning portal at a medical school. In addition, the article presents the opinions of students of the Poznan University of Medical Sciences and the Medical University of Bialystok who took part in distance education classes.

ENHANCING STUDENTS’ LISTENING THROUGH DIGITAL STORYTELLING

The researchers pointed out that digital storytelling can be used as supporting materials for the e-learning portal in both departments, English and Indonesian department. It discussed more about the process of designing the material of a digital storytelling as teaching aid for literal listening subject. It has a significant contribution for the effective and fun English learning. Through the qualitative method used to analyze the data. The research also started by collecting sources for creating and designing the digital storytelling on stories entitled “ Aunt Polly ” and ” Tom Fight ” by Mark Twain. It started from inventorying the teaching and learning stuff such as syllabus, lesson plan, software, and the digital contents of the storytelling made. The researchers choose Audacity 3.5 Beta, and Windows Moviemaker 2.6, as the software for editing audio and creating video. The stories were made for enhancing the students listening skills either bottom-up or top down. The result of this research proves digital storytelling can be used in E-learning portal, such as Edmodo. The questionnaires result shows that digital storytelling is an interesting material, but need to be modified more in e-learning. Article visualizations:

Evaluation of E-Learning Web-Portal (e-HearMe) Designed for Hearing-Impaired Learners

E-Learning is the use of electronic educational technology in learning and teaching, where there is no face-to-face interaction as advanced online learning is held in virtual learning atmospheres. Learning Information Communication Technology (ICT) is crucial in the Hearing-Impaired Education Development as the visual display plays an important role in helping hearing-impaired learners understand a task. The objective of this research is to implement and evaluate the ICT education courses constructed from the E-Learning Portal developed based on their knowledge and attitude in using the Web-Portal. To achive the aim of the study, the research locations were chosen from 3 schools performing the Hearing-Impaired Education Program in Malaysia. By doing so, 72 Hearing-Impaired Students were chosen from Form 4 and Form 5 of the Secondary Level as the research sample. In the evaluation phase, questionnaires for the teachers, the students and the expert evaluators are the research instrument of this research. The Computer Graphics course, among all the ICT courses, has the majority selected by the Hearing-Impaired Individuals, mostly for reasons as intensifies deaf-creativity. The analysis conducted through this research shows a positive feedback on the part of the teachers and Hearing-Impaired Students towards the interest, skills and the knowledge in learning computer courses. In terms of the E-Learning Portal E-HearMe, the teachers and the students were really satisfied with the existence of this medium. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n4s1p248

E-learning Tool for Improving Managerial Strategic Thinking Skills

Research proves that Small and medium enterprises (SME) manager/owners do not manage their companies strategically which negatively impacts their long-term competitiveness. This fact should get even more attention realizing that small and medium sized firms (SMEs) are the backbone of the EU economy, representing over 90% of all registered companies, creating more than 65% of jobs in the private sector and over 54% of the overall value added (see Eurostat). Therefore, it is important to find the ways in which the SME owners/managers could be trained in the skills necessary for strategic decision making. This contribution describes a solution to this issue through creating a multilingual e-learning format accessible for SMEs managers and owners. We describe the process of creation of the e-learning portal as well as the e-learning methodology and course content. The creation of the portal was supported by the LEONARDO DA VINCI TRANSFER OF INNOVATION PROJECT Under the Lifelong Learning Programme with the project title: Education in Strategic Management for SMEs managers/owners is attempting to find a solution to this issue through creating an e-learning format.

Ant colony optimization for competency based learning objects sequencing in e-learning

E-learning is a knowledge management concept where content creators have to arrange a set of learning resources, to present them in a clear and comprehensive way to the learners. In this paper, we formulate a new approach for obtaining better learning paths for different learners groups as a constraint satisfaction problem (CSP) in which meta-data and competencies are used to define the relationships between the learning objects (LOs), where the course materials are used to formulate LOs sequence. The main aim of this paper is to obtain a dynamic learning path for the considered CSP problem by using the swarm intelligence technique, which is a sub-set of the artificial intelligence technique. Further, the proposed model is tested in a simulated environment, which gives an optimized LO sequencing. The simulation results reveal that the artificial ants gives solution to the proposed problem in an optimized way. More precisely, suitable learning path can be obtained by applying ant colony optimization (ACO) technique. From the obtained results it is concluded that the proposed model supports the e-learning portal administrator in getting benefits in terms of less processing time and minimal sequencing cost.

An Effective Assessment of Knowledge Sharing and E-Learning Portals

In recent years, most of the companies have increasingly realized the importance of the knowledge sharing portal and E-Learning portals to provide competitive knowledge for their employees. The knowledge stored in these portals varies from technical, process and project knowledge functional or domain specific knowledge to face the competitiveness among other companies or organizations, especially in industrialized countries. More than three-fourths of organizations have focused on their investment in technology and process trends that encourage user collaboration through Knowledge sharing and e-Learning Portals. There are many number of challenges in evaluating the effectiveness of the E-Learning Portals and Knowledge Portals. The primary goal of this paper is to illustrate how a domain independent multi-dimensional metric model and metric database can be built to assess the effectiveness of the Web Based Knowledge and E-Learning Portals.

