Educators’ Impression Construction: Considering Perceived Social Media Missteps

Social Media (SM) provide exciting instructional opportunities for educators. However, a simple Internet search reveals professional implications that have resulted from educators’ SM usage perceived as missteps. In this research, using an impression construction lens, we considered cases of educators’ SM missteps as perceived by stakeholders and as presented in the news media. From this analysis, a description of what is perceived as inappropriate teacher SM use is provided, explanations of the highlighted SM usage are considered, and a discussion of findings from an impression construction perspective is included. Results suggest impression construction in SM settings is a complex endeavor for educators that prompts varying opinions from stakeholder groups. Suggestions for professional SM use are included

Student Participation and Interaction in Online Case-Based Discussions: Comparing Expert and Novice Facilitation

Discussion is an essential component in case-based learning (CBL), as it offers students the opportunity to consider diverse perspectives, clarify confusion, and construct understanding. As a facilitator bears most of the responsibility for the overall success of CBL, understanding how facilitation strategies influence interactions during discussions is worthwhile. However, previous CBL facilitation research has primarily considered student perspectives during case discussions, without examining relationships between facilitator experience and student interaction and participation. This study combined social network analysis and content analysis to compare the structure of expert and novice instructors’ discussion posts and to consider their relationship to student participation and interaction in online case discussions. Results showed that both the expert and novice instructors used facilitation strategies involving social congruence, cognitive congruence, and content expertise frequently in the discussions; however, when and how they used a combination of these strategies was noticeably different. These differences influenced student interaction. More specifically, students tended to interact with others more actively and densely as a result of questions initiated by the expert facilitator. Suggestions are provided for novice facilitators

An Expert Instructor’s Use of Social Congruence, Cognitive Congruence, and Expertise in an Online Case-Based Instructional Design Course

Promoting and sustaining effective discussion—that which contributes to learning—is a skill that eludes many instructors (Darling-Hammond, 2008; Ge, Yamashiro, & Lee, 2000). This study explored the role and strategies of an expert instructor in an online advanced instructional design (ID) course that utilized a case-based learning (CBL) approach. Discussion posts, as well as interview data, were analyzed and coded to explore how the instructor utilized three strategies noted as being critical to students’ learning during problem-centered discussions: social congruence, cognitive congruence, and content expertise (Schmidt & Moust, 1995; Yew & Yong, 2014). Results showed that facilitation choices were made with course goals in mind: modeling the case analysis process and improving students’ ID problem solving. All three strategies were used frequently during discussion facilitation. Strategies tended to be implemented in clusters, with social congruence strategies appearing in every post but four. Implications are discussed for utilizing a combination of these facilitation strategies, in a dynamic manner, within a case-based context

Comparing Blended and Online Learners’ Self-Efficacy, Self-Regulation, and Actual Learning in the context of Educational Technology

In this quantitative comparative study, we explored the differences in technology integration self-efficacy, use of self-regulated learning strategies, and actual learning between preservice teachers enrolled in blended sections (n = 275) and online sections (n = 50) of the same introductory educational technology course. The results revealed that preservice teachers enrolled in the online format of the course reported a significantly higher level of using time management strategies, but a significantly lower level of employing help-seeking strategies compared to preservice teachers enrolled in the blended format of the course. However, no significant differences in technology integration self-efficacy and actual learning existed. Results offer insight for designing educational technology courses that align with the needs of both online and blended learners and preparing preservice teachers that likely will be responsible for facilitating blended and online learning with their own students

Instructional Design Learners Make Sense of Theory: A Collaborative Autoethnography

