E-Learning Based on Cloud Computing

Modern technological paradigms of learning give educators an ability to support the development of highly professional human resources. For this reason, teachers of higher educational institutions find advanced technologies more and more useful. Rapid introduction of cloud computing into pedagogical practice creates a professional need to study the technological capabilities of cloud-based learning services to select the best educational solutions among available variants. In view of this, the current article provides a theoretical overview of e-learning cloud architecture layers and models of its deployment in the education system. In order to test the adaptability of learning management systems (LMSs) to a collaborative distance learning model, research among educators of I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Russia), Prydniprovska State Academy of Civil Engineering and Architecture (Ukraine) and Wuxi Institute of Technology (China) was carried out using the Blackboard Learn LMS as a case study. This study involved 100 individuals who tested the Blackboard Learn teaching capabilities. The conducted investigation allowed outlining the main advantages of the use of computer-based e-learning applications in the process of organizing and supporting the educational process. Among them are convenient means of processing educational content, effective educational process organization, effective tools for knowledge monitoring, and effective security and confidentiality system. The present work also shed light on the benefits of introducing cloud-based e-learning in higher educational institutions, as producers of an integrated educational product. The study confirmed that the introduction of cloud computing in education results in the advancement of the training content and can considerably improve students’ academic results due to updated learning technologies, concepts, and tools.

Técnicas experimentales en Física del Estado Sólido. Práctica 2: dilatación térmica de sólidos.

Recurso de Realidad Virtual que ubica al usuario en un laboratorio de Física de Estado Sólido, ante una práctica en la que debe determinar el coeficiente de dilatación de varios metales. El recurso permite al alumno seleccionar el material de laboratorio necesario e ir eligiendo los distintos pasos para realizar el montaje y desmontaje de la práctica. Al tomar las decisiones correctas sobre las cuestiones prácticas que se le plantean, podrá ir avanzando por diferentes escenarios. Las selecciones correctas puntúan positivamente y permiten avanzar mientras que las incorrectas puntúan negativamente y bloquean el paso hasta que el usuario, consiga seleccionar la opción correcta. Tras cada selección correcta aparece un video donde se realiza exactamente la acción derivada de su selección. En la versión escritorio los aciertos se ven reflejados en un contador verde, mientras que los fallos aparecen en uno rojo. Un tercer contador registra el tiempo. Se trata de minimizar los fallos y el tiempo en finalizar el recurso. En la escena final se activa un informe de resultados en pdf que deberá ser descargado, y una serie de vídeos acelerados con los datos necesarios. El alumno o alumna deberá registrar los datos de esos vídeos y seguir las instrucciones del informe para representarlos, analizarlos y obtener finalmente los coeficientes de dilatación. Para llevar a cabo el recurso es necesario que el alumno-a haya leído previamente el guión o boletín de la práctica correspondiente donde se hace una breve introducción teórica y se proporcionan los detalles prácticos para su correcta ejecución. El recurso está diseñado para ser disfrutado plenamente con el navegador en modo 360° con equipos de escritorio. Su visionado en dispositivos móviles es posible, pero el diseño de las operaciones de usuario previstas no lo aconseja, ya que no se ven algunos botones y no se puede interactuar adecuadamente. Su aplicación docente como recurso para ser integrado en la plataforma de e-learning de la US (Blackboard Learn), también aconseja hacer un empleo plenamente operativo mediante equipos de sobremesa, ya que el acceso móvil a Blackboard Learn no es cómodo para el alumno. Este recurso ha sido pensado para que el alumno aprenda un método experimental simple para determinar una propiedad de los materiales que caracteriza su respuesta ante un cambio de temperatura, como es el coeficiente de dilatación térmica lineal. Este aprendizaje se realiza de una forma innovadora y aplicada a un caso práctico real con barras de distintos metales. Dada la situación actual de distanciamiento social y restricciones de movilidad en la que nos encontramos, este recurso se presenta como una herramienta idónea para sumergir al usuario, de manera real, y de forma activa en un laboratorio de técnicas experimentales en física. Esta forma de inmersión adquiere ahora más relevancia si cabe, no sólo por su novedad sino también por brindar al usuario la opción de entrar en el laboratorio e interactuar con él de manera individualizada sin necesidad de presencialidad. El recurso permite al usuario identificar diferentes materiales y equipos de laboratorio y aprender a utilizarlos siguiendo un procedimiento adecuado que le permita determinar el coeficiente de dilatación de la forma más exacta y precisa.

The Use of M-Learning: A Perspective of Learners’ Perceptions on M-Blackboard Learn

<p class="0abstract">The life of the common to the students have changed due to spread of COVID-19 9 all around the globe. All the educational institutions were also set to be functioned remotely following the global instructions to meet the challenges to combat the COVID-19. The of current inquiry is the explore the male and female learners on the use of mobile phones for Blackboard learn. The Study survey method to collect the data. 68 participants of the medical majors of the CFY formed the sample for the present study. The findings of the study indicate that learners preferred to use M-blackboard. The results also indicated that backboard which is a form of e-learning can be beneficial if it is used with the traditional classroom teaching to get the potential benefits of the software.</p>

Blended Learning Approach in UAE Higher Education: A Selected Annotated Bibliography

In the present time, the required value of education can be achieved only by changing the parameters related to technology use and transforming a classroom into a student-centered that meets different students' needs and learning styles. The blended learning (BL) approach to learning has been the object of various studies in the last two decades as a way to achieve the required results. Many higher educational institutes started to prefer BL over traditional teaching, and the UAE universities are not exceptions. There has been an increased recognition of the fact that more attention needs to be paid to this area. Hence, this selected annotated bibliography aimed to find out and describe the primary outcomes of the BL approach research in this country. Emergent themes from the UAE studies include 1) students' and instructors' technology readiness and their attitudes towards E-learning; 2) students' and instructors' views and experiences with BL approach; 3) BL tools and technologies (mobile learning and social-networking sites); 4) BL resources (Blackboard Learn, video content, online discussions, and Google Docs); 5) impact of BL. Twenty studies have been used for this review. The primary audience for this annotated bibliography is BL researchers.

