University Learning Management System Research Articles

A blended teaching and learning model for family-medicine registrar training at a South African university.

Effective primary healthcare is essential in developing countries but faces several challenges, including the lack of standardised training across decentralised sites. In response to unsatisfactory registrar examination outcomes in 2013, the Department of Family Medicine at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa introduced a blended teaching and learning programme. The aim of the new programme was to level the playing field by providing uniform online resources on a course site on the university's learning management system. The uniform online resources would be integrated into the teaching programme. A team consisting of the registrar-training-programme coordinator, an educationalist and five family-medicine consultants from different districts began reviewing the curriculum, selecting appropriate resources and developing the course site. The blended programme was developed and implemented using a phased, participatory research action approach, including phases of evaluation and redesign. Since the implementation of the blended-learning programme in 2017, registrar outcomes have improved, but this has not been the only success attributed to the programme. The programme also resulted in an enhanced focus on teaching and learning, especially among those involved in its development. We share the lessons gleaned from our experiences, emphasising the need for adequate training and teamwork if we are to use technology appropriately and effectively to address the difficulties associated with decentralised training in developing countries.

Development and validation of a virtual learning management system usability questionnaire: A case study.

The post-pandemic era has seen a surge in the popularity of Virtual Learning Management Systems (VLMS). However, there is a noticeable lack of tools to measure the usability of these systems. As technology evolves, user needs change, necessitating updated tools for system evaluation. This study aims to develop and validate a VLMS usability questionnaire, specifically designed to assess the usability of a university learning management system. The VLMS usability tool was systematically developed based on relevant domains identified in existing literature and expert opinions. It was then tested for face validity, content validity, and reliability. In a case study, the tool was distributed among 200 students from a Medical Sciences university who had used the Navid VLMS system. Semi-structured interviews with experts were analyzed using directed content analysis, resulting in 21 items categorized into four domains: effectiveness, reliability, learnability, and security. The content validity index and ratio were 0.939 and 0.976, respectively. The Intra Class Correlation (ICC) estimates for each section of the questionnaire ranged from 0.8-0.9, indicating high reliability. Cronbach's alpha was 0.97, suggesting excellent internal consistency. The case study results showed that the Navid platform achieved an average usability score of 70.36, with a standard deviation of 10.6, indicating moderate to high usability. The VLMS usability tool is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing the usability of the Navid learning management system. It can be used to improve the usability of the Navid system and serve as a benchmark for assessing the usability of other similar VLMSs.

EVALUASI USABILITY TESTING APLIKASI LMS WASKITA DENGAN METODE SYSTEM USABILITY SCALE (SUS)

Waskita is the Amikom Yogyakarta University LMS (Learning Management System) application presented to students to make it easier to access learning materials. Waskita has two access rights namely lecturers and students, where this research focuses on student access rights. Waskita URL link address located at https://waskita.amikom.ac.id/ which has features for uploading assignments, downloading materials, searching for courses, and etc. This research illustrates the value of usability testing for the Waskita LMS application. Research methods used is the SUS method by giving a questionnaire consisting of 10 SUS method questions and 3 additional questions to 45 respondents. The user research technique that we use is satisfaction surveys users to get quantitative data using ranges in number format and qualitative ones description format from respondents. The results in this research show that the usability testing value of the LMS website Waskita is 47 or is on the "F" grade scale, where several respondents stated that there is a menu which have the same use, confusing flow of operations, lacking information clear, and the appearance is less attractive. So it can be concluded that the Waskita LMS website is feasible to be redesigned.

