Online Learning Courses Research Articles

Case Study: CRISPR 101 – a novel online learning course harnessing innovative ways to teach a complex biomolecular technology

Complex biomolecular technologies revolutionise scientific research. Fully embedding scientific advances in the community requires innovative ways to educate learners on the molecular foundations upon which these technologies are based. In this case study, we present the conception and design of Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI’s) inaugural wholly online learning course focussed on explaining the revolutionary genome-editing technology, clustered regulatory interspaced palindromic repeats (CRISPR). Utilising WEHI’s strength in bringing science educators and world-leading CRISPR scientists together, we designed a multimodal online resource that introduces learners, without an extensive background in either science or genome editing, to the fundamental concepts of CRISPR technology. Using the online course creation tool, Articulate 360, we guided learners through three modules containing targeted lessons designed to focus on specific learning outcomes. Integrated videos, research articles, interviews, and other resources, allowed for self-paced learning that met various learning style needs. The extensive resources provided opportunities to delve deeper into the content for advanced learners. The effectiveness of the course, evaluated with survey responses collected upon completion of the course, highlighted the ease of use and functionality of the course, and an increased understanding of CRISPR technology after course completion. We anticipate future online learning course development to showcase complex molecular technology that will be valuable for tertiary education, as well as for those in the wider community interested in understanding important advances in biomedicine.

INVESTIGATING THE PERCEPTIONS OF EFL STUDENTS TOWARDS PSYCHOLOGICAL CHALLENGES OF ONLINE EDUCATION DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

This study aimed at exploring the psychological challenges of Iranian English as a foreign language (EFL) learners in online courses during the pandemic. The present research had a qualitative design and used thematic analysis (TA). The participants of this study were 50 Iranian EFL students, including 31 females and 19 males, who were selected from the English translation B.A. program of the English department of Islamic Azad University, Iran. To select the participants, the convenience sampling was applied. They were students of 6th and 7th semesters. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 50 participants of the study. Each participant was interviewed individually. The interview consisted of 15 researcher-made questions. The interviews were administered in ten one-hour sessions. Each session five participants were interviewed. The results of the present study showed that the main reasons and causes of psychological challenges perceived by the participants in online classes during the COVID-19 pandemic include on-line classes as a stress-provoking learning context, lack of digital literacy, low quality and speed of internet connection, platform issues, coronavirus disease stress, and lack of direct interactions. At the end of the paper, the implications of the study are presented.

Preservice Teachers’ Online Self-Regulated Learning: Does Digital Readiness Matter?

(1) Background: Teaching in today’s schools asks teachers to foster self-regulated learning and digital competences in children and young people. In order to do so, teachers first need to acquire and use these competences themselves. (2) Methods: Based on a mixed-methods approach, the study investigates self-regulated learning in online courses of N = 129 preservice teachers at a German university. (3) Results and conclusions: Perceiving their digital readiness as generally high, preservice teachers appear to not overly self-regulate their learning in the online environment. Finally, preservice teachers’ digital readiness was related only weakly to their online self-regulated learning. A discussion is offered which shows teacher education as a broader phenomenon and implies the need for professional development for teacher educators. Additionally, it is argued to link research on self-regulated learning more closely to research on online learning environments in teacher education.

Constraints Perceived in Using Online Platform for Agricultural Certificate Courses

The online platform is an important dimension of Agricultural education being focused by the Open and Distance learning centre established by Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University in the year 2018. The study focused on the constraints perceived by the participants of the courses in using the online medium of learning for all the skill-oriented certifi cate courses – Organic Farming, Bee Keeping, Mushroom Cultivation and Terrace Gardening. The present study was conducted with 240 randomly selected participants of four courses (60 farmers, 60 students,60 employees and 60 Others), each of 2 months duration. The fi ndings of the study showed that the overall perception of the respondents about the online courses to be eff ective (49.58%) followed by highly eff ective (45.42%) while a meagre number (5%) perceived the online course as less eff ective. The constraint analysis of the respondents in utilizing the online platform revealed that among Technical constraints, Lack of adequate scope for hands-on experience was the major constraint, among personal constraints, online course certifi cate has no value was the major constraint and among attitudinal constraints, personal anxiety in use of technology was the major constraint expressed. Chi-square test revealed thatAge, Education, Computer literacy and online training experience had signifi cantly infl uenced respondents’ constraints to online learning courses. The study implied addressing these areas to improve the course eff ectiveness

Chinese folk music: Study and dissemination through online learning courses.

