A Study of Hybrid Instructional Delivery for Graduate Students in an Educational Leadership Course

This paper describes a qualitative study in which ways to improve instructional delivery for graduate students in an Educational Leadership course in Master of Education program in a predominantly Hispanic university located in South Texas were examined. Questions explored perceptions, attitudes, and reasons for choosing a hybrid instructional delivery model. Five themes emerged from the data: flexibility, assumption of responsibility in learning, emphasis on active learning, building peer relationships, and deepened learning

Prediction of Learning Styles Using Students’ Self-esteem

Background & Objective: Learning style is a distinctive, habitual behavior to gain knowledge, skills, or feedback attained through study or experience. The key to engaging students in learning the content is identifying their preferences and learning styles as well as identifying factors influencing these variables. To reach this goal, predictive variables of learning styles should be accurately identified in order to improve the learning environment. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between learning styles and self-esteem in students of Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Iran. Methods: This descriptive-analytical and cross-sectional study was carried out on 343 students selected through quota sampling method. The data collection tools consisted of a demographic information form, the Kolb Learning Style Inventory (LSI) version 2, and the Rosenberg SelfEsteem Scale (RSES). Data were analyzed using chi-square test, Spearman’s correlation coefficient, linear regression, and logistic regression. Results: The mean (± SD) age of the participants was 21.41 (± 2.96), and 44.3% of students used absorbent learning style. In addition, 60.9% of students had poor self-esteem. No statistically significant association was observed between students’ learning styles and levels of confidence. In addition, the results showed that only gender was a prognostic factor in determining learning styles. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that the students’ self-esteem and learning styles were not correlated; thus, teachers can disregard these factors in their assessment of students' learning styles. Key Words: Learning style, Self-esteem, Medical students, Predictor

Investigation of the relations between e-learning style and academic achievement in e-learning environment

Bu çalışmada e-öğrenme ortamlarındaki öğrencilerin öğrenme stillerinin akademik başarı üzerindeki etkisi araştırılmıştır. Araştırmada “e-öğrenme stilleri, çevrim içi derslere katılım, video kayıtlarını izleme değişkenleri akademik başarının yordayıcısı mıdır?” sorusuna yanıt aranmıştır. Araştırma ölçme ve değerlendirme dersi kapsamında öğretim yönetim sistemi üzerinden 14 hafta boyunca çevrimiçi derslerle yürütülmüştür. Öğrencilere bu kurs sonunda pedagojik formasyon eğitim sertikası verilmiştir. Araştırmada 2016-2017 öğretim yılında uzaktan eğitim yoluyla pedagojik formasyon eğitimi alan 501 öğrenciye (351 kadın, 150 erkek) Gülbahar ve Alper (2014) tarafından geliştirilen E-Öğrenme Stilleri Ölçeği ve Başarı testi uygulanmıştır. Araştırmacılar tarafından geliştirilen, araştırma grubuna benzeyen başka bir grupta denenerek güvenilir ve geçerli sonuçlar verdiği belirlenen Başarı Testi çalışma grubuna uygulanarak, bu testten alınan puanlar akademik başarının ölçüsü olarak kabul edilmiştir. Verilerin çözümlenmesinde aşamalı çoklu regresyon analizi kullanılmıştır. Araştırma sonuçlarına göre, çevrimiçi derslere katılma, video kayıtlarını izleme, aktif öğrenme stili ve bağımsız öğrenme stili e-öğrenme ortamında akademik başarıyı yordamaktadır. Bu dört değişken akademik başarıdaki toplam varyansın %7’sini açıklamaktadır.In this study, the effects of students learning styles on academic achievement was investigated in e-learning environments and the answer for the question “are e-learning style, participation in online course and watching the lecture videos offline predictors of academic achievement?” is tried to examined. E-Learning Style Scale (Gülbahar and Alper, 2014) and Achievement Test were applied 501 (350 female and 151 male) students who received pedagogical formation education in e-learning environment during the 2016-2017 academic year. The research was carried out online with learning management systems in the measurement and assessment course for 14 weeks. The certificate of pedagogical formation was given to students at the end of the course. The Achievement Test developed by researchers. This test was tested in another group similar to the study group and found reliable and valid results. The scores obtained from this test were accepted as a measure of academic achievement. Data were analyzed by stepwise multiple regression analyses. According to the results, participation in online course, watching video recordings, active learning style and independent learning style were found as predictors of students’ academic achievement. These four variables account for 7% of the total variance in academic achievement

