‘Connecting’ the Distance: relational issues for participants in a distance learning programme

Abstract

This article explores the relational expectations of distance learning students and tutors. The authors’ experiences teaching a degree course to mature students (mainly practitioners working for the National Health Service) highlight that the reality of the relationship is often incongruent with the expectations. This incongruence appears to have a negative effect on the learning process. In order to develop a more effective distance learning programme the authors explored the experiences and needs of the students, via a series of focus groups and conversations. What emerged as being significant was the need for students to experience ‘connectedness’ with the tutor. How the students defined this concept and what practical measures the tutors took to ‘connect’ the distance between participants in the learning process are discussed.     

Research and a professional development programme on teaching learning strategies as part of course content

Abstract

There is evidence that many students leave university without effective learning strategies and skills that would facilitate their learning in the future. For example, they can complete their university courses without developing information skills or a love of learning, with only a limited repertoire of learning strategies, and with no intention of engaging in further learning. While these findings indicate a need for universities to review the structure of courses and the way that they are taught and assessed, it is not necessary to wait for this to happen. Within existing course structures, universities can help prepare students for lifelong learning by teaching them learning strategies. This is best done if the strategies are taught by university teachers in the context of their regular coursework. We have confirmed in our research and professional development projects that this can be done. In an experimental study, we investigated the effects of explicidy teaching students learning strategies in the context of their regular coursework. This research indicated that students who were taught learning strategies in the context of their regular coursework used them effectively and achieved better results than students who were taught in the conventional way. In a professional development project, we taught university teachers from a variety of subject areas to teach learning strategies to students in their own courses. These teachers were successful in helping students develop a repertoire of effective learning strategies and display greater commitment to their learning.     

Educating an iPod generation: undergraduate attitudes,experiences and understanding of vodcast and podcast use

There is an increasing pressure on university staff to provide ever more information and resources to students. This study investigated student opinions on (audio) podcasts and (video) vodcasts and how well they met requirements and aided learning processes. Two experiments within the Aston University looked at student opinion on, and usage of, podcasts and vodcasts for a selection of their psychology lectures. Recordings were produced first using a hand‐held camcorder, and then using the in‐house media department. WebCT was used to distribute the podcasts and vodcasts, attitude questionnaires were then circulated at two time points. Overall students indicated that podcasts and vodcasts were a beneficial addition resource for learning, particularly when used in conjunction with lecturers’ slides and as a tool for revision/assessment. The online material translated into students having increased understanding of the material, which supplemented and enhanced their learning without being a substitute for traditional lectures. There is scope for the provision of portable media files to become standard practice within higher education; integrating distance and online learning with traditional approaches to improve teaching and learning.     

A Discourse Analysis of the Online Mathematics Classroom

ABSTRACT

The current study seeks to analyze university students’ perceptions of online peer assessment (PA) with regard to its effectiveness as a learning tool and as a contributing factor to motivation and interaction. Participants also responded to questions about self-perceived writing strength, attitudes toward peer review, and experiences with peer review. The survey was administered via link online for students who report having completed peer review in online courses. Results from participants revealed that students generally believe peer review to be effective, helpful to learning, increasing communication skills, and as contributing to a stronger written end product. Students also agreed that peer review increases interaction, participation, and a sense of community. Attitudes toward peer review indicate that female students are more intimidated by giving peer reviews than their male classmates, but they felt less intimidated online as compared to face-to-face. More experienced students and students farther along in their college careers are less likely to give peer reviews that are affected by the ones they receive. The results indicate that peer review is an important teaching and learning tool that merits more research with particular attention to gender and other demographic data.     

Videoconferencing: A New Opportunity to Facilitate Learning

The use of distance learning techniques as a means of delivering instruction in higher education classrooms has become increasingly popular with the growing diversity of today's college students. Videoconferencing has been used as a tool to facilitate the simultaneous communication of individuals across varying geographic regions through the use of telecommunication technologies that allow two-way video and audio transmissions. In this article, the authors share their journey into the world of learning about videoconferencing as a way to facilitate the teaching of courses in their newly designed hybrid program. They outline methods for selecting videoconferencing programs, provide specific steps for using a videoconferencing tool across various educational contexts, and discuss other creative ideas for using videoconferencing in PK–12 settings and beyond.     