Application of Q-learning algorithm based on heterogeneous sensor networks in higher education teaching management

With the rapid advancement of information technology and online technologies, it has become imperative for all colleges and universities to address the challenge of leveraging modern management methods to enhance management efficiency, level, and practices. In the realm of educational institution management, the learning management system stands as the cornerstone of contemporary campus management and the entire campus computer network. In this article, the Q-learning algorithm, specifically applied to a heterogeneous cellular network, is employed to investigate the issues pertaining to teaching management in colleges and universities.The design and implementation of the university teaching management system mainly uses heterogeneous cellular networks to establish a physical model of the Q-learning algorithm, and then in the Rayleigh channel, the coverage factor and the system rate expression are derived in a closed form, and in a closed form Derive the energy efficiency expression, and then optimize the density of the basic micro-station algorithm to maximize performance. In the process of system design, this paper uses an algorithm to analyze the current research status of university teaching management, then proposes the research purpose and subject content, and analyzes the university's teaching management function and potential future functional requirements. When designing the university learning management system, it describes in detail the overall design concept, key technologies, system structure, and operating system structure and system topology. This research mainly focuses on the research of campus information management and Q learning algorithm. Based on the cellular network, a large number of campus management cases were analyzed and data fitting at the same time, and a set of Q-learning algorithm teaching management system based on heterogeneous cellular network was designed.

Exploring the use of Information and Communication Technology in Open and Distance Learning: The Case study of Botswana Open University

This qualitative study investigated the utilization of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in an Open and Distance Learning (ODL) university located in Botswana. The sampling technique employed was judgmental sampling, which involved the selection of 16 participants comprising of a lecturer, students, and officers responsible for managing the Learning Management System (LMS). The data collection process incorporated face-to-face interviews with the lecturer and officers, as well as open-ended e-questionnaires administered to the students. Narrative data analysis was conducted separately for the lecturer, officers, and students. By applying the Attrition theory, the findings disclosed that students of the Botswana Open University encounter challenges with the ODL mode due to limited resources, inadequate or non-existent internet services, and the remoteness of areas where access to BOU campuses is impracticable. According to the lecturers, they also require technical support when assessing students' work, as these students often encounter difficulties when uploading their assignments onto the university's LMS. Consequently, the study recommends that BOU should ensure the availability of ICT tools for the students, as well as address issues related to connectivity and bandwidth by providing reliable data services. Additionally, it is proposed that students undergo comprehensive training on the LMS systems, encompassing both technical and non-technical aspects, prior to the commencement of the academic year, in order to adequately prepare them for their studies.

A Cross-Sectional Survey Exploring Australian Pharmacists' and Students' Management of Common Oral Mucosal Diseases.

Oral mucosal conditions are commonly experienced in the general population and can have a negative impact on one's quality of life. This study evaluated the ability of Australian pharmacists and final-year pharmacy students to recognise and manage these common oral mucosal diseases through the use of case vignettes. Australian pharmacists and final-year pharmacy students were invited through social media, university learning management systems, or email to complete an online questionnaire consisting of six case vignettes covering topics relating to common oral mucosal presentations. A total of 65 pharmacists and 78 students completed the questionnaire. More than 50% of the participants reported having seen all types of oral mucosal presentations, except for denture stomatitis, in their practice. The provision of best practice recommendations was reported by only 14%, 15%, 8%, and 6% of the participants for geographic tongue, hairy tongue, angular cheilitis, and denture-associated stomatitis, respectively, whereas 82% offered an appropriate anti-viral treatment for cold sore and 33% provided the best practice recommendations for oral thrush. This study emphasised the importance of further developing and integrating best practice oral healthcare training programs specifically tailored to the Australian pharmacy profession.

Contributions of Data Mining to University Education, in the Context of the Covid-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review of the Literature

During the context of COVID-19, educational processes migrated to a strictly virtual scenario, so the quantity of information grew in such a way that techniques such as data mining or machine learning contributed to generating knowledge for decision-making. In this sense, it is relevant to define the state of the art of the contributions of data mining in the university environment, and from there, to see in perspective how these could be applied in scenarios of return to the face-to-face. In this sense, a systematic review of the literature is carried out, based on scientific evidence extracted from the Taylor & Francis, ERIC and Scopus databases. A qualitative content analysis approach and the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses) statement were used to extract the findings published in scientific articles. The results were that educational data mining was applied to a greater extent in the field of “teaching”, and it was focused on the search for patterns and predictive models to improve student performance, reduce student dropout, improve the student’s quality of life, and teacher performance. In addition, as a resource for data extraction, university learning management systems (LMS) were used to a greater extent. It is concluded that tools such as data mining should be implemented as academic management policies, achieving a prospective on indicators linked to the improvement of student learning and performance.

