Finding Liberation and Social Equality in Transformative Online Education

2011 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Gulsun Kurubacak ◽  
T. Volkan Yuzer
Keyword(s):  
Distance Education ◽  
Online Education ◽  
Change Process ◽  
Communication Strategies ◽  
Design Approach ◽  
Active Process ◽  
Social Equality ◽  
Critical Design ◽  
Complex Projects ◽  
Wide Range

To find liberation and social equality in transformative online education, the leaders in distance education should effectively focus on a dynamic critical design approach and bring the radical changes in the virtual world. Fostering the courtesy, confidentially and human dignity of this decisive design approach in distance education should be an active process to obtain, evaluate and produce knowledge. Therefore, the strategies and principles of transformative online education should have a perspective on such serious concerns on liberation and social equality as whether the change process starts with professors, administrators, learners, education communities and professional reformers at local, state, national and international levels. The authors hope that the importance of considering a wide range of situations in implementing transformative online education and matching innovation with the realities of liberation and social equality deal with the rights of learners and professors. Not only should professors, therefore, help their learners but also themselves become active participants in distance education. Entire learning milieu should be interactive and collaborative help learners to work on complex projects, synthesize knowledge to build their own understandings, learn skills and concepts, and use them to solve real world problems. In this liberal and socially equal milieu, professors and learners should adopt innovative communication strategies for transformative online education; because distance education is going through a critical planning and management revolution process as well as concentrating on acquisition of novel intellectual models and egalitarian strategies.

scholarly journals An Exploration of Learning Results and Curricula Gaps Within an Online Grandfamilies Certificate Program

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 70-71
Author(s):  
Jennifer Crittenden
Keyword(s):  
Online Education ◽  
Continuing Education ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Grandparents Raising Grandchildren ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Program Content ◽  
Initial Program ◽  
Individual Program ◽  
Long Term Impact ◽  
Training Opportunities

Abstract Professionals who work with grandparents raising grandchildren have cross-cutting training needs that span content in gerontology, social services, child welfare and program development. To address these needs, a unique, asynchronous, online continuing education program was launched by the UMaine Center on Aging. To-date the program has 177 individual program completers with learners from across the U.S. and Hong Kong that are affiliated with a diverse set of organizations and perform a wide range of professional and lay functions. Participant data indicate that the program has appealed to a wide variety of learners including participants who serve caregivers generally (60.8%) and grandparents raising grandchildren specifically (81%). A small majority (55.6%) of the agency-based learners reported serving, on average, more than 40 grandfamilies annually. Self-reported learning levels were notable ranging from a mean low of 3.46 out of 4 points (N = 157, SD = 0.59) for the volunteer recruitment and mentorship programming module to a mean high of 3.79 (N = 167 ,SD = 0.45) for the caregiver self-care module. Evaluation results from the first seven learner cohorts underscore the efficacy of program content as well as the utility of performing an initial program needs assessment to guide curriculum development. Practice implications for future continuing education efforts targeting grandfamilies professionals and lay leaders include: the need for easily accessible online education in combination with supplemental training opportunities addressing topics such as the long-term impact of substance use disorder and trauma combined with locally relevant content on grandfamilies and legal resources.

scholarly journals Early Dropout Prediction in MOOCs through Supervised Learning and Hyperparameter Optimization

Electronics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (14) ◽  
pp. 1701
Author(s):  
Theodor Panagiotakopoulos ◽  
Sotiris Kotsiantis ◽  
Georgios Kostopoulos ◽  
Omiros Iatrellis ◽  
Achilles Kameas
Keyword(s):  
Online Education ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Daily Basis ◽  
Machine Learning Algorithms ◽  
Supervised Machine Learning ◽  
Educational Institutions ◽  
Student Dropout ◽  
Wide Range

