418,580 research outputs found

    Perceptions Among Students in Online Health Related Courses - A Pilot Study

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    Given the proliferation of online courses in university education, continuous evaluation is imperative to ensure quality. This study utilized a quantitative descriptive design using a questionnaire to explore the perceived adequacy and acceptance of distance learning in undergraduate health related courses. Questions were designed to elicit students\u27 reactions to teaching methods, course content, and how the format influenced their learning. Overall, acceptance of online courses is high. Most of the students were willing to take another online course in the future. Respondents felt that online courses offer more flexibility, encourage both independent and critical thinking skills, and that the course materials reinforce the learning process. Students also felt that educators were able to adequately explain concepts, provide sufficient assistance, and that the instruction was both current and at the appropriate level. Both students and faculty will benefit from the study by helping to facilitate the improved quality of online courses

    Online Course Design: A Review of the Canvas Course Evaluation Checklist

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    The evaluation of online courses is an important step in providing quality online courses. There are a variety of national and statewide evaluation tools used to help guide instructors and course designers of online courses (e.g., Quality Matters, OSCQR). This paper discusses a newly released course evaluation instrument from Canvas, the second largest learning management system (LMS) used by higher education institutions in the United States. The characteristics and unique features of the Canvas Course Evaluation Checklist (CCEC) are discussed. The CCEC is also compared to established national and statewide evaluation instruments. This review is helpful for those interested in online course design and developments in the field of online education

    A review on massive e-learning (MOOC) design, delivery and assessment

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    MOOCs or Massive Online Open Courses based on Open Educational Resources (OER) might be one of the most versatile ways to offer access to quality education, especially for those residing in far or disadvantaged areas. This article analyzes the state of the art on MOOCs, exploring open research questions and setting interesting topics and goals for further research. Finally, it proposes a framework that includes the use of software agents with the aim to improve and personalize management, delivery, efficiency and evaluation of massive online courses on an individual level basis.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

    Student Evaluation of Teaching: The Inequity of Faculty Scores in Online versus Face-to-Face Courses

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    Researchers have conducted a multitude of studies over the last century on Student Evaluations of Teaching (SET); however, very few have been conducted in the new digital age (Loveland, 2007). More work is in progress as researchers try to define the differences in student responses and thoughts about the online teaching environment. The unfortunate side of this can be the administrative decision to use a one-size-fits-all mentality when many authors including Dziuban and Moskal (2011) have outlined several research-based alternatives for evaluation of online instructional effectiveness. SETs are important to faculty because they often are the determining factor in merit pay and tenure/promotion. Faculty use SETs to guide decision-making about their curriculum and instructional strategies used to deliver the course (Sheehan & DuPrey, 1999). The power of the SET is recognized as a driving force in academia. What are often not discussed are the differences between SET for face-to-face courses versus SET for online courses

    Preparing Higher Education Tutors for Delivering Online Courses

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    This paper identifies that academic staff need to be suitably prepared to deliver wholly online courses, and outlines the steps taken towards achieving this, at one Higher Education institution in the UK. E-learning, whether partially (blended) or wholly online, is not simply about the technology, but also requires an understanding of the pedagogical considerations, and the skills that are needed, to effectively facilitate them. Through the use of a formal questionnaire, and collation of informal comments made on a social network, evaluation is made of a staff development course designed specifically to promote effective facilitation of high quality online courses. The results determined that the course is fit for purpose and achieves its aims. Future cohorts are already over-subscribed as a result of positive commentary by participants. Further developments will be made, based upon constructive feedback by participants. Whilst possibly not unique, this course demonstrates action being taken in an educational institution to recognise that effective online delivery requires specific knowledge and skills that are different from those used in the traditional classroom

    Fit for eLearning? Trainings for eLearning competencies

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    In: conference proceedings, edulearn 2010, Barcelona 5.-7.7.2010. In order to design and tutor online and blended learning courses, trainers and teachers need to obtain appropriate qualification. In this paper different competency models for online teaching which developed in Germany 2005 – 2008 will be addressed as well as different settings to qualify teachers and trainers appropriately. Finally the results of an evaluation of two different training settings will be presented in order to compare an in house versus a transorganisational training program

    The use of formative evaluation with online courses by teachers at the secondary level

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    This case study investigated the use of formative evaluation by three teachers who designed and delivered online courses at the secondary level. Formative evaluation involves collecting data that could be used to improve the effectiveness of the design and delivery of a course. Teachers were observed teaching the courses they designed for one quarter and then were given a workshop introducing them to formative evaluation techniques. They were observed for another quarter to determine if their delivery or design practices changed. Additional data were collected through interviews and through the analysis of course-related artifacts that included emails, journal entries by the teachers, and threaded web discussions. Data were entered into the ATLAS.ti qualitative analysis software to aid in the linking and reporting of the open and axial coding of the data. The following questions framed the study: (1) To what extent was the process of formative evaluation used by teachers who designed and delivered online courses at the secondary level in an online high school? (2) What changes in online teaching practice or course design resulted following the instruction and application of formative evaluation procedures by teachers who designed and delivered online courses at the secondary level in an online high school? (3) What standards, checklists, or other instructional design framework existed that influenced the use of formative evaluation by the participating teachers?;The results indicated that formative evaluation was used by all three teachers in varying degRees Only a few minor changes were evident in the design or delivery following the workshop. No framework at the school addressed the need for or value of formative evaluation. Due to curricular demands on the teachers, a lack of student compliance, and a lack of a formal or accountable framework, the feedback to improve the courses proved difficult for teachers to obtain. A framework, in the form of a checklist for conducting formative evaluation, was a product of this research

    Applying the interaction equivalency theorem to online courses in a large organization

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    Finding effective ways of designing online courses is a priority for corporate organizations. The interaction equivalency theorem states that meaningful learning can be achieved as long as courses are designed with at least a high level of one of three types of interactions (learner-content, learner-teacher or learner-learner). This study aimed to establish whether the interaction equivalency theorem applies to online learning in the corporate sector. The research was conducted in a large Mexican commercial organization, and involved 147 learners (sales supervisors), 30 teachers (sales managers and directors) and 3 academic assistants (course designers, or Education support staff). Three courses of an existing Leadership Program (Situational Leadership, Empowering Beliefs and Effective Performance) were redesigned and developed to test three course designs, each emphasizing a different type of interaction (learner-content, learner-teacher or learner-learner). Data were collected through surveys (for diagnostic and evaluation purposes) and exams. All courses yielded high levels of effectiveness, in terms of satisfaction, learning, perceived readiness for knowledge transfer and return on expectations. This suggests that the interaction equivalency theorem not only applies in a business setting but might also include other indicators of course effectiveness, such as satisfaction, learning transfer and return on expectations. Further research is needed to explore the possible expansion of the theorem

    Charting the role of the online teacher in higher education: winds of change

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    The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of the online teacher at the University of Southern Queensland, Australia. In this paper, it is intended to identify the issues and dilemmas facing those who are navigating the online teaching environment, to elaborate on the issues/dilemmas, and to offer some ways of addressing these issues by referring to the responses of experienced practitioners, online students, to the literature and to data collected for an Australian Government-funded educational evaluation project. Much of the data presented in this paper relates to an online course, Designing Instruction for Flexible Learning, which is part of the totally online initiative, launched at USQ in 1997. The authors of this paper have been involved in both teaching and instructional design of online courses for several years and have identified a significant shift in the role of the online teacher
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