Designing online learning communities of practice: A democratic perspective

This study addresses the problem of designing an appropriate learning space or architecture for distributed online courses using net-based communication technologies. We apply Wenger's criteria to explore, identify and discuss the design architectures of two online courses from two comparable online Master's programmes, developed and delivered in two different educational cultures, Ireland (MIC) and Denmark (OL). The investigation will take the shape of a discussion of the 'walls of the learning spaces' of the two courses, with reference to Wenger's criteria and values for an appropriate learning architecture. In an earlier evaluation study, both courses were deemed to be examples of online learning communities of practice, despite their geographical and cultural diversity in contexts of development. The findings of the present study confirm and document several significant design elements of the two courses, which are stressed in the design criteria suggested by Wenger as being vital for community building.     

Online tutorial support in open and distance learning: students' perceptions

The Open University of Hong Kong (OUHK) offers 199 courses with online features to enhance the distance learning environment. The university has arranged these courses to provide students with greater flexibility in interacting with tutors, classmates, and the content itself. Integral to learner flexibility online is access, valuing computers and online learning, endorsement, and language proficiency. The current investigation attempts to explore these issues by examining the perceptions of OUHK students enrolled in courses with online tutorial supports. The methods of questionnaire survey and semi‐structured interview were employed. Surveyed using multistage stratified sampling technique were 449 OUHK students enrolled in 18 upper level courses (9 English, 9 Chinese) at the OUHK. Forty‐two students were randomly selected for a follow‐up interview. Five major topics were explored including: (1) accessing the Internet; (2) perceptions of technology; (3) rationale for using the Internet in course work; (4) learning strategies used by the tutor online; and (5) perceptions of the online tutorial support.     

The MOOC and the Multitude

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) take university lectures and other educational materials and make them available for free as online “courses.” Liberal and neoliberal MOOC supporters laud these courses for opening up education to the world while incorporating market dynamics to improve quality and drive down costs. Skeptics claim MOOCs are a bald attempt to privatize higher learning, thus creating an apartheid educational system with traditional universities serving the wealthy while everyone else is left with cut‐rate online learning. This essay draws on the political theory of autonomist Marxism, arguing that MOOCs are capital's defensive reaction to the threats of resistant universities on one side, and unmanageable Internet‐based learning on the other. It then looks at which MOOC designs would support education for the “multitude,” which is the term used by autonomist Marxism to describe an autonomous, diverse, networked political body.     

Course Format and Student Learning Styles: A Comparison of Political Science Courses

ABSTRACT

This study investigates whether differences in learning styles exist between students in online and face-to-face (FTF) sections of political science courses taught by three instructors. Some studies suggest that student preferences regarding online or FTF formats are influenced by their preferred modes of learning. Independent learners, for example, may prefer online courses since they provide individualistic opportunities to study outside of the traditional classroom. This study uses original survey data to assign students one of six learning styles in order to assess whether independent learners are more common in online courses. Our analysis finds no significant differences in independent learners when comparing the two formats. This finding runs counter to studies that argue that independent learners tend to prefer online courses. In fact, the only learning style where we observe a meaningful difference among online and FTF formats is among dependent learners. Contrary to expectation, students enrolled in online versions demonstrated a greater tendency toward dependent modes of learning. Further survey responses suggest that student lifestyle drove course format selection rather than learning style. These findings have important implications for universities that increasingly turn to online courses to address decreasing enrollments and attempt to remedy the high attrition rates associated with those courses.     

Self-regulated learning: the role of motivation,emotion, and use of learning strategies in students’ learning experiences in a self-paced online mathematics course

Enrollment in online remedial mathematics courses has increased in popularity in institutions of higher learning; however, students unskilled in self-regulated learning (SRL) find online remedial mathematics courses particularly challenging. We investigated the role of SRL, specifically motivation, emotion, and learning strategies, in students’ learning experiences in a remedial online mathematics course. With an online survey of 229 college students, we found that student motivation explained a small portion of variance in achievement; whereas student motivation and emotion explained a significant portion of variance in satisfaction. In addition, significant differences in motivation and emotion were found in passing and nonpassing students; however, learning strategies did not influence student achievement and satisfaction. Implications for teaching and learning in self-paced online remedial mathematics courses are discussed.     

Reconceptualising higher education pedagogy in online learning

The purpose of this collaborative inquiry project was to examine teacher education practices in two early childhood degree programmes in a school of education at a regional university in Australia. All students are enrolled in these online courses as distance learners. The reconceptualised online pedagogy immersed students, peers and their lecturers in ‘teaching through assessment’ (Edwards, 2010) in a collaborative online environment that mirrors the complexity that students are experiencing in their workplaces. This article describes the pedagogical and conceptual underpinnings we used to reconceptualise our degree programmes. It also outlines our evolving conceptualisations of learning as knowledge creation (Hong & Sullivan, 2009) in the context of our teaching and learning in online courses.     