Over recent years, massive open online courses (MOOCs) have gained increasing popularity in the field of online education. Students with different needs and learning specificities are able to attend a wide range of specialized online courses offered by universities and educational institutions. As a result, large amounts of data regarding students’ demographic characteristics, activity patterns, and learning performances are generated and stored in institutional repositories on a daily basis. Unfortunately, a key issue in MOOCs is low completion rates, which directly affect student success. Therefore, it is of utmost importance for educational institutions and faculty members to find more effective practices and reduce non-completer ratios. In this context, the main purpose of the present study is to employ a plethora of state-of-the-art supervised machine learning algorithms for predicting student dropout in a MOOC for smart city professionals at an early stage. The experimental results show that accuracy exceeds 96% based on data collected during the first week of the course, thus enabling effective intervention strategies and support actions.

Managing integration in infrastructure alliance projects

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna-Maija Hietajärvi ◽  
Kirsi Aaltonen ◽  
Harri Haapasalo
Keyword(s):  
Construction Projects ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Complex Projects ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Project Organizations ◽  
Integration Mechanisms ◽  
Organizational Integration ◽  
Time Critical

Purpose The effective management of inter-organizational integration is central to complex projects. Such projects pose significant challenges for integration, as organizations struggle with constantly changing inter-organizational interdependencies and must develop and adapt integration mechanisms to meet new demands. The purpose of this paper is to understand what kinds of integration mechanisms are used and how they are developed and adjusted during the infrastructure alliance projects. Design/methodology/approach This study provides empirical evidence of integration dynamics in project alliancing by analyzing two infrastructure alliance projects – a complex tunnel construction project and a railway renovation project. The research approach is an inductive case study. Findings This paper identifies integration mechanisms adopted in two case projects and three central triggers that led to changes in the integration mechanisms: project lifecycle phase, unexpected events and project team’s learning during the project. Practical implications Integration capability should be a precondition for alliance project organizations and requires the adoption of a wide range of integration mechanisms, as well as an ability to adjust those mechanisms in response to everyday dynamics and emergent situations. Originality/value Although unplanned contingencies and the responses to them represent important influences in organizations, there is limited amount of research on the dynamics of integration. The findings will be of value in supporting the management of inter-organizational integration in complex, uncertain and time-critical construction projects.

Edukacja cyfrowa w zdalnym nauczaniu

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (23) ◽  
pp. 49-58
Author(s):  
Bożena Majewicz
Keyword(s):  
Distance Education ◽  
Distance Learning ◽  
Online Education ◽  
The State ◽  
Educational Activity ◽  
Special Role ◽  
Remote Education ◽  
School Closures ◽  
Short Time

The state of education in Poland and its functioning was exposed by the coronavirus pandemic which contributed to school closures and enforced a transition to distance learning. There was a need to look for alternative ways of distance education in which teachers played a special role. Some of them had to learn new skills related to distance education at all levels of education in a short time. In the period when schools are closed or their functioning is limited, the competences they possess play an important role in the educational activity of teachers, among which IT and media competences become particularly important. The considerations presented in the article relate to online education, with particular attention to its necessary aspects occurring both on the side of school and students’ homes. A review of studies on remote education during the pandemic has been made.

scholarly journals MODELO PARA LA INVESTIGACIÓN COMPARATIVA ENTRE UNIVERSIDADES DE EDUCACIÓN A DISTANCIA, ABIERTAS O EN LÍNEA

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 252-283
Author(s):  
Alexandra María Abarca-Chinchilla ◽  
Jennifer Azofeifa-Retana ◽  
Ana Cristina Brenes-Villalobos
Keyword(s):  
Distance Education ◽  
Online Education ◽  
Research Program ◽  
Comparative Studies ◽  
The Other ◽  
Open Education ◽  
Professional Networking ◽  
Educación A Distancia ◽  
Flexible Networks ◽  
Education Model

