Making Sense of Building Online Learning Communities

2014 ◽  
pp. 91-116
Author(s):  
Justina Kwapy
Keyword(s):  
Distance Education ◽  
Online Learning ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Virtual Community ◽  
Social Needs ◽  
Dropout Rates ◽  
Making Sense ◽  
Traditional Programs ◽  
Learning Programs

The last decade has brought an increase in online courses in the educational setting. Online enrollment has increased from 1.98 million in 2003 to 2.35 million in 2004 (Allen & Seaman, 2005). While students, higher universities, and faculty are enjoying the convenience and flexibility of online learning environments, there is an increasing concern over the support in distance education, teaching methods, and a social disconnectedness of students from the course. This chapter explores how these factors can impede a successful online learning experience and can cause dissatisfaction and higher dropout rates among students in distance learning programs. Carr (2000) found higher dropout rates for distance education (10-20%) over traditional programs. Higher institution’s online faculty are now faced with the task of creating a virtual community of learners, meeting both academic and social needs of students.

Making Sense of Building Online Learning Communities

2018 ◽  
pp. 857-885
Author(s):  
Justina Kwapy
Keyword(s):  
Distance Education ◽  
Online Learning ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Virtual Community ◽  
Social Needs ◽  
Dropout Rates ◽  
Making Sense ◽  
Traditional Programs ◽  
Learning Programs

The last decade has brought an increase in online courses in the educational setting. Online enrollment has increased from 1.98 million in 2003 to 2.35 million in 2004 (Allen & Seaman, 2005). While students, higher universities, and faculty are enjoying the convenience and flexibility of online learning environments, there is an increasing concern over the support in distance education, teaching methods, and a social disconnectedness of students from the course. This chapter explores how these factors can impede a successful online learning experience and can cause dissatisfaction and higher dropout rates among students in distance learning programs. Carr (2000) found higher dropout rates for distance education (10-20%) over traditional programs. Higher institution's online faculty are now faced with the task of creating a virtual community of learners, meeting both academic and social needs of students.

Technology and Culturally Competent Strategies for the Online Classroom

2020 ◽  
pp. 207-239
Author(s):  
Justina Elise Kwapy
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Learning Environments ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Virtual Community ◽  
Social Needs ◽  
Online Faculty ◽  
Culturally Competent ◽  
Online Classroom ◽  
Learning Programs

The last decade has brought an increase in online courses in the educational setting. One-quarter of American college students are in an online degree program, and 32% have taken at least one online course. While students, higher universities, and faculty are enjoying the convenience and flexibility of online learning environments, there is an increasing concern over the support in distance education, teaching methods, and a social disconnectedness of students from the course. This chapter explores how technology can support a successful online learning experience and impede the dissatisfaction and higher dropout rates among students in distance learning programs. Higher institution's online faculty are now faced with the task of creating a virtual community of learners, meeting both the academic and social needs of students.

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.

Learners’ perceptions of instructor feedback in e-learning courses – findings from HBMSU, United Arab Emirates

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niyi Awofeso ◽  
Moyosola Bamidele
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Student Perception ◽  
Test Reliability ◽  
Specific Information ◽  
Limited Participation ◽  
Instructor Feedback ◽  
Learning Programs ◽  
Real Person

Instructor feedback is constructive and specific information provided by an instructor to a learner on his or her course work and/or class contributions in relation to the course objectives and expectations. Effective instructor feedback is particularly important in online learning as learners are more likely to withdraw from online learning environments due to delayed, or inadequate feedback, compared with students enrolled in physical classes. Not all learners are equally active, and there are indeed learners who hardly take an active part in online course activities -the so-called lurkers. Courteous instructor feedback to such learners on their limited participation has been shown to improve learners’ participation in online courses. Diligent learners engaged in online learning programs expect feedback to be contextual, supportive, constructive, timely, substantive, summative and formative.  This study examined the perceptions of 66 undergraduate and postgraduate learners on feedback provided in eight online courses facilitated by the same instructor at the School of Health and Environmental Studies, Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University, Dubai, UAE between August 2014 and December 2015. Data collection from learners was anonymized and participation was voluntary. The survey sought to elicit learners’ perceptions on the extent to which feedback provided in specified courses were motivational, timely, frequent, supportive, and individualized. A polytomous Rasch model was utilized to analyze the data with Winsteps and STATA. Analysis of the 20 survey questions revealed a real person reliability of 0.82 and a Cronbach Alpha test reliability of 0.96, suggesting that the scale discriminates well between the persons. The real item separation reliability of 0.77 suggests that the questions are reliable in measuring the specified items.  Descriptive analyses revealed general agreement among the majority of learners on the effectiveness of feedback provided by the instructor, although Infit and Outfit Z-standard deviation statistics revealed two questions with unexpected rare (i.e. “mostly disagree” or “completely disagree”) extremes in several learners’ responses.  Unlike single questions related to learner feedback in most Student Perception of Teaching Surveys, this survey instrument comprehensively explores the dimensions of instructor feedback, aspects of which may not be previously known to learners or instructors. Our results indicate that systematic collection and analysis of learners’ feedback comments have a strong potential to enhance feedback competencies of course facilitators, as well as provide a common platform for both learners and course facilitators vis-à-vis the diverse objectives of instructor feedback.  

