Building Leadership Relationships Online

J. Mike FinneganLEAD 212: Introduction to Leadership Concepts, is the first course associated with the popular Leadership Studies minor held in the Staley School of Leadership Studies at Kansas State University. As a program built around the leadership premise that leadership is a relationship, in-person courses emphasize student engagement amongst each other and with instructors. The COVID-19 pandemic forced courses initially held in-person to be shifted to online platforms only, creating significant challenges. A literature review exploring the importance of teacher-student relationships in higher education, online learning in higher education, and a glimpse into emerging literature on the effects of education caused by COVID-19 share information that be influential in future adaptations of online courses. Studies exposing the need for educators to provide extensive personal and academic care and strategies for approachability connected closely with the positive impact that both learning communities and peer mentors can have on student satisfaction (Denzine & Pulos 2000) (Hurd & Stein 2004) (Kuh et al. 2008). Online platforms are increasingly important in creating space for social engagement in online courses, as well as the various roles that instructors must take on (Salmon 2000). Additionally, personal accounts based on experience as a class leader for the spring 2020 LEAD 212 create a foundation for supplemental material to provide future class leaders in preparation for another semester of online leadership curriculum

Using Online Discussions to Develop the Entrepreneurial Mindset in Environmental Engineering Undergraduates: A Case Study

Entrepreneurship is an important aspect of the U.S. and global economy. As such, developing an entrepreneurial mindset is crucial for both engineering students and practicing engineers. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of online discussions, as a pedagogical approach, in the development of the entrepreneurial mindset. Online discussions prompts were developed using the Kern Engineering Entrepreneurial Network (KEEN) framework as a guide. The KEEN framework proposes an entrepreneurial mindset can be fostered in students by stimulating curiosity, strengthening connections, and creating value. This paper describes the methodology and rationale that served as the foundation for this exploratory study. Examples are provided for online discussion prompts developed and administered in two different environmental engineering undergraduate courses: Introduction to Environmental Engineering (three credit, undergraduate, online course offered during two different summer sessions) and Seminar in Environmental Engineering (one credit, undergraduate level, face-to-face course offered during one semester). Quantitative and qualitative methods were used to analyze and assess potential impacts of online discussion prompt use. The findings provide lessons learned for integrating the KEEN framework into undergraduate engineering courses through online discussions

PeerWise: student-generated content for enhanced engagement and learning

PeerWise is a free, online system that allows student groups to author, answer, rate and comment on student-generated multiple choice questions. It incorporates social functionality common to many Web2.0 applications. Across multiple courses at several institutions, we have found that its use has produced: A large number of high quality student submissions; Enhanced student engagement with course material outside class hours and; Enhanced performance on the end of course examination for the majority of students. This online workshop will be delivered through Blackboard Collaborate and will present an introduction to PeerWise, together with a significant hands-on activity where attendees who bring their own wifi device will play the role of students creating assessment content, and answering and rating submissions from their colleagues. Attendees will gain a good understanding of the capabilities of the system and the potential it can offer for use in a wide range of sciences courses

Enriching the content of foreign medical students’ independent work by on-line courses on the edX platform

The article explores the benefits of using computer technology in the educational process and emphasizes their ability to increase the motivation of foreign medical students to study. Using the latest technologies in the educational process is a demand of time. Intensifying the interest to the discipline and improving the quality and level of knowledge of students is the purpose of such using. The necessity and importance of on-line education at the current stage of society development is substantiated. Using effective techniques and methods of online learning, creating a variety of online courses, engaging students in an independent creative process – this is the optimal way to update the internal reserves of the educational process. The role of students' independent work in the educational process is determined. It is moticed that the independent work of students requires the same organization and methodological support as the traditional class work. The peculiarities of the content of independent work of foreign medical students are revealed and their communicative needs are determined. In accordance with the subjects of the educational programs for specialists in the field of knowledge 22 "Health care", specialty 222 "Medicine" and according to the communication needs, EDX on-line platform was selected and created for creating and implementing online special courses for independent work of foreign students at different stages of study. The structure of individual online special courses is analyzed, the purpose, tasks and results of each of them are highlighted. The subject, distribution of classes, structure, linguistic, speech and communication material of the on-line special course "Introduction to the specialty: scientific speech" are characterized. The specificity, orientation, purpose and specifics of the task of the on-line special course "Professional communication: doctor – patient" are revealed. The conclusions about the necessity and appropriateness of the application of the specified online special courses in the process of preparation of foreign students in medical institutions of higher education

A Case Study of Teaching MBA Quantitative Analysis Online

Advancements in video capture and learning management systems (LMS) provide faculty with more tools than ever before to effectively teach quantitative business subjects to graduate students enrolled in blended and online courses. Students pursuing an MBA often come from diverse educational and professional backgrounds, with some continuing directly from undergraduate programs while others may be returning to school after spending years in the workforce. These students require instructional design that is both comprehensive and flexible to meet their various needs, accommodating the increasing preference for visual content delivery. Early in an MBA program, a course in quantitative analysis often serves multiple purposes including as a refresher of prerequisite knowledge areas, an introduction to graduate topics of management science, and a preparation for future courses in the curriculum. This case study paper describes the evolution of an MBA managerial quantitative analysis course using instructor-created videos and a modern LMS in both blended and online formats. The proposed model includes designing a consistent module structure, establishing a virtual classroom environment that extensively uses tutorial videos, setting appropriate course rules, and creating an effective assignment philosophy. The proposed best practices will allow this model structure to be used for other quantitative business courses

