Successful Distance Education Research Articles

Student adaptation to distance learning: An analysis of the effectiveness, benefits and risks of distance education from the perspective of university students

The research study provides an analysis of the effectiveness of distance education from the perspective of university students and contributes to the reflection of the current trend of introducing combined studies in higher education. The research was carried out during the Covid-19 pandemic, when most of the higher education was primarily shifted to distance learning. The aim was to identify factors influencing students' adaptation to this “new” learning model. The findings of the mixed (qualitative and quantitative) investigation, in which students commented on two open-ended questions focusing on the positive and negative effects of distance learning via an online survey form, were processed using content categorical analysis. The frequencies of responses by category were then evaluated using binary logistic regression based on odds ratios. Ordinal and cardinal data were assessed using both descriptive and inductive statistical analysis.The results showed that, in addition to teaching methods and content, the adaptation of the students themselves to distance education plays an important role and that there are significant differences in this adaptation among students depending on gender, type of study programme and their learning preferences. We also found that contact with teachers remains a key element of student success, and that maintaining communication with teachers is essential for setting an adequate pace of learning and for minimizing student frustration. We identified key factors of adaptation that influence student success in distance education, such as personality profile, motivation, study skills, and self-study competences. An important outcome of this study was the finding that it is necessary to specify educational contents that can be taught at a distance and those that require only face-to-face instruction. This appears to be a key prerequisite for the effective implementation of distance education in universities. The study also points to the need to evaluate the effectiveness of different teaching methods for learning in terms of their impact on student success in distance education mode. Based on the results obtained, we consider it necessary for universities to invest sufficiently not only in technical equipment and in training teachers in the use of available technologies, but also in strengthening the pedagogical and psychological competences of all teachers.

Conducting Social Studies Course with Distance Education: Reviewing the Literature and Experiences of Classroom Teachers

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic affecting all over the world, the social studies course, like all other courses, has started to be given via distance education. Although there are many studies aiming to reveal classroom teachers’ distance education experiences in other disciplines (i.e., sciences mathematics, physical education), no study has been encountered on distance social studies teaching. Therefore, in the present study it was both aimed to examine the experiences of classroom teachers’ on conducting social studies courses in distance education and review the relevant studies systematically. In this way, the research findings will be interpreted in a more comprehensive way. The case study design and systematic review were utilized to conduct the present study. Data were collected through literature review and semi-structured interview form. Interviews were held with seven classroom teachers who conducted the social studies courses with distance education during the COVID-19 pandemic period. Both criterion sampling and convenience sampling techniques were utilized to determine the participants. The data were analysed via content analysis technique. To ensure inter-rater reliability, inter-coder reliability was calculated and a detail description on the research stages was provided to increase the credibility of the study. The findings addressing the problems and the benefits classroom teachers experienced while conducting social studies courses in distance education substantially overlap with literature review findings. The challenges experienced by classroom teachers in distance education are more than the benefits. Classroom management, interaction and assessment and evaluation were the most complained issues by classroom teachers. It was also determined that advanced technology literacy skill, positive attitude towards distance education and dedication are crucial to success in distance education.

Adaptation to Online Education: An Educational Data Mining Application

Despite space, time, and financial limitations, people who want to receive education participate intensively in online education programs that have emerged with the development of technology. With the Covid-19 outbreak, this interest has increased exponentially. In today's societies, where online education, which is preferred for different reasons, has become essential, examining the factors affecting success in online learning is a very important research topic. The study examined the level of adaptation to online education in terms of demographic variables. Experimental studies and necessary analyzes were carried out on the open-access ‘Students Adaptability Level in Online Education’ dataset. The results obtained using association rules, among the most widely used data mining techniques, have provided remarkable results regarding factors affecting success in distance education. It is thought that the study and the reported results will be a guide in creating education plans suitable for the demographic characteristics of the students enrolled in the online education program.

