scholarly journals The Human Factor: The Promise & Limits of Online Education

Daedalus ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 148 (4) ◽  
pp. 235-254
Author(s):  
Sandy Baum ◽  
Michael McPherson
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Learning ◽  
Online Education ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Learning Opportunities ◽  
Human Interaction ◽  
Socioeconomic Gaps ◽  
To Come ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Quality Learning

The idea that online learning might revolutionize higher education, lowering the cost of high-quality learning opportunities for students with limited access to traditional higher education, follows similar hopes for earlier technologies, including radio and television. If such a revolution is to come, it is still far from a reality. Strong evidence indicates that students with weak academic backgrounds and other risk factors struggle most in fully online courses, creating larger socioeconomic gaps in outcomes than those in traditional classroom environments. The central problem appears to be the lack of adequate personal interaction between students and instructors, as well as among students. Hybrid learning models do not exhibit the same problems and there is potential for online learning to develop strategies for overcoming these difficulties. Meanwhile, narrowing gaps in educational opportunities and outcomes requires considerable skilled human interaction.

scholarly journals The revolution in online learning and implication in Vietnamese universities

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 70-77
Author(s):  
Pham Thi Thu Huong ◽  
Tran Thi Ngoc Giau
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Learning ◽  
Online Education ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Massive Open Online Courses ◽  
Traditional Learning ◽  
Opportunities To Learn ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
The Cost

Online education has rapidly become popular worldwide in higher education. There are massive open online courses which could be found in Coursera and EDX. These courses ensure the availability and the accessibility of the online learning through videos with subtitles. Online learning not only gives students unprecedented opportunities to learn, but also reduces the cost of higher education. However, online learning presents unit challenges compared to traditional learning, especially in Vietnamese education. In this paper, we present the advantages and disadvantages of online learning. In particular, we will show the advantages and disadvantages of taking online courses of Vietnamese students. We will also share our experience as a tutor of Funix University which is the first online university in Vietnam. In addition, we will give feasible suggestions to improve the quality of online learning in Vietnamese universities, especially the quality of assessment in online learning. These suggestions could be applied in building new online courses in the universities.

scholarly journals Online Courses in the Higher Education System of Iran: A Stakeholder-Based Investigation of Pre-Service Teachers’ Acceptance, Learning Achievement, and Satisfaction

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 117-142
Author(s):  
Reza Dashtestani
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Learning ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Human Interaction ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Learning Achievement ◽  
Technical Problems ◽  
Higher Education System ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
University Instructors

This study focused on the acceptance level of higher education stakeholders of teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) of online courses in Iran and pre-service teachers’ learning achievement in online courses. Three cohorts of participants who were teaching or learning in online courses included pre-service teachers of TEFL (n=104), TEFL university instructors (n=23), and heads of TEFL departments (n=10). A questionnaire was designed. The Kruskal Wallis test was used to detect differences among the perspectives of the participants. Semi-structured interviews were also utilized. Results indicated that there were significant differences among the perspectives of the three groups of participants about online courses. The pre-service teachers appeared to be relatively positive about online learning, while the university instructors and heads of departments showed a lower level of satisfaction. The participants pointed out several challenges, including the lack of rigor of online courses, the incredibility of the certificates, the lack of technological infrastructures, technical problems, the impractical content of the lessons, the lack of human interaction, the low competence levels of online learning students, and employers’ lack of interest in employing graduates of online courses. The participants also mentioned that pedagogical and technological training was required for both university instructors and pre-service teachers of TEFL. The comparison of pre-service teachers’ mid-term and final scores in the online courses showed a significant difference and improvement of students’ learning achievement in online courses with medium to large effect sizes. In the interviews, the participants also confirmed that online courses could improve student learning.

scholarly journals Different Approaches to the Development of Online Learning in Higher Education

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (SPE3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Iurii V. Kornilov ◽  
Dmitriy A. Danilov ◽  
Alla G. Kornilova ◽  
Aleksei I. Golikov ◽  
Ilya B. Gosudarev
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Learning ◽  
Online Education ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Learning Technologies ◽  
North Eastern ◽  
E Learning ◽  
Distance Learning Technologies ◽  
Competencies Development

The processes of online learning implementation, including e-learning and distance learning technologies in higher education have been revealed. The experience of the development of the first online courses at M. K. Ammosov North-Eastern Federal University is described. As a part of the study, the main approaches to the development of online learning in higher education are identified. The authors of the study focus on the work of the advanced training courses for the academic staff as the opportunity for professional competencies development in the context of online education.

