Tag elearning [at least 200 articles]

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This article identifies the major principles of general assessment theory, examines how these principles can be applied to an online environment, and identifies and describes several assessment issues that have special significance in a virtual classroom. In particular, the issues of proctored testing, identity security, academic honesty, and use of online discussions for assessment purposes are examined. Practical suggestions are included to assist both first-time and experienced online instructors develop assessment components for their online courses. Throughout this article the emphasis ...

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Leaders of robust, sustainable virtual communities find ways tostrengthen their members' sense of social identity and motivate their participation in the community's activities. ...

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Earlier studies have suggested that higher education institutions could harness the predictive power of Learning Management System (LMS) data to develop reporting tools that identify at-risk students and allow for more timely pedagogical interventions. This paper confirms and extends this proposition by providing data from an international research project investigating which student online activities accurately predict academic achievement. Analysis of LMS tracking data from a Blackboard Vista-supported course identified 15 variables demonstrating a significant simple correlation with student final grade. Regression ...

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Proponents have marketed e-learning by focusing on its adoption as the right thing to do while disregarding, among other things, the concerns of the potential users, the adverse effects on users and the existing research on the use of e-learning or related innovations. In this paper, the e-learning-adoption proponents are referred to as the technopositivists. It is argued that most of the technopositivists in the higher education context are driven by a personal agenda, with the aim of propagating a technopositivist ...

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Although numerous studies have been conducted on conceptions of teaching, research extending this investigation into conceptions of teaching using eLearning is rare. This study employed a phenomenographic approach to investigate what university teachers think eLearning is good for in their teaching. Four qualitatively different ways of conceiving of eLearning were discovered: (a) to provide information to students; (b) for occasional communication among unit participants; (c) to engage students in online discussions; and (d) to support knowledge-building tasks. Four dimensions of variation ...

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Abstract  Despite recent advances of electronic technologies in e-learning, a consolidated evaluation methodology for e-learning applications is not available. The evaluation of educational software must consider its usability and more in general its accessibility, as well as its didactic effectiveness. This work is a first step towards the definition of a methodology for evaluating e-learning applications. Specific usability attributes capturing the peculiar features of these applications are identified. A preliminary user study involving a group of e-students, observed during their interaction with ...

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Experience shows that guidelines for the development of e-learning systems have both advantages and disadvantages. One important disadvantage is the fact that it is difficult to generalize guidelines for e-learning systems because educational situations often vary considerably. Despite all the disadvantages, guidelines can be used effectively in this area. They should not be used as cookbook recipes but as flexible tools. The aim of the MobiLearn project, which is carried out at several Austrian universities, is to develop a cooperative and ...

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Abstract E-learning is increasingly being used in higher education settings, yet research examining how students use e-resources is frequently limited. Some previous studies have used the think-aloud method (an approach with origins in cognitive psychology) as an alternative to the more usual questionnaire or focus groups, but there is little discussion in the educational literature about the advantages and disadvantages of this approach. In this paper, we discuss our experience of using the think-aloud method in a recent study, and we ...

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OBJECTIVE: Online learning has changed medical education, but many "educational" websites do not employ principles of effective learning. This article will assist readers in developing effective educational websites by integrating principles of active learning with the unique features of the Web.DESIGN:  Narrative review.RESULTS:  The key steps in developing an effective educational website are: Perform a needs analysis and specify goals and objectives; determine technical resources and needs; evaluate preexisting software and use it if it fully meets your needs; secure commitment from ...

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The advent of cheap and powerful micros has opened the possibility of computer-assisted learning (CAL) in medical education. This article attempts to demonstrate the educational value of CAL, with illustrations of its use. Four styles of CAL are examined, and the danger of trivializing the learning process discussed. The ultimate CAL package which enables students to take charge of their own learning is considered. There are considerable advantages in distance learning, self-assessment, computer-marked examinations and 'audit'. Some of the main problems ...

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The concept of interactivity and its implications for Web-based learning system design is re-examined. The author reviews the literature on the interactivity concept from the perspectives of communication, computer-assisted instruction, distance education, and interactive dimensions and functions for Web systems. A proposal is then made for a technical framework for including such dimensions and functions in Web-based learning systems. To enhance the framework's ease-of-use and overall effectiveness, each interactive function was submitted to two panels of experts for assessment and evaluation ...

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Computer assisted learning has an important role in the teaching of pharmacokinetics to health sciences students because it transfers the emphasis from the purely mathematical domain to an ‘experiential’ domain in which graphical and symbolic representations of actions and their consequences form the major focus for learning. Basic pharmacokinetic concepts can be taught by experimenting with the interplay between dose and dosage interval with drug absorption (e.g. absorption rate, bioavailability), drug distribution (e.g. volume of distribution, protein binding) and drug elimination ...

