From Instructivism to Connectivism: Theoretical Underpinnings of MOOCs

While the first MOOCs were connectivist in their approach to learning, later versions have expanded to include instructivist structures and structures that blend both theories. From an instructional design standpoint the differences are important. This paper will examine how to analyze the goals of any proposed MOOC to determine what the epistemological focus should be. This will lead to a discussion of types of communication needed—based on analysis of power dynamics—to design accurately within the determined epistemology. The paper also explores later stages of design related to proper communication of the intended power structure or theoretical design as these relate to various activities and expectations in the MOOC

Program evaluation dashboard design and development for Missouri telehealth network show-me echo program

Background: The Show-Me ECHO Program is a state funded telehealth project, established in 2014, that connects interdisciplinary teams of experts with rural and isolated primary care providers (PCPs) and other professionals using videoconferencing and interactive case-based learning in an effort to develop advanced skills, best practices and ultimately improve patient care access, quality, and efficiency. Since inception, the Show-Me ECHO program has experienced rapid growth and expansion to over 40 ECHO topics, impacting all 114 Missouri Counties and over 2,300 health/community organizations. The exponential growth experienced by the ECHO model highlights a crucial need for adept program evaluation, reporting tools and resources which will facilitate the process of systematically examining the implementation, quality, impact, and value of the program. Objective: The objective of this project is to design and build data dashboards that support a macro-evaluation and management of Missouri Telehealth Network's Show-Me ECHO program and contributes to program improvement activities. Methods: A stakeholder identification and needs analysis was completed to ensure comprehensive measurement of program performance metrics. Show-Me ECHO program administrative data, clinic information, attendance records for participants and facilitators, case presentation metrics, didactic presentations, and more were extracted from MTN data repositories for the 2014-2021 period and analyzed for dashboard development. Data cleaning and preprocessing was conducted in a combination of Excel, Python and Tableau. The dashboards and other data visualization metrics were created in Tableau. Results: Data extraction generated a total of 70,910 observations across three reports ('Clinic Data', 'Didactic Presentation Data' and 'Patient Presentation Data'). Three preliminary dashboards -- "Show-Me ECHO Project Reach and Attendance" "Show-Me ECHO Project Overview" and "ECHO Clinic Performance Report" were established to provide Missouri Telehealth Network (MTN) teams and stakeholders detailed insight into growth and performance of the Show-Me ECHO project and support development and management of action plans. Conclusions: The constructed MTN Dashboards support organization efforts to establish a single unified approach to monitor program progress, identify and prioritize efforts and resource allocation, identify specific Missouri counties that may benefit from interventions and ECHO clinic expansions, and provide appropriate performance metrics that can be shared with both decision makers and relevant stakeholders. Future considerations for dashboard expansion include incorporating PCP self-efficacy and knowledge surveys and Claims data analysis to enable further tracking of Provider and Patient outcomes. A feasibility assessment of the implementation of dashboards at other superhubs for benchmarking and program outcome comparison studies should also be considered.Includes bibliographical references

The management of student success in extended curriculum programmes: A case study of the University of Pretoria’s Mamelodi Campus, South Africa

For three decades, numerous South African scholars have researched the efficacy of access programmes in providing alternative pathways to careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics through foundation provisioning. In light of this, Extended Curriculum Programmes (ECPs) were designed for talented Black students who could not gain access to tertiary studies due to poor schooling conditions caused by apartheid. As scarce skills programmes that receive dedicated funding from government, ECPs are indispensable for redress, transformation, and socio-economic development. Consequently, they could be characterized as high stakes programmes that require a rigorous, evidence-led student success management approach to ensure effectiveness. This article argues for a customized approach to the management of student success for ECPs based on the Institutional Student Academic Development and Excellence Model. Using specific examples, the customized system, dubbed the Mamelodi Referral System, is discussed as well as the circumstances that led to its development. The article concludes with future areas for development and refinement

Customizable Modality Pathway Learning Design: Exploring Personalized Learning Choices through a Lens of Self-Regulated Learning

