ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Trends in Distance Education Research: A Content Analysis of Journals 2009-2013
Author: Bozkurt, Aras
Date: 2015-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Distance Education,Educational Research,Content Analysis,Periodicals,Trend Analysis,Network Analysis,Literature Reviews

This study intends to explore the current trends in the field of distance education research during the period of 2009-2013. The trends were identified by an extensive review of seven peer reviewed scholarly journals: &quot;The American Journal of Distance Education&quot; (AJDE), &quot;Distance Education&quot; (DE), &quot;The European Journal of Open, Distance and e-Learning&quot; (EURODL), &quot;The Journal of Distance Education&quot; (JDE), &quot;The Journal of Online Learning and Technology&quot; (JOLT), &quot;Open Learning: The Journal of Open,&quot; &quot;Distance and e-Learning&quot; (OL) and &quot;The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning&quot; (IRRODL). A total of 861 research articles was reviewed. Mainly content analysis was employed to be able to analyze the current research. Also, a social network analysis (SNA) was used to interpret the interrelationship between keywords indicated in these articles. Themes were developed and the content of the articles in the selected journals were coded according to categories derived from earlier studies. The results were interpreted using descriptive analysis (frequencies) and social network analysis. The reporting of the results were organized into the following categories: research areas, theoretical and conceptual frameworks, variables, methods, models, strategies, data collection and analysis methods, and the participants. The study also identified the most commonly used keywords, and the most frequently cited authors and studies in distance education. The findings obtained in this study may be useful in the exploration of potential research areas and identification of neglected areas in the field of distance education.
Open Informational Ecosystems: The Missing Link for Sharing Educational Resources
Author: Kerres, Michael
Date: 2015-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Shared Resources and Services,Educational Resources,Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education,Access to Information,Information Dissemination,Resource Units,Instructional Materials,Textbooks,Foreign Countries,Barriers

Open educational resources are not available &quot;as such&quot;. Their provision relies on a technological infrastructure of related services that can be described as an informational ecosystem. A closed informational ecosystem keeps educational resources within its boundary. An open informational ecosystem relies on the concurrence of independent stakeholders that jointly provide (meta-) information also beyond its boundaries. Mechanisms of open informational ecosystems are described and how they contribute to the delivery of educational resources and to opening education. The paper describes the case of the German Bildungsserver that aims at establishing a federated network of providers of open and closed educational resources. It points out that the design of (inter-)national informational ecosystems has a major influence on the future of open educational resources in education.
Big(ger) Data as Better Data in Open Distance Learning
Author: Prinsloo, Paul
Date: 2015-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Distance Education,Open Universities,Online Courses,Electronic Learning,Case Studies,College Students,Success,Academic Achievement,Data Analysis,Learning Processes,Data,Decision Making,College Admission,Learning Activities,Academic Persistence,Graduation,Employment,Information Systems

In the context of the hype, promise and perils of Big Data and the currently dominant paradigm of data-driven decision-making, it is important to critically engage with the potential of Big Data for higher education. We do not question the potential of Big Data, but we do raise a number of issues, and present a number of theses to be seriously considered in realising this potential. The University of South Africa (Unisa) is one of the mega ODL institutions in the world with more than 360,000 students and a range of courses and programmes. Unisa already has access to a staggering amount of student data, hosted in disparate sources, and governed by different processes. As the university moves to mainstreaming online learning, the amount of and need for analyses of data are increasing, raising important questions regarding our assumptions, understanding, data sources, systems and processes. This article presents a descriptive case study of the current state of student data at Unisa, as well as explores the impact of existing data sources and analytic approaches. From the analysis it is clear that in order for big(ger) data to be better data, a number of issues need to be addressed. The article concludes by presenting a number of theses that should form the basis for the imperative to optimise the harvesting, analysis and use of student data.
Astronomy for Astronomical Numbers: A Worldwide Massive Open Online Class
Author: Impey, Chris D.
Date: 2015-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Online Courses,Large Group Instruction,Distance Education,Educational Technology,Astronomy,Science Instruction,Video Technology,Computer Mediated Communication,Synchronous Communication,Social Networks,Asynchronous Communication,Academic Persistence,Course Content,College Science

