Factors that Influence Successful Online Teaching and Learning Programs in Technical Computer Science Subjects

Since the mid to late 1990s, the World Wide Web has been used as a distributed learning mechanism, enhancing the digital learning environment to support distance and on-campus students. Web technology has been adopted to assist learners with real-time studying at a distance. Consequently, Web delivery has grown rapidly and has been used as a vehicle for learning. Many universities have developed wholly online distance education programs. These changes in distance education have been developed in an attempt to provide easier access to educational opportunities for students who are located remotely from the university, who are working or who have other constraints/commitments such as family commitments. However, online distance learning in Computer Science courses remains challenging for both instructors and students. Research has shown that there is a significant risk factor for online courses in Computer Science. Course developers and instructors need to be aware of the particular needs of Computer Science students when establishing online courses, if they wish to graduate successful and satisfied students. This is particularly true in technical subjects where teaching and learning in an online environment is even more challenging. This paper aims to identify the technological and social enablers and barriers to effective teaching of Computer Science topics in a wholly online environment from the perspective of instructors and learners by using the School of Computer Information Science (SCIS) as a case study. The paper reports the preliminary findings of historical enrolment data from SCIS, to determine if the online environment is a major factor in retention rates for online students

Factors that influence successful online teaching and learning programs in technical computer science subjects

Since the mid to late 1990s, the World Wide Web has been used as a distributed learning mechanism, enhancing the digital learning environment to support distance and on-campus students. Web technology has been adopted to assist learners with real-time studying at a distance. Consequently, Web delivery has grown rapidly and has been used as a vehicle for learning. Many universities have developed wholly online distance education programs. These changes in distance education have been developed in an attempt to provide easier access to educational opportunities for students who are located remotely from the university, who are working or who have other constraints/commitments such as family commitments. However, online distance learning in Computer Science courses remains challenging for both instructors and students. Research has shown that there is a significant risk factor for online courses in Computer Science. Course developers and instructors need to be aware of the particular needs of Computer Science students when establishing online courses, if they wish to graduate successful and satisfied students. This is particularly true in technical subjects where teaching and learning in an online environment is even more challenging. This paper aims to identify the technological and social enablers and barriers to effective teaching of Computer Science topics in a wholly online environment from the perspective of instructors and learners by using the School of Computer Information Science (SCIS) as a case study. The paper reports the preliminary findings of historical enrolment data from SCIS, to determine if the online environment is a major factor in retention rates for online students

The Effects and Challenges of Computer Based Learning on Academic Performance of Distance Leaning Students of University of Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria

The study determine: the Effects and challenges of Computer based learning on academic performance of distance learning students of university of Maiduguri, Borno state, Nigeria. The study examine the effects of computer based learning on the poor academic performance of distance leaning students of University of Maiduguri. Challenges of computer based learning on poor academic performance of distance learning students of University of Maiduguri. Two research questions were raise to guide the study: What is the effects of computer based on  distance learning student academic performance  University of Maiduguri. What are the challenges of computer based on academic performance of distance learning student, University of Maiduguri  The study is delimited to one hundred and twenty (120) distance learning students from faculty of education, department of physical and health education, department of continuing education and extension services, department of science education and department of library and information science, which were used to drawn 30 students from each department which made up of a total one hundred and twenty sample size (120) of three hundred level students were used (300 level).  The data collected presented in tables and analysed using frequency and percentages. The finding shows that, there is a great effects of computer based learning on distance learning students of university of Maiduguri. The results also revealed that there is challenges of commuter based learning as the students does not more time for the computer based learning and limited access to computers. Among the recommendation of this study was; the University of Maiduguri should look at how each students should have his/her laptop for effective computer based learning for distance learning students. University of Maiduguri management should make sure that all resources and man power of the ICT are in good ordr before go into computer based learning. Keywords: Effects, Challenges, computer based, Learning, Distance Learning DOI: 10.7176/JEP/12-15-07 Publication date:May 31st 202

Introducing TU100 ‘My Digital Life’: Ubiquitous computing in a distance learning environment

In this paper we describe the Open University’s progress towards delivering an introduction to ubiquitous computing within a distance-learning environment. Our work is strongly influenced by the philosophy of learning-through-play and we have taken technologies originally designed for children’s education and adapted them for adult learners, many of whom will have no formal experience of computer science or information technology. We will introduce two novel technologies; Sense, a drag-and-drop programming language based on Scratch; and the SenseBoard, an inexpensive hardware device that can be connected to the student’s computer, through which they can sense their environment and display outputs. This paper is not intended as a detailed discussion of individual technologies (they will follow in time), rather it should serve as an introduction to the Open University’s method of teaching and how we hope to continue to recruit new computer scientists and engineers using novel technologies

Synchronous Internet Distance Education: Wave of the Future or Wishful Thinking?