ÖĞRETMENLERİN UZAKTAN EĞİTİME YÖNELİK TUTUMLARININ ÇEŞİTLİ DEĞİŞKENLERE GÖRE İNCELENMESİ

The purpose of this study is to determine the general attitude levels of teachers towards distance education and whether the attitudes of teachers differ according to the district, education level, gender, institution type, graduation, experience year, and branch variables, as well as to seek answers to the questions of whether there is a relationship between the frequency of in-service training on distance education and the perception of technology competence of teachers and their attitudes. The sample of the study, which was carried out in the descriptive survey model, consists of 886 teachers working at primary, secondary, and high school levels, private and public schools in Gaziantep Şehitkamil, and Şahinbey districts in 2020-2021. The research used “Personal Information Form” and “Distance Education Attitude Scale towards Teachers” as data collection tools. The data were collected in the digital environment and the Jamovi (1.6.9) package program was used in the analysis of the obtained data. The study concluded that teachers' attitudes towards distance education were low, although close to the medium level. In addition, the variables of gender, district, and graduation status of teachers do not change the attitudes of teachers towards distance education, however, the type of institution (private / state), education level, experience year, branch, and in-service training related to distance education affect teachers’ attitudes towards distance education and have a decisive effect on their attitudes. The study results also showed a positive relationship between teachers’ perceptions of technological competence and their attitudes towards distance education. Creating supportive in-service training opportunities related to distance education for teachers can increase success in distance education and increasing the technological competence of teachers will facilitate them to have a positive attitude towards distance education. Developing distance education programs applied to younger age groups will increase primary school teachers’ negative attitudes towards distance education.

Distance Education During the COVID-19 Shutdown: A Process Model of Online Learner Readiness, Experiences and Feelings of Learning

The COVID-19 pandemic that forced the closure of campuses in the spring of 2020 accelerated the diffusion of distance education in Universities worldwide. The need to shift to distance education without time to prepare or train teachers or students led to what has been called a crisis learning situation in what was far from a seamless transition. This article surveyed 200 students at a large university in the United States at the end of the spring semester in 2020 about their online learner readiness including access to technological infrastructure (computers and highspeed Internet access), computer self-efficacy, computer anxiety, and how that influenced positive and negative learning experiences and feelings about distance education and learning. A four-stage Structural Equation Model shows a detailed picture of the distance education process and suggests intervention points to improve its outcomes. Results suggest that access to technological infrastructure are necessary but not sufficient for successful distance education experiences and point to the critical importance of computer self-efficacy and anxiety in predicting positive (or negative) learning experiences, which lead to increased feelings of learning and the likelihood that students will choose distance education in the future.

An Investigation into Pre-Service Teachers’ Self-Regulated Online Learning Perceptions

The sudden outbreak of Covid-19 pandemics has accelerated the process of technological transformation experienced by educational institutions. Traditional face-to-face education has been replaced by distance education as a precaution to minimize physical contact among the teachers and the students. As a result, self-regulatory skills have become a more significant factor for academic success in distance education. In line with this, the main aim of the study is to identify the level of self-regulated online learning perceptions of pre-service teachers in Turkish higher education context. Furthermore, the study also aims to reveal whether the pre-service teachers’ self-regulated online learning perceptions differ according to several variables such as their gender, department, class, level of digital literacy and the time they daily spend online. A total of 353 pre-service teachers from various departments have participated in the study. The findings of the study indicate that pre-service teachers’ perceptions of self-regulated online learning are at moderate level; thus, it can be argued that the level of their perceptions is far from satisfactory. Additionally, it has been observed that the pre-service teachers’ self-regulated online learning perceptions differ according to their gender, level of digital literacy and time daily spent online. To be more precise, it has been noted that self-regulated online learning perceptions of female pre-service teachers are higher than those of male pre-service teachers. In a similar vein, it has been observed that the higher the level of digital literacy and the more time spent online, the higher the self-regulated online learning perceptions of pre-service teachers. The overall results of the study suggest that self-regulation skills of the pre-service teachers need to be emphasized and improved with the aim of contributing to the efficient implementation of distance education.

