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Article
Publication date: 29 April 2021

Chinaza Solomon Ironsi

There are currently no studies concerning the use of Google Hangout in North Cyprus. Thus, this study examines the perceptions of preservice teacher and language instructors on…

Abstract

Purpose

There are currently no studies concerning the use of Google Hangout in North Cyprus. Thus, this study examines the perceptions of preservice teacher and language instructors on the use of Google Meet (GM) as a synchronous language learning tool for a distant online program in Cyprus.

Design/methodology/approach

To elicit information on the perception of preservice teachers and language instructors on this issue, a quantitative research design was used for this study.

Findings

Though the language instructors deemed GM effective and efficient as a language learning tool, the preservice teachers thought otherwise.

Research limitations/implications

It was difficult to collect data during this pandemic outbreak. Obtaining ethical consent from the participants was difficult as well and so the sample size was small.

Practical implications

The study was able to demonstrate that the use of GM was somewhat effective as a language learning tool for the online distant program, though the level of efficiency and effectiveness varies from preservice teachers to the language instructors. Also, the study was able to highlight the use of GM could be very effective if it is well managed by the teachers to stimulate student engagement during lessons. The study showcased that the unavailability of Internet data, poor Internet connection are possible constraints to the efficiency of GM. Recently, a university in Northern Cyprus has decided to partner with a telecommunication network (Turkcell) toward providing free Internet access for all registered students within a particular period of learning. This is a welcomed approach that can be emulated by other educational facilities in bridging the gap created by poor Internet connection in a remote online learning setting.

Originality/value

There are no studies within the context of North Cyprus on the use of GM as a synchronous language learning tool for online distant programs. Though the use of GM is adjured effective and efficient, this contextual overview of GM is a new insight into academia.

Details

Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, vol. 14 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2050-7003

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 4 December 2020

Micheal M. van Wyk

This paper aims to explore student teachers’ views related to the online academic support e-tools used under the COVID-19 lockdown.

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to explore student teachers’ views related to the online academic support e-tools used under the COVID-19 lockdown.

Design/methodology/approach

Mapping a pragmatic research approach, an explanatory mixed methods design was used for the study.

Findings

Empirical evidence revealed that student teachers were satisfied and experienced the academic support tools as being positively applied to their online learning. Furthermore, it is reported that student teachers preferred the discussion forum as the most appropriate academic support e-tool in the course under coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown.

Research limitations/implications

This exploratory pragmatic study extends the knowledge of the online academic support e-tools for an open distance e-learning (ODeL) context that was used under COVID-19 lockdown. This study provides additional evidence concerning a revised academic support frame for an ODeL online learning context. Research limitations: small sample size was used, and therefore caution must be applied, as the findings might not be transferable to a similar context. The current study has only examined a teacher education course and could not be generalised to similar conditions as those under COVID-19 lockdown. This exploratory research has raised many questions that require further investigation. More research is required to determine the efficacy of the academic support e-tools with regard to student learning in other online courses and contexts.

Practical implications

The student teachers that participated in this study were empowered to using the academic support e-tools to support them under COVID-19 lockdown. The discussion was mostly preferred academic supportive e-tool as an engaged, participatory and communicative platform for accelerated learning in the teaching methodology of economics course.

Originality/value

A noteworthy contribution was made in the design and testing of the reliability of methodological tools, which could be replicated in blended and ODeL contexts.

Details

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

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 22 August 2022

Lelokwane Mokgalo, Alice Njoroge and Mercy Musikavanhu

Emergency situations call for effective means of providing quality education. Higher education institutions are therefore required to use effective and efficient online approaches…

Abstract

Emergency situations call for effective means of providing quality education. Higher education institutions are therefore required to use effective and efficient online approaches for teaching and learning which necessitate students, academic practitioners and institutions to engage and interact with each other successfully. The purpose of this chapter is to discuss the importance of interaction and engagement in the use of blended learning online tools during emergency situations. The theoretical lens that informs the chapter is social constructivism which argues that learning is a social endeavour. The literature findings show that the effective engagement of students contributes to the overall quality of students’ produced experiences as well as pass rates. Furthermore, the importance of student–lecturer engagement and student–content engagement cannot be taken for granted. The right balance of synchronous and asynchronous online learning tools contributes to fruitful interaction and engagement. Online engagement seems to have many benefits as compared to conventional based engagement such as the ability of students to contribute to their teaching and learning. Despite these advantages, challenges associated with online learning such as balancing life commitments, confidence, students’ approach to learning, high investment costs in resources, motivation, competences of lecturers and students, interest of lecturers and students and efficacy of lecturers and students cannot be ignored. The authors therefore recommend that effective and efficient online learning requires the correct blend of online learning tools accompanied by the correct engagement strategies.

