Teaching Online Courses Research Articles

Understanding the Student Experience in Online and Hybrid Courses to Improve Instruction

As more students in higher education institutions take online and hybrid courses, their perspectives must be taken into consideration. A study surveyed forty-five undergraduate students regarding their experiences with online and hybrid courses. An online survey assessed their reasons for taking the courses and reactions to them. Using the general inductive approach, students’ responses were examined. Students reported taking such courses to take advantage of their flexible schedules to suit work, family, and commuting commitments, fit course schedules, and reduce anxiety about in-person classes. Students reported being dissatisfied when they felt isolated from their peers and professors, did not understand course material, forgot to complete assignments on time, and had difficulty contacting instructors. Suggestions for faculty teaching online and hybrid courses include getting experience as students in an online course environment, enhancing their online “presence” in their own courses, and learning about best practices for online instruction.

The Challenge of Providing High-Quality Feedback Online: Building a Culture of Continuous Improvement in an Online Course for Adult Learners

Scholars of online learning have acknowledged the additional challenges an online format poses to relationship building and providing effective feedback. This article describes the authors' experiences providing feedback to adult learners in an online educational leadership course, the challenges they encountered in providing this feedback in a timeframe and manner to which students were receptive, and their research into how to build a culture of continuous improvement in an online course for adult learners. The authors conclude that effective online feedback occurs when course projects are sequenced to provide opportunities for students to receive and engage with feedback formatively, when instructors set clear expectations about feedback timelines, and when instructors take advantage of the variety of feedback mechanisms online environments can provide, including peer and instructor feedback, as well as self-reflection.

The Effectiveness of Language Used in E-Learning Courses

AbstractThe notion of language in e-Learning is still not very clear from a technical as well as semantic point of view. In the era of Information Technology, it is more and more important to unify the principles of language used and its semantic meaning to be more simple and precise when taking into consideration online educational courses. During the last years, e-Learning courses have begun to be popular around the world as during an internet era, we tend to find consolidated information sources on internet rather than in traditional courses which require our physical presence. The crucial issue which makes an e- Learning course function is the language used to transmit all the information to the students in a clear and effective manner. For such language to be considered effective, it is necessary to adjust it to the general standards adopted in an international environment. The notion of a language used in e-Learning also faces some problems as it should be so concise as to be accessible for everybody regardless of gender, nationality, and intellectual level. It is hard to standardise its principles, thus over the years many scientists have tried to unify the top requirements a perfect e-Learning course should have. Nowadays, most of the population should stop considering e-Learning as an alternative form of education and focus on developing new models and structures for education and learning that fully exploit the opportunities of today’s digital revolution. With a laptop, a mobile device and Wi-Fi, you can manage your own e-Learning course, and take courses yourself, at any time and place, in any language. A typical model of an e-Learning course is based on guided self-study with a linear progression through modules consisting of recorded lectures, course literature, written assignments and multiple-choice self-tests. Technology has got an even better solution which consists of standardising the learning process and adopting it to a commonly known level of difficulty which might be expected when considering its use by an average person.

Faculty Perception of Openness and Attitude to Open Sharing at the Indian National Open University

In the past decade, the educational scenario world over has significantly been impacted by open access and open education movements. The philosophy of openness and sharing forms the cornerstone of the open education movement. The distance education approaches, together with open educational resources (OER) and massive open online courses (MOOCs), are being used to serve the increasing educational needs of diverse communities. However, adoption of openness as a core value and as part of the institutional strategy still remains a challenge for academic institutions in general, and distance education institutions in particular, in developing countries like India. In this research study, the authors report an analysis of the perception of the faculty of the Indira Gandhi National Open University of India (IGNOU) about openness and their attitude towards sharing of resources in academic institutions. Data was collected through a structured questionnaire administered to the teachers and academics of IGNOU (N=69). The results indicated that: the faculty members valued sharing of resources in academic institutions; learning resources should be made available free of cost; there is a strong need for training on intellectual property rights, copyright, and creation and use of OER; and there should be an institutional policy on OER for its effective use.

