Online University Courses Research Articles

ANALYSIS OF SOURCES OF PRACTICAL SKILLS ACQUISITION BY SPORTS MANAGERS

The article is dedicated to the study of sources of professional knowledge in the field of sports management. The main approaches to training specialists, such as university educational programs, online courses, scientific literature, internships, and participation in professional associations, are considered. The key problems of modern training of specialists are outlined, including lack of practical experience, insufficient digitalization of educational programs and lack of access to quality education. Particular attention is paid to the role of digital technologies and globalization in shaping modern educational standards. The article also examines Ukrainian and international research, emphasizing the need to improve approaches to education to increase the competitiveness of specialists. The author emphasizes the need to improve the practical aspects of training and the use of the latest technologies for the training of sports managers. The topic is relevant not only for theoretical research, but also for the practical implementation of solutions in the field of education and training of sports managers.

Evaluating the efficiency of online course resource allocation in universities of China

Curriculum is the core element of talent cultivation in universities, and its quality directly determines that of the talent cultivation. However, the efficiency of online course resource allocation in universities of China is unacceptable, and the corresponding driving mechanisms are unclear. Based on the data of iCourses platform for a top university (H University) of China, this paper develops the DEA-Malmquist index and Tobit regression model to evaluate the efficiency of university online course resource allocation and explore its main influencing factors. The empirical results indicate that, first of all, humanities and social sciences outperform natural sciences in the resource allocation efficiency of online courses. Compared with non-national premium online courses, the resource investment redundancy of national premium online courses appears relatively lower. Secondly, from the perspective of temporal changes, the total factor productivity of online course resource allocation generally has a downward trend. The innovation effect of technological progress is more significant, while the catch-up effect of technical efficiency is clearly insufficient. Scale efficiency is the main factor hindering its improvement. Finally, in terms of the factors affecting the efficiency of online course resource allocation, teachers’ research guidance capability, teaching research skills, and the number of courses offered have significantly positive impact.

Online Learning from the Peers in Higher Education

The main reason for the research is to find out what factors affect the student's participation and engagement to peer learning in the university's online course. Today's higher education has a strong foothold in learning theories and pedagogical approaches that focus on collaborative learning, networking and working with peers. Now when digital technology and eLearning platforms have established their place in the infrastructure of educational institutions, we should have the keys to implementing modern education in practice. The hypothesis of the article suggests that we do not yet know how to exploit the capabilities of modern learning technology in a way that students can learn from their colleagues, peers. The practical objective of this article is to create information for planning online courses and organizing weekly tasks. The research data for this paper was drawn up from two different online implementations of the single university course. Students conducted a Moodle-based survey in which they were asked about the pedagogical approach and tools of the course. One aspect of the research is to increase the understanding of the students' opinions of peer activities in an online course. The theoretical background of the research is based on theories of active learning and learning communities. The research data are also reflected in the scientific literature on peer learning and peer assessment. According to the results, students' opinions on peer learning are quite positive. Students are able to appreciate the learning opportunities offered by assignments and activities, which are open and visible to everyone during the course. Most of the students were not interested in peer assessment, but preferred feedback and grade produced by the teacher. Most of the students opposed the small group assignments of the online course. According to the data, students feared that their contribution was considered weak in the eyes of others in the course. The results of this document underline the need for further research into peer learning in higher education. Many strategies that utilize collaborative learning may be useful, but there are still questions about the individual needs, fears and motivation of peer learning. In addition, it would be important to find a way to strengthen mutual trust through online courses.

Covid-19’s Emotional Toll on Students: Experiences during Online Assessments in an Open and Distance Learning Programme

The Covid-19 pandemic had an immense effect on teaching and learning during 2020. The fast shift to online examinations in reaction to the pandemic and subsequent lockdown underlines the significance of motivationally enriched and emotionally supportive instruction through this stressful time. It cannot be assumed that all students had the same access to online assets or internet-equipped devices such as laptops or tablets. Not all students coped well, as an analysis of student remarks in a qualitative study indicates. The purpose of this exploratory case study was to analyse student reports on emotions experienced during the first fully online assessments in the Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) in order to develop an understanding of the motivating and supportive learning environments in online teaching. A total of 20 students from an open and distance learning university were purposefully selected to answer 15 questions related to their learning needs and, in particular, emotional challenges during lockdown. The study drew on a theoretical framing of five motivational design principles, which link emotions to academic performance. The 17 participants all had access to mobile phones and 12 to laptops for participation in online academic activities. The emotions experienced most by the students varied from anxiousness to restlessness, associated with technology access, and the trend was that emotions were shared mostly with family and friends. The findings are discussed in terms of the need to support student emotions in a fully online university course during these stressful times.

