Mode Of Instruction Research Articles

Co-Created Virtual Reality (VR) Modules in Landscape Architecture Education: A Mixed Methods Study Investigating the Pedagogical Effectiveness of VR

Extended Reality (XR), an umbrella term for Augmented Reality (AR), Mixed Reality (MR), and Virtual Reality (VR) technology, has the potential to enhance experiential learning and to close educational gaps, but the implementation of XR in higher education requires the competency of instructors, as well as guidance. In the fields of design (architecture, landscape architecture, interior design, urban planning, etc.), XR brings exciting opportunities to students for design visualization and presentation. However, how the XR-based immersive experience may supplement design learning is relatively underexplored and under-researched. This study investigates the role of co-created (with learners) VR modules in landscape architecture education, with a specific focus on landscape construction through an exercise focused on the construction detail of the iconic benches in the High Line Park (NY). This study aims to delineate the pedagogical possibilities and challenges of the implementation of XR in landscape architecture (LA) curricula, thereby offering LA educators actionable insights and frameworks for utilizing the new learning tools. Implementing a mixed methods approach, this research engaged undergraduate students (n = 16) to assess the pedagogical value of XR among five types of instructional modes—lectures, hand sketching, 2D drawing, 3D modeling, and a fully immersive co-created VR experience showcasing students’ work. A focus group discussion with graduate students (n = 7) provided additional qualitative insights. The results indicate that, while all instructional materials were received positively, the 3D modeling was rated most effective in the learning process by the students, due to its versatility as a foundation and its overlap/integration with the other instructional modes e.g., hand sketching, 2D drawing, and VR creation. Although VR-aided teaching creates an immersive learning experience allowing learners to gain a clearer understanding of the learning topics, positioning it primarily as a visualization/presentation tool may limit its utility. This study concludes that repositioning VR at different stages of the educational framework may result in enhanced engagement and, by extension, improve its pedagogical effectiveness. These findings contribute to the ongoing discourse on the optimal integration of emerging XR tools and technology in LA education and other design disciplines and afford new avenues for future research.

An immersive virtual reality communication skills training for dietitians: A feasibility study

ObjectiveThe training of dietitians emphasizes the development of strong communication skills. Immersive virtual reality (IVR) has been successfully employed for various healthcare scenarios; however, it is yet understudied in dietetics education. Therefore, we conducted a feasibility study to investigate the usefulness of IVR for the purpose of communication skills training. MethodsWe designed a multi-user virtual hospital environment that enabled the training of professional conversations between dietitians and patients. Divided into groups of three, 30 dietetics students participated in a role-play task. Taking a qualitative approach to inquiry, we evaluated how participants assessed the benefits and limitations of the IVR training. ResultsParticipants appreciated the authenticity of the training environment and mentioned various advantages of IVR (e.g., sense of privacy, better focus on conversation) over traditional modes of instruction. On the other side, participants frequently mentioned that the lack of avatars' facial expressions might present an obstacle for effective communication skills training. ConclusionIVR enables authentic communication skills trainings for dietitians. Special consideration should be given to providing ample social cues during training. InnovationThe study demonstrates that the promising results from other healthcare professions regarding the usefulness of IVR training also apply to dietetics.

Cultural Perspectives on Englısh Language Teachıng Styles: A Study in The Indonesıan Context

This research investigates teaching style models employed by Western and Southeast Asian teachers in senior high schools in Toraja, Indonesia. It explores students' perceptions of these teaching styles using qualitative descriptive methods. Data was collected from ten randomly selected students, an English teacher from Toraja, Indonesia, and an English teacher from the Netherlands. Research instruments included observation, questionnaires, and interviews. Descriptive analysis was used to analyse the data. The findings reveal cultural differences in teaching styles between Western and Southeast Asian teachers. Western teachers prioritize facilitating student learning, valuing individuality, encouraging independent thinking, using group discussions as a mode of instruction, considering mistakes as part of the learning process, and exhibiting varying degrees of formality in student-teacher interactions. In contrast, Southeast Asian teachers adopt an authoritative teaching style, placing less emphasis on individuality, highlighting the importance of group dynamics, and observing hesitancy among students to aşk questions.