scholarly journals Computer Literacy and Online Learning Attitude toward GSOE Students in Distance Education Programs

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 147 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lung-Yu Li ◽  
Long-Yuan Lee
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Computer Literacy ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
The Body ◽  
Education Management ◽  
Learning Attitude ◽  
Learning Attitudes ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Learning Programs ◽  
Managerial Implications

<p>The purpose of this study was to explore graduate students’ competencies in computer use and their attitudes toward online learning in asynchronous online courses of distance learning programs in a Graduate School of Education (GSOE) in Taiwan. The research examined the relationship between computer literacy and the online learning attitudes of these students. Data were collected via a survey through 252 GSOE students in Taiwan. Results revealed a significant positive relationship between computer literacy and online learning attitude among the students. Higher computer literacy was correlated with higher online learning attitude. However, no statistically significant difference was found in online learning attitude by gender or by age group. Suggestions and managerial implications were discussed in the study, and would provide contribution both to the body of knowledge in the filed of education management.</p>

scholarly journals A guide for evaluation of online learning in medical education: a qualitative reflective analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nourhan F. Wasfy ◽  
Enjy Abouzeid ◽  
Asmaa Abdel Nasser ◽  
Samar A. Ahmed ◽  
Ilham Youssry ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medical Education ◽  
Online Learning ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Organizational Capacity ◽  
Expert Consensus ◽  
Educational Effectiveness ◽  
Education Community ◽  
Rapid Shift

Abstract Background With the strike of Covid-19, an unprecedented rapid shift to remote learning happened worldwide with a paradigm shift to online learning from an institutional adjuvant luxury package and learner choice into a forced solo choice. This raises the question of quality assurance. While some groups have already established standards for online courses, teaching and programs yet very little information is included on methodology of their development and very little emphasis is placed on the online learning experience. Nevertheless, no work has been done specifically for medical education institutions. Aim To develop a set of descriptors for best practice in online learning in medical education utilizing existing expertise and needs. Methods This work utilizes a qualitative multistage approach to identify the descriptors of best practice in online learning starting with a question guided focus group, thematic analysis, Delphi technique and an expert consensus session done simultaneously for triangulation. This was done involving 32 institution in 19 countries. Results This materialized into the development of a set of standards, indicators, and development of a checklist for each standard area. The standard areas identified were organizational capacity, educational effectiveness, and human resources each of which listed a number of standards. Expert consensus sessions identified the need for qualification of data and thus the development of indicators for best practice. Conclusion Standards are needed for online learning experience and their development and redesign is situational and needs to be enhanced methodologically in axes that are pertaining to the needs of the education community. Taking such axes into consideration by educators and institutions will lead to planning and implementing successful online learning activities, while taking them into consideration by the evaluators will help them conduct comprehensive audits and provide stakeholders with highly informative evaluation reports.

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 A snapshot of online learners: e-Readiness, e-Satisfaction and expectations

2015 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hale Ilgaz ◽  
Yasemin Gülbahar
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Adult Learners ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Online Learners ◽  
Satisfaction Scale ◽  
Online Programs ◽  
Program Administrators ◽  
Learning Programs ◽  
E Learning

The popularity of online programs that educational institutions offer is continuously increasing at varying degrees, with the major demand coming from adult learners who have no opportunity to access traditional education. These adult learners have to be sufficiently ready and competent for online learning, and have their own varied expectations from the online learning process. Hence, this mixed method study is conducted to explore the participants’ readiness and expectations at the beginning and their satisfaction levels at the end of an online learning experience. An e-readiness scale and an e-satisfaction scale was administered as quantitative measures, with open-ended questions gathering qualitative data. Participants of the research were registered to different e-learning programs at Ankara University Distance Education Center, Turkey, during the 2013-2014 academic year. Analysis of both quantitative and qualitative data revealed facts about online learners, which should prove useful to both e-instructors and e-program administrators.

The Same but Different

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-32
Author(s):  
Maria Northcote
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Learning ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Technological Innovations ◽  
Research Directions ◽  
Learning Programs ◽  
History Of ◽  
Future Research Directions ◽  
Practical Recommendations

The field of online learning, like many other technological innovations, has not burgeoned without controversy. Despite the debates about the role and value of online learning, it has continued to grow in many sectors, especially in higher education. Alongside the growth of online learning, discussions about its benefits and limitations have also flourished, and many studies have investigated the quality and integrity of online courses. This chapter offers an investigation of some of the history of online learning, concluding with a collection of practical recommendations and suggestions for future research directions to guide institutions embarking on online learning programs.

Understanding the Online Learner

2009 ◽  
pp. 482-494 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven W. Schmidt
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Learning ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Drop Out ◽  
Traditional Classrooms ◽  
Education Programs ◽  
Online Learners ◽  
The People ◽  
Learning Programs

The expansion of distance education programs has allowed institutions of higher education to be successful in their collective mission to make educational programs more accessible to adults who normally would not have that access. Indeed, online learning has brought education to the people. Access to school is now as simple as logging on to the Internet in the privacy of one’s own home. Who are these students taking courses online? Why are they in online courses versus traditional classrooms? What is different about them, about their situations, and their expectations? Why are some online learners successful and others not? Why do some online learners continue to work through programs while others drop out? For online learning programs to be successful in the long term, it is important to have a thorough understanding of the online learner. This chapter examines the adult online learner in higher education.

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