Student satisfaction and online teaching

This paper presents an analysis of the response of student satisfaction scores to online delivery for courses at a large Australian university. Taking data from 2653 courses delivered since 2011 we employ a difference-in-differences estimator approach to evaluate the impact of a transition from face-to-face learning to online learning of courses on student satisfaction. We estimate that, on a five-point scale, conversion to online learning lowers course satisfaction by about 0.2 points and instructor satisfaction by about 0.15 points. These correspond to shifts relative to the underlying distributions of about 25–30% of a standard deviation. Some implications of the (slight) relative unpopularity of online learning are discussed.     

The effectiveness of blended online learning courses at the community college level

Whether through the use of online-only or hybrid/blended formats, colleges and universities across the country are increasingly utilizing online platforms as a medium for the delivery of instruction. At the same time, we know little about how student learning outcomes are related to students’ engagement with online instructional formats. In particular, few studies have evaluated online learning in community colleges, and fewer yet have employed an experimental or quasi-experimental design to do so. In this research, we use propensity score matching to compare learning gains between community college students enrolled in blended courses, (courses that combine online instructional delivery with traditional classroom-based instruction) with gains experienced by students receiving only classroom-based instruction. Among students enrolled in blended courses, we also consider which aspects of student use of online instructional materials are most strongly associated with student learning. While some evidence has suggested significantly poorer outcomes for community college students enrolled in online-only courses, our results suggest that students enrolled in blended courses perform similarly, if not better, relative to students in a traditional instructional setting. Implications for practice and research are discussed.     

Enhancing Quality in Online Learning: Scaffolding Planning and Design Through Proactive Evaluation

A major issue confronting educators is the extent to which they wish to conform to so-called paradigm shifts in teaching and learning. In the contemporary world of tertiary education these shifts embrace both pedagogy (from instructivist to constructivist) and technology (from classroom to online). As teachers and learners are faced with the potential of these new learning environments, the extent to which learning outcomes are achieved remains a high priority and subject to a wide range of evaluation strategies. Conventionally, evaluation has been positioned at the end of the instructional development cycle, to assess first whether or not the creative effort achieved the original product goals and second whether or not the desired learning outcomes were realized. In the context of online teaching and learning environments, however, the level of understanding teachers, learners and developers have of the medium can impact the ultimate effectiveness of the product. This paper articulates an additional dimension to post-development evaluation processes in proposing proactive evaluation, a framework that identifies critical online learning factors and influences that will better inform the planning, design and development of learning resources. This notion of proactive evaluation advocates resource development being undertaken where all planning activities are assessed against the evaluation criteria that would normally be applied during formative assessment. By performing these evaluation checks proactively, online learning resources will, in principle, work first time as all relevant factors and issues will have been considered and resolved. More importantly, for those participants who are new to online environments, proactive evaluation will perform a scaffolding and professional development role by enhancing online teaching or learning competencies.     

Socio‐scientific issues in science education: implications for the professional development of teachers

This paper offers a critique of existing models of continuing professional development (CPD) courses for science teachers in the light of recent thinking about the nature of the subject (in particular, the arguments associated with ‘post‐normal science’) and the challenges presented by the teaching of controversial socio‐scientific issues (especially topics like bio‐technology and genetic modification). An analysis of the outcomes and limitations of an ‘up‐date/top‐down’ kind of CPD is used to argue that future forms of effective CPD must involve teachers in reflecting on the scientific, the social and the pedagogical dimensions to ‘new science’, and the relationships between them in the interests of improved classroom learning.     

浅谈非结构化网络课程

武法提教授曾将网络学习资源以知识传递的顺序和组织的方式分为结构化与非结构化学习资源,网络课程作为网络学习资源的主要形式也可分为结构化与非结构化网络课程.调查发现,现今的网络课程多为结构化形式,非结构化网络课程对人们来说还是个陌生的名词.     

高校在线开放课程教学质量认定标准构建研究

科学规范的教学质量认定标准,是高校在线开放课程引进的重要保障。该文从构建高校在线开放课程教学质量标准入手,按照"高校在线开放课程教学质量标准-高校在线开放课程教学质量认定标准"的思维逻辑,以国家精品在线开放课程认定相关文件要求及影响课程引进的外部约束因素为依据,构建了包含"6+X"个维度、13个通用指标、"7+Y"个专属指标的高校在线开放课程教学质量认定标准,研究表明,该标准具有较好的结构效度与内部一致性。最后阐述了基于高校在线开放课程教学质量认定标准的课程引进程序。     

