PROGRESSING FROM THE EMERGENCY TO THE OPTIMUM IN ONLINE LEARNING: THE SWITCH TO DIGITAL LEARNING IN HIGHER EDUCATION DURING THE ONGOING PANDEMIC CRISIS

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Grammatikou ◽  
Marco Montanari ◽  
Dimitris Pantazatos ◽  
Ingrid Barth ◽  
Allan Third ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Learning ◽  
Digital Learning

scholarly journals COVID-19 pandemic’s disruption on university teaching and learning and competence cultivation: Student evaluation of online learning experiences in Hong Kong

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 221258682110070
Author(s):  
Ka Ho Mok ◽  
Weiyan Xiong ◽  
Hamzah Nor Bin Aedy Rahman
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Learning ◽  
Hong Kong ◽  
Social Presence ◽  
Online Teaching ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Student Evaluation ◽  
Learning Experiences ◽  
University Teaching ◽  
Digital Learning

The COVID-19 pandemic outbreak has forced online teaching and learning to be the primary instruction format in higher education globally. One of the worrying concerns about online learning is whether this method is effective, specifically when compared to face-to-face classes. This descriptive quantitative study investigates how students in higher education institutions in Hong Kong evaluated their online learning experiences during the pandemic, including the factors influencing their digital learning experiences. By analysing the survey responses from 1,227 university students in Hong Kong, this study found that most of the respondents felt dissatisfied with their online learning experiences and effectiveness. Meanwhile, this study confirms that respondents’ household income level and information technology literacy affected their online learning effectiveness. Moreover, this study highlights the significant contributions of the community of inquiry, which places social presence on the promotion of a whole person development that could not be achieved when relying mainly on online learning. Findings encourage university leaders and instructors to search for multiple course delivery modes to nurture students to become caring leaders with the 21st century skills and knowledge set.

Getting “Girly” Online

2018 ◽  
pp. 871-889
Author(s):  
Jen Almjeld
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Learning ◽  
Gender Gap ◽  
Gender Disparity ◽  
Gender Performance ◽  
Teaching Tool ◽  
Digital Learning ◽  
Learning Spaces ◽  
Educational Spaces ◽  
Online Spaces

While MOOCs and other fully online educational spaces and tools continue to proliferate at institutions of higher education, some worry over a persistent gender gap in online learning (Paul, 2014; Straumsheim, 2013). As debate continues regarding the existence of a digital gender divide, the perception of the gap may be enough to give female learners the idea that digital learning spaces are not for them. Females particularly may be silenced in MOOCs and other online spaces not by instructors or fellow learners, but by cultural expectations. I offer here reflections on two fully online girlhood studies courses interrogating notions of gender performance, norms, and scripts as successful models for positioning gender disparity as a teaching tool rather than a barrier to learning. The piece ends with six recommendations—most rooted in feminist pedagogy—for making MOOCs more welcoming to all genders and learners.

From Face-to-Face to Digital Learning

2021 ◽  
pp. 114-125
Author(s):  
Dionisia Tzavara ◽  
Dimitrios Koufopoulos
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Learning ◽  
Learning Environments ◽  
Instructional Delivery ◽  
Learning Design ◽  
Digital Learning ◽  
Teaching Experiences ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Theoretical Considerations

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, universities worldwide were forced to close their campuses and move instructional delivery to a digital mode. Many argued that this massive emergency digitalisation of instructional delivery was a major move of higher education toward online learning. However, this view overlooks considerations of pedagogy and of online learning design and delivery. Online learning is not just about uploading content to an online space or about moving all lectures online, and there is a whole theory behind designing online learning environments and delivering online learning. This chapter will discuss key theoretical considerations behind online learning design and delivery in relation to the digitalisation of higher education during COVID-19 with a view to make recommendations that will help universities design fulfilling and effective online learning and teaching experiences for their students and faculty.

scholarly journals From Face-to-Face to Digital Learning; Seen from EFL Student's Lenses Enrolled in Online Group Work

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 258-267
Author(s):  
Ika Harianingsih ◽  
Zailani Jusoh ◽  
Ridwan Muhammad Nur
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Learning ◽  
Group Work ◽  
Virus Disease ◽  
Digital Learning ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Qualitative Research Design ◽  
Main Technique ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
Online Group

Numerous higher education institutions around the world must shift their instructions from face-to-face (FTF) to online learning due to Corona Virus Disease in 2019 (Covid19). Furthermore, with the increase in popularity of group work in higher education, especially in the language classroom, and the pivotal changes over the last years, the group works encounter new challenges as they transition to the online world. The study aims to explore the experiences of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students' engagement in online group works to explore the benefits and challenges in a new learning environment. The qualitative research design provided an in-depth understanding of the students' perceived value of online group work. Further, an interview was used as the main technique in collecting the data from the entire participants. Furthermore, the findings demonstrated that students had generally good attitudes about online group work; however, some students noted that language and communications concerns presented difficulty at times. Nevertheless, the findings also demonstrated that the benefits of this experience surpassed the drawbacks. Thus, the study's findings can be valuable for practitioners and curriculum designers since they highlight the benefits of group work in an online learning setting and the students' problems they may confront during these classes.