Listening effort, fatigue, and streamed voice quality during online university courses

Understanding the impact of listening effort (LE) and fatigue has become increasingly crucial in optimizing the learning experience with the growing prevalence of online classrooms as a mode of instruction. The purpose of this study was to investigate the LE, fatigue, and voice quality experienced by students during online and face-to-face class sessions. A total of 110 participants with an average age of 20.76 (range 18–28) comprising first year undergraduate students in Speech and Language Therapy and Audiology programs in Turkey, rated their LE during the 2022–2023 spring semester using the Listening Effort Screening Questionnaire (LESQ) and assessed their fatigue with the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI-20). Voice quality of lecturers was assessed using smoothed cepstral peak prominence (CPPS) measurements. Data were collected from both online and face-to-face sessions. The results revealed that participants reported increased LE and fatigue during online sessions compared to face-to-face sessions and the differences were statistically significant. Correlation analysis showed significant relationships (p < 0.05) between audio-video streaming quality and LE-related items in the LESQ, as well as MFI sub-scales and total scores. The findings revealed a relationship between an increased preference for face-to-face classrooms and higher levels of LE and fatigue, emphasizing the significance of these factors in shaping the learning experience. CPPS measurements indicated a dysphonic voice quality during online classroom audio streaming. These findings highlight the challenges of online classes in terms of increased LE, fatigue, and voice quality issues. Understanding these factors is crucial for improving online instruction and student experience.

University Online Course Evaluation Based on Mixed Data after the Pandemic

University Online Course Evaluation Based on Mixed Data after the Pandemic

The evolution, challenges and prospects of implementing Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) in Malaysian public universities

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have emerged as a promising educational innovation, aiming to democratize access to quality education on a global scale. In the context of Malaysian public universities, MOOCs have garnered significant interest in enhancing educational outreach, improving learning outcomes, and fostering lifelong learning opportunities. However, the implementation of MOOCs in this setting faces several challenges that impact their effectiveness and long-term sustainability. This review was written based on a careful analysis of the published MOOC literature (2008-2023) identified through journals, database searches, searching the Web, and chaining from known sources to form the base for this review. The review intends to understand how the evolution of MOOCs affects the prospects of MOOCs and how universities incorporate MOOCs into their educational frameworks. In addition, this paper aims to explore the current and anticipated future challenges that hinder the successful integration of MOOCs especially in public universities across Malaysia. The key challenges identified in the present implementation include limited faculty buy-in and engagement, lack of appropriate technological infrastructure, concerns over course quality and accreditation, and difficulties in assessing and recognizing learners’ achievements. Additionally, issues related to cultural barriers and language diversity within the Malaysian context are also found to influence the effective utilization of MOOCs. Looking into the future, this paper will also explore additional potential challenges that may arise in the continued implementation of MOOCs in public universities in Malaysia. Anticipated challenges include evolving pedagogical practices, ensuring equitable access for all learners, addressing the digital divide, and keeping pace with rapidly advancing technology. By shedding light on the current and future challenges faced by public universities in Malaysia in implementing MOOCs, this research aims to provide valuable insights for policymakers, administrators, and educators to enhance the efficacy of MOOCs and leverage their potential for advancing education in the country. Recommendations stemming from this research may include faculty training and development, investment in technological infrastructure, fostering collaborations with private sectors, and designing inclusive and culturally sensitive learning environments. Ultimately, understanding and addressing these challenges are crucial to ensuring the successful integration of MOOCs within the Malaysian higher education landscape, contributing to the nation’s efforts to provide accessible, high-quality education to a diverse and aspiring population.

Analysis of Artificial Intelligence Technology and Its Application in Improving the Effectiveness of Physical Education Teaching

To promote the construction of public physical education online courses in colleges and universities and the evaluation of the effectiveness of course teaching, this article combines 3D reconstruction techniques in computer vision to construct a set of human body shape reconstruction models and apply them to physical training exercises and teaching effectiveness assessment tasks. Specifically, first, the joint point location information of the human body in the input image is extracted using the human skeleton analysis algorithm, and modeling the foreground and background pose information of the target region using the Pix2Pix image transformation algorithm; second, multi-scale features such as nodal location features, foreground and background features, high-resolution detail features, and low-resolution global features are fused and the extracted multi-scale features are also decoded with the help of pixel-aligned implicit functions to generate a 3D model of the human body representing the human form.

