Preparing tutors for online collaborative learning at the Open University Malaysia

To be more effective, open and distance learning programmes should incorporate collaborative learning environments with the purpose of engaging learners in the learning process. This will eventually develop into a learning community that would help, among others, to reduce the feeling of loneliness and isolation commonly felt among distance learners. A study to determine the perceptions of tutors on online collaborative learning, particularly in how tutors viewed online collaborative learning at the Open University Malaysia (OUM) was conducted. Their online pattern of collaboration was also determined. The paper highlights the research and its findings and provides suggestions on future training of the tutors to help ensure the success of online collaborative learning at the university. The findings will be useful to those who are designing tutor training programmes for online collaborative learning

Leading Learning in the 21st Century: Engaging Educators and International Partners in the Practice of Online International Learning (OIL) through Collaborative Projects

Short Abstract: This paper presents an innovation that brings together international partnership working and online international learning (OIL) to enhance student-centred experiences. Using meaningful learning practices designed for collaboration and the transfer of knowledge to practice educators from two institutions, UK and Finland, were engaged with online collaborative working to enhance 21st Century HE through learning designed for this purpose. Full Abstract: The opportunity for practicing educators to be involved with Online Collaborative Learning (OIL) as part of part-time postgraduate programmes led to two HEI’s, UK and Finland, working collaboratively to create online learning experiences and shared practices. Walsh and Kahn (2010:3) observed that ‘increasingly, university staff and their institutions are engaging in collaborative working and partnerships in a variety of arenas’. Therefore, the challenge for this project was to bring together two international partners, with different programmes, assessments and cultures to achieve the common goal of engaging with OIL through active learning which was meaningful to practitioners. Learning that educators could go on to apply further and adopt within courses to enhance student experiences. Designing the innovation enabled collaborative learning to form across disciplines and countries. International teachers from two partner institutions underwent this new learning experience and discovered how it was possible to introduce OIL projects within the designs for programmes and learner-centred activities. Sixteen participants were involved in an online collaborative project. Groups were tasked with producing learning resources and objects that were shareable as part of coursework. Four groups became collaborative partners working completely online as a team to achieve differing assessment outcomes set by two HEI’s. UK participants created knowledge resources that could be shared by both institutes. Finnish participants investigated a range of technologies selecting the most appropriate to develop learning objects. As designers we share experiences of a successful innovation where trusted international partnerships, worldwide networks and future collaborative opportunities resulted. Those seeking ideas to enhance 21st Century HE practices through programmes and international online collaborative working will find this presentation of interest

Student engagement with a content-based learning design

While learning is commonly conceptualised as a social, collaborative process in organisations, online courses often provide limited opportunities for communication between people. How do students engage with content-based courses? How do they find answers to their questions? How do they achieve the learning outcomes? This paper aims to answer these questions by focusing on students’ experiences in an online content-based course delivered in a large Mexican organisation. Sales supervisors (n=47) participated as students. Four main data sources were used to evaluate engagement with and learning from the course: surveys (n=40), think-aloud sessions (n=8), activity logs (n=47) and exams (n=43). Findings suggest that: (1) Students engage with a content-based course by following the guidance available and attempting to make the materials relevant to their own context. (2) Students are resourceful when trying to find support. If the materials do not provide the answers to their questions, they search for alternatives such as colleagues to talk to. (3) Content-based online learning designs may be engaging and effective. However, broadening the range of support options available to students may derive in more meaningful, contextualised and rewarding learning experiences

COIL Project Fall 2018 Proposal

Magda Novelli Pearson\u27s proposal details her experiences as a participant in the Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL), a program in which students from an FIU class collaborate with students from an international university, engaging participants\u27 language skills and creativity

Discussion Board Assignments and Their Impact on Creating Engaged Learning Environments in Art History Online Courses

The adaptation of traditional, face-to-face courses to the online format presents both challenges and opportunities. Many pedagogical practices need to be rethought when designing online courses. A successful online course needs to be intellectually stimulating and engaging. The chapter demonstrates how to create an engaging learning environment without any additional budget. The author describes approaches that she has developed, experimented with, and found to be effective in asynchronous online art history courses, as well as learner engagement strategies she has implemented in the eLearning environment. Advantages of scenario-based discussions board assignments and the effects of role playing in discussion forums are discussed. The author shares examples of personalized discussion board assignments aimed to motivate online learners, create a collaborative learning environment, improve peer-to-peer interaction, and prevent plagiarism

