ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Pilot Testing for Feasibility in a Study of Student Retention and Attrition in Online Undergraduate Programs
Author: Fraser, Joy
Date: 2018-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Pilot Projects,Feasibility Studies,School Holding Power,Academic Persistence,Student Attrition,Online Courses,Distance Education,Electronic Learning,Undergraduate Students,Virtual Universities,Health Services,Human Services,Administrator Education,Online Surveys,Student Surveys,Likert Scales

Prior to undertaking a descriptive study on attrition and retention of students in two online undergraduate health administration and human service programs, a pilot test was conducted to assess the procedures for participant recruitment, usability of the survey questionnaire, and data collection processes. A retention model provided the conceptual framework for this investigation to identify and organize various factors that influenced students' decisions to either discontinue or continue their educational programs. In an attempt to contribute to the body of research in this area and to enrich pedagogical practices, the authors describe the pilot testing processes and feasibility issues explored, and the improvements made to the instrument and methodology before commencing the main research study on attrition and retention.
Content Is King: An Analysis of How the Twitter Discourse Surrounding Open Education Unfolded from 2009 to 2016
Author: Paskevicius, Michael
Date: 2018-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Discourse Analysis,Social Media,Open Education,Educational History,Mixed Methods Research,Teaching Methods,Learning Processes,Open Source Technology,Educational Resources,Content Analysis,Gender Differences

Inspired by open educational resources, open pedagogy, and open source software, the openness movement in education has different meanings for different people. In this study, we use Twitter data to examine the discourses surrounding openness as well as the people who participate in discourse around openness. By targeting hashtags related to open education, we gathered the most extensive dataset of historical open education tweets to date (n = 178,304 tweets and 23,061 users) and conducted a mixed methods analysis of openness from 2009 to 2016. Findings show that the diversity of participants has varied somewhat over time and that the discourse has predominantly revolved around open resources, although there are signs that an increase in interest around pedagogy, teaching, and learning is emerging.
On the Role of Media Input in the Learning of Formulaic Sequences by EFL Learners
Author: Koç, Didem Koban
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Phrase Structure,Pretests Posttests,Control Groups,Experimental Groups,Comparative Analysis,Video Technology,Statistical Analysis,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Teaching Methods,Teacher Education Programs,Retention (Psychology),Instructional Effectiveness,Foreign Countries,Figurative Language,Student Attitudes,Interviews

This study examined the role of media on the learning of formulaic sequences (FSs) by advanced English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners (n = 40) enrolled in an English Language Teaching (ELT) program at a government university in Turkey. The learners were divided into experimental and control groups. The instrument involved clips from two American television series. Over the course of 3 weeks, the learners in the experimental group received training in 30 FSs through watching the video clips. The control group learned the FSs through training only. In order to determine the extent to which learners learned and retained the FSs, the learners in both groups were given both a posttest and a delayed posttest. Independent-samples t-tests were conducted to compare the two groups with respect to the learning and retention of FSs. The results showed that the experimental group had significantly higher rates of retention of FSs. Several pedagogical considerations regarding the teaching of FSs to English as a second language (ESL) and EFL learners are discussed.
Modeling Students&apos; Readiness to Adopt Mobile Learning in Higher Education: An Empirical Study
Author: Al-Adwan, Ahmad Samed
Date: 2018-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Electronic Learning,Handheld Devices,Readiness,Higher Education,Developing Nations,Intention,Foreign Countries,Student Attitudes,Questionnaires,Influences,Adoption (Ideas),Educational Technology,Undergraduate Students,Structural Equation Models,Age Differences,Gender Differences,Intellectual Disciplines,Statistical Analysis

Mobile devices are increasingly coming to penetrate people's daily lives. Mobile learning (m-learning) is viewed as key to the coming era of electronic learning (e-learning). In the meantime, the use of mobile devices for learning has made a significant contribution to delivering education among higher education students worldwide. However, while m-learning is being widely adopted in developed countries, the adoption of such an approach in developing countries is still immature and underdeveloped. Developing countries are facing several challenges and lagging behind in terms of adopting m-learning in higher education. Thus, this paper explores the factors that have an impact on students' intentions and readiness to adopt m-learning in higher education in Jordan. Based on the data collected from the field, we examine Jordanian students' requirements and preferences in terms of m-learning design, and we also investigate their concerns about adopting m-learning. This empirical study collected data from students using a paper-based questionnaire. The results reveal that students' intentions to adopt m-learning is influenced by several factors that include the relative advantage, complexity, social influence, perceived enjoyment, and the self-management of learning. By providing a picture of students' willingness to adopt m-learning, this study offers useful and beneficial implications for developers of m-learning applications and for educational providers to guide the design and implementation of comprehensive m-learning systems.
The Influence of National Culture on Educational Videos: The Case of MOOCs
Author: Bayeck, Rebecca Yvonne
Date: 2018-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Online Courses,Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education,Video Technology,Higher Education,Cultural Influences,Foreign Countries,Cultural Differences,Cross Cultural Studies,Coding,Individualism,Collectivism,Masculinity,Femininity

