Web-based Distance Education Courses Research Articles

The impact of a compulsory web-based course on preservice teachers’ motivational profile

The goal of this research was to better understand the impact of the implementation of a compulsory Web-based course on preservice teacher motivation. Subjects were enrolled in a four-year teacher education program (n=429) in the province of Quebec ( Canada ) . Our initial hypothesis was that the Web-based distance education course – designed to promote self-determination, affiliation, and a sense of competence – would positively impact the motivation of preservice teachers. Results presented are based on quantitative and qualitative data analysis. They demonstrate that a technologically rich learning environment can enhance motivation after only a few weeks.

LEARNING FROM FIRST TIME ELEARNING EXPERIENCES FOR CONTINUOUS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF SCHOOL LEADERS IN THE MALDIVES: A Case Study

In Maldives, educational policy makers are beginning to explore the value of ICT and web tools as a medium of continuous professional development for school leaders and teachers. This paper reports on insights and responses of a group of five school leaders who participated in a web based distance education course. For most of them, this was their first experience in distance education as well as eLearning within a formal University context. By giving voice to the participants, we explore and identify strategies for successful first time eLearning experiences for school leaders. These include student preparedness for academic studies as well as for eLearning, language proficiency, cultural and social dynamics of knowledge construction as well as personal attributes which lead to successful learning.

Intelligent User Support in Autonomous Remote Experimentation Environments

Industrial manufacturing systems and processes-related courses cover subject areas that are as diverse as electrical and product engineering and industrial automation. The proliferation of Web-based distance education courses in this area in recent years poses unique challenges for the teaching of a discipline that traditionally involves a high level of practical work. Increasingly, Web-based distance education courses are on offer, augmented by the provision of remote experimentation laboratories facilitating distant access to campus-based physical resources. The design and implementation of effective and usable remote experimentation facilities is a difficult task, given the inherent complexities of the learning environment and the constraints imposed by a Web-based delivery medium. Developments in recent years have addressed many of these issues as this constant innovation has necessitated educational institutions and other training providers to continually reassess the content and delivery of engineering curricula in the context of this developing field. However, autonomous learning environments, by their very nature, offer minimal educator assistance, and from a student's perspective, it is inevitable that, at some stage of the experimental process, context-specific help will be required. This paper seeks to address this issue in relation to the practical aspect of Web-based engineering-related courses and presents an intelligent help system to support students in the practical use of autonomous learning environments for remote experimentation.

Effects of elicited reflections combined with tutor or peer feedback on self-regulated learning and learning outcomes

This study investigated the effects of students' reflections, combined with suggestive feedback, on the development of self-regulated learning and learning outcomes. Suggestive feedback alerts students that further reflection is advisable, without being very directive. Forty-nine students participated in a regular web-based distance education course on work psychology. In two experimental conditions students were prompted to reflect on their learning process, and received feedback on their reflections, either from peer students or a tutor. These conditions were compared to a control condition in which students studied the regular course without reflection and feedback. In line with the hypothesis, results showed that reflection combined with feedback positively affected students' self-regulated learning. In addition, students in the condition with tutor feedback outperformed students in both other conditions on learning outcomes.

Barriers and enablers in integrating cognitive apprenticeship methods in a Web-based educational technology course for K–12 (primary and secondary) teacher education

The purpose of this study is to investigate the integration of a cognitive apprenticeship model into an educational technology Web-based course for pre-service primary through secondary teacher education. Specifically, this study presents an overview of methods, tools and media used to foster the integration of a cognitive apprenticeship model, and presents the types of barriers and enablers encountered when attempting to participate in a computer-mediated cognitive apprenticeship. The methodological framework for this investigation is a qualitative case study of an educational technology course for pre-service primary through secondary teacher education. The findings of this study reveal that various tools, methods and media were used to varying degrees of success to foster cognitive apprenticeship methods in a Web-based learning environment. The goal of this study was to better understand the pragmatics, suitability, affordances and constraints of integrating cognitive apprenticeship methods in a Web-based distance education course for teacher education.DOI: 10.1080/09687760701482218

Interdisciplinary Collaboration

Nursing faculty often perceive that developing Web-based distance education courses is very time consuming, while others believe they lack the necessary pedagogical skills. This article describes an interdisciplinary collaborative approach to developing a Web-based distance education course in an academic health science center. This strategy effectively supported faculty in learning new skills and resulted in a highly satisfying experience for faculty and students.

The role of personality in Web-based distance education courses

Before investing in a Web-based education program, managers should consider how effective it will be when paired with employee personality traits.

Poultry production: a model for developing interactive Internet-based distance education

Over the last several decades, many poultry science programs have merged with other departments, but the poultry industry has undergone tremendous expansion worldwide, leading to a growing instructional void with regard to poultry production information. The objective of this project was to address the demand for information by developing two Web-based poultry production courses that cover management of broilers, turkeys, breeders, and layers. The Internet was chosen as the platform because it is asynchronous and may be accessed from any connected site around the world. To be effective, web-based courseware must be theoretically grounded and interactive, but university-level web-based distance education courses often fail to meet these standards. During courseware development, the impact of instructional techniques and technologies on interactivity and learning outcomes was explored. A content expert, an instructional designer, and a graphic artist carefully reviewed a variety of instructional techniques to increase interactivity. Concept mapping was chosen because it has been shown to be a superior learning tool for enhancing the exchange of ideas and knowledge between instructors, students, and content. A unique instructional interface was established that includes threaded e-mail discussion, thought questions, animation, hypertext, rollover interactions, video clips, and concept mapping exercises. Results indicate that the integration of concept mapping into web-based learning environments successfully increased interactivity and learning outcomes.

