Pragmatic meta analytic studies: learning the lessons from naturalistic evaluations of multiple cases

This paper explores the concept of pragmatic meta‐analytic studies in eLearning. Much educational technology literature focuses on developers and teachers describing and reflecting on their experiences. Few connections are made between these experiential ‘stories’. The data set is fragmented and offers few generalisable lessons. The field needs guidelines about what can be learnt from such single‐case reports. The pragmatic meta‐analytic studies described in this paper have two common aspects: (1) the cases are related in some way, and (2) the data are authentic, that is, the evaluations have followed a naturalistic approach. We suggest that examining a number of such cases is best done by a mixed‐methods approach with an emphasis on qualitative strategies. In the paper, we overview 63 eLearning cases. Three main meta‐analytic strategies were used: (1) meta‐analysis of the perception of usefulness across all cases, (2) meta‐analysis of recorded benefits and challenges across all cases, and (3) meta‐analysis of smaller groups of cases where the learning design and/or use of technology are similar. This study indicated that in Hong Kong the basic and non‐interactive eLearning strategies are often valued by students, while their perceptions of interactive strategies that are potentially more beneficial fluctuate. One possible explanation relates to the level of risk that teachers and students are willing to take in venturing into more innovative teaching and learning strategies

Satellite-enabled interactive education: scenarios and systems architectures

There are specific sectors of the economy that can benefit from satellite-based tele-education. Areas, such as maritime and agriculture, share common needs for both broadband connectivity at remote geographical areas that cannot otherwise be covered, and for innovative content for tele-education purposes. Furthermore, each area has special requirements with regard to the type of content to be delivered. In this paper we propose a set of architectural designs and case scenarios that will realise such interactive end-to-end education systems based on satellite communications. Services requirements in this setting are also identified and discussed

Lessons from the future: ICT scenarios and the education of teachers

This paper reviews significant events of the last 25 years in schools and teacher education in England and looks ahead to the next 25 years. Various scenarios for the future are examined and the potential is considered for new forms of teachers' initial education and continuing professional development using information and communications technology. It is concluded that the current centrally-controlled national system is increasingly inappropriate to present needs and will fracture under the combination of pressures of a commodified education market, learners' consumerist expectations of personalised provision, and networks of informal learning enabled by widespread access to portable communications technology. Four lessons from this future prediction are drawn, with recommendations for radical changes in government policy and orientation. © 2005 Taylor & Francis

Curriculum online: final report

The Department for Education and Skills (DfES) commissioned NatCen and the University of Bristol to conduct a four-year evaluation of curriculum online, beginning in 2002. This is the final evaluation report for the programme, reviewing outcomes from the research

Applying principles for multimedia learning to eLearning modules to reduce extraneous processing

The purpose of the portfolio is to illustrate tangible examples of effective eLearning design and to explain why they are effective. In this chapter, the products of the portfolio will be thoroughly described. How the products are implemented in the Instructional Design community is then described and explained. The goal of these products is to help the professional Instructional Design community by offering a comprehensive resource showing best practices based on principles to reduce extraneous processing. The products of the portfolio, as described in chapter three are two separate items that are now combined into one deliverable. This overall deliverable is an eLearning module created with Articulate Storyline 360. It has intuitive navigation, branching navigation and self-paced learner-led options to explore the content. The module starts with a main menu page, which has an interactive design. There is a title here and five tabs, one for each principle. As the learner hovers over each of the five tabs, they move on a motion path and reveal the names of the principles. Once the tabs are expanded, they remain that way throughout the whole interaction, no matter how many times the learner navigates from and back to the main menu. The learner can access and return to any of the menu options as frequently or infrequently and in any order in which they desire. This unlocked navigation is purposeful and done so because the implementation of the module is to be a resource. Each button when clicked, brings the learner to the corresponding branching scene. Each scene has a landing slide with the name and brief definition of the principle, as well as three buttons. The learner can click on one button at a time to lightbox a new slide with content that is either an example or a non-example of the principle in action. Each principle has a total of three different examples and/or non-examples. Similar to the free navigation of the main menu, once a learner accesses a lightbox they can close out of it by clicking the X in the upper right corner. They can visit and revisit as many times as they wish. The button to access the lightbox has a responsive design so that once accessed, a checkmark is revealed to signal it has been visited. Each lightboxed slide has a layer on it. The main base layer of the slide displays the featured content. However, to view the explanation of how the example represents the principle, there is an icon in the upper left corner that can be clicked to reveal a layer with an explanation. This layer can be opened and closed as many times as the user wants and can be left in either state without it distracting from the main content of the slide

Online Learning and Experimentation via Interactive Learning Resources

Recent trends in online learning like Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and Open Educational Resources (OERs) are changing the landscape in the education sector by allowing learners to self-regulate their learning and providing them with an abundant amount of free learning materials. This paper presents FORGE, a new European initiative for online learning and experimentation via interactive learning resources. FORGE provides learners and educators with access to world- class facilities and high quality learning materials, thus enabling them to carry out experiments on e.g. new Internet protocols. In turn, this supports constructivist and self-regulated learning approaches, through the use of interactive learning resources, such as eBooks

Politeness and face in digitally reconfigured e-learning spaces

This paper has two starting points. The first is a theorization about the way in which “rhetorical space” is reshaped in asynchronous, online, learning environments. In particular, an asynchronous bulletin- board (ABB) discussion offers both opportunities and constraints for teaching and learning. The learning that occurs will be affected by the affordances implicit in the design of the conversational space itself and the communicative practices engaged in by both teachers and students. The second starting point is a small case study, utilizing action research and discourse analytical strategies, whose research participants were the author and students involved in “delivering” and “receiving” an online education course at post-graduate level using asynchronous discussion. The course, taught in English, had a mix of Chinese students (for whom English was an additional language) and native English speakers. The paper will report on students’ perceptions of what worked for them and what didn’t in respect of this elearning environment. It will also use concepts such as politeness, face and positioning to analyse aspects of the participants’ communicative practices and will draw conclusions from these in respect of how successful learning can occur in elearning environments with multicultural and multilingual students. It will make connections between the findings of this case study and other research on asynchronous, web-based learning and will makes some suggestions about what is needed in respect of the future research agenda

Technology adoption in a hybrid learning environment:An action research study among university faculty in the UAE

While much attention focused on educator technology adoption during the period of Emergency Remote Teaching, whether these technologies still have a place in classroom-based teaching and learning practice remains to be seen. This multi-method, qualitative action research study explores the experiences of 22 university faculty in the United Arab Emirates across a range of eLearning tools. Focus groups were held before and after a longitudinal intervention, in which faculty trialled eLearning tools and reflected on this process in a series of weekly reflective logs. Participant profiles emerged through a process of Reflexive Thematic Analysis, along with themes relating to advantages, disadvantages, and unique features of eLearning tools. The data illustrated that although eLearning tools were widely used, their perceived utility was context dependent. The study therefore recommends an iterative process focussing on specific departmental needs, and structured support to encourage faculty to trial eLearning tools. The findings are relevant for higher education faculty and management, and may inform eLearning resource allocation and the provision of continuing professional development