The Generational Digital Divide: Understanding Adult Learners’ Self-Efficacy in Online Education

Higher education is seeing a substantial rise in both the number of adult learners who are returning to college as well as the number of online and blended courses being offered by institutions. Adult learners are returning to higher education and frequently finding themselves in an e-learning environment, which may not have existed during their first stint in college. Online and blended classes often require students to complete technology tasks that they may not be confident performing. This thesis uses descriptive statistics to determine which tasks commonly used in online courses adult learners are least confident performing, giving institutions more accurate data that can be used to create tutorials and orientation materials. This could improve adult learners’ confidence with the technology used in an e-learning environment. Additionally, this thesis utilizes a two-way ANOVA to analyze and compare adult learners’ confidence levels with technology tasks used in online courses to the confidence levels of traditionally aged students. The findings of this study showed that adult learners were most confident performing the most common basic computing and learning management system (LMS) tasks such as formatting documents, transferring files and turning in assignments using the LMS. The analysis of variance found that adult learners had significant gains in confidence with the technology commonly found in online and blended instruction after taking an online or blended course

Use of Lightboard Video Technology to Address Medical Dosimetry Concepts: Field Notes

Focusing on Lightboard video technology to create online videos as a resource for Medical Dosimetry students, this field note shares perspectives and student voices on Lightboard videos that can be useful in understanding the concepts pertaining to Medical Dosimetry such as brachytherapy equations. Through the study, the instructors wanted to know students’ perceptions of how video use increased their interest and understanding of brachytherapy equations. A SurveyMonkey questionnaire collected responses from eight students and revealed that these students perceived the use of Lightboard videos provided a solid learning platform to master the concept of brachytherapy prior to performing the homework. Based on survey data, it appears the videos engaged the students and enabled them to understand the brachytherapy concepts easily which generated student confidence when answering brachytherapy questions. Students also indicated that they felt prepared for the exercise and that the Lightboard videos provided an engaging learning environment

The Generational Digital Divide: Understanding Adult Learners\u27 Self-efficacy in Online Education

BACKGROUND: Higher education is seeing a substantial rise in both the number of adult learners who are returning to college as well as the number of online and blended courses being offered by institutions. Adult learners are returning to higher education and frequently finding themselves in an e-learning environment, which may not have existed during their first stint in college. Online and blended classes often require students to complete technology tasks that they may not be confident performing. METHODS: Descriptive statistics were used to determine those tasks commonly used in online courses that adult learners are least confident performing. Additionally, a two-way ANOVA was used to analyze and compare adult learners’ confidence levels with technology tasks used in online courses to the confidence levels of traditionally aged students. RESULTS: Adult learners were most confident performing the most common basic computing and learning management system (LMS) tasks such as formatting documents, transferring files and turning in assignments using the LMS. ANOVA found that adult learners had significant gains in confidence with the technology commonly found in online and blended instruction after taking an online or blended course. IMPLICATIONS: These results could improve adult learners’ confidence with the technology used in an e-learning environment