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This paper is borne of the increasing interest and relevance of computers in nursing. It describes the method, and results obtained from a postal questionnaire survey distributed across the United Kingdom to gain information about the developments in computing in nursing education. The results indicate that considerable developments have been made, but that they are more piecemeal than co-ordinated. A selection of the results are presented and discussed, and one or two points concerning future proceedings are raised. ...

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Aim: To compare the effectiveness of an interactive multimedia courseware package versus standard lectures regarding knowledge, understanding, and transfer of content, as well as problem-solving skills in orthodontics.Methods:  Pre- and post-test assessments of final-year dental students (n = 26), who either used an interactive multimedia courseware package (n = 15) or attended standard lectures (n = 11) on equivalent material of the undergraduate orthodontic curriculum were carried out. Both groups were tested by written and multiple-choice questions covering knowledge, understanding, and application areas in the curriculum. A one-way ...

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Objectives: The objectives of this study were to develop and evaluate an interactive multimedia courseware package in orthodontics and to provide dental undergraduate and postgraduate students with an interactive means of self-study and self-evaluation.Methods:  A commercially available software authoring system was used to develop the courseware package. The courseware was presented for evaluation through a questionnaire to four different groups of undergraduate and postgraduate students. Each group consisted of 25 students. The first three groups were third, fourth, and fifth year of ...

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Pressure for better measurement of stated learning outcomes has resulted in a demand for more frequent assessment. The resources available are seen to be static or dwindling, but Information and Communications Technology is seen to increase productivity by automating assessment tasks. This paper reviews computer-assisted assessment (CAA) and suggests future developments. A search was conducted of CAA-related literature from the past decade to trace the development of CAA from the beginnings of its large-scale use in higher education. Lack of resources, ...

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The purpose of this study is to provide conceptual order and a tool for the use of computer-mediated communication (CMC) and computer conferencing in supporting an educational experience. Central to the study introduced here is a model of community inquiry that constitutes three elements essential to an educational transaction—cognitive presence, social presence, and teaching presence. Indicators (key words/phrases) for each of the three elements emerged from the analysis of computer-conferencing transcripts. The indicators described represent a template or tool for researchers ...

Abstract

This investigation compared 267 students with a hearing loss and 178 students with no declared form of disability who were taking courses by distance learning in terms of their scores on an abbreviated version of the Academic Engagement Form. Students with a hearing loss obtained lower scores than students with no disability with regard to communication with other students, but some felt that communication was easier than in a traditional academic situation. Students who were postvocationally deaf had lower scores than ...

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Higher education has been actively encouraged to find more effective and flexible delivery models to provide all students with access to quality learning experiences yet also meet institutional imperatives for efficiency and accountability. Blended learning, commonly defined as an integration of traditional face-to-face and online approaches to instruction (Garrison & Kanuka, 2004; Graham, 2006; Macdonald, 2008), is now proposed as one solution that addresses both student learning and higher education organisational needs. Successful blended learning, however, is more than a simple ...

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Many scientists now manage the bulk of their bibliographic information electronically, thereby organizing their publications and citation material from digital libraries. However, a library has been described as “thought in cold storage,� and unfortunately many digital libraries can be cold, impersonal, isolated, and inaccessible places. In this Review, we discuss the current chilly state of digital libraries for the computational biologist, including PubMed, IEEE Xplore, the ACM digital library, ISI Web of Knowledge, Scopus, Citeseer, arXiv, DBLP, and Google Scholar. We ...

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The focus of this paper is on the use of e-technologies to enable higher education to better assess aspects of learning that have proved difficult to assess using more conventional means. Higher education describes the knowledge and abilities it intends its graduates to have acquired before graduation, and it has a wide range of approaches to assess these. Higher education also seeks affective outcomes in the form of values, attitudes, behaviours and related attributes or dispositions, and these have consistently proved ...

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Teile und sammle könnte der moderne Leitspruch für das Phänomen Social Tagging heißen. Die freie und kollaborative Verschlagwortung digitaler Ressourcen im Internet gehört zu den Anwendungen aus dem Kontext von Web 2.0, die sich zunehmender Beliebtheit erfreuen. Der 2003 gegründete Social Bookmarking Dienst Del.icio.us und die 2004 entstandene Bildersammlung Flickr waren erste Anwendungen, die Social Tagging anboten und noch immer einen Großteil der Nutzer/innen an sich binden.Beim Blick in die Literatur wird schnell deutlich, dass Social Tagging polarisiert: Von Befürwortern wird ...

Note (first note only)

Das Buch wird in der Teilbibliothek Dieburg zur Ausleihe bereitgestellt. Außerdem kann eine Vorschau bei Google Books eingesehen werden.