开放灵活的分布式学习环境

为了帮助设计者创建开放、灵活的分布式E-Learning环境,该文提出了一个E-Learning框架模型,从八个维度列出了E-Learning设计中需要考虑的关键问题:机构,教学,技术,界面设计,评价,管理,资源支持,伦理。     

At-Risk High School Students Recovering Course Credits Online: What We Know and Need to Know

The majority of American high school students enrolling in online education are doing so in credit recovery courses. These are online courses specifically for students who previously failed a face-to-face version of the course. Despite the popularity of credit recovery courses, the literature on online learning largely ignores credit recovery courses and students. Assuming credit recovery students are similar to other online learners can be misleading. In this article, the existing literature on credit recovery is reviewed in 3 specific areas: the proliferation of credit recovery courses, the student experience in credit recovery courses, and outcomes and impacts of credit recovery. Suggestions are given for how to advance the credit recovery literature in future research of online learning.     

Vocational knowledge in motion: rethinking vocational knowledge through vocational teachers’ professional development

The paper presents empirical data to consider some of the current debates concerning the nature of vocational knowledge taught in Further Education colleges to students following craft, vocational and occupational courses. The concept of ‘knowledge in motion’ and workplace learning theories are employed as a conceptual framework to examine the continuing professional development (CPD) activities of vocational teachers. This is used to shed light on the ways in which teachers use CPD as a means of accessing and transporting vocational knowledge from occupations to classrooms. Empirical data were gathered through questionnaire, in-depth interviews and participant observation. The findings are presented around five themes: (1) the range of CPD engaged with by vocational teachers; (2) the limitations of propositional, explicit knowledge; (3) engaging with and capturing tacit knowledge; (4) managing the temporality of vocational knowledge; and (5) networking within and to the occupation. Findings suggests that vocational knowledge is distributed and networked and this conceptualisation makes visible some of the ways teachers are able, through CPD activity, to transport vocational knowledge from occupations to classrooms.     

Time on task in intensive modes of delivery

This paper reports on an investigation into how staff teaching in compressed courses can encourage student engagement and enhance student use of learning time, despite significant restraints of time as well as distance. Typically these courses (described here as units) are expected to have comparable learning outcomes to their full-semester counterparts and provide an opportunity for students to either retake failed units or to acquire credit for their chosen degrees in accelerated time. Organising teaching and learning through intensive modes of delivery may require different approaches to curriculum development and pedagogy compared to traditional unit planning and delivery, especially when the intensive delivery utilises online technologies. This paper explores strategies employed by successful intensive mode teachers in the development and delivery units for maximised student engagement. It concludes that many of these strategies are equally applicable in online and distance education regardless of the unit being intensive or otherwise.     

疫情防控背景下“停课不停学”在线教学案例研究

“停课不停学”是教育部应对由于新冠肺炎疫情防控带来的延期开学而提出的新举措。为了帮助此举措更有效落到实处,该文系统梳理了当前国内一些典型的延学期间各地各类在线教学方案及案例。通过对这些案例的分析和总结,归纳了网络在线课程、网络直播教学、学生自主学习、电视空中课堂等四种典型“停课不停学”的在线教学形式。在此基础上,为学校管理者、教师、学生、家长等实践主体提出了针对性的实施建议,以期为特殊时期的在线教学献言献策,为国内大中小学快速部署、实施在线教学提供参考。     

Beyond hype and underestimation: identifying research challenges for the future of MOOCs

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) have generated enthusiasm, excitement, and hype worldwide and recently increasing skepticism. They are being broadly discussed in the major news media (and to a smaller extent in academic circles). Rapidly increasing numbers of MOOC providers, MOOC courses and articles, discussion groups, and blogs discussing MOOCs are indicators of the involvement of many stakeholders. Most of these analyses and developments are based on economic perspectives (such as scalability, productivity, and being free) and technology perspectives (including platforms supporting large number of students in online environments, enrichment components such as forums, peer-to-peer learning support, and automatic grading). Few contributions analyze MOOCs from a learning science perspective and put them into a larger context with other approaches to learning and education. This commentary explores challenges derived from the perspective to conceptualize MOOCs as being one component in a rich landscape of learning.     

在线学习活动设计研究

在线学习活动是影响网络课程质量以及在线学习效果的关键。目前,网络课程在线学习活动的设计,无论是理论认识,还是实践探索,都存在显著不足。根据国家网络教育精品课程调研的结果,在线学习活动按学习方式可分为自学、听讲、探究、体验和问题解决等5种基本类型;从设计的角度看,在线学习活动包括学习任务、学习过程、监管规则、学习支持、评价规则和学习资源6个构成要素。设计在线学习活动时,要从学习者角度出发,围绕活动构成要素,遵循一定的方法和原则,设计活动各方面的内容。设计完成后,开发人员还应反思设计过程。