Group Leadership in Online Collaborative Learning

The innovations in computer and communications technologies combined with on-going needs to deliver educational programs to students regardless of their physical locations, have lead to the innovation of distance education programs and technologies. To keep up with recent developments in both areas of technologies and techniques related to distance education programs, educators, administrators, and researchers are in constant needs of learning about issues, solutions, and challenges of these technologies. The Encyclopedia of Distance Learning offers the most comprehensive coverage of the issues, concepts, trends, and technologies of distance learning. With more than 2,000 terms and definitions and over 6,000 additional references, this authoritative 4-volume encyclopedia is considered the foremost reference source for the latest understanding, discoveries, and research in the field of distance learning

Approaches to networked learning : an investigation into the nature of autonomous student interaction with web-based educational environments.

A Networked Learning Environment is an autonomously accessible web resource that combines hypertext course materials, online communication channels, multimedia and other interactive features. Constructivist learning theory makes many claims about the potential of such environments, and the educational ‘affordances’ inherent within them. Yet what we understand about the ways in which students learn online, and whether this is conducive to realising the potential benefits on offer, is somewhat limited. Research into learning style differences and attitudes towards online studying provides a partial insight. However, by using tools designed for assessing how students undertake learning in traditional contexts, and through having been predominantly quantitative, much of the research to date can only highlight the relevance of such factors. Consequently, many questions regarding the how and why of networked learning behaviour remain largely unanswered, and there is a growing consensus that an understanding that is informed by the subjective perspectives of learners is required. This thesis describes a primarily qualitative investigation that shared this concern. The main research element involved a phenomenographic study that focused on the perceptions, behaviours and experiences of students who interacted with NLEs that were the sole or primary means of course delivery in three undergraduate, campus- based contexts. Two case studies and a naturalistic experiment were conducted, and the phenomenographic study was supplemented with other data relating to assignment grades, online discussion contributions, and preferences for conventional studying. The phenomenographic analysis identified three distinct types of approach to networked learning that can be seen as increasingly effective in terms of networked learning interactions and outcomes. Based on the findings of the phenomenography, and other aspects of the research, the thesis argues that while many students will experience to some extent the affordances inherent within NLEs, there is an important distinction between students recognising the benefits of networked learning, and actually undertaking this in a way that is conducive to good knowledge development. This thesis concludes by presenting a theoretical framework that conceptualises the relationship between a range of individual and contextual factors that influence networked learning, and which has a number of implications for theory and practice

Discussion Analytics: Identifying Conversations and Social Learners in FutureLearn MOOCs

Discussion among learners in MOOCs has been hailed as beneficial for social constructive learning. To understand the pedagogical value of MOOC discussion forums, several researchers have utilized content analysis techniques to associate individual postings with differing levels of cognitive activity. However, this analysis typically ignores the turn taking among discussion postings, such as learners responding to others’ replies to their posts, learners receiving no reply for their posts, or learners just posting without conversing with others. This information is particularly important in understanding patterns of conversations that occur in MOOCs, and learners’ commenting behaviors. Therefore, in this paper we categorize comments in a FutureLearn MOOC based on their nature (post vs. reply to others’ post), classify learners based on their contributions for each type of post-ing, and identify conversations based on the types of comments composing them. This categorization quantifies the dynamics of conversations in the discussion activities, allowing monitoring of on-going discussion activities in FutureLearn and further analysis of identified conversations, social learners, and course steps with an unusually high number of a particular type of comment

Desarrollo de la autonomía a través del proceso de aprendizaje del idioma inglés centrado en el estudiante para estudiantes de ingeniería.

This article focuses on how the incorporation of autonomy into university students’ learning process improves their English language performance. The participants of this study were 25 students of engineering programs in a public university. Data collection was done through observation, a survey, and a group interview. Two categories that emerged after the data analysis supported the main finding that technology-based activities can be conceived as a starting point for the incorporation of autonomous learning in the English language education at the university.Este artículo está enfocado en como la incorporación de la autonomía en el proceso de aprendizaje de estudiantes universitarios mejoran su desempeño en el idioma inglés. Los participantes de este estudio fueron 25 estudiantes de los programas de ingeniería. Los procedimientos de recolección de datos fueron hechos a través de observación de clase, encuestas, y una entrevista grupal. Dos categorías que surgieron después del análisis de datos que sustentan los resultados; las actividades basadas en tecnología pueden ser concebidas como el punto inicial de la incorporación del aprendizaje autónomo en la enseñanza de inglés en la educación superior

Students’ Online Interaction Styles: Can They Change?

Past studies indicate that students demonstrate different online interaction styles, which consist of the ways or habits students acquire knowledge from computer-mediated discussions (Sutton, 2001). Such interaction styles include the active interaction style (Beaudion, 2002), the vicarious interaction style (Sutton, 2001), and the mixed or balanced-interaction style. The purpose of this exploratory study was to further investigate whether students’ online interaction styles changed during a course utilizing asynchronous computer-mediated discussions; and if so how and why they changed. Results indicate that such changes did take place as 44% of participants adjusted to more active learning styles as the courses progressed. This study has implications for the design of online learning environments, instructor’s role in online courses, and educational tools to facilitate students in adapting to more active interaction styles in computer-mediated learning environments

Investigating the Impact of E-Learner Cognitive Style on the Predictive Value of Student Success in Online Distance Education Courses

Currently, online professional development is growing rapidly in business and industry. The purpose of this study was to determine whether learners\u27 cognitive styles influenced the learners\u27 online course satisfaction and the possible relationships with student demographic characteristics. 83 participants of a Southeast Florida public school district completed the data-gathering instruments. Data was entered into a Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS) computer program for statistical analyses. Results suggest that cognitive learning styles influence a learner\u27s online course satisfaction. Furthermore, certain student demographic characteristics effect online course satisfaction. Successful experience in an online learning environment increases student achievement

The use of information and communication technologies in the foreign language classroom: students' attitudes, motivation and L2 selves

269 p.The aim of the present mixed-methods study was to compare the motivational and attitudinal disposition of 165 high school students (16-17 years old) from Vitoria-Gasteiz in Spain over one school year and a half.The novelty of the study stems from its intention to contribute to the field of L2 motivation with empirical data gathered at this particular educational level in the Basque multilingual context through the lens of the L2 Motivational Self System (Dörnyei 2005, 2009). The main focus was to examine the possible influence of the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) on students¿ motivation in general and on their Ideal L2 Self in particular. In addition to analysing the influence of ICT classroom integration on students¿ motivation, this classroom-based study compared the impact of ICT with that of the native English-speaking teacher (NEST) in the EFL classroom, as the latter is often considered an added value in itself. Moreover, the possible influence of gender on students¿ motivation was analysed. All in all, this study¿s novelty is based not only on its particular focus on EFL classrooms but also on the fact that it combines three important areas of education nowadays, namely: students¿ motivation towards learning an L2, the use of ICT and the presence of native vs. non-native teachers in a foreign language classroom

Reciprocity 2.0: How reciprocity is mediated through different formats of learners' logs.

International audienc