10,380 research outputs found
The promise and perils of asynchronous learning: how faculty, students, and administrators can collaboratively increase retention and satisfaction in the online classroom
This paper explores some of the major challenges faced by faculty, students, administrators, and support staff in retaining online students, and doing so while earning high marks for the quality of each course. A number of strategies are explored beginning with the need to carefully consider effective mixes of technology, structure, and content in the classroom environment. With an emphasis on social presence and careful consideration of how students use technology to access the class learning management system (LMS), the paper offers a variety of options to build classroom spaces that foster a sense of community and collaboration. Thereafter the paper addresses best practices to turn wellâ considered design elements into a classroom experience which addresses issues related to retention, achieving learning outcomes, and ensuring students and faculty invest in the learning process from day one. By addressing concerns shared by the major actors in the field of online education, realistic best practices can be identified to help ensure online learning achieves, if not exceeds, retention and satisfaction levels seen from brickâandâmortar classrooms
Chapter 1 : Learning Online
The OTiS (Online Teaching in Scotland) programme, run by the now defunct Scotcit programme, ran an International e-Workshop on Developing Online Tutoring Skills which was held between 8â12 May 2000. It was organised by HeriotâWatt University, Edinburgh and The Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, UK. Out of this workshop came the seminal Online Tutoring E-Book, a generic primer on e-learning pedagogy and methodology, full of practical implementation guidelines. Although the Scotcit programme ended some years ago, the E-Book has been copied to the SONET site as a series of PDF files, which are now available via the ALT Open Access Repository. The editor, Carol Higgison, is currently working in e-learning at the University of Bradford (see her staff profile) and is the Chair of the Association for Learning Technology (ALT)
Transactional distance in a blended learning environment
This paper presents a case study that describes and discusses the problems encountered during the design and implementation of a blended learning course, largely taught online through a web-based learning environment. Based on Moore's theory of transactional distance, the course was explicitly designed to have dialogue at its heart. However, the reality of systemic behaviours caused by delivering such a course within a group of conventional further and higher educational institutions has led to an entirely unanticipated reversion to structure, with unpleasant consequences for both quality and quantity of dialogue. The paper looks at some of the reasons for this drift, and suggests that some of the disappointing results (in particular in terms of the quality of the students' experience and associated poor retention) can be attributed to the lack of dialogue, and consequent increase in transactional distance. It concludes with a description and evaluation of steps currently being taken to correct this behaviour
Supporting collaborative information retrieval in the virtual library
The advent of the virtual library is usually presented as a welcome development for library users. Unfortunately, this tends to reinforce the perception of the use of
information resources as a solitary activity. In fact, as many studies have emphasised, information retrieval (IR) in the conventional library is often a highly collaborative
activity, involving users' peers and experts such as librarians. Failure to take this into account in the design of virtual library services may result in its users being
disadvantaged and denied timely and effective access to sources of assistance. Our focus here is on collaboration between users and librarians. We report an
investigation of collaboration issues as seen from the perspective of librarians' and users' contexts and encapsulated in the notion of genre. Finally, we describe the design of a pilot multimedia-based system intended to support collaboration between librarians and IR system users
Maximising Social Interactions and Effectiveness within Distance Learning Courses: Cases from Construction
Advanced Internet technologies have revolutionised the delivery of distance learning education. As a result, the physical proximity between learners and the learning providers has become less important. However, whilst the pervasiveness of these technological developments has reached unprecedented levels, critics argue that the student learning experience is still not as effective as conventional face-to-face delivery. In this regard, surveys of distance learning courses reveal that there is often a lack of social interaction attributed to this method of delivery, which tends to leave learners feeling isolated due to a lack of engagement, direction, guidance and support by the tutor. This paper defines and conceptualises this phenomenon by investigating the extent to which distance-learning programmes provide the social interactions of an equivalent traditional classroom setting. In this respect, two distance learning case studies were investigated, covering the UK and Slovenian markets respectively. Research findings identified that delivery success is strongly dependent on the particular context to which the specific distance learning course is
designed, structured and augmented. It is therefore recommended that designers of distance learning courses should balance the tensions and nuances associated with commercial viability and pedagogic effectiveness
