Offering Distance Education Research Articles

Staðnemar og fjarnemar í grunnskólakennaranámi við Menntavísindasvið: Bakgrunnur, viðhorf og áhugi á að starfa við kennslu

Minnkandi aðsókn að kennaranámi og skortur á kennurum veldur talsverðum áhyggjum. Fyrir um aldarfjórðungi var farið í átak til að fjölga réttindakennurum en hlutfall leiðbeinenda hafði verið hátt, einkum á landsbyggðinni. Farið var að bjóða upp á fjarnám og samið var við kennaramenntunarstofnanir um að taka við f leiri nemum. Hlutfall leiðbeinenda lækkaði í kjölfarið og einnig varð efnahagshrunið 2008 til þess að kennarar sneru aftur til starfa í grunnskólum. Nú hefur hlutfall leiðbeinenda hækkað að nýju og óttast er að fjöldi útskrifaðra grunnskólakennara með réttindi haldi engan veginn í við þann fjölda sem hættir störfum, meðal annars vegna aldurs. Brottfall úr grunnskólakennaranámi og hæg námsframvinda veldur einnig áhyggjum. Í þessari rannsókn er dregin upp mynd af bakgrunni grunnskólakennaranema við Menntavísindasvið Háskóla Íslands og kannað hvort munur sé á fjar- og staðnemum. Niðurstöður benda til þess að fjarnemar eigi síður háskólamenntaða foreldra en staðnemar og að börn kennara fari frekar í staðnám en fjarnám. Svipað hlutfall fjarnema og staðnema vinnur með námi en fjarnemar vinna mun f leiri tíma á viku. Til að mynda vinna 42% þeirra meira en 30 tíma á viku meðan hið sama á við um 4,5% staðnema. Það hvort nemar eru í stað- eða fjarnámi tengist ekki aðdráttaraf li kennarastarfsins en hversu ánægðir þeir eru með bæði námskeið í uppeldis- og kennslufræði og kennslufræði greina tengist aðdráttaraf linu, og þættir sem tengjast vettvangsnámi skipta miklu máli. Þetta er í takt við fyrri rannsóknir um mikilvægi þeirrar reynslu sem kennaranemar fá í starfi með námi og í æfingakennslu.

Positive Impact of Computer Conferencing in Distance Education

A number of studies have examined the dynamics and style of communication adopted in computer conferencing in distance education (Mason, 1993). Computer conferencing by higher education institutions offering distance education courses has expanded rapidly since 1987. Lately computer conferencing has developed in fame as a vehicle of distance education. While protecting the opportunity related with asynchronous communication and giving wide access to low-end innovation users, computer conferencing enables students and instructors to take part in group learning and associate 'many-to-many' (Harasim, 1989). Much has already been written on the subject of computer conferencing in support of educational processes, in particular distance education (DE). Using unstructured interviews and observations at adult students' homes or worksites, the study investigated adult student perspectives of distance study by computer conferencing. The focal finding of this investigation was that computer conferencing can bolster a scope of learning situations, from teacher-led symposium to symposium to a student-centered community workshop. In addition, adults actively engaged in social relationships outside their distance studies which sustain their educational pursuits. The students provided insights into aspects of the on‐line environment: as synchronicity, interactivity, textual communications, and collaboration.

The Evaluation of Learning Management Systems by Using Fuzzy AHP, Fuzzy TOPSIS and an Integrated Method: A Case Study

Distance Education has become an important educational model with the development of information and communication technologies in the world. It has also become increasingly used model in Turkey. In our country, the number of universities and educational organizations offering distance education programs increase day by day. Distance education is performed by some special software called Learning Management System (LMS). There are both commercial LMSs and several open-source LMSs that have cost advantages. It is difficult to select an appropriate LMS for many institutions to meet their standards. The decision making and selection process is crucial, because LMS functions are different from each other, and they all have various features. Because of this, in this study, it is targeted to help and facilitate the decision-making process of LMS for institutions. In this study, Fuzzy AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process), Fuzzy TOPSIS (Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution) and an integrated method were used for evaluating criteria and deciding alternatives. To help accomplish this aim, questionnaire forms was designed and used for data collection. These methods were compared with each other. Results were evaluated. According to results among different criteria, the most important criteria for selecting LMS alternatives was found Content Management and Development (96.3%) and between the alternatives Moodle was found the best alternative with the degree of 36.3%.

