scholarly journals Exploring Value Variations in Instructor Presence Techniques for Online Students

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
pp. 16-49
Author(s):  
Sarah Robertson ◽  
John Steele ◽  
B. Jean Mandernach
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Perceived Value ◽  
Online Students ◽  
Immediate Feedback ◽  
Course Content ◽  
Phone Calls ◽  
Instructor Presence ◽  
Pedagogical Goal

This study sought to define and measure online undergraduate students' perceived value of instructor presence techniques across five communication mediums per pedagogical goal (connection to course content, connection to classmates, connection to the instructor, foster interest, and facilitate immediate feedback). Students found personalized written messages from an instructor (M=4.61) as most valuable due to their ability to provide immediate feedback. Interactive phone calls (M=3.24) were the least valuable in the area of familiarity. Results indicate all instructor presence techniques had value, but some were more valuable than others.

scholarly journals “When I saw my peers annotating”

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeremiah Holden Kalir ◽  
Esteban Morales ◽  
Alice Fleerackers ◽  
Juan Pablo Alperin
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Student Perception ◽  
Perceived Value ◽  
Learning Technology ◽  
Digital Resources ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Course Content ◽  
Social Annotation ◽  
Upper Level ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose Social annotation (SA) is a genre of learning technology that enables the annotation of digital resources for information sharing, social interaction and knowledge production. This study aims to examine the perceived value of SA as contributing to learning in multiple undergraduate courses. Design/methodology/approach In total, 59 students in 3 upper-level undergraduate courses at a Canadian university participated in SA-enabled learning activities during the winter 2019 semester. A survey was administered to measure how SA contributed to students’ perceptions of learning and sense of community. Findings A majority of students reported that SA supported their learning despite differences in course subject, how SA was incorporated and encouraged and how widely SA was used during course activities. While findings of the perceived value of SA as contributing to the course community were mixed, students reported that peer annotations aided comprehension of course content, confirmation of ideas and engagement with diverse perspectives. Research limitations/implications Studies about the relationships among SA, learning and student perception should continue to engage learners from multiple courses and from multiple disciplines, with indicators of perception measured using reliable instrumentation. Practical implications Researchers and faculty should carefully consider how the technical, instructional and social aspects of SA may be used to enable course-specific, personal and peer-supported learning. Originality/value This study found a greater variance in how undergraduate students perceived SA as contributing to the course community. Most students also perceived their own and peer annotations as productively contributing to learning. This study offers a more complete view of social factors that affect how SA is perceived by undergraduate students.

scholarly journals “When I saw my peers annotating:” Student perceptions of social annotation for learning in multiple courses

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeremiah (Remi) Kalir ◽  
Esteban Morales ◽  
Alice Fleerackers ◽  
Juan Pablo Alperin
Keyword(s):  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Student Perception ◽  
Perceived Value ◽  
Learning Technology ◽  
Digital Resources ◽  
Course Content ◽  
Social Annotation ◽  
Upper Level

Purpose: Social annotation (SA) is a genre of learning technology that enables the annotation of digital resources for information sharing, social interaction, and knowledge production. This case study examines the perceived value of SA in multiple undergraduate courses.Design/methodology/approach: Fifty-nine students in three upper-level undergraduate courses at a Canadian university participated in SA-enabled learning activities during the winter 2019 semester. A survey was administered to measure how SA contributed to students’ perceptions of learning and sense of community.Findings: A majority of students reported that SA supported their learning despite differences in course subject, how SA was incorporated and encouraged, and how widely SA was used during course activities. While findings about the perceived value of SA as contributing to course community were mixed, students reported that peer annotations aided comprehension of course content, confirmation of ideas, and engagement with diverse perspectives.Research limitations/implications: Studies about the relationships among SA, learning, and student perception should continue to engage learners from multiple courses and multiple disciplines, with indicators of perception measured using reliable instrumentation.Practical implications: Researchers and faculty should carefully consider how the technical, instructional, and social aspects of SA may be used to enable course-specific, personal, and peer-supported learning.Originality/value: This study found greater variance in how undergraduate students perceived SA as contributing to course community. Most students also perceived their own and peer annotations as productively contributing to learning. This study offers a more complete view of social factors that affect how SA is perceived by undergraduate students.