Applying andragogy for integrating a MOOC into a formal online learning experience in computer engineering

In this paper, we present the results of a research experience of implementing andragogy in a learning environment designed to better meet the needs of adult learners studying part-time at a distance university. The learning environment was composed of a learning experience on a formal distance university online course that has been enriched with a non-formal component based on students' participation in a Massive Online Open Course (MOOC) related to the same topic. The non-formal experience was designed to consolidate the learning of specific content that involved difficult concepts and foster collaborative skills. The university online course is in the field of computer science and human-computer interaction. The instructional design, including the course assignments, has been guided by Knowles’ principles of andragogy. Results from the data analysis of five years of academic results and student satisfaction has helped to understand the learning experience from including a MOOC in adult distance formal learning.

Building the Plane as We Fly It: Experimenting with GenAI for Scholarly Writing

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic that forced universities to shift to online learning, the need for proper training and support for faculty to ensure effective online teaching and positive student outcomes has resurfaced and gathered momentum. This paper experimented with a GenAI tool (Perplexity) toward generating content on the effects of a lack of online teacher training on teaching, cognitive, and social presence in online university courses, specifically discussing how each presence is affected according to the Community of Inquiry extant literature. The authors’ reflection on the adopted process and GenAI content yielded mixed results and proposed future strategies for improved outcomes of similar research endeavors. Implications for education stakeholders and the field at large were discussed culminating in a shared perception of the value of Critical AI Literacy skill development while thoughtfully leveraging the vast capabilities of GenAI to bring about a profound transformation of teaching, learning, and scholarship.

Poslijepandemijska sveučilišna kultura iz studentske perspektive

Culture of an educational institution encompasses a set of norms, beliefs and behaviours evident in a powerful network of rituals and traditions, norms and values that affect every corner of the organization. In the university context, it is perceived as the way of living that is co-created by the community members - their opinions, ideas and habits. The period of the forced social isolation has made many students struggle with developing personal connections and brought them in danger of developing a sense of isolation and disconnection. When moving forward from the lessons learnt in the online university courses,building a sense of community has proven to be one of the greatest challenges. Therefore, this qualitative study aimed to explore how students in their freshman year tend to perceive the university culture after joining the on site classes. For that purpose, Hargreaves’s model of institutional culture, which describes culture in terms of its expressive domain and instrumental domain, was adapted to the context of higher education and applied in focus groups discussions among students of Pedagogy and Psychology (University of Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina). The results show that students recognize the need to increase social cohesion at the university courses while providing engaging and innovative teaching methods that would facilitate learning and create supporting personal relations between students (and the teaching staff).

Exploring the implementation path of teaching Civics in online courses in colleges and universities under the background of big data

Abstract In this paper, a web-based teaching platform is constructed based on the background of big data, which is modeled by using a neural network algorithm. First, the neural network structure is output, and the error function is minimized by dynamic iterations using the activation function as neurons. Then, the error values were trained with implicit nodes, the activation function was modeled nonlinearly, and the sample set was extracted to define the cost function. Finally, the optimal particle is trained iteratively using the gradient descent method to derive the optimal solution, thus completing the construction of a web-based teaching platform based on the big data background. The experimental results show that after using this platform for online ideological education teaching, the percentage of students visiting online courses every day is 35%, which is 29% higher than that before using it. Therefore, to improve the construction level of ideological and political education online courses, it is necessary to strengthen the construction of ideological and political education online course platform resources, improve the informatization level of ideological and political education teacher teams, and promote the integration of ideological and political education online courses and classroom teaching.

