ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Let's Talk about Digital Learners in the Digital Era
Author: Gallardo-Echenique, Eliana Esther
Date: 2015-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Educational Technology,Electronic Learning,Technology Uses in Education,Literature Reviews,Definitions,Self Esteem,Technological Literacy,Student Characteristics,Familiarity,Generational Differences

This paper reports on a literature review of the concept of &quot;Digital Natives&quot; and related terms. More specifically, it reports on the idea of a homogeneous generation of prolific and skilled users of digital technology born between 1980 and 1994. In all, 127 articles published between 1991 and 2014 were reviewed. On the basis of the findings, there appears to be no commonly-accepted definition of a &quot;Digital Native&quot;. The concept varies among individuals, societies, regions and nations, and also over time. Moreover, there are a number of variables other than age that may help us understand the nature of students' use of digital technologies. The so-called &quot;Digital Native&quot; literature demonstrates that despite students' high digital confidence and digital skills, their digital competence may be much lower than those of their &quot;digital teachers&quot;. Given the confusion surrounding &quot;Digital Native&quot; and its affiliates, we propose to unify them under the concept &quot;digital learners&quot;.
Exploring Intensive Longitudinal Measures of Student Engagement in Blended Learning
Author: Henrie, Curtis R.
Date: 2015-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Blended Learning,Longitudinal Studies,Management Systems,Learner Engagement,Learning Activities,Language of Instruction,Likert Scales,Learning Experience,Educational Technology,Undergraduate Study,Student Attitudes,Surveys,Elementary School Teachers,Teacher Education,Feedback (Response)

In this exploratory study we used an intensive longitudinal approach to measure student engagement in a blended educational technology course, collecting both self-report and observational data. The self-report measure included a simple survey of Likert-scale and open-ended questions given repeatedly during the semester. Observational data were student activity data extracted from the learning management system. We explored how engagement varied over time, both at the course level and between students, to identify patterns and influences of student engagement in a blended course. We found that clarity of instruction and relevance of activities influenced student satisfaction more than the medium of instruction. Student engagement patterns observed in the log data revealed that exploring learning tools and previewing upcoming assignments and learning activities can be useful indicators of a successful learning experience. Future work will investigate these findings on a larger scale.
Developing, Using, and Interacting in the Flipped Learning Movement: Gaps among Subject Areas
Author: Chen, Hsin-liang
Date: 2015-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Blended Learning,Educational Technology,Homework,Technology Uses in Education,Teaching Methods,Video Technology,Web Sites,Electronic Learning,Informal Education,Online Courses,Humanities,Social Sciences,Natural Sciences

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the current video collection of an open-access video website (TED-Ed). The research questions focus on its content as evidence of development, its viewership as evidence of use, and flipping as evidence of interaction in informal learning. In late September 2013, 686 video lessons were posted on the TED-Ed website that spanned 12 academic subject categories and 60 academic subject subcategories, as labeled and sorted on the TED-Ed website itself. The findings of the analysis of the TED-Ed video collection indicate several gaps in the humanities, social science, and natural science academic areas in terms of the number of video lessons and viewership. Despite the gaps in the numbers of video lessons and the viewership across those three academic areas, the areas have very similar averages of daily flipped lessons. The future research agenda should focus on the motivation of viewers to create flipped lessons as evidence of learning in an open learning environment.
Who Studies MOOCs? Interdisciplinarity in MOOC Research and Its Changes over Time
Author: Veletsianos, George
Date: 2015-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Online Courses,Educational Research,Interdisciplinary Approach,Educational Change,Online Searching,Authors,Intellectual Disciplines,Literature Reviews

The complexity of digital and online education is becoming increasingly evident in the context of research into networked learning/participation. Interdisciplinary research is often proposed as a way to address complex scientific problems and enable researchers to bring novel perspectives into a field other than their own. The degree to which research on Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) is interdisciplinary is unknown. We apply descriptive and inferential statistics to bibliometric data to investigate interdisciplinarity in MOOC research. Results show that MOOC research published in 2013-2015 was (a) mostly conducted by researchers affiliated with Education and Computer Science disciplines, (b) far from monolithic, (c) had a greater representation of authors from Computer Science than in the past, and (d) showed a trend toward being more interdisciplinary than MOOC research published in 2008-2012. Our results also suggest that empirical research on xMOOCs may be more interdisciplinary than research on cMOOCs. Greater interdisciplinarity in xMOOC research could reflect the burgeoning interest in the field, the general familiarity with the xMOOC pedagogical model, and the hype experienced by xMOOCs. Greater interdisciplinarity in the field may also provide researchers with rich opportunities to improve our understanding and practice of digital and online learning.
Learners' Goal Profiles and Their Learning Patterns over an Academic Year
Author: Ng, Clarence
Date: 2015-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Goal Orientation,Student Characteristics,Adult Learning,Adult Students,Surveys,Questionnaires,Distance Education,Statistical Analysis,Mastery Learning,Performance,Learning Strategies,Student Motivation,Academic Achievement,Academic Persistence,Foreign Countries,Longitudinal Studies,Likert Scales,Self Control,Self Efficacy,Student Interests,Multivariate Analysis

