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1 – 10 of over 14000
Article
Publication date: 1 March 2003

David O’Sullivan

Learning pedagogies increasingly involve a synthesis between traditional lectures and the use of case studies and project based group work. The Internet provides new opportunities…

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Abstract

Learning pedagogies increasingly involve a synthesis between traditional lectures and the use of case studies and project based group work. The Internet provides new opportunities to this learning approach. Internet applications can be developed for project based assignments, which are cheap and easy to deploy. They offer students interactive assignments and the opportunity to benchmark with other assignments online. Teachers have opportunities to review assignments online and offer project groups online advice and assessment. This paper presents a pedagogical approach to teaching innovation management that uses both traditional and online learning and assessment techniques.

Details

Education + Training, vol. 45 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0040-0912

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 22 November 2018

Eva Malisius

While some may perceive technology as disruptive in higher education, this chapter makes a case that video technology can be used to increase collaboration and engagement in…

Abstract

While some may perceive technology as disruptive in higher education, this chapter makes a case that video technology can be used to increase collaboration and engagement in learning and teaching. It is argued that digital storytelling can be integrated as part of the assessment in graduate-level courses without compromising expectations related to academic rigor. Rather, digital storytelling advances multimedia literacy for the individual and supports the generation of bounded learning communities, specifically in online and blended programmes. Covering social presence, teaching presence and cognitive presence, the chapter draws on two examples of digital storytelling used in the MA in Conflict Analysis and Management and the MA in Global Leadership at Royal Roads University, Canada. Overall, the chapter makes a contribution to the conversation of how assessment formats can be updated to match the shift from traditional, lecture formats and brick-and-mortar institutions to applied, collaborative programmes that are often delivered in blended and online formats. Thus, as the field of higher education continues to evolve and adapt alongside technological innovations, the chapter suggests that digital storytelling can be one way to complement and update assessment formats to match the evolution of the twenty-first century.

Details

The Disruptive Power of Online Education
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78754-326-3

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 March 2006

Stephen Mutula, Trywell Kalusopa, Kgomotso Moahi and Justus Wamukoya

The purpose of this paper is to present findings of the design and implementation of an online information literacy module to first‐year students at the University of Botswana.

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present findings of the design and implementation of an online information literacy module to first‐year students at the University of Botswana.

Design/methodology/approach

The study population consisted of 103 first‐year students in the Department of Library and Information Studies. The population was divided into three equal groups of 34, 34 and 35, respectively, and each assigned a two‐hour slot in the smart computer laboratory weekly for five consecutive weeks, to cover five information literacy topics online. Each group was assigned a tutor who received assignments online and graded them. Each topic was followed by questions for students to answer.

Findings

Findings generally revealed that impartation of information literacy through the online mode could improve students' competencies perhaps more than the face‐to‐face instruction approach. Furthermore, respondents preferred a blended instruction approach to a single learning mode. Contrary to expectations, online instruction might not minimise the copying of each other's work among students to a great extent. Finally, online instruction does not necessarily reduce the amount of workload for staff and students, instead more time is needed to design and administer the course.

Research limitations/implications

The study was limited to first year students in the LIS department. A similar study involving all departments in the University of Botswana would shed more light on the level of information literacy competency among first year students from a cross‐disciplinary perspective.

Practical implications

The major outcome of the study is a re‐usable online information literacy module. The study findings could also be useful in developing interventions to improve the design and delivery of online courses.

Originality/value

Information literacy is a key challenge facing educators all over the world. Case studies such as this provide unique and comparative experiences that advance existing knowledge. For the University of Botswana, the study provides a first insight into the impact of e‐learning on information literacy competency since the implementation WebCT in 2002.

Details

Online Information Review, vol. 30 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1468-4527

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 20 November 2009

Allan H.K. Yuen, Liping Deng and Robert Fox

The purpose of this paper is to compare the use of WebCT in support of online and blended learning in the Faculty of Architecture of a Hong Kong university.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to compare the use of WebCT in support of online and blended learning in the Faculty of Architecture of a Hong Kong university.