Parental Involvement in Distance K-12 Learning and the Effect of Technostress: Sustaining Post-Pandemic Distance Education in Saudi Arabia

This study explored the effect of parental involvement in K-12 distance learning activities on their perceived technostress and behaviours of support toward their children’s learning in Saudi Arabia. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to analyse the data. Applying the person-technology (P-T) fit model, this study proposed a model comprising five factors to answer the research questions. The five factors were parental involvement, parents’ technostress, parents’ self-efficacy, school support and behaviours of support. Analysis of 651 parent responses showed an insignificant relationship between parental involvement in distance learning activities and parents’ technostress. However, there was a significant and positive relationship between parental involvement and parents’ behaviours of support toward their children’s learning. The results also indicated that when parents’ technostress increases, their supportive behaviours rise accordingly. The level of technostress among parents in this study was found to reduce with an increase in both parents’ self-efficacy levels and the level of school support provided by administration and teachers to parents in distance learning environments. The findings of our study suggested several important implications that contribute to providing more effective and successful distance education and supporting the future of post-pandemic digital education in Saudi Arabia.

DISTANCE EDUCATION PROCESS FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THEOLOGY FACULTY STUDENTS

It is clear that the current global health problems have made distance education a necessity rather than a choice. It is also known that this obligation contains many problems in terms of application infrastructure and hardware. In this context, this study, aim to examine the distance education process, which has become the most used education method in our country and all over the world in the 2020-2021 academic year because of the COVID-19 epidemic, according to the opinions of the students. The data of the study were collected from the students who took distance education courses in the undergraduate education of Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University Faculty of Theology during the spring semester. The data used in the research were collected by the researchers with the previously prepared "Views of Distance Education Students on Distance Education" scale. According to the results, it was concluded that the vast majority (about 79.7%) of the students of the faculty of theology did not evaluate the distance education system that Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University started to implement in a short time as efficient. The general findings of the research were evaluated within the following framework; students' view of distance education, the effectiveness of distance education, the effective use of distance education tools, active communication and success in distance education. As a result of these experiences, it is aimed that the data obtained about the opinions of the participants will shed light and guide the distance education applications that will be carried out in the future processes. In addition, within the scope of the study, some recommendations were made about various public and private fields, especially universities.

Primary Teachers Difficulties Related to Compulsory Distance Education During COVID-19

Due to a lack of preparation, teachers were not emotionally or cognitively prepared to use new approaches. Teachers discovered that while teaching online, elementary school teachers face various challenges. Summarizing and categorizing the difficulties encountered by primary school teachers in compulsory distance education will add to the literature, ensuring the dissemination of online instruction technological tools at both the distance education and primary education levels. The study sought to categorize the difficulties encountered by primary teachers. In order to figure out the purpose of the study, the study data including primary teachers in the COVID-19 period was synthesized. The study was accepted as a meta-synthesis. The education database ERIC was searched using the keywords “Primary Teacher”, “Distance Education”, and “Online Education”; and 79 studies were located as a result of the search. After eliminating ineligible studies, 23 of the 79 collected studies remained. As a result, students, parents, infrastructure, and teachers are all affected by the challenges. Cutting-edge technologies and a strong internet infrastructure are required for online education. Teachers are unable to maintain the minimum level of compulsory distance education due to limited internet connection and a lack of technological resources in many places. As a result of the strain, teachers felt inadequate. In many classrooms in poor countries, there is a lack of access to professional expertise and help for the use and integration of ICTs. COVID-19 has made this an issue for almost all schools, not just those in underdeveloped countries. The importance of online learning for elementary children and teachers has gotten considerably less attention. Teachers can take pedagogical diversity professional development training online and experience it as if they were students. The practical advantage of identifying the difficulties that teachers have faced is to aid teachers in overcoming such obstacles and to give the appropriate assistance. Successful distance education can only be achieved when teachers are supported in all areas of difficulty.