scholarly journals Self-Regulation and “Time Off”: Evaluations and Reflections on the Development of a Blended Course

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalie Spadafora ◽  
Zopito Marini
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Academic Experiences ◽  
Ongoing Research ◽  
Capstone Course ◽  
Course Content ◽  
Digital World ◽  
Premier Cycle ◽  
University Course ◽  
The Way

Changes in both the landscape of education and digital technology are giving rise to interesting, innovative, and potentially effective pedagogical possibilities. As educators of the 21st century, we are witnessing continuous changes in the way we teach as well as the way students learn. This study is a part of an ongoing research program aimed at evaluating the pedagogical effectiveness of blended teaching. More specifically, this paper aims to describe some of our reflections as we developed, delivered, and carried out an evaluation of a university course taught using a blended format. Undergraduate students (n=109) in a fourth-year capstone course participated in this study. We report on the students’ perceptions of the effectiveness of the delivery method of the course, while focusing on the struggles they encountered, including difficulties keeping up with the course content, particularly on the weeks where the lecture was online, as well as a struggle to stay organized and connected with their peers and their assignments. Self-regulation turned out to be a major determinant of success in this type of course. We conclude with suggestions to improve students’ social and academic experiences as they navigate learning in a digital world. Les changements survenus à la fois dans le paysage de l’éducation et dans la technologie numérique donnent naissance à des possibilités pédagogiques intéressantes, innovatrices et potentiellement efficaces. En tant qu’éducateurs du XXIe siècle, nous assistons à des changements continus dans la manière dont nous enseignons ainsi que dans la manière dont les étudiants apprennent. Cette étude s’inscrit dans le cadre d’un programme de recherche en cours qui a pour objectif d’évaluer l’efficacité pédagogique de l’enseignement hybride. Plus spécifiquement, cet article vise à décrire certaines de nos réflexions au fur et à mesure que nous élaborons, livrons et exécutons l’évaluation d’un cours universitaire enseigné selon un format hybride. Des étudiants de premier cycle (n=109) inscrits dans un tout dernier cours de quatrième année ont participé à cette étude. Nous présentons un rapport sur la manière dont les étudiants ont perçu l’efficacité de la méthode employée pour enseigner ce cours, tout en mettant l’accent sur les problèmes qu’ils ont rencontrés, y compris les difficultés à faire face au contenu du cours, en particulier durant les semaines où les cours magistraux étaient présentés en ligne, ainsi que sur leurs difficultés à rester organisés et connectés avec leurs camarades de classe et avec leurs devoirs. Il s’avère que l’autorégulation est un élément important pour la réussite de ce type de cours. Pour conclure, nous présentons des suggestions pour améliorer l’expérience sociale et académique des étudiants dans leur parcours de l’apprentissage au sein d’un monde numérique.

scholarly journals Facilitation strategies for enhancing the learning and engagement of online students

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 101-118
Author(s):  
Tracey Muir ◽  
◽  
Tracy Douglas ◽  
Allison Trimble ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Education ◽  
Online Community ◽  
Online Students ◽  
Tertiary Sector ◽  
Online Instructors ◽  
Active Involvement ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Instructor Presence ◽  
The Impact

The opening up of online education in the Australian tertiary sector has made higher education accessible for a wide range of students, including those living in rural and regional areas. While student numbers continue to grow as a result of this opportunity, there are increasing concerns regarding low student retention and progression rates for online students in comparison with on-campus students. Reasons for this vary, however, online students report a sense of isolation and disconnection with their studies highlighting the need for educators to utilise effective facilitation to enhance student connections to an online community. In this paper, we investigated facilitation strategies using two case studies. This illustrated how two online instructors used design-based research to evaluate the impact of facilitation strategies on instructor presence, instructor connection, engagement and learning in maths education and human biology subjects. Findings indicate that focusing on social, managerial and technical facilitation strategies resulted in an increased instructor presence and active involvement, which in turn were influential in motivating students to engage with learning online. The findings have implications for higher education providers and instructors who are tasked with engaging online students. This identifies the importance of targeted online facilitation to enhance learner-instructor and learner-content engagement.

scholarly journals Higher Education Course Content: Paper-Based Online or Hybrid Course Delivery?