Towards Cloud-Based Knowledge Capturing Based on Natural Language Processing

Abstract The organized capturing and sharing of knowledge is very important, and a lot of tools, such as wikis, social communities and knowledge-management or e-learning portals, exist for supporting this purpose. The community content- and knowledge-capturing, management and sharing portal of the European project “Realising an Applied Gaming Eco-system” (RAGE) † combines such tools. The goal of the RAGE project is to boost the collaborative knowledge asset management for software development in European applied gaming (AG) research and development (R&D). To support this process, the so-called RAGE ecosystem implements a portal to support the related asset, content and knowledge exchange between diverse actors in AG communities. Therefore, the community portal in RAGE is designed as a so-called ecosystem and is intended to provide its users different tools for the capturing, management, and sharing of knowledge. In this study, we rely on the term and model definition of spiraling knowledge exchange between explicit and tacit knowledge given by Nonaka and Takeuchi. 1 To achieve the goal of extracting, i.e., externalizing and explicitly representing and sharing this knowledge to its users, we propose to generate a taxonomy for faceted search automatically by extracting named entities form the knowledge sources and to classify documents using Support Vector Machines (SVM). In this paper we present our architectural approach for the NLP-based IR concepts and discuss how cloud services based on data distribution and cloud computing can improve the outcome of our system.

REAL TIME ANALYSIS OF ATTRIBUTES OF AN INDIAN E-LEARNING SITE

E-learning is an evolving paradigm in the modern educational settings. For an effective e-learning, a lot of concentration should be made to understand the learner usage patterns, requirements and individual capabilities for delivering e-content. The main aim of this paper is to analyze and present the selected attributes of how learners interact with an e-learning site using a case study of an Indian e-learning portal. A quantitative survey was carried out to compile the data pertaining to learners’ profile and to derive views on the current experiences of the learners. The valuable information thus obtained will facilitate in assessing the effectiveness of the current e-learning material and predicting acceptability of adaptive environment for learners.

The ESPE e-learning webportal: A global tool for instruction and formative assessment of pediatric endocrinology

The ESPE e-learning portal (http://www.espe-elearning.org) aims at supporting the learning of cognitive objectives, competencies and skills at two levels: core (medical students) and advanced (fellow/postdoc). It provides a rich source of up-to-date information on various Pediatric Endocrinology topics. The ESPE elearning webportal offers a set of functionalities consisting of a general learning content (chapters, problem solving cases, self-tests, glossary, community) and the option to construct specific courses for an event (ESPE school) or organization: a client, university or institution. Moreover, a set of question types has been developed allowing scoring and assessment of competencies. The content is being expanded and includes chapters and/or cases on the topics of growth, puberty, DSD, calcium and bone, diabetes, hyperinsulinism, thyroidal disorders, adrenal disorders, dis-electrolytemia. Since the portal has been moved to its definite address the global use of the portal has increased: during the period September – December 2013 there were 1264 visits; during the period January-April 2014 there were 2393 visits. The availability of the portal for members and non-members of ESPE needs to be emphasized and needs to be made public widely. Moreover, relevant feedback from users should be translated by the editorial board to make practical improvements. As demonstrated during two courses held in Varna, Bulgaria the portal facilitates the combination of online learning and face-to-face instruction: blended learning. Finally, the next step in extending the impact of the e-learning portal is the further development of learning and competency assessment tools. Furthermore, in demonstrating its applicability at a global level, regional and cultural aspects should be fully recognized.

Comparative Study of Challenges Affecting Adoption of E-Learning for Capacity Building in Public Service Sectors of Kenya and South Africa

Over the past decade there has been a rapid increase of new technological advances and specifically use of internet to access information. Economic growth all over the world has continued to be dependent on information and communication technologies (ICT’s) and the abilities for countries to collect, process and use the digital information in teaching, learning, research and development. The e-learning revolution in developed countries has proven the use of technology can enhance growth and boost economic development. The purpose of the study was to compare challenges affecting adoption of e-learning for capacity building in public service sectors of Kenya and South Africa. Cluster sampling methodology was used and data analysed using SPSS. The study population represented participants who underwent through a capacity building course African leadership in ICT (ALICT) course offered by GESCI. This is a capacity building e-learning course targeted at mid senior level managers from the public service sectors. The sampled respondents represented Ministries of Education, Information Technology, Planning, Public service training institutions from the two countries. The study findings identified challenges that hinder the adoption of e-learning in the public service and cuts across Kenya and South Africa. These include infrastructure problem, lack of funds, and lack of policies favouring the use of e-learning, provision of reliable e-learning portals to the government employees.

