Culturally Responsive Pedagogy, National Culture, and Online Instruction

Cultural diversity is the anticipated norm in online learning environments that include international students, or which are part of international educational programs. Expressions of national culture inevitably shape the ways in which international students respond to the learning experience and perform within it. This chapter considers the roles and responsibilities of the culturally responsive online instructor in creating and facilitating online distance learning spaces that are inclusive, diverse, and supportive. It reviews a conceptual framework, derived from Hofstede's culture model, which may be useful in recognizing and anticipating national culture difference. The chapter also provides suggestions and recommendations to assist the instructor/facilitator in leading culturally different students to a place where they can learn successfully.

Culturally Responsive Pedagogy, National Culture, and Online Instruction

Research Anthology on Culturally Responsive Teaching and Learning ◽

10.4018/978-1-7998-9026-3.ch019 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 323-342

Author(s):

David Starr-Glass

Keyword(s):

International Students ◽

National Culture ◽

Culturally Responsive ◽

Learning Experience ◽

Roles And Responsibilities ◽

Culture Model ◽

Culturally Different ◽

Culture Difference ◽

Teaching and Learning in Survival Mode: Students and Faculty Perceptions of Distance Education during the COVID-19 Lockdown

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13148053 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (14) ◽

pp. 8053

Author(s):

Maram Meccawy ◽

Zilal Meccawy ◽

Aisha Alsobhi

Keyword(s):

Online Learning ◽

Student Satisfaction ◽

Teaching And Learning ◽

Success Factors ◽

Faculty Perceptions ◽

Learning Experience ◽

Negative Perception ◽

E Learning ◽

(1) This study demonstrates how a Saudi university has responded to the COVID-19 lockdown in order to examine the success factors and highlight any challenges. The main purpose was to determine the perceptions of students and faculty towards emergency online distance learning from a teaching and learning perspective; (2) A cross-faculty study was conducted: two different self-administered questionnaires were developed for students and faculty, respectively. In addition, data was collected from official reports; (3) The results show that students had a more positive perception of e-Learning despite the difficulties that they may have faced, while faculty results leaned slightly towards a negative perception. However, there was not a definite positive or negative perception, depending on the aspect of teaching that was being evaluated. The study also indicated that faculty and students’ gender had no significant effect on their perceptions. Overall results showed that the university performed well in accordance with three of the five pillars of online learning quality framework in terms of student satisfaction, access and scalability. On the other, improvements are needed to achieve better results for faculty satisfaction and learning effectiveness; (4) The findings present a number of suggestions for increasing satisfaction to improve the online learning experience post COVID-19.

ISPRS - International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences ◽

REMOTE SENSING TERTIARY EDUCATION MEETS HIGH INTENSITY INTERVAL TRAINING

10.5194/isprsarchives-xl-7-w3-1089-2015 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol XL-7/W3 ◽

pp. 1089-1092

Author(s):

K. E. Joyce ◽

B. White

Keyword(s):

Remote Sensing ◽

Charles Darwin ◽

Tertiary Education ◽

Learning Experience ◽

Interval Training ◽

Educational Benefits ◽

High Intensity Interval ◽

Online Distance ◽

Interactive Workshop

Enduring a traditional lecture is the tertiary education equivalent of a long, slow, jog. There are certainly some educational benefits if the student is able to maintain concentration, but they are just as likely to get caught napping and fall off the back end of the treadmill. Alternatively, a pre-choreographed interactive workshop style class requires students to continually engage with the materials. Appropriately timed breaks or intervals allow students to recover briefly before being increasingly challenged throughout the class. Using an introductory remote sensing class at Charles Darwin University, this case study presents a transition from the traditional stand and deliver style lecture to an active student-led learning experience. The class is taught at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, with both on-campus as well as online distance learning students. Based on the concept that active engagement in learning materials promotes ‘stickiness’ of subject matter, the remote sensing class was re-designed to encourage an active style of learning. Critically, class content was reviewed to identify the key learning outcomes for the students. This resulted in a necessary sacrifice of topic range for depth of understanding. Graduates of the class reported high levels of enthusiasm for the materials, and the style in which the class was taught. This paper details a number of techniques that were used to engage students in active and problem based learning throughout the semester. It suggests a number of freely available tools that academics in remote sensing and related fields can readily incorporate into their teaching portfolios. Moreover, it shows how simple it can be to provide a far more enjoyable and effective learning experience for students than the one dimensional lecture.