Dada la necesidad de contar con un modelo que supere los principales vacíos que, a nivel histórico-metodológico, se han identificado en estudios comparativos de educación a distancia y que vayan más allá de la mera descripción de situaciones o contextos educativos; en el Programa de Investigación en Fundamentos de Educación a Distancia (PROIFED) surge el interés de proponer un modelo para realizar este tipo de estudios, con el fin de desarrollarlos en redes flexibles de profesionales, que promuevan el intercambio de información para conocer cómo otras universidades dirigen y resuelven sus situaciones de conflicto y cómo proyectan su quehacer en la educación a distancia, abierta o en línea.  Se dispone el presente modelo, el cual procura ser integrador y articulado; abierto o adaptativo a algunos requerimientos específicos que la persona investigadora requiera, con el fin de fortalecer y promover el mejoramiento del modelo de educación a distancia de la Universidad Estatal a Distancia (UNED), Costa Rica.Palabras clave: Educación a distancia, Educación en línea, Educación abierta, Educología comparativa, Estudios comparativos, Red de profesionales.AbstractThe Research Program on Fundamentals of Distance Education of UNED Costa Rica proposes an analytical model for the generation of comparative studies among open, online and distance education universities and institutions. This model is intended to satisfy a historical and methodological vacuum identified in comparative studies that are usually limited to the mere descriptions of educational contexts and situations. The comparative studies proposed by this model, on the other hand, are thought to be developed by professionals assembled in flexible networks and to promote the exchange of information about the ways in which open, online and distance education universities confront and resolve their situational conflicts and how these universities project their work. This model for comparative studies is designed to be open, adaptable to specific requirements of researchers, and to strengthen and promote the improvement of the distance education model of UNED Costa Rica.Keywords: Distance learning, Online education, Open education, Comparative educology, Comparative studies, Professional networking

scholarly journals Facilitation strategies for enhancing the learning and engagement of online students

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 101-118
Author(s):  
Tracey Muir ◽  
◽  
Tracy Douglas ◽  
Allison Trimble ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Education ◽  
Online Community ◽  
Online Students ◽  
Tertiary Sector ◽  
Online Instructors ◽  
Active Involvement ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Instructor Presence ◽  
The Impact

The opening up of online education in the Australian tertiary sector has made higher education accessible for a wide range of students, including those living in rural and regional areas. While student numbers continue to grow as a result of this opportunity, there are increasing concerns regarding low student retention and progression rates for online students in comparison with on-campus students. Reasons for this vary, however, online students report a sense of isolation and disconnection with their studies highlighting the need for educators to utilise effective facilitation to enhance student connections to an online community. In this paper, we investigated facilitation strategies using two case studies. This illustrated how two online instructors used design-based research to evaluate the impact of facilitation strategies on instructor presence, instructor connection, engagement and learning in maths education and human biology subjects. Findings indicate that focusing on social, managerial and technical facilitation strategies resulted in an increased instructor presence and active involvement, which in turn were influential in motivating students to engage with learning online. The findings have implications for higher education providers and instructors who are tasked with engaging online students. This identifies the importance of targeted online facilitation to enhance learner-instructor and learner-content engagement.

scholarly journals Creating Gameful Design in mHealth: A Participatory Co-Design Approach (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stian Jessen ◽  
Jelena Mirkovic ◽  
Cornelia M Ruland
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Conditions ◽  
Participatory Design ◽  
Design Approach ◽  
Self Management ◽  
Chronic Patients ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Design Activities ◽  
The Look ◽  
Mhealth Apps

