Capturing Definitions for a Sustainable Distance Education Ecosystem through an Online Delphi Study

2015 ◽  
pp. 125-139 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Banu Gundogan ◽  
Gulsun Eby ◽  
T. Volkan Yuzer
Keyword(s):  
Distance Education ◽  
Delphi Study ◽  
Scientific Study ◽  
Ecological Perspective ◽  
Research Project ◽  
Living Organisms

In broadest terms, ecology is the scientific study of interactions among organisms and their environment, and ecosystem defines a community of living organisms in conjunction with the nonliving components of their environment interacting as a system. At present, both terms are references of many studies including education; various authors and studies investigating distance education with an ecological perspective refer to the ecosystem concept as frameworks for defining the operational components and processes. Among all these contributions, the concept of “waste,” one of the key concerns of sustainability, seems to be vaguely discussed. Having this as a standpoint, an online Delphi study was carried out in a research project at Anadolu University, Turkey, aiming to define a sustainable distance education ecosystem including the explanation of “waste” with reference to ecosystem definitions. The study was processed online and is explained by both presenting the results and discussing the benefits and also difficulties encountered.

Semiotic Content of Visuals and Communication

2014 ◽  
pp. 174-192
Keyword(s):  
Data Visualization ◽  
Verbal Communication ◽  
Biological Data ◽  
Scientific Study ◽  
Visual Design ◽  
Basic Information ◽  
Natural Processes ◽  
Sign Systems ◽  
Visualization Tools ◽  
Living Organisms

The semiotic content of visual design makes a foundation for non-verbal communication applied to practice, especially for visualizing knowledge. The ways signs convey meaning define the notion of semiotics. After inspection of the notions of sign systems, codes, icons, and symbols further text examines how to tie a sign or symbol to that for which it stands, combine images, and think figuratively or metaphorically. Further text introduces basic information about communication through metaphors, analogies, and about the scientific study of biosemiotics, which examines communication in living organisms aimed at conveying meaning, communicating knowledge about natural processes, and designing the biological data visualization tools.

Distance Education Experts and the Distance Education Ecosystem

2015 ◽  
pp. 211-230
Author(s):  
M. Banu Gundogan
Keyword(s):  
Distance Education ◽  
Learning Environments ◽  
Delphi Study ◽  
The Other ◽  
Input Unit ◽  
Educator Perceptions

This chapter focuses on the analysis of how learners and educators perceive the role of Distance Education Educators (DEE) in a Distance Education Ecosystem (DEco). Scholars have been using ecology and ecosystem definitions as analogies through which definitions and models for creating better learning environments are discussed. This chapter presents an overview of these studies followed by the findings of a research on learner and educator perceptions regarding the role of DEEs within the DEco. The research, based on a former DEco definition compiled in a study at Anadolu University, Turkey, uses a twofold Delphi study: one conducted with experienced DE Learners (DEL) and the other with DEE. In both studies, the participants were asked to define the roles of DEE within the framework of the former DEco constituents and common and differentiating issues are analyzed. DEE, formerly described as a consumer in DEco further was categorized as an input unit, producer, and decomposer. The results revealed four key roles for DEE: empathetic facilitator, devoted expert, productive technology user, and patient negotiator.

scholarly journals Investigating Suggestions for Increasing the Throughput Rate of IS Students

10.28945/2678 ◽  
2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elsa Naude ◽  
Tertia Horne
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Distance Education ◽  
Computer Science ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Tertiary Education ◽  
Provincial Government ◽  
Research Project ◽  
Throughput Rate ◽  
The Past ◽  
Second Year

During the past few years science faculties at tertiary education institutions in South Africa have had to face increasing pressure from national as well as provincial government bodies to improve the student throughput rate. Various suggestions have been made to achieve this goal. This paper investigates the viability of two of these suggestions for solving the throughput problem. It is part of a larger reflexive research project investigating various aspects of the teaching and learning of Computing and IS through distance education. Information from the assignment records and the examination marks of students for a specific Computer Science second year module with a practical component was used for this study.

Religion and Spirituality

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heinz Streib ◽  
Constantin Klein
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Study ◽  
Scientific Concept ◽  
Lived Religion ◽  
Religion And Spirituality ◽  
Semantic Field ◽  
Research Project ◽  
The People ◽  
Psychology Of Spirituality

An enormous change in the semantic field of religion has occurred, by which ‘spirituality’ has emerged as a serious competitor for ‘religion.’ This chapter presents selected results of a recently completed research project about the semantics and psychology of spirituality. Regarding the semantics of spirituality, this research has identified ten components of ‘spirituality’ that characterize a variety of rather contradictory meanings: While ‘spirituality’ can be associated with a theistic worldview for some, it is associated with a non-theistic worldview by others; some understand ‘spirituality’ as lived religion, while others associate it with opposition to religion. The chapter concludes with a discussion of whether spirituality should be a concept in the scientific study of religion. While spirituality should not be established as a scientific concept (to compete with or replace ‘religion’), spirituality as self-attribution of the people on the street needs to be studied.

