Online Equivalencies and the Potential to Inadvertently Offend or Cause Discomfort

Author(s):  
Jesse Strycker ◽  
Krisanna Machtmes

This chapter considers how attempts to have online courses resemble face-to-face courses as closely as possible can backfire and cause discomfort or other concerns to some international students. A critical self-study approach was utilized to consider one instructor's experience of working with a greater number of international students in online and hybrid courses, and the changes to previously developed best practices to have as positive of a learning experience as possible for all students.

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fatih Saltan

The aim of this study was to investigate the learning experience of students studying pedagogic formation in blended design with regard to attendance, self confidence, and attitudes toward both Pedagogic Formation Program (PFP) and the teaching profession. In order to achieve this aim, a qualitative case study approach was carried out. The participants of this study consisted of 154 graduated Faculty of Arts and Sciences students who were enrolled in the first blended PFP in Turkey. A qualitative case study was conducted. Data were obtained through an open-ended questionnaire (n=154) and focus group interviews (n=8). The qualitative data were analyzed by using content analysis techniques. Overall, the results indicated that blended PFP was highly promising regarding professional development, self-confidence, accessibility and eliminating some disadvantages of distance education. Specifically, inherent problems of online education continued to take place in blended design but a balanced blended approach could minimize these weaknesses. Participants indicated that face-to-face sections were more applied, authentic and effective than the online part. On the other hand, most of the participants preferred to attend the online lessons regularly.  It was mainly because of availability concerns, travelling, and comfort of their home.


2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 132-153
Author(s):  
Dmitri Stanchevici ◽  
Megan Siczek

Before arriving in a host country, international students may be motivated to complete some institutional requirements online. Many studies address computer-assisted instruction for second-language students, but few focus on fully online English for Academic Purposes (EAP) writing courses. This comparative case study, grounded in action research, examined the extent to which a fully online version of a graduate-level EAP course offered to international students at a North American university achieved comparable outcomes to a face-to-face version. A quantitative and qualitative analysis of study participants’ performance and course evaluations indicated that the outcomes and student satisfaction of both cohorts were comparable. However, an examination of the participants’ final research papers and online interactions revealed differences and challenges. Based on these findings, it is recommended that future online courses provide more instruction on source integration, library research, and building an interactive learning community. Overall, the findings suggest that when carefully designed, assessed, and refined, fully online courses hold strong promise in EAP academic writing contexts. Les étudiantes et étudiants internationaux tiennent parfois à remplir certaines exigences institutionnelles en ligne avant de se rendre dans leur pays d’accueil. L’enseignement assisté par ordinateur pour les apprenantes et apprenants d’anglais langue seconde fait l’objet de nombreuses études, mais peu d’entre elles portent sur des cours d’écriture d’anglais académique (EAP) complètement dispensés en ligne. Entièrement basée sur la recherche-action, la présente étude de cas comparative fait état du degré de comparabilité des résultats d’un cours d’anglais académique de deuxième cycle complètement présenté en ligne à des étudiantes et étudiants internationaux inscrits à une université nord-américaine et des résultats obtenus lorsque le même cours était dispensé en personne. Une analyse quantitative et qualitative des rendements des participantes et participants et du cours lui-même a indiqué que les résultats et le degré de satisfaction des étudiantes et étudiants des deux cohortes se valaient. L’examen des rapports de recherche finaux des participantes et participants et celui des interactions en ligne ont toutefois révélé des écarts et des défis. Sur la base de ces constatations, il est recommandé que les futurs cours en ligne fournissent davantage d’instructions sur l’intégration des sources, sur les recherches en bibliothèque et sur la construction d’une communauté d’apprentissage interactif. Dans l’ensemble, les constatations de l’étude suggèrent que, s’ils sont soigneusement conçus, évalués et peaufinés, les cours complètement dispensés en ligne sont très prometteurs dans des contextes d’écriture en anglais académique.


2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Melody M. Thompson

Concerns about faculty workload in the online environment are a reported deterrent to participation in online teaching. To date, such concerns have been based primarily on anecdotal evidence rather than empirical research. This paper describes a project in which six faculty members teaching courses through the Penn State World Campus conducted studies of the comparative workload in the online environment. Results of the studies indicated that faculty workload for teaching these online courses, as measured by time on task, was comparable to or somewhat less than that for face-to-face courses. However, a differential “chunking” of productive time contributed in some cases to a perception of increased workload. The success of the project suggests it is a replicable model for investigating various elements of the faculty experience in the online environment.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 163
Author(s):  
Colin William Campbell

The COVID-19 pandemic forced higher education institutions in South Korea to administer Spring 2020 semesters online. This mixed-methods study examined instructor/professor competence for the instructional delivery formats of Face-to-Face and online teaching. Quantitatively, the researcher measured teacher competence for Face-to-Face and online instruction by measuring the Teacher Self-Efficacy levels of non-Korean instructors/professors in South Korean higher education institutions. The qualitative questions assessed the advantages and drawbacks of each instructional delivery format. Findings indicate that instructors/professors are significantly more effective teaching Face-to-Face courses than online courses. However, instructors/professors with online learning experience were significantly more effective teaching online courses than those without online learning experience. It is recommended that all instructors/professors engage in professional development geared towards equipping educators with the tools needed to succeed in the online education environment.