Synchronous Virtual Learning in Ubiquitous Learning Paradigm and Effective Mathematics Teaching

Learning generally has taken a new dimension in this present era. Virtual learning has become increasingly popular recently due to technological advancement. Learning has moved from didactic pedagogy characterized by a teacher-centered approach where knowledge is transmitted from the instructor to the learner to a virtual, mobile, blended/ hybrid, e-learning mode of instruction. Learning is now a form of a Transformative approach to teaching and learning that goes beyond acquiring knowledge and skills only to create profound changes in individuals' beliefs, attitudes, values, and behavior. To obtain the necessary skills required for learning, the learners should have access to learning, and learning should be flexible and occur anywhere anytime through virtual instruction. The study emphasizes the ubiquitous (u-learning) paradigm, synchronous virtual learning in particular, and teachers' role in mathematics teaching and learning. This research has contributed valuable insights into how synchronous virtual learning can improve mathematics teaching and learning, support diverse learners, and inform instructional practices in digital environments. The implication of using synchronous virtual learning is to promote active engagement, social interaction, and peer collaboration, enhancing student comprehension and problem-solving skills. Since learning cannot be limited to didactic instruction, virtual learning should be considered for effective mathematics learning.

The impact of mobile-assisted project-based learning on developing EFL students' speaking skills

Combining mobile-assisted language learning (MALL) with project-based learning (PBL) might be the potential framework for enhancing EFL learners' speaking skills. However, only a few studies have scrutinised the impact of modern technologies on project work. More importantly, investigating how MALL, as a new field within ICT with unique pedagogical affordances, and PBL can enhance learners' speaking skills is still lacking in the literature. Accordingly, this study examines how integrating MALL through mobile phones and PBL, defined as mobile-assisted project-based learning or mobile-assisted projects, improves Moroccan secondary school students’ speaking performance. A true experimental study was conducted with 91 students assigned randomly to one experimental group and two control groups. The experimental group received instruction through mobile-assisted projects over one semester. In contrast, participants in the first control group taught speaking through project-based learning, and participants in the second control group received traditional teaching. Two instruments were employed to collect data: a speaking pre- and post-test to evaluate the three groups’ oral proficiency and a 5-Likert scale survey to detect the experimental group participants’ experience and attitudes toward the implementation. Based on independent sample t tests and paired sample t tests (SPSS-26), it was found that instruction through mobile-assisted projects was considerably more effective than project-based learning and conventional teaching in enhancing learners’ overall speaking performance and sub-skills: fluency and coherence, lexical resource, grammatical range and accuracy, and pronunciation. Further, the results of the attitude post-questionnaire demonstrated a very high positive perception of the participants toward the implementation. As a result, these findings confirm the pedagogical role of combining MALL with PBL as an innovative mode of instruction in enhancing EFL learners’ speaking performance.

Revisiting the small-world property of co-enrollment networks: A network analysis of hybrid course delivery strategies

