Design, Implementation, and Evaluation of an Online Systemic Human Anatomy Course with Laboratory

Systemic Human Anatomy is a full credit, upper year undergraduate course with a prosection laboratory demonstration at Western University Canada. To meet enrolment demands beyond the physical space of the laboratory facility, a fully online section was developed to run concurrently with the traditional face-to-face (F2F) course in 2012-13. Lectures for F2F students were broadcast in live and archived format to online students using Blackboard Collaborate virtual classroom. Online laboratories were delivered in the virtual classroom by teaching assistants (TAs) with three dimensional (3D) anatomical models (Netter’s 3D Interactive Anatomy). Student performance outcomes and student and instructor perceptions of the experience were studied over a two year period to determine the strengths and weaknesses of the new format. Data comparing the online and F2F student grades suggest that previous academic achievement, and not delivery format, predicts performance in anatomy. Students valued pace control, schedule and location flexibility of learning from archived materials. In the online laboratory, they had difficulty using the 3D models and preferred the unique and hands-on experiences of cadaveric specimens. The F2F environment was conducive to learning in both lecture and lab because students felt more engaged by instructors in person and were less distracted by their surroundings. The course was modified in its second year with the addition of virtual breakout laboratory rooms, which allowed students to learn in smaller groups and interact with 3 TAs per lesson. The new laboratory format encouraged the majority of online students to use the 3D models. Virtual breakout rooms engaged online students in learning and the students were satisfied with their interactions with TAs and peers, though online laboratories did not adequately replace the F2F learning environment for all students. The biggest concern of the instructors was their inability to see coverbal student behaviour and use it to assess class engagement and their teaching effectiveness. The design and evaluation of the course will guide anatomy educators in accommodating large student populations when faced with limited laboratory facilities and/or cadaveric specimens. The instructional methods will also be of interest to science, engineering, and mathematics educators who teach 3D concepts

The Impact Of Student Mindsets In The Virtual Math Classroom

Mindset has been studied in multiple traditional school settings, but its interaction with transactional distance in a virtual school environment is missing from the current research. This dissertation explores the experiences of students and learning coaches in a virtual high school through a series of interviews in order to present a better understanding of how students and learning coaches perceive the role of mindset and transactional distance in their interactions with each other, the content, and the teacher. The case study design applied the lenses of Transactional Distance Theory and Mindset Theory to descriptive coding of interview transcripts and relevant documents and concluded that transactional distance, while at least partially constructed by the student and enabled by the learning coach, contributes to the student’s sense of isolation, the student’s reliance on the learning coach, the increased need for a student to be able to function autonomously and exhibit a growth mindset, and the increased demands on the learning coach above what was initially intended in the virtual model design for that role

Online Education: The Relationship Between the Perceptions of Online High School Teachers Compared to Traditional Classroom Teachers Regarding the Visual Arts

The incorporation of the arts as an academic subject in the high school distance education delivery method is being reinvented as something new. Most of the current research is focused on college courses. Online high school curricula are most often placed in research studies as an afterthought. Perceptions of faculty members from high schools with traditional instructional delivery models as well as public online schools concerning online education as it relates to the arts in 5 different areas was the focus of this research; mentor, delivery method, satisfaction, student learning, and curriculum. Examining the perceptions of teachers gives a blueprint for future learning regarding course design to meet the unique online delivery method. Further, it reveals ways that curricula from areas of the curriculum traditionally perceived as difficult to teach in an online setting can be structured. The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate the perceptions of high school faculty members of online instruction of visual arts compared to traditional face-to-face instruction regarding visual arts mentor, delivery method, satisfaction, student learning, and curriculum. Data collection techniques included the use of a survey with a 6-point Likert-type scale and collection of demographic information. Data were analyzed through a nonexperimental quantitative methodology further explained through 5 dimensions (mentor, delivery method, satisfaction, student learning, and curriculum). In faculty members age differences, gender, years of teaching, and subject area taught were investigated to see if there were any significant differences. The population included faculty members of online and traditional high schools in the southeastern United States. The following states were chosen for the study; Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. There were 490 participants in the online survey. This study revealed that there is statistical significance difference in several age groups and years worked in the delivery dimension. There is also statistical significance difference in the satisfaction and curriculum dimensions in the academic discipline grouping for fine arts. Curriculum dimension was also found to be significant in the online delivery method. The dimension of student learning was statistically significant in age groups. Findings also revealed that there was significance found in the mentor dimension in the delivery method of the traditional group. There was no significance difference found in gender with any of the dimensions

Engaging Students in the Virtual Classroom: A Mixed-Methods Study of Teacher Leaders Creating Connections Through Virtual Learning Communities

The core problem that drove this study was high attrition rates and low student academic growth in virtual students when compared to their brick and mortar peers. To investigate this issue, the study focused on one issue related to the core problem: student engagement. The purpose of the study was to determine what pedagogical practices and instructional strategies were utilized by teachers in their virtual learning communities (VCLs) in order to engage students in the virtual classroom. This explanatory-sequential, mixed methods, single case study was conducted through the collection of archival data and through a teacher questionnaire and follow up focus group interviews. The sample population included 25 virtual teachers from one virtual charter school in Texas. The findings indicated that teachers with higher engagement scores utilized a combination of communication methods (i.e., calls, texts, and emails) and provided students with supplemental resources outside of the curriculum. The findings for teachers with lower engagement scores indicated that utilizing a single method of communication and focusing on 1:1 tutoring over contacting students was less impactful on overall student engagement scores