Scaling an Evidence-Based Program: The Case of the Tailored Activity Program

The Tailored Activity Program (TAP) is a proven program delivered primarily by occupational therapists addressing dementia-related clinical symptoms including caregiver well-being. Although used in 9 countries including the United States, scaling and widespread dissemination is challenging. We discuss key revisions to TAP to facilitate dissemination including matching assessments to those used in different practice settings, translation of materials into different languages, providing worksheets to help trainees adapt TAP to local contexts and a training/certification online experience using story board, an interactive media integrated onto the Blackboard learn management system, to provide on-demand training modules. The learning platform allows learners to engage with others, preview modules and share experiences. Revisions enable greater flexibility for program adaptation yet adherence to its core principles. With over 150 trainees, we use REAIM to evaluate effectiveness of modifications and to understand implications for its reach. Part of a symposium sponsored by the Behavioral Interventions for Older Adults Interest Group.

Using Learning Analytics to Predict Students Performance in Moodle LMS

Today, it is almost impossible to implement teaching processes without using information and communication technologies (ICT), especially in higher education. Education institutions often use learning management systems (LMS), such as Moodle, Edmodo, Canvas, Schoology, Blackboard Learn, and others. When accessing these systems with their personal account, each student’s activity is recorded in a log file. Moodle system allows not only information sav-ing. The plugins of this LMS provide a fast and accurate analysis of training sta-tistics. Within the study, the capabilities of several Moodle plugins providing the assessment of students' activity and success are reviewed. The research is aimed at discovering possibilities to improve the learning process and reduce the num-ber of underperforming students. The activity logs of 124 participants are ana-lyzed to identify the relations between the number of logs during the e-course and the final grades. In the study, a correlation analysis is performed to determine the impact of students' educational activity in the Moodle system on the final assess-ment. The results reveal that gender affiliation correlates with the overall perfor-mance but does not affect the selection of training materials. Furthermore, it is shown that students who got the highest grades performed at least 210 logs dur-ing the course. It is noted that the prevailing part of students prefers to complete the tasks before the deadline. The study concludes that LMSs can be used to pre-dict students' success and stimulate better results during the study. The findings are proposed to be used in higher education institutions for early detection of stu-dents experiencing difficulties in a course.

A social media adoption framework as pedagogical instruments in higher education classrooms

Social Media (SM)’s use as pedagogical tools in Higher Education (HE) institutions is gaining robust momentum among researchers from different disciplines. While most universities implemented Learning Management Systems (Blackboard Learn, Moodle, etc.) as essential instruments in their teaching and learning(T&L) methods, the adoption of SM platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, etc., as in-class educational and communication tools is still in its infancy. Despite the numerous available studies on SM’s adoption as T&L instruments in HE, little has been made to develop a standard framework for SM’s integration as effective educational tool in classroom environments. This paper followed a thematic review of 19 relevant studies to analyse and identify common practices and findings on SM’s inclusion as T&L tools in HE. Subsequently, the findings formed the basis in developing a conceptual framework for SM’s integration as pedagogical tools in HE classrooms. This framework introduces SM’s adoption process as a formal educational tool, the development of SM implementation processes, and assists in understanding the influence of SM on education environments. The research outlines major findings in current literature, thereby, providing valuable insights on SM’s use in education, besides forming the basis for future quantitative and qualitative researches in this area of study.

Aprendizaje online: satisfacción de los universitarios con experiencia laboral

En esta reseña de investigación se presentan los resultados del análisis, la explicación y la aplicación del concepto de satisfacción por el aprendizaje online en un programa de carreras universitarias desarrollado para personas con experiencia laboral. Es un estudio descriptivo univariable, basado en un enfoque mixto, de tipo intersubjetivo, realizado a través de la recolección de datos con encuestas y entrevistas virtuales. Se emplea la plataforma Blackboard Learn, la que también constituye el ambiente virtual para el aprendizaje. Los instrumentos de recojo de información se aplican a través del mencionado medio tecnológico a los 801 estudiantes del año 2014 de cuatro carreras: Negocios Internacionales, Marketing y Gestión Comercial, Administración de Empresas y Contabilidad. Los resultados obtenidos indican que se ha validado la variable del estudio, la satisfacción por el aprendizaje online, para el programa “Carreras universitarias para personas con experiencia laboral” (CPEL), basado en la aplicación de una metodología práctica para su medición.

Investigating synchronous and asynchronous class attendance as predictors of academic success in online education

Learning is facilitated by participation and interaction and can be synchronously or asynchronously in online education. This study investigated the relationship between students’ academic success and online interaction and participation and explored their class attendance (synchronous virtual classes and/or watching the recorded virtual classes) in the online study mode of an enabling program at Southern Cross University in Australia. The Preparing for Success at SCU Program equips students with study skills for success at university. The data were retrieved from usage information data provided by the Blackboard Learn learning management system. The results show that it is important for students to attend class, but it does not necessarily make a difference whether students attend synchronous virtual classes or watch the recordings of the virtual classes. A significant relationship was found between academic success and the number of hours students participated in and interacted with the online learning system. Academic success may be increased by providing various options for students to participate and interact online, and to attend classes synchronously or asynchronously. The flexibility of online education can enable students to be successful in their studies. The inclusion of varied activities is therefore recommended to increase academic success in online education.