Infectious disease outbreaks bring new challenges to campus operations at institutions of higher education (IHEs). At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, as a precaution against COVID-19 transmission on their campuses, many IHEs shifted to entirely remote courses in the Spring 2020 semester. As these institutions prepared for the Fall 2020 semester, their administrations evaluated the extent to which remote courses should continue. While remote courses may reduce the number of students who interact on campus and thus mitigate the risk of disease spread, there may be academic and financial downsides. MethodologyUsing de-identified enrollment, course schedule, and student profile data from the Fall 2019 semester at Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), we construct a co-enrollment network, which is a representation of student connections through courses. In this co-enrollment network, we observe the small-world property in which the average path length among reachable student pairs is short and nearly all students are connected to each other in the main component of the network through multiple independent paths. We also observe high connectivity between different majors. Then, we apply various hybrid instructional mode strategies to this co-enrollment network and use network connectivity and in-person instruction metrics to compare these strategies from health and academic perspectives, by their impacts on various groups of students, and based on the trade-off between reducing network connectivity and delivering in-person instruction. ResultsAlthough these strategies result in reduced network connectivity, they do not remove the small-world property. When comparing the strategies in terms of reducing network connectivity, we find three different strategy types to be the most favorable. Even under these strategies, the percentage of students with in-person courses that could be exposed rises quickly with initial infection rates. When comparing the strategies in terms of delivering in-person instruction, the most favorable strategies select a fixed percentage of courses for each subject to be delivered remotely. We then consider the impacts of these strategies on various groups of students to evaluate if there may be disparate impacts across these groups. In general, we find that strategies with more remote courses result in less disparate impacts on network connectivity and in-person instruction across these groups. In addition, we generally see less in-person instruction for lower-level students (i.e., first-year students and sophomores) compared to upper-level students. Regarding the trade-off between reducing network connectivity and delivering in-person instruction, the only strategy that is dominated under all scenarios in this study is the 1000s and 4000s only strategy, which keeps only the 1000- and 4000-level (i.e., first-year and senior level, respectively) courses in-person. The reason for this is that even though the university offers less in-person instruction due to this strategy's large quantity of remote courses, this strategy results in more connected networks because the 1000- and 4000-level courses tend to be large in size, the 1000-level courses are highly central, and the first-year students and seniors have high connectivity. ImportanceBy quantitatively comparing network connectivity and in-person instruction for these various strategies, campus administrators can weigh the physical health, academic performance, and mental health of students, along with the financial well-being of their academic institutions when responding to infectious disease outbreaks.

A thousand reasons to hate e-learning: a comparative analysis of empirical data and theoretical considerations pertaining to dissatisfaction with e-learning

Purpose E-learning has become a polarizing issue. Some say that it enhances accessibility to education and some say that it hinders it. While the literature on the subject underscores the effectiveness of the pedagogical frameworks, strategies and distance learning technologies, the firsthand accounts of students, parents and practitioners challenge the validity of experts’ assessments. There is a gap between theory and practice and between the perceptions of providers and consumers of online learning. Following a period of lockdowns and a transition to online learning during the recent pandemic, the prevailing sentiment toward a distance mode of instruction became one of strong skepticism and negative bias. The aim of the study was to examine why e-learning has struggled to meet stakeholder expectations. Specifically, the study posed two research questions: 1. What are the reasons for dissatisfaction with online learning? 2. What are the implications for future research and practice? Design/methodology/approach The study used a mixed methods approach to examine the reasons behind negative perceptions of online learning by comparing the firsthand accounts posted on social media with the literature. To this end, n = 62,874 social media comments of secondary and postsecondary students, as well as parents, teachings staff and working professionals, covering the span of over 14 years (2008–2022), were collected and analyzed. Findings The study identified 28 themes that explain the stakeholder’s discontent with the online learning process and highlighted the importance of user-centric design. The analysis revealed that the perceived ineffectiveness of distance education stems from the failure to identify and address stakeholders’ needs and, more particularly, from the incongruence of instructional strategies, blindness to the cost of decisions related to instructional design, technology selection and insufficient levels of support. The findings also highlight the importance of user-centric design. Practical implications To address dissatisfaction with e-learning, it is imperative to remove barriers to learning and ensure alignment between technology and learners’ needs. In other words, the learning experience should be personalized to account for individual differences. Despite its cost-effectiveness, the one-size-fits-all approach hinders the learning process and experience and is likely to be met with resistance. Originality/value Drawing from the extensive literature, the study offers an explanation for stakeholders’ discontent with e-learning. Unlike survey research that is prone to social desirability bias, the sample provides a rare opportunity to observe and measure the visceral reactions that provide a more authentic sense of stakeholders’ perceptions toward online learning. The authors offer recommendations and identify areas for future research.