Socio-Emotional Characteristics of Emergency Distance Teaching: A Mixed-Method Investigation in Greece

Aim/Purpose: The study examines the teachers’ perceptions towards a set of socio-emotional characteristics of distance education (DE) in primary and secondary schools during the Covid-19 pandemic. The examined characteristics include perceived joy, stress, effort/fatigue, isolation, inclusiveness, and collaboration/interaction. Background: The transition to emergency distance education had a large socio-emotional impact on teachers. Recent evidence certifies an increase in mental health issues like stress and load. Studies also recognized online teaching barriers including difficulties in communication and interaction with students. This study focuses on the examination of the socio-emotional characteristics of distance education as perceived by primary and secondary education teachers in Greece. The study also investigates differences between primary and secondary education, teaching disciplines, and the role of individual factors like gender, age, and experience. Methodology: The study used a mixed-method research design with closed-ended and open-ended questions on a sample of 845 teachers of primary and secondary education in Greece. The closed-ended questionnaire consisted of 19 items of socio-emotional DE characteristics, measured in a 5-point bipolar format. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA)was conducted on 16 items, indicating three components: (a) effort/fatigue, (b) inclusiveness, and (c) collaboration/interactivity. A single-item scale was considered for joy, fatigue, stress, and isolation. The finalized measurement model was evaluated in terms of item loadings, reliability of measures, convergent, and discriminant validity, with the help of the SmartPLS software. Descriptive statistics and percentages were calculated with the help of SPSS software. Because of the non-normal distribution of the data, non-parametric methods of Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis were performed to examine significant differences in teacher groups. The qualitative part of the analysis was conducted on text data received from two open-ended questions, on a sample of 602 cases. The identified qualitative constructs were investigated through content thematic analysis focusing on the identification of the socio-emotional codes and references, excluding non-relevant themes and cases. Contribution: The findings of the study contribute towards the deeper understanding of the teachers’ psychological or emotional state during the early stage of the Covid-19 emergency DE, as well as on the role of individual and other factors like gender, age, teaching stage, and teaching subject. The results can be leveraged during or after the pandemic, to design pedagogical or psychological practices and strategies to encourage and facilitate the teachers’ transition to DE. Findings: A measurement model of the teachers’ perceived socio-emotional characteristics towards emergency distance education was developed and validated. The model includes the components of: (a) effort/fatigue, (b) inclusiveness, (c) collaboration/interactivity, (d) isolation, (e) joy, and (f) stress. The quantitative results indicated that teachers experienced increased levels of fatigue, and perceived DE as difficult and time-consuming. Teachers of primary education reported significantly lower levels of perceived collaboration/interaction than secondary teachers. Female teachers reported significantly higher scores of both joy and stress, while the youngest age groups expressed the highest scores of joy. The teaching subject also revealed differences in fatigue. Through qualitative analysis, this study also identified several socio-emotional thematic codes revealing the teachers’ difficulties in interaction and communication with students as well as a set of emotional attributes like fatigue, joy, and stress. Recommendations for Practitioners: Teachers should modify their face-to-face teaching material and adjust it to online teaching principles, avoiding future load and frustration. Different approaches should be implemented in primary and secondary education and indifferent teaching disciplines. Also, teachers should be trained on DE-oriented digital skills, ICT competencies, and socio-emotional skills, e.g., by receiving psychological and socio-emotional support from experts. Strategies to decrease fatigue and stress, especially in synchronous teaching should be traced by schools and educators. Recommendation for Researchers: The findings provide theoretical evidence on the teachers’ socio-emotional attitude towards DE and their experiences in the first stages of the emergency remote education due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Impact on Society: This research highlights the perceived DE characteristics and the barriers to online teaching during Covid-19. Schools, educators, and society should collaborate to provide awareness and opportunities for successful distance education practices. Future Research: The survey is based on individual self-reported measures, and this restricts the deeper understanding of the findings. Hence, future research should extend this work by using different methods of data collection like for instance observations, course recordings, interviews, or focus groups.

