Overcoming transactional distance when conducting online classes on programming for business students: a COVID-19 experience

Studies have shown that transactional distance negatively impacts student learning. In the context of learning, distance pertains to the geographic, pedagogical, and psychological gap between instructors and students. This perception of distance is magnified in online learning because instructors and students do not meet face to face. The gaps involve not only the geographic aspect. Another gap is pedagogical, which depends on the online course\u27s design and structure flexibility and how these align with the students\u27 level of autonomy. Still, another gap is psychological, which relates to how students perceive how much the teacher is accessible or disengaged (level of dialogue) and with students\u27 academic self-efficacy assessments. This paper describes how we could reduce the transactional distance between instructor and students by deliberately designing and conducting mostly asynchronous classes on programming for business students but with the right blend of non-lecture synchronous activities during tight lockdown due to COVID-19. We explain what used to work well before the pandemic where classes were onsite and face-to-face and what mechanisms we used to overcome the lockdown-related gaps. The course was held during Intersession and only had less than six weeks. Based on students\u27 grades and general sentiments, the results were in line with expected learning outcomes, and miscellaneous feedback and comments from students were positive

Supporting Mastery Learning Through a Multiple-Submission Policy for Assignments in a Purely Online Programming Class

The Learning Edge Momentum (LEM) theory suggests that once students fall behind, it gets more difficult to catch up with the course material. It then becomes increasingly more difficult to connect new, higher-level concepts to those solid edges of knowledge with mastery of basic concepts. Learning for Mastery (LFM) acknowledges that students learn at different paces by allowing students unable to master tests the first time to catch up eventually. This paper describes how an online introductory Python programming course offered to business students followed a multiple-submission policy for assignments to support LFM. The multiple submission policy contributed to the students’ mastery by encouraging individual practice and experimentation while also increasing the students’ comfort level and confidence. The research attempts to find relationships between taking advantage of the multiple-submit policy and results of summative assessments. Qualitative data on students’ self-reported progress per week is cross-referenced with quantitative data from the results of a regression analysis performed on LMS logs related to students’ engagement with course material. Performance on summative assessments is used as the regression’s dependent variable, and engagement with formative assessments in terms of the number of attempts and performance per attempt is used as the explanatory variable

Designing a Multiple Submission Policy Supporting Mastery Learning for a Design Thinking Class in a Purely Online Learning Environment

Mastery learning is defined as an approach where students are equipped with complex skills required in the VUCA world instead of simple skills that only apply to traditional classrooms. One way to encourage mastery learning in the classroom is through repeated assessment, specifically formative ones. In this paper, we describe our experience in designing a multiple submission policy to support mastery learning for a design thinking class taught purely online amidst lockdowns due to COVID. The transition to online learning and today’s context presented an opportunity to target mastery learning instead of traditional learning outcomes, which we achieved in two ways. First, we elevated the assessments’ level on Bloom’s taxonomy and encouraged iteration by providing feedback to guide metacognition. Second, we built creative confidence providing a safety net for graded assessments, which helped address fears of judgment and lack of control. In the process, we also overcame transactional distance to help promote self-efficacy, especially those with initially low grades. The policy was implemented with the aid of technology, which served as the medium for learning and dialogue. The use of technology in this study allowed for practices that were otherwise not implemented or even considered in previous trials of the class. The study resulted in positive feedback and improved quality of submissions from participants

Facilitating Collaborative Learning among Businesses, Faculty, and Students in a Purely Online Setting

Collaborative learning is a situation where two or more people attempt to learn together. We explain how we designed and facilitated collaborative learning among businesses, faculty, and students in a purely online setting during strict lockdowns during COVID-19. The design follows the four areas involving successful collaborative learning: initial conditions, collaboration roles, the scaffolding of interactions, and interaction monitoring and regulation. The course followed a blend of professional consulting engagements, student internships, and faculty externships. The primary discipline serving as the basis for the consulting engagements is business analytics, which covers various computer programming, statistics, and data visualization skills. While the overall program spans multiple academic terms, this paper focuses on the pilot term consisting of chosen business management students interested in programming and analytics. Despite logistical challenges and apprehensions among student participants in the middle of the term, the results were in line with generally expected learning outcomes based on feedback from the participants