Covid-19 pandemic and online accounting education: the experience of undergraduate accounting students in an emerging economy

PurposeThe study investigates the experiences of undergraduate students in using online learning platforms to study Accounting-related courses during the COVID-19 pandemic.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses qualitative research approach and 89 undergraduate Accounting students from University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) were purposively interviewed using semi-structured interview guide, observation and documentary evidence to achieve triangulation of data and results.FindingsThe study discovers that due to the Covid pandemic, the online Accounting learning system has a relative advantage over the physical classroom learning as the online pedagogy ensures that the students are safe and do not contract the virus. The findings further indicate that the university's engagement framework includes three units: engaging students with content on the university's Learning Management System (LMS), engaging students with their peers via group course WhatsApp platform and Zoom/Google Meet lectures, and engaging students with their instructors via the LMS, Zoom/Google Meet, and Group WhatsApp. Each unit is based on research-based best practices and strategies for online education such as the use of media (videos) to augment written course content and to improve student-to-content engagement, positive cognitive, collaborative, behavioural and emotional engagement of students. The university's strategies also encourage student-to-student involvement, as well as assessment and feedback. Regarding behavioural and emotional engagements, the study discovered that some lecturers' attitudes toward students coupled with insufficient administrative support influenced students to develop negative reactions to the use of online learning platforms for Accounting education.Practical implicationsThis paper has the potential to inform and improve implementation of online Accounting education in developing countries where the digital divide is staggering and digital inclusion and infrastructure for online education are at a precarious stage that cannot be remedied overnight.Social implicationsThe new context of Accounting education enables an increase in student enrolment because it does not require students to travel to or stay in a hostel for an extended period of time in order to earn an Accounting degree.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the Accounting education literature on emerging economies by providing new evidence of perception differences between higher education institutions and students. Education providers in emerging economies frequently adopt Western modes of online education without making structural adjustments. By empirically exploring students' opinions, this study challenges these managerial perceptions, and the findings will assist regulators and policymakers in making appropriate changes.

Important factors in measuring learners' satisfaction and continuance intention in open and distance learning (ODL) institutions

PurposeThe aim of this study is to explore and establish the relationships between justice dimensions, expectation-confirmation model (ECM) and continuance intention and also to examine the mediating effect of learners’ satisfaction and perceived usefulness toward continuance intentions of the university learning management system (LMS) within open and distance learning (ODL) context.Design/methodology/approachA cross-sectional research design was used, and the data were collected from a sample of 366 respondents utilizing the online survey questionnaire approach. Hypotheses were tested using the partial least square (PLS) SEM technique.FindingsThe findings reveal that justice dimensions (distributive, procedural, interpersonal and informational justice) have a significant relationship with learners’ satisfaction. Performance confirmation have significant relationship with learners’ satisfaction and perceived usefulness. Perceived usefulness has a direct significant relationship toward learners’ satisfaction, and learners’ satisfaction has a direct significant relationship toward continuance intention. For mediation analysis, learners’ satisfaction was found to have a mediation effect in the relationship between the justice dimensions and continuance intention. Learners’ satisfaction was also found to have a mediation effect on the relationship between performance conformation and continuance intention. However, learners’ satisfaction was found not to have a mediation effect on the relationship between perceived usefulness and continuance intention, and perceived usefulness does not have a mediation effect in the relationship of performance confirmation and learners’ satisfaction.Originality/valueThis study advances knowledge and provides valuable insights to practitioners and academic scholars to have a better understanding of the effective attributes of the university LMS, and also to maximize the revenues and the sustainability of the institutions in long term, especially in the 21st century.