Online vs. in-person: Exploring the outcomes and impacts

Over the last few decades, the teaching of online courses has grown tremendously, especially with the rise in popularity of massive open online courses. In phonetics, the offerings of online courses has also grown. The University of Alberta has offered an online phonetics course for four years, which is academically equivalent to the in-person course. The University of Alberta online course runs as a standard semester course offered twice a year with the similar deadlines and structure as the in-person course. In this presentation we discuss and explore the advantages and challenges of online versus in-person courses from the instructor's perspective. We report the differences and similarities in student learning outcomes and student success. We discuss methods of student engagement, implementation of laboratory activities (active-learning), and exam invigilation. We also comment on the advantages of combining materials from online and in-person courses in blended learning environments.

Fostering Emotional Intelligence in Online Higher Education Courses

Given the complex challenges organizations face and the importance of emotional intelligence to effective leadership, management education has begun to help adult learners develop emotional intelligence competencies. These include emotional self-control, conflict management, teamwork, cultural awareness, and inspirational leadership, among other qualities. Leaders and managers must navigate a landscape of challenges which demand effective teamwork, fresh perspectives, and an empathic understanding of others with whom they work to inform sound decision making. This article discusses aspects of Mayer and Salovey’s model of emotional intelligence. It proposes specific course design and instructional strategies which may foster emotional intelligence in adult learners, especially those in the online learning environment, based on this model. The article points to directions for future research which would empirically examine the effectiveness of these strategies on the development of emotional intelligence in adult learners in online higher education courses.

Evaluating the Impact of Social Media Marketing on Online Course Registration

This article validated one possible method, found in the luxury fashion industry, for evaluating the effectiveness of Facebook marketing activities on increasing enrollments in continuing higher education online courses. A survey assessing the qualities of social media marketing, value equity, relationship equity, brand equity, and purchase intention was developed. The survey data were analyzed using a confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation model validating the luxury fashion industry method for use in online education marketing. The results showed that when Facebook marketing was highly entertaining, very interactive, and widely shared by followers, the program’s perceived value, institution’s reputation, and closeness of the relationship between the institution and student were significantly improved as well as increasing enrollment purchase intention. The results also showed that when Facebook marketing was not entertaining, nor interactive, and was not widely shared, there were significant decreases in perceived value, reputation, relationship closeness, and purchase intention.

A review of postoperative pain assessment records of nurses

Although there are many recommendations and guidelines for adequate pain assessment, the quality of postoperative pain documentation does not meet the acceptable standards. The aim of the study is to review the pain assessment and analgesic records of nurses within the first 48 h in the postoperative period. This retrospective and descriptive study was conducted in a University Hospital. The records of a total of 421 patients who underwent surgery between January 2014 and January 2015 were analysed. The data of the patients were obtained using the patient files. Pain assessment scale was not used, and the pain records did not include intensity, location, duration and quality of the pain. The analgesic records indicated that the highest percentage (70.8%) of analgesic use was within the first postoperative two hours. Diclofenac sodium was the most commonly administered and recorded analgesic, while pethidine HCl was the least used one. More than half of the all analgesic injections (63.9%) were administered by intramuscular route. No non-pharmacological intervention including massage, hot–cold application, or positioning was reported in the nursing records. The postoperative pain was not assessed properly as recommended in the acute pain guidelines. Therefore, nurses should increase the awareness on the pain assessment records for effective pain management. In addition, the administration of the hospital should support the use of standard pain assessment and recording via electronic patient record system, continue online education courses and give feedback on the records of nurses regarding pain management.

Issues and Challenges for Teaching Successful Online Courses in Higher Education

Online education changes all components of teaching and learning in higher education. Many empirical studies have been conducted to examine issues in delivering online courses; however, few have synthesized prior studies and provided an overview on issues in online courses. A review of literature using Cooper’s framework was conducted to identify such issues. Three major categories of findings were identified: issues related to online learners, instructors, and content development. Learners’ issues included learners’ expectations, readiness, identity, and participation in online courses. Instructors’ issues included changing faculty roles, transitioning from face-to-face to online, time management, and teaching styles. Content issues included the role of instructors in content development, integration of multimedia in content, role of instructional strategies in content development, and considerations for content development. To address these challenges in online education, higher education institutions need to provide professional development for instructors, trainings for learners, and technical support for content development.