Astronomy: State of the Art is a massive, open, online class (MOOC) offered through Udemy by an instructional team at the University of Arizona. With nearly 24,000 enrolled as of early 2015, it is the largest astronomy MOOC available. The astronomical numbers enrolled do not translate into a similar level of engagement. The content consists of 14 hours of video lecture, nearly 1,000 Powerpoint slides, 250 pages of background readings, and 20 podcast interviews with leading researchers. Perhaps in part because of the large amount of course content, the overall completion rate is low, about 3%. However, this number was four times higher for an early cohort of learners who were selected to have a prior interest in astronomy and who took the class in synchronous mode, with new content being added every week. Completion correlates with engagement as measured by posts to the online discussion board. For a subset of learners, social media like Facebook and Twitter provide an additional, important mode of engagement. For the asynchronous learners who have continuously enrolled for the past 15 months, those who complete the course do so quickly, with few persisting longer than two months. The availability of a free completion certificate had no impact on completion rates when it was added midway through the period of data analyzed in this paper. This experiment informs a new offering of an enhanced version of this MOOC via Coursera, along with a co-convened &quot;flipped&quot; introductory astronomy class at the University of Arizona, where the video lectures will be online and class time will be used exclusively for small group labs and hands-on activities. Despite their typically low completion rates, MOOCs have the potential to add significantly to public engagement with science, and they attract a worldwide audience.
Assessing Experiences with Online Educational Videos: Converting Multiple Constructed Responses to Quantifiable Data
Author: Harrison, David J.
Date: 2015-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Educational Technology,Video Technology,Internet,Electronic Learning,Preservice Teacher Education,Internship Programs,Online Courses,Course Evaluation,Student Surveys,Data Analysis,Qualitative Research,Phenomenology,Grounded Theory,Instructional Design,Delivery Systems,Blended Learning,User Satisfaction (Information)

Online educational videos disseminated content for a university pre-service teacher internship program. Placed within an online course management system, the videos were accessed by 202 interns located in several Western U.S. states. To ascertain the interns' subjective experiences of the online course and videos to assist in the evaluation of the course, the researcher analyzed qualitative survey data in the form of constructed response items using a new qualitative-to-quantitative protocol. Based on phenomenological and grounded theory methods, this protocol was designed to handle the large amount of subjective constructed responses, allowing the inductive understanding of the overall experiences of a common phenomenon. The responses provided critical information that is useful for instructional designers, online educators, and educational video producers. The data suggest: 1) Universities must carefully consider video hosting options to ensure access. 2) Online videos should be carefully planned to create high quality, concise videos of less than ten minutes in length, yet contain enough educational content to reduce the overall number of required videos. 3) Students appreciate the flexibility online course delivery offered in terms of scheduling and eliminating the need to come to campus to attend seminars. 4) Self-paced online courses require progress indicators to alleviate confusion.
A Usability Evaluation of a Blended MOOC Environment: An Experimental Case Study
Author: Yousef, Ahmed Mohamed Fahmy
Date: 2015-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Usability,Use Studies,Blended Learning,Large Group Instruction,Online Courses,Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education,Higher Education,Program Development,Program Implementation,Program Evaluation,Teaching Methods,Foreign Countries,Scoring Rubrics,Questionnaires,Attitude Measures,Literature Reviews,Instructional Design,Lifelong Learning,Networks,Video Technology,College Students,College Faculty,Program Effectiveness

In the past few years, there has been an increasing interest in Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) as a new form of Technology-Enhanced Learning (TEL), in higher education and beyond. Recognizing the limitations of standalone MOOCs, blended MOOCs (bMOOCs) that aim at bringing in-class (i.e. face-to-face) interactions and online learning components together have emerged as an alternative MOOC model of teaching and learning in a higher education context. In this paper, we present the design, implementation, and evaluation details of a bMOOC course on &quot;Teaching Methodologies&quot; at Fayoum University, Egypt in cooperation with RWTH Aachen University, Germany, provided using the bMOOC platform L[superscript 2]P-bMOOC. In order to gauge the usability and effectiveness of the course, we employed an evaluation approach based on Conole's 12 dimensions rubrics, ISONORM 9241/110-S as a general usability evaluation, and a custom effectiveness questionnaire reflecting the different MOOC stakeholder perspectives.
Development and Testing of a M-Learning System for the Professional Development of Academics through Design-Based Action Research
Author: Keskin, Nilgun Ozdamar
Date: 2015-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Electronic Learning,Professional Development,Action Research,Research Design,Scientific Research,Handheld Devices,Needs Assessment,Models,Teacher Attitudes,Focus Groups,Questionnaires,Semi Structured Interviews