Abstract

Developments in using learning technology in Higher Education can often be technology driven. The Learning Methods Unit (LMU) at University of Central England (UCE) in Birmingham has adopted a curriculum-based approach to incorporating learning technology into professional development courses for university staff. Using sound pedagogical principles, a variety of technologies have been implemented to add value to the Postgraduate Certificate in Education and Professional Development course based on a hybrid curriculum model. The 'Problems at Crumpton' website uses technology to implement ...

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Many institutions of Higher Education and Corporate Training Institutes are resorting to e-Learning as a means of solving authentic learning and performance problems, while other institutions are hopping onto the bandwagon simply because they do not want to be left behind. Success is crucial because an unsuccessful effort to implement e-Learning will be clearly reflected in terms of the return of investment. One of the most crucial prerequisites for successful implementation of e-Learning is the need for careful consideration of the ...

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Applied Behavior Analytic (ABA) treatment for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) has been demonstrated to produce significant treatment effects across multiple studies ( [Eikeseth, 2009] and [Eldevik et al., 2009] ). Despite the demonstrated effectiveness of ABA, there continues to be a lack of trained clinicians to provide the treatment. Traditional training approaches include lecture, group discussion, and role-playing formats. However, alternative training approaches may need to be developed to increase the efficiency of training and/or to disseminate ...

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OBJECTIVES: The research evaluated participant satisfaction with the content and format of the "Web 2.0 101: Introduction to Second Generation Web Tools" course and measured the impact of the course on participants' self-evaluated knowledge of Web 2.0 tools. METHODS: The "Web 2.0 101" online course was based loosely on the Learning 2.0 model. Content was provided through a course blog and covered a wide range of Web 2.0 tools. All Medical Library Association members were invited to participate. Participants were asked ...

Abstract

Aim: The purpose of this study was to develop an online undergraduate orthodontic e-course and assess its success as a learning resource from the students' perspective.Methodology:  The orthodontic e-course was composed of six main components; modules, photo gallery, clinical consultations, glossary, reading lists and resources. Four undergraduate orthodontic lectures were converted into a web-based format using text, photographs, PowerPoint presentations and animations. The sample was comprised of sixty-four third year undergraduate dental students at Birmingham Dental School, UK. Their average age was ...

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When a new technology is introduced, earlier studies focus on demonstrations of efficacy, followed by studies comparing the new technology against the old. However, such studies do little to advance the new technology. Using an analogy with the automobile the author argues that e-learning is neither inherently superior nor inferior to traditional instruction; rather they are different and complementary. Each can effectively serve different purposes and functions suited to its strengths. A recent meta-analysis of internet-based instruction concluded that existing research ...

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The concept of Personal Learning Environments (PLE) is a new concept which breaks with a lot of traditions of technology-enhanced learning. In its core the learner can take control over his learning environments and he can conduct a "learning environment design" for his own purposes and needs. The chapter introduces the history of the PLE concept and discusses new opportunities and issues which come with this new concept. Schaffert, S., & Kalz, M. (2009). Persönliche Lernumgebungen: Grundlagen, Möglichkeiten und Herausforderungen eines neuen ...

Abstract

Students taking courses by distance learning were asked to complete the Academic Engagement Form and the Course Experience Questionnaire. Usable data were obtained from 238 students with a hearing loss and 166 students with no reported disability. Their scores on the two instruments were highly correlated and shared over 80% of their variance. However, they showed different patterns of relationship with background variables (age, faculty, gender, hearing status and prior qualifications) and made distinct contributions to students' ratings of their general ...

Abstract

The first article in this issue raises some fascinating issues that relate to my own background in research into student learning and experience of courses in conventional higher education. Richardson, Long and Woodley have administered the Academic Engagement Form', used widely in colleges in the USA, and the 'Course Experience Questionnaire', used widely in universities in Australia, to distance learning students. John Richardson and various colleagues have previously shown that these questionnaires, separately, work as well in distance learning contexts as ...

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Three major approaches for distance learning strategies are identified: course supplement, online lecture and correspondence, and the Concord model, based on the centrality of asynchronous student collaboration. Eight design characteristics of the Concord model that fit together to create a practical, powerful design for online courses are detailed. Experiences in applying this model to student courses, teacher professional development, and online course developers are summarized. 10.1177/019263650108562804 ...

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This literature review summarizes research on online teaching and learning. It is organized into four topics: course environment, learners' outcomes, learners' characteristics, and institutional and administrative factors. The authors found little consistency of terminology, discovered some conclusive guidelines, and identified developing lines of inquiry. The conclusions overall suggest that most of the studies reviewed were descriptive and exploratory, that most online students are nontraditional and Anglo American, and that few universities have written policies, guidelines, or technical support for faculty members ...