The present study aimed to examine distance learners' goal profiles and their contrasting patterns of learning and achievements at three different points during an academic year, i.e. in the beginning of the course in relation to learners' general orientations to learning, at the middle of the course in relation to learners' completion of an assignment, and towards the end of the course in relation to learners' preparation for course examination. Two hundred seventy-six adult distance learners completed three survey questionnaires that assessed their motivation and learning at these three learning points. Using person-centred analytical procedures, this study located four groups of learners based on different combinations of mastery and performanceapproach goals. MANOVA results have shown that multiple-goal learners (High mastery/High performance, HH) who held strong mastery and performance-approach goals used more deep and regulatory strategies and showed a higher level of learning interest across three waves of surveys than did those focusing solely on mastery (HL) or performance-approach goals (LH). However, the multiple-goal learners did not have better achievement levels compared to those focusing solely on mastery goals (HL). Given that multiple goal learners learnt with a more engaged pattern, it is less likely that these motivated learners will drop out of distance learning courses and programs. Future studies should explore how these goals can be promoted simultaneously in distance learning.
Expanding the Interaction Equivalency Theorem
Author: Rodriguez, Brenda Cecilia Padilla
Date: 2015-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Interaction,Online Courses,Theories,Teacher Student Relationship,Peer Relationship,Corporations,Foreign Countries,Surveys,Tests,Observation,Diaries,Protocol Analysis,Documentation,Curriculum Design,Adult Students,Workplace Learning,Course Content,Learner Engagement,Program Effectiveness,Satisfaction,Knowledge Level,Expectation,Leadership Training,Feedback (Response),Reader Text Relationship,Computer Mediated Communication,Student Attitudes

Although interaction is recognised as a key element for learning, its incorporation in online courses can be challenging. The interaction equivalency theorem provides guidelines: Meaningful learning can be supported as long as one of three types of interactions (learner-content, learner-teacher and learner-learner) is present at a high level. This study sought to apply this theorem to the corporate sector, and to expand it to include other indicators of course effectiveness: satisfaction, knowledge transfer, business results and return on expectations. A large Mexican organisation participated in this research, with 146 learners, 30 teachers and 3 academic assistants. Three versions of an online course were designed, each emphasising a different type of interaction. Data were collected through surveys, exams, observations, activity logs, think aloud protocols and sales records. All course versions yielded high levels of effectiveness, in terms of satisfaction, learning and return on expectations. Yet, course design did not dictate the types of interactions in which students engaged within the courses. Findings suggest that the interaction equivalency theorem can be reformulated as follows: In corporate settings, an online course can be effective in terms of satisfaction, learning, knowledge transfer, business results and return on expectations, as long as (a) at least one of three types of interaction (learner-content, learner-teacher or learner-learner) features prominently in the design of the course, and (b) course delivery is consistent with the chosen type of interaction. Focusing on only one type of interaction carries a high risk of confusion, disengagement or missed learning opportunities, which can be managed by incorporating other forms of interactions.
Are the Most Highly Cited Articles the Ones That Are the Most Downloaded? A Bibliometric Study of IRRODL
Author: Avello Martínez, Raidell
Date: 2015-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Journal Articles,Citation Analysis,Bibliometrics,Distance Education,Periodicals,Peer Evaluation,Electronic Publishing,Electronic Journals,Search Engines,Databases,Web Sites,Internet,Information Retrieval,Statistical Distributions