Details

The Emerald Handbook of Higher Education in a Post-Covid World: New Approaches and Technologies for Teaching and Learning
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-80382-193-1

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 November 2012

Felicity Small, David Dowell and Peter Simmons

Teachers have access to a growing range of online tools to support course delivery, but which ones are valued by students? Expectations and satisfaction are important constructs…

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Abstract

Purpose

Teachers have access to a growing range of online tools to support course delivery, but which ones are valued by students? Expectations and satisfaction are important constructs in the delivery of a service product, and how these constructs operate in a service environment, such as education where the student can also take on the role of the customer is unknown. This study focuses on the student perspective of online tools. The aim of this paper is to measure students' expectations and perceived importance of, and satisfaction with, a range of tools available in a virtual learning environment.

Design/methodology/approach

A quantitative survey (n=396) was conducted and descriptive measures and statistical analysis were produced.

Findings

Results show that the tools that enable instructors to communicate with students and vice versa are more important to students and more satisfying to them than tools that enable students to interact with each other. Also, business students appear to be different from non‐business students, with respect to desired communications tools.

Practical implications

The findings help us to understand business students' communication preference, which in turn helps teachers to create an educationally meaningful learning environment.

Originality/value

This work connects an established model for online interactions with students' expectations and level of satisfaction with tools that are currently being used in the online education environment.

Details

Journal of International Education in Business, vol. 5 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2046-469X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 August 2012

Carmen Camarero, Javier Rodríguez and Rebeca San José

New information and communication technologies provide tools that help users to progress from traditional teaching methods towards new and more participative approaches consistent…

1929

Abstract

Purpose

New information and communication technologies provide tools that help users to progress from traditional teaching methods towards new and more participative approaches consistent with collaborative learning. This study aims to assess the application of online discussion forums as a support tool for lecturing in marketing.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors seek to pinpoint which factors determine student use of online forums on the basis of the Technology Acceptance Model and to provide empirical evidence concerning their impact on learning performance.

Findings

The findings indicate that it is not ease of use but perceived usefulness that determines a positive attitude towards forums, an attitude which in turn influences forum use and perceived learning. Adopting a new learning system may be seen as a gradual process in which students become involved as they develop a positive attitude towards the system.

Practical implications

Lecturers and web developers should pay particular care not only to the layout of the web site supporting the forums, but also to their usefulness and ability to stimulate ongoing and interesting debates among students.

Originality/value

The findings of the study are valuable in helping lecturers and educational administrators in the application and promotion of online forums for creating knowledge through internal and interactive dialogue in a more conversational model of learning.

Details

Online Information Review, vol. 36 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1468-4527

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 12 November 2020

Mercedes M. Fisher and Derek E. Baird

This chapter highlights our survey that identifies faculty recommendations for incorporating emerging digital technologies to deliver eLearning content in online courses that help

Abstract

This chapter highlights our survey that identifies faculty recommendations for incorporating emerging digital technologies to deliver eLearning content in online courses that help students learn more effectively. Results from the survey, which includes a sample of 478 online faculty at two higher education institutions, are presented.

In the findings of the survey, respondents identified several instructional technologies such as augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR), and artificial intelligence (AI) as being on the cusp of changing learner engagement options and could soon become standard tools for the online course environment. While respondents predict an acceleration of new technology activity, they also caution that these technologies need a strong pedagogical foundation to match student needs and generate new use-learning real case scenarios.

This sentiment implies a more systematic approach to problem-solving that follows a process of identifying and refining multiple options to determine best practices for faculty preparation and staff development. The results of the survey included in this chapter are a directional means to help instructors and course designers explain what is relevant and exciting about techniques that can be employed and identify and use the emerging technological tools that enhance the delivery of instruction while meeting the ever-changing and dynamic needs of today’s learners.

Article
Publication date: 9 November 2015

Robert Detmering, Anna Marie Johnson, Claudene Sproles, Samantha McClellan and Rosalinda Hernandez Linares

This paper aims to provide an introductory overview and selected annotated bibliography of recent resources on library instruction and information literacy across all library…

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to provide an introductory overview and selected annotated bibliography of recent resources on library instruction and information literacy across all library types.

Design/methodology/approach

It introduces and annotates English-language periodical articles, monographs, dissertations and other materials on library instruction and information literacy published in 2014.

Findings

It provides information about each source, discusses the characteristics of current scholarship and highlights sources that contain unique or significant scholarly contributions.

Originality/value

The information may be used by librarians and interested parties as a quick reference to literature on library instruction and information literacy.

