scholarly journals Participation in Online Courses and Interaction With a Virtual Agent

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Donggil Song ◽  
Marilyn Rice ◽  
Eun Young Oh
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Discussion Board ◽  
Virtual Agent ◽  
Learner Participation ◽  
Learner Achievement ◽  
Interaction Factor ◽  
Two Factors ◽  
Discussion Postings

Online learning environments could be well understood as a multifaceted phenomenon affected by different aspects of learner participation including synchronous/asynchronous interactions. The aim of this study was to investigate learners’ participation in online courses, synchronous interaction with a conversational virtual agent, their relationships with learner performance, and the participation/interaction factor identification. To examine learner participation, we collected learning management system (LMS) log data that included the frequency and length of course access, discussion board postings, and final grades. To examine synchronous learner interaction, we collected learners’ conversation logs from the conversational agent. We calculated the quantity and quality of discussion postings and conversations with the agent. The results showed that the frequency and length of course access, the quantity and quality of discussion postings, and the quality of conversation with the agent were significantly associated with the learner achievement. This study also identified two factors that comprise online learning participation and interaction: interaction quality and LMS-oriented interaction.

scholarly journals Understanding Learner Behaviour in Online Courses through Learning Analytics

2021 ◽  
pp. 381-390
Author(s):  
D. Thammi Raju ◽  
G. R. K. Murthy ◽  
S. B. Khade ◽  
B. Padmaja ◽  
B. S. Yashavanth ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Learning Analytics ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Training Needs ◽  
Online Course ◽  
Quality Of Education ◽  
Time Data

Building an effective online course requires an understanding of learning analytics. The study assumes significance in the COVID 19 pandemic situation as there is a sudden surge in online courses. Analysis of the online course using the data generated from the Moodle Learning Management System (LMS), Google Forms and Google Analytics was carried out to understand the tenants of an effective online course. About 515 learners participated in the initial pre-training needs & expectations’ survey and 472 learners gave feedback at the end, apart from the real-time data generated from LMS and Google Analytics during the course period. This case study analysed online learning behaviour and the supporting learning environment and suggest critical factors to be at the centre stage in the design and development of online courses; leads to the improved online learning experience and thus the quality of education. User needs, quality of resources and effectiveness of online courses are equally important in taking further online courses.

scholarly journals FROM POSTS TO PATTERNS: A METRIC TO CHARACTERIZE DISCUSSION BOARD ACTIVITY IN ONLINE COURSES

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine A. Bliss ◽  
Betty Lawrence
Keyword(s):  
Online Courses ◽  
Large Data ◽  
Discussion Board ◽  
Discussion Boards ◽  
Participation Rates ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Mathematics Courses ◽  
State College ◽  
Empire State College

Asynchronous text based discussion boards are included in many online courses, however strategies to compare their use within and between courses, from a disciplinary standpoint, have not been well documented in the literature. The goal of this project was to develop a multi-factor metric which could be used to characterize discussion board use in a large data set (n=11,596 message posts) and to apply this metric to all Mathematics courses offered in the January 2008 term by the Center for Distance Learning at Empire State College. The results of this work reveal that student participation rates, quantity of student posts, quality of student posts and the extent of threading are well correlated with instructor activity.

Effects of Chronotypes on Students’ Choice, Participation, and Performance in Online Learning

2017 ◽  
Vol 55 (8) ◽  
pp. 1069-1087 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi Luo ◽  
Rui Pan ◽  
Jea H. Choi ◽  
Johannes Strobel
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Significant Relationship ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Biological Clock ◽  
Discussion Board ◽  
Learning Time ◽  
Course Grades ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Blackboard Learn

Introducing a new theoretical framework of chronotypes (inner biological clock), this article presents a study examining students’ choices, participation, and performance in two discussion-heavy online history courses. The study comprised two major parts: a repetition study and an exploratory study. The survey adopted in the repetition study mainly contained questions asking about participants’ preferred time of conducting online learning (a multiple-choice question), why participants choose online learning (7-point Likert scale questions), and questions to identify their chronotypes from the Munich ChronoType Questionnaire. The repetition study confirms the statistically significant relationship among the three factors for choosing online learning: students’ perceived level of control, independence, and satisfaction. A significant correlation is also identified between students’ chronotypes and their preferred online learning time. The second part of the research explored the level of participation and performance of students having different chronotypes. The students’ participation data collected were the timestamps recording each participant’s hits on the Blackboard Learn courses. The performance data were students’ final course grades, discussion board grades, and group wiki grades. The results indicate there is a statistically significant relationship between students’ chronotypes and the time of their activity in online courses. The overall level of participation affects students’ performance in online learning—students who are more active in the learning management system are likely to have higher final course grades. Implications and limitations of the study are discussed.

scholarly journals Ensuring Online Learning Quality: Perspectives from the State University of New York

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristyn Muller ◽  
Kim A Scalzo ◽  
Alexandra M Pickett ◽  
Lisa Dubuc ◽  
Lawrence Dugan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Online Learning ◽  
Online Education ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
The State ◽  
State University ◽  
Institutional Perspective ◽  
Online Programs ◽  
Quality Scorecard

As online learning continues to grow within higher education, it is important for colleges and universities to ensure that they are delivering quality online courses and programs. This paper will discuss the evaluation and assessment of online learning from an institutional perspective. Open SUNY, the system-wide office of online education that supports and services the State University of New York (SUNY), has developed a process using the Online Learning Consortium’s (OLC) Quality Scorecard for the Administration of Online Programs to help SUNY campuses examine and improve the quality of online learning. The first half of this paper will describe the development of that tool and the implementation of the Open SUNY Institutional Readiness Process. The second half of this paper will explain the OLC Quality Scorecard standards for the Evaluation & Assessment section and provide examples of best practices from four different SUNY community colleges.

scholarly journals STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES ON ONLINE LEARNING – ARE THEIR EXPECTATIONS MET BY CURRENT TEACHING PRACTICES?

