Factors influencing the success of computer mediated communication (CMC) environments in university teaching: a review and case study

Despite its potential benefits, the effectiveness of CMC when used to support learning in higher education is very variable, making it important to identify those factors which best predict successful implementations. A review of the literature from the past few years, presented in the first half of this paper, suggests that, consistent with Activity Theory (Leont'ev, 1978), the critical factors are those which provide a context and rationale for online communication by helping users to establish a shared purpose. However, generating empirical support for this hypothesis presents two kinds of methodological problem: specifying the methods and measures necessary to discern the existence and impact of shared purpose; and dealing with the difficulties of making controlled comparisons in this area. The second half of the paper illustrates, via an implementation case study, something of how these methodological problems might be resolved, and presents evidence in favour of the central importance of shared purpose

Universities Confront ‘Tech Disruption’: Perceptions of Student Engagement Online Using Two Learning Management Systems

This article is a teaching note on the experiences of students and professors as they adapted to the use of a new learning management system (LMS). Using pedagogical theories of student engagement and the online learning process, we explore how the design of an LMS affects student satisfaction and interaction with peers and the instructor. This descriptive, qualitative study reports student and instructor experiences in four hybrid sociology courses that used Google Classroom as an experimental LMS. These same students also used Blackboard, a more traditional LMS, in their other sociology classes, establishing a quasi within-subject point of comparison for these two systems. A survey (n=72) and four focus groups (n=54) were conducted among students to determine how student engagement is experienced differently on Classroom and Blackboard. Eighty-three percent of students reported feeling satisfied with Classroom over Blackboard. Focus groups revealed themes relating to usability and learnability; interaction and individuality; and facilitation of learning. Students and instructors responded more positively, with some exceptions, to Classroom’s reliability and interface, but claims about the transformative power of online tools are not wholly supported by student or instructor experiences. The study advances our understanding of how the LMS interface, design, and functionality play a role in student engagement online. Further research is needed to understand the full extent of Classroom’s impact on learning in the higher education landscape

Student psychological response to Computer-Supported collaborative learning

Explores students' psychological responses to an introductory Internet course delivered using computer-supported collaborative learning. Data were collected in pre- and post-course surveys and through observation of patterns of participation. Students' self-efficacy for learning and preference for collaborative work increased, while their attitudes toward information technology were less favorable

Teaching Courses Online: A Review of the Research

This literature review summarizes research on online teaching and learning. It is organized into four topics: course environment, learners’ outcomes, learners’ characteristics, and institutional and administrative factors. The authors found little consistency of terminology, discovered some conclusive guidelines, and identified developing lines of inquiry. The conclusions overall suggest that most of the studies reviewed were descriptive and exploratory, that most online students are nontraditional and Anglo American, and that few universities have written policies, guidelines, or technical support for faculty members or students. Asynchronous communication seemed to facilitate in-depth communication (but not more than in traditional classes), students liked to move at their own pace, learning outcomes appeared to be the same as in traditional courses, and students with prior training in computers were more satisfied with online courses. Continued research is needed to inform learner outcomes, learner characteristics, course environment, and institutional factors related to delivery system variables in order to test learning theories and teaching models inherent in course design

A Multiple-Site Case Study of Two University Teacher Induction Programs Using Different Methods of Delivery

The literature shows that up to 50% of teachers will leave the profession within their first 5 years of teaching (Saka, Southerland, Kittleson, & Hutner, 2013). Although reasons for departure vary, Johnson and Kardos (2005) found schools with high-poverty and high-minority students display excessive rates of teacher turnover. Teacher induction programs were established to assist beginning teachers as they transition into their new professional career in an attempt to increase retention rates. This research aimed to explore beginning teachers from high need schools’ experiences with university-based PLC induction. A total of 23 teachers participated in the induction programs during the 2015 - 2016 academic year. This research provides findings from three different data sources: interview transcripts, surveys, and focus group transcripts. Data was collected to understand beginning teachers’ experience with induction, the types of support offered by the programs, their intentions to remain at their school, and their attitudes towards the method of program delivery. Findings indicate that the majority of the teachers had positive experiences with the two induction programs. Mostly, the teachers felt that induction provided emotional and personal support. According to the novice teachers, administrative support had the largest influence on their intentions to stay or leave their high need schools. As a result, the teachers provided mixed results as to induction’s impact on their decision to stay or leave their current school. Finally, the majority of teachers prefer in-person models to virtual models although there were advantages and disadvantages to both types of programs

Appropriate assessment for resource based learning in networked environments

Recent advances in the use of information and communications technologies in Higher Education have led to an explosion of interest in networked learning, which offers the potential for more open ended and flexible study in an ODL context. Anew generation of resource based courses in networked environments combines access to a wide variety of resources in electronic form, with the construction and negotiation of meaning through online collaborative interaction. This study set out to establish what assessment strategies might be appropriate to support student learning in this context.A case study of one Open University undergraduate course was undertaken over a three year period, with three cohorts of students, and the findings were compared with a short study of a second postgraduate course. The research explored perspectives on resource based learning in networked environments and highlighted aspects of assessment which appeared to support learning effectively. These findings led to the refining of assessment in later course presentations, demonstrating a successful interplay between evaluation and teaching practice.The study has confirmed that the assessment strategy must be aligned with the exercise of self-directed learning, whilst developing information handling and online collaborative skills, and allowing scope for open-ness and flexibility in content. The extent to which these criteria for design are important will depend on the stage of development of the students, and the aims, and degree of openness of the course.The experience here shows that it is important to identify and differentiate between appropriate skills required for a course, and those which the course will seek to develop, so that the assessment can reflect these aims