scholarly journals Teaching Using Collaborative Research Projects: Experiences with Adult Learners in Distance Education

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (18) ◽  
pp. 10437
Author(s):  
Enrique Rosales-Asensio ◽  
Carlos Sierra ◽  
Clara Pérez-Molina ◽  
Jesús Romero-Mayoral ◽  
Antonio Colmenar-Santos
Keyword(s):  
Distance Education ◽  
Adult Learners ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Collaborative Research ◽  
National Agency ◽  
Industrial Control ◽  
Research Project ◽  
Social Competencies ◽  
Degree Of Satisfaction ◽  
European Higher Education

This research studies the acquisition and improvement of specific cognitive, functional, and social competencies of the students enrolled in a university module in which we applied Collaborative Research Project (CRP) strategy. The module was Research Methodology for a master’s degree in research in electrical engineering, electronics and industrial control given at the National Distance Education University (UNED) in Spain. This practice was applied to a research project in which the private sector was interested in. We have been aiming at increasing academia–industry interaction while promoting active learning; both are principles advocated by the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). Having applied this strategy, the module learning outcomes were evaluated following the guideline standards set by the National Agency for Quality Assessment of Universities (ANECA) of the Spanish Government. The results from this evaluation indicated that CRP, even when carried out by using distance learning, has encouraged the students’ interest in both research and the module. It has also fostered collaboration between students and lecturers while increasing their degree of satisfaction. We highlight the difficulties in merging all the outcomes from the students’ research as the main drawback.

scholarly journals An ecological perspective in the evolutionary theology

2020 ◽  
Vol 56 (4) ◽  
pp. 277-292
Author(s):  
Wojciech P. Grygiel
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Ecological Perspective ◽  
New Paradigm ◽  
Human Species ◽  
Entire Universe ◽  
To Come ◽  
Living Organisms ◽  
Common Destiny

A new paradigm in theology, termed evolutionary theology, supports the understanding of ecology as the proper ordering of the relations between living organisms and their environment. It is argued that evolutionary theology yields a unique conceptual framework in which the human species share a common history with the entire Universe and respecting nature’s integrity means securing a common destiny to everything that exists. This is a powerful motivation for adopting a balanced ecological attitude aimed at respecting nature’s inherent integrity. Furthermore, proposing theological arguments to substantiate ecological claims will help neutralize the objections that religion as such promotes anti-ecological attitudes. Such objections become more pressing when religion focuses exclusively on the afterlife in the immaterial and eternal world to come, and neglects the well-being of the material and temporal Universe. -------------- Received: 30/08/2020. Reviewed: 07/10/2020. Accepted: 12/11/2020

scholarly journals Research Areas in Distance Education: A Delphi Study

2009 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Olaf Zawacki-Richter
Keyword(s):  
Distance Education ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Delphi Study ◽  
The Body ◽  
Important Research ◽  
Research Directions ◽  
Priority Areas ◽  
Research Areas ◽  
Body Of Knowledge

This study had three purposes: Firstly, to develop a categorization of research areas in distance education; secondly, to identify the most important research areas in distance education; and thirdly, to identify the most neglected research areas in distance education. Based on a literature review and a Delphi study, three broad levels or perspectives with 15 research areas were derived to organize the body of knowledge in distance education. Prospective researchers can use the results to identify gaps and priority areas and to explore potential research directions.

scholarly journals Ranking Meets Distance Education

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesca Pozzi ◽  
Flavio Manganello ◽  
Marcello Passarelli ◽  
Donatella Persico ◽  
Andrew Brasher ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Distance Education ◽  
Online Education ◽  
Delphi Study ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Economic Implications ◽  
Technological Infrastructure ◽  
Ranking Systems ◽  
Support Teacher

University ranking systems are being implemented with the aim of assessing and comparing higher education institutions at a global level. Despite their being increasingly used, rankings are often strongly criticized for their social and economic implications, as well as for limitations in their technical implementation. One of these limitations is that they do not consider the specific characteristics of online education. This study used a participatory approach to define a set of criteria and indicators suitable to reflect the specific nature of distance education. This endeavour will help evaluate and rank online higher education institutions more appropriately than in current practice, where indicators are devised for traditional universities. To this end, several stakeholders and informants were involved in a Delphi study in an attempt to reach the broader higher education institutions (HEI) community. According to the study participants, apart from students’ achievements and general quantitative measures of HEI performance, which are quite common in traditional ranking systems, teaching and student learning experience turned out to be the most important criteria. Student support, teacher support, technological infrastructure, research and organization were deemed middle ground criteria, while sustainability and reputation were regarded as the least important criteria.

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