Experiential Knowledge as a Musical Resource

Historically, music pedagogy has witnessed the implementation of diverse teaching models in different educational settings. Within the academic realm, for example, music theory and instrumental training approaches have been developed to align with standardized curricula, considering the diverse musical histories and cultures across the globe. Even so, there is a growing trend among individuals to explore alternative modes of instruction beyond traditional school environments. These alternative methods encompass online platforms and one-on-one in-person tutoring, among other options. Such modalities have prompted recognition of exponents who provide music tutorage having not acquired formal music training but possess knowledge through lived experience. Their practically inclined teaching approaches and demonstration of musical artistry have sparked interest in people, who subsequently aspire to learn music and play instruments. Their efforts have played a crucial role in fostering the need for music education in the music domain and the entire art industry. In doing so, they establish a prominent presence in music pedagogy, and consequently, in formal educational settings. Considering this, I examine the contributions by such educators within the music industry, particularly in the field of education. Using qualitative case study methods such as interviews, I explored different non-formal pedagogical approaches and interrogated their impact on learners. Insights from these interviews revealed that observation, replication, and innovation are utilized as instructional approaches in non-formal settings, with students studying under peers, master musicians, and family members. Through this, students acquire musical exposure as they develop skills that align with the music industry. Such training ought to be integrated into academic curricula to enhance music scholarship and ensure its relevance locally and within global contexts.

Face-to-face, online or HyFlex instruction? The effects of self-directed learning on stress reduction and student satisfaction among emerging adults

Purpose The outbreak of COVID-19 significantly disrupted educational activities and forced universities to rapidly transition from the traditional face-to-face (F2F) environment to online learning formats. The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of self-directed learning (SDL) on three instructional modalities (F2F, online and HyFlex) among emerging adults. The authors propose that class interaction enjoyment serves as a channel to understand how SDL relates to students’ satisfaction and stress reduction. Design/methodology/approach An online survey was distributed to the emerging adults, aged 18–25, at six universities across five different US states. Construct validity and reliability were tested by using confirmatory factor analysis. The moderated mediation relationship was examined by calculating the indirect effects of each course delivery format. Findings The results show that the positive indirect effect of SDL on stress reduction via interaction enjoyment was stronger for F2F classes. In addition, the positive indirect effect of SDL on class satisfaction via interaction enjoyment was stronger for HyFlex classes. Originality/value This literature has shown contradictory results: the effects of SDL on student satisfaction and stress reduction prove to be sometimes positive, sometimes non-significant. To better understand this relationship, the authors aim at a mediating variable – enjoyment of class interaction – as a mechanism, and a moderating variable – the instructional modality – as a boundary condition. This research contributes to emerging adults learning literature by involving the interplay among SDL, enjoyment of class interaction and the instructional modality.

Enhancing computational thinking in early childhood education through ScratchJr integration

A plethora of programming platforms purports to teach preschool-aged children computational thinking (CT) and coding skills. However, the empirical evidence to support their effectiveness is still in its early stages. A three-week didactic intervention using ScratchJr was conducted to investigate its effectiveness in fostering CT and rudimentary coding skills in a cohort of preschool children (N = 34, aged 4–6 years). While the initial performance mean of the control group (M = 7.07, SD = 2.58) exhibits a statistically significant elevation t (22.64 = 2.23, p = 0.036) vis-à-vis the experimental group (M = 5.35, SD = 1.58), t (22.64) = 2.23, p = 0.0 the terminal performance means of both groups converge closely. However, meticulous data analysis unveils a statistically notable enhancement among preschool participants exposed to the educational intervention involving ScratchJr. Notably, both instructional modalities appear commensurate in nurturing elementary computational tenets, namely modularity and control structures. The experimental cohort outperforms the control group with statistical significance in comprehending potent ideational constructs encompassing representation, algorithms, and hardware/software interplay. Conversely, the control group performs better in grasping the debugging concept than their experimental counterparts. The outcomes lend substantive credence to the efficacy of the distinct programming milieu offered by ScratchJr, underscoring its effectiveness in cultivating CT and coding proficiencies within the preschool demographic.

Assessing health behavior change and comparing remote, hybrid and in-person implementation of a school-based health promotion and coaching program for adolescents from low-income communities.