Lessons in project management

The conventional view of project management is challenged by a contemporary construction industry that is rethinking its processes and procedures as it seeks to align itself with clients' business needs. Project managers must update their skills. They require flexible education and training that complements work place experience rather than distracts from professional obligations. Educational technology offers an exciting opportunity to accommodate these, often conflicting, requirements. Computer-aided learning (CAL) is supported by a government keen to promote a Learning Society, the expansion of Higher Education (HE) postgraduate provision and the construction industry's own initiatives to engender a culture of lifelong learning. Enthusiasts argue that CAL provides greater access, enhances quality and overcomes the inherent disadvantages of distance learning. Yet the apparent eagerness to develop innovative CAL applications is not evidenced in an educational survey of built environment postgraduate course provision. On the contrary, only small pockets of CAL activity are available. A new distance learning project management educational software application (DIMEPM) is developed and compared with a traditional multiple media resource and a well-established postgraduate module delivered in part-time mode. The design of DIMEPM draws on the expertise of experienced practitioners in HE and the views of leading academics in the field. Qualitative and quantitative approaches are employed in a longitudinal evaluation that assesses the relative learning gains, student attitude and confidence of HE students. And, in order to gain reaction from industry, DIMEPM is subjected to an illuminative evaluation within a leading engineering and project management consultancy. The research study finds no significant difference in the academic performance of students in the control and experimental groups. However, it is clear that technically orientated tasks lend themselves more readily to CAL than interpersonal skills. Distributed educational packages provide opportunities for enhancing distance learning but alternative pedagogic approaches are needed to encourage web-based dialogue and promote vicarious learning. Practitioners suggest that the distinction between these alternative delivery methods is artificial and that an integrated approach should be explored. Crucially, the research identifies considerable advantage in linking outcomes to delivery mechanisms and advocates the use of an "Associated Delivery" model

Learning and Teaching Online: Structuring Computer-Mediated Communication Systems to Support Interaction at a Distance

The aim of this thesis is to investigate the effects and benefits of different ways of structuring conferences in Computer Mediated Communication (CMC) environments for learning. To this end, the thesis uses two studies of a conventional distance learning course in undergraduate computer science which was supplemented with a structured CMC environment. The research was undertaken over a period of twenty months. Tile first theme of the thesis is an investigation of the possibilities of using conference structures to improve navigation and organisation. The second theme of the thesis investigates the likely benefits of such structuring. Categorical analysis was used to find out the extent to which this structure was beneficial to students. The effects and benefits of various CMC structures were assessed through analysis of data collected using a variety of techniques- observation, user opinions, and interpretation of naturally occurring online interactions. Categorical analysis was undertaken with rich data on actual behaviour obtained from online conferences and compared with students' perceptions gathered through open responses in interviews and questionnaires. The categorical analysis used an approach influenced by grounded theory. The pilot study revealed the need for a new staff role to support the structured CMC. This role, called the Interactive Media Facilitator (IMF), was created during the course of the study to design the CMC structure and monitor activity within the structure. A conceptual framework consisting of a three-dimensional taxonomy was created and used to guide the IMF in the development of the broad conference structure in the main study. The framework was also used to organise the fine detail of the different discussion areas within the CMC structure. This taxonomy, developed from elements of online interaction types found in the CMC literature, is a generalisable framework, applicable in a distance learning context to any electronically supplemented course

An Evaluation of Tertiary Educators’ Perception of Online Teaching Related Ergonomic Factors

The Aim of this research was to identify and assess ergonomic factors that affected educators in minerals, mining engineering and other educators’ experience with online teaching. Noise, insufficient time to complete all teaching related work, and lack of interaction with students were the main barriers identified. There was minimal difference in factors between minerals, mining engineering, and other educators’ experiences. Having good physical, organisational, cognitive, social, and environmental ergonomic factors facilitated online educators’ work

The Influence of Classroom Community and Self-Directed Learning Readiness on Community College Student Successful Course Completion in Online Courses

The relationships between community college students’ sense of community, student self-directed learning readiness, and successful completion of online courses were investigated using a correlational research design. Rovai’s Classroom Community Scale was used to measure classroom community, and the Fisher Self-directed Learning Readiness Scale was used to measure self-directed learning readiness, including three subscales of self-management, desire for learning, and self-control. The study participants were 205 students (49 males, 156 females; 131 White, 39 Black, 15 Asian, 10 Latino, 10 Multi-racial, 1 Native American) taking online courses during a summer term at a Texas community college. The research hypotheses were tested using Pearson r correlation coefficients between each of the seven independent variables (student learning, connectedness, classroom community, self-management, desire for learning, self-control, and self-directed learning readiness) and student successful course completion data. Contrary to prior study results, no association was found between students’ sense of community in online courses and student successful course completion. Although statistically significant differences were found between successful course completion and self-management (r = .258), desire for learning (r = .162), and self-directed learning readiness (r = .184), effect sizes were small suggesting a lack of practical significance. Possible reasons for the outcome of this study differing from prior research include relatively shorter semester length (summer term) during which data were collected and relatively smaller sample size