Understanding theory is essential to instructional design (ID) research and practice; however, novice designers struggle to make sense of instructional design theory due to its abstract and complex nature, the inconsistent use of theoretical terms and concepts within literature, and the dissociation of theory from practice. While these challenges are generally understood, little is known about the sensemaking process of learners as they encounter these challenges in pursuit of deeper theoretical understanding. Using a collaborative autoethnographic approach, six ID learners investigated their sensemaking experience within an advanced ID theory course. Autoethnography, a form of qualitative research, focuses on self-reflection “to gain an understanding of society through the unique sense of self” (Chang et al., 2013, p. 18). Collaborative autoethnography, a type of autoethnography, explores anecdotal and personal experiences “collectively and cooperatively within a team of researchers” (p. 21). Using individual and collective reflexive and analytic activities, this inquiry illuminates the numerous sensemaking approaches ID learners commonly used to move beyond their initial, basic theoretical understanding, including deconstructing theory, distinguishing terminology, integrating concepts with previous knowledge, and maintaining an openness to multiple perspectives. Additionally, ID learners experienced significant struggles in this process but viewed these struggles as significant and motivating elements of their sensemaking process. Finally, this study offers implications for learners, instructors, and course designers

Developing Pre-Service Teachers\u27 Instructional Design Skills through Case-Based Instruction: Examining the Impact of Discussion Format and Use of Web 2.0 Tools

Case-based instruction (CBI) offers a potentially powerful means for building much needed instructional design skills in pre-service teachers (Flynn & Klein, 2001). Although research evidence attests to the effectiveness of CBI as a method for building problem-solving skills in learners (Ertmer & Quinn, 2007; Ertmer et al., 2014; Jonassen, 2011b) and while cases have been used for multiple instructional purposes with pre-service teachers (Butler, Lee, & Tippins, 2006; Hewitt, Pedretti, & Bencze, 2003; Kale & Whitehouse, 2012), limited research has combined these two ideas to focus on the possibility of using CBI to develop instructional design skills in pre-service teachers. At the same time, despite being recognized as an integral part of CBI (Ertmer & Koehler, 2014; Flynn & Klein, 2001; Levin, 1995), little research has focused on the role of discussions in the case-learning process and how emerging technologies can support learners as they interact with complex problems in face-to-face discussions. First, CBI as a teaching method in the development of pre-service teachers’ instructional design skills was investigated. As a sub-area to this focus, since discussions are typically used as part of the CBI process, different discussion methods were investigated to further understand how they influence the development of pre-service teachers’ instructional design skills. Second, how pre-service teachers use Web 2.0 tool affordances to support their problem solving efforts during CBI was examined. Additionally, as a sub-area of this focus, the impact of different discussion formats on Web 2.0 tool usage was also considered. A mixed-methods approach was utilized to investigate the development of instructional design skills in pre-service teachers (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2011). Specifically, in this study, instructional design skills were conceptualized by considering ill-structured problem-solving processes (Choi & Lee, 2009; Ertmer & Stepich, 2005; Jonassen, 2000) and measured and explored through using students’ individual performance (pre/post-activity scores), group performance (case lesson plan scores), group instructional design techniques (case lesson plan content, sources of inspiration, discussion topics), student perspectives (lessons learned blogs, end-of-course evaluations), instructor observations, and Web 2.0 artifacts (descriptions and creations). Results indicate that utilizing an instructional design approach with pre-service teachers can be worthwhile in facilitating appropriate professional skills. At the same time, results indicate that not only do the discussions appear to play an important role in the learning that takes place during CBI, but also the structure of the discussions appears to impact the overall effectiveness of the method: Instructor-facilitated discussions appear to be more impactful in promoting student learning during CBI than self-guided discussions where the instructor plays a less active role. Finally, results from the study indicate that while Web 2.0 tools certainly have the potential to facilitate the learning that takes placed during CBI, learners were not always ready to use these tools to support their learning

Instructor Leadership and the Community of Inquiry Framework: Applying Leadership Theory to Higher Education Online Learning