Comparing Service Quality in Public vs Private Distance Education Institutions: Evidence Based on Malaysia

Assessment of the quality of distance education institutions has become an important issue that needs to be addressed to ensure program survival. This study uses SERVPERF model to identify the differences that exists in students’ perception of service quality in public and private universities in Malaysia that offer distance education. Our study confirms that this model is valid and reliable. We find that the students’ overall perception of service quality is lower in all five dimensions of service quality for the private universities. The dimensions that influence overall service quality are noticeably different for public and private universities. This suggests that private universities need to improve their service provision in order to remain competitive. Managerial implications of the major findings are discussed.

Usability of a classroom response system in an online course: Testing of a smartphone-downloadable technology enhanced learning tool for distance education

Background and objective: Classroom response systems (CRS) have been used in higher education since the 1990s to enhance student learning and engagement. It began with portable “TV remote control-looking” devices that students used in class to answer questions posed by the professor. Aggregated responses are available instantaneously and projected on the screen to serve as a feedback mechanism for the professor and students to gauge learning, potentially prompt further review of the topics, or inspire further discussion. Companies which produce CRS tools are beginning to develop apps to allow students to use their own technology mobile devices during similar learning activities. Many educational institutions are increasingly offering distance education courses and programs, yet little is currently known about the effectiveness of CRS integration into online courses. This usability study was conducted to determine whether a technology enhanced learning tool, specifically a CRS that can be downloaded to one’s smartphone, would be suitable for adoption in online classes in one particular suburban university in New York.Methods: The study is a mixed method, one group, pretest/posttest descriptive design. Convenience sampling (n = 48) was used to engage students enrolled in an online nursing course during their first semester in a master’s degree program. A five-point Likert scale was designed for respondents to rate 21 statements in terms of their degree of agreement (with 5 being “strongly agree” and 1 being “strongly disagree”). The statements included descriptors of the three usability domains (functionality, support and effectiveness) selected to evaluate the smartphone-based CRS app. Open-ended questions were included to provide contextual perspectives on these criteria.Results: T-tests demonstrated an improvement in student ratings of agreement with the evaluative criteria for this CRS smartphone app when comparing pre- and post-implementation survey data. This includes agreement with the CRS’s functionality (p = .001), support (p = .004) and effectiveness (p = .189) at α = 0.05, as well as overall usability across criteria domains (p = .000 at α = 0.05). Respondents additionally suggested that specific features be changed or added to the current design to make it easier to navigate.Conclusions: For educational apps to achieve optimal use and effectiveness, iterative design assessments should continue until the end-users truly benefit from the technology enhanced learning tool. This smartphone-downloadable CRS app proved to be a useful adjunctive tool for enhancing student learning in an online class. Yet there were numerous design recommendations provided by students that could further improve its usability.

Learners’ perceptions on online library resources at Namibian College of Open Learning

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to determine the learners’ perceptions on the use of online resources at the Namibian College of Open Learning (NAMCOL) Yetu Yama Resource Center.Design/methodology/approachThis study used a mixed methods research approach which was also used by other researchers such as Hamutumwa (2014). It enabled the researchers to delve into the topic under study by conducting a survey using self-administered questionnaires to collect data from learners, and a semi-structured interview guide, to collect data from the Librarian, the Director and tutors. The target population for the study was Grade 12 distance learners registered with NAMCOL for the academic year 2016, librarians and tutors. Convenient sampling was used to select 200 Grade 12 distance NAMCOL learners: one Director, one Librarian and five tutors were purposeful selected as they manage the Yetu Yama Resource Centre. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to generate descriptive data, while qualitative data were manually analysed using content analysis. This approach enabled the researcher to identify key themes which emerged from the interviews.FindingsAlmost all the learners (159) opted for printed materials. The challenges experienced by learners included slow internet, as indicated by 78 (39 per cent); limited facilities, 60 (30 per cent); and inability to find relevant information, 46 (23 per cent), coupled with lack of proper guidance on the use of e-resources as indicated by 16 (8 per cent) learners.Research limitations/implicationsThis study was limited to Yetu Yama Resource Center. The results cannot be generalised to all distance learners in Namibia.Practical implicationsThe results of this study could guide librarians in Namibia when planning and/or upgrading e-resources.Social implicationsOnce the learners are equipped with the required skills, they will make optimum use of the e-resources which are provided by NAMCOL.Originality/valueThis is the first study to be conducted at NAMCOL, and it is hoped that the results will be applied to other tertiary institutions which offer distance education in Namibia.