The use of online learning courses can have a positive effect in the context of the study and dissemination of Chinese folk music. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of an innovative teaching model of massive open online courses to assess the possibility of changes in the approaches to the study of Chinese folk music in higher education. The study used Massive Open Online Courses and a survey of respondents. The study, which took place from January to July within the framework of the 2020–2021 academic year, involved second-year students from four educational institutions of the People's Republic of China: Zhengzhou Sias College, China Conservatory of Music, Shanghai Conservatory of Music, Fujian Normal University. A total of 419 people participated in the experiment. Comparison of the academic performance in folk music in the two groups of students suggests that the use of online courses in the context of teaching Chinese folk music is effective. The difference is 12.1% compared to the control group. The students noted that working on MOOC platforms helped them better master performance skills. The respondents also appreciated the fact that online courses with developed curricula can be an effective means of popularizing Chinese culture. This study has both practical and scientific value as it demonstrates the effectiveness of the impact of distance learning courses in the context of studying Chinese folk music. The results can be implemented in the development of training programs, the scope of application includes higher educational institutions.

Students’ attitudes and coping strategies relating to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study

Background: The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has forced most classes at the tertiary education level to be held online or in a digital mode. This study investigates Multimedia University (MMU) students’ attitudes and coping strategies in relation to online learning classes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This is a cross-sectional analysis among students at the MMU campus in Malaysia. Student respondents were chosen using simple random sampling. They answered online surveys developed through Google forms with an appended consent form. Two questions were developed inquiring about students' acceptance of online learning courses to gauge their attitudes. The coping strategies questions were adapted from the Brief-COPE questionnaire with 28 items. There are 14 strategies in the Brief-COPE: self-distraction, active coping, denial, substance use, emotional support, instrumental support, behavioural disengagement, venting, positive reframing, planning, humour, acceptance, religion, and self-blame. We hypothesised that there would be a significant correlation between attitudes and coping strategies among MMU students taking online classes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: 8 out of 14 coping strategies were significantly correlated with students’ attitudes towards online learning. The study showed that those students with a positive or accepting attitude towards online learning were more likely to use positive coping strategies. Those students with negative, less accepting attitudes towards online learning seemed to use more negative coping strategies. Conclusion: The study focuses on students studying at MMU. Therefore, the outcome cannot be generalised for all university students in Malaysia. The primary goal of the study was to investigate the attitudes and coping strategies of Multimedia University students when confronted with the unexpected outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic. The results of the study may assist MMU in understanding student behaviour and developing strategies to assist the students.

University Piano Education Visualization System under the Background of Distance Education Based on 5G Network

University piano education online learning courses supplement learning and have quickly advanced distance education and the essence of improving Internet innovation. Experts of piano education visualization system and distance piano education visualization system are a world specification, which offers various university and online open-source courses, for those who seek an online expert for piano education events. The individual online piano learning course is another choice for learning the education visualization system via progressive Internet correspondence. Past techniques depend on the profound learning piano education system courses of learning and information mining distance education. Existing strategies present specialized difficulties, which include the difficulty of the piano learning via an online network. As such, this study aims to establish a university piano education visualization system framework via a distance education background utilizing the fifth-generation (5G) network; the distance education learning for piano education visualization system course using the 5G network is proposed. The remote sensor shows an assortment of methods for grownups to partake in the online learning preparation. The idea of online communication within a network of instructors and understudies is extraordinary. When considering training-based or execution-based courses, there is a likelihood that the learning system may exhibit an inferior quality of sound, and the sound of the piano notes may lag with time over the network connection. Online learning provides adaptability and internationalization and has the capacity to interface with countless individuals and bring them together in the online learning environment. In this situation, the straightforward transportation and installment of remote sensors, the user of the distance educator 5G network is advised to view it from a commonsense perspective. Furthermore, there is a need to advance online piano education training in instructive exercises.

