Distance Education: An Exploration of Alternative Methods and Types of Instructional Media in Teacher Education

Universities currently are exploring an array of instructional media to facilitate the delivery of instruction. Consensus from the studies indicates that there is no significant difference in the achievement of students who participate in traditional or online coursework. However, little research has compared traditional learning with the new multimedia online technologies that are becoming more prevalent in distance education. This study investigated the achievement, student satisfaction, and instructor course evaluations of pre-service general education students who participated in three special education courses in which a variety of instructional media and methods were used. The media used were: (a) a traditional classroom, (b) an online classroom (WebCT), and a (c) class-in-a-box via multimedia CD-ROMs. The various methods used to deliver the instructional content included PowerPoint notes, lecture notes, digital videos, and the textbook. Results of the study revealed that there were no significant differences found between the achievement of the students and the three conditions (e.g., traditional classroom, the online classroom, or the class-in-a-box via multimedia CD-ROMs). Also, no significant differences were found in the student satisfaction of the three groups. All were satisfied with the type of media of instruction in which they participated. Finally, the instructor course evaluation results completed by the three groups were not significantly different, indicating that the three groups evaluated the instructor and the instructional media similarly. The implications of these results for delivering courses via distance education are discussed.

Download Full-text

Cohort-Specific Online Discussion Experiences: A Collaborative And Multidisciplinary Approach To Improving Student Learning

Contemporary Issues in Education Research (CIER) ◽

10.19030/cier.v10i4.10038 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 10 (4) ◽

pp. 241-254 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Adam L. Selhorst ◽

Eric Klein ◽

Justin Harrison

Keyword(s):

Online Education ◽

Student Success ◽

General Education ◽

Student Satisfaction ◽

Online Discussion ◽

Online Discussions ◽

Progression Rate ◽

Cohort Size ◽

Grade Point ◽

Significant Difference

Research addressing the effects of cohort size on student success in asynchronous online discussions is sparse. As such, the following study attempted to determine an optimal student cohort size to enhance success and engagement within online discussions in general education courses at a large post-secondary university consisting of predominately adult learners. Experimental courses split mandatory discussions into one, two, or three cohorts to maintain a discussion size of no more than ten students per cohort per week. The effects of cohort size on student grade-point-average (GPA), withdraw rate, fail rate, and progression rate was evaluated in addition to effects on student satisfaction as measured by end-of-course surveys (EoCS). Results showed no significant difference in either student success or student satisfaction between courses with one, two, or three online discussion cohorts. Future online education research should focuses on upper division courses where students might benefit from smaller group discussions.

Download Full-text

Utilization of Interactive Instructional Media in the Delivery of Distance Education in South-East, Nigeria.

10.36265/ijired.2019.010206 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 36-44

Author(s):

Onovo Joseph S.

Keyword(s):

Distance Education ◽

Sampling Technique ◽

Acquisition Training ◽

Instructional Media ◽

Skills Acquisition ◽

State Study ◽

Significant Difference ◽

The Mean ◽

Measurement And Evaluation ◽

Training Programmes

The purpose of the study was to determine the learners perception on the extent to which interactive instructional media are actually utilized in the delivery of distance Education programmes. The study was carried out in the south East Nigeria. A survey Research Design was adopted for the study. Aresearch question and two hypotheses guided the study. 47,084 students of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) and National Teachers Institute (NTI) Distance Education programmes in Abia and Enugu State study centres constituted the population for the study. With a stratified random sampling technique, a sample size of 393 distance learners from the NOUN and NTI centres were sampled and studied. A researcher designed questionnaire was used for data collection. The Instrument was validated by three experts; two in curriculum and instruction and one in measurement and Evaluation. The reliability co-efficient of the instrument was 0.76 obtained through Cronbach Alpha Method. The research questions was tested using mean with standard deviation while the hypotheses were tested using t-test statistics. The data analysis revealed under-utilization of the studied interactive instructional media. There was no significant difference between the mean ratings of the Abia and Enugu study centre students responses, but there was a significant difference between the mean ratings of the Noun and NTI students responses. Based on the findings, it was recommended among others, that awareness, knowledge and skills acquisition training programmes and utilization of interactive instructional media should be severally organized to enable distance learning facilitators exploit the immense benefits and opportunities being offered by the current advancement in information and communication Technology.

Download Full-text

Comparison of Online and Onsite Bioinformatics Instruction for a Fully Online Bioinformatics Master’s Program

Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education ◽

10.1128/jmbe.8.1.22-27.2007 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

pp. 22-27

Author(s):

Kristina M. Obom ◽

Patrick J. Cummings

Keyword(s):

Student Satisfaction ◽

Content Delivery ◽

Course Evaluation ◽

Exam Performance ◽

Master's Program ◽

Student Responses ◽

Master Of Science ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Course Load ◽

Bioinformatics Education

The completely online Master of Science in Bioinformatics program differs from the onsite program only in the mode of content delivery. Analysis of student satisfaction indicates no statistically significant difference between most online and onsite student responses, however, online and onsite students do differ significantly in their responses to a few questions on the course evaluation queries. Analysis of student exam performance using three assessments indicates that there was no significant difference in grades earned by students in online and onsite courses. These results suggest that our model for online bioinformatics education provides students with a rigorous course of study that is comparable to onsite course instruction and possibly provides a more rigorous course load and more opportunities for participation.