Design/methodology/approach

Paper questionnaires are used to collect students' experiences, perceptions and attitudes towards the online course they have undertaken. Focus group interviews are conducted with two groups of students at the end of the semester. In addition, both formal and informal interviews are conducted with the instructor to understand his perceptions and perspectives.

Findings

In general, students prefer to have course management systems (CMS) as a supplement to face‐to‐face lectures rather than as its replacement. They perceive WebCT as mainly a platform for downloading materials and submitting assignments rather than a platform for teaching and learning. Learning fully online is perceived as self‐learning. The traditional lecture is considered more effective and efficient by many students to grasp concepts and principles.

Research limitations/implications

This is an exploratory study at a Hong Kong university. However, it provides initial evidence to shed light on issues concerning the use of CMS in support of online and blended learning.

Practical implications

In order to ensure a more engaging and rewarding online learning experience, teacher's online presence should be strengthened. Other than teacher presence, the cognitive presence could be fostered through engineering the student‐to‐student interaction in co‐located settings.

Originality/value

The paper usefully demonstrates how the blended mode of learning that combines face‐to‐face and online learning has become increasingly popular, while the courses conducted entirely online are comparatively rare at universities in Hong Kong.

Details

Interactive Technology and Smart Education, vol. 6 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1741-5659

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Article
Publication date: 18 August 2020

Marcus Sundgren and Jimmy Jaldemark

Working together in groups is a common and emphasized feature in today's society, and higher educational settings often utilize group assignments to enable students to develop…

Abstract

Purpose

Working together in groups is a common and emphasized feature in today's society, and higher educational settings often utilize group assignments to enable students to develop collaborative skills. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to describe and analyze applied strategies and the patterns that emerge during students online collaborative writing in higher education group assignments. The research questions that this article aims to answer are (1) which patterns of students online collaborative writing emerge in higher education group assignments and (2) what strategies of online collaborative writing do higher education students apply in group assignments?

Design/methodology/approach

This study's design builds on Conversation Analysis to explore visualizations of Google Docs revision history of online collaborative writing documents. Documents from 25 student groups were the basis of the analysis. The visualizations used in this project are produced with the DocuViz Chrome extension.

Findings

The findings suggest that visualizations can provide a quick and fairly accurate estimate of collaborative strategies used when students write together online. Three patterns of document growth were identified, two of which could be directly linked to strategies for collaboration. Cramming patterns are indicative of low collaboration and concentrating patterns with high levels of collaboration.

Practical implications

The findings provide useful insight for teachers regarding the nature of collaboration taking place during online collaborative writing tasks. By visualizing the revision history, much can be learnt about the nature of the collaboration and of the individual group member's contributions in a student group that otherwise remains largely invisible to the teacher.

Originality/value

Prior studies have combined visualizations with extensive analysis of document content. This investigation shows that an examination of the visualization of the document's revision history can be used to draw conclusions about the nature of collaboration during the online writing process.

Details

The International Journal of Information and Learning Technology, vol. 37 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2056-4880

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Article
Publication date: 24 September 2020

Amit Joshi, Muddu Vinay and Preeti Bhaskar

In India, the COVID-19 outbreak has been declared an epidemic in all its states and union territories. To combat COVID-19, lockdown was imposed on March 25, 2020 which has…

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Abstract

Purpose

In India, the COVID-19 outbreak has been declared an epidemic in all its states and union territories. To combat COVID-19, lockdown was imposed on March 25, 2020 which has adversely affected the education system in the country. It has changed the traditional education system to the educational technologies (EdTechs) model, where teaching and assessments are conducted online. This paper aims to identify the barriers faced by teachers during online teaching and assessment in different home environment settings in India.

Design/methodology/approach

Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) of qualitative research methodology has been used in this research. The study was conducted among the teachers working in the government and private universities of Uttarakhand, India. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted among 19 teachers to collect data regarding the barriers faced by them during online teaching and assessment. ATLAS.ti, version 8 was used to analyze the interview data.