2021 ◽  
Vol LXIX (1) ◽  
pp. 73-91
Author(s):  
Iulia Gonţa ◽  
Cristina Tripon
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Time Management ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Traditional Learning ◽  
Teacher Student Relationships ◽  
Teacher Student ◽  
Teachers And Students

The challenges of online learning, created by the COVID-19 pandemic, have prompted a significant demand in researching this particular field of education. The adaptation to online learning, unfortunately, was applied in a context of unprepared teachers and students. This situation was caused by the new format of education, which differs significantly from massive open online courses, traditional learning or distance learning. The new hybrid model of education, prompted by the pandemic, has certainly become a trend that could incite future transformations in terms of teaching and learning. To better understand the specifics of this type of online learning, we asked the students (N = 705) from the University POLITEHNICA of Bucharest to express their opinion on their learning experience during the pandemic. The survey included the problems and expectations of the interviewees, and the research results were analyzed in the article. Our goal was to improve educational practices in the virtual educational environment. In this regard, we analyzed the important components of online learning, focusing on the following ones: the quality of the educational resources used to support the content, the improvement of the quality of the teacher- student relationships, time management, online assessment. The article also provides solutions for effective online learning, from the students’ perspective.

scholarly journals Maintaining Quality in Online Learning Environments

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (12) ◽  
pp. 361-367
Author(s):  
Melissa Aldredge ◽  
Sarah DuBois ◽  
Diane Mobley ◽  
Elizabeth Prejean ◽  
Margaret Vienne
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Academic Quality ◽  
Online Classroom ◽  
Careful Planning ◽  
Online Learning Environments ◽  
Security Issues ◽  
Secure Learning

The online classroom continues to play an ever increasing role in higher education. There are proven, research-based pedagogical techniques available to instructors who want to create online courses that are both dynamic and engaging. With careful planning, online learning can provide students with a positive learning experience without sacrificing the academic quality of learning. Addressing security issues and challenges is vital to maintaining the desired academic rigor and quality. This paper discusses these important security issues and offers a variety of solutions for facilitating a secure learning environment.

A Case Study Exploring Quality Standards for Quality E-Learning

2011 ◽  
pp. 232-240
Author(s):  
Colla J. MacDonald ◽  
Terrie Lynn Thompson
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Quality Standards ◽  
Critical Issue ◽  
Educational Institutions ◽  
Online Programs ◽  
Learning Programs ◽  
E Learning

In order to satisfy the needs of growing numbers of adult learners, the availability of well-designed, effectively implemented, and efficiently delivered online courses is essential (MacDonald, Stodel & Casimiro, 2006; Palloff & Pratt, 2001). Despite the demand and prevalence of e-learning, there are still concerns regarding the quality and effectiveness of education offered online (Carstens & Worsfold, 2000; Noble, 2002). Too often, in an “effort to simply get something up and running” (Dick, 1996, p. 59), educators have been forced to compromise quality and design. Intensive competition among educational institutions has resulted in quality assurance becoming a critical issue for promoting learning and learning programs. Within this economically motivated environment, online learning has not escaped the scrutiny of quality standards. Quality in online programs is generally defined in terms of the design of the learning experience, the contextualized experience of learners, and evidence of learning outcomes (Jung, 2000; Salmon, 2000). However, the plethora of online learning courses and programs with few standards to ensure the quality of content, delivery, and/or service creates a challenge. The resulting variance in quality makes it difficult for an organization or learner to choose a program that meets their needs and is also of high quality.

A Practical Guide to Evaluate Quality of Online Courses

2010 ◽  
pp. 228-248
Author(s):  
Yungwei Hao ◽  
Gary Borich
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Online Course ◽  
Course Structure ◽  
Decomposition Model ◽  
Practical Guide ◽  
Architectural Framework

This chapter introduces a graphic approach to define quality inonline courses. The Decomposition Model (Borich & Jemelka, 1982) is used to illustrate course structure and the salient characteristics of an effective online course. The constraints that influence the success of online courses are discussed. Salient transactions (activities) that occur in online coursesare described. And the means-end continuum in the process of online learning is illustrated graphically. The chapter is expected to provide readers with a whole picture of a qualityonline course through an architectural framework.

scholarly journals A Framework for Applying the Learning Sciences to MOOC Design

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Darcy G. Gordon ◽  
Mary Ellen Wiltrout
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Course Design ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Learning Experiences ◽  
Learning Sciences ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Evidence Based Practices ◽  
Improved Learning

Evidence-based practices grounded in the learning sciences provide an opportunity for improved learning experiences in traditional in-person, as well as in hybrid and online environments. We advocate specifically that large-scale, online learning experiences, such as Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) benefit from applications of the learning sciences. To that end, we present a description of how and why we use specific learning science practices in a biochemistry MOOC with the intention to contribute to the discussion about the quality of online learning experiences and lower the barrier for other practitioners seeking a framework for implementing evidence-based course design. We believe that the application of the learning sciences makes online learning experiences more rigorous and effective, and practitioners should optimize the use of these strategies through clever tests in specific contexts.

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