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The foundations of internally driven discipline are similar to self-directed learning (SDL). This study examines the effect of cultural orientation and SDL on the online performance of college students. It investigates how college students pursue SDL while maintaining a collectivist cultural orientation in their learning experience. It explains why students prefer SDL to learning constrained by an externally enforced discipline.

The explanatory sequential mixed-method design uses a quantitative method, followed by qualitative enquiry. The research was conducted in an undergraduate non-credit online course in China.

The findings show that cultural orientation has no impact on students' online performance, while SDL abilities are positively related to it. When fully mediated by SDL, a horizontal-collectivist culture has a positive effect on students' online performance.

Data were collected in a non-credit online college course, where the final assessment used a peer-rating approach and team members shared the same final score. This scoring method may not fully reflect each student's online performance.

The findings suggest that, when considering cultural influence on student performance, researchers should consider learning contexts, including educational level and learning mode. This study validates that colleges should focus on ability and skill development that enhance internal motivation to improve students' online performance, rather than focussing on their beliefs.

This paper introduces evidence to support the impact of culture on college students' online performance, showing that SDL abilities can drive performance.

As institutions forge forward with creating online learning experiences for college and university students, student affairs professionals should seek to create an experience that anticipates and supports their needs from expression of interest in the program to graduation. The term “student affairs” encompasses administrative and management functions created to meet the needs of students including extracurricular activities as well as academic and emotional support. Student affairs departments may be involved in residence life, advising, leadership development, career services, advocacy and support services, and more. All students, including online students, excel both academically and emotionally when they feel valued, welcomed, and supported. The following chapter provides recommendations on ways campuses can transform the existing ecosystem of support services and engagement opportunities to be inclusive of online learners. A systematic review of the current ecosystem of support has been made to analyze the ways in which access is provided remotely to online learners and to ensure that the language and engagement opportunities shared with students are inclusive of online learners. In addition to this expanding of current support systems, it is recommended that campuses should consider specific initiatives they can create and implement for their online population including online orientation, success coaching, library support services, and the use of predictive analytics for student success.

This paper presents a comprehensive review of the poster session “Library orientation in blackboard: supporting online and distance learners” presented at the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) 2017 conference in Baltimore, Maryland.

Development of AU Library Student Orientation in Blackboard is discussed from the initial course proposal up to its completion of first year use. Orientation modules are reviewed and include purpose, organization and technology resources utilized to deliver content.

Complete library orientation information including project timeline, marketing, learning management systems (LMS) usage data, survey and assessment outcomes, video viewing statistics and plans for moving forward are provided.

This paper details steps taken and resources used to develop an online library orientation suitable for any LMS. Project design, orientation module structure and select orientation resources are provided.

This paper addresses the need for academic library orientation to support online and distant learners by delivering a practical library introduction in Blackboard.

Online, distance, and eLearning (ODeL) continue to gain recognition as a mandatory component of delivery of education in institutions of higher learning (IHL) around the world following the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19). This paradigm shift is informed by the need to ensure uninterrupted, valuable, and safe learning experiences for learners during the pandemic. However, governments ordered the closure of schools and colleges following the declaration of COVID-19 as a world pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO). A report by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization revealed that there was a significant loss of schooling time following the closure of educational facilities which affected over 1.5 billion learners in 194 nations globally. This study explored the use of online approaches to intensify online learning efficacy in IHL. Data collection was conducted using qualitative methods and data analysis done using themes and sub-themes. Findings from this study indicate that students’ engagements on discussion forums are consistent with collaborative learning. Results further support the view that regular, prompt, and meaningful feedback is critical in promoting constructive learning and reflection among students. Based on the findings of this study, practical implications are discussed for stakeholders interested in establishing and strengthening effective delivery of online learning content to enhance students’ learning experiences.

This research attempts to reveal ways of addressing challenges in open universities related to empowering lifelong learning; establishing policies and strategies in dropouts, student portfolio and support services for students with special needs; and implementing online instructional design and strategies. Two institutions were investigated, namely National Open University (NOU) Taiwan and Universitas Terbuka (UT) Indonesia, both founded in the 1980s to serve lifelong learners with diverse backgrounds and needs. This study was aimed at understanding good practices and challenges for improvement for the two open universities in those areas being investigated.