Study of modeling questions in a first-year university mathematics online course

The training of non-specialists, particularly engineers, in mathematics requires designing specific didactic proposals that make the importance of mathematics evident. One approach to creating such proposals consists in analyzing the mathematics used in authentic contexts of engineering research and then effectuating a didactic transposition to mathematics teaching. To this end, in this research, we use elements of the anthropological theory of the didactic and the methodology of didactic engineering. Initially, we analyze the blind source separation method, a case of inverse modeling widely used in numerous engineering contexts (e.g., telecommunications, acoustics, geophysics, biosignal analysis). More specifically, we examine the algorithm based on the Amathbf{x}=mathbf{b} matrix model and its use in a signal processing context. Based on this analysis, we designed a didactic device that focuses the study on a simulated signal mixture of pure tones and implemented it in two first-year university mathematics courses in the virtual modality. This article reports the results of the students’ first approximation to mathematical modeling activity in a setting of authentic research in engineering using a blind source separation method.

Technology Enhanced Learning: Applying Padlet, VoiceThread and Microsoft Teams in online university courses

The use of technology in language teaching and learning has been rising in popularity with rapid developments in technology as well as increased need due to the recent coronavirus pandemic. Moreover, the sheer number of technologies available and the choices with how to implement them can be quite daunting for educators.&#x0D; In this article, three technologies implemented in Master of TESOL university online courses are presented and explored with regards to their enhancement of learning: Padlet, VoiceThread (video recordings) and Microsoft Teams (chat forum). Firstly, the applications of these technologies were mapped to the TPACK framework (Mishra &amp; Koehler, 2006) along with educator observations on their implementation. Secondly, data from surveys and interviews provided students’ perspectives on the use of technology and the benefits and challenges they experienced. Thematic analysis of this data revealed six themes: Engagement and interactivity, Peer learning, Flexibility, Record of work, Usability, and Challenges.&#x0D; The findings of the study demonstrate how technologies can enhance learning through increased motivation and participation, shared learning and self-directed learning. The goal of this article is to inform TESOL educators on the potential of these technologies and inspire them to explore options for integrating technologies in their own classrooms and contexts.

ROBOTONT – Open-source and ROS-supported omnidirectional mobile robot for education and research

In order to achieve visionary concepts such as Society 5.0 and Industry 5.0, there is a growing need for people who are able to create innovative robotic technologies. Training students to become such skilled professionals requires transitioning from often toy-like educational platforms with significant hardware limitations to costly research robots with full ROS (Robot Operating System) support. To aid in this transition, we propose Robotont – an open-source omnidirectional mobile robot platform with both physical hardware and a digital twin. Robotont enables robotics education with professional tools as well as provides researchers with a capable mobility platform for validating and demonstrating scientific results. Robotont has successfully been used for university teaching, professional education, and online courses about ROS and robotics.

Effectiveness of a Brief Online Mindfulness-Based Intervention for University Students

ObjectivesThe COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a dramatic increase in Web-based education, lacking face-to-face student–teacher and student–student interaction, and consequently impairing students’ sense of belonging to a community, interoceptive awareness, and academic self-efficacy. This study examined how a brief mindfulness-based intervention in an online university course can be effective in enhancing attention resources, developing a stronger sense of academic self-efficacy, and improving the sense of belonging to a community, which represent critical factors affecting students’ participation in online and blended courses.MethodFour-hundred and eighty-six participants (Mage 22.88) completed a battery of measures at pre- and post-treatment. One class (experimental group) participated in a brief online mindfulness-based intervention (42%), whereas the other one (control group) did not take part in the intervention (58%). The intervention included breathing meditation at the beginning of class, sharing of experiences, mini-lectures on mindfulness, and daily practice, and lasted for 28 consecutive days.ResultsParticipants in the experimental group when compared to controls showed a significant increase in the feeling of influencing the course activities (F = 9.628; p < 0.005), in the self-regulation of attention (F = 19.133; p < 0.001), in academic self-efficacy (F = 9.220; p < 0.005), and, particularly, in their self-efficacy in regulating learning (F = 12.942; p < 0.001). The students’ adherence to the assigned practice could partially explain the effectiveness of the intervention.ConclusionsThis study offers useful clues about the effectiveness of mindfulness interventions in the classroom in enhancing sense of belonging to a community, attention grounded in bodily sensations, and academic self-efficacy.PreregistrationThis study is not preregistered.