Does digital curricula matter? An examination of online versus traditional multicultural education course delivery


 
 
 Digital curricula and online learning materials are necessary to reach the next generation of teachers. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of an online introductory multicultural education course on the culturally responsive teaching self-efficacy (CRTSE) and culturally responsive teaching outcome expectancy (CRTOE) of pre-service teachers. The results suggest that online multicultural education has a moderate effect on pre-service teacher CRTSE and CRTOE. Implications are provided for pre-service teacher education and further research.
 
 

Online pre-race education improves test scores for volunteers at a marathon

ABSTRACTObjectives: This study examined whether an online course would lead to increased knowledge about the medical issues volunteers encounter during a marathon.Materials and Methods: Health care professionals who volunteered to provide medical coverage for an annual marathon were eligible for the study. Demographic information about medical volunteers including profession, specialty, education level and number of marathons they had volunteered for was collected. A 15-question test about the most commonly encountered medical issues was created by the authors and administered before and after the volunteers took the online educational course and compared to a pilot study the previous year.Results: Seventy-four subjects completed the pre-test. Those who participated in the pilot study last year (N = 15) had pre-test scores that were an average of 2.4 points higher than those who did not (mean ranks: pilot study = 51.6 vs. non-pilot = 33.9, p = 0.004). Of the 74 subjects who completed the pre-test, 54 also completed the post-test. The overall post-pre mean score difference was 3.8 ± 2.7 (t = 10.5 df = 53 p < 0.001). While subjects with all levels of volunteer experience demonstrated improvement, only change among first time marathon volunteers was significantly different from the others. Subjects reporting all degree/certification levels demonstrated improvement, but no difference in improvement was found between degree/certification levels.Conclusion: In this follow-up to the previous year’s pilot study, online education demonstrated a long-term (one-year) increase in test scores. Testing also continued to show short-term improvement in post-course test scores, compared to pre-course test scores. In general, marathon medical volunteers who had no volunteer experience demonstrated greater improvement than those who had prior volunteer experience.

Building a Sustainable Quality MattersTM Community of Practice Through Social Network Analysis

ABSTRACTThe growth of distance education has necessitated strong evidence of quality for institutions of higher education, and numerous standards and principles of quality have been developed, such as Quality Matters™ (Quality Matters). These systems are often considered only at the course level to guide design and improve student outcomes, but they can also help to pull the institution together and galvanize advancement in online development. Adopting online quality standards can be a complex process that requires changes to institutional culture. This article describes how the use of the Community of Practice (CoP) framework engaged a campus-wide network of individuals in adoption of the Quality Matters training, rubric, and review process to advance distance education support and online course development. Using Social Network Analysis, researchers were able to identify the strengths and weakness of the CoP during the early adoption phase of Quality Matters to quantitatively measure the connections among members of the community.Based on a survey administered to every participant who attended the Applying the Quality Matters Rubric™ (APPQMR) workshop, researchers analyzed connections across the Quality Matters™ (Quality Matters) Community of Practice (CoP). This analysis indicated strong cohesion of the network based on work related to distance education but low density for connections based on Quality Matters. Furthermore, it demonstrated that significant connections existed between members prior to the adoption of Quality Matters and identified key influencers within the network. The results also indicated that the Quality Matters leadership team at the institution is highly central to the Quality Matters CoP network. The results can be used to identify strategies to further adoption of Quality Matters at the institution by strengthening the CoP.