Addressing microaggressions and acts of oppression within online classrooms by utilizing principles of transformative learning and liberatory education

ABSTRACTSocial work education is experiencing growth and challenge as many universities and colleges begin to offer distance education options for both BSW and MSW students. While work on creative solutions to microaggressions and acts of oppression in the physical classroom is available, work on addressing these issues in online classrooms is still yet to emerge. Through an application of transformative learning theory and principles of liberatory education to a case study, we hope to contribute to an emerging dialogue around best practices in addressing microaggressions and acts of oppression in online learning environments.

Evaluating the Internal and External Usability Attributes of E-Learning Websites in Saudi Arabia

Web usability is important for users who depend on the websites they use, such as online distance education students. Accordingly, universities and educational websites need to determine the types of usability problems that occur on their websites. However, far too little attention has been paid to providing detailed information regarding the types of specific usability problems that occur on e-learning websites in general and on those in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) in particular. The aim of this paper was to study and analyse the internal and external usability attributes of university websites that offer distance education courses in Saudi Arabia. Twelve universities in Saudi Arabia were considered — 11 government-affiliated universities and one private university. The analysis of the data indicates the level of usability of distance education websites. Results reveal that in Saudi Arabia, distance education websites are reliable but violate basic usability guidelines. Furthermore, Saudi e-learning websites need to focus on the utility of their home page search engines, provide more advanced search functionality, and provide sitemaps linked to every page on the websites.

Aportaciones al proceso horizontal de transversalización de la Educación a Distancia en las instituciones de educación superior

Higher Education institutions offering distance education face considerable challenges in reconciling the educational, administrative and normative structures of traditional education with the inherent innovation of distance models, a process that often leads to unexpected outcomes in various areas of the organization. This article presents an innovative strategy for incorporating distance education into traditional institutions, which distinguishes different levels of responsibility for institutional transformation. The strategy incorporates transversal innovation as an efficient means of influencing all organizational levels (vertical mainstreaming). However, the strategy also articulates key areas of educational institutions (horizontal transversalization) through democratic and participatory processes involving the entire educational community.

Creating And Working With Control Charts In Excel

With the growth in distance education offerings, instructors who now teach quantitative material via the web have been faced with many challenges. Foremost has been the need to develop appropriate methods for teaching such material to students who are not physically in the classroom. Methodologies that have traditionally been taught in a highly interactive mode in the classroom must now be presented effectively in a far more asynchronous environment. Tutorials and detailed handouts are one way to accomplish this. We present a written tutorial for creating quality control charts using Excel. The tutorial guides students through the process of creating X-bar and R charts in such a way as to reinforce the theoretical basis of quality control already taught. Students apply their knowledge in hands-on activity, learn how to improve Excel’s default charts to create visually effective control charts, and learn to reuse/recycle their work to easily create additional charts for different sets of problem data.

Strategic Analysis, Choice and Strategy Implementation in a Distance Education and Life Long Learning Context: The Case of the Hellenic Open University

The Hellenic Open University is a part of the Hellenic life long learning system and, as other universities offering distance education, it operates in a more flexible way compared to the other, “traditional” Higher Education Institutions in Hellas (Greece). However, it is a new entity and its management faces a lot of challenges and issues stemming from the continuously changing environment. As a consequence, it needs a vision and the respective management approach. In this paper, a management vision is proposed as well as a short and long term management approach. It is identified and described on the basis of three main elements: Strategic analysis, strategic choice and strategy implementation. Hence, the current and future educational environment is analyzed and the use of technology and other resources as well as the role of employees are examined. These are followed by an analysis of the competitive advantage and organizational sustainability, quality and continual improvement and economic and overall organizational capacity. This analysis is accompanied by proposed strategies and tactics for implementation (i.e. how things will be done and by whom in the short- and long run). As expected, the thorough analysis of the internal and external environment and the effective and efficient use of all resources available is the only way for successful implementation of any chosen strategy.

Credibility Evaluation of Online Distance Education Websites

Web credibility is becoming a significant factor in increasing user satisfaction, trust, and loyalty. Web credibility is particularly important for people who cannot visit an institution for one reason or other and mostly depend on the website, such as online distance education students. Accordingly, universities and educational websites need to determine the types of credibility problems they have on their websites. However, far too little attention has been paid to providing detailed information regarding the types of specific credibility problems that could be found on university websites in general, and specifically, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The aim of this paper is to study and analyze the credibility of university websites that offer distance education courses in the KSA. A total of 12 universities in Saudi Arabia were considered, which include 11 affiliated and one private university. The analysis of the data represents the level of credibility of distance education websites. Results reveal that in Saudi Arabia, distance education websites are reliable, but violate basic credibility guidelines.