E-learning portal for professional development in cancer care

Purpose – Cancer care is complex and an integrated cancer pathway involves many health professionals in a variety of care settings using many skills. The widely distributed and heterogeneous nature of the cancer workforce raises significant challenges with respect to professional development. Cancer Learning is a government-funded initiative designed to provide access to a wide range of quality online learning resources for all health care professionals involved in the care of cancer patients and their families. The purpose of this paper is to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – A multi-phase project, led by a consortium of national stakeholders in cancer care, informed the design, build, and deployment of Cancer Learning; an online, evidence based, information and learning portal to support professional development of health professionals across the continuum of cancer care in Australia. An action research approach allowed for an iterative process of ongoing dynamic evaluation and improvement of this workforce improvement resource. Findings – The National Government Agency, Cancer Australia's Cancer Learning online hub has been supporting the professional development requirements of cancer care professionals since the site deployment in 2007. Since launch, site usage continues to grow and evaluations have been positive. Time constraints of health professionals continue to be a major barrier to sustained online learning participation. Originality/value – This research recount of the development and implementation of an Australia first national online learning initiative highlights the rigorous approach undertaken for the delivery of a quality evidence-based resource for the professional development of all health professionals involved in the delivery of cancer care.

Global application of disorders of sex development-related electronic resources: e-learning, e-consultation and e-information sharing.

The past 20 years have seen proliferation of electronic (e) resources that promote improved understanding of disorders of sex development (DSD): e-learning for physicians and trainees, e-consultation between clinicians, and e-information for families and affected individuals. Recent e-learning advances have emerged from the European Society for Pediatric Endocrinology's online learning portal for current physicians and trainees. Developed with attention to developing clinical competencies incorporating learning theory, and presenting material that represents international best practice, this e-learning portal offers advances in training, making information more accessible for clinicians and trainees. Multiple levels of instruction, authentic case examples, collaborative forums for physicians and trainees, individualized feedback and user-friendly tools represent advances in trainee and physician learning that can take place in any location. e-consultation is an emerging tool that aims to connect physicians with specialists experienced in DSD care. Although it faces logistical challenges, e-consultation carries the potential to improve DSD care, especially in remote areas with limited access to DSD specialists. e-information for families and patients of all ages is widely accessible online, often with focus on DSD biology, medical care, and psychological and social support. e-information tools aid self-management and support of those affected by DSD. Efforts to improve these resources should aim to map information to individual users, incorporate optimally clear nomenclature, and continue as a 'shared enterprise' of clinicians, affected individuals, families and researchers. Improving the quality of DSD-related e-learning and e-information and developing e-consultation carries the potential to transform DSD care and support for patients, families and physicians worldwide.

Science learning via multimedia portal resources: The Scottish case

Scotland's rich heritage in the field of science and engineering and recent curricular developments led to major investment in education to equip pupils with improved scientific knowledge and skills. However, due to its abstract and conceptual nature, learning science can be challenging. Literature supports the role of multimedia technology in addressing the difficulties associated with science learning. This paper reports on a two-phase investigation that explored the impact of multimedia resources situated in a national e-learning portal to (1) assist generalist and specialist science teachers' teaching practices and (2) stimulate pupils' interest, encourage engagement and improve overall science learning experiences. Our research also investigated how portal resources facilitated and/or acted as barriers for teaching and learning. Findings from our research affirm that multimedia technology has transformed science learning; with these resources accessible through a national portal, radically different learning experiences ensued. These findings raise serious implications for teacher education and professional development in ensuring that teachers acquire sound science content and pedagogical knowledge as well as practical strategies for utilising technology-rich environments, as this is likely to become the norm. Harnessing the fullest potential that information and communication technology, multimedia and e-learning portals can offer starts by addressing these challenges.

A Mobile-Based E-Learning System

E-learning is an innovative approach for delivering electronically mediated, well-designed, learner-centred interactive learning environments by utilizing internet and digital technologies with respect to instructional design principles. This paper presents the application of Software Development techniques in the development of a Mobile Based E-learning system that facilitates learning in a University environment. The developed application presents a system where a student after registration, has access to various functions that can improve the process of learning. Web pages were developed to serve as the user interface to the MLS and provide all the services needed for an E-learning portal including assessment and provision of feedback to learners. A portal exists for lecturers to upload learning contents and students’ examination results. The online portal uses Apache HTTP server as its web server, MySQL for relational database management and PHP as the scripting language to serve as a communication gateway between the back end and the users. The system was tested and evaluated with satisfactory results. This work, if adopted in schools to aid conventional learning, is expected to immensely improve the learning process and performance of students.

Knowledge Management through Academic Portal: A Case Study of Bodhidroom E-learning Portal

The study aims to find out how knowledge management processes can be implemented through a portal in an academic set-up. This is a web based study of Bodhidroom e-learning portal (http:// www.bodhidroom.idolgu.org/) under the Institute of Distance and Open Learning (IDOL) of Gauhati University. Portal features discussed and illustrated here might serve as model for academic institutions interested in developing a campus portal as knowledge management enabler.