103 Lessons Learned in Developing a Clinical Research Coordinator Badge

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: A clinical research coordinator (CRC) digital badge offers a novel approach to addressing the ongoing shortage of CRCs at academic medical centers. We sought to pilot this low-cost, short-term training digital badge to train entry level CRCs and to attract a diverse pool of individuals. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: Experienced clinical research professionals outlined competencies needed by study coordinators working in an academic center using a Delphi approach. The competencies aligned with 6 of the 8 domains established by the Joint Taskforce for Clinical Trial Competencies. Five course modules were created in a standardized format consisting of instructional videos, handouts, and a 25-question quiz (passing grade: 90%) which was hosted in the university learning management system. Beta testers were recruited to complete surveys at the conclusion of each module addressing both module performance and content accuracy. An item analysis was performed on the 25-question quiz. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Nine volunteers were recruited for the pilot. Seven completed the badge. All participants, with years of experience from 0 to over 10 in clinical trials, found the course to be informative. The majority (84%) of responses on course logistics were positive or neutral. The quiz item analysis identified most questions (86%) as either Easy or Neutral, which is ideal for a Level 1 Badge addressing foundational skills. Forty percent of the quiz questions scored high on the Discrimination Index, indicating that the quiz could identify those who performed well and those challenged by the quizzes. One negative comment received stated that course was too intense to be completed in 4 weeks. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: The results of this pilot study demonstrated that this badging course offers a low cost, easily accessible option for recruiting and training entry level clinical research professionals. The proof-of-concept study encouraged our initiation of the program and attempt to broaden our reach.

STUDENT ENGAGEMENT, CHALLENGES AND COPING MECHANISMS IN HIGH SCHOOL ONLINE DISTANCE LEARNING DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Most educational institutions made sure that instruction was uninterrupted at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a flexible learning method, most schools chose online distance learning (ODL). Consequently, the Internet is among the many tools that ensures continuity in teaching and learning. Many schools have adopted ODL using their learning management system (LMS). However, schools are challenged in attaining the expected engagement among students. Students must cope with the new learning environment wherein they are physically separated from teachers and peers. This research aims to assess the engagement of senior high school in the ODL environment. Specifically, it describes the respondent’s engagement profile, preferred learning resources and activities, and challenges faced in ODL. Student logs from the university LMS during the second semester of 2020 – 2021 were utilized for engagement profiling. On the other hand, an online survey was conducted among 424 students to gather their preferred learning resources, activities, and challenges experienced in ODL. Results show that assignments and files are the most common resources used during the ODL. It shows that attendance and quizzes are what students often visit. Quiz and Wiki are where students spend their time. The result indicates that Slideshows and PDF or MS word materials are the most preferred learning materials. The Lesson is the most preferred learning activity, and students perceived that this activity is the most useful in the ODL. Lack of motivation or confidence earned the highest mean of 3.49, described as “every time.” Heavy workload, procrastination, lack of interaction, and technical issues are rated “every time,” showing that respondents are heavily challenged. In terms of coping, the result indicates that daily login and breaking down responsibilities were the most common mechanism. Communicating with the teachers yielded the lowest coping mean. The study concludes that engaging students in online distance learning are very challenging, especially when learners are not ready. Preferences in terms of learning resources and activities are multi-faceted. There is a need to improve the variation of asynchronous activities like interactive multimedia, such as gamification.