Undergraduate nursing students' experiences of distance education during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has led to significant changes in the field of education, including not least of all the adoption of distance education, which nursing students have had limited experience with in Turkey.PurposeThis study aimed to determine the factors affecting nursing students' success in distance education and to evaluate their experiences during this process.MethodsThe study was designed as a descriptive, cross-sectional study and involved the participation of 454 nursing who were members of the Student Nurses Association in Turkey. An evaluation form for assessing students' sociodemographic and distance education-related characteristics and the Distance Education Assessment Questionnaire for Nursing Students (DEAQNS) were used for data collection.ResultsThe students further reported that the main factors affecting the success of distance education were provision of preliminary information, proficiency level of technological software use, economic status, proficiency level of use of technological devices, and asynchronous learning.ConclusionsIn order to increase the success of distance education, students need information on the protection of personal data and use of technological software and devices in the nursing curriculum.

TÜRKÇENİN YABANCI DİL OLARAK UZAKTAN ÖĞRETİMİNDE ÖĞRETİCİLERİN MATERYAL KULLANIMI VE TEKNOLOJİK ALT YAPIYA YÖNELİK TUTUM VE GÖRÜŞLERİ

Distance education, rapidly developing with the developments in global communication advances, has become widespread due to Covid-19 pandemic. Teaching Turkish as a Foreign Language synchronously via distance education has been conducted across a wide geography both in and outside Turkey. With the sudden appearance of the pandemic, educators have had to switch into distance education without having sufficient preparations. A successful distance education period is solely possible with the sufficient technological, curricular, and pedagogical preparedness. In this study, educators’ attitude and perspectives towards their usage of materials and the technological infrastructure in distance education of Teaching Turkish as a Foreign Language are being under examination. A questionnaire with open and closed ended questions is applied and the results are evaluated in the study. The problems regarding the usages of the materials and infrastructure are being identified and the solutions are offered to improve the period of distance education. Keywords: teaching Turkish to foreigners, distance education, material use, technological infrastructure

Developing Effective and Sustainable Distance Education Programs and Courses

In this article, we give an overview of the history and the ongoing effort of developing distance education programs and courses at Emporia State University. We carefully study ESU’s Master’s program in mathematics. This program is one of the most successful distance education programs at Emporia State University. It exemplifies the best practices in establishing and advancing such programs. The strategies of institutionalizing distance education programs and courses are also discussed.

Remote view of education, teacher, student and school concepts in teacher training

In this study, the experiences, feelings and thoughts of the instructors working in the teacher training program about distance education were examined. Therefore, the research is a phenomenological study. A focus group discussion was held. The study group of the research consisted of 5 volunteer lecturers. Faculty members criticize the university's preferred learning management system that allows limited communication. He argues that this provides opportunities for education rather than education. According to the instructors, the students perceived the individual learning preference, which is the most basic advantage of distance education, as irresponsibility rather than freedom. In summary, according to the instructors, interaction and role models are needed in the learning environment. In addition, technical and psychological preparation is important for a successful distance education.

Developing Online Sense of Community: Graduate Students’ Experiences and Perceptions

Building a sense of community (SoC) is an important process in the success of distance education and students’ retention. However, developing a community in online learning environments is not an easy task. The purpose of this research study is to explore perceptions of graduate students on SoC and learning after using different collaborative activities with diverse forms of interaction (text, audio, and video) in an online educational research course. Quantitative data from two surveys and qualitative data from individual interviews were collected. Findings indicate that multimodal and scaffolding interactive activities help to support connectedness and learning, and therefore foster online graduate students’ sense of community. The results of this study add to the literature with regard to instructional strategies used to support the development of online sense of community.