scholarly journals Digital Literacy in Higher Education: A Case Study of Student Engagement with E-Tutorials Using Blended Learning

10.28945/4190 ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 18 ◽  
pp. 001-028 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claire McGuinness ◽  
Crystal Fulton
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Learning ◽  
Blended Learning ◽  
Digital Literacy ◽  
Learning Objects ◽  
User Engagement ◽  
Digital Learning ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Digital Learning Objects

Aim/Purpose: This paper reports on a case study project which had three goals; to develop a suite of original interactive digital skills e-tutorials to be embedded in undergraduate and postgraduate courses; to evaluate the students’ experience and engagement with the e-tutorials over one semester; and to explore their general attitudes towards online and blended learning. Background: Online and blended learning modes continue to grow in popularity in higher education, with the aim of streamlining and enhancing student learning, supporting collaboration and creativity, and equipping students with the skills they will require to work and live in an increasingly digitized world. This practice-based case study highlights factors which positively and negatively affect user engagement with digital learning objects and explores students’ perceptions of the role of online learning within their academic programs. Methodology: A suite of nine interactive e-tutorials, addressing essential digital literacy skills for university students, was developed through instructor and student peer collaboration using Articulate software, informed by best practice. The e-tutorials were embedded in the institutional Learning Management System for three undergraduate and postgraduate courses, in which digital literacy formed the core learning content, to complement classroom-based learning. Students in these courses were surveyed via SurveyMonkey about their specific experience of using the e-tutorials, as well as their general perceptions of digital literacy and online learning. Eighty-six students in total completed the questionnaire, which consisted of twenty-three closed- and open-ended questions. Contribution: Through highlighting both the positive and the challenging aspects of the students’ reported experience of online learning, this case study contributes useful insights to the body of literature on user engagement with digital learning objects in higher education, as well as students’ perceptions and experience of blended learning. Findings: The e-tutorials were perceived as valuable in reinforcing classroom learning, allowing respondents to revise concepts and materials covered in face-to-face classes, at their own pace and in their own time. Survey responses showed that the accessibility, ease-of-use, design and duration of the e-tutorials were deemed effective in terms of user engagement; however, several technological challenges were identified, such as browser incompatibility, uneven sound quality and general Internet connection issues, which disrupted their learning. Overall, students expressed enjoyment of the learning facilitated by the e-tutorials; however, rather than favoring online learning alone, they expressed a preference for a blended learning environment, with a combination of complementary learning approaches; survey respondents did not generally wish to forego face-to-face classes entirely. Recommendations for Practitioners: Instructors should seek to strategically embed interactive digital learning objects in their courses at defined points of need in a logical structure, e.g., to reinforce classroom-based learning, or to support specific skill development. Potential disruption to learning should be minimized by following best practice guidelines to ensure ease of access, a seamless user experience, and timely feedback, as well as providing adequate support for rapid resolution of technical glitches. Recommendation for Researchers: E-tutorials offer a useful means of exploring ways in which students acquire learning in the digital environment. A wider, collaborative exploration is needed to provide comparative studies which move beyond case studies. Impact on Society: Online learning mechanisms, such as e-tutorials, offer students different means of acquiring essential literacy skills and different ways to interact with content. E-tutorials constitute reusable learning objects, which can be accessed as just-in-time delivery modes, when students perceive they need to review particular skills or reinforce learning material. Future Research: This research is now expanding into different types of reusable learning objects. E-tutorials may be developed in multiple ways, and comparative research around e-tutorial models will deepen our understanding of how students interact with content in formal learning contexts. As the digital educational landscape continues to expand alongside traditional face-to-face and analogue learning modes, a key research focus will be student and instructor perceptions and experience of blended learning in different contexts.

scholarly journals Integrating Educational Technology in East Africa: One Size Does Not Fit All

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Азеб Тадесс ◽  
Ален Уолтер ◽  
Клаудиа Митчелл-Кернан
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Online Learning ◽  
East Africa ◽  
Diffusion Of Innovation ◽  
Digital Learning ◽  
Learning Program ◽  
Decision Matrix ◽  
Integrating Technology ◽  
The U.S

Globalization and the post-industrial economy, combined with a growing number of the youth, has increased the demand for higher education in Africa. Online learning breaks down temporal and geographic barriers creating a digital learning community that offers an opportunity to expand access and meet skills and training demands. Deployment of technology is a principal consideration in implementing an online learning programme, given its centrality in the teaching and learning process. The integration of technology requires a decision-making matrix that provides a phased review of the suitability of solution as well as locally placed contemplation of relevance and user accessibility. Higher education institutions in low connectivity areas need to be deliberative and innovative in selecting which technology best fits their environment and accommodates their students’ limitations. This paper discusses the decision-making process of integrating technology for an online learning pilot project analysed through Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovation (DOI) theory applied to educational technological adoption. The approach of the project considered local infrastructure, university ICT capacity, and user Internet accessibility in the selection of online learning solutions. The process provides insights and understanding of the decision matrix, not only on online learning solutions but also in the broader issue of integrating technology into brick and mortar institutions. Acknowledgements. The paper is based on online learning program implementation in East Africa as part of the university partnership between the U.S. and East African universities funded by the U.S. government.