This paper discusses the influence of cultural dimensions on Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) introductory videos. The study examined the introductory videos produced by three universities on Coursera platforms using communication theory and Hofstede's cultural dimensions. The results show that introductory videos in MOOCs are influenced by the national culture of the country in which the university is based. Based on this finding, this paper raises interesting questions about the effect of these cultural elements on potential learners from different countries and cultures around the world. The paper also makes suggestions about introductory video production in MOOCs.
Evaluation of Online Video Usage and Learning Satisfaction: An Extension of the Technology Acceptance Model
Author: Nagy, Judit T.
Date: 2018-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Online Courses,Electronic Learning,Multimedia Materials,Mathematics Activities,Business Administration Education,Technology Uses in Education,Usability,Questionnaires,Least Squares Statistics,Structural Equation Models,Student Satisfaction,Self Efficacy,Performance Factors,Student Attitudes,Teacher Student Relationship,Peer Relationship,Online Surveys,Use Studies,Foreign Countries,College Students,Statistical Analysis,Path Analysis

The aim of the study was to examine the determining factors of students' video usage and their learning satisfaction relating to the supplementary application of educational videos, accessible in a Moodle environment in a Business Mathematics Course. The research model is based on the extension of &quot;Technology Acceptance Model&quot; (TAM), in which the core TAM constructs--perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, attitude--and internet self-efficacy were included as the explanatory factors of video usage. As regards the determinants of learning satisfaction, beside the core TAM constructs, the role of learning performance, learner-learner interaction, and learner-teacher interaction was examined. Data were collected from 89 students using a questionnaire, on which the partial least-squares structural equation modelling approach was used to evaluate the research model. The results confirmed that perceived usefulness, attitude, and internet self-efficacy had a direct effect on the video usage. Learning satisfaction was directly influenced by learner-learner interaction, perceived ease of use, and learning performance. Furthermore, the results indicated that video usage had a significant effect both on learning performance and on learning satisfaction. The findings show that the extended TAM model can be applied for predicting the university students' video technology usage and their learning satisfaction regarding the usage.
&quot;To Whom It May Concern&quot;: A Study on the Use of Lexical Bundles in Email Writing Tasks in an English Proficiency Test
Author: Li, Zhi
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Language Proficiency,English (Second Language),Phrase Structure,Language Tests,Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Writing Instruction,Computational Linguistics,Foreign Countries,Electronic Mail,Writing (Composition),Writing Evaluation,Databases,Statistical Analysis,Teaching Methods

Lexical bundles are worthy of attention in both teaching and testing writing as they function as basic building blocks of discourse. This corpus-based study focuses on the rated writing responses to the email tasks in the Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program® General test (CELPIP-General) and explores the extent to which lexical bundles could help characterize the written responses of the test-takers of different English proficiency levels. Three subcorpora of email writing responses were created based on test-takers' proficiency levels. AntConc 3.4.4 was used to identify 2- to 6-word lexical bundles, which were then manually coded for their discourse functions. The results showed that test-takers of higher proficiency levels used more lexical bundles in terms of both bundle types and tokens compared with test-takers of lower proficiency level. The writing samples of different proficiency levels shared some lexical bundles, and overall they had similar proportional distributions of lexical bundle functions. Nevertheless, noticeable differences among the proficiency levels were observed in the proportional distributions of the subfunctions of stance bundles, discourse organizing bundles, and bundles of other functions. The identification of differential use of lexical bundles can contribute to a better understanding of English learners' email writing performance.
What Research Says about MOOCs--An Explorative Content Analysis
Author: Zawacki-Richter, Olaf
Date: 2018-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Online Courses,Educational Technology,Large Group Instruction,Technology Uses in Education,Educational Research,Literature Reviews,Journal Articles,Higher Education,Barriers,Course Content,Students,Educational Quality,Instructional Design,Content Analysis