Download Full-text

Pengembangan Media Pelajaran Kelas Flipped Berbasis Animasi untuk Meningkatkan Pemahaman Konsep Kimia

Jurnal Pendidikan: Teori, Penelitian, dan Pengembangan ◽

10.17977/jptpp.v5i3.13293 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 5 (3) ◽

pp. 387

Author(s):

Margaret Pandaleke ◽

Munzil Munzil ◽

Sumari Sumari

Keyword(s):

Conceptual Understanding ◽

Flipped Classroom ◽

Traditional Classroom ◽

Learning Approach ◽

Flipped Learning ◽

Development Research ◽

Instructional Media ◽

Average Value ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Validation Score

Abstact: The purpose of this study was to produce instructional media with classroom flipped learning approach and to find out the effectiveness of instructional media developed towards conceptual understanding. The product of the development research is instructional media with classroom flipped learning approach on thermochemistry and coligative properties in the form of an application program executable files (* .exe). This media has content validation score 74 which achieve a good kriteria. There is a significant difference in conceptual understansing between flipped classroom and traditional classroom with a significance value of the Mann Whitney test is 0.00. The average value conceptual understanding of flipped classroom and traditional classroom for are 73 and 62 respectively.Abstrak: Tujuan penelitian adalah menghasilkan media pembelajaran dengan pendekatan pembelajaran flipped classroom dan mengetahui efektivitas dari media pembelajaran yang dikembangkan terhadap pemahaman konsep. Produk dari penelitian pengembangan ini adalah media pembelajaran flipped classroom pada materi termokimia dan sifat koligatif larutan dalam bentuk program aplikasi berupa file executable (*.exe). Media ini memiliki validasi konten dengan skor 74 yang masuk pada kriteria layak. Terdapat perbedaan yang signifikan pemahaman konsep antara flipped classroom dan kelas tradisional dengan nilai uji signifikasi uji Mann Whitney 0,00. Nilai rata-rata emahaman konsep flipped classroom dan kelas tradisional berturut-turut untuk p adalah 73 dan 62.

Download Full-text

From Enrollment to Membership: “Belonging” in Middle and High School Classes

Journal of the Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps ◽

10.1177/154079699702200101 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 22 (1) ◽

pp. 1-15 ◽

Cited By ~ 31

Author(s):

Roberta F. Schnorr

Keyword(s):

High School ◽

General Education ◽

Students With Disabilities ◽

General Class ◽

Secondary Level ◽

Severe Disabilities ◽

Education Students ◽

General Education Students ◽

Class Participation

This study examined the meaning of “belonging” or membership in four secondary level general education classes. One or two students with moderate or severe disabilities were enrolled in each of these classes. Participant observations and interviews were used to gain an understanding of participation and membership from the perspectives of students without disabilities who attended these classes. Findings indicated that student membership depends on affiliation with a subgroup of peers within the class. General class participation and interactions influenced an individual's status within the group, but were not enough to create member status. General education students also reported taking active steps when they joined a class to get connected with a subgroup. In these classes, only two students with disabilities connected with subgroups and were, therefore, viewed as members. Considerations are offered for promoting classroom membership for students with moderate or severe disabilities.

Download Full-text

Do High-Achieving Students Benefit From Honors College Participation? A Look at Student Engagement for First-Year Students and Seniors

journal for the education of the gifted ◽

10.1177/0162353218781753 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 41 (3) ◽

pp. 217-241 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Angie L. Miller ◽

Amber D. Dumford

Keyword(s):

Student Engagement ◽

General Education ◽

First Year ◽

Integrative Learning ◽

Education Students ◽

First Year Students ◽

General Education Students ◽

Honors College ◽

Faculty Interaction ◽

College Participation

This study investigates findings from the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), comparing various aspects of student engagement between honors college and general education students. Responses from 1,339 honors college students and 7,191 general education students across 15 different universities suggest a positive impact for honors college participation on reflective and integrative learning, use of learning strategies, collaborative learning, diverse discussions, student–faculty interaction, and quality of interactions for first-year students, even when controlling for student and institutional characteristics. For senior students, honors college participation was related to more frequent student–faculty interaction. Potential experiential and curricular reasons for these differences are discussed, along with implications for educators, researchers, parents, and students.

