Mixed mode education: implications for library user services

The Faculty of Information Technology at QUT does not formally carry out distance education for any of its courses. However, it has pursued a number of initiatives that have made it possible for students to carry out an increasing proportion of their coursework off-site. These initiatives include computer-managed learning, World Wide Web and CDROM delivery of administrative and educational materials, and most recently the development of an integrated learning environment (ILE) for electronic delivery. These developments have been complemented and supported by the QUT Library by means of different avenues of access to CDROMs, a regional electronic document delivery service (REDD), and an electronic reserve (E-Reserve) service. Issues associated with the operation and evaluation of such facilities are described, and future library role in educational delivery are discussed

An examination of distance learning utilization in post-secondary hospitality management programs

Post-secondary institutions have long utilized distance learning to expand the base of students. The traditional paper correspondence course has served as a basis for post-secondary education to reach students physically separated from the campus. Recent increases in technology, specifically in networking, have allowed post-secondary institutions to advance the use of distance learning in educational programs. This study identifies the current utilization of distance learning in the post-secondary education arena, particularly in hospitality management programs. It questions program directors in two and four year post-secondary hospitality management programs to determine the respective differences in distance learning activities. Specific areas of interest include the number of distance learning courses taught, the attitudes toward distance learning, and the competencies necessary of a distance learning instructor

Identifying At-Risk Students: An Assessment Instrument for Distributed Learning Courses in Higher Education

The current period of rapid technological change, particularly in the area of mediated communication, has combined with new philosophies of education and market forces to bring upheaval to the realm of higher education. Technical capabilities exceed our knowledge of whether expenditures on hardware and software lead to corresponding gains in student learning. Educators do not yet possess sophisticated assessments of what we may be gaining or losing as we widen the scope of distributed learning. The purpose of this study was not to draw sweeping conclusions with respect to the costs or benefits of technology in education. The researcher focused on a single issue involved in educational quality: assessing the ability of a student to complete a course. Previous research in this area indicates that attrition rates are often higher in distributed learning environments. Educators and students may benefit from a reliable instrument to identify those students who may encounter difficulty in these learning situations. This study is aligned with research focused on the individual engaged in seeking information, assisted or hindered by the capabilities of the computer information systems that create and provide access to information. Specifically, the study focused on the indicators of completion for students enrolled in video conferencing and Web-based courses. In the final version, the Distributed Learning Survey encompassed thirteen indicators of completion. The results of this study of 396 students indicated that the Distributed Learning Survey represented a reliable and valid instrument for identifying at-risk students in video conferencing and Web-based courses where the student population is similar to the study participants. Educational level, GPA, credit hours taken in the semester, study environment, motivation, computer confidence, and the number of previous distributed learning courses accounted for most of the predictive power in the discriminant function based on student scores from the survey

Distance learning : adult learners and computer-mediated communication

Advisors: Rebecca P. Butler.Committee members: Laura Johnson; Sharon Smaldino.The dissertation explored the perceptions of non-traditional adult learners enrolled in higher education at a distance, using computer mediated communication (CMC), tools. Twenty-one students participated in three research modes including surveys, interviews, and journaling.Adult Learning Theory provided the theoretical framework for the data analysis. The research found that participants were open to using new communication devices when provided clear direction on how to use the technology as well as a perceived need for its application to their coursework. Students perceived communication devices were barriers to learning when technology required more work to learn, were deemed not useful past the course, and the class was not organized to use the tools effectively. Adult learners included in my study desired strong connections with CMC tools to interact with classmates and professor.In addition to their educational pursuits, most of these adult learners had multiple responsibilities that impacted the perceived time needed to devote for learning new communication tools. Students embraced new communication technologies that fit their needs and enabled optimal use of their time. This study shares that when adult learners understand the purpose of new communication tools, they are more likely to adapt new technology for use in the future.Ed.D. (Doctor of Education

Communities of learning and cultures of thinking: the facilitator's role in the online professional development environment

Doctor of EducationDepartment of Educational LeadershipGerald D. BaileyOnline professional development has the potential to be a dynamic tool to construct knowledge and enhance professional performance. Online collaboration tools have accelerated learning and have made online professional development convenient, dynamic, and flexible. Yet access to powerful learning resources has not always ensured that quality online professional development has taken place or that authentic, transformational learning has occurred. This study has shown that technology has presented challenges that have proved difficult for online professional development facilitators and participants. Consequently, the facilitator's role in professional development has been even more critical in the virtual environment and the facilitator has had to be even more intentional in their actions, decisions, and expectations. The purpose of the study was to research, develop, and validate an online professional development facilitator's handbook that would clarify and demonstrate the knowledge, attitudes, practices, and skills utilized by exemplary online professional development facilitators. This study has also ascertained practical instructional strategies that are effective in planning, implementing, and facilitating online professional development. As a result of this study, an online professional development handbook was developed according to Borg and Gall's (1989) Research and Development (R&D) cycle and methodology using three panels that consisted of expert and novice online professional development facilitators. Findings include: Learning, defined as the process of constructing personal understanding through interactions with others while collectively engaging in challenges that are novel and transferable to other situations and settings, is transformational and has a sustaining impact when skillfully facilitated in the online environment. Online learning communities organized around collaborative inquiry and collective problem solving become co-creators of knowledge in a risk-free, trusting environment. Participants (teachers) become self-determining learners focused on engaging in appropriate endeavors to increase their classroom content knowledge and management skills by identifying their own needs and creating a plan to raise academic achievement and improve their own practices. When educational systems invest in honest dialogue about student work, candidly assess student and teacher needs, make changes based on data and research, and value individual and group contributions, these organizations become cultures of thinkers and communities of learners

Distributed Problem Based Learning in a Low Resources Setting: The design and evaluation of a problem-based, web-based curriculum for training family doctors in Brazil

__Abstract__ This thesis explored the use of distributed PBL in health professional education in a low-resources context. Three central questions were studied in this thesis: (a) Is distance education an acceptable educational strategy to train family health professionals in the State of Ceará under their perspective? (b) How do family health doctors appreciate a dPBL course that was developed for them? (c) How effective is this curriculum to achieve its purposes in terms of enhancement of medical knowledge and diagnostic skills? In order to address the first question we conducted a study with 209 family health professionals. A cross-sectional survey using self-administered questionnaires was carried out. The findings showed that the respondents had positive perceptions and attitude towards DE and were motivated to participate in a DE course. To address the second central research question we conducted a comprehensive programme evaluation study with 42 family doctors who had participated in the course “Clinical Approach for Elderly People with Dementia” from the participants’ perspective. In general, the results indicated that the competence-based approach for curriculum design was adequate for our proposal and that the course was highly appreciated by the respondents. The third research question was addressed by a quasi-experimental study aiming at evaluating the effectiveness of the dPBL course to enhance knowledge and diagnostic skills on dementia. We used a pretest–posttest control group design in the study. The results showed significant effects of the course on participants’ knowledge and diagnostic skills