Since the first offering of a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) in 2008, the body of literature on this new phenomenon of open learning has grown tremendously. In this regard, this article intends to identify and map patterns in research on MOOCs by reviewing 362 empirical articles published in peer-reviewed journals from 2008 to 2015. For the purposes of this study, a text-mining tool was used to analyse the content of the published research journal articles and to reveal the major themes and concepts covered in the publications. The findings reveal that the MOOC literature generally focuses on four lines of research: (a) the potential and challenges of MOOCs for universities; (b) MOOC platforms; (c) learners and content in MOOCs; and (d) the quality of MOOCs and instructional design issues. Prospective researchers may use these results to gain an overview of this emerging field, as well as to explore potential research directions.
The Use of Avatars in Gender Segregated Online Learning within MOOCs in Saudi Arabia--A Rwaq Case Study
Author: Adham, Raniah
Date: 2018-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Online Courses,Large Group Instruction,Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education,Case Studies,Single Sex Classes,Females,Higher Education,Computer Simulation,Ethnography,Action Research,Mixed Methods Research,Women Faculty,Attitude Measures,Teacher Student Relationship,Student Attitudes,Interaction,Student Surveys,Likert Scales

In Saudi Arabia, gender-segregation is a known issue within higher education that often deprives female tutors from providing online learning and Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). As well, students may not be getting the benefit of their experience and teaching. The purpose of this study is to develop an Avatar tool to represent a female tutor in a MOOC course with the aim of alleviating the issues of a gender-segregated society in online learning. This project will undertake and analyse a case study concerning the experience of females teaching a MOOC course on &quot;Rwaq&quot; the first Saudi Arabian platform, which was launched in September 2013. The literature on gender-segregation and education technology is reviewed. As an example, gender-segregated in higher education and online learning in Saudi Arabia, Virtual Learning Environments (VLE), Avatar technology in higher education, and finally the adoption of an Avatar tool in MOOCs platforms in SA are examined. One of the objectives of the study is to develop a social interaction environment with learners in online learning within MOOCs. The ultimate objective of this study is to examine if this Avatar tool could alleviate issues of gender-segregation for female lecturers in online learning courses within MOOCs in higher education in Saudi Arabia.
Status of e-Learning Quality in Kenya: Case of Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology Postgraduate Students
Author: Hadullo, Kennedy
Date: 2018-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Electronic Learning,Educational Quality,Case Studies,Agricultural Education,Technology Education,Graduate Students,Integrated Learning Systems,Developing Nations,Agricultural Colleges,Factor Analysis,Questionnaires,Likert Scales,Interviews,Curriculum Design,Social Support Groups,Administrator Role,Course Evaluation,Student Characteristics,Teacher Characteristics,College Faculty,Institutional Characteristics,Student Attitudes,Qualitative Research,Content Analysis,Statistical Analysis

There is a substantial increase in the use of learning management systems (LMSs) to support e-learning in higher education institutions, particularly in developing countries. This has been done with some measures of success and failure as well. There is evidence from literature that the provision of e-learning faces several quality issues relating to course design, content support, social support, administrative support, course assessment, learner characteristics, instructor characteristics, and institutional factors. It is clear that developing countries still remain behind in the great revolution of e-learning in Higher Education. Accordingly, further investigation into e-learning use in Kenya is required in order to fill in this gap of research, and extend the body of existing literature by highlighting major quality determinants in the application of e-learning for teaching and learning in developing countries. By using a case study of Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), the study establishes the status of e-learning system quality in Kenya based on these determinants and then concludes with a discussion and recommendation of the constructs and indicators that are required to support qualify teaching and learning practices.
Learning and Teaching L2 Collocations: Insights from Research
Author: Szudarski, Pawel
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Learning Processes,Teaching Methods,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Phrase Structure,Figurative Language,Language Proficiency,Applied Linguistics,Educational Research,Incidental Learning,Role,Psycholinguistics,Computational Linguistics,Futures (of Society)

The aim of this article is to present and summarize the main research findings in the area of learning and teaching second language (L2) collocations. Being a large part of naturally occurring language, collocations and other types of multiword units (e.g., idioms, phrasal verbs, lexical bundles) have been identified as important aspects of L2 proficiency that need to be promoted through language instruction. However, while in recent years the field of applied linguistics has witnessed an impressive rise in the number of studies exploring the process of learning and using L2 collocations, there is still little consensus as to the most effective ways of enhancing this kind of knowledge. The aim of this article is to review the literature in this area, highlight the main findings pertaining to teaching English as a second (ESL) and foreign (EFL) learners, and point to future research directions.
The Moderating Effects of Group Work on the Relationship Between Motivation and Cognitive Load
Author: Costley, Jamie
Date: 2018-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Online Courses,Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education,College Students,Computer Mediated Communication,Student Motivation,Correlation,Difficulty Level,Group Activities,Cooperative Learning,Cognitive Processes,Foreign Countries,Student Surveys,Measures (Individuals),Likert Scales,Learning Strategies,Questionnaires,Goal Orientation,Multiple Regression Analysis,Statistical Analysis,Statistical Significance

