Minimizing attrition in online degree courses

The number of online programs in the higher education sector has increased dramatically in the last decade, and with it, an increase in attrition has become a recurring problem worldwide. Literature suggests that elements of culture, motivation, learning management systems and online pedagogy play a major role in attrition rates in the higher education sector. Using an interpretivist paradigm with qualitative case studies from six countries, the researcher explores online lecturers’ successful engagement strategies on these four main thematic areas. Results provide a range of strategies that can be applied by lecturers to increase engagement and minimize online attrition

Does culture matter? A qualitative and comparative study on eLearning in Germany and China

eLearning offers the exciting opportunity to acquire new material at any time and any place. It is also a means to teach a large number of people simultaneously, which is an important aspect when thinking about challenges in fast growing countries like China. We suggest that the successful usage of eLearning requires the consideration of didactic socialization. While prior research has primarily focused on the overall success factors of eLearning, there is little understanding about how a specific learning culture context influences its usefulness. This study intends by a use of a proxy approach to investigate culture-sensitive success factors of eLearning measures regarding overall satisfaction and learning success. The results of the comparison of the German and East Asian learning context show that there are culturally specific requirements of eLearning success that cater to the specific didactic socialization

Educators’ perceptions of the influence of culture on social media use in education in Palestine

© 2023 The Authors. Published by Asian Society for Open and Distance Education. This is an open access article available under a Creative Commons licence. The published version can be accessed at the following link on the publisher’s website: http://www.asianjde.com/ojs/index.php/AsianJDE/article/view/698The advance in employing digital technology in education is often accompanied by a dominance of Anglophone digital corporations and tools, and a dominance of Western models of education, resources, practices, and concepts. This influences many aspects of teaching and learning and causes ongoing threat to societies, cultures and communities outside the global and national mainstream, especially those that are small, marginal or fragile in terms of the preservation and enhancement of their own culture and institutions. This paper addresses these threats within the Palestinian context by reporting on a study that explored educators’ perceptions of the influence of culture on social media use in education. The conceptual framework that guided this study includes theories of Connectivism such as Siemens’ and theories of cultural dimensions such as Hofstede’s’. The study used semi-structured interviews with 18 educators at three Palestinian educational institutions who apply different teaching modes. The findings reveal nine cultural aspects that influence educators’ perceptions of social media and its use for educational purposes. They also demonstrate the influence of culture on some Connectivist practices in the Palestinian context. Other factors, such as the Israeli occupation were found to affect educators’ practices and perceptions. The study reveals cultural aspects that are not included in Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions theory, and this serves to underline that Hofstede’s cultural dimensions only provides a partial or incomplete understanding of how culture influences educational technology use in the Palestinian context. The study provides a foundation for future thinking about decolonizing research methods, developing modern pedagogies and appropriating some global concepts within the Arab context

Social media use and potential in formal and informal science learning: a multiple case study of three Palestinian educational institutions

A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the University of Wolverhampton for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.This study explores the extent to which social media tools and resources are used in formal and informal science education in Palestine, the influence of culture on their use and their potential to enhance educational experiences. It accordingly investigates educators’ perceptions of the use of social media in undergraduate science education and informal community learning. The conceptual framework that guided this study includes Siemens’s theory of Connectivism and Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions theory. The study adopts an exploratory multiple case-study research design. It begins with a comprehensive review and analysis of the literature, and then undertakes semi-structured interviews with 18 educators at three Palestinian educational institutions who apply different teaching modes, specifically informal community learning, formal campus learning and formal blended learning. The study uses an iterative coding process to analyse the interviews, the qualitative analysis reveals educators’ perceived affordances and limitations, and also provides insight into their concerns about the integration of social media in education. Some differences in use and perceptions were found to be connected to the nature of learning activities at each institution, along with institutional policies, assessment methods and the given science topic. Social media offers various science-related tools and resources to Palestinian students, educators and the community. It has also helped to overcome some of the challenges that confront Palestinian educators and students, including a lack of science resources and mobility restrictions. Of the cultural aspects that influence educators’ perceptions of social media and its use for educational purposes, some are found to be connected to three of Hofstede’s cultural dimensions. The findings reveal other cultural aspects that are not directly connected to Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions theory, and this serves to underline that it only provides a partial or incomplete understanding of how culture influences educational technology use in the Palestinian context. Some examples demonstrate the influence of culture on some Connectivist practices in the Palestinian context. However, it is found cultural aspects exert different, and sometimes competing, influences on educators and students’ practices in online educational environments. Other factors, such as a traditional school education and a lack of digital literacy, were found to affect students’ and educators’ practices. This study provides recommendations and reflects on practical implications with the aim of benefitting educators, educational institutions and policymakers. It also considers issues related to changes at the institutions that occurred after the coronavirus pandemic broke out

Quality of distance e-learning at Saudi universities : students' perceptions

Ph. D. ThesisOne key tool for promoting social justice in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (SA) is to ensure the growth and improvement of Distance e-Learning (DeL). This research study investigates DeL from the perspective of one key group of stakeholders, the students who are currently enrolled in DeL. Their views are presented on the importance and application of a set of standards regarding quality, while exploration of the study setting and context highlights the specificity of the education system in SA. A conception of quality in DeL is then explicated through a reading of the history of Distance Education (DE), the usage of quality in education today and the most significant current models of pedagogy and culture. This research hence provides the basis for a pragmatic methodology to analyse the perceptions of students regarding selected standards of quality. A total of 591 students were surveyed in a mixed methods approach comprised of a questionnaire and a focus group. The data gathered from surveying perceptions of students is also used to construct a picture of the strengths and weaknesses of DeL in SA, as well as the barriers and enhancements to learning resulting from its introduction. Here, culture is found to be a major influence on the perceptions of the students, while DeL exists within a wider, behaviourist educational tradition. If they are to be effective, the introduction of Western DeL practices should therefore serve to negotiate the gap between the need for globalised skills and the local culture and traditions. This thesis identifies manifold issues arising from the student’s experiences that contribute to the obstruction of their expectations about quality; notably, a lack of staff training, large class sizes and a failure to employ technology (including Web2.0) adequately. Many of the problems raised in this study reflect the rapid pace and unplanned nature of DeL’s introduction in SA. The recommendations subsequently made about strategic and institutional improvement suggest that quality is created through both progressive and planned chang