Student Sucess and Retention : Critical Factors for Success in the Online Environment

Abstract This study was designed to determine the relationship between identified student characteristics and readiness factors and measures of success in selected online courses as defined by final course grades. This study focused on two sets of variables. The first was regarding the relationship of student demographic and educational background factors such as age, gender, academic placement, educational level, enrollment status, grade point average, withdrawal history, and previous online course experience to success in online courses. The second was regarding the relationship of learning readiness factors of personal attributes, learning style, life factors, technical competency, technical knowledge, and reading rate to success in online courses. The study analyzed data regarding students at a state college enrolled in online courses during a single term. Archival data from the readiness assessment SmarterMeasure Learning Readiness Indicator (previously named READI) results as well as demographic, end of course grades, and educational background data from available student records were collected for students registered in the selected sample sections. The SmarterMeasure Learning Readiness Indicator is a web-based, 122-item assessment intended to measure a learner’s readiness for success in an online learning environment. The statistical techniques of correlation and multiple regression analysis were used to analyze the relationship between the dependent variable of final course grade and the independent variables of student characteristics and readiness and to determine the predictive nature of the independent variables. The findings of this study indicate that the age, academic placement, and GPA of students taking online courses may have a statistically significant relationship to their final grade and so success in their courses. These findings regarding demographic and educational background variables suggest that a more mature, non-traditional student who has a higher GPA and did not place into remedial mathematics or English may have a stronger opportunity for success in the online environment. The findings regarding the second set of variables indicated that scores for students on the assessment scales of personal attributes, reading, technical knowledge and competency, and life factors also might have a relationship to their final grade in their online course. Although the predictive relationships were not strong, the findings regarding the assessment variables suggest that students who are better equipped and prepared in the readiness factors assessed may have slightly higher grades as well

Students\u27 knowledge construction and attitudes toward synchronous videoconferencing in an online collaborative problem-based learning environment

The purpose of this study was to investigate students\u27 cognitive learning process during problem-based discussions in an online synchronous collaborative learning environment via videoconferencing. In addition, students\u27 attitudes toward the online synchronous collaborative small-group discussions with videoconferencing as well as recommendations on how to improve their online synchronous collaborative small-group discussions with videoconferencing were investigated. The participants were 28 graduate students who took a graduate-level online Mathematical Modeling course at a western university. They were assigned into eight groups of three (or four) students to work on nine collaborative projects throughout the semester. They were instructed to utilize the Elluminate Live!® for the synchronous small-group discussions each week. A triangulation mixed methods design was used to analyze and interpret four data sources including (1) twelve synchronous small-group discussion transcriptions; (2) three teamwork attitude surveys; (3) a learning environment attitude survey; and (4) seven individual interviews. The main findings of this study revealed that students performed more messages at Phase I than at Phase IV or Phase V based on the Gunawardena, Lowe, and Anderson\u27s Interaction Analysis Model (1997) in the online synchronous collaborative small-group discussions with videoconferencing integrated. The results of the findings might be due to students\u27 sharing preferences, preparedness of the group members, and the nature of the Mathematical Modeling course. Nevertheless, videoconferencing can be a potential tool to help facilitate participants to perform more messages at Phase V than synchronous chat. Additionally, students had positive attitudes toward the online synchronous collaborative learning environment and their most favorable experiences included the sense of community, learning facilitation, and significance of the synchronous small-group discussions via videoconferencing sessions. Conversely, technology problems and unprepared group members were students\u27 unfavorable experiences when participating in the synchronous small-group discussions via videoconferencing. Furthermore, recommendations such as technical assistance, group rotation, clear course expectations, greater preparation time, and increased learner-instructor interaction were provided to improve students\u27 online synchronous collaborative small-group discussions with videoconferencing. Finally, implications for educational practices and recommendations for future studies were discussed