Author(s):  
Miguel Agustín Ortega Carrillo

This work documents the first actions that have been carried out to generate organizational strategies aimed at achieving a better learning experience among university students. As a result of the confinement conditions imposed by the pandemic since 2020, it is estimated that eventually a hybrid education system will be reached where remote and face-to-face formats are combined. Anticipating which are the best practices that can be developed in each modality, a study was carried out among several students of a Mexican Higher Education Institution where the concerns they have about their learning experience were explored. This is a mixed investigation, where, based on the results of a survey among a non-probabilistic population sample, a strategic analysis of organizational opportunities was carried out for its application in a specific university space. The discussion section offers some of the conclusions obtained, as well as concrete actions that are being evaluated in pilot tests with students from a private university.


Author(s):  
Jennifer C. Richardson ◽  
Erin Besser ◽  
Adrie Koehler ◽  
JiEun Lim ◽  
Marquetta Strait

<p class="2">As online learning continues to grow significantly, various efforts have been explored and implemented in order to improve the instructional experiences of students.  Specifically, research indicates that how an instructor establishes his or her presence in an online environment can have important implications for the students’ overall learning experience. While instructor presence appears to be an important aspect of online learning, more research is needed to fully understand this construct. The purpose of this study was to consider online instructors’ perceptions related to presence, beliefs about actions, and the perceived impact of instructional presence. Using an explanatory multiple-case study approach, this research considered the perspectives of 13 instructors teaching in an online master’s program at a large Midwestern public university.  Results indicate instructors viewed instructor presence as an important component in online courses but their reasons varied. Furthermore, the instructors discussed a number of communication strategies they used, the importance of using such strategies to connect to students, and the potential impact of these strategies on student participation and learning. Additional themes from the interview data are discussed, and implications for online teaching and learning are suggested.</p>


Author(s):  
Marise Pinheiro ◽  
Katy Campbell ◽  
Sandra Hirst ◽  
Eugene Krupa

In this study, the experiences of seven female health professionals learning online are examined and, in this context, the implications for online course designs and future research are discussed. The instruments of data collection include individual telephone interviews, journals written by the participants during online courses, and e-mails exchanged by the participants and researcher. The principles of qualitative research are integrated into the process of collecting and analyzing the data. Participants identified lack of face-to-face interaction and overload of work as major challenges to learning online. Increase in confidence and the opportunity to belong to a community of learners were cited as rewards of learning online. In addition, the participants identified preferences for contextual and experiential learning, and for learning environments that foster collaboration. Participants agree that interacting with other classmates, building local support, and developing a mentoring relationship with instructors are key aspects of a successful learning experience.


Author(s):  
Gary W. Hawkins ◽  
Jason D. Baker

The rapid growth of online courses presents new opportunities and challenges for educational institutions. Thanks to online learning, increasing numbers of students can enroll in online educational programs without the institution needing additional classrooms or dormitories and such online instruction offers many students the opportunity to take courses who might otherwise have been unable to participate. This sudden shift to online learning, however, comes without ashared experience for either the learner or instructor. In other words, while most learners and instructors have had years of formal and informal experience in the face-to-face classroom, few have had similar breadth of online educational experience. Accordingly, there would appear to be a divergent array of expectations regarding the online learning experience. Failure to understand and address these expectations will likely result in a disappointed educational experience for learners and instructors alike.


Author(s):  
Catherine F. Brooks ◽  
Stacy L. Young

<p class="3">This study explored how course instructional format (i.e., online, face-to-face, or hybrid) is related to the frequency and duration of out-of-class communication (OCC) between college instructors and students, to student motives for communicating with teachers, and to perceived teacher approachability for conversation outside of class. Though differences in frequency of and student motives for engaging in OCC were not significant, students enrolled in face-to-face courses reported significantly more ongoing/durative OCC with their instructors compared to students enrolled other course types (i.e., online or hybrid). Students in fully online courses reported instructors to seem less receptive to but also less discouraging of OCC than students in face-to-face or hybrid courses. Overall, this study offers a sense of how students who seek informal interaction with instructors beyond the classroom are faring amid the increased reliance on web-based learning environments in higher education.</p>


Author(s):  
Daniela Casiraghi ◽  
Bianca Santolini

This paper presents the experience conducted in the framework of the Erasmus+ FeedBack Project, which aims at developing the practice of feedback through arts. The article introduces the practice of feedback as essential tool to enhance teaching and learning activities in the different level of education, with a specific focus on higher education. The FeedBack project has developed an Art-Based Feedback Model, which has been firstly defined in terms of actors, who give and receive feedback through different channels. Furthermore, the model has been integrated with the concept of Art-Based Initiatives, directly related to processes of Sustainability, Inspiration and Transformation implemented in teaching and learning contexts. Through an open and integrated virtual and face-to face strategy, that includes a digital toolkit, webinars, Massive Open Online Courses, events and workshops, the Arts-based FeedBack Model has been disseminated in several countries, stimulating the discussion and innovating the teaching and learning practices. This strategy lead to positive outcomes in terms of raising awareness of the topic, supporting the design and personalisation of the feedback process itself and, thus, enhancing the teaching and learning experience, especially in higher education contexts. 


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