Heralded as an important future delivery means for higher education, synchronous Internet distance education with live presenters is, to date, far less often used than its counterpart asynchronous distance education which offers materials stored on a website. The author has practiced synchronous Internet teaching since 1994 at George Mason University (GMU). This practice now is increasing, with a doubling of GMU Computer Science courses taught this way each year for the past three. This paper describes the lessons learned in finding a successful way to teach synchronous over the Internet. Technologies and class organization needed for success are described and compared. The results appear to indicate that synchronous Internet distance education may in fact become an important future delivery means for higher education

Development and Evaluation of Non-Formal Education Programme "Programming" in the Environment of Distance Education Secondary Schooludy

One of the main aims for the modern education is to facilitate the sustainability of information society, therefore an important feature that highlights differences in the education of the 20th and 21st century is the variety of information and communication technologies (ICT) and the expansion of their application in the education. The development of information and communication technologies caused far-reaching consequences in human life and activities and also seriously influenced education, providing wide perspective for the development of distance education environment. This article represent the results of theoretical and empirical research in the sphere of IT education and computer science. The aim of the research: to substantiate theoretically, develop and evaluate the non-formal education programme “Programming” in the environment of distance education secondary school on the basis of personal experience regarding distance education and pedagogy, the programmer’s professional competence and research results

Assessing the efficacy of online teaching with the Constructivist online learning environment survey

Teachers of science, mathematics and technology Australia wide are being required to transform their established epistemologies of practice in order to engage learners as active conceptualisers within socially interactive learning environments. Many teachers are enrolling in postgraduate distance education programs to assist them with this challenging task. Curtin University is responding by using computer mediated communication to speed up the exchange of distance study materials and to provide online interactive learning environments (via chat groups, bulletin boards and email). For the past three years, the authors have been using the Internet to teach online Masters degree students studying at a distance from Curtin. The major pedagogical goal is to engage students (professional teachers) in reflective and collaborative learning. The web sites provide Activity Rooms in which the teachers engage students in frequent and focused discourse with each other and with their online tutors. As reflective teachers, the authors are keen to evaluate their own innovative practices and constantly improve them. To this end, they have designed the Constructivist On-Line Learning Environment Survey (COLLES), an electronic questionnaire that enables them to readily monitor each student's preferred online learning environment and compare it with her/his actual experiences. In this presentation, they outline the rationale of the questionnaire and present some preliminary analyses that illustrate its usefulness. [Author abstract, ed] Teachers of science, mathematics and technology Australia wide are being required to transform their established epistemologies of practice in order to engage learners as active conceptualisers within socially interactive learning environments. Many teachers are enrolling in postgraduate distance education programs to assist them with this challenging task. Curtin University is responding by using computer mediated communication to speed up the exchange of distance study materials and to provide online interactive learning environments (via chat groups, bulletin boards and email). For the past three years, the Internet has been used to teach online Masters degree students studying at a distance from Curtin. The major pedagogical goal is to engage the students (professional teachers) in reflective and collaborative learning. Curtin's web sites provide Activity Rooms in which students are engaged in frequent and focused discourse with each other and with their online tutors. To evaluate and improve on their teaching practice, the academic staff designed the Constructivist On-Line Learning Environment Survey (COLLES), an electronic questionnaire that enables them to readily monitor each student's preferred online learning environment and compare it with her/his actual experiences. This paper outlines the rationale of the questionnaire and presents some preliminary analyses that illustrate its usefulness

Using the Web to support a traditional lecture-based course

Most courses taught in Computer Science still use the traditional lecture plus lab format, usually with one or more required texts as reference. While many instructors now also use the web to augment this, many if not most use it simply as a convenient place to put materials they would normally hand out on paper in class. Some keep all their lecture notes and slides on their laptops or on the web and then display them during class as the basis for their lectures. Students do find it useful to have access to lecture notes and many appreciate being able to print out lecture notes before a class so they can follow along during lectures. Since access to computers and skill in their use is fundamental to any Computer Science curriculum it would seem a natural step to use the Internet as an undergraduate course. Virtually all computer science students have access to the Internet, either from campus or from their home. But instead of just being used as a source for handouts the Internet can and perhaps should be used as an integral part of any computer science course. The use of the Internet for the delivery of distance education has enjoyed a tremendous surge in popularity in the last few years. Considerable effort has been put into studying the design and effectiveness of such courses [WILK97]. Much can be learned from an examination of the distance education courses but it must be remembered that there are a number of vital differences