Building Open-Source Resources for Online Learning in a Higher Education Environment

2013 ◽  
pp. 115-135
Author(s):  
Shalin Hai-Jew
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Learning ◽  
Open Source ◽  
Colleges And Universities ◽  
Institutions Of Higher Education ◽  
Digital Learning ◽  
Education Environment ◽  
The Us ◽  
And Training ◽  
Open Source Development

Faculty, administrators, and staff at institutions of higher education are singularly well poised to create open-source digital learning contents. Creating open-source digital learning contents seems to fit with a university’s mission and the education paradigm of sharing knowledge and training up others to move a domain field forward. Indeed, they have contributed to many open-source endeavors. While individual open-source development endeavors may require a relatively light investment by colleges and universities, the work of building open-source resources involves significant planning in order to support the endeavor in an organized way on a campus. This chapter introduces some of the known challenges and methods to building open-source resources for online learning in the higher education environment in the US.

Getting “Girly” Online

2017 ◽  
pp. 87-105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jen Almjeld
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Learning ◽  
Gender Gap ◽  
Gender Disparity ◽  
Gender Performance ◽  
Teaching Tool ◽  
Digital Learning ◽  
Learning Spaces ◽  
Educational Spaces ◽  
Online Spaces

While MOOCs and other fully online educational spaces and tools continue to proliferate at institutions of higher education, some worry over a persistent gender gap in online learning (Paul, 2014; Straumsheim, 2013). As debate continues regarding the existence of a digital gender divide, the perception of the gap may be enough to give female learners the idea that digital learning spaces are not for them. Females particularly may be silenced in MOOCs and other online spaces not by instructors or fellow learners, but by cultural expectations. I offer here reflections on two fully online girlhood studies courses interrogating notions of gender performance, norms, and scripts as successful models for positioning gender disparity as a teaching tool rather than a barrier to learning. The piece ends with six recommendations—most rooted in feminist pedagogy—for making MOOCs more welcoming to all genders and learners.

Building Open-Source Resources for Online Learning in a Higher Education Environment

2015 ◽  
pp. 948-967
Author(s):  
Shalin Hai-Jew
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Learning ◽  
Open Source ◽  
Colleges And Universities ◽  
Institutions Of Higher Education ◽  
Digital Learning ◽  
Education Environment ◽  
The Us ◽  
And Training ◽  
Open Source Development

Faculty, administrators, and staff at institutions of higher education are singularly well poised to create open-source digital learning contents. Creating open-source digital learning contents seems to fit with a university's mission and the education paradigm of sharing knowledge and training up others to move a domain field forward. Indeed, they have contributed to many open-source endeavors. While individual open-source development endeavors may require a relatively light investment by colleges and universities, the work of building open-source resources involves significant planning in order to support the endeavor in an organized way on a campus. This chapter introduces some of the known challenges and methods to building open-source resources for online learning in the higher education environment in the US.

scholarly journals Integrating E-learning for Administrative Staff Professional Development

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Layla Ajrouh ◽  
Karima Slamti
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Professional Development ◽  
Online Learning ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Digital Learning ◽  
Digital World ◽  
The World ◽  
Unstable Environment ◽  
E Learning

Online learning is increasingly solicited around the world within and across several sectors. It also involves higher education (HE), as it operates in a global, unstable environment, where communication and information technology are the fundamental keys. This study seeks to examine the Moroccan employees’ perception of this innovative way of learning and its impact on their professional development. It also aims at investigating the presence of distance learning as an approach growing in popularity within the administration of Moroccan universities. This qualitative study uses a semi-structured interview with 76 employees in seven Moroccan Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). The results reveal that the majority of participants have rarely used online learning, in spite of their willingness and insistence on its positive impact on their professional progress. The interviewees reported their proactive view to accelerate the implementation of digital learning to meet the world standards, as it would also serve as an appropriate way for their continuous professional development and their ability to face critical situations. The present research shows the significant necessity of integrating new ways of learning in Higher Education Administrations (HEAs). The present work assumes the research hypothesis H1: e-learning is not promoted for employees’ career advancement in Moroccan HEAs. This study recommends an anticipatory vision to transgress any reticence to change, since online learning approach would bring more productivity and success for the administrations and the employees themselves, as well as closer institutional alignment with the revolutionary digital world.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document