Blogs as a learning and assessment instrument for English-speaking performance

The study investigated the usefulness of blogs in evaluating English-as-a-Foreign-Language learners' oral performance and explored their reactions toward using blogs as a learning and assessment tool for English-speaking performance. Fifty-one college students participated in a semester-long blog project, and each uploaded five audio entries to their individual blogs. The results indicated that the scores on the speaking blogs served as a significant predictor of students' oral presentation performance. Moreover, more than half of the participants considered their blogging experience positive. Close to half believed that the speaking blog constituted a good tool to showcase their learning process and help them reflect on their learning progress in the blog-based environment. However, only a few welcomed the idea of employing blogs as an assessment tool, while most still preferred the more conventional assessment methods, such as on-site speeches and presentations. These results carry pedagogical implications for foreign language instruction and assessment.     

Student satisfaction with short learning programmes at a distance learning institution

Abstract

The relevance of short learning programmes as an alternative to full time tertiary degree courses at open and distance learning institutions forms the primary focus of this article. A new kind of student is on the increase in higher education: the mature student who prefers to study part-time in order to combine his or her studies with the advancement of his or her professional life. This kind of student is often interested in short duration, non-degree courses, such as short learning programmes, which have a high degree of specificity in order to update or expand the knowledge needed to enhance their occupational lives. Course applicability and effectiveness, evaluated as student satisfaction with these programmes, are vital in terms of the strategic planning of institutions. This article reports on an analysis of the dimensions that determine satisfaction with short learning programmes at a distance learning institution. Data was obtained by an electronic survey of students who had completed short learning programmes. Findings indicate that teaching staff, teaching methods and course administration are key elements to achieving satisfaction, and students’ loyalty to the institution is expressed in their intention to continue with their studies and to recommend the programmes to other prospective students.     

Distance Education

Abstract

Social work educators are increasingly using advanced information technologies in their distance education programs. Despite the widespread use of distance learning in social work education, there is limited information available regarding the effectiveness of courses, particularly practice courses, that use these technologies or the experiences of the students and instructors who are helping to pioneer these technological initiatives. This article presents reflections from students from two MSW practice classes linked together through interactive TV, also known as compressed video. The authors, who were course instructors using this technology, present their reflections on the process and make recommendations for future distance learning courses.     

Learning design for multiple modes of provision: the Zambian community school teacher development programme

Abstract

The use of technology to support learning is becoming ubiquitous in Africa. However, technology is more often used to distribute information rather than as a tool to mediate learning. The work presented here on a programme for Zambian community school teachers (non-traditional students) illustrates how learning design allied to appropriate theoretical concepts make use of technology to mediate learning. The objective of this course was to support Zambian community school teachers, with little formal teacher education, to use interactive methods to support their teaching practices. The research makes use of a constructivist-hermeneutic-interpretivist-qualitative paradigm to critically evaluate the learning design by experts. A social constructivist framework for learning design and technology mediation was used to create and evaluate learning resources. The work illustrates how a distance education paper-based course design is enhanced by the use of contemporary learning theory and digital technology to model good interactive classroom practice.     

Using Social Networking Technologies for Postgraduate Research Supervision at a South African Rural-Based Historically Disadvantaged Institution