Investigation on Students' Learning Satisfaction of Online Courses in Colleges and Universities under the Epidemic Situation of COVID-19 and Analysis of Influencing Factors

With the development of network technology and the enrichment of learning resources, the combination of teaching and technology subverts the traditional education mode and learning mode. Under COVID-19 epidemic, it is impossible to teach face-to-face and gather on a large scale. In order to avoid the spread of the epidemic to the campus, at the request of the State Council and the Ministry of Education, all kinds of schools across the country have postponed the opening of their classes and implemented the "suspension of classes without stopping learning". During COVID-19 epidemic, colleges and universities changed their teaching methods from traditional classroom teaching to online teaching. In the process of college students' participation in online learning, colleges and universities should take the initiative to pay attention to the effect of online teaching mode and analyze the influencing factors of college students' participation in online learning, so as to better carry out online teaching and complete teaching tasks and plans. Based on the teaching theory of distance education, this paper analyzes the students' learning satisfaction and influencing factors of online courses in colleges and universities, and provides ideas for improving and perfecting online teaching methods and enhancing the subject consciousness of college students.

SPOC online video learning clustering analysis: Identifying learners' group behavior characteristics

AbstractWith the widespread ofSmall Private Online Courses(SPOC) in colleges and universities, course organizers who provide high‐quality personalized course activities need to understand learners' learning status and characteristics, and then optimize the course teaching. However, little research has been done on different learners' group behavior characteristics, such as which indicators can reflect learner groups' behavior, and what are the typical behavior characteristics of different learner groups. In this work, we established aPython Language Foundationself‐built SPOC course, and 109 undergraduates' learning behavior data were collected and analyzed. From 74‐dimensional behavior log data consisting of 72 video‐viewing, course video score, and comprehensive score, Principal Component Analysis was performed to reduce dimensionality. Agglomerative hierarchical clustering was used to divide learners into different categories, and the results showed that 15 groups are clustered. According to the analysis of the four indicators for group characteristics, which are the completion and viewing‐stability of task‐point videos, unit test excellence, and comprehensive score, it is identified into five primary types, including positive type, regular type, negative type, semi‐negative type, and a fluctuation type. Experiments conducted on a real data set across different academic years and courses show that the proposed approach has better clustering accuracy and practicability. It is expected that this work may be used to strengthen the personalized learning support services system in educational institutions and develop a tool that integrates exploration and analysis work onto the web platform.

Higher education teachers' and students' perceptions of open-book and proctored examinations in the COVID-19 pandemic

In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, higher education was forced to review its assessment processes. Competency achievement and academic honesty should be ensured in online assessments. In the Master of Educational Technology and Digital Competences of a Spanish University, the open-book examination model was implemented to respond to the new situation considering the characteristics of authentic assessment (adapted to students, intellectually challenging, related to practice, coherent with the didactic methodology, makes plagiarism difficult). We wanted to analyze the relevance of this change in evaluation. The main objective is to analyze the differences between traditional face-to-face exams from before the pandemic and open-book exams with and without proctoring according to the perception of teachers and students. The research is of an empirical nature and quantitative approach and is based on the responses of 66 teachers and 301 students to a questionnaire with sufficient validity (chi-2/Gl: 2.453, RMSEA: .069, CFI: .99 and TLI: .99), and an Omega reliability coefficient of .882. Comparisons were made between model A: traditional face-to-face examination, model B: open-book examination with proctoring, model C: open book examination without proctoring. The results show that for teachers and students open-book exams with or without proctoring had no significant differences and are more in line with an authentic assessment than face-to-face exams. It is concluded that open-book exams with or without proctoring are suitable for authentic online assessment in higher education. It is recommended to contrast the results in other online university courses and to encourage authentic assessment in higher education institutions.

СОЗДАНИЕ МАССОВЫХ ОТКРЫТЫХ ОНЛАЙН-КУРСОВ ПРИ СОБЛЮДЕНИИ ДИЗАЙН-ПРАВИЛ И АВТОРСКИХ ПРАВ

Open educational resources are used in higher education. The purpose of this article is to explore the design rules and regulatory frameworks for the development of massive open online courses through the use of digital tools in education. For the study, the stages of writing a massive open online course, developed by university teachers for students, taking into account the most optimal, comfortable design, are analyzed. For the implementation of educational activities, e-learning and distance learning technologies when implementing educational programs in the field of education using e-learning technologies and interactive participation through open access to the Internet, it is necessary to use legislative acts as a guide. A massive open online course is aimed at supporting the professional activities of a teacher, using methods and tools. The implementation of the course provides opportunities for active dialogue between student and teacher in a mixed format. The results of the study are intended for university teachers and organizations that provide advanced training for teaching staff in the field of implementing massive open online courses in universities.