Computer support for collaborative learning environments
This paper deals with computer support for collaborative learning environments. Our analysis is based on a moderate constructivist view on learning, which emphasizes the need to support learners instructionally in their collaborative knowledge construction. We will first illustrate the extent to which the computer can provide tools for supporting collaborative knowledge construction. Secondly, we will focus on instruction itself and show the kinds of advanced instructional methods that computer tools may provide for the learners. Furthermore, we will discuss the learnersâ prerequisites and how they must be considered when constructing learning environments.Dieser Bericht behandelt die UnterstĂŒtzung kooperativer Lernumgebungen durch den Einsatz von Computern. Der theoretische Hintergrund greift auf einen moderaten Konstruktivismus zurĂŒck, der die Notwendigkeit einer instruktionalen UnterstĂŒtzung fĂŒr die gemeinsame Wissenskonstruktion betont. Darauf aufbauend beschreibt der Bericht in einem ersten Schritt, wie der Computer Werkzeuge zur gemeinsamen Wissenskonstruktion bereitstellen kann. Im zweiten Teil steht die Instruktion fĂŒr das kooperative Lernen im Vordergrund. Dabei werden Methoden instruktionaler UnterstĂŒtzung vorgestellt, die computerbasierte Werkzeuge fĂŒr die gemeinsame Wissenskonstruktion bereitstellen, insbesondere Skripts und inhaltliche Strukturvorgaben. DarĂŒber hinaus beschreibt der Bericht, inwieweit individuelle Lernereigenschaften, wie z.B. das Vorwissen, einen Einfluss auf die Realisierung von Lernumgebungen haben
Maximising social interactions and effectiveness within distance learning courses : cases from construction
Advanced Internet technologies have revolutionised the delivery of distance learning education. As a result, the physical proximity between learners and the learning providers has become less important. However, whilst the pervasiveness of these technological developments has reached unprecedented levels, critics argue that the student learning experience is still not as effective as conventional face-to-face delivery. In this regard, surveys of distance learning courses reveal that there is often a lack of social interaction attributed to this method of delivery, which tends to leave learners feeling isolated due to a lack of engagement, direction, guidance and support by the tutor. This paper defines and conceptualises this phenomenon by investigating the extent to which distance-learning programmes provide the social interactions of an equivalent traditional classroom setting. In this respect, two distance learning case studies were investigated, covering the UK and Slovenian markets respectively. Research findings identified that delivery success is strongly dependent on the particular context to which the specific distance learning course is designed, structured and augmented. It is therefore recommended that designers of distance learning courses should balance the tensions and nuances associated with commercial viability and pedagogic effectiveness
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A report on the ULTRLAB's development of online components in NCSL programmes
This report is one of two produced by ULTRALAB forthe National College of School Leadership (NCSL). Here we discuss the research and development of online components of two NCSL programmes. The other report looks at the Talking Heads project, an online community for Headteachers in England.
This report considers our work on two NCSL programmes. The new model National Qualification for Headship (NPQH) had its first cohort of learners in March 2001. ULTRALAB was involved in consultancy with the DfES, the writers of the programme materials and the ten regional training providers, in setting up the online elements from September 2000. The online community aspects of NPQH were established using think.com software, with the name Virtual Heads chosen for the overarching national community.
The pilot for the Certificate of School Business Management started in February 2002. Our involvement here was to develop the online community and support the tutors in its use.The online community aspects were established using think.com software, with the name Bursarsâ Count chosen for the overarching national community
From conditioning to learning communities: Implications of fifty years of research in eâlearning interaction design
This paper will consider eâlearning in terms of the underlying learning processes and interactions that are stimulated, supported or favoured by new media and the contexts or communities in which it is used. We will review and critique a selection of research and development from the past fifty years that has linked pedagogical and learning theory to the design of innovative eâlearning systems and activities, and discuss their implications. It will include approaches that are, essentially, behaviourist (Skinner and GagnĂ©), cognitivist (Pask, Piaget and Papert), situated (Lave, Wenger and SeelyâBrown), socioâconstructivist (Vygotsky), socioâcultural (Nardi and Engestrom) and communityâbased (Wenger and Preece). Emerging from this review is the argument that effective eâlearning usually requires, or involves, highâquality educational discourse, that leads to, at the least, improved knowledge, and at the best, conceptual development and improved understanding. To achieve this I argue that we need to adopt a more holistic approach to design that synthesizes features of the included approaches, leading to a framework that emphasizes the relationships between cognitive changes, dialogue processes and the communities, or contexts for eâlearning
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