To assess the impact of a school-based health intervention on adolescents' health knowledge, psychosocial assets and health behaviors, including comparisons of implementation mode: remote, hybrid or in-person. The Stanford Youth Diabetes Coaches Program, an 8-week, school-based health promotion and coaching skills program, was offered to adolescents (ages 14-18 years) from four low-income US communities. Mode of program implementation was remote, hybrid or in-person. Participants completed online pre- and postsurveys. Analysis included paired t-tests, linear regression and qualitative coding. From Fall 2020 to Fall 2021, 262 adolescents enrolled and 179 finished the program and completed pre- and postsurveys. Of the 179, 80% were female, with a mean age of 15.9 years; 22% were Asian; 8% were Black or African American; 25% were White; and 40% were Hispanic. About 115 participants were remote, 25 were hybrid and 39 were in-person. Across all participants, significant improvements (P < 0.01) were reported in health knowledge, psychosocial assets (self-esteem, self-efficacy and problem-solving) and health behaviors (physical activity, nutrition and stress reduction). After adjusting for sex and age, these improvements were roughly equivalent across the three modes of delivery. Participation was associated with significant improvements in adolescent health behaviors. Furthermore, remote mode of instruction was just as effective as in-person and hybrid modes.

Enhancing Educational Practices during a Pandemic: Examining Teachers' Journey with Blended Learning in Rural High Schools

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, schools and institutions all over the world utilised blended learning during the mandatory lockdowns that were imposed by their respective governments. This acted as a spur for educational reform. This study investigated teachers’ experiences with the implementation of blended learning in rural high schools during the COVID-19 era in one educational district in South Africa. The social constructivism theory served as the theoretical lens for this study. This study employed the qualitative case study design. Purposeful and convenience sampling were used to select participants for the study. The data were collected using semi-structured interviews. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analysed using a thematic analysis approach. This study found that teachers perceived blended learning as easy to use, simple, user-friendly, straightforward to navigate, and offering creative modes of instruction. This study further found that teachers developed a positive perception of blended learning and its potential use in teaching and learning in the post-COVID-19 era, as blended learning promoted students’ independence and engagement in the teaching-learning process. However, the participants also experienced challenges, such as a lack of pedagogical knowledge on the use of blended learning, in their respective subjects, connectivity issues, electricity cuts, and network and internet issues. This study suggests that schools implement blended learning in the post-COVID-19 era to evaluate its impact on the teaching and learning process.

Association of School Instructional Mode with Community COVID-19 Incidence during August-December 2020 in Cuyahoga County, Ohio.

Remote and hybrid modes of instruction were employed as alternatives to in-person instruction as part of early mitigation efforts in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We investigated the impact of a public school district's instructional mode on cumulative incidence and transmission in the surrounding community by employing a generalized estimating equations approach to estimate the association with weekly COVID-19 case counts by zip code in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, from August to December 2020. Remote instruction only (RI) was employed by 7 of 20 school districts; 13 used some non-remote instruction (NRI) (2-15 weeks). Weekly incidence increased in all zip codes from August to peak in late fall before declining. The zip code cumulative incidence within NRI school districts was higher than in those offering only RI (risk ratio = 1.12, p = 0.01; risk difference = 519 per 100,000, 95% confidence interval (123-519)). The mean effect for NRI on emergent cases 2 weeks after mode exposure, controlling for Social Vulnerability Index (SVI), was significant only for high SVI zip codes 1.30, p < 0.001. NRI may be associated with increased community COVID-19 incidence, particularly in communities with high SVI. Vulnerable communities may need more resources to open schools safely.

A Blended Teaching Model of College English Based on Deep Learning

Blending traditional face-to-face instruction with online learning components, this model aims to enhance student engagement and improve learning outcomes. This paper introduces a novel blended teaching model for college English courses, integrating Conditional Random Field (CRF) techniques with deep learning frameworks. Blended learning, combining traditional face-to-face instruction with online learning components, has gained traction in higher education for its potential to enhance student engagement and learning outcomes. CRF blended teaching integrates the principles of conditional random fields, a powerful probabilistic graphical model, with traditional teaching methodologies to enhance learning outcomes. Unlike conventional teaching approaches that often rely on linear or static instructional methods, CRF blended teaching embraces a more dynamic and adaptive framework. By leveraging CRF, which models the dependencies between different instructional variables, educators can design personalized learning experiences tailored to individual student needs and learning styles. This approach enables the seamless integration of diverse instructional modalities, including face-to-face instruction, online resources, and interactive learning activities. The proposed model CRF algorithms to effectively capture the sequential dependencies inherent in language learning tasks, such as sentence parsing and part-of-speech tagging. By integrating deep learning architectures, including recurrent neural networks (RNNs) and transformers, model with large-scale linguistic corpora to improve accuracy and generalization. The model achieves a 15% increase in students' English proficiency scores and a 25% improvement in comprehension compared to traditional teaching methods, underscoring its effectiveness in enhancing learning outcomes.