Abstract

NCLB requires states to provide highly qualified educators for all students. Highly qualified educators should have content knowledge in the areas they teach and the pedagogical expertise to produce student educational gains. In this study, researchers examined the effects of an online mathematics methods class on preservice teachers' knowledge of instructional planning, classroom instructional planning performance; and classroom pupil outcomes in mathematics. Preservice teachers acquired instructional planning skills taught through online instruction and utilized these skills in a subsequent classroom placement. ...

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This research presents a case study of the first-time experience of the instructor-researcher in teaching an online class. Through thematic analysis and grounded metaphor, evolution was identified as the metaphor used to illuminate the emerging themes in creating a narrative. Advantageous and less-than-advantageous characteristics of online instruction were identified. The advantageous characteristics identified were (a) students actively involved in their own education, assessing their own learning and seeking additional information; (b) students constructing knowledge; (c) measured responses by students; (d) an ...

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The survivability of traditional' methods within computer-mediated settings is dependent upon their capacity to be utilized and adapted to the technology that mediates human interaction online. This article addresses the established focus group method and evaluates its success in online applications, using as examples two quite different research projects. The first, drawn from research into the employment experiences of inflammatory bowel disease sufferers exemplifies the use of asynchronous online focus groups, identifying key practical issues such as online moderation ...

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The purpose of this study is to explore aspects of learning that are perceived as helping foster successful eLearning for all participants separated by time and distance. The author argues that learner-centered practice is necessary to improve the quality of learning on the Internet. To this end, this study deals with the issues of potential or actual students as they relate to eLearning. In two different surveys, most respondents expected information communication technology to play a key role in shaping the ...

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In the past decade, there has been tremendous growth in the availability of college and university courses taught entirely online. In this manuscript, we review issues that impact the effectiveness of such electronic courses. We first address design and delivery issues for online courses. We then present a framework for addressing the institutional, technological, and student issues that should be simultaneously addressed in order for online courses to be effective. We also make recommendations concerning how to evaluate the effectiveness of ...

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This article compares courses in two web-based MBA programs on student perceptions of learning and satisfaction. The primary difference between the programs is that one conducts the courses entirely on-line while the other conducts the courses primarily on-line combined with one or two on-site class meetings. The results of the study showed that larger class sizes were negatively associated with learning and course satisfaction while the perceived flexibility of the delivery medium was significantly associated with perceived learning and satisfaction. The ...

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The trend toward delivering management education via the Internet has accelerated in recent years. However, research on what constitutes effective Internet-based courses is somewhat limited. This study examined the impact of technological and pedagogical characteristics of the virtual classroom on student satisfaction with Internet-based MBA courses. The perceived usefulness of the course software, perceived flexibility provided by taking the course via the Internet, and instructor efforts to create an interactive environment were the characteristics most strongly associated with student satisfaction. Finally, ...

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In this study I investigated whether instructor classroom behaviors, called "imme diacy behaviors," are significantly associated with student learning and satisfaction in Web-based MBA courses. Immediacy behaviors represent instructors' attempts to reduce the social distance between themselves and their students. While my study found that immediacy behaviors were positive predictors of student learning and course satisfaction, such other factors as student attitudes toward course soft ware, the length of a course, and prior student and instructor experience with Web-based courses were ...

Abstract

The rapid expansion of networking capabilities and growing potential of access to such facilities is stimulating an exponential growth in the interest to develop technological resources to facilitate and enhance the learning experience within Higher Education. Thus, educational institutions are increasingly being encouraged to experiment with tools that promote collaborative working, which are, in turn, perceived to help in the development of more autonomous, responsible learners. This paper therefore seeks briefly to explore the theoretical underpinnings that usually prompt the adoption ...

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Rapid development of technology and unique characteristics of the creative society require a shift from traditional teaching concepts to student centered learning in education. One of the methods to provide this change is creating teaching environments enriched by Internet. Blog (weblog) service offered to learners and teachers through Internet is an important instrument to provide learners with effective activities and social interaction. Blog technology provides the users with opportunities to create web pages without any design knowledge, write their ideas ...

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Many educators have attempted to implement a blog in educational contexts to enhance the communication environment among students and teachers. However, it is uncertain as to why traditional computer-mediated communication (CMC) applications should be replaced with blogs. It is time to comprehensively explore the effects of educational blogs by considering the CMC tools. This paper reviews prior studies and develops a model for the use of blogs in educational contexts by taking into account socio-technical systems theory. The model contributes to ...

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Web 2.0 sociable technologies and social software are presented as enablers in health and health care, for organizations, clinicians, patients and laypersons. They include social networking services, collaborative filtering, social bookmarking, folksonomies, social search engines, file sharing and tagging, mashups, instant messaging, and online multi-player games. The more popular Web 2.0 applications in education, namely wikis, blogs and podcasts, are but the tip of the social software iceberg. Web 2.0 technologies represent a quite revolutionary way of managing and repurposing/remixing online information and knowledge ...