Online Learning, COVID-19, and the Future of the Academy: Implications for Faculty Governance and Collective Bargaining

The purpose of this article is to speculate on the future of higher education as online technology, including adaptive learning (also referred to as personalized learning) infused by artificial intelligence software, develops and matures. This is a risky undertaking since predicting the future, and in this case the evolution of technology, is difficult. While many try to predict what will happen and sometimes get it right, predicting when something will happen is far more challenging. Online and blended learning have already advanced within education, but the most significant changes are yet to come. Evolving technologies have the potential to change the traditional roles in our schools, colleges and universities to the point that many educators are reconsidering their purposes and roles as teachers, researchers and administrators

Teacher Education Futures: Developing learning and teaching in ITE across the UK

A selection of papers from the Teacher Education Futures conference 2006

Student Satisfaction in Hybrid Courses

The purpose of this study was to investigate student satisfaction in hybrid education courses as compared to the traditional face-to-face courses. This was done by focusing on 2 main factors involved in student satisfaction: student-instructor connection and student-faculty connection. Other factors such as the students’ level of technical experience and influence of outside forces such as jobs and families were also studied. Students at one community college in Appalachia were involved in this study. Forty-four students participated in this student. They survey included a Likert-type scale and had additional questions on the student’s prior experience in online and hybrid education as well as two open-ended questions regarding the advantages and disadvantages of online learning. The survey contained 67 questions. Statistical analyses of the data revealed: (1) Students who felt more connected with their instructors were more likely to express satisfaction in their online or hybrid courses. (2) Students who felt more connected with other students were more likely to express satisfaction in their online or hybrid courses. (3) No significance in students’ opinions regarding having an in-person component in their hybrid courses. (4) Students who were more technologically experienced were more likely to express satisfaction with their online or hybrid courses. (5) A significant difference between the mean and students’ overall satisfaction with their hybrid courses showing that overall, students are not satisfied with their experiences. (6) A significant difference from the mean student instructor connectivity score showed that students do not feel connected with their instructors. (7) No significance between the mean and the student-student connectivity score. (8) A significant difference between the mean and the technology score showed that students were not experienced with the technology used in their hybrid courses. (9) A significant difference between the mean score and the students’ opinions of the course design showed that students do not feel that the course design helped them learn

Teaching Massive, Open, Online, Courses (MOOCs): Tales from the Front Line

Very little research has been conducted about what it is like to teach a MOOC. Given this, a mixed methods study, involving a survey of 186 MOOC instructors and 15 follow-up interviews, was conducted to explore the motivation, experiences, and perceptions of instructors who have taught massive open online courses. Findings indicate that instructors were motivated to teach MOOCs for three main reasons: (1) interest and passion, (2) publicity and marketing, or (3) benefits and incentives. Most instructors had little online teaching experience prior to teaching their first MOOC, but were satisfied with the experience. The majority believed their own MOOC provided a high quality learning experience but thought that MOOCs overall might not be as good as face-to-face courses. Concerns were raised about the future of MOOCs for online learning

Pedagogy in Online Graduate Business Learning Environments

Many higher education institutions have decided to offer graduate business online courses and full degree online programs. Offering a quality education for graduate business students online is of concern to business school professors, administrators, and students. Instructors are concerned with the content, delivery method, and level of student achievement. Instructional design support for the online instructors is often lacking in the online curriculum and pedagogy, leaving the faculty with a great deal of freedom to create their own course content, structure, and delivery without any formal distance education training. For this reason, it is imperative for universities to establish online best practices guidelines. This study examined the pedagogical beliefs and best practices of professors who are considered experts in the field of teaching in online graduate business programs. The panel was composed of thirty-six business professors from various AACSB accredited universities who have taught online graduate business courses. The Delphi method was employed to examine the study’s research questions given that the subjects were geographically dispersed across three countries. Iterative questioning allowed professors to give meaningful input on pedagogical best practices for online teaching; the anonymity afforded by the method enabled leaders to freely express their perspectives. Data collected indicated that professors who teach online need support from a central location on their campus so that they can master the technology provided to them by the university, and more importantly, learn the pedagogical principles of teaching online. There was a clear consensus that incentives to professors and a top-down commitment would encourage faculty to discuss online pedagogy with their colleagues, but also design, develop and implement more online graduate business courses. Professors identified what they believed to be the ideal number of students for an online graduate business course, and set forth guidelines for building rapport with students and for electronic mail correspondence with students. Findings also included the most ineffective pedagogical principles that professors employ when teaching online

Optimizacija provedbe vojne izobrazbe metodom učenja na daljinu

The purpose of the research is to analyse the current data and experience of the Slovenian Armed Forces’ E-Learning Centre, and to examine the possibility of increasing the positive impacts of distance education by introducing it into the regular forms and programmes of education in the Slovenian Armed Forces. Based on the results of the data analysis and the experience of the E-Learning Centre and the estimated financial impacts, it can be confidently stated that the introduction of distance education has been financially beneficial for the Slovenian Armed Forces. The savings achieved so far have more than justified the development and construction of the SAF’s own e-learning capabilities. The results of the US analysis also speak in favour of the use of the distance learning method in military education. The introduction of the distance learning method in the military education system shows the positive impacts of e-learning in its integration into the regular forms and programmes of education in the Slovenian Armed Forces. It increases the likelihood of the successful implementation of digital transformation of education programmes, and guides education providers to address key content challenges.Svrha je istraživanja analizirati trenutne podatke i iskustvo Središta za e-učenje Slovenske vojske te ispitati mogućnost povećanja pozitivnih učinaka izobrazbe na daljinu njegovim uvođenjem u redovite oblike i programe izobrazbe u Slovenskoj vojsci. Na temelju rezultata analize podataka i iskustva Središta za e-učenje te procijenjenih financijskih učinaka, može se pouzdano tvrditi da je uvođenje izobrazbe na daljinu bilo financijski korisno za Slovensku vojsku. Dosadašnje uštede više su nego opravdale razvoj i izgradnju vlastitih sposobnosti e-učenja Slovenske vojske. U prilog primjeni metode učenja na daljinu u vojnoj izobrazbi govore i rezultati američke analize. Uvođenje metode učenja na daljinu u sustav vojne izobrazbe pokazuje pozitivne učinke e-učenja u njegovoj integraciji u redovite oblike i programe izobrazbe u Slovenskoj vojsci. Njime se povećava vjerojatnost uspješne provedbe digitalne transformacije programa izobrazbe i usmjerava se obrazovne institucije na rješavanje problematike ključnih sadržaja izobrazbe