English Language Teaching in Uganda: The Challenges Faced by the English Teacher During the Covid-19 Lockdown

English language is widely regarded as the lingua franca meaning that it is the most widely spoken language in the World. This article emerges from the desire to document English language teaching in teacher training institutions in Uganda during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. In particular, it documents the challenges faced and mitigation measures put in place by English language teacher trainees. The paper is underpinned by two objectives - namely: first to describe English language taught in Higher Education institutions in Uganda during the lockdown and secondly, to explain the challenges teacher trainees faced in learning English during the lockdown. The paper culminates from a study that followed a phenomenology design where data was collected through observation and interviews. Findings established that English language was mainly taught using WhatsApp, the university learning management system and e-mail. In this kind of teaching and learning, teacher trainees faced the challenges of limited interaction, lack of reliable Internet and poor technological knowledge. Therefore, the study recommended that higher education institutions continue using the blended mode of instruction in English language education so that English language teacher trainees can gain the technological pedagogical knowledge relevant to teach English

Predicting Students at Risk of Early Dropping Out from Course Using Ensemble Classification Methods

Many research studies confirmed that the application of machine learning methods for predicting students at risk of academic failure can be beneficial for improving student performance in higher education institutions. Simultaneously, these studies emphasised the importance of the input data quality, its precise pre-processing and thoroughly selected features on final performance metrics of the applied classification algorithms. However, the stand-alone application of well-known classification algorithms still has performance limitations, which can be outperformed using ensembles of classifiers. Therefore, this paper aims to evaluate the overall contribution of the selected ensemble methods to the early prediction of students at risk of dropping out of learning courses. All phases of CRISP-DM methodology are described in this study to explain the complexity of the problem of the practical adoption of voting-based heterogeneous ensemble methods in the case of data obtained from the course of the university learning management system compared to traditional classification algorithms enhanced by ensemble learning with AdaBoost and XGBoost methods. As a result, the study confirmed that the features which characterise the students’ performance and their interactions in the course can be considered the most significant for the identification of the students at risk of dropping out. Moreover, in the case of advanced ensemble algorithms, the overall accuracy, recall, precision, and f1 score were improved by 2-4%. The proposed method has demonstrated exceptional performance. Finally, the paper summarises the findings and their implications for effective prediction.

‘It was natural and real-life’: book clubs as professional development for preservice teachers

ABSTRACT Decades of research indicate teacher dissatisfaction with traditional professional development (PD), while a growing body of research literature indicates the value of heutagogical and andragogical learning in PD. This case study examines the experiences of 43 preservice teachers as they took part in professional development book clubs as part of regular coursework in their educator preparation program. The participants’ communities of practice were established across varied platforms: face-to-face meetings, social media groups, and the university learning management system. Participants also collaborated with novel peers from heterogeneous cohorts. Survey data was collected and analyzed to better understand participants’ perceptions of the usefulness of the book club PD. Findings include preservice teachers’ evaluation of the both the value and format of book clubs as a professional development tool. Implications include suggestions for meaningful collaboration in virtual settings.

University Learning Management System: A Promising Solution to Improve Students’ English Ability in Large English Classes

The covid-19significantly shifted the trend in teaching. University Learning Management System, often known as e-learning was believed to be the form of future education. One of the solutions offered was that its various features utilize the need to manage to teach large English classes. The design of the research was casual-comparative research where two groups were compared based on their mean score of the four tests. They were the first and second quiz scores, the scores of students’ mid-semester exams, and their final scores. The first group studied consisted of 50 students taught using the old normal way, while the other group consisted of 50 students also studied by utilizing the availability of their online learning platform or the university LMS. The data were analyzed using parametric statistic, since the data distribution was normal, then independent t test was applied. The data were used to answer the hypothesis whether or not there was a significant difference between the two groups. The research findings showed that the significant two-tailed independent test was lower than the 0.05 alpha significant, therefore, it was concluded that there was significant different between the two groups. Shortly, learning management system was the alternative to manage large English classes at universities, that worked on improving students’ English ability.