10.28945/2794 ◽  
2004 ◽  
Author(s):  
Glen Van Der Vyver ◽  
Michael Lane
Keyword(s):  
Distance Learning ◽  
Graduate Students ◽  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Hybrid Models ◽  
Course Delivery ◽  
Education Programs ◽  
Hybrid Course ◽  
Course Content ◽  
Electronic Delivery

The emergence of the Internet has made many institutions involved in the delivery of distance education programs re-evaluate the course delivery framework. A variety of models and techniques co-exist in an often uneasy alliance at many such institutions. These range from the traditional distance learning model, which remains paper-based, to the purely online model. Recently, hybrid models have emerged which apparently attempt to forge elements taken from several models into a unified whole. Many of these hybrid models seek to eliminate paper-based materials from the tuition process. While many arguments are put forward about the efficacy of purely electronic delivery mechanisms, cost containment is often the driving motivation. This study explores student perceptions of the various delivery mechanisms for distance learning materials. In particular, it seeks to determine what value students place on paper-based delivery mechanisms. The study surveys a group of undergraduate students and a group of graduate students enrolled in the Faculty of Business at a large regional Australian university.

Mobile Voting Systems for Creating Collaboration Environments and Getting Immediate Feedback

2015 ◽  
pp. 2141-2158
Author(s):  
Svetlana Titova ◽  
Tord Talmo
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Time Management ◽  
Intercultural Competence ◽  
Student Response ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Student Response System ◽  
Immediate Feedback ◽  
Student Groups ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Foreign Language Learners

Mobile devices can enhance learning and teaching by providing instant feedback and better diagnosis of learning problems, helping design new assessment models, enhancing learner autonomy and creating new formats of enquiry-based activities. The objective of this paper is to investigate the pedagogical impact of mobile voting tools. The authors' research demonstrated that Student Response System (SRS) supported approaches influenced not only lecture design - time management, the mode of material presentation, activity switch patterns - but also learner-teacher interaction, student collaboration and output, formats of activities and tasks. SRS-supported lectures help instructors gradually move towards flipped classrooms and MOOC lecturing. The authors' analysis, based on qualitative and quantitative data collected from two student groups (56 undergraduate students) in the 2012-2013 academic year, showed that SRS supported lectures encouraged foreign language learners to produce more output in the target language, improved their intercultural competence and language skills and enhanced their motivation.

scholarly journals Comparing Conventional, Hybrid, and Distance Learning Courses in Horticulture

2016 ◽  
Vol 26 (5) ◽  
pp. 677-682
Author(s):  
William J. Sciarappa ◽  
Vivian Quinn ◽  
Daniel L. Ward
Keyword(s):  
Online Education ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Student Evaluation ◽  
Online Version ◽  
Conventional Instruction ◽  
Course Content ◽  
Conventional Curriculum ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Hybrid Format ◽  
Online Format

In a conventional sophomore level course entitled “Organic Farming and Gardening,” 114 undergraduate students registered from years 2007 to 2009. Due to high demand and insufficient classroom space, this conventional curriculum was reformatted with identical course content into both a hybrid and a fully online version in which 361 students registered from years 2010 to 2012 and 336 students from 2013 to 2015. In comparing conventional instruction with hybrid and fully online versions over a 9-year period, few significant differences were found in final grades involving 811 students. Final class grade averages of these three learning systems ranged from 85.5% to 89.6% over their first 3-year spans. Over their 6-year span, the conventional class average of 89.6% was higher compared with 88.3% for the hybrid format and 86.8% for the online format. Student evaluation surveys assessed faculty performance with eight evaluative questions on a 1 to 5 scale from years 2012 to 2014. No significant difference existed between teaching in person vs. remotely, averaging 4.35 for the hybrid and 4.17 for the online. An additional eight questions measured educational methodology, technology, student confidence, and class satisfaction. There were no significant differences in comparing the combined averages of 4.12 for the hybrid format and 4.00 for the online version. Student responses indicated a significant preference overall for hybrid and online course formats compared with conventional methods. Registration numbers indicated an overwhelming choice for online education with an average class enrollment of 91.0 students compared with 38.0 students for conventional classes and 25.2 students for the hybrid format.