Open online courses provide a unique opportunity to examine learner preferences in an environment that removes several pressures associated with traditional learning. This mixed methods study sought to examine the pathways that learners will create for themselves when given the choice between an instructor-directed modality and learner-directed modality. Study participants were first examined based on their levels of self-regulated learning. Follow-up qualitative interviews were conducted to examine the choices that participants made, the impact of the course design on those choices, and what role self-regulation played in the process. The resulting analysis revealed that participants desired an overall learning experience that was tailored to personal learning preferences, but that technical and design limitations can create barriers in the learning experience. The results from this research can help shape future instructional design efforts that wish to increase learner agency and choice in the educational process

Predicting Student Success Using Digital Textbook Analytics in Online Courses

In the digital era, students are generating and institutions are collecting more data than ever before. With the constant change in technology, new data points are being created. Digital textbooks are becoming more popular, and textbook publishers are shifting more of their efforts to creating digital content. This shift creates new data points that have the potential to show how students are engaging with course material. The purpose of this correlational study is to determine if digital textbook usage data, pages read, number of days, reading sessions, highlights, bookmarks, notes, searches, downloads and prints can predict student success. This study used a multiple regression to determine if digital textbook usage data is a predictor of course or quiz success in five online undergraduate courses at a private liberal arts university. The analysis used digital textbook data from VitalSource and consisted of 1,602 students that were enrolled in an eight-week online course at a private liberal arts university. The analysis showed that there is a significant relationship between digital textbook usage data and total points earned and average quiz grade. This study contributes to the limited knowledge on digital textbook analytics and provides valuable insight into how students engage with digital textbooks in online courses

Artificial Intelligence and the Disruption of Higher Education: Strategies for Integrations across Disciplines

Artificial intelligence (AI) and its impact on society have received a great deal of attention in the past five years since the first Stanford AI100 report. AI already globally impacts individuals in critical and personal ways, and many industries will continue to experience disruptions as the full algorithmic effects are understood. Higher education is one of the industries that will be greatly impacted; consequently, many institutions have begun accelerating its adoption across disciplines to address the fast-approaching market shift. Recent advances with the technology are especially promising for its potential to create and scale personalized learning for students, to optimize strategies for learning outcomes, and to increase access to a more diverse populations. In the US alone, colleges are predicted to witness a 48% growth in AI market between 2018-2022. Research has confirmed that the current use of AI in education (AIEd) leads to positive outcomes, including improved learning outcomes for students, along with increased access, increased retention, lower cost of education, and decreased time to completion. Future uses of AI will include the following: enabling engaging and interactive education anytime and anywhere; personalized AI mentors that will help students identify and reach their goals; and mass-personalization that will allow AI to be tailored to each student’s learning style, level, and needs. Yet with all the potential benefits that AI and machine learning (ML) may provide students, there remains a general reticence to adopt this technology because of misconceptions and perceptions that faculty will need to retool since their current teaching strategies will be outmoded. This study provides an overview for those in higher education of what AI is and is not, and how it may be used in various disciplines. Considerations of becoming an AI institution include the following: 1) curricular planning and oversight from academic affairs to identify appropriate use cases for AI in various disciplines, and 2) coordination with IT and technology infrastructure to develop ML to support student services in general

Enhancing Productive Vocabulary of ESL Learners: A Qualitative Case Study

The purpose of this qualitative embedded case study is to examine how applying multimedia theories in online courses can enhance vocabulary acquisition, retention, and production among adult English as a Second Language (ESL) learners at a non-profit organization in Ontario, Canada. Guided by Mayer’s Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning (CTML), the study probes how ESL learners effectively transfer, retain, and produce new vocabulary. Data collection involves criterion sampling and analysis through MaxQDA, encompassing physical artifacts, personal interviews, and online questionnaires. The findings underscore the efficacy of integrating multimedia elements to facilitate new vocabulary retention and production, emphasizing the importance of the application of productive skills across diverse learning styles. The study underscores the pivotal link between vocabulary acquisition, communication skills, and the integration of multimedia principles in online education. It highlights the significance of adopting multimedia principles to create dynamic learning experiences that cater to diverse learner preferences, ultimately enhancing engagement and effectiveness. Moreover, the research emphasizes the need to consider the interplay between technology, pedagogy, and learner characteristics in designing online educational interventions for adult ESL learners. Overall, the findings contribute valuable insights to language education, advocating for the integration of evidence-based multimedia principles to empower adult ESL learners in achieving their language learning goals and effective communication in diverse contexts