Web-based Hypermedia Courseware in Higher Education: A Proposed Framework

This thesis is concerned with hypermedia and learning, and in particular with the design and development factors that need to be considered for the creation of hypermediabased courseware in higher education that uses the Web as a delivery platform. One of the most commonly cited problems with educational hypermedia is related to the design and structure of the educational material. It appears that Web-based instructional authors have not had access to an instructional model, which has been empirically tested. However, there is a large body of knowledge in the field of instructional design from which one can draw suitable conclusions for the design process of Web-based educational hypermedia. The current research recommends that a precondition for effective Web-based courseware design in higher education is careful consideration of the traditional body of knowledge in the field of instructional design which should act as a foundation for future developments in the design process. In addition, the end-users' input should be sought as it can confirm the above and enhance further our understanding toward the implementation of this new medium in higher education. Based on this recommendation, a framework is proposed in terms of its design, user input and evaluation for the development of Web-based courseware in higher education aimed at supporting the delivery of physical modules. The thesis describes how the different stages of the proposed framework were implemented through the develop moot of two Web-based courseware applications aimed at supporting the delivery of two higher education modules taught in De Montfort University, U.K. In order to test the validity of the proposed approach, that a Web-based courseware developed according to the experimental framework could effectively support the delivery of physical modules compared with conventional teaching methods, two empirical studies have been conducted. They were concerned with the summative evaluation of the two Web-based courseware applications, which were developed according to the proposed framework. The results from the evaluation of the two empirical studies indicated significant improvements in users' performance and satisfaction compared with conventional teaching methods. Thus, the proposed framework can indeed offer a solution for the development of Web-based courseware that aims to support the delivery of physical modules in higher education. Moreover, the experimental framework can also provide a detailed starting point and can be adapted for the design and development of Web-based courseware aimed at addressing distance learning or other forms of Web instruction.Greek State Scholarship Foundation (IKY

Comparing Health-Related Quality of Life of Cancer Patients under Chemotherapy and of Their Caregivers

Introduction. Cancer is a major disorder physically and psychologically affecting both patients and their caregivers. In this study, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patient-caregiver dyads during the period of chemotherapy was assessed. Material and Methods. Two hundred twenty-two cancer patient-caregiver dyads were enrolled in the study, which was conducted from October 2008 to March 2009. HRQoL was evaluated with EQ-5D. Results. The mean age of the sample was 57.4 and 48.9 for patients and caregivers, respectively. The EQ-5D descriptive system indicates that female patients more frequently experience anxiety and depression than male patients. Male and higher-education caregivers had higher VAS scores, while demographic factors did not seem to influence patients' HRQoL. Anxiety and depression of caregivers were correlated with patients' problems in self-care and usual activities. Conclusions. Quality of life is highly influenced during the period of chemotherapy for both patients and caregivers and is often under reported. Interventions that can improve HRQoL, especially in the domain of mental health for both cancer patients and their caregivers, need to be implemented

Toward understanding tissue-specific symptoms in dolichol-phosphate-mannose synthesis disorders; insight from DPM3-CDG

Contains fulltext : 208143.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access

Awareness and Use of OER by Higher Education Students and Educators within the Graphic Arts Discipline in Greece

In recent years, Open Educational Resources (OER) have gained significant reach globally as a means of facilitating free and open access to educational materials. However, most of the empirical research on the adoption of OER in higher education is conducted in the US, while Europe and other countries, including Greece, fall behind. To that end, this research focused on the awareness and use of OER by higher education students and educators within the Graphic Arts discipline in Greece, to provide evidence regarding the adoption of OER to university administrations and libraries and encouraging their use across campus. The findings suggest that awareness is low, especially among undergraduate students, despite the fact that educators are aware of OER and already share their work as such. This paradox is probably related to students’ vague knowledge of what OER are and how to use them for learning. Therefore, actions are required from educators, university administration and librarians to inform students of the benefits of OER adoption in the educational process as well as to communicate educators’ OER efforts to students. Moreover, participants identified as the biggest obstacle for adopting OER in Graphic Arts the lack of a portal that accommodates OER for this discipline, which lays the groundwork for further research

Film Students’ Attitude toward Open Educational Resources (OERs) for Film Studies in Greece

Open Educational Resources (OERs) have become a very useful medium in the fields of education, research, and training in recent decades, supported by governments and highly respected universities and institutions worldwide. Today’s university students—in western societies mainly—have been born and raised in a digital world; consuming, providing, and sharing information over the internet 24/7. In that respect, it is interesting to examine whether OERs are a type/kind of information that they would like to “consume, provide, and share” throughout their studies in a formal university course. The paper focus on the attitude toward OERs of students enrolled in a film studies course, offered by the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. The aim of the study is to provide film educators with evidence regarding their students’ attitudes toward OERs that can be useful in designing teaching strategies to enhance the learning process. Findings suggest that film students want to use OERs in their studies but many of them are not aware that these resources exist and that they are offered from highly recognized institutions and universities worldwide. Therefore, university teachers should assist students to develop familiarity with OERs of high quality and educational value as a useful aid to their studies

Awareness and Use of OER by Higher Education Students and Educators within the Graphic Arts Discipline in Greece

In recent years, Open Educational Resources (OER) have gained significant reach globally as a means of facilitating free and open access to educational materials. However, most of the empirical research on the adoption of OER in higher education is conducted in the US, while Europe and other countries, including Greece, fall behind. To that end, this research focused on the awareness and use of OER by higher education students and educators within the Graphic Arts discipline in Greece, to provide evidence regarding the adoption of OER to university administrations and libraries and encouraging their use across campus. The findings suggest that awareness is low, especially among undergraduate students, despite the fact that educators are aware of OER and already share their work as such. This paradox is probably related to students’ vague knowledge of what OER are and how to use them for learning. Therefore, actions are required from educators, university administration and librarians to inform students of the benefits of OER adoption in the educational process as well as to communicate educators’ OER efforts to students. Moreover, participants identified as the biggest obstacle for adopting OER in Graphic Arts the lack of a portal that accommodates OER for this discipline, which lays the groundwork for further research