scholarly journals Implementing wiki software for supplementing online learning

Author(s):  
Sheung On Choy ◽  
Kwok Chi Ng

<span>This paper reports on a study which investigates the implementation of a wiki system as an additional tool to support student learning in an IT related course offered by the Open University of Hong Kong (OUHK). It focuses on a set of interview data related to the tutors' and students' views on and experience of their use or otherwise of the system in the course. The key results on the tutors' and students' participation in the wiki and factors which facilitated or hindered their use of the system are discussed. The findings indicate that the extent of training provision, the wiki pedagogy and participants' readiness for and awareness of their roles in a collaborative online learning environment are major factors affecting the effective use of the wiki. The add on nature of the wiki in this study also caused workload and motivation problems for the participants. Based on the results, strategies are suggested for implementing wiki based learning in both the OUHK and the wider academic context.</span>

Author(s):  
Rachelle Dene Poth

Studies have focused on social presence and its meaning in both traditional face-to-face classroom settings as well as an online learning environment. Technology usage is increasing in classrooms, making opportunities for learning available to many more people than in prior years. The theme of social presence continues to be studied as an important element in fostering student learning and growth. In particular, the focus is on the meaning of social presence, how to develop it as an instructor or learner in the learning community, and how social presence can positively impact all members of the learning community. The main questions that this chapter addresses are: Why study social presence? What is the meaning of social presence? What is the research behind social presence? How does an individual cultivate and project social presence in a learning environment?


Author(s):  
Peter Jakubowicz

In contrast to the formal school setting where learning is often linear, structured and controlled (be it online or face-to-face), for the ‘net generation,’ (Google, MySpace, MSN, YouTube and Yahoo) learning is often incidental and a sense of ‘fun’ is frequently of great importance. Such students’ learning is often non-linear, unstructured and explained well by the tenets of Anderson’s theory of online learning. This research discusses the benefits of fostering non-linearity in an online learning environment. A case study of an online business communication course at a university in Hong Kong is used to illustrate the importance of non-linear online learning by demonstrating how participants in this course adopted learning approaches that are consistent with, and a reflection of, the theory of online learning. Qualitative data from complete sets of online communication (including focus group interviews) collected over a one-semester, tertiary level course conducted at a university in Hong Kong are analyzed. The findings show that Chinese-speaking learners’ online interactions, categorized into three broad areas (cognitive, affective and social), demonstrate that interactivity is a key feature of an online learning environment. Its nature is exposed and discussed, not least the finding that for the participants in this study, learning was incidental and a sense of ‘fun’ was important. The study suggests ways in which online theory can contribute to, as well as help in, understanding this phenomenon and makes recommendations for future research.


Author(s):  
Sue Trinidad ◽  
Jill Aldridge ◽  
Barry Fraser

<span>This article reports the development, validation and use of a survey for assessing students' perceptions of their e-learning environments. The Online Learning Environment Survey (OLES) was administered to 325 students, 131 in Australia and 194 in Hong Kong. The data were analysed to examine 1) the reliability and validity of the survey, 2) differences between the perceptions of a) students' actual and preferred environment, b) students and their teacher and c) male and female students and 3) whether associations exist between students' perceptions of their e-learning environment and their enjoyment of e-learning. In addition to quantitative data, unstructured interviews were used to provide a more in depth understanding of the e-learning environments created. These data provide valuable feedback to educators working in e-learning environments to help teachers to evaluate the effectiveness of the environment and to make adjustments and improvements as required.</span>


Author(s):  
Maria Orlando ◽  
Linda Howard

Online learning in higher education has become increasingly popular because of the convenience and flexibility that it provides. Self-regulated learning, which requires students to plan, monitor, and assess their own learning, has been recognized as a key predictor of academic achievement and motivation in student learning. Few students, however, naturally do this. In order to guide students to become self-regulated learners and for these experiences to be successful for both the students and the instructor, instructors should use pedagogical strategies that differ slightly from those they have used in traditional classrooms. The purpose of this chapter is two-fold: to identify some of the challenges presented to students in an online learning environment and to give an overview of some possible solutions that an instructor can implement in order to address those challenges and give students tools to help them to become self-regulated learners.


Author(s):  
Susan J. Crim ◽  
Thomas G. Reio

Limited studies on social presence in online learning do not lend themselves to understanding its effects on student learning. Research indicates a heightened need for examining the relationship between social presence and perceived learning and satisfaction as well as retention in online courses. Incorporating social presence into online courses might promote better learning. Further research on learning in an online environment is necessary to guide educators in delivering the best educational environment.


Author(s):  
Rachelle Dene Poth

Studies have focused on social presence and its meaning in both traditional face-to-face classroom settings as well as an online learning environment. Technology usage is increasing in classrooms, making opportunities for learning available to many more people than in prior years. The theme of social presence continues to be studied as an important element in fostering student learning and growth. In particular, the focus is on the meaning of social presence, how to develop it as an instructor or learner in the learning community, and how social presence can positively impact all members of the learning community. The main questions that this chapter addresses are: Why study social presence? What is the meaning of social presence? What is the research behind social presence? How does an individual cultivate and project social presence in a learning environment?


Author(s):  
Ni Chang

One of the instructional methods, which is favored by students and which could arguably provide high quality educational opportunities, is faculty presence, as it makes possible the interaction between instructor and students and between students and students in a virtual learning environment. Online instructors and academic administrators in higher education cannot simply hold an assumption that quality online courses or student learning could largely depend upon good internet connectivity, high quality equipment, solid content knowledge of instructors, and beautifully designed online courses. The presence of an online instructor cannot ever be neglected or marginalized in online students' learning success. Therefore, it is highly significant to address the roles that instructors play in an online learning environment in order to underscore the crucial importance of faculty presence in the success of student learning.


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