In the present study, a mobile learning system for the professional development of academics was developed by design based action research, and the perceptions and experiences of the academics using this system were examined. In the first phase of this design-based action research, the research question was defined. In the second phase, a m-learning system called &quot;Mobile Academic Research Support&quot; (MARS) was designed as a solution to the problem, and the IOS mobile application for this design was developed. In the third phase of the study, the MARS application was regularly tested and evaluated by the academics over eight weeks. At the end of the research process, the results were reflected upon. It was found that the primary and important professional development needs of the academics were at the scientific research level. It was also observed that the m-learning system developed for the professional development of the academics regarding scientific research was appropriate to the overall purpose, accessible, adaptable and appealing; that it served both as a m-learning and as an academic support system; that its content was satisfactory; and that the tools used in the system were useful. In addition, it was observed that the academics were able to use mobile technologies for learning. Also, it was stated that such a system could provide positive contributions to the professional development of academics.
Making Sense of Video Analytics: Lessons Learned from Clickstream Interactions, Attitudes, and Learning Outcome in a Video-Assisted Course
Author: Giannakos, Michail N.
Date: 2015-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Video Technology,Lecture Method,Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education,Teaching Methods,Blended Learning,Online Courses,Longitudinal Studies,Data Collection,Student Behavior,Data Analysis,Social Networks,Interaction,Questionnaires,Student Reaction,Majors (Students),Science Instruction,Reading Instruction,Pretests Posttests,Likert Scales,Student Attitudes,Scores

Online video lectures have been considered an instructional media for various pedagogic approaches, such as the flipped classroom and open online courses. In comparison to other instructional media, online video affords the opportunity for recording student clickstream patterns within a video lecture. Video analytics within lecture videos may provide insights into student learning performance and inform the improvement of video-assisted teaching tactics. Nevertheless, video analytics are not accessible to learning stakeholders, such as researchers and educators, mainly because online video platforms do not broadly share the interactions of the users with their systems. For this purpose, we have designed an open-access video analytics system for use in a video-assisted course. In this paper, we present a longitudinal study, which provides valuable insights through the lens of the collected video analytics. In particular, we found that there is a relationship between video navigation (repeated views) and the level of cognition/thinking required for a specific video segment. Our results indicated that learning performance progress was slightly improved and stabilized after the third week of the video-assisted course. We also found that attitudes regarding easiness, usability, usefulness, and acceptance of this type of course remained at the same levels throughout the course. Finally, we triangulate analytics from diverse sources, discuss them, and provide the lessons learned for further development and refinement of video-assisted courses and practices.
A Generic Framework for Extraction of Knowledge from Social Web Sources (Social Networking Websites) for an Online Recommendation System
Author: Sathick, Javubar
Date: 2015-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Web Sites,Social Networks,Information Retrieval,Knowledge Management,Decision Support Systems,Natural Language Processing,Distance Education,Information Management,Graduate Students,Grade Point Average,Scores,Performance,Skill Development,Job Skills,Job Placement,Employment Qualifications

Mining social web data is a challenging task and finding user interest for personalized and non-personalized recommendation systems is another important task. Knowledge sharing among web users has become crucial in determining usage of web data and personalizing content in various social websites as per the user's wish. This paper aims to design a framework for extracting knowledge from web sources for the end users to take a right decision at a crucial juncture. The web data is collected from various web sources and structured appropriately and stored as an ontology based data repository. The proposed framework implements an online recommender application for the learners online who pursue their graduation in an open and distance learning environment. This framework possesses three phases: data repository, knowledge engine, and online recommendation system. The data repository possesses common data which is attained by the process of acquiring data from various web sources. The knowledge engine collects the semantic data from the ontology based data repository and maps it to the user through the query processor component. Establishment of an online recommendation system is used to make recommendations to the user for a decision making process. This research work is implemented with the help of an experimental case study which deals with an online recommendation system for the career guidance of a learner. The online recommendation application is implemented with the help of R-tool, NLP parser and clustering algorithm.This research study will help users to attain semantic knowledge from heterogeneous web sources and to make decisions.
Online Text Processing: A Study of Iranian EFL Learners' Vocabulary Knowledge
Author: Ahangar, Abbas Ali
Date: 2015-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Vocabulary,Internet,Language Processing,Student Experience,Pretests Posttests,Undergraduate Students,Statistical Analysis