Details

Reference Services Review, vol. 43 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0090-7324

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 30 December 2019

Ricardo Montelongo and Paul William Eaton

The purpose of this paper is to examine the online pedagogical practices and technological tools that influenced the attainment of skills and knowledge associated with…

1297

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the online pedagogical practices and technological tools that influenced the attainment of skills and knowledge associated with professional multicultural competence in a graduate student online course focused on social justice and inclusion.

Design/methodology/approach

This qualitative case study includes a total of ten student participants. Two theoretical orientations guide the study. Mishra and Koehler’s (2006) model of technological pedagogical content knowledge is provided to understand the reciprocal relationship between content, pedagogy, knowledge and technology in online learning environments. Critical digital pedagogy (Morris and Stommel, 2018) provides insights into challenging the neutrality of technological tools and focuses on relational capacities of online learning environments. Initial coding by each researcher was reduced to thematic codes focused on technological tools, course content delivery, asynchronous and synchronous pedagogical strategies.

Findings

Data analysis revealed technological tools such as discussion boards, video, video conferencing and synchronous opportunities influence student engagement and learning. Further, findings reveal that the nature of online education itself – specifically asynchronocity – functions as both a distraction and possibility for online learning in multicultural education courses. Students in this study revealed the value of opportunities to engage synchronously in online learning environments. Instruction without such opportunities was disadvantageous to the learning of skills and knowledge associated with multicultural competence.

Research limitations/implications

The study is not generalizable to the experiences of all online students and only provides a small cross-section of online graduate students enrolled in a required diversity course at one institution.

Originality/value

There is a dearth of research focused on teaching courses in diversity, equity, social justice and inclusion in fully online environments, a gap this study begins to fill. The study also enhances the authors’ understanding of graduate student education.

Details

The International Journal of Information and Learning Technology, vol. 37 no. 1-2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2056-4880

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 5 March 2018

Catherine Hicks

This paper aims to explore predicting employee learning activity via employee characteristics and usage for two online learning tools.

1176

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to explore predicting employee learning activity via employee characteristics and usage for two online learning tools.

Design/methodology/approach

Statistical analysis focused on observational data collected from user logs. Data are analyzed via regression models.

Findings

Findings are presented for over 40,000 employees’ learning activity for one year in a multinational technology company. Variables including job level and tool use yielded a predictive model for overall learning behaviors. In addition, relevant differences are found for managers and nonprofessional learning.

Research limitations/implications

Importantly, how well employees learned content was not measured. This research is also limited to observational relationships: for example, the online tools were used by self-selected users, instead of randomly assigned. Future research which randomly assigns tool use to employee subgroups could explore causal relationships.

Practical implications

This paper presents implications for business analysts and educational technology: how predictive analytics can leverage data to plan programs, the significant challenges for the adoption and usage for online learning tools, and the distinct needs of managers engaging with these tools.

Originality/value

Given a growing emphasis on using employee data, it is important to explore how learning behaviors can be made visible in people analytics. While previous research has surveyed employee cultures on learning or explored the socio-psychological factors which contribute to this learning, this paper presents novel data on employee participation in learning programs which illuminates both how HR metrics can productively use this data to reify learning patterns, and how workplace technology designers can consider important factors such as internal hierarchies.

Details

Journal of Workplace Learning, vol. 30 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1366-5626

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 20 July 2021

Tabitha L. James, Jie Zhang, Han Li, Jennifer L. Ziegelmayer and Eduardo D. Villacis-Calderon

Most students are considered digital natives and are presumably equipped to handle extensive technology use. However, online learning turns students into involuntary telecommuters…

1659

Abstract

Purpose

Most students are considered digital natives and are presumably equipped to handle extensive technology use. However, online learning turns students into involuntary telecommuters when it is the primary modality. The prevailing trends of online learning, digital socialization, telehealth and other online services, combined with remote work has increased students' reliance on information and communications technologies (ICTs) for all purposes, which may be overwhelming. We examine how technology overload strains the ability of online learning to meet students' basic psychological needs (BPNs), which can decrease positive outcomes such as academic enjoyment and personal performance.

Design/methodology/approach

Data was collected via an online survey of 542 university students and the proposed model was tested using partial least squares (PLS) regression.

Findings

We find that technology overload can diminish the positive relationship between online learning intensity and BPNs satisfaction, which is alarming because BPNs satisfaction is critical to students' positive experiences. Moreover, we find that technology overload and lack of technology experience can directly drive BPNs frustration, which decreases positive outcomes and increases academic anxiety.

Originality/value

We extend a theoretical framework for telecommuting to examine online learning. Additionally, we consider the role of technology overload and experience both as drivers and as moderators of students' BPNs satisfaction and frustration in online learning. Our results provide valuable insights that can inform efforts to rebalance the deployment of ICTs to facilitate online educational experiences.

Details

Information Technology & People, vol. 35 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-3845

Keywords

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