EDUCAÇÃO A DISTÂNCIA E COMUNICAÇÃO: PERCEPÇÕES DA FORMATAÇÃO DO PERFIL DOCENTE E DISCENTE

In the midst of technological innovations human actors are the main resources that Education has. Sometimes, protagonism will be in the technologist, sometimes in the teacher and sometimes in the student. However, this scientific article emphasizes the ability to perceive that the Distance Education modality is shaping the profile of these agents and Education. For the presentation of this process, we used as a base a literature review methodology, where we applied some Communication Theories, especially the ideas of McLuhan (1969, 1972), Keen (2012) and Pariser (2013), with the educators concerns such as Mill (2010) and Santaella (2013), in a confluence suggested here as conditional on the success of Distance Education and society's design and, consequently, the profile of the teacher and the student. Therefore, this article aims to discuss links between the areas that support the technical and theoretical knowledge of Distance Education, Communication and Education, outlining the decent of contemporaneity with both skills and abilities, or their needs. As a result we present the consequent formatting of the communicator profile of the teacher pari passu from the need of an adequate training since graduation, however that contemplates aspects of Education in the other graduations that currently support him, mainly technical.

Sense of connection, identity and academic success in distance education: sociologically exploring online learning environments

ABSTRACTOnline learning increasingly embodies distance education as a flexible delivery mode in higher education in Australia and beyond. Attractive to adult learners, among others, its market advantages are well-documented, as are its challenges which vary by degree and technological delivery style. Nevertheless, for geographical reasons, notably rurality/remoteness, and caring responsibilities, for many students, it remains the only option for career change/progression as online degrees are increasingly marketed and pursued for employment reasons. Despite increasing popularity, online study is characterised by high attrition rates. “Sense of connection” is one way to identify if students feel isolated or connected to others sharing/delivering their higher education experience – classmates and lecturers – while self-identifying as a university student generally or part of one’s course specifically may help further knowledge of the complex relationship self- and social-identity play in the process of achieving academic success. Quantitative and qualitative data generated from telephone interviews with 122 undergraduates enrolled in arts, paramedics, policing and science courses at a rural-regional Australian university are presented to reveal if and how identity and perceived sense-of-connection affected student experiences.

An Innovative Approach Toward a Comprehensive Distance Education Framework for a Developing Country

ABSTRACTThis article reports on part of a study conducted to collate the policies and practices of two successful distance education providers of the developed world with those of a provider in Bangladesh in order to inform a culturally appropriate distance education framework for a developing country. This article also describes an innovative theoretical model, Adapting Structuration Theory In Distance Education, conceptualized as part of a broader study, to address the underlying issues and to generate propositions for the framework.

Behold the Power of the Donut: A Successful Case Study of a DE Library, Departmental, and Faculty & Student Collaborations

ABSTRACTCreating and maintaining a successful library distance education program, even given ideal variables, can be a huge challenge. This article will discuss how the library distance program was planned, implemented, and evaluated in a three-year span. A staff of three–five librarians utilized organizational partnerships, grassroots marketing and easy-to-use software to plan and implement the program. Key features of the plan will be discussed, including a books-by-mail system, interlibrary loan, online workshop creation, online streaming events, general distance learner engagement, and faculty inclusion. This case study is unique due to the accelerated development of the program, with success in less than three years, and the size of the online population served, approximately 15,000. Examples of unique collaborations with other university functions will also be shared, including career development, graduation, orientation, and touring.

The Adult Learning Open University Determinants (ALOUD) study: Biological and psychological factors associated with learning performance in adult distance education

AbstractLearning is crucial for everyone. The association between biological (eg, sleep, nutrition) and psychological factors (eg, test anxiety, goal orientation) and learning performance has been well established for children, adolescents and college students in traditional education. Evidence for these associations for adult distance students is lacking however. The Adult Learning Open University Determinants (ALOUD) study is the first to identify the determinants of learning performance within adult distance education. Over the course of 1 year, all new students (n = 4945) of the Open University of the Netherlands were approached. At baseline, 2040 students fully participated in this observational longitudinal study by filling out an online questionnaire and performing cognitive tests. At the 7 and 14 months follow‐up, participants filled out a second and third questionnaire respectively, and data were given by the exam registration office to measure learning performance at these times. The ALOUD study might result in tailor‐made educational innovations for adults participating in distance education and, finally, a more successful distance education student population.