Abstract

The use of social networking technologies (SNTs) for academic purposes has created new pedagogy opportunities, especially for well-resourced teaching and learning institutions. This article reports on a study that analysed the use of SNTs for postgraduate research supervision at a South African university classified as previously disadvantaged during the apartheid era. The current democratic government is trying to ameliorate the consequences of the Bantu Education Act by paying greater attention to historically disadvantaged institutions (HDIs). Although the study generated quantifiable data from a questionnaire, it largely employed the qualitative research approach and was underpinned by the connectivism theory of learning. A structured questionnaire and an interview schedule were used to collect quantifiable and qualitative data, respectively, from 32 postgraduate students who were enrolled for research by distance learning and eight lecturers who supervised postgraduate research. Quantifiable data from the structured questionnaire was analysed and plotted on graphs while qualitative data from the interviews was thematically analysed. The study findings revealed that the use of SNTs had positively impacted on postgraduate supervision and improved the success rate in students’ problem-solving skills and critical thinking at one rural-based HDI. From the study findings, it is recommended that more resources be channelled to the South African HDIs, to equip both their students and lecturers with the requisite knowledge and skills to effectively harness SNTs into research supervision, as well as teaching and learning, through deliberately designed online learning platforms, so that they can catch up with all-white historically advantaged institutions (HAIs) on research output.     

Exploring the pedagogical features of integrating essential competencies of scientific inquiry in classroom teaching

ABSTRACT

Background: As inquiry-based instruction is not universally implemented in science classrooms, it is crucial to introduce instructional strategies through the use of contextualized learning activities to allow students with different background knowledge and abilities to learn the essential competencies of scientific inquiry and promote their emotional perception and engagement.

Purpose: This study explores how essential scientific competencies of inquiry can be integrated into classroom teaching practices and investigates both typical and gifted secondary students’ emotional perception and engagement in learning activities.

Sample: A case teacher along with 226 typical and 18 gifted students from a suburban secondary school at Taiwan participated in this study.

Design and methods: After attending twelve 3-hour professional development workshops that focused on scientific inquiry teaching, the case teacher voluntarily developed and elaborated her own teaching activities through the discussions and feedback that she received from workshop participants and science educators. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected through activity worksheet, questionnaire, video camera, and tape recorders. Frequency distribution, Mann-Whitney U test, and discourse analysis were used for data analyses.

Results: Case teacher’s teaching activities provide contextual investigations that allow students to practice making hypotheses, planning investigations, and presenting and evaluating findings. Students’ learning outcomes reveal that typical students can engage in inquiry-based learning with positive emotional perception as well as gifted students regardless of their ability level. Both gifted and typical students’ positive emotional perception of and active engagement in learning provide fresh insight into feasible instructions for teachers who are interested in inquiry-based teaching but have little available time to implement such instructions into their classrooms.

Conclusions: The results of our work begin to address the critical issues of inquiry-based teaching by providing an exemplary teaching unit encompassing essential scientific competencies     

新中国成立70年中学理科课程中信息技术应用的模式演变研究——基于数学、物理、化学和生物课程标准的文本分析

本文对新中国成立后颁布的理科课程标准进行文本分析,明晰课程标准中信息技术的位置和表述,根据信息技术应用的特点分析应用模式的演变,共经历三个阶段:在视听媒体应用阶段信息技术是丰富教学方法的工具;在计算机辅助教学阶段,信息技术是教学工具并向教育资源过渡;在“互联网+教育”阶段,信息技术是一种生态环境。信息技术在引领教学方法转变的同时,对学生的学习方法也产生了深刻的影响。     

Evaluation of an adaptive tutorial supporting the teaching of mathematics

ABSTRACT

Adaptive tutorials enable engaged, personalised and interactive online learning that includes instant adaptive feedback. By integrating an adaptive tutorial into a large and diverse engineering mathematics course, we explored its potential to support and guide students’ learning from afar. The aim of this study was to assess whether students provided with an adaptive tutorial, could benefit from its use and whether they would engage in and take responsibility for their learning. Comparisons were made between students who did and did not use the tutorial. Quantitative and qualitative data analyses determined the impact of including an adaptive tutorial in a blended learning environment, where 58% of students engaged with the tutorial and 74% of them completed it. Improved confidence and understanding was reported by 98% of the participants. A comparison of examination results indicated that median scores for students who utilised the tutorial were significantly higher than those who did not.     

