Direct and indirect effects of online learning on distance education

This paper presents an exploratory study that investigates the effects of online learning on distance education students in an open university context. Two hypotheses are posited: (1) a direct relationship exists between students’ involvement in online learning and distance learning outcomes, and (2) an indirect relationship exists between these two domains via the mediating variable of an institutional Transactional Presence (TP), that is, a student's sense of the availability of and connectedness with an educational institution. Student learning achievement, satisfaction and intent‐to‐persist are used as indicators of outcomes of distance learning. The analysis of data garnered from 285 distance students reveals multifaceted relationships between students’ engagement in online learning, their perceptions of institutional TP and the three learning outcome variables. Besides the findings, the paper will discuss factors affecting students’ engagement in online learning in relation to different requirements, that is, optional or compulsory online use as well as the level of the course (undergraduate or postgraduate).     

Building an assessment of community-defined social-emotional competencies from the ground up in Tanzania

Two studies were conducted in 2017 to investigate children's competencies seen as important by communities in Mtwara, Tanzania. Qualitative data from 95 parents (34 women) and 27 teachers (11 women) in Study 1 indicated that dimensions of social responsibility, such as obedience, were valued highly. In Study 2, the competencies of 477 children (245 girls), aged 4–13 years, were rated by teachers and parents. Factor analysis found the obedient factor explained the most variance in parent rating. In line with predictions, urban residence, parental socioeconomic status (SES), and parental education were all positively associated with ratings of curiosity, and parental SES was negatively associated with obedience and emotional regulation. Findings illustrate the need for culturally specific frameworks of social-emotional learning.     

Two sides of the same coin: video annotations and in-video questions for active learning

Educational technology research and development - Video in education has become pervasive. Globally, educators are recording instructional videos to augment their students’ learning and, in...     

Productive Uncertainty: The Pedagogical Benefits of Co‐Creating Research in the Design Studio

Balancing the competing demands of research and teaching has long been lamented by academics. The challenges associated with Covid‐19 will make this increasingly difficult. An integrated approach to research and teaching, where students are directly engaged in the production of research, may provide a useful strategy to support ongoing research within the design disciplines whilst befitting student learning. The production of original research requires a willingness to engage in – and manage –uncertainty. Contemporary higher education acknowledges that global challenges are increasing in complexity and, thus, students require opportunities to learn to productively manage this complexity. Utilising teacher observations and student feedback, this article reflects critically on a studio model, iteratively refined over two semesters, with the deliberate intent of exacerbating the complexity already present within studio pedagogy for the production of new knowledge. It outlines a set of strategies for making manageable this uncertainty for students to ensure it is beneficial for their learning. It also identifies a number of challenges educators can face when assuming a duel role as teacher and research partner; and provides advice for negotiating these challenges.     

Model conversion and digital redesign of singular systems

Design procedures are proposed for model conversion and digital redesign of a singular system, which is controllable at finite and impulsive modes. In order to attain a standard regular problem, we use some techniques to decompose the singular system into a reduced-order regular subsystem and a nondynamic subsystem. As a result, some well-known design methodologies for a regular system can be applied to the reduced-order regular subsystem. Finally, we transform the results obtained back to those of the original coordinate system.     

Emotion regulation tendencies,achievement emotions,and physiological arousal in a medical diagnostic reasoning simulation

Instructional Science - Despite the importance of emotion regulation in education there is a paucity of research examining it in authentic educational contexts. Moreover, emotion measurement...     

Identification with Academics and Motivation to Achieve in School: How the Structure of the Self Influences Academic Outcomes

Authors since William James (1892/1968) have implied that the structure of the self-concept can influence motivation and outcomes in particular domains. The value or importance an individual places on a domain influences how motivated that individual is to expend effort in that domain, ultimately influencing the positivity or negativity of the outcomes in that domain (the outcomes then likewise influence the valuing of that domain). Taking the example of identification with academics (selectively valuing an academic domain as central to the self-concept), we review the importance of psychological centrality and present a theoretical model directly linking the structure of the self to motivation and outcomes, something not explicitly discussed in the literature to date. Finally, strategies are suggested for how to increase a student’s identification with academics, which this theoretical framework suggests should lead to improved motivation to achieve in academics and improved outcomes for students.     

Designing Personalized Online Teaching Professional Development through Self-Assessment

Many institutions use a one-size-fits-all approach to faculty development for online teaching, which does not meet the needs of faculty who often have different levels of experience, skill, and self-efficacy in online teaching and learning. To address these issues, the [university name removed] [center name removed] designed and implemented an online teaching readiness self-assessment. The instrument was developed based on key attributes and skills needed for proficiency in online teaching, in three areas: online teaching experience and attitudes, learning management system proficiency, and access to technology. The self-assessment was distributed through a web-based survey tool to faculty who were identified to develop new online courses. Individual results were used to create personalized frameworks of professional development offerings (workshops, institutes, videos, and consultations) and just-in-time resources to support faculty in their development process.     

Children's Prosocial and Antisocial Behaviour,as Perceived by Children,Parents and Teachers

Within the context of a widespread concern with children's antisocial behaviour, especially bullying, the development of ‘whole‐school’ policies on bullying, and also recent national guidelines which emphasise the importance of fostering children's prosocial behaviours, this research examines the extent to which children, parents and teachers exhibit within‐ and between‐group consensus, both in their perceptions and relative judgements of different forms of child prosocial and antisocial behaviours, and in their responses to such behaviours. Less consensus was found in judgements of prosodal than of antisocial behaviours, both within and between groups, and significant between‐group differences are discussed in the context of the teaching of social behaviour.