Learning Patterns of Learners’ Interaction in Learning Management Systems

Following the rapid development of open distance education and the enrichment of online resources and Learning Management Systems in Asia, the quality of interactions amongst learners and online content, teacher and peers has become one of the imperative factors in determining the efficacy of web-based teaching-learning. Online learning is distinctive as compared to face-to-face interaction in terms of how the course material is presented, the nature of interactions, and overall learning experience. This case study explores the understanding, expectation and experience of learners from China and Malaysia based on vital aspects of learning in the web-based environment such as the concept of teaching and learning, the role of the teacher, communication patterns in the virtual classroom, relationships with the teacher and the classmates, and attitudes towards learning achievement. These are reflected in the learning patterns and behavior of online learners as observed in their interaction with the web-based content and participation in the online forum discussions within the online Learning Management Systems. In addition, this case highlights the influence of national culture towards learners’ interaction as displayed in their online learning activities.

Addressing Online Student Learning Environments and Socialization Through Developmental Research

Keywords: Developmental Research, Distance Learning, Instructional Technology

The Birth of a Survey

Assessing the effectiveness of academic programs is a critical element of institutional research. Changing demographics in the United States compel us to measure the effectiveness of academic programs to address issues of diversity. At a large public university in the Southwestern U.S., a team of researchers constructed a diversity awareness survey as part of its institutional research. This survey was created in response to several factors: (1) results from a university-wide survey of graduating seniors regarding attitudes toward diversity were alarming; (2) the College of Education was undergoing NCATE accreditation review, and assessment had become part of institutionalized procedures in the college; (3) the Curriculum and Instruction department chair requested it; (4) the teacher certification program was guided by a mission to prepare teachers to be effective in diverse classrooms. This process appeared simple at first, but proved to be a lengthy, complex series of steps on a not-so-linear path. After three years, we are just now reaching a point where we believe the survey validity is strong and the questions need no further revision.

Objective-Oriented Assessment in Desire2Learn for Quality Matters

This chapter is a report on using a course management system Desire2Learn® to facilitate the implementation of the quality assurance standards recommended by Quality Matters. After a brief introduction to the Quality Matters standards, the chapter describes how the Desire2Learn learning environment can be structured to build an interconnected framework to promote objective-oriented, criterion-referenced, dynamic assessment. A pilot study was conducted to explore how learning activities can be assessed in alignment with measurable learning objectives, with reference to criterion-based rubrics. The chapter discusses issues found through the study and lessons learned in using the competency structure of Desire2Learn to enforce objective-oriented assessment.

A Case Study Analysis of the Use of Online vs. Proctored Final Exams in Online Classes

This case study examines the results of an effort by a large regionally accredited institution to assure the integrity of its online final examination process. The question of whether the student outcomes achieved when administering an entirely online final exam are comparable to the outcomes achieved when administering proctored final exams for online (e-learning) university classes is the primary focus of this study. The results of an analysis of over 100 online courses and 1800 students indicate that it is possible to establish processes and procedures that allow the results achieved by students on their final exam to be comparable irrespective of whether the final exam is proctored or is a fully online examination.

Alignment of Course Objectives and Assessment Items

This case study examines how achieving close alignment between course objectives and course assessments should be an essential goal in the course design/revision process regardless of what mode of delivery is involved. By examining the revision of two courses (Western Civilization I & II) offered at Thomas Edison State College, the authors demonstrate how the application of sound instructional design principles to achieve this alignment resulted in the measurable improvement of student learning outcomes. The major issue examined in this study is how to achieve a close correlation between what a course states that a student should be able to do after successful completion, what practice it offers them to achieve this proficiency, and how they are assessed to determine what level of proficiency they have attained.

Meta-Analysis as a Tool for Assessing University-Wide Student Learning Outcomes

The researchers included 10 embedded assessments in the study for a mean gain effect size of .35. From the results of a pilot study, the authors learned that while the technique works, questions about the reliability and validity of the classroom assessments emerged. The authors speculate that institutional researchers can use these techniques to compare the assessment of standards within and among universities.

Balanced Assessment of Flexible E-Learning vs. Face-to-Face Campus Delivery Courses at an Australian University

This case study reminded researchers of the value in using formal methodologies to gain an objective balanced perspective of actual practice. By using models and survey instruments that gathered objective input from key stakeholders in the higher education market, several of the true underlying factors were revealed. The key instrument used in the case study allowed us to objectively measure if flexible e-learning was at least as effective as campus delivery mode. More so, the assessment was not just performance and not just student satisfaction – instead the outcomes assessed included six factors that were linked to Australian university accreditation: Industry focus, resources/content materials, critical thinking activities, teaching quality, student satisfaction, and student performance (including completion). One of the most interesting aspects of the case study was that we are seeing history in the making to some degree in that as a result of the 2008 global economic crises, the international student market is changing which will force universities to change what and how they offer higher education in the future. More countries (and their populations) in the world are seeking a credible university higher education and they do not always want to travel to holiday destinations to obtain that… the world economic model is changing, continuing to increase the demand for education, yet changing how that product/service must be delivered. Successful higher education institutions around the world are already showing the followers how to do that. This case study provides some ideas and benchmarks for becoming more competitive in higher education, and while the model was developed and used in Australia, likely it can be applied elsewhere since the majority of students feeding into this model and research were international.

‘De-Coupling Groups in Space and Time’

Prior to the Web, we had hundreds of years of experience with broadcast media, from printing presses to radio and TV. Prior to email, we had hundreds of years experience with personal media – the telegraph, the telephone. But outside the Internet, we had almost nothing that supported conversation among many people at once. The radical change was de-coupling groups in space and time. To get a conversation going around a conference table or campfire, you need to gather everyone in the same place at the same moment. By undoing those restrictions, the Internet has ushered in a host of new social patterns, from the mailing list to the chat room to the weblog. (Shirky, 2003)

Distance Education and ICT-Supported Learning in Lesotho

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) are regarded as a major contributor to the transforming of distance learning. The researcher assumed that education practitioners in developing countries like Lesotho, have limited, or no access at all to ICT for supporting instruction, since they still rely heavily on print and tutor/learner meetings as their distance mode of course delivery. The study assessed the feasibility of introducing ICT-mediated education for tutors and learners on a Distance Education Programme in Lesotho. The paper specifically focused on issues relating to the place of ICT in teaching and learning at a distance, ICT policy initiatives and challenges of infrastructure, human resource capacity, and cost as they affect provision of, and access to computer-mediated learning. Interventions critical to alleviating the situation are also discussed. Policy-makers and distance education practitioners require this type of feedback to be able to effect meaningful improvements in ODL programmes.