Gamificacion in education and active methodologies at Higher education

In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in applying Gamification in Education, which can be defined as the application of game design elements to learning activities. Its purpose is to motivate students by creating an engaging learning experience that can keep students focused on the learning task and its application in the classroom, is still in its emergent stages. Gamification is a great challenge for education, particularly in Higher Education Institutions (HEI) in such a traditional context, as is the case with courses like Management and Administration Business, Finance and Accounting, Marketing and Market Research, Chemistry, Accounting and Administration and Business Communication. This paper presents a study, applied in the 2016/2017 and 2017/2018 academic years, in which the teaching method focuses on a blended learning approach, through the implementation of a flipped classroom model and also through the introduction of online gamification activities such Kahoot! application. Kahoot is a game-based learning platform, used as educational technology that can easily be used for initial, formative and summative assessment of students’ knowledge using individual or collaborative team work mode, adding vitality, student engagement, and also meta-cognitive supports to higher education classrooms with limited instructor or student training required. The participants, in the study, were about 3 000 students of 17 different subjects from the aforementioned courses, of the Malaga University and Polytechnic of Porto. The results of this study suggest that this model improves student learning and are of relevance to researchers, educators and game-based learning designers.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tec

MOOCs in Kazakhstan: internationalization and digitization of higher education

There is a shortage of data in about the role massive open online courses (MOOCs) play in internationalizing the sphere of higher education in Kazakhstan. This paper aims to explore the ways Open University Kazakhstan (OpenU), the country’s first online university, is using MOOCs to foster internationalization within the “Digital Kazakhstan” policy initiative. The case of OpenU has been carefully studied by means of interviews and written reflections with the university team, and the results of this research indicate that the OpenU can be considered a pioneer university of MOOC introduction in Kazakhstan. By gaining awareness of issues related to MOOC integration and by taking well-educated actions forward, higher education institutions (HEIs) will be able to promote Kazakhstani educational programs, which are taught online by locally experienced professors to students around the world. Consequently, it will likely attract more international students by creating new online students’ mobility programs. This exploratory study highlights the potential benefits and drawbacks of this trend, which is situated at the intersection of economics, education, technology and language development in Kazakhstan

Collaborative Problem-Based Learning in Online Environments

Thesis (PhD) - Indiana University, School of Education, 2006Collaborative problem-based learning (PBL) in online environments has become one of the important areas for research with the rapid growth of online learning and the need for innovation in instruction. Although current literature provides interesting and useful insights, it does not provide practical guidelines for designing and implementing collaborative PBL in online environments. Thus, this study sought to provide a first step in creating a more comprehensive and useful knowledge base to guide practitioners, such as instructors and instructional designers, who design online PBL courses or use the PBL approach in online courses. Utilizing the formative research methodology, which is a kind of qualitative case study, and the grounded theory methodology with multiple case studies, this research examined three graduate-level online courses that utilize collaborative PBL: (1) "Technology: Use and Assessment," (2) "Introduction to Reference," and (3) "Advanced Problems in Librarianship: Collection Development." From each case, two kinds of data were collected: descriptive and evaluative. These data were collected from multiple sources, including interviews, observations, and document review. The data collection began at the start of the Fall 2005 semester and ended about two weeks after the end of the semester. Data analysis was intertwined with data collection. Qualitative data from each case were analyzed using the constant comparative method. Beyond describing what happened in each case, this study identified what worked and did not work well in the collaborative PBL and explored how the collaborative PBL could be improved. Based on cross-case analyses, this study proposed a series of guidelines for designing and implementing collaborative PBL in online environments. They provide practical tips for diverse stages of the design and implementation of online PBL. Researchers are encouraged to test the guidelines in diverse situations to revise and refine them and to develop more comprehensive and practical guidelines for online collaborative PBL

Collaborating with Faculty and Instructional Technology Staff

As more and more students are completing their college degree without ever stepping foot on the main campus, libraries must now find new and innovative ways to serve virtual and remote users. In this timely collection, Susan Clayton brings together over 20 experienced distance instruction librarians from across the country University of Western Washington, University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Illinois, Southeastern Louisiana University, University of North Carolina to share their effective strategies for designing, delivering, collaborating, and assessing distance instruction. Coverage explores scheduling and marketing classes; utilizing virtual classroom software, online tutorials, and Web tools; collaborating with faculty and information technology professionals; and more. This unique collection provides the advice and best practices to help you go the distance whether creating an introduction to library research or supporting faculty in advanced courses and take the library to where your users are.https://scholarworks.wm.edu/librariesbookchapters/1002/thumbnail.jp

Language centre online (and beyond)

E-learning, online materials development and computer assisted learning seem to have been in the spotlight for a few years. The use of technology in language teaching has even been proposed to become the norm, e.g. when it is 'used in language education without our being consciously aware of its role as a technology, as an effective element in language learning process' (Bax, 2011), and indeed it feels like it is gradually getting there. The current project was developed based on the idea of normalisation of technology use for language learning, as well as in an attempt to provide more flexible, easily accessible online English language support for the student population at the University of Bedfordshire (UoB). In addition to these, the project provided an opportunity for volunteering trainee teachers to develop online materials, and increase their understanding of the use of technology in language teaching. This paper will, first of all, set the background for the project, and explain the choice of the medium of delivery. Then it moves on to outline the project and its aims, after which the research methods and outcomes will be presented and analysed. Rather than a conclusion, the article ends by looking into the future of the current project