Benefit and Cost Analysis of Massive Open Online Courses

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 47-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Belle Selene Xia
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Education Research ◽  
Online Learning ◽  
Distance Learning ◽  
Online Education ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Massive Open Online Courses ◽  
Massive Open Online ◽  
Online Technologies ◽  
Depth Analysis

There has been much research done on online learning including research on online educational activities and methods. The use of technology is gaining rising importance in higher education due to the benefits that it brings. In terms of adopting new technologies to teaching, new forms of teaching, such as massive open online courses (MOOCs), are increasingly seen as a feasible future form of learning. The importance of MOOCs in higher education has caused debates in the computing education research. This study aims to provide an in-depth analysis of the pedagogical implications of MOOCs to higher education. Research in MOOCs is of vital importance because these courses may offer meaningful learning opportunities for those otherwise impossible through means of distance learning. The concepts of e-learning, online learning and distance learning have been previously addressed where previous research has indicated that the integration of online technologies to higher education do not automatically support learning. Many education institutions still question the sustainability of courses using extensive online technologies in higher education. The authors open up new research opportunities in a student-centered design in MOOCs incorporating a personalized learning environment to online education.

An Empirical Analysis Of Student Satisfaction Influential Factors In Online Learning

2011 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 37
Author(s):  
Alina Payne ◽  
Reza G. Hamzaee
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Learning ◽  
Online Education ◽  
Student Satisfaction ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Course Evaluation ◽  
Instructional Effectiveness ◽  
Influential Factors ◽  
Online Course ◽  
Course Effectiveness

There exists the need to better understand the effectiveness of online education.  In recent years, academic institutions (of higher education) have increased the number of online courses offered to students.  The purpose of this study is to identify the factors that are most influential in determining student satisfaction of overall course effectiveness and overall instructor effectiveness in online higher education.  The main research question is: What factors influence student satisfaction of overall course effectiveness and instructional effectiveness?  Through an application of step-wise regression procedure, hypotheses will be tested to determine any influential factors for students’ satisfaction with course and instructional effectiveness. The data source will be online course evaluation results at colleges in the state of Connecticut.  The results of the study will allow higher education administrators and instructors to make more effective decisions regarding online students, online course offerings, the distribution of funds within online education. Furthermore, the results will allow instructors to more effectively manage online courses, and allow students to increase personal effectiveness with respect to the online learning process.

Effects and Risks of Distance Learning in Higher Education

2020 ◽  
pp. 61-73
Author(s):  
Yu. M. Tsygalov
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Distance Learning ◽  
Online Education ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Higher Education System ◽  
First Results ◽  
Spread Of Infection ◽  
The Cost

The forced work of Russian universities remotely in the context of the pandemic (COVID-19) has generated a lot of discussion about the benefits of the new form of education. The first results were summed up and reports were presented, the materials of which showed that the main goal of online education — the prevention of the spread of infection, - has been achieved. Against this background, proposals and publications have appeared substantiating the effectiveness of the massive introduction of distance learning in Russia, including in higher education. However, the assessment of such training by the population and students in publications and in social networks was predominantly negative and showed that the number of emerging problems exceeds the possible benefits of the new educational technology. Based on the analysis of the materials of publications and personal experience of teaching online, the potential benefits and problems of distance learning in higher education in Russia are considered. It is proposed to consider the effects separately for the suppliers of new technology (government, universities) and consumers (students, teachers, society). It is substantiated that the massive introduction of online education allows not only to reduce the negative consequences of epidemics, but also to reduce budgetary funding for universities, optimize the age composition of teachers, and reduce the cost of maintaining educational buildings. However, there will be a leveling / averaging of the quality of education, and responsibility for the quality of training will shift from the state/universities to students. The critical shortcomings of online education are the low degree of readiness of the digital infrastructure, the lack of a mechanism for identifying and monitoring the work of students, information security problems, and the lack of trust in such training of the population. The massive use of online education creates a number of risks for the country, the most critical of which is the destruction of the higher education system and a drop in the effectiveness of personnel training. The consequences of this risk realization are not compensated by any possible budget savings.