Exploring learning congruence and the availability of diverse educational resources: A study conducted in the field of management education

Teaching innovation entails constantly adapting to evolving learning environments and diverse audiences. University educators have generated a plethora of materials to accommodate various modes of instruction, such as distance learning, blended learning, or synchronous and asynchronous teaching systems, facing a multitude of learning profiles and study techniques in a classroom. This diversity led us to propose the same content from a business administration course in different formats: text-based, graphics-based and audio-based materials. The use of different materials is attractive for students because of their novelty, but lecturers are unaware of their effectiveness in their learning outcomes. In order to explore these implications in management education, this research aims at finding out whether the availability of various types of educational materials in a business administration course and the congruence between declared learning preferences and the type of material received influences students’ learning outcomes. The results of an experiment carried out on 253 first-year students of the course Introduction to Business Economics show, in line with other studies, that the relationship is not direct but that having a variety of materials available is more responsive to the reality of the student body and increases satisfaction and active learning.

Unveiling Syntactical Errors in SHS Students

Academic writing has always been one of the hardest skills to develop as it requires mastery of the language. With the unforeseen pandemic, developing the said skills of the learners in this generation has become harder as new modes of instruction that are unfamiliar to both teachers and students emerge. With that, the main focus of this study is to identify the types and frequency of errors the students commit in writing academic papers in an attempt to provide the best possible interventions to remediate them. To achieve these objectives, 15 position papers were collected and analyzed. Error analysis designed by Gass and Selinker in 2008 was applied. In the end, results have been tabulated in descending sequence in which grammar appeared as the most frequent error. Strategies, such as the use of AI in checking grammar, and interventions, such as giving feedback and drafting, are recommended.

Online teaching of artistic creativity: Methods, motivation and evaluation

Relevance. In light of the pandemic, distance learning has gained significant importance. There has been a pressing need to adapt all academic disciplines to an online mode of instruction. Purpose. This study aimed to identify the most effective strategies for providing online literature courses, taking into account the distinct demands of artistic expression which typically necessitates a more intimate, real-time exchange between teacher and learner. Methodology. The study utilized a mixed-method approach, incorporating analysis of teaching practices, comparative studies, student surveys, and experimental comparisons of traditional versus innovative online teaching techniques for literary disciplines during the pandemic. Results. The study analyzed teaching methods in the Faculty of Philology and conducted a survey with 300 students from the Kazakh National University, followed by an experiment comparing traditional and innovative online teaching strategies. The research illuminated those innovative methodologies like game learning, problem-based learning, case study method, brainstorming, multimedia technologies, l-search strategies, and programmed learning, when deployed in teaching literary disciplines online, outperformed traditional teaching methods. Students taught using these modern techniques showcased superior academic performance and a deeper assimilation of course materials. Conclusions. Distance education, as evidenced by this study, can be an avenue for the integration of advanced technological tools, encouraging students to explore novel ways of presenting their understanding in literary disciplines. Keywords: digital pedagogy; virtual classroom strategies; e-learning; technological integration; student engagement

Variables influencing students' course quality evaluation: A cross-sectional study for a bachelor's degree dental program.

This cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate and predict variables that influence the Students' Course Evaluation Surveys (SCES) in a bachelor's degree of dental medicine and surgery program. Data from the Faculty of Dental Medicine for the academic year 2021-2022 were analyzed including 39 course reports, students' course evaluation surveys, students' academic performance data, and the program specification. The survey contains 24 statements that evaluate five main domains of the courses, which are course syllabus, staff performance through the course, course learning resources, course execution, and course quality. Chi-squared Test revealed no significant association between the total average students' evaluation score of the course against factors such as student's level, term, main mode of instruction, course category, department, and course director's gender, academic experiences, and nationality. On the other hand, pairwise comparisons revealed that grades from A+ to C were predictors of the total average SCES scores (p ≤ 0.004). Using the Paired Samples T-Test, the student's evaluation scores for their course were found to be significantly higher for females than males (mean±SD=50.56±24.3 vs. 41.00±26.3, p=0.042). Using Pearson correlations, results showed a significant association of total average students' course evaluation scores against factors such as average course syllabus, staff performance, course learning resources, course execution, and course quality (p<0.001). Average course syllabus, staff performance, course learning resources, course execution, and course quality are major predictor variables that influence SCES scores in the examined program. Enhancing these domains will be of great importance to improve the quality of the courses at the dental bachelor level.