The Effects of Gender Differences, Leaner Sources, and Online Interaction on Learners\u27 Perceptions of eLearning

With the maturity and propagation of multimedia and Internet technologies, E-learning has become popular and served as a key source for educational training and individual’s competence development in the information society. Understanding and responding to learner’s expectations is very important for the success of E-learning programs, especially with dramatic environmental changes and increasing competitive pressures. Educators need to adjust their instructional methods to increase education performance and meet learner’s needs under limited financial and human resources. The purpose of this study focuses on investigating the effect of gender differences, learner sources, and online interaction on learner perceptions of service quality, information quality, and satisfaction. Conducting through a field survey, subjects are from the students in National Sun Yat-Sen Cyber University (http://cu.nsysu.edu.tw) in Taiwan. The findings contribute information to help in planning, design, development, implementation and evaluation of E-learning programs to better meet the demand of Elearning learners

How Interactive Video (ITV) Web-Enhanced Format Affects Instructional Strategy and Instructor Satisfaction

This qualitative study explored the quality of technology associated with interactive video (ITV) classes in distance education programs and the resulting satisfaction of the instructors teaching this format. The participants were full time instructors of a rural community college that used the ITV format. Community college ITV instructors are knowledgeable about the ITV technology and are in need of research that explores the satisfaction of that technology. Distance education theory, social constructivism, individual and collaborative learning, and technology formed the foundation for the research. Grounded theory was used to generate a theory about the perceptions of the instructors. Data collected included surveys, interviews, and observations of the interviews. Data were analyzed using theoretical sampling, constant comparison, open coding, axial coding, and selective coding. Analysis indicated that instructors\u27 perceived greater satisfaction teaching in an ITV environment when the structure of the class was optimum for the course, the audio/visual technology worked effectively, the Web-enhanced component of the course ran smoothly, IT was available, quality training was offered, and transactional distance was perceived as minimal. This grounded theory provides positive social change for other educators and administrators who teach ITV by guiding their efforts to use ITV course delivery systems in ways that ensure the fulfillment of needs for both instructors and their students

Bricks Plus Bytes: How Click-and-Brick Will Define Legal Education Space

Herein, I present a number of technological, commercial and profes- sional scenarios that cumulatively suggest that the law school of the near future must be re-engineered and become what is known in e-commerce as "click-and-brick" or "click-and-mortar.' In a click-and-brick law school, distributive learning techniques will fill much of the space, supplementing traditional class experiences and substituting for many others. But a true click-and-brick will also integrate distance learning methodologies, reach- ing out to remote students, enabling collaboration with off-campus faculty and consuming remote content. I draw this not entirely happy conclu- sion from analyzing the commercial and technological forces that are si- multaneously energizing and threatening traditional legal education, and from my belief that, properly re-engineered, the traditional law schools can retain their relevance and continue in their role as the guardians of the intellect of the law. In the sections that follow, I first address the qualitative and institu- tional arguments frequently raised against such non-traditional legal edu- cation (Part II). I then suggest that the law school of the future will be quite a different place from the one we are familiar with, both because of the implications of the new enabling technologies (Part III) and because law school space is no longer a self-contained, autonomous and insulated environment (Part IV). I argue that, before we can aspire to a sustainable click-and-brick model, we will be forced to make some significant changes to how we fill our virtual and physical law school space (Part V). Finally, I suggest that, in designing our click-and-brick model, we pay particular at- tention to the ways in which law practice is being reshaped, and suggest other areas where the law school curriculum will require major re-tooling to be relevant to the Information Age (Part VI)

Flexible Learning in Action: The Readiness of State Universities and Colleges Teachers and Students to Flexible Learning

The study examined the readiness of teachers and students in Isabela State University, Philippines, for flexible learning in Mathematics due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It utilized quantitative analysis and found that while teachers were proficient in mathematical content and pedagogical knowledge for teaching, they lacked understanding of connecting math to other disciplines and detecting faulty student understanding. Students were deep approach learners but deficient in seeking meaning before analyzing a problem. Both teachers and students were moderately ready for flexible learning, but teachers believed it would result in low-quality learning experiences. Recommendations include improving teacher training in connecting math to other disciplines and detecting faulty understanding, improving time management and location for teaching, and encouraging collaborative and critical thinking among students. The results may be applied to a quality-assured module and instructional videos for flexible learning

Characteristics of the Effective Online Teaching Faculty: Perspectives of Online University Administrators

The purpose of this explorative qualitative case study was to identify the characteristics online administrators reveal as existing in their most effective, and ineffective online teaching faculty (OTF). By identifying the characteristics of effective OTF, online administrators can develop practices to reduce and avoid the negative effects associated with ineffective OTF. Negative effects include increased transactional distance and student attrition. Analyzed were personal interviews of ten online administrators from eight different universities, a year of student surveys from six courses, and faculty handbooks. Interview questions sought the best approach to online facilitation, recommendations for retention of students, factors related to course facilitation that bring positive or negative results and what attributes were found in both effective and ineffective OTF. The data collected and literature reviewed revealed an Online Student Hierarchy of Needs pyramid with four progressive levels satisfied by the Facilitation, Cognitive and Social Presences\u27 of the effective OTF