Semi-formal learning is used to describe learning that is directed towards the goals of a formal learning institution but outside of the learning structure of a specific class. Students studying online may form semi-formal groups to increase their knowledge of the content by interacting with other learners taking the same class. This study of cyber university students (n = 2042) involved looking at the relationship between semi-formal learning groups and levels of germane load. Furthermore, this study sought to understand what role group work plays in moderating the relationship between motivation and germane load. This study found that highly motivated students had higher levels of germane load, and that group work negatively moderated that relationship. In other words, while all students benefited from group work, students with lower levels of motivation benefited more than students with high levels of motivation. This research fills an important gap by showing the value this type of group work can have for all learners, particularly those who may otherwise struggle.
Teaching Formulaic Sequences in an English-Language Class: The Effects of Explicit Instruction versus Coursebook Instruction
Author: Le-Thi, Duyen
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Phrase Structure,Teaching Methods,Instructional Effectiveness,Comparative Analysis,Textbooks,College Students,Language Proficiency,Incidental Learning,Control Groups,Multiple Choice Tests,Language Tests,Majors (Students),Foreign Countries,Vocabulary Skills,Computer Science Education,Pretests Posttests,Statistical Analysis

This study investigates the relative effectiveness of different teaching approaches on the learning of formulaic sequences. Three comparisons were made in this study: the effects of explicit teaching of formulaic sequences versus teaching embedded in traditional coursebook instruction, the effects of the degree of salience of the sequences in the coursebook on learning, and the effects of explicit teaching of formulaic sequences with context versus teaching without context. Sixty-nine formulaic sequences occurring in an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) coursebook were selected for the study. The participants were 60 low-proficiency university students majoring in technology in Vietnam. Participants were quasi-randomly assigned to one of three groups: control, no-context learning, and sentence-context learning. Learning was measured by two multiple-choice tests of receptive knowledge of form and meaning. Findings indicated that although explicit instruction was effective, the degree of salience in traditional coursebook instruction had no significant effects on learning formulaic sequences. Explicit teaching combined with incidental exposure to formulaic sequences in the coursebook was superior to the traditional coursebook instruction approach in the classroom setting. Furthermore, the results from explicit instruction with context sentences did not differ significantly from those of instruction without context. Explanations for the findings and pedagogical applications are offered.
Decision, Implementation, and Confirmation: Experiences of Instructors behind Tourism and Hospitality MOOCs
Author: Lin, Jingjing
Date: 2018-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Online Courses,Large Group Instruction,Tourism,Hospitality Occupations,Innovation,Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education,Higher Education,Learning Theories,Social Networks,College Faculty,Technology Integration,Teacher Attitudes,Semi Structured Interviews,Program Development,Program Implementation,Program Evaluation

As the popularity of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) continues to grow, studies are emerging to investigate various topics in this area. Most have focused on the learners' perspective, leaving a gap in the literature about MOOC instructors. The current research--conducted in the field of tourism and hospitality--explored early experiences of MOOC instructors as they progressed through three stages of the innovation-decision process: decision, implementation, and confirmation. The tourism and hospitality field was chosen because its related industries contribute significantly to global employment, and training is one of their critical success factors. MOOCs possess a good potential to benefit tourism and hospitality education, yet tourism and hospitality MOOCs are under-researched. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six instructors who offered tourism and hospitality MOOCs between 2008 and 2015. Findings revealed that: (1) the instructors' decisions to offer MOOCs were mostly influenced by their institutes' interests in MOOCs; (2) when the instructors implemented MOOCs, a pattern of action emerged, which included six phases and one cross-phase element--prepare, design, develop, launch, deliver, and evaluate--and across phases--support and train; (3) most instructors chose to avoid risk in their adoption and implementation of the MOOCs, staying away from innovative teaching or learning activities such as peer-review assessments and collaborative activities; and (4) half of the instructors intended to repeat the experience of teaching in the MOOCs format in the future.