Motivation of Taking Distance-Learning and Online Programmes: A Case Study in a TAFE Institution in Australia

Academic Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies ◽

10.36941/ajis-2021-0149 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (6) ◽

pp. 11

Author(s):

Luis M. Dos Santos

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Distance Learning ◽

International Students ◽

Learning Strategies ◽

Teaching And Learning ◽

Career Goals ◽

Academic Courses ◽

The distance-learning and online courses and programmes are popular during the COVID-19 Pandemic due to the recommendation of social distancing and closure of borders in Australia. The purpose of this study is to explore and understand the motivation and decision-making processes of international students who continue their academic courses and programmes using online distance-learning platforms under the COVID-19 Pandemic. With the case study design, the researcher recruited 20 international students who are currently completing their academic courses and programmes through distance-learning from a Technical and Future Education (TAFE) institution in Australia. Based on the Social Cognitive Career and Motivation Theory, the researcher categorised that the educational achievements and career goals, the achievements of education and career goals, and interests in career development drove the factors of their motivation and career-decision-making process. The results of this study will provide a blueprint for school leaders, department heads, government agencies, policymakers, and researchers to reform and upgrade the current curriculum for technologically-assisted teaching and learning strategies and international students’ experiences. Received: 16 June 2021 / Accepted: 11 August 2021 / Published: 5 November 2021

Instant Messaging for Creating Interactive and Collaborative m-Learning Environments

The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning ◽

10.19173/irrodl.v8i2.344 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 8 (2) ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

James Kadirire

Keyword(s):

Mobile Devices ◽

Online Community ◽

Instant Messaging ◽

Learning Experience ◽

The Internet ◽

Self Confidence ◽

Message Service ◽

Face To Face Learning ◽

'Instant Messaging' (IM) and 'Presence,' which is essentially the ability of being able to detect if other users are logged in on the network and send them messages in real time, has become one of the most popular applications of the Internet, causing people to want to stay connected to the Internet for inordinate amounts of time, a phenomena that also fosters a sense of "online community," that perhaps no other application has done previously (Alvestrand, 2002). This research looks at the use of mobile devices to send instant messages that can carry much more information than the short message service (SMS) messages, but would be free to use, notwithstanding the price of getting online. We present a prototype IM system that can be used as a viable means of communicating and learning in higher education establishments. There is some evidence to show that learning using mobile devices reduces the formality of the learning experience, and helps engage reluctant learners and raise their self-confidence. In order for the learning process to be successful in online distance learning, unlike in the traditional face-to-face learning, attention must be paid to developing the participants' sense of community within their particular group. Instant messaging – or IM – is a natural medium for online community building and asynchronous/ synchronous peer discussions.

Beyond the VLE: Transforming Online Discussion and Collaboration through Microsoft Teams

THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT SCIENCE AND BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION ◽

10.18775/ijmsba.1849-5664-5419.2014.73.1004 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 (3) ◽

pp. 37-45

Author(s):

Edmund Hewson ◽

Gar Wai Chung

Keyword(s):

Distance Learning ◽

Resource Sharing ◽

Best Practice ◽

Learning Experience ◽

Pilot Project ◽

Learning And Teaching ◽

Collaborative Working ◽

Online Distance ◽

Microsoft Office

Microsoft Teams is a new collaborative working and digital community platform launched in 2017 as part of the Microsoft Office 365 suite of applications. It provides an online space ideally suited for collaboration and streamlining communication for anyone involved in online learning and teaching in Higher Education. In the Distance Learning Unit (DLU) at Leeds Beckett University, Teams has been piloted used as part of a University-wide pilot project to help transform the way we work with both staff and students, both on distance and classroom courses. This presentation will outline the wider context of the Teams pilot in the University and how it is being trialled as a potential replacement for other collaborative platforms. As an early adopter, the Distance Learning Unit has experimented with Teams to improve communication, collaborative working, and sharing of best practice within the team. The presentation will then focus on how these lessons have been applied in working with the Course Team and students on a fully online distance learning course to help boost student engagement, develop a more active learner community, facilitate collaborative working, enhance resource sharing and provide a more accessible, mobile learning experience. The presentation will look at both the challenges and benefits of moving collaboration and communication outside the VLE and present staff and student feedback on their experiences of using Teams instead of other more traditional VLE-based tools and the provision of a safe, collaborative space.