ANÁLISE DE MATERIAIS DE REFERÊNCIA NA ÁREA DA DEFICIÊNCIA INTELECTUAL DESTINADOS À FORMAÇÃO CONTINUADA DE PROFESSORES

The education of students with intellectual disabilities is currently based on philosophical, political and legal integration principles, which provide for the enrollment of all students in regular education and common classrooms offering the Specialized Educational Assistance (SEA). For this is important offering preparation for teachers that address these demands. Considering offering Distance Education courses by the Ministry of Education, carried out a literature review aiming to identify and analyze instructional materials in the field of intellectual disabilities, used in special education teacher preparation, available on the Ministry of education (MEC) / Department of Continuing education, Literacy, Diversity (SECADI) site. After a search on the site two materials was found: Educational Service Specialist - Intellectual Disability and Support Services Specialized Education for Students with Intellectual Disabilities. These were analyzed in categories, which allowed the detection of concepts related to disability, the interaction between specialized and regular teacher'; the use of tools and finally the assessment of students with intellectual disabilities. It is estimated that, in general, the materials analyzed permeated some important issues related to intellectual disability. Although, as instructional materials for teacher training in the SEA nationwide, it is understood that some important aspects may have been neglected or unsuccessful, because of a political and theoretical positioning of some of its authors. As a conclusion it is suggested to conduct further exploratory research, bibliographic, for the analysis and the review of instructional materials for special education teachers preparation in distance education, with the expectation that the findings may somehow contribute to discussions about instructional materials.

A QUALITATIVE STUDY ON TRANSFERRING THE EXPERIENCE OF USING TECHNOLOGY FROM FORMAL EDUCATION TO DISTANCE EDUCATION

With improvements in information technologies, distance education programs have become widespread. Institutions that offer distance education programs are increasing in number. Scholars who were used to face-to-face teaching began to give courses in distance education programs which entail technological teaching methods, a new teaching experience for the teachers. Formal education or face-to-face education and distance education have different dynamics. The transition to distance teaching from the first to the later involves the transmission of experiences of teaching with technology. For effective distance education, it is important to analyze the transmission of these teaching experiences. This study evaluates how faculty members' experiences with technologies in formal education are transmitted to distance education. Interviews were held with twelve scholars who have taught both formal and distance learning courses. The interviews were recorded. Content analysis method was used to obtain a deeper understanding of the data collected. It was found that the teaching materials used in the formal and distance educations were exactly the same. Some faculty members claimed that infrastructure and technical possibilities of the current system were not sufficient for the use of different teaching materials. However, this study suggests that teachers' beliefs about educational methods are the main reason that prevented the use of different teaching materials in distance education.

Best Practices for Online Teaching and Learning in Health Care Related Programs

Online learning is a significant aspect of higher education today, with an ever increasing number of programs offering distance education. The evidence related to online teaching and learning best practice has grown significantly within the last decade. It is important for health care educators who are involved with web-based courses to be immersed in the evidence available to date, as we seek to provide sound andragogy in formulating and implementing online programs. This document will explore key evidence related to three different aspects of online teaching and learning. Application of teaching/learning theories and recommendations for best practices in this arena of higher education are essential.

An interprofessional approach to a distance learning dilemma

Teaching is not an activity that is done in isolation. It takes colleagues with diverse talents and skills to create and build effective learning tools that improve student learning outcomes. Content, pedagogy, and technical expertise are required when new learning technologies are developed. Learning in a practice discipline, such as advanced practice nursing, can be particularly challenging. Students must assess, diagnose, and provide care for diverse populations. Their ability to be proficient at these skills could make a difference in whether a patient lives or dies. This is a high stakes profession and the education preparing practitioners is high stakes education. Teaching nurses to become nurse practitioners is difficult under any circumstances, but when the student is part of a distance learning program the opportunity to role model professional behaviors can be elusive. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing reports that there are currently 65 distance learning nurse practitioner programs with 31 offering their programs entirely online. Almost 22% of all post-masters Nurse Practitioner programs offer distance education (AACN, 2014). A differential diagnosis course that was previously taught in an on-campus setting needed to be restructured for students at a distance. The class, which teaches the art and science of differential diagnosis, is foundational in the nurse practitioner program. Learning the method of differential diagnosis assists experienced registered (baccalaureate) nurses in upgrading their critical thinking, information gathering, and decision-making skills to those of an advanced practitioner. On-campus students have the opportunity to conduct a patient interview with a standardized patient (SP), an actor trained to portray a patient with a uniform set of symptoms and history. Students gather a history, perform a physical assessment, review diagnostic data, and reach a conclusion about what is going on with the patient. They determine a differential diagnosis list with a rationale based on the information gathered. While the use of standardized patients for practice of clinical examinations is common in medical schools, this experience is provided less often to nurse practitioner students. It was highly valued by our on-campus students, as reported in course evaluations.