Teaching assistant development and contributions in online, MOOC and blended synchronous settings: an integrative review

ABSTRACT Higher education institutions are expanding the delivery of online and remote learning courses in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. In turn, numerous challenges are foregrounded for those who are preparing and delivering these courses, including instructors, administrators, and teaching assistants. The purpose of our integrative review was to explore both the roles and responsibilities of teaching assistants in online, blended synchronous learning, and massive open online course modalities, as well as strategies for administrators and instructors to develop teaching assistants in these settings. A systematic search of databases and grey literature produced 1,603 texts; 42 were included for data analysis. We found that teaching assistant roles and responsibilities, as well as strategies to develop teaching assistants, are diverse and often poorly articulated. Roles and responsibilities were dependent upon the teaching assistant’s previous pedagogical experiences and comfort level with non-traditional learning environments, institutional leadership, communication by the course instructor and the unique learning environment itself. Strategies to develop teaching assistants were often underdeveloped and influenced by resource constraints and institutional stances towards teaching assistant professional development programmes. Teaching assistant development across the three modalities primarily involved ‘on-the-job’ training, suggesting a need for further professional development interventions to be designed, delivered and evaluated. Results are synthesised and presented in pragmatic checklists to aid teaching assistants, instructors and administrators with planning and carrying out the three teaching modalities. Our results form the basis of an evidence-informed approach to assist institutions transitioning towards non-traditional learning environments.

Relationships between Connectedness, Performance Proficiency, Satisfaction, and Online Learning Continuance

Maintaining momentum is vital in terms of how soon students can complete a program, especially for those who are in the early stage of taking online courses. This study attempted to extend the existing literature by examining the influence of online students’ perceived sense of connectedness, performance proficiency, and satisfaction on their intentions to continue an online learning course. A quantitative survey approach was adopted to test our hypothesized structural model. Three hundred and sixty-nine students who had taken fewer than three fully online courses participated in this study. The results revealed that three out of four testing hypotheses were all supported at the 0.01 significance level, and one of the path coefficients indicated that online students’ confidence in their ability or competency to perform academic tasks did not directly influence their intention to take future online courses. Instead, the influence of performance proficiency on online learning continuance intention was mediated through the factor of satisfaction. In addition, satisfaction was found to have a significantly direct impact on online learning continuance intention, suggesting that when students taking online courses are satisfied with their online learning experience, the likelihood for them to continue taking other online courses is higher.

A Case Study of a Connectivism Based Lecture as an Online Teaching and Learning Course in the Digital Era

In this study, a consideration and case study on the theory of connectivism were conducted to suggest an effective learning method in the digital era. Presently, education is mainly conducted in an online environment Learning proceeds while an individual actively participates within a digital network in order to connect data and to generate meaning. Therefore, this study considered a theory known as “connectivism,”which may prove to be consistent and compatible with learning in the digital era. The type of learning involved in connectivism emphasizes the characteristics of the digital network because it is achieved through constant connection and disconnection of data (what is meant by “disconnection” of data? Are you sure this is the right word?), as well as with the communication taking place among the learning members. Therefore, this study developed a connectivism program based on an examination surrounding the concept and characteristics of connectionism (do you mean “connectivism”?), the teaching and learning principles, and the learning stage according to the formative study method. After this, the difference in the learning effect was compared by applying 7 lectures each to the same university online course as the existing class and the connectivism class, and then collecting the questionnaires and learning outcomes. As a result, the possibility of applying connectivism as a practical methodology for effective learning in the digital era was confirmed.