MyMOOCSpace: A cloud‐based mobile system to support effective collaboration in higher education online courses

AbstractIn recent years, institutions of higher education have been using Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) as an alternative to enhance and innovate traditional classroom practices. One of the approaches to this type of innovation consists of using the platforms where MOOCs are hosted for the development of courses that are aligned to their on‐campus curricular contents. They are known as Small Private Online Courses (SPOCs), which allow online access to knowledge for groups of students with a well‐defined profile. The platforms where MOOCs (and SPOCs) are hosted have been designed to support large volumes of data and visits. However, these platforms present important limitations regarding the implementation of collaborative learning activities. To address this problem, this article presents MyMOOCSpace, a cloud‐based mobile system aimed at supporting effective collaboration in MOOCs, by combining key aspects of collaboration from the research area of Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) with game‐based dynamics. MyMOOCSpace has been tested in three quasi‐experiments that were run in four Latin‐American universities with a total of 68 participants. The objective was to assess its usability and its effect in enhancing collaboration among students in a SPOC. The results obtained on usability show that MyMOOCSpace is easy to use, and that participants felt pleased with while using it. Finally, it was observed that MyMOOCSpace managed to enhance interaction and collaboration among students.

Effective learning environments - the process of creating and maintaining an online continuing education tool.

Continuing medical education (CME) is an indispensable part of maintaining physicians’ competency. Since attending conferences requires clinical absenteeism and is not universally available, online learning has become popular. The purpose of this study is to conduct a retrospective analysis examining the creation process of an anesthesia website for adherence to the published guidelines and, in turn, provide an illustration of developing accredited online CME. Using Kern’s guide to curriculum development, our website analysis confirmed each of the six steps was met. As well, the technical design features are consistent with the published literature on efficient online educational courses. Analysis of the database from 3937 modules and 1628 site evaluations reveals the site is being used extensively and is effective as demonstrated by the participants’ examination results, content evaluations and reports of improvements in patient management. Utilizing technology to enable distant learning has become a priority for many educators. When creating accredited online CME programs, course developers should understand the educational principles and technical design characteristics that foster effective online programs. This study provides an illustration of incorporating these features. It also demonstrates significant participation in online CME by anesthesiologists and highlights the need for more accredited programs.

Personality traits that differentiate Attendants of Higher-Education Online Courses

This study utilized the ten aspects of the Big Five personality system to detect differences in personality traits between attendants of higher education online courses and attendants of higher education face-to-face courses. Distance education theoreticians have formulated hypotheses on the personality traits that make the Autonomy, Connectedness, Diversity, and Openness attributes of the connectivist learning model attractive. 753 participants in executive extension courses of a Peruvian university in Lima (mean age = 34.62 years) filled-in an online questionnaire which included the Big Five Aspect Scales. Whereas none of the Big Five factors discriminated between attendants and non-attendants of online courses, the former emerged as significantly higher in Industriousness (an aspect of Conscientiousness) and lower in Orderliness (the second aspect of Conscientiousness) and Enthusiasm (an aspect of Extraversion) than the latter. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are addressed and the conduct of confirmatory studies outside Peru and involving MOOCs is recommended.

The Development of QM-Fudan Higher Education Online Course Quality Standards: Some Results and Analysis

ABSTRACTThis paper aims to examine whether and how the US-based Quality Matters (QM) Higher Education Rubric-Design Standards for Online and Blended Courses apply to the Chinese higher education environment. Suitability and matchability of QM Standards are respectively examined through a questionnaire and course reviews at Fudan University, a leading research institution in China, with which Quality MattersTM has an exclusive five-year cooperation agreement to develop an adapted Chinese rubric based on the QM Standards. Cross-referencing the dimensions of suitability and matchability, QM Standards are divided into four categories, namely, Perfect, Challenging, Potential and Chicken-ribs standards. This classification helps to identify what standards are ready for adoption and what standards need to be adapted. It is found that most QM Standards are thought to be suitable for the Chinese higher education environment, but China has a long way to go to meet these standards. On the whole, QM Standards on course format, function, and basic quality elements are relatively easy for Chinese online courses to meet while the advanced standards on course quality, particularly those relating to learning outcomes, assessment and evaluation, interaction and other aspects of course design remain challenging at the present time. The research findings not only show areas of course design in China that need improvement, but also lay a solid foundation for the development of QM-Fudan Standards, which will be supplemented and improved by future practice and research based on the actual condition and progress of online education in China.