Publication of research, innovation, challenges and successes is of critical importance to the evolution of more effective distance education programming. Publication in peer reviewed journal format is the most prestigious and the most widespread form of dissemination in education and most other disciplines, thus the importance of understanding what is published and its impact on both researchers and practitioners. In this article we identify and classify the leading articles in arguably the leading peer reviewed journals in this discipline. The journal &quot;The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning&quot; (IRRODL) is a peer reviewed academic journal that has been published since 2000. The journal has published between 3 and 6 issues annually with between 50 and 111 research articles per volume. In order to assess the general and the particular impact of highly cited articles this work describes the main bibliometric indicators of the IRRODL journal and these are compared with the total galley views in all formats, PDF, HTML, EPUB and MP3, that IRRODL publishes. In addition to identifying characteristics of the most widely cited articles this research determines if there is a correlation between the articles most highly cited by other publishing researchers and the number of views, indicating interest from both practitioners and research communities. The results show a significant and positive relationship between the total number of citations and the number of views received by articles published in the journal, indicating the impact of the journal extends beyond active publishers to practitioner consumers.
Conceptualizing and Investigating Instructor Presence in Online Learning Environments
Author: Richardson, Jennifer C.
Date: 2015-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Online Courses,Computer Mediated Communication,Case Studies,Teacher Student Relationship,Interaction,Teacher Behavior,Masters Programs,College Faculty,Teacher Characteristics,Observation,Coding,Teacher Role,Teaching Methods,Advocacy,Facilitators (Individuals)

As online learning opportunities continue to grow it is important to continually consider instructor practices. Using case study methodology this study conceptualizes instructor presence, the intersection of social and teaching presence as defined within the Community of Inquiry literature, and is based in the implementation phase of online courses which is important to note since instructors often teach courses they did not design or develop. The investigation of the instructor presence behaviors of 12 online instructors and the emerging profiles of instructor presence provide a gateway to strategies for online instructors and offer a window into the ways instructional presence elements work together while providing insights into how to make the best use of online instructor time. In practical terms, the profiling method provides a useful way for practitioners to improve their own experiences.
The Use of a Mobile Learning Management System at an Online University and Its Effect on Learning Satisfaction and Achievement
Author: Shin, Won Sug
Date: 2015-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Virtual Universities,Electronic Learning,Computer Attitudes,Student Attitudes,Undergraduate Students,Foreign Countries,Educational Technology,Academic Achievement,Satisfaction,Structural Equation Models,Integrated Learning Systems,Adoption (Ideas),Intention,Questionnaires,Likert Scales,Reliability,Validity,Hypothesis Testing,Path Analysis,Usability

This study investigates online students' acceptance of mobile learning and its influence on learning achievement using an information system success and extended technology acceptance model (TAM). Structural equation modeling was used to test the structure of individual, social, and systemic factors influencing mobile learning's acceptance, and how said acceptance influences learning satisfaction and achievement. Unlike earlier TAM-related research that did not provide a broad view of technological acceptance and its impact on learning activities, the present study's results highlight the relationship between behavioral intention/learning satisfaction and learning achievement. Additionally, this study tests the theoretical model of successful mobile learning by empirically accepting mobile learning management systems. The findings further imply that students at online universities have started to accept mobile technology as a new learning tool; consequently, its acceptance has influenced their learning achievement both directly and indirectly. These discoveries should facilitate a better understanding of students' usage of mobile learning systems in higher education, and provide timely guidance for its development and implementation.
Roles of Course Facilitators, Learners, and Technology in the Flow of Information of a cMOOC
Author: Skrypnyk, Oleksandra
Date: 2015-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Online Courses,Teacher Role,Social Networks,Computer Mediated Communication,Electronic Publishing,Web Sites,Telecommunications,Higher Education,College Faculty,College Students,Influence of Technology

Distributed Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are based on the premise that online learning occurs through a network of interconnected learners. The teachers' role in distributed courses extends to forming such a network by facilitating communication that connects learners and their separate personal learning environments scattered around the Internet. The study reported in this paper examined who fulfilled such an influential role in a particular distributed MOOC--a connectivist course (cMOOC) offered in 2011. Social network analysis was conducted over a socio-technical network of the Twitter-based course interactions, comprising both human course participants and hashtags; where the latter represented technological affordances for scaling course communication. The results of the week-by-week analysis of the network of interactions suggest that the teaching function becomes distributed among influential actors in the network. As the course progressed, both human and technological actors comprising the network subsumed the teaching functions, and exerted influence over the network formation. Regardless, the official course facilitators preserved a high level of influence over the flow of information in the investigated cMOOC.
A Paradigm Shift: Adoption of Disruptive Learning Innovations in an ODL Environment: The Case of the University of South Africa
Author: Mbatha, Blessing
Date: 2015-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Educational Innovation,Qualitative Research,Focus Groups,College Faculty,Coding,Interaction,Technology Uses in Education,Educational Technology,Technological Literacy,Teacher Competencies,Distance Education,Web 2.0 Technologies,Electronic Learning,Teacher Attitudes