The internet has developed into an important source of knowledge in recent times. It is used not just for engaging and entertaining users, but also for promoting language learning, especially for English as a Second/Foreign Language (ESL and EFL) learners spending long hours using internet, 85% of all web pages are in English. This experimental research investigated EFL learners' experiences of vocabulary learning while surfing and text processing. In this small-scale study, two homogeneous groups of EFL learners (N = 19), after taking a vocabulary test to ensure that their vocabulary knowledge differences were not significant, were randomly assigned to attend Interchange 3 class in two different groups--one as the Experimental and the other as the Control Group. Each session, there was a free discussion on special topics; while the Experimental Group surfed the internet, processed the online texts, shared and discussed their findings and beliefs on the internet, the Control Group did not use the internet and simply shared their opinions and discussed their personal beliefs. The results of the vocabulary pre- and post-tests indicated that the &quot;internet users&quot; significantly outperformed the &quot;non-internet users&quot;, that is, the Control Group. Based on the findings, internet creates a stimulating environment which helps learners effectively boost their vocabulary knowledge.
How Do Students Want to Learn in Online Distance Education? Profiling Student Preferences
Author: Koper, Rob
Date: 2015-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Electronic Learning,Distance Education,Online Courses,Student Attitudes,College Students,Open Universities,Preferences,Cognitive Style,Learning Processes,Student Surveys,Factor Analysis,Cooperative Learning,Independent Study,Conceptual Tempo,Learner Engagement

How do (potential) students differ in their preferences for the organization of online and distance courses and programs, can these differences be grouped into preference profiles, and are there any associations between these profiles and variables, such as achievement and dropout, that are relevant for the promotion and design of online and distance teaching? In this study, three groups (enrolled students, N = 1939; prospective students, N = 296, people in the target group of the course or program, N = 255) completed a survey consisting of 28 items with which to identify their preferences. Various significant differences in preferences between the groups were found in the item scores. Exploratory factor analysis resulted in five meaningful factors that were used to create 32 preference profiles that are identified by the dichotomized scores on the factors. In this way, the profiles conserve their dimensional relationship instead of presenting profiles as distinct types. The factors in which student preferences differ are: collaboration (group work versus self-study), pacing (fixed time schedule versus flexibility in time and tempo), the degree to which the study has a practical orientation, the degree of proactive (versus reactive) teaching and a preference for indepth learning versus superficial learning. Significant associations have been found between preference profiles and the discipline in which the student group studies, the type of program (e.g., bachelor, master), and the number of study points obtained in the last year per discipline. The results indicate that the enrolled students are more aligned to the characteristics of the teaching-learning process than the other two groups.
Professional Task-Based Curriculum Development for Distance Education Practitioners at Master's Level: A Design-Based Research
Author: Feng, Xiaoying
Date: 2015-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Curriculum Development,College Curriculum,Masters Programs,Distance Education,Competency Based Education,Professional Education,Interviews,Observation,Design,Research,Foreign Countries,Workshops

Curriculum development for distance education (DE) practitioners is more and more focusing on practical requirements and competence development. Delphi and DACUM methods have been used at some universities. However, in the competency-based development area, these methods have been taken over by professional-task-based development in the last decade, which has not been applied in the open and distance education area so far. Is the professional-task-based curriculum development approach suitable for open and distance education? This study aims to develop a Master Degree curriculum for DE practitioners in China based on professional tasks. Design-based research (DBR) was used and two cycles of DBR were conducted. Interviews and observations were used to collect data. In the first round of DBR, the authors find that professional-task-based development is feasible and could direct more closely to practical requirements of competencies, and that meanwhile, this approach has some disadvantages and limitations. In the second round of DBR, the approach was revised and results showed that the revised approach was much more suitable and reasonable for DE practitioners. Results of this study include: 1) professional-task based curricula for DE practitioners in China; 2) a curriculum development approach for open and distance education revised from professional-task-based development.
From the Classroom to the Keyboard: How Seven Teachers Created Their Online Teacher Identities
Author: Richardson, Jennifer C.
Date: 2015-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Professional Identity,Teaching Experience,Online Courses,Guidelines,Teacher Persistence,Self Concept,Teacher Attitudes,Qualitative Research,Teacher Characteristics,College Faculty,Telecommunications,Audio Equipment,Humanism,Classroom Techniques,Time Management,Role,Semi Structured Interviews

Teacher identity is defined as a sense of teacher self that results from a productive combination of key personal and professional subjectivities or beliefs. Much empirical research has been done on the development of teacher identity in the K-12 arena, with a great deal of theoretical and philosophical scholarship about teaching at the college level, yet little research to date has looked at how instructors at the college level, especially those who are teaching online, develop their online instructor identity. The purpose of this interview-based, qualitative study is to understand the experience of first time online instructors and how they develop their online teacher identity and utilizes the framework established by Beijaard, Meijer and Verloop (2004) as the lens for analyses. Recommendations are made for cultivating online teacher identity and the many aspects of it as a means to strengthen online teacher identity to not only provide effective and innovative teaching experiences but also for the sake of retention.