Perceived Quality Dimensions In Distance Education: Excerpts From Student Experiences

Distance education by its nature differs from the regular mode of higher education. A viable option for providing access to higher education for students who cannot attend traditional, on-campus courses, distance education, often gets a tag of being sedentary. This puts into question the qualitative aspect of the distance education courses. Distance education therefore often confronts a perception that its programmes, learning materials, and student support are not of a high standard (Badat, 2005). Evaluation of the effectiveness of distance learning should focus mainly on students’ academic performance and their feedback on their learning experiences. The present study intends to study the quality facet of distance education and its dimensions as perceived by the students enrolled in distance education courses. For conducting the study, 100 students pursuing Masters of Education (M.Ed.) from University School of Open Learning, Panjab University, were selected. Students were asked to give their feedback on areas associated with the quality like, aims and objectives of the course, teaching of the course content, curriculum transaction, learning material, student support services, evaluation procedures, infrastructural facilities and general perspective of the overall learning environment. To study the quality dimensions as perceived by the learners, content analysis was incorporated. The results reveal that the students are satisfied with the overall quality of distance education courses. The areas that emerged to be a matter of concern in the present study are student support services and infrastructural facilities available in the institutions offering distance education courses.

Rethinking dropout in online higher education: The case of the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya

<p>In recent years, several studies have been carried out into the reasons why students drop out of online higher education, following the rise in the relative weight of this form of education. However, more effort has gone into analyzing the causes of this phenomenon than into trying to characterize students who drop out, that is defining what a dropout student is. But obtaining a proper definition of dropout is just as important as describing its causes. It also appears that the definition of dropout is very sensitive to context. As one of the main findings of this article, we reach a pure empirical definition, at a programme level, of students who drop out of an online higher education context with non-mandatory enrollment. This definition is based on the probability of students not continuing a specific academic programme following several consecutive semesters of “theoretical break”, and is highly adaptable to institutions offering distance education with no permanence requirements, that is ones offering the possibility of taking breaks. Our findings show that there are differences regarding the number of consecutive semesters that define dropout depending on whether the programme requires previous experience or not. Additionally, we observe significant differences in the dropout rate between specific programmes, as well as a higher level of dropout in the first semesters. Analyzing the reasons behind these facts should help higher education institutions to make more sound and efficient decisions.</p>

Successes and Challenges of a Distant Faculty Model

The planning, implementation, and evaluation of a 2-year pilot project for a distant faculty model is presented through the reflections of the distant faculty member and other stakeholders. A school of nursing with a 15-year history of offering distance education graduate programs served as the setting for this project. Overall, the distant faculty model was successful. It is anticipated that new opportunities to explore the distant faculty role will exist as the university expands its current online campus initiatives. This distant faculty model can be adopted by other schools of nursing interested in employing faculty at a distance and provides an opportunity to manage faculty shortage.

Evaluation of the training of nurses in basic health units through telenfermagem

The Telenursing Project is an activity that gathers both the extension and research of the School of Nursing, Federal University of Minas Gerais, included in the National Program for Telehealth. It offers new ways of providing assistance, collaborating with the transformation of practical realities by offering Distance Education for the healthcare team. The present study evaluated the continuing distance education for the nursing staff of the Basic Health Units. This is a descriptive study, in which a qualitative approach was used, performed in municipalities registered by the program. The sample comprised 17 participants. Data collection was performed through interviews, which were recorded and transcribed. Three categories emerged from the analysis: the significance of the Telenursing Project in terms of assistance; the use of Telenursing in the process of distance training, and; use of the tools in the Telenursing Project. The results showed that distance education is a teaching and learning strategy in health that makes use of information technology resources that contributes to the continuing education of nursing professionals, providing better care delivery.