The aim of this article is to shed some light on patterns of and major motives for the adoption of different types of disruptive learning innovations by Unisa academics. To realise the aim of the study, the following questions were addressed: What are the reasons for adopting disruptive learning innovations? What is the level of interaction with disruptive innovations? What training do Unisa academics require on disruptive innovations? A qualitative approach was adopted by conducting focus group interviews with 76 Unisa academics. The data was analysed using open and axial coding, where dominant themes from the discussions were identified and discussed in detail. The findings show that the interaction of Unisa lecturers with different technologies varied from technology to technology. The study also found that disruptive innovations play a pivotal role in opening avenues and collapsing the transactional distance in an ODL institution. Some lecturers lack skill in using some technology, which is a cause for concern. Therefore, lecturers need to be trained in using technology and develop a good understanding of it to improve teaching and learning.
In Abundance: Networked Participatory Practices as Scholarship
Author: Stewart, Bonnie E.
Date: 2015-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Networks,Ethnography,Participant Observation,Documentation,Content Analysis,Scholarship,Social Networks,Telecommunications,Participation,Semi Structured Interviews,Coding,Thematic Approach,Information Dissemination,Foreign Countries

In an era of knowledge abundance, scholars have the capacity to distribute and share ideas and artifacts via digital networks, yet networked scholarship often remains unrecognized within institutional spheres of influence. Using ethnographic methods including participant observation, interviews, and document analysis, this study investigates networks as sites of scholarship. Its purpose is to situate networked practices within Boyer's (1990) four components of scholarship--discovery, integration, application, and teaching--and to explore them as a techno-cultural system of scholarship suited to an era of knowledge abundance. Not only does the paper find that networked engagement both aligns with and exceeds Boyer's model for scholarship, it suggests that networked scholarship may enact Boyer's initial aim of broadening scholarship itself through fostering extensive cross-disciplinary, public ties and rewarding connection, collaboration, and curation between individuals rather than roles or institutions.
Massive Open Online Course Completion Rates Revisited: Assessment, Length and Attrition
Author: Jordan, Katy
Date: 2015-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Online Courses,Large Group Instruction,Course Evaluation,Student Attrition,Academic Achievement,Multiple Regression Analysis,Statistical Analysis

This analysis is based upon enrolment and completion data collected for a total of 221 Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). It extends previously reported work (Jordan, 2014) with an expanded dataset; the original work is extended to include a multiple regression analysis of factors that affect completion rates and analysis of attrition rates during courses. Completion rates (defined as the percentage of enrolled students who completed the course) vary from 0.7% to 52.1%, with a median value of 12.6%. Since their inception, enrolments on MOOCs have fallen while completion rates have increased. Completion rates vary significantly according to course length (longer courses having lower completion rates), start date (more recent courses having higher percentage completion) and assessment type (courses using auto grading only having higher completion rates). For a sub-sample of courses where rates of active use and assessment submission across the course are available, the first and second weeks appear to be critical in achieving student engagement, after which the proportion of active students and those submitting assessments levels out, with less than 3% difference between them.
University of Toronto Instructors' Experiences with Developing MOOCs
Author: Najafi, Hedieh
Date: 2015-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Online Courses,College Faculty,Interviews,Teacher Attitudes,Instructional Design,Outcomes of Education,Active Learning,Educational Change,Teaching Methods,Technology Uses in Education,Video Technology,Educational Assessment,College Credits,Program Evaluation,Semi Structured Interviews,Documentation

We interviewed eight University of Toronto (U of T) instructors who have offered MOOCs on Coursera or EdX between 2012 and 2014 to understand their motivation for MOOC instruction, their experience developing and teaching MOOCs, and their perceptions of the implications of MOOC instruction on their teaching and research practices. Through inductive analysis, we gleaned common motivations for MOOC development, including expanding public access to high quality learning resources, showcasing U of T teaching practices, and attempting to engage MOOC learners in application of concepts learned, even in the face of constraints that may inhibit active learning in MOOC contexts. MOOC design and delivery was a team effort with ample emphasis on planning and clarity. Instructors valued U of T instructional support in promoting systematic MOOC design and facilitating technical issues related to MOOC platforms. The evolution of MOOC support at U of T grew from a focus on addressing technical issues, to instructional design of MOOCs driven, first, by desired learning outcomes. Findings include changes in teaching practices of the MOOC instructors as they revised pedagogical practices in their credit courses by increasing opportunities for active learning and using MOOC resources to subsequently flip their classrooms. This study addresses the paucity of research on faculty experiences with developing MOOCs, which can subsequently inform the design of new forms of MOOC-like initiatives to increase public access to high quality learning resources, including those available through U of T.