Anchoring for Self-Efficacy and Success: An Anchored Asynchronous Online Discussion Case

In recent years, we have observed a rising interest in studying the effects of Web 2.0 technologies on student learning. We learned that human behavior can be influenced by personal and environmental factors as in Bandura’s concept of “reciprocal causation.” For business statistics students, we implemented online discussions to extend student involvement beyond the walls of the classroom, increase their effort, and enhance their success. We chose business statistics because many students struggle in this course. In the past, in our efforts to aid with this issue, when we used standard online discussions, we observed that students had difficulty navigating through those discussions. They participated strictly out of compliance and several of their comments were repeats of each other. To this end, we implemented anchored discussions to assist with the navigation issue. We examined the effects of the two forms of online discussions based on the students’ feedback in essays they were asked to write at the end of the course. Using a qualitative data analysis, students’ self-efficacy emerged as an important theme. We found that anchored asynchronous online discussions (AAODs) are more likely to help increase students’ selfefficacy than standard online discussions (AODs). Moreover, AAOD students obtained statistically significant higher exam scores than students using AODs

Online IS Education for the 21st Century

Online teaching and learning have become increasingly common in higher educational institutions. These higher educational institutions realize the growing importance of online learning in information systems/information technology (IS/IT) education and are now offering online IS/IT courses and programs to students. However, designing, developing, teaching, and assessing an online IS/IT course effectively is often a challenge. Many IS/IT instructors are new to online teaching and need orientation and training for their own readiness in designing, developing, teaching, and assessing IS/IT courses in the online environment. It is recognized that effective faculty are key to student success in online courses and to the success of online programs (Meyer and Jones, 2012). Therefore, it is imperative that administrators and instructors of IS/IT courses and programs learn more of the best practices of online teaching for high student success. This support to instructors and administrators is the purpose of the Special Issue of the Journal of Information Systems Education

Internet Self-Efficacy, Self-Regulation, and Student Performance: African-American Adult Students in Online Learning

The paper intended to investigate adult students’ Internet self-efficacy, self-regulation, and performance in online learning environments. The relationships between these variables and the effect of student characteristics on Internet self-efficacy and self-regulation were explored. The participants of this study were African American students from a university in the United States. They participated in two web-based research courses offered in summer. Data were collected through an online survey and were analyzed by a quantitative approach. The results showed Internet self-efficacy was positively related to self-regulation at a significant level. Internet selfefficacy and self-regulation differed in terms of student performance. The differences of gender and age did not have a significant impact on Internet self-efficacy and self-regulation. Discussions and implications were addressed according to the major findings of this study

Social Networks among Students, Peer TAs, and Instructors and Their Impacts on Student Learning in the Blended Environment: A Model Development and Testing

Due to its flexibility and effectiveness, blended learning has become popular in higher education. Previous studies have discussed and presented various methods and cases that one can use and leverage in blended courses. Other studies have described and examined the technology and/or systems that support blended learning. However, no research has examined student learning from the social network perspective. Compared with traditional face-to-face instruction, blended learning incorporates a great portion of online activities. Thus, blended learning typically features fewer interactions among students, teaching assistants (if any), and instructors. Therefore, we need to examine whether and how (if any) social networks among students, peer teaching assistants, and instructors could influence student learning in the blended environment. To do so, we developed and tested a research model with a large sample size of 699 students who took a blended class. The results indicated that all three types of networks (including student-student networks, student-peer TA networks, and student-instructor networks) significantly influenced both social presence and interaction, which, in turn, had significant impacts on learning climate and perceived academic performance

Nursing Faculty Perspectives on Support in Technology, Learning Management Systems, and Self-efficacy

Past literature has shown that nursing programs reported educators were at the novice or beginner level regarding use of technology and that there was a critical need for faculty development. There was a lack of current information on the perspectives of nurse faculty utilizing learning management systems. Learning management systems are being used within nursing education, faculty should be proficient implementing the technology, if not, students and faculty suffer. The purpose of this study was to understand how nursing faculty perceive the use and support for integrated online Learning Management System (LMS) technology, along with levels of self-efficacy, at the institution in which they work. The Bandura self-efficacy conceptual framework was used to explore nursing faculty perspectives on the use of LMS technology. A case study approach was used for this study to aid in identifying the perspective of nursing educators who have utilized LMS technology. Participants included 8 nursing faculty from 3 Southeastern Pennsylvania nursing program. Data sources consisted of online survey questions and telephone interviews. Survey data results were analyzed by means of central tendency. Transcriptions of interviews were analyzed using NVivo software for coding and identification of themes and patterns. The results revealed that nursing faculty did not seem to like their LMS platform; however, the majority of the faculty did consider the LMSs useful in providing materials to students and for posting grades, although faculty stated a desire for additional training and regular workshops on using LMSs. This research can contribute to positive social change by assisting stakeholders in best implementation of LMSs in student instructional practices