Higher education institutions continue to invest in online learning, yet research indicates instructors often lack experience, preparation, and guidance for teaching online. While instructor leadership is essential for meaningful online learning, few studies have investigated online instructors’ leadership behaviors. This study offers new insights into the conceptual and empirical alignment between instructor leadership, as interpreted through the dual lenses of organizational leadership theory and the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework, proposing instructor leadership as foundational to the teaching and learning experience in a CoI. Specifically, the convergent mixed methods study investigated students’ (N = 87) and instructors’ (N = 7) perceptions of instructor servant leadership (SL) behaviors in an online graduate-level course designed to facilitate a CoI. Results demonstrate instructor SL behaviors were perceived differently by students and instructors, instructors’ self-perceptions were generally higher than students’ perceptions, and students’ perceptions of instructor SL were positively correlated with their satisfaction with the course and instructor. Implications offer insights into instructor leadership behaviors important for developing instructor leadership presence to facilitate meaningful learning and student satisfaction in higher education online learning

Instructor Leadership in Online Learning: Predictive Relationships Between Servant Leadership and the Community of Inquiry Framework

Instructor leadership is widely recognized as essential for facilitating meaningful online learning in higher education. While previous studies have applied organizational leadership theories to the study of instructor leadership, fewer studies have investigated online instructor leadership. This predictive correlational study detailed the associations between the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework and servant leadership (SL) theory and employed multiple regression analyses to investigate the predictive relationships of seven SL dimensions on the three CoI presences. Survey data were gathered from 148 graduate students enrolled in online courses in education, communication, and engineering master’s degree programs using the CoI Survey (Arbaugh et al., 2008) and the SL-28 (Liden at al., 2008). The findings revealed a positive and highly significant correlation between the instruments. The predictive model as a whole explained 66% of the variance in students’ perceptions of a CoI. Three SL predictor variables demonstrated the most influence: helping subordinates grow and succeed, conceptual skills, and creating value for the community. Additional analyses at the CoI subscale level revealed that the SL variables accounted for 73% of the variance in teaching presence, 55% of the variance in cognitive presence, and 31% of the variance in social presence. Implications and limitations are discussed and recommendations are proposed to implement online instructor SL

The i-SUN Process to Use Social Learning Analytics: A conceptual Framework to Research Online Learning Interaction Supported by Social Presence

Interaction is an essential element of online learning and researchers had use Social Learning Analytics (SLA) to understand the characteristics of meaningful interaction. While the potential for network analysis in education (i.e., SLA) is valuable, limited research has considered how best to use this emerging field to inform meaningful interaction in online settings. Online learning researchers need a concise and simplified framework for SLA to support interaction in online learning environments. Therefore, we present a conceptual framework to make SLA accessible for researchers investigating learners\u27 interactions in online learning. The framework includes concepts from network theory and the online learning literature integrated into a new perspective to analyze learners\u27 online behaviors and interactions. We analyzed existing models and frameworks to show how network analysis has been used in online learning resulting in a conceptual environment to investigate learner interaction. The proposed i-SUN framework has four main steps: (1) interaction, (2) social presence alignment, (3) unit of analysis definition, and (4) network statistics and inferential analysis selection. We also identified five ways in which the i-SUN model contributes to the advancement of SLA in online interaction research and provide recommendations for empirical validation. As part of a sequence of manuscripts, we seek to offer a unique perspective to online learning researchers and practitioners by focusing on the social and pedagogical implications of applying network analysis to understand online learning interaction

Instructors’ Perceptions of Instructor Presence in Online Learning Environments

As online learning continues to grow significantly, various efforts have been explored and implemented in order to improve the instructional experiences of students. Specifically, research indicates that how an instructor establishes his or her presence in an online environment can have important implications for the students’ overall learning experience. While instructor presence appears to be an important aspect of online learning, more research is needed to fully understand this construct. The purpose of this study was to consider online instructors’ perceptions related to presence, beliefs about actions, and the perceived impact of instructional presence. Using an explanatory multiple-case study approach, this research considered the perspectives of 13 instructors teaching in an online master’s program at a large Midwestern public university. Results indicate instructors viewed instructor presence as an important component in online courses but their reasons varied. Furthermore, the instructors discussed a number of communication strategies they used, the importance of using such strategies to connect to students, and the potential impact of these strategies on student participation and learning. Additional themes from the interview data are discussed, and implications for online teaching and learning are suggested