BACKGROUND Gameful designs (gamification), using design pieces and concepts typically found in the world of games, is a promising approach to increase users’ engagement with, and adherence to, electronic health and mobile health (mHealth) tools. Even though both identifying and addressing users’ requirements and needs are important steps of designing information technology tools, little is known about the users’ requirements and preferences for gameful designs in the context of self-management of chronic conditions. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to present findings as well as the applied methods and design activities from a series of participatory design workshops with patients with chronic conditions, organized to generate and explore user needs, preferences, and ideas to the implementation of gameful designs in an mHealth self-management app. METHODS We conducted three sets of two consecutive co-design workshops with a total of 22 participants with chronic conditions. In the workshops, we applied participatory design methods to engage users in different activities such as design games, scenario making, prototyping, and sticky notes exercises. The workshops were filmed, and the participants’ interactions, written products, ideas, and suggestions were analyzed thematically. RESULTS During the workshops, the participants identified a wide range of requirements, concerns, and ideas for using the gameful elements in the design of an mHealth self-management app. Overall inputs on the design of the app concerned aspects such as providing a positive user experience by promoting collaboration and not visibly losing to someone or by designing all feedback in the app to be uplifting and positive. The participants provided both general inputs (regarding the degree of competitiveness, use of rewards, or possibilities for customization) and specific inputs (such as being able to customize the look of their avatars or by having rewards that can be exchanged for real-world goods in a gift shop). However, inputs also highlighted the importance of making tools that provide features that are meaningful and motivating on their own and do not only have to rely on gameful design features to make people use them. CONCLUSIONS The main contribution in this study was users’ contextualized and richly described needs and requirements for gamefully designed mHealth tools for supporting chronic patients in self-management as well as the methods and techniques used to facilitate and support both the participant’s creativity and communication of ideas and inputs. The range, variety, and depth of the inputs from our participants also showed the appropriateness of our design approach and activities. These findings may be combined with literature and relevant theories to further inform in the selection and application of gameful designs in mHealth apps, or they can be used as a starting point for conducting more participatory workshops focused on co-designing gameful health apps.

When do online education technologies enhance student engagement? A case of distance education at University of Nebraska at Omaha

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 255-273 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tara Kolar Bryan ◽  
Rebecca Lutte ◽  
Jooho Lee ◽  
Patrick O’Neil ◽  
Craig S. Maher ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Distance Education ◽  
Student Engagement ◽  
Online Education

From Learning Management System to Internet-Based Research in Mathematics Education

2015 ◽  
pp. 62-85
Author(s):  
Tianxing Cai
Keyword(s):  
Distance Education ◽  
Online Education ◽  
Management System ◽  
Learning Management System ◽  
Mathematical Practice ◽  
Mathematical Education ◽  
Software Application ◽  
E Learning ◽  
Learning Management ◽  
Education Courses

A Learning Management System (LMS) is a software application for the administration, documentation, tracking, reporting, and delivery of e-learning education courses or training programs. The traditional distance education for mathematics has heavily relied on the application of LMS. However, the Standards for Mathematical Practice have provided the requirements to mathematics educators at all levels for the students' development. This chapter presents the introduction of the transformation from LMS to Internet-based research in the mathematical education. This is the viewpoint of the patterns, developments, changes, or phenomena within their respective fields with regards to distance education of mathematics. It also creates a broad, multidisciplinary understanding of online education across educational boundaries and demonstrates the unique future trajectories that online education has within these mathematics.

Informational Competencies Entrepreneurship and Integral Values in Higher Education

2018 ◽  
pp. 541-562
Author(s):  
José Manuel Saiz-Alvarez ◽  
Edgar Muñiz-Ávila ◽  
Delia Lizette Huezo-Ponce
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Economic Growth ◽  
Distance Education ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
Emotional Intelligence ◽  
Online Education ◽  
Educational Processes ◽  
Postgraduate Studies ◽  
Business Behavior ◽  
The Impact

Universities play a key role in modern societies inserted into a globalized economic world. This chapter studies how informational competencies, entrepreneurship, and integral values in higher education are necessary to foster economic growth and fight corruption. The authors especially are focused on distance education as it can be a tool to fight poverty by diminishing high illiteracy rates, mainly existing in developing countries. The purpose of the chapter is two-fold: 1) to study the impact of informational competencies in both education and entrepreneurship, and 2) to emphasize the importance of acquiring integral values by learners to be applied into educational processes based on emotional intelligence. As a result, students will be defined as prospective entrepreneurs endowed with the ability to recognize, internalize and understand emotions to be adjusted into relations and business behavior to impulse their goals. And in this sense, online education has an important role to play, especially in postgraduate studies, as in the case of MOOCs that are also analyzed.

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