Perceptions of Presence and Community in Immersive Online Learning Environments

Author(s):  
Amelia W. Cheney ◽  
Terry McClannon ◽  
Les Bolt ◽  
Robert L. Sanders

This chapter is based on survey research conducted between 2010 and 2017, involving 1053 graduate students using immersive online learning environments for their coursework. Investigators used course structural factors and student engagement factors to predict students' perceptions of community and presence in the online immersive space. Utilizing the Sense of Community II index (SCI-2) and the Community of Inquiry survey (COI) median scores as cut scores for predicted outcomes, researchers demonstrated that purely online environments which encouraged student engagement in the online immersive space can enhance sense of presence and sense of community. In addition, students in graduate programs that used online immersive delivery methods longer developed a stronger sense of community. Both dependent measures proved to have stable subscale structures for this inquiry based on a cursory confirmatory factor analysis.

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Terry W. McClannon ◽  
Amy Cheney ◽  
Les Bolt ◽  
Krista Terry

This study is based on survey research conducted between 2010 and 2017, involving 1053 graduate students using immersive online learning environments for their coursework. Investigators used course structural factors and student engagement factors to predict students’ perceptions of community and presence in the online immersive space. Utilizing the Sense of Community II index (SCI-2) and the Community of Inquiry survey (COI) median scores as cut scores for predicted outcomes, researchers demonstrated that purely online environments which encouraged student engagement in the online immersive space can enhance sense of presence and sense of community.  In addition, students in graduate programs that used online immersive delivery methods longer developed a stronger sense of community. Both dependent measures proved to have stable subscale structures for this inquiry based on a cursory confirmatory factor analysis


Author(s):  
Kathryn Woods

Advances in technology have increased opportunities for students to participate in online courses. While some instructors are beginning their careers teaching only online courses, others are discovering a need to teach sections of courses online after they have enjoyed a long career teaching in a traditional classroom. In either situation, it is important for instructors to recognize that students in online learning environments require the use of different strategies for encouraging engagement and participation in class. In this chapter, the author describes the challenges that students and instructors face specifically in the online learning environment as well as strategies for success, including how to maximize the impact of students' experiences and prior knowledge, using multiple platforms to deliver information, discouraging procrastination, setting clear expectations, encouraging individuality, capitalizing on diversity, and providing and utilizing helpful resources.


2016 ◽  
Vol 65 (1) ◽  
pp. 203-218 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Kahn ◽  
Lucy Everington ◽  
Kathleen Kelm ◽  
Iain Reid ◽  
Francine Watkins

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (23) ◽  
pp. 140-157
Author(s):  
Iman Rashid Al-Kindi ◽  
Zuhoor Al-Khanjari

Our motivation in this paper is to predict student Engagement (E), Behavior (B), Personality (P) and Performance (P) via designing a Tracking Student Perfor-mance Tool (TSPT) that obtained data directly from Moodle logs of any selected courses. The proposed tool follows the predictive EBP model that focuses mainly on student's EBP and Performance where the instructor could use it to monitor the overall performance of his/her students during the course. The results of test-ing the tool show that the developed tool gives the same as manual results analy-sis. Analyzing Moodle log of any course using such a tool is supposed to help with the implementation of similar courses and helpful for the instructor in re-designing it in a way that is more beneficial to the students. This paper sheds light on the importance of studying student's EBPP and provides interesting possibili-ties for improving student performance with a specific focus on designing online learning environments or contexts.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carmen Vallis ◽  
Courtney Shalavin

Active and interactive learning approaches in course design are widely supported as increasing student engagement and learning outcomes in blended or technology-enhanced environments. As such, designing for student engagement in self-paced distance and online learning environments is a growing area of research. However, learning is increasingly developed and delivered via the institutional LMS where the design and sequencing of content is linear and has an inherent directional flow. Learner choice in navigation and activity in online learning environments may also impact learner engagement but there is less research on these factors. In this research project, we evaluate the redesign and prototype of one week of a first-year business subject that offers learner choice in navigating the online environment and choice of activity. Insights into the innovative educational design and implementation of non-linear and interactive learning are presented within an Australian higher education business context, where flexibility and choice emerge as key design affordances.


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