Modern Technologies and Gamification in Historical Education

Background The study aims to consider the prospect possibilities of gamification in historical education and its influence on the development of key professional competencies of workers necessary in current condition of humanitarian sphere development. Methods An experimental study theoretically substantiates the prospects for the gamification of education on the example of history education, in which 40 students from the Рeoples’ Friendship University of Russia and Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University took part. A pedagogical model of gamified history study has been developed and implemented into a 3-month online learning course “Technology for constructing historical interpretations.” The following technological tools were used to support the implementation of gamified learning: the Academy Learning Management System (LMS), the Facebook social network, social media information resources, augmented and virtual reality technologies. A survey was conducted on the Academy LMS platform, in which students were asked to assess the promising opportunities for the impact of gamified learning on the development of key professional competencies in terms of the degree of influence. Results The research results confirmed that the creation of a joint creative and expanded gaming experience leads to the acquisition of practical knowledge and allows learners to acquire skills that are highly relevant for professionals of the 21st century. The students confirmed that educational progress was achieved due to the effective organization of their learning activities, group changeover at the stages of developing historical interpretations, and gamification, which caused a feeling of excitement and qualitatively influenced the desire to achieve the best educational results. Gamified learning allowed educators to keep students' interest in the subject of study. Conclusions According to the results of a survey of students at the end of the course, it was concluded that gamification in history education has a positive effect on the evolutionary development of a personality adaptive to the socio-economic conditions of the 21st century. A model of the evolutionary vertical and horizontal development of the personality has been described.

A review of lecture capture research in business education

ABSTRACT The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive review of empirical lecture capture (LC) research in business education from the last ten years. Lecture capture was selected as it is a common delivery tool in both online and blended learning courses. By summarizing extant empirical LC research in business education, we lay the foundation for future (post-COVID-19) research in online and blended learning. We believe it is important for future research to meaningfully integrate past empirical results in order to fully assess, understand, and predict the learning modalities that will best serve business education stakeholders in a post-COVID world. To that end, we provide a compilation of empirical lecture capture results by theme that is useful for both research and teaching purposes. We also provide a condensed summary of empirical findings and recommendations that can be easily disseminated to faculty in order to facilitate instructor preparedness for teaching in this modality and as well as inform pedagogical decision-making.

Students Sense of Belonging and Academic Performance via Online PBL: A Case Study of a University in Hong Kong during Quarantine.

Innovative educational adaptations have been essential during the COVID-19 pandemic. Against the backdrop of school closures in Hong Kong resulting from unrest and COVID-19, this study proposed using problem-based learning (PBL) in online courses and empirically examined the influence of the PBL learning methodology on online learners’ sense of classroom belonging and academic performance. A total of 44 sophomores pursuing electrical and electronic engineering majors and taking “Practical Chinese for engineering students” as a compulsory course at the University of Hong Kong participated in the study. They were divided evenly between the experimental group C1 and the control group C2 (22 in each). We implemented online PBL learning for the experimental group, C1, and traditional online learning for the control group, C2. Quantitative data were collected via an achievement test and a scale on sense of classroom community. Qualitative data were obtained through a semi-structured focus group discussion. The quantitative results showed that the students who received the PBL learning method scored higher on tests, experienced a stronger sense of classroom belonging, and had closer connections with each other. A content analysis of student interviews revealed that implementation of the PBL learning method in online teaching could strengthen students’ classroom interactions and that the enhancement of their mutual connections could stimulate learning and improve learning efficiency. Overall, this study finds that the PBL learning method is effective in promoting students’ deep active learning and sense of community in the online environment.

What should we evaluate when we use technology in education?