Students’ Distress with a Web-based Distance Education Course: An Ethnographic Study of Participants' Experiences

Many advocates of computer-mediated distance education emphasize its positive aspects and understate the kinds of communicative and technical capabilities and work required by students and faculty. There are few systematic analytical studies of students who have experienced new technologies in higher education. This article presents a qualitative case study of a web-based distance education course at a major U.S. university. The case data reveal a topic that is glossed over in much of the distance education literature written for administrators, instructors and prospective students: students' periodic distressing experiences (such as frustration, anxiety and confusion) in a small graduate-level course due to communication breakdowns and technical difficulties. Our intent is that this study will enhance understanding of the instructional design issues, instructor and student preparation, and communication practices that are needed to improve web-based distance education courses.

Guiding Principles for Facilitating Higher Levels of Web-Based Distance Teaching and Learning in Post-Secondary Settings

The purpose of this study was to develop guiding principles to encourage higher levels of teaching and learning in Web-based distance education. The research framework used Zetterberg's (1962) model for change. Data from semi-structured interviews with university instructors who had experience in teaching Web-based distance education courses, a focus group interview with educational technologists, a review of related literature, and my own reflective journal, provided insights for the development of teaching and learning principles. A validation process was then conducted from experts and scholars in the field through a consensus survey. The outcome was the development of a model with nine principles that facilitate higher levels of teaching and learning in Web-based distance education.

A Web-based distance education course in nutrition in public health: case study.

BackgroundStrict work timetables, personal and professional duties or an inability to be absent from home or work can all represent major constraints for those wishing to improve their professional skills. Within this context, the World Wide Web can allow people to conveniently follow distance courses from their homes.ObjectiveTo present an experience in the use of the Web in the continuing education of healthcare professionals in Brazil.MethodsA Web-based distance education course in nutrition in public health was developed. The methodology was an adaptation of both problem-based and task-based learning. At the end of the course an evaluation questionnaire which covered the course's contents, the educational methodology and resources, the duration and schedule, and the use of the Web as a tool for distance education was given to the students.ResultsThere were 83 on line registrations from 13 states, 73 of the applicants were female, 62 had a degree in nutrition and 18 were physicians. From these; eleven students from ten states were chosen: nine female nutritionists, two female physicians, and one male physician. Seven students completed the course, took and passed the final exam. Of the other four students, two failed to follow the schedule, one had health problems, and one did not obtain the minimal score for sitting the final exam. The students had a mean age of 35, and a mean of ten years in practice. They all stated that they were unable to attend a regular course, even though they felt that they needed to improve their professional skills. Most of them studied seven days a week for between two and four hours a day. The students also felt that their professional skills had improved and each reported having made changes in their practice as a result of their participation. The students approved of the course's contents, methodology and resources, however they were divided about its duration. The Web as a tool in distance education was approved by the students. If it was not for the Web they could not have taken part in a continuing education program. All students said they would attend another virtual course, if available. Even though most of them did not have difficulty adapting to the virtual environment, they did feel that an adaptation period would be of value.ConclusionsA Web-based course may be more effective than other distance education methodologies because it is more interactive and dynamic. On-line material can be constantly reviewed and updated, and the students can have the opportunity to submit commentaries or questions directly to the teaching staff. A Web-based course also allows the students to go beyond the course content as they learn how to search and take advantage of the huge resources of information available on the Internet.

Online Education: An Exploratory Study into Success Factors

The rapid growth of end-user computing, low-cost communication, and the development of the Internet has lead to a surge of online courses. In light of this, many educators still await the promise of technology's power to improve teaching effectiveness. This article presents an exploratory study of a Web-based distance education course at a major Australian university. We identify three critical success factors associated with teaching effectiveness in online delivery—technology, the lecturer, and the students' previous use of the technology. We also argue that the lecturer will continue to play a central role in online education, albeit his or her role will become one of a learning catalyst and knowledge navigator.

STUDENT DISTRESS IN A WEB-BASED DISTANCE EDUCATION COURSE

Many advocates of computer-mediated distance education emphasize its positive aspects and understate the kinds of communicative and technical capabilities and work required by students and faculty. There are few systematic analytical studies of students who have experienced new technologies in higher education. This article presents a qualitative case study of a small graduate-level web-based distance education course at a major US university.This paper examines students' distressing experiences due to communication breakdowns and technical difficulties. This topic is glossed over in much of the distance education literature written for administrators, instructors and prospective students. The intent is that this study will enhance understanding of the instructional design issues, instructor and student preparation, and communication practices that are needed to improve web-based distance education courses.

Students' frustrations with a Web-based distance education course

Many advocates of computer-mediated distance education emphasize its positive aspects and understate the kind of work that it requires for students and faculty. This article presents a qualitative case study of a Web-based distance education course at a major U.S. university. The case data reveal a taboo topic: students' persistent frustrations in Web-based distance education. First, this paper will analyze why these negative phenomena are not found in the literature. Second, this article will discuss whether students' frustrations inhibit their educational opportunities. In this study, students' frustrations were found in three interrelated sources: lack of prompt feedback, ambiguous instructions on the Web, and technical problems. It is concluded that these frustrations inhibited educational opportunities. This case study illustrates some student perspectives and calls attention to some fundamental issues that could make distance education a more satisfying learning experience.