浅谈音像教材资源二度开发在教学服务中的作用

音像教材资源二度开发是现代教育技术发展到一定阶段的必然趋势。目前,它的技术支持条件且已具备,通过音像教材资源的二度开发可以使一批高质量的音像教材重新用于教学活动,音像教材资源得到充分利用,缓解目前远程开放教育教学资源相对匮乏问题,从而为远程开放教育网络提供更丰富的学习资源。     

Learning information and communications technology skills and the subject context of the learning

Abstract

There is a growing body of evidence which suggests that information and ccommunications technology (ICT) can support, enhance and extend learning potential. Yet this all presupposes that students are confident and competent users of technology based on assumptions that presume they are conversant with basic applications. This article seeks to explore the tensions of teaching ICT skills in ways that enable students to perceive the benefits and potential of using computers to support their work. It also considers how much direct instruction is needed in order for sufficient competence to be acquired which will subsequently enable students to learn to use other features of the application to maximise these benefits. ICT as a cognitive tool is described and the development and design of ICT resources and lessons are also considered.     

面向实训室的多媒体学习平台及应用——以中西面点制作专业实训室应用为例

针对实训室与数字资源教学平台实训效果差等问题,研发面向实训室实践能力培养的多媒体学习平台,包括视音频采集系统、在线学习系统和云存储系统三大部分。该平台可部署于不同专业的实训室,从不同角度采集示范操作,不仅可现场直播,还可存储资源以供点播|平台提供Andriod和IoS应用,学生学习不受时间、空间限制。将平台应用于某职校中西面点制作实训室,取得了很好的效果。     

职高《电工基础》基于问题教学的原则与策略

在职高《电工基础》教学中要成功地实施基于问题的教学，应遵循鼓励质疑、精练问题、反馈强化等原则。其中，学的策略是学生要具备强烈的问题意识，以小组协作学习的形式积极参与问题解决过程，将信息技术作为学习工具；教的策略是教师应创建良好的问题情境，引导学生积极思考并提供必要的帮助，进行及时的评价。     

Lecturers’ perceptions: The value of assessment rubrics for informing teaching practice and curriculum review and development

ABSTRACT

The assessment rubric is increasingly gaining recognition as a valuable tool in teaching and learning in higher education. While many studies have examined the value of rubrics for students, research into the lecturers’ usage of rubrics is limited. This article explores the lecturers’ perceptions of rubrics, in particular, its use and design, the role it can play in informing one's teaching practice and in curriculum review and development. The data shows that many lecturers use the rubric in a very mechanical and unconscious manner and view it mostly as a grading tool with limited instructional value. While acknowledging the rubric as a reflective tool for students, lecturers do not perceive it as having the same benefits for them. The findings, therefore suggest more conversations around the role that rubrics can play in informing one's teaching practice and course design. It also suggests further research into this area.     

构建多元化远程学习支持服务的信息流模式

远程教育中“教的行为与学的行为处于准分离状态”这一本质特征使教学关系再现成为提高远程教育质量的关键。基于此,文章在分析教学过程的基础上,得出再现教学关系的三种教学信息流,并提出一种再现教学关系行之有效的途径——构建多元化的学习支持服务信息流模式。该模式主要由教师、学生、学习资源及媒体四大要素组成。它们之间的交互可依据信息流来调节及支配,及时地提供学习者所需的帮助,保证学的行为发生并持续,达到提高教育质量的目的。文章特别强调信息流贯穿于学习的整个过程并能调节及支配所需的服务。     

An analysis of student teachers' understanding of integration of science and technology activities

Abstract

The research reported on in this article was conducted to determine if student teachers enrolled in a Bachelor of Education programme at a South African University are able to integrate science and technology in their teaching. The participants were a cohort of students registered for a course aimed at preparing them to teach grades 4 to 6 in the primary school. The theoretical framework applied in the study is Rogan's Zone of feasible Innovation (ZFI) which uses the analogy that curriculum strategies are good when they proceed just ahead of current practice. Students' understanding of integration of two learning areas was compared to their knowledge base. The findings suggest that students who have very little knowledge of science and/or technology have difficulty in understanding what the scientific and technological processes mean and without this understanding are unable to integrate science and technology effectively in their teaching. It is recommended that the B.Ed programme at this university focuses more on providing opportunities for students to acquire sound knowledge of the two disciplines before attempting any form of integration.