Lessons Learned from Teaching Data Analytics in a Fully Online Mode at Postgraduate Level

This paper reports on the experiences of developing and delivering the online MSc. in Business Intelligence and Data Mining between 2010 and 2013. We outline our rationale for the selection of Adobe Connect as a synchronous classroom tool and discuss our use of the moodle virtual learning environment to support asynchronous learning and communication. We also discuss some of the key changes in approaches to teaching and assessment and the challenges that were faced by academics in adapting classroom based courses to an online distance education environment. We conclude by examining student interactions with the synchronous and asynchronous delivery technologies and reflect on feedback provided by staff and students throughout the delivery of the course

Selecting Features Of A Web Platform To Enhance Course Delivery

This paper reviews key features of popular Web platforms used for course delivery.  Institutions of higher education have rushed to adopt these platforms for several reasons. From the point of view of the educator, the most important reason is to enhance the classroom experience (real or virtual).  “Classroom” experiences can benefit from a continuous stream of discourse made possible by the communications tools available in the web platforms designed for educational application.  In addition, web platforms can serve as a means of collecting and distributing content from various sources – including all class participants.   A review of studies from current business education literature conducted to assess the pedagogical impact of the use of some of these features is included. The authors’ also provide excerpts from their pages and classroom experiences in a traditional classroom and in distance learning with asynchronous communication, including email and bulletin boards, synchronous communication, content creation that includes course outlines and handouts, online surveys and exams and the digital dropbox. Platforms which are reviewed include Blackboard v. 5.5, WebCT v. 3.0 and WebBoard v. 4.0

E-tools for virtual language teaching herramientas digitales para la enseñanza virtual de idiomas

This document describes the experiences of a specialization course on the management of virtual environments for teaching and learning foreign languages. The basics of online education and their application in online English teaching with a learning management system (LMS)—a virtual learning management system — allow educators to manage, administer, organize, evaluate and coordinate learning activities in a virtual setting. The Software applications include Google Classroom/Meet, Edmodo, Microsoft Teams, etc. Also, the correct usage of educational applications such as Edpuzzle, Nearpod, Kahoot, Powtoon, and more. To ensure that the learning process takes place in a virtual environment, the design of didactic content is essential. Integrating technological tools, auditory and visual learners can benefit from the technology during synchronous and asynchronous classes. Key words: E-Language Learning Environment ; Learning Management System ; Asynchronous e-Learning, Synchronous e-Learning ; Online learning, Distance Learnin

A systematic literature review on synchronous hybrid learning : gaps identified

A

Faculty and student feedback of synchronous distance education in a multi-university learning consortium

The Texas Learning Consortium (TLC) began as a partnership between the foreign language departments at 5 small, private, liberal arts universities, where each specializes in a small number of different world languages to increase the course offerings to their students without the expense of adding additional faculty on every campus. Each university offers their language courses to consortium students in a real-time, interactive, distance education format. In Fall 2017, the consortium expanded beyond foreign languages, and the first engineering course, Statics, was offered in this synchronous, distance format. As background, this paper will provide an overview of the technology used in the classrooms and some of the administrative obstacles that were overcome in scheduling, registration and information technology. The paper will also reflect on the impact of this particular technological implementation on various teaching styles in both foreign language and engineering courses, especially compared to other distance engineering education in the literature, with a purpose of analyzing the model’s suitability for expansion into other engineering courses or a fully accredited consortium based engineering program. Student and faculty satisfaction surveys will additionally provide insight as to whether this distance format is the right fit for campuses used to high-touch learning environments.Cockrell School of Engineerin