Findings

The findings revealed four categories of barriers that are faced by teachers during online teaching and assessments. Under home environment settings, a lack of basic facilities, external distraction and family interruption during teaching and conducting assessments were major issues reported. Institutional support barriers such as the budget for purchasing advanced technologies, a lack of training, a lack of technical support and a lack of clarity and direction were also reported. Teachers also faced technical difficulties. The difficulties were grouped under a lack of technical support, it included a lack of technical infrastructure, limited awareness of online teaching platforms and security concerns. Teachers’ personal problems including a lack of technical knowledge, negative attitude, course integration with technology and a lack of motivation are identified as the fourth category to damper their engagement in online teaching and assessments.

Practical implications

The findings of the study can be helpful to the regulatory authorities and employers of higher education institutions who are planning to adopt online teaching as a regular activity in the future. The insights gained from the findings can help them to revisit their existing policy frameworks by designing new strategies and technical structures to assist their teachers in successfully embracing the EdTech to deal with any crisis in the future.

Originality/value

Many authors have conducted research to address the problems faced by students related to online teaching and learning during COVID-19 in India. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that addresses the challenges faced by teachers during the online teaching and assessment in the home environment settings by using qualitative analysis (IPA) techniques. The current study replenishes the gap by contributing to the literature of online teaching and assessment under the home environment settings during the pandemic situation.

Details

Interactive Technology and Smart Education, vol. 18 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1741-5659

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 16 July 2020

Daniel Hickey, Jody Duncan, Courtney Gaylord, Christine Hitchcock, Rebecca Chiyoko Itow and Shelby Elizabeth Stephens

The purpose of this paper is sharing out basic guidelines and examples from an extended collaboration to move educators move online while avoiding synchronous meetings…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is sharing out basic guidelines and examples from an extended collaboration to move educators move online while avoiding synchronous meetings. “gPortfolios” are public (to the class) pages where students write responses to carefully constructed engagement routines. Students then discuss their work with instructors and peers in threaded comments. gPortfolios usually include engagement reflections, formative self-assessments and automated quizzes. These assessments support and document learning while avoiding instructor “burnout” from grading. gPortfolios can be implemented using Google Docs and Forms or any learning management system.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors report practical insights gained from design-based implementation research. This research explored the late Randi Engle’s principles for productive disciplinary engagement and expansive framing. Engle used current theories of learning to foster student discussions that were both authentic to the academic discipline at hand and productive for learning. This research also used new approaches to assessment to support Engle’s principles. This resulted in a comprehensive approach to online instruction and assessment that is effective and efficient for both students and teachers.

Findings

The approach “frames” (i.e. contextualizes) online engagement using each learners’ own experiences, perspectives and goals. Writing this revealed how this was different in different courses. Secondary biology students framed each assignment independently. Secondary English and history students framed assignments as elements of a personalized capstone presentation; the history students further used a self-selected “historical theme.” Graduate students framed each assignment in an educational assessment course using a real or imagined curricular aim and context.

Originality/value

Engle’s ideas have yet to be widely taken up in online education.

Article
Publication date: 1 April 2005

Sara Marcus

To examine whether students have higher retention rates of material when they participate in online quizzes or online alternative student‐centered assignments on the material…

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Abstract

Purpose

To examine whether students have higher retention rates of material when they participate in online quizzes or online alternative student‐centered assignments on the material presented in the F2F class.

Design/methodology/approach

Reviews the literature; and analyzes data from the implementation of both types of assessment for the online sessions of the course (student‐centered and faculty‐centered) as correlated with mid‐term and final examination scores.

Findings

A significant difference was found on both mid‐term and final examination scores by participants and non‐participants in the assessments. A significant difference was not found in the participation levels in the various assessment types. In addition, a minimal relationship was found between the assessment type and the act of participating in the assessment. The assessment type was not found to have a significant effect, though the participation in the assessment type did have an effect.

Research limitations/implications

Only two terms' worth of students, in one course, were examined. The assessments were not analyzed for equivalence in their coverage of the materials. Further research is needed on types of activities and level of participation, types of participation and level of learning, and participation scale grade rather than a yes/no method, are correlated.