Immersive Learning Environments at Scale: Constraints and Opportunities

2020 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
pp. 1165-1169
Author(s):  
Robert F. Siegle ◽  
Rod D. Roscoe ◽  
Noah L. Schroeder ◽  
Scotty D. Craig
Keyword(s):  
Online Education ◽  
Learning Environments ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Learning Opportunities ◽  
Traditional Classroom ◽  
Educational Systems ◽  
Virtual Reality Technology ◽  
Immersive Learning ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
Theoretical Paper

The expansion of online education into massive open online courses (MOOCs) and equipment have created a unique opportunity for delivering immersive learning experiences at scale. However, although the inclusivity of the MOOC ecosystem can be commended, many online courses lack key benefits associated with traditional classroom environments: immersive, engaging, and team-driven learning opportunities. Immersive learning environments (ILEs) address these educational gaps but has not been able to operate at the broad scale that MOOCs offer. Importantly, ILEs address opportunities missing from MOOC systems, they add unique learning opportunities that would also be missing in a traditional classroom. The inclusion of this virtual reality technology is pivotal topic for educational research. This theoretical paper will briefly define immersive learning environments and the potential benefits of incorporating immersive learning environments into scalable educational systems. We will also consider developers constraints on creating these online ecosystem and suggested strategies for overcoming them.

scholarly journals An Analysis on Adult Learners’ Satisfaction in Online Education Programmes

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 70
Author(s):  
Hueyzher Ng ◽  
Sakina Sofia Baharom
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Adult Learners ◽  
Online Education ◽  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Secondary School Teachers ◽  
College Level ◽  
Mixed Methods Design ◽  
Self Regulated Learning ◽  
Students Satisfaction

The demand for online programmes is continuously increasing at varying degrees, with the major appeal coming from adult learners whom are managing with the numerous demands from other work and life domains. These adult learners have their own varied expectations from the online learning process. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the degree to which other predictors contribute to adult learners’ satisfaction in online learning environment. A mixed-methods design was used, selecting both quantitative methods (utilizing survey research) and qualitative methods (employing open-ended questionnaire items), gathering the feedback of 200 adult learners whom comprises of secondary school teachers and college level teachers, enrolled in professional online courses. The online courses were designed using a problem-centered and case-based approach to learning and utilized technologies including learning management system (LMS) such as Moodle as well as functions from the LMS.  The results showed that the items such as learner-content interaction, self-regulated learning design, and Internet self-efficacy were good predictors of students’ satisfaction. Implications of these findings for higher education in providing blended or online programmes for adult learners are also discussed.

scholarly journals Evaluation Instruments and Good Practices in Online Education

2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sally Baldwin ◽  
Jesus H. Trespalacios
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Online Education ◽  
Undergraduate Education ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Good Practice ◽  
Seven Principles ◽  
Evaluation Instruments ◽  
Type Of Institution ◽  
Principles Of Good Practice

Chickering and Gamson’s (1987) Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education offers extensively researched and validated tenets for best practices in higher education. After a review of the literature, twenty-eight evaluation instruments currently used to design and review online courses in higher education institutions were collected and divided into categories, based on geographical reach and the type of institution for which they were developed. This study investigates how evaluation instruments used in higher education assess the Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education, and what other items are addressed in the evaluation of courses. Findings show that national and statewide evaluation instruments were less institute specific and more closely aligned to the principles of good practice, and that evaluation instruments often measure extraneous items (e.g., student services, navigation, resources, or institutional support). Additional findings and conclusions based on the analysis of the instruments are discussed.

scholarly journals Quality Assessment of Online Learning in Regional Higher Education Systems

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 929-943
Author(s):  
Olga A. Gritsova ◽  
Elena V. Tissen
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Learning ◽  
Online Education ◽  
Quality Assessment ◽  
Student Satisfaction ◽  
Educational Process ◽  
Learning Mechanisms ◽  
Education Systems ◽  
Higher Education Systems

The quality of online learning mechanisms, widely implemented due to the COVID-19 pandemic, is a significant issue for regional higher education systems. The research aims to assess student satisfaction with the quality of online education by identifying discrepancies between their requirements and the actual learning process. In order to examine the gaps between students’ expectations and perceptions, a new approach was proposed based on the integrated use of Gap analysis and SERVQUAL methodology, combining qualitative and quantitative aspects. SERVQUAL questionnaires for measuring student satisfaction with online learning include the following criteria: tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy. Full- and part-time undergraduates of humanitarian and socio-economic departments of two universities participated in the study. Ural Federal University bachelors, learning via Moodle and Microsoft Teams platforms, could directly communicate with their peers and professors, while students of National Research Nuclear University MEPhI were engaged in massive open online courses (MOOC). As a result, all five criteria were analysed in the proposed model for quality assessment of online learning to reveal the gaps between students’ expectations and perceptions of the educational process. Significant discrepancies in the «empathy» and «responsiveness» criteria in both groups demonstrate low student satisfaction with the quality of communication and individualisation of learning. The research findings can be used to construct resource allocation models for implementing educational programmes and developing support measures for regional higher education institutions.

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