How an entry-level, interdisciplinary sustainability course revealed the benefits and challenges of a university-wide initiative for sustainability education

2015 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 729-747 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas C Coops ◽  
Jean Marcus ◽  
Ileana Construt ◽  
Erica Frank ◽  
Ron Kellett ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Learning Goals ◽  
First Year ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Course Content ◽  
Entry Level ◽  
Early Entry ◽  
Informal Assessment ◽  
Ready Availability ◽  
Sustainability Curriculum

Purpose – Delivery of sustainability-related curriculum to undergraduate students can be problematic due to the traditional “siloing” of curriculum by faculties along disciplinary lines. In addition, while there is often a ready availability of courses focused on sustainability issues in the later years of students’ programs, few early entry-level courses focused on sustainability, broad enough to apply to all disciplines, are available to students in the first year of their program. Design/methodology/approach – In this paper, we describe the development, and preliminary implementation, of an entry-level, interdisciplinary sustainability course. To do so, the authors describe the development of a university-wide initiative designed to bridge units on campus working and teaching in sustainability areas, and to promote and support sustainability curriculum development. Findings – The authors describe the conceptual framework for organising course content and delivery. The authors conclude with an informal assessment of the successes and challenges, and offer learning activities, student assessments and course administration recommendations for consideration when developing courses with similar learning goals. Originality/value – The positive and negative experiences gained through developing and offering a course of this nature, in a large research-focused university, offers knew insights into potential barriers for implementing first-year cross-cutting sustainability curriculum.

Evaluating Effectiveness of an Infusion Learning Model on Attitudes of Physical Education Majors

2005 ◽  
Vol 101 (1) ◽  
pp. 177-186 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. R. Goyakla Apache ◽  
Terry Rizzo
Keyword(s):  
Physical Education ◽  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Core Curriculum ◽  
Physical Education Teachers ◽  
Education Majors ◽  
Course Content ◽  
Attitudes Toward Teaching ◽  
Physical Education Majors ◽  
Significant Positive Change

The purpose was to evaluate the effect of an infusion curriculum model on attitudes of physical education majors toward teaching students with disabilities. 91 undergraduate students (61 men, 30 women) matriculating through the core curriculum of physical education teachers were exposed to the infusion curriculum as part of each course during one academic year. Attitudes were assessed pre- (Fall) and posttest (Spring) on the Physical Educator's Attitude Toward Teaching Individuals with Disabilities III. Analysis indicated a significant positive change in attitudes toward teaching students with disabilities. Findings suggest, when exposed to issues of disability by infusion into course content, these students self-reported they would have increased confidence in teaching and an appreciation when teaching students with disabilities. An independent validation of this change would be valuable.

scholarly journals The educational use of facebook as a social networking site in animal physiology classes

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 258 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pınar Koseoglu ◽  
Gamze Mercan
Keyword(s):  
Social Networking ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Biology Education ◽  
Social Networking Site ◽  
Education Department ◽  
Spring Semester ◽  
Course Content ◽  
Animal Physiology ◽  
Sample Application ◽  
Academic Year

This study aims at performing a sample application of educational use of Facebook as a social networking site in Animal Physiology classes, and at determining sudents’ views on the application. The research sample was composed of 29 third year undergraduate students attending the Biology Education Department of Hacettepe University. The Applied part of the research was performed in the Spring semester of the 2014-2015 academic year in Animal Physiology classes. A Facebook group called “BIO 314 Animal Physiology” was created for sharing purposes in relation to the course content, and the lecturer as well as the students shared  several times in the group for fourteen weeks and they made comments on instances of sharing.  Besides, the lecturer assigned the students tasks for the activities and the students were expected to fulfill the tasks. Students’ views were obtained through a survey of open-ended questions prepared as the tool of data collection and then the views were put to qualitative analysis. The results showed that the use of Facebook for educational purposes made such things as sharing, helping each other, increasing communication, reaching the lecturer and visualising the content easier for students but that there were also students holding negative views on the issue.

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