Communication Barriers in Instructional Delivery as Experienced by AIMS Students in an Online Pedagogical Environment: An Exploratory Sequential Approach

With the continuous evolution of the computer and internet in the late 20th century , eLearning tools and delivery methods have expanded making it easier for people to learn at home. Seeing its potential as an alternative learning modality, universities and colleges all over the world have taken opportunity of online learning as another mode of instruction. However, this did not come handy to its stakeholders as online learning is also replete with problems. Much to its inherent perplexities, the communication barrier between a teacher and its respective students is one of the prevailing gaps that seem to mostly affect the efficient learning of students. This directed the proponent to explore and focus on the aspects that hinder the effective communication of both the teacher and students in a virtual classroom.&#x0D; Contextualized under the instructional delivery continuum, the researcher analyzed the communication barriers inherent in a virtual classroom utilizing the exploratory sequential mixed-method (ESMM) approach. Underscoring experiences of learners from Asian Institute of Maritime Studies (AIMS), qualitative data was initially gathered from 6 conveniently sampled students through a focus group discussion (FGD). Constant comparative method (CCM) was used in analyzing the data. Four themes emerged on this phase: 1) Lecture/Lesson Proper Problems (LLPP); 2) Assessment Instructional/Material Problems (AIMP); 3) Technology/Software-Related Problems (TSRP); and, 4) Technology Incapacity Problems (TIP). Using the qualitative results as theme constructs in developing the 37-item survey questionnaire, the quantitative phase explored further the communication barriers experienced by a cross-sectional sample of 318 AIMS students. Employing a 4-point Likert scale (1=Strongly Disagree; and, 4=Strongly Agree), mean data revealed the following results: TSRP earned the highest communication barrier problem (M=2.93); followed by LLPP (M=2.89); then AIMP (M=2.73); and, TIP (M=2.41). Based on the results, the respondents expressed two major communication barriers in the instructional delivery of lessons and materials in an online modality. These are online teaching management and technological efficiency. A virtual classroom communication management plan especially anchoring on the two major communication barriers was proposed to be developed.

Science lab safety goes immersive: An ecological media-comparison study with gender analyses assessing iVR’s learning effectiveness

We conducted a media-comparison study in ecologically valid settings to understand immersive virtual reality’s (iVR’s) instructional effectiveness in a university science course. We tested how complementing regular science lab safety instruction with interactive iVR simulation, desktop simulation, or the re-viewing of a text-heavy manual compare with each other in terms of knowledge-related and affective learning outcomes. We also explored gender differences in the outcomes across these instructional conditions. 102 undergraduates (51 females) were randomly assigned to one of the instructional conditions. Throughout the one-day course, all students received the same set of instructions, demonstrations, and hands-on lab safety training except for the following: the iVR group engaged with HMD-based interactive lab safety iVR training simulation; the desktop group interacted with the same simulation on a laptop, whereas the remaining group re-viewed the text-heavy course material in detail. Topic knowledge-related and self-report affective data were collected before and immediately after the course. Statistical analyses revealed that: (i) all three instructional modes helped students gain significant lab safety knowledge, (ii) there were several significant between-group differences in multiple affective measures, and (iii) the instructional modes affected/benefited the two genders considerably differently. Besides extending previous findings, the strong ecological grounding of our results adds important insights into real-life implications of integrating different media in undergraduate education. Our gender-related findings merely scratch the surface on the complex issue of “designing for diversity”, inviting scaled-up efforts to develop more equitable technology-enhanced science learning settings to address the cognitive-affective needs of different genders and other diversities.