What is it like to learn and participate in rhizomatic MOOCs? a collaborative autoethnography of #RHIZO14

In January 2014, we participated in a connectivist-style massive open online course (cMOOC) called "Rhizomatic Learning – The community is the curriculum" (#rhizo14). In rhizomatic learning, teacher and student roles are radically restructured. Course content and value come mostly from students; the teacher, at most, is a curator who provides a starting point and guidance and sometimes participates as a learner. Early on, we felt that we were in a unique learning experience that we wanted to capture in writing. Explaining #rhizo14 to others without the benefit of traditional processes, practices, roles, or structures, however, presented a challenge. We invited participants to contribute narratives to a collaborative autoethnography (CAE), which comprises an assortment of collaborative Google Docs, blog posts by individuals, and comments on those documents and posts. This strategy afforded insight into what many participants found to be a most engaging course and what for some was a transformative experience. In discussing the findings from the CAE, our intent is to benefit others interested in rhizomatic learning spaces such as cMOOCs. This authoethnography specifically addresses gaps both in the understanding of the learner experience in cMOOCs and in the nature of rhizomatic learning

Emergency Online Learning in Low-Resource Settings: Effective Student Engagement Strategies

We aim to identify the engagement strategies that higher education students, engaging in emergency online learning in low-resource settings, perceive to be effective. We conducted a sequential mixed-methods study based on Moore’s interaction framework for distance education. We administered a questionnaire to 313 students engaging in emergency online learning in low-resource settings to examine their perceptions of different engagement strategies. Our results showed that student–content engagement strategies, e.g., screen sharing, summaries, and class recordings, are perceived as the most effective, closely followed by student–teacher strategies, e.g., Q and A sessions and reminders. Student–student strategies, e.g., group chat and collaborative work, are perceived as the least effective. The perceived effectiveness of engagement strategies varies based on the students’ gender and technology access. To support instructors, instructional designers, and researchers, we propose a 10-level guide for engaging students during emergency online classes in low-resource settings

The interrelationship of emotion and cognition when students undertake collaborative group work online: an interdisciplinary approach

In order to determine how emotions and cognition are experienced during collaborative group work online students' descriptions of their learning experience were interpreted using a qualitative approach. A common feature of these accounts was reference to difficulties and problems. Four main themes were identified from this data set. Two of the themes, ‘Constraints on autonomy’ and ‘Reflections about collaboration’, encapsulate the experience of engaging in group work. The other two themes ‘Virtual others’ and ‘Communicating online’. The ‘impact on progress and achievement’ provide some insight into what is unique about the socio-emotional experience of collaborating online and how it can influence motivation and learning. The findings were considered from two perspectives of the role of emotion in learning: the socio-cognitive model of self-regulated learning and the community of inquiry framework (COI). An interdisciplinary approach was adopted by taking into account recent research in social cognitive neuroscience. Some practical recommendations about the deployment of technologies for group work online and for empowering students' understanding of the value of collaborative learning are made. The value of verbal immediacy practices as a way of counteracting the disembodied nature of the relational experience of others online is discussed

Evaluation and Improvement of students’ satisfaction in Online learning during COVID-19

With the closure of educational institutions due to COVID-19, the biggest challenge with the universities and the instructors was engaging students in virtual learning. This research aimed at supporting university students in Islamabad (Pakistan) for online learning through a collaborative approach. The university started online learning during COVID-19 and had no earlier experience of such mode of learning. The first phase was identifying the problems faced by students during online learning and seeking their suggestions for overcoming them. The next step was working on the students’ opinions with a team of instructors to modify existing instructional practices during online instruction. We measured students’ satisfaction level pre and post-modification to evaluate students’ adoption of online learning. The data for both the phases were collected through a Google Form. The post-modification data revealed students’ greater satisfaction in online learning. The findings offer useful insight related to students’ adoption of online learning and making it a more meaningful, organized, and productive medium for future learning

Bricks And Clicks And The Future Of The Academic Library

Today’s librarians must create an engaging setting for teaching and learning by offering a welcoming library space, a wealth of online resources, combined with librarians’ expertise and collaborative instruction programs.  Rapid advances in information technologies, new methods of teaching and learning, and the changing makeup of university student populations are impacting the academic library.  Working together, librarians and faculty can develop active learning experiences for students, and provide opportunities to integrate resources and discovery