Use of synchronous e-learning at university degrees

[EN] Different types of Course Management Systems (CMS) are fully integrated in conventional and online courses in many Universities degrees. Although they are suitable for lecturer-student information sharing, their asynchronous nature prevents an efficient interaction, which may hamper the learning process. As an alternative, synchronous virtual learning platforms can help fill the gaps in traditional CMS. However, there is very little feedback regarding its use in higher education. The Universitat Polit"ecnica de Val"encia introduced in 2010 a synchronous e-learning platform, named Poli[ReunioN], an Adobe Connect-based online service. Poli[Reuni !oN] ! provides virtual sessions where interaction between lecturers and students is enabled by means of audio/videoconferences and software application sharing. By following this path, Poli[ReunioN] provides an opportunity for ! planning new educational experiences where technology may help to achieve new learning objectives. However, the implementation of this tool still needs to be explored. In order to check its usefulness, we have performed a multidisciplinary learning experience involving a wide range of subjects over several degrees: Private Telecommunication Systems (degree in Telecommunications Engineering), Algorithms and Data Structure (degree in Computer Sciences), English for International Tourism (degree in Tourism Management), Genetics and Plant Breeding (degree in Agricultural Engineering), and a specific course for teachers¿ training. The advantages and disadvantages of the use of Poli[ReunioN] in tutoring and in different learning activities ! proposed in the aforementioned degrees are discussed from both perspectives¿lecturers and students. These experiences may help lecturers and other education professionals to adopt similar e-learning tools.The authors would like to thank the "Vicerrectorado de Estudios y Convergencia Europea" (VECE) of the UPV for their financial support of the project Experiencias Multi-Disciplinares de Integracion de Aula Inversa para el Desarrollo de Competencias TransversalesFita, A.; Monserrat Del Río, JF.; Moltó, G.; Mestre-Mestre, EM.; Rodríguez Burruezo, A. (2016). Use of synchronous e-learning at university degrees. Computer Applications in Engineering Education. 24(6):982-993. https://doi.org/10.1002/cae.21773S982993246Garrison, D. R. (2003). E-Learning in the 21st Century. doi:10.4324/9780203166093Beuchot, A., & Bullen, M. (2005). Interaction and interpersonality in online discussion forums. Distance Education, 26(1), 67-87. doi:10.1080/01587910500081285Dennen, V. P., Aubteen Darabi, A., & Smith, L. J. (2007). Instructor–Learner Interaction in Online Courses: The relative perceived importance of particular instructor actions on performance and satisfaction. Distance Education, 28(1), 65-79. doi:10.1080/01587910701305319Garrison, D. R., & Cleveland-Innes, M. (2005). Facilitating Cognitive Presence in Online Learning: Interaction Is Not Enough. American Journal of Distance Education, 19(3), 133-148. doi:10.1207/s15389286ajde1903_2http://www.adobe.com/es/products/connect/Bondi, S., Daher, T., Holland, A., Smith, A. R., & Dam, S. (2016). Learning through personal connections: cogenerative dialogues in synchronous virtual spaces. Teaching in Higher Education, 21(3), 301-312. doi:10.1080/13562517.2016.1141288Huang, Y.-M., Kuo, Y.-H., Lin, Y.-T., & Cheng, S.-C. (2008). Toward interactive mobile synchronous learning environment with context-awareness service. Computers & Education, 51(3), 1205-1226. doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2007.11.009Xenos, M., Avouris, N., Komis, V., Stavrinoudis, D., & Margaritis, M. (s. f.). Synchronous collaboration in distance education:a case study on a computer science course. IEEE International Conference on Advanced Learning Technologies, 2004. Proceedings. doi:10.1109/icalt.2004.13574652016 https://polireunion.upv.es/http://poliformat.upv.es2016 https://sites.google.com/site/matiupv/Cappiccie, A., & Desrosiers, P. (2011). Lessons Learned From Using Adobe Connect in the Social Work Classroom. Journal of Technology in Human Services, 29(4), 296-302. doi:10.1080/15228835.2011.638239McConnell, T. J., Parker, J. M., Eberhardt, J., Koehler, M. J., & Lundeberg, M. A. (2012). Virtual Professional Learning Communities: Teachers’ Perceptions of Virtual Versus Face-to-Face Professional Development. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 22(3), 267-277. doi:10.1007/s10956-012-9391-ySaitta, E. K. H., Bowdon, M. A., & Geiger, C. L. (2011). Incorporating Service-Learning, Technology, and Research Supportive Teaching Techniques into the University Chemistry Classroom. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 20(6), 790-795. doi:10.1007/s10956-010-9273-0Konstantinidis, A., Tsiatsos, T., & Pomportsis, A. (2009). Collaborative virtual learning environments: design and evaluation. Multimedia Tools and Applications, 44(2), 279-304. doi:10.1007/s11042-009-0289-5Hiltz, S. R., & Turoff, M. (2005). Education goes digital. Communications of the ACM, 48(10), 59-64. doi:10.1145/1089107.1089139Smith, M. L., & Cline, M. A. (2011). Inexpensive Options for a High-Tech Learning Environment. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 20(6), 785-789. doi:10.1007/s10956-010-9272-

Observations of expert communicators in immersive virtual worlds: implications for synchronous discussion

With the increased interest in using Immersive Virtual Worlds (IVWs) such as Second Life to augment and amplify teaching or to develop communities of practice, the author engaged graduate students, all current K‐12 teachers, in a qualitative study to examine their attitudes about communicating for the first time in a virtual setting represented by an interactive avatar. This study sought to determine if students were able to discern degrees of expertise in other avatars by providing encounters with guests who had a significant amount of experience navigating in a virtual world. The study examined Second Life as a synchronous discussion tool for a higher education setting and finds it lacking in some respects, but is able to make recommendations about training instructors to exhibit behaviours that may inspire confidence while leading a class in such a setting