AbstractBackgroundThere is a lack of critical or empirical work interrogating the nature and purpose of evaluating technology use in education.ObjectivesIn this study, we examine the values underpinning the evaluation of technology use in education through field specialist perceptions. The study also poses critical reflections about the rigour of evaluation instruments development in the educational technology field.MethodA total of 48 domain specialists were surveyed to investigate the face and content validity of 39 items under eight constructs, with both qualitative and quantitative data from the survey analysed.ResultsThere was an alignment between the constructs that the specialists felt were important and the constructs that have typically been the focus of empirical studies, with field specialists indicating high relevance scores for technology (M = 3.24/4), learning outcomes (M = 3.20/4), affective elements (M = 3.19/4), behaviour (M = 3.15/4), presence/community (M = 3.07/4), teaching/pedagogy (M = 3.01/4), design (M = 2.96/4), and institutional environment (M = 2.86/4). Only a minority of other studies were found to perform face and content validity checks and even then only with small samples of respondents (usually n ≤ 5).ImplicationsSpecialists in educational technology research confirm that all eight dimensions are important to consider when evaluating the use of technology in education. Thorough face and content validity processes should be adopted when developing educational technology evaluation instruments. Further work has validated an eight factor 28 item instrument for evaluating the use of technology in education using a large sample of students from a global open learning online course.

Launching an Online Business Program at Scale: A Retrospective Case Study of Disruptive Innovation Before the Pandemic

How does an online graduate business program become the fastest growing program in a short span of 5 years, in a category that has been showing constant decline in the last decade? This article takes a retrospective look at the journey from conception to launch and early implementation of an innovative online program at a large public university about half a decade before the pandemic. Extant research about online learning focuses on educational strategies, the changing roles of faculty in a new environment, or students’ satisfaction and performance in online learning programs or courses. This article takes a broad-based view to discuss details on the strategy, design, and development of a disruptive online graduate program built for scale. Given the accelerated transition into remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, our journey also has important implications from the forward-looking approach of half a decade ago for how higher education should navigate the digital future.

Toward Autonomous Learning: Exploring the Impact of Participating in an Online Second Language Learning Course

As online education programs increase their numbers, autonomous learning becomes more necessary to achieve academic success. The present research determines the impact that participating in an online course has on students’ language learner autonomy. To quantify this impact the Measuring Instrument for Language Learner Autonomy was applied in the second and last week of the course. By means of a paired samples t-test, it was confirmed that the students participating in the course increased their language learner autonomy. Additionally, the specific behaviors that changed were revealed to be associated with self-regulated learning. Therefore, it can be asserted that participation in the online learning course led to an increase of the level of autonomy of the students by means of increasing the frequency of behaviors related to taking charge of their own learning process.

Quantitative Analysis of MOOC for Language Training

The article provides a quantitative analysis of online language courses located on such online platforms as Coursera, Udemy, Edx and Alison. Communicative and linguistic competencies are necessary characteristics of an active citizen who interacts effectively with the surrounding society. Also, in the conditions when the internationalization processes are increasing knowledge of a foreign language becomes very important. Massive open online courses (MOOC) are considered to be a promising and powerful means of language training. Today, they have combined the possibilities provided by the Internet, the quality content, and the best teaching practices. We have found that MOOC can be used for distance and blended learning, as well as in the process of self-education. When designing online language courses for MOOC you should consider certain criteria and requirements. The topics of the online courses, level of complexity, quality educational content, practical orientation, interactivity, availability of feedback, etc. are of special importance. We found that the analyzed platforms have several identical functional features: multilingual interface, a possibility to choose the language of courses, a possibility to obtain a certificate, the availability of links to related courses, the availability of headings, a possibility to search for courses by keywords. In total, we identified 5,159 online courses for learning 21 languages. The Udemy platform has the largest number of online language courses (4,270 courses). The most popular languages appeared to be English (1,760 courses), Spanish (544 courses), French (451 courses), and Chinese (450 courses). The least popular languages, which are represented by only one online course, are Swedish, Latin, Noongar, and Tibetan. We found that such online platforms as Coursera and Edx provide courses that give users an opportunity to obtain a professional certificate, specialization, or a degree.