Twelve tips for developing and delivering a massive open online course in medical education

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) are a novel mode of online learning. They are typically based on higher education courses and can attract a high number of learners, often in the thousands. They are distinct from on-campus education and deliver the learning objectives through a series of short videos, recommended readings and discussion fora, alongside automated assessments. Within medical education the role of MOOCs remains unclear, with recent proposals including continuing professional development, interprofessional education or integration into campus-based blended learning curricula. In this twelve tips article, we aim to provide a framework for readers to use when developing, delivering and evaluating a MOOC within medical education based on the literature and our own experience. Practical advice is provided on how to design the appropriate curriculum, engage with learners on the platform, select suitable assessments, and comprehensively evaluate the impact of your course.

E-Feedback as a Scaffolding Teaching Strategy in the Online Language Classroom

Feedback plays an important role in the student learning process as it gives the learners greater insight into what they have actually done to arrive at an outcome. The importance of providing learners with feedback during the learning process comes from the fact that it highlights the difference between the intended outcome and the actual outcome, as well as the learners’ strengths and areas for improvement, thus providing a drive for change. However, providing learners with effective feedback is challenging in online settings where the physical absence of the instructor and the restrictive nature of most available online learning platforms can create a barrier to giving the appropriate feedback to the learners. In this article, I propose a freely available online technology that can be of great help to educators who teach online courses. I first review literature on the aspects that affect the quality of feedback and then demonstrate how providing e-feedback through screencast technology can positively enhance the effectiveness of feedback provided electronically in online settings. I will shed light on an empirical study conducted by the researcher in which he provided e-feedback in the form of screencasts in an online English as a Foreign Language (EFL) course with undergraduate students ( n = 87) at a British University and measured the impact of each type of feedback on the learning process and learning outcomes. Toward the end of the article, I put forth my recommendations for the best use of e-feedback technologies in any online educational setting in general, and in a language classroom in particular.

The problem of designing a digital learning ecosystem for massive online courses (Estonian experience)

Research goals: analyze of the scientists experience of Estonia for the design of digital learning ecosystem for massive online courses and distinguish the main stages and tools for the design of massive online courses. Research objectives: define the basic concepts of the research “Digital learning ecosystem” and “massive online courses” according to the analysis of scientific publications of Estonia scientists; describe the main stages of designing digital learning ecosystem for massive online courses, based on the experience of foreign researchers, including Estonia; define the basic requirements to tools for creating digital learning ecosystem and provide examples of such tools. Object of research: lifelong learning. Subject of research: creation of digital educational ecosystem massive online courses for the development of teachers’ information and communication competency. Research methods used: analysis of scientific publications. Results of the research. The study found that the world’s educational systems become the relevance massive open online courses. These courses are characterized by mass production and distribution of knowledge that takes place in the context of open online education by using information and communication technologies, including cloud computing. For the implementation and effectiveness of these courses is necessary to create a special digital learning environment. Digital learning ecosystem is the result of a combination of network tools such as software, platform and other ICT users and their use by users with competences acquired through continuous use of these services in their daily and professional activities. The main conclusions and recommendations: 1. Massive open online courses are a significant solution for of the individual lifelong learning. Infrastructure such courses should provide maximum flexibility for the main activities of their members, in particular, practice, research, study. 2. The problem of designing massive open online courses can be solved through the creation of such digital learning ecosystem that will form a combination of network tools such as software, platform and other ICT users and their use with competencies acquired through continuous use of these services in daily and professional activities. 3. According to the analysis researches of Estonian scientists the digital learning ecosystem can be created through online tools that will support the creation of electronic educational resources, joint use of electronic educational resources the participants of the educational process, re-use of electronic educational resources the participants of the educational process, review and remixes all four components.

I Can Cee You! Using Videos in Online Courses to Promote Student Engagement

Universities worldwide engage students through online learning. One challenge is the ability to promote a community of learners in an online classroom. Faculty teaching online courses can include student video discussion posts to promote engagement and the development of an online student community. Faculty integrate student video posts into graded, online discussion board assignments. Students record and upload videos into online discussion board forums and then respond to one another’s videos using text-based discussion posts. There are benefits and challenges to this teaching method. Having a strong technical support staff can ease the use of video discussion posts in online courses. Overall, video discussion posts promote a sense of community in online courses