Download Full-text

Students’ perception and satisfaction of services provided by public and private higher education institutes: a case study in Albania

International Journal of Quality and Service Sciences ◽

10.1108/ijqss-05-2020-0077 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Drita Kruja ◽

Huong Ha ◽

Elvira Tabaku

Keyword(s):

Higher Education ◽

Service Quality ◽

Eastern Europe ◽

Student Satisfaction ◽

Instructional Effectiveness ◽

Private Higher Education ◽

Public And Private ◽

Content Type ◽

Significant Difference ◽

The Individual

Purpose There have been many research studies on students’ satisfaction of services in universities in developed countries. However, students’ expectation and satisfaction of public and private higher education institutions (HEIs) with regard to service quality in Eastern Europe have been under-researched. Therefore, this study aims to offer an empirical examination of student satisfaction of the service quality of public and private HEIs in Albania by evaluating the gap between students’ expectation and perception and the effect of student satisfaction on retention in HEIs. Design/methodology/approach The survey instrument used in this study was the student satisfaction inventory in the USA. Primary data were collected from a survey of students in two private and four public HEIs in Albania. A total of 554 valid responses were collected from the survey. Findings The findings suggested that there were performance gaps between public and private HEIs. Public universities performed well in terms of concern for the individual, campus support services, student-centeredness and instructional effectiveness. Private HEIs scored well in terms of concern for the individual, academic advising effectiveness, instructional effectiveness and safety and security (parking). There is a significant difference in students’ perception of the overall satisfaction of HEIs. Students’ overall satisfaction positively impacts their retention. Originality/value Overall, this study provides valuable insights to private and public HEIs’ administrators regarding to student satisfaction and retention. The findings will have far-reaching managerial implications for all groups of stakeholders in terms of the service delivery by universities in Albania and Eastern Europe.

Download Full-text

Accommodating Students with Disabilities on Large-Scale Tests: An Experimental Study

Council review ◽

10.1177/001440299806400401 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 64 (4) ◽

pp. 439-450 ◽

Cited By ~ 65

Author(s):

Gerald Tindal ◽

Bill Heath ◽

Keith Hollenbeck ◽

Patricia Almond ◽

Mark Harniss

Keyword(s):

General Education ◽

Students With Disabilities ◽

Large Scale ◽

Standard Condition ◽

Standard Test ◽

Test Administration ◽

General Education Students ◽

Trained Teacher ◽

Reading And Math ◽

Math Test

In this study, fourth-grade special and general education students took a large-scale state-wide test using standard test administration procedures and two major accommodations addressing response conditions and test administration. On both reading and math tests, students bubbled in answers on a separate sheet (the standard condition) for half the test and marked the test booklet directly (the accommodated condition) for the other half of the test. For a subgroup of students, the math test was read to them by a trained teacher. Although no differences were found in the response conditions, an interaction was found in the test administration conditions (orally reading the test), supporting this accommodation for students with disabilities.

Download Full-text

Paramedic Student Performance: Comparison of Online with On-Campus Lecture Delivery Methods

Prehospital and Disaster Medicine ◽

10.1017/s1049023x00003800 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 21 (4) ◽

pp. 261-267 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Michael W. Hubble ◽

Michael E. Richards

Keyword(s):

Academic Performance ◽

Learning Styles ◽

Student Performance ◽

Classroom Environment ◽

Educational Process ◽

Traditional Classroom ◽

Classroom Setting ◽

Online Students ◽

Convenience Sample ◽

Significant Difference

AbstractIntroduction:Colleges and universities are experiencing increasing demand for online courses in many healthcare disciplines, including emergency medical services (EMS). Development and implementation of online paramedic courses with the quality of education experienced in the traditional classroom setting is essential in order to maintain the integrity of the educational process. Currently, there is conflicting evidence of whether a significant difference exists in student performance between online and traditional nursing and allied health courses. However, there are no published investigations of the effectiveness of online learning by paramedic students.Hypothesis:Performance of paramedic students enrolled in an online, undergraduate, research methods course is equivalent to the performance of students enrolled in the same course provided in a traditional, classroom environment.Methods:Academic performance, learning styles, and course satisfaction surveys were compared between two groups of students. The course content was identical for both courses and taught by the same instructor during the same semester. The primary difference between the traditional course and the online course was the method of lecture delivery. Lectures for the on-campus students were provided live in a traditional classroom setting using PowerPoint slides. Lectures for the online students were provided using the same PowerPoint slides with prerecorded streaming audio and video.Results:A convenience sample of 23 online and 10 traditional students participated in this study. With the exception of two learning domains, the two groups of students exhibited similar learning styles as assessed using the Grasha-Riechmann Student Learning Style Scales instrument. The online students scored significantly lower in the competitive and dependent dimensions than did the on-campus students. Academic performance was similar between the two groups. The online students devoted slightly more time to the course than did the campus students, although this difference did not reach statistical significance. In general, the online students believed the online audio lectures were more effective than the traditional live lectures.Conclusion:Distance learning technology appears to be an effective mechanism for extending didactic paramedic education off-campus, and may be beneficial particularly to areas that lack paramedic training programs or adequate numbers of qualified instructors.

Download Full-text