Encouraging engagement: video-conference augmentation of online distance learning environments

On the Horizon ◽

10.1108/oth-06-2020-0020 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 28 (3) ◽

pp. 125-132

Author(s):

David Starr-Glass

Keyword(s):

Distance Learning ◽

Social Presence ◽

Learning Experience ◽

Video Conference ◽

Learner Engagement ◽

Content Type ◽

Learner Performance ◽

Learning Programs ◽

Purpose The purpose of this reflection on practice is to consider and attempt made by the present author to re-imagine online distance learning (ODL) environments to provide a greater opportunity for learner engagement. Design/methodology/approach ODL environments were augmented by video-conferencing to increase dialogue, instructor presence and a sense of instructor care, concern and guidance. The video-conference component was limited time-wise (40 min per weekly module) and aimed at explaining and integrating learning content and activities. The resulting courses were thus augmented and enhanced and not transformed into blended learning courses. Findings Preliminary feedback from video-conference discussions and learner reflective journals indicates that the innovation was well received by students and contributed significantly to their appreciation, satisfaction and overall engagement. Practical implications The augmentation is simple and effective. It may be an approach that is particularly relevant in designing and facilitating ODL environments in an era of uncertainty, disruption and far-reaching educational changes caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Social implications The author argues that the introduction of an active learning component has significant implications for learner performance, satisfaction and persistence with distance learning programs. Originality/value Attempts to increase social presence and engagement are not uncommon in ODL. This particular approach is simple, easily enacted and has a perceived element of originality and innovation that appeals to learners. It is argued that it contributes significant value to the quality and outcomes of the distance learning experience.

How Did the COVID-19 Pandemic Affect Higher Education Learning Experience? An Empirical Investigation of Learners’ Academic Performance at a University in a Developing Country

Advances in Human-Computer Interaction ◽

10.1155/2021/6649524 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2021 ◽

pp. 1-10

Author(s):

Ghada Refaat El Said

Keyword(s):

Higher Education ◽

Distance Learning ◽

Global Education ◽

Learning Experience ◽

Teaching Experience ◽

Future Application ◽

Face To Face ◽

Significant Difference ◽

COVID-19 has dramatically reshaped the way global education is delivered. Millions of learners were affected by educational institution closures due to the pandemic, which resulted in the largest online movement in the history of education. With this sudden shift away from classrooms in many parts of the globe, universities had to rapidly shift to virtual and digital strategies. Many believe that the adoption of online distance learning will persist after pandemic. A new hybrid model of education is expected to emerge, and, given the digital divide, new shifts in education approaches could widen equality gaps. This is one of the first empirical studies investigating the effect of the sudden shift from face-to-face to online distance learning due to COVID-19 lockdown at one of the universities in Egypt. Comparison of grades was made between 376 business students who completed a face-to-face course in spring 2019 and 372 students who completed the same course but fully online via distance learning mode in spring 2020 during the lockdown. T-test was conducted to compare grades of quizzes, course work, and final exam for the two groups. Chi-square test was used to compare grade distribution for both groups. The effect of gender, credit hours, age, and CGPA was assessed. The results suggested that there was no statistically significant difference in students’ grades. In addition, the unplanned and rapid move to online distance learning at the time of pandemic did not result in a poor learning experience as was expected. The study also included a survey of 435 students and interviews with a sample of professors about their learning and teaching experience during the lockdown. The results of this study provide specific recommendations for universities, instructors, and higher education portal designers about future application of online distance learning. Since Egypt decided to make the shift to online distant learning in all future higher education plans, the results of this research would be especially vital for universities in Egypt and other developing countries. If administered correctly, this shift could lead to a larger learner population, more cost efficiencies, and more university revenue.