Exploring the User Experience (UX) of University Learning Management System (LMS)

Exploring the User Experience (UX) of University Learning Management System (LMS)

Simulations and Solutions of Calculus Problem: An Effort to Improve Students' Innovative and Quality Computing Skills

One of the impacts of online learning that is not optimal is learning loss. Therefore, the aims of this study, we conduct computing practicum with Maple and Matlab to improve students' ability to develop learning media based on Network Virtual Laboratory (NVL). The implications of this practicum can improve students' innovative attitudes in developing various learning media NVL-based, with still through the validation process and field tests so that quality learning media is produced . The subject of this study consisted of 61 students who took the integrated mathematics computing course calculus . This is a development research (R&D), where each student develops learning media then validated and field trials. We assess each media resulting from the development using questionnaires and field observations. The results showed that as many as 85% of students have been able to innovate well in developing learning media NVL-based including function limit materials, derivatives, and integrals. The results of the assessment of the expert team showed that the ability of students in developing learning media reached an average score of 3.97 which is categorized as "innovative", while the results of product trials for early-level students obtained an average of 4.07 blessings "very qualified". Furthermore, the practicum module and all media results of student development have been uploaded to the University's Learning Management System Moodle-based for use in the learning process in the future. We hope that the learning media that has been developed can be applied to calculus learning in the future.

An Overview of the Common Elements of Learning Management System Policies in Higher Education Institutions

Learning management systems form an integral part of the learning environments of most universities and support a wide range of diverse activities and operations. However, learning management systems are often regulated by institutional policies that address the general use of Information Technology and Communication services rather than specific learning management system policies. Hence, we propose that learning management system environments are complex techno-social systems that require dedicated standalone policies to regulate their operation. This preliminary study examined a selection of learning management system policies from twenty universities in four countries to identify some of the elements that are considered necessary for inclusion in policy documents. Seventeen individual elements of learning management system policy documents were identified from a synthesis of the policies. These were classified into six policy categories: Accounts, Courses, Ownership, Support, Usage, and Protection. The study also identified three additional qualities of learning management system policy documents: standalone comprehensibility, platform-neutral statements, and contemporary relevance. The findings of this study will serve as a useful template for developing dedicated standalone policies for the governance of university learning management systems.

Using TBLT Framework in Technology-mediated Environments to Enhance Students’ Vocabulary Retention and Interpreting Skills

Interpretation is a demanding skill, especially for specific fields in business such as marketing, accounting, trading, etc. Students majoring in Business English Language at Van Lang University reported that they are faced with the dilemma of choosing the right definition for a keyword. This has prevented them from understanding and analyzing the message before rendering it into the target language. To remedy the problem, vocabulary quizzes were administered on the university's Learning Management System (LMS) platform. The focus is on enhancing vocabulary retention. The course followed the Tase-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) framework to maximize the comprehension of the context of the vocabulary and the students. Code-mixing was used to design vocabulary quizzes. The study is a quantitative experiment with the aim of finding a correlation between the use of TBLT and the improvement of students in their vocabulary retention. The results indicate that there is a direct and positive connection between them.

Analysis of Learning System in Higher Collection through a Technology 4.0 Approach in the Era of Covid-19 Pandemic

Analysis of learning management in higher education through a technology 4.0 approach. This study aims to obtain an overview of the implementation of learning management with a communication information technology approach (technology 4.0) to improve the learning management system in universities, especially the Bengkulu province UNIVED campus during the covid 19 pandemic. This research will be investigated further and more carefully on management factors. The results showed that: The availability of ICT network infrastructure services on the Unived campus was obtained by 80% of students and 93% of the academic community. In x2 (Availability of Student Academic Information Systems) on the Unived campus, the results of interviews were 82% of students and 94% of the academic community. In x3 (Availability of e learning applications) on the Unived campus, the results of interviews were 78% of students and 92% of the academic community. Based on the comparison of test data and interview data on the PT Unived campus, it was concluded that the Learning System (LS) = x in stages (ISM) = (A, C, and D) experienced an increasing trend (positive). Meanwhile, in the Individual stages of mastering ICT (B) there is a downward trend.