Practical implications

Provides a very useful source of information, guidance, and support for instructors considering the use of online assessments in their hybrid courses.

Originality/value

This paper fulfils an identified need in the usage of alternative assessments and offers practical help to faculty teaching a theatre arts hybrid class.

Details

Campus-Wide Information Systems, vol. 22 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1065-0741

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 22 February 2022

Robbert Hesen, Arjen E.J. Wals and Rebekah L. Tauritz

This study aims to demonstrate which course elements were responsible for community building, fostering subjectification and learning for being in an online course on…

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Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to demonstrate which course elements were responsible for community building, fostering subjectification and learning for being in an online course on environmental and sustainability education (ESE) during the COVID-19 pandemic and physical distancing.

Design/methodology/approach

The study investigates a graduate-level course on Environmental Education for Sustainable Living that due to COVID-19 had to be taught mainly online. A retrospective analysis was conducted when the facilitators reflected on why the course, against expectations, appeared to have affected so many students in such a meaningful and profound way as shown by their personal reflections and the course evaluation. Methodologically, this study can be described as explorative and interpretative, although it was complemented by a standardised empirical analytical end-of course evaluation.

Findings

Within the context of this study, sense of community is linked to and facilitated by the online learning environment and the educators’ and students’ roles throughout the course. This study found that interaction and inclusion can be augmented by a hybrid educational design and supported by the mutual efforts of educators and students. Reflective tasks and discussions most prominently evoked subjectification. The encouragement of students to see themselves as central subjects and the inclusion of creative tasks supported both personal exploration and sense of community.

Originality/value

This study provides educational institutions teaching online with valuable information regarding course elements that foster subjectification and create a sense of community. This is particularly of interest for the design of online ESE emphasising learning for being and more relational approaches towards teaching and learning.

Details

International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, vol. 23 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1467-6370

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 23 March 2020

Wuttiporn Suamuang, Surachai Suksakulchai and Elizabeth Murphy

The purpose of this paper is to simultaneously investigate a variety of factors related to assignment completion (AC) (i.e. task orientation, cooperation, teacher feedback, time…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to simultaneously investigate a variety of factors related to assignment completion (AC) (i.e. task orientation, cooperation, teacher feedback, time management and time spent on AC).

Design/methodology/approach

The study relied on a self-report survey to assess students' perceptions in relation to six variables. Participants included 1,106 undergraduate students from six public Thai universities. Analysis involved structural equation modeling.

Findings

This study provided new results related to task orientation as the strongest predictor of AC and time management. Cooperation and feedback improved AC with time management as an intervening variable. Time management and feedback did not predict time spent on AC.

Research limitations/implications

Future studies might explore the potential range of assignments that, for example, count for a higher portion of the grade versus those that are less or unimportant in terms of the course. Future studies might also look at the role of group assignments in relation to completion. Semi-structured interviews or observations might provide insights into how students manage their time and why task orientation has the most effect on AC. Future research might investigate more specifically at what point time management does or does not affect completion. In general, given the growth of online learning and contexts in which students may be increasingly called on to complete assignments independently, factors such as those investigated in this study will require more attention in varying countries and contexts, generically and for individual subjects.

Practical implications

Instructional designers and instructors can promote task orientation through reliance on strategic scaffolding. For designing a task-oriented environment, instructors need to offer challenging assignments. Instructors should also assign work that encourages motivation, effort and achievement. To ensure that cooperative learning positively affects time management, instructors and designers can allot specific in-class time for completion of tasks, reliance on flipped classroom activities and student conversations regarding time restrictions and time-management skills. Instructors can be supported to help them provide appropriate types of feedback, as well as ideas for implementing the feedback in practice.

Originality/value

Little research has been conducted on AC in higher education. Those studies that have been conducted have focused on the elementary and secondary levels. Furthermore, studies have not always taken into account the complex relationships between different factors that can potentially influence AC.

Details

Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, vol. 12 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2050-7003

Keywords

1 – 10 of over 14000