This research was qualitative using document analysis along with focus group discussions and interviews with administrators, academic staff, students and alumni to collect data for analysis.

Lifelong learning is the necessity of individual in societies for continuing professional development through enabling access to quality university education. Open universities have been tasked to cater for lifelong learners using non-traditional approaches, new technology and adapting to online learning and teaching in digital age. This research was exploratory, and the findings were expected to improve understanding of lifelong learning in open universities, particularly in NOU and UT.

Findings of this research are relevant to open universities to enhance its missions and define its possible new roles to serve lifelong learners.

This research reveals the roles of open universities in lifelong learning and enhances understanding of open universities that have a wide range of responsibilities in offering programs and courses to accommodate lifelong learners.

Researchers have investigated best practices for forming groups capable of completing projects cohesively for years. Online group formation has increased in recent years, peaking scientific interest in the sentiment that characterizes group cohesion from the point when the group is established to the stage where specific outcomes are produced. This research contributes to understanding online group dynamics by analyzing the sentiment of university students completing multiple nine-week group course projects with implications for workplaces.

Over eight nine-week terms, sentiment analyses were conducted on students' online reflection assignments, targeting their views on group interactions during group project completion. The assignment's context was to assess individual sentiment about the group experience that could build group sentiment implications for workplaces. Adult students from diverse academic and industry disciplines at a single university were participants. Four group models were considered possible drivers of student sentiment about their group experiences.

Punctuated Equilibrium, a classic group model, defined influences like remote distances and external obligations steering student sentiment outcomes. Instructors' active facilitation of group formation and development motivated students’ positive sentiments. Findings are akin to online organizational groups’ attempts to manage remote work and other responsibilities.

This study reinforced the importance of leveraging online students' collective sentiment to inform group dynamics in professional settings. Few studies have focused on the latter directly and exclusively. The results highlighted the sentiment kinship of online academic and organizational groups, validating the focused investigation of this study.

The article aims examine an integrated model of the technology acceptance model (TAM), the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) and DeLone and McLean information systems (D&M IS) success model to determine the effects of online learning readiness (OLR) on learners' online learning system (OLS) usage and their satisfaction. The authors also investigate the relationship between performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence and OLR of students. Moreover, this work examines the mediate role of learner satisfaction in the linking of OLS usage and performance in Vietnamese higher education.

A total of 558 valid questionnaires were collected from students at five large universities in Vietnam to test the fit of proposed model, measurement model and structural relationships between constructs by using partial least squares (PLS) path analytics.

Performance expectancy, effort expectancy and social influence have significant positive effects on OLR of students in online learning context. OLR has a positive impact on both learner satisfaction and OLS usage. The learner performance is significantly influenced by satisfaction while it is indirectly affected by OLS usage via satisfaction. In addition, OLS usage plays as a partial mediation variable in the relationship between OLR and satisfaction. The path model could explain 56% of variance of the learner performance.

This study has a few limitations. First, this study is cross-sectional, which allows the elaboration of correlations between variables but lacks confidence in causality exploration. Second, the self-reported data are inherently subjective, which might generate biased results in measuring learner performance.

This research has implications for instructors and higher education organizations. The findings provide insights for instructors to manage efficiently the OLS adoption of students. Higher education organizations should understand and identify factors in terms of OLR, OLS usage, learner satisfaction and learner performance when OLSs are implemented in university. Performance expectancy, effort expectancy and social influence have been criticized for considering OLR.

This is the first empirical study to determine relationship between performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, OLR, OLS usage, satisfaction and performance in the context of online learning environment in Vietnam.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate new undergraduate student library engagement in the Minrva mobile app during the months of May 2015 through December 2015.

This research investigated what parts of a mobile app new students were using in their first semester after downloading the app. The quantitative study used application programming interface log analysis to better understand what parts of the app new students use in the mobile app.

By undertaking this study, the author has a better understanding about what students are finding useful within the app and what tools are not being used by this cohort in their first semester.

The value of this research is in helping system designers and first-year experience planners know what mobile support tools students are finding useful in their first semester. Implication for mobile interface design based on module popularity are discussed.