Learning ODeL through active participation: a collaborative autoethnographic case study by engaging in an online learning course

ABSTRACT In this paper, we set out a collaborative autoethnographic account of our reflective journey to deeper understandings of open, distance and e-learning (ODeL) through enrolling, participating and completing the first module in a course on technology-enhanced learning (TEL). As authors, we both enrolled for the course for different reasons. The course was offered by an outside institution, as part of capacity building at our university. The course, conducted fully online, was highly interactive and participatory. Through our participation, collaboration, reflection and experiences in the first module of the course, we were encouraged to develop written definitions of ‘distance education’ (DE) and ‘technology-enhanced learning’ (TEL). Our approach to studying our definitions was analytic, even though we were both participants and researchers. The analysis was based on the Community of Inquiry framework. Our findings reveal that our definitions evolved to include deeper, more complex, more comprehensive notions of DE and TEL. The analysis also revealed an unfolding of the definitions within our own contexts. We recommend that professional development of ODeL practitioners and stakeholders take place through being a student in an active, collaborative ODeL environment to enhance take-up practices.

Early Dropout Prediction in Online Learning of University using Machine Learning

Recently, most universities plan to open or open online learning courses, but the problem of dropout of online learning is still a problem for universities. Online learning has the advantage of being able to receive education anytime, anywhere, but it is true that the dropout rate is higher than offline classes because you have to manage and control your own study time without the help of a professor or manager. Therefore, it is very important for professors and managers to support students in a timely act to avoid the risk of dropout of university online classes. This study used the access log data recorded in the Learning Management System (LMS) and the learner's statistical information and calculated data, and aims to present predictive algorithms suitable for online learning dropout early prediction systems at universities. This study features a 7-year online learning history log data recorded in the Cyber University LMS system to overcome the data count limitations of existing studies and predict the risk of drop-out during the learning period. The characteristics of the data you utilized were used to validate the availability of predictive models by applying learner statistical information, number of system connections, number of lectures, previous semester grade data, machine learning based decision tree, arbitrary forest (RF), support vector machine (SVM) and deep learning (DNN). Studies show that random forest (RF) algorithms have the best prediction and performance, and deep learning algorithms also apply to learning management (LMS) systems.

Study on the Impact of Online Courses for Pregnant and Lying-In Women on Maternal and Infant Health during the Epidemic.

The sudden outbreak of the new crown pneumonia has brought online learning from a supporting role to the center of the teaching stage in an instant. On the basis of the feasibility analysis and demand analysis of the microcourse learning system, this paper uses Sina cloud server to build the WeChat public platform learning online course and designs and implements the microcourse learning system function based on the microcourse public platform. We completed the recording, editing, publishing, and testing of microclass courses and provided services for teachers and pregnant women's microclass learning in order to achieve better learning results. A total of 151 people regularly participate in maternity school courses, accounting for 30.4%. There are 190 people who have never attended the maternity school course, accounting for 38.2%. There are 156 people who occasionally participate in maternity school courses, accounting for 31.4%. The top five sources of health information during pregnancy are books, maternity schools, experience of elders, the Internet, and television. The results of one-way analysis of variance showed that pregnant women of different ages had statistically different scores in the dimensions of knowledge and ideas (P < 0.05). There are statistical differences in the scores of pregnant women with different economic incomes in this dimension (P < 0.05). The women with economic income ≥5000 yuan/month have the highest scores, and those with economic income ≥5000 yuan/month have the lowest scores. The scores of pregnant women who participated in the maternity school were significantly higher than those who did not participate in the maternity school (P < 0.05). There are statistical differences in the scores of maternal and child health basic skills among pregnant women of different age groups (P < 0.05). The women aged ≥35 years old have the highest scores, and those aged 20–24 years old have the lowest scores. The differences in the scores of pregnant women with different economic incomes in this dimension are statistically significant (P＜0.05). The women with economic income ≥5000 yuan/month have the highest score, and those with economic income<2000 yuan/month have the lowest score. Participation in maternity schools has an impact on the scores of this dimension. Pregnant women who regularly participate in maternity schools have the highest average scores, and those who do not participate in maternity schools have the lowest average scores.