Showing papers in "Distance Education in 2006"
TL;DR: The benefits of using emerging technology tools such as wikis, blogs, and podcasts to foster student interaction in online learning are explored and the possible implications this influence affords are probed.
Abstract: Current trends in the field of distance education indicate a shift in pedagogical perspectives and theoretical frameworks, with student interaction at the heart of learner‐centered constructivist environments. The purpose of this article is to explore the benefits of using emerging technology tools such as wikis, blogs, and podcasts to foster student interaction in online learning. It also reviews social software applications such as Writeboard™, InstaColl™, and Imeem™. Although emerging technologies offer a vast range of opportunities for promoting collaboration in both synchronous and asynchronous learning environments, distance education programs around the globe face challenges that may limit or deter implementation of these technologies. This article probes the influence of technology on theory and the possible implications this influence affords.
805 citations
TL;DR: The use of a massively multiplayer online role‐playing game (MMORPG) to foster communication and interaction and to facilitate cooperative learning in an online course is addressed.
Abstract: This article addresses the use of a massively multiplayer online role‐playing game (MMORPG) to foster communication and interaction and to facilitate cooperative learning in an online course. The authors delineate the definition and history of massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs), and describe current uses of MMORPGs in education, including their experiences with constructing and using the MMORPG Second Life. In addition, the authors detail with practical examples the process of using MMORPGs to support cooperative learning activities, and explore future uses and research questions for using MMORPGs in education and training.
237 citations
TL;DR: A model for the development of authentic tasks that can assist in designing environments of increased, rather than reduced, complexity is described, which provides a robust framework for the design of online courses, based on the work of theorists and researchers in situated learning and authentic learning.
Abstract: Fostering synergies amongst learner, task, and technology to create innovative and immersive distance learning environments runs counter to the widespread practice of incorporating traditional classroom pedagogical strategies into Web‐based delivery of courses. The most widely accepted model of online higher education appears to be one of reductionism, whereby learning management systems facilitate the design of easily digested packets of information, usually assessed by discrete stand‐alone tests and academic assignments. This article describes a model for the development of authentic tasks that can assist in designing environments of increased, rather than reduced, complexity. It provides a robust framework for the design of online courses, based on the work of theorists and researchers in situated learning and authentic learning. It describes the characteristics of a task's design that facilitates the requirements of an entire course of study being readily satisfied by its completion, where the student...
174 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present a flow theory framework for studying the individual experience of learnin' in distance education, which is useful for motivating learners to continue to study and enjoy learning.
Abstract: Motivating learners to continue to study and enjoy learning is one of the critical factors in distance education. Flow theory is a useful framework for studying the individual experience of learnin...
150 citations
TL;DR: The R2D2 model provides a framework for more engaging, dynamic, and responsive teaching and learning in online environments and provides new ways of learning for diverse online students, and demonstrates easy‐to‐apply learning activities for instructors to integrate various technologies in online learning.
Abstract: The R2D2 method—read, reflect, display, and do—is a new model for designing and delivering distance education, and in particular, online learning. Such a model is especially important to address the diverse preferences of online learners of varied generations and varied Internet familiarity. Four quadrants can be utilized separately or as part of a problem‐solving process: the first component primarily relates to methods to help learners acquire knowledge through online readings, virtual explorations, and listening to online lectures and podcasts. As such, it addresses verbal and auditory learners. The second component of the model focuses on reflective activities such as online blogs, reflective writing tasks, self‐check examinations, and electronic portfolios. In the third quadrant, visual representations of the content are highlighted with techniques such as virtual tours, timelines, animations, and concept maps. Fourth, the model emphasizes what learners can do with the content in hands‐on activities ...
132 citations
TL;DR: The authors investigated the experience of learners enrolled on an Open University (UK) French course, and included personality factors, motivation, and tutor and student roles, and found that increased confidence and self-regulation were beneficial outcomes of the process of learning at a distance, and numerous suggestions for learning approaches based on personal experience were offered for language learners new to distance learning.
Abstract: This study investigated the experience of learners enrolled on an Open University (UK) French course, and included personality factors, motivation, and tutor and student roles. The data gathered via multiple elicitation methods gave useful insights into issues of special relevance to distance language education, in particular the lack of fit between an inherently social discipline such as language learning and the distance context, whose main characterizing feature is remoteness from others. Motivation was seen to play a crucial role in success, along with tutor feedback, and personal responsibility for learning. Increased confidence and self‐regulation were beneficial outcomes of the process of learning at a distance, and numerous suggestions for learning approaches based on personal experience were offered for language learners new to distance learning. The study concluded that the task for distance practitioners is to build on the insights shown by learners themselves, in order to target support where ...
116 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a hybrid distance education approach that provides students with opportunities to explore real-world issues through authentic learning experiences within collaborative learning environments is defined, outlining an AL framework, and showcasing an archetype.
Abstract: Adventure learning (AL) is a hybrid distance education approach that provides students with opportunities to explore real‐world issues through authentic learning experiences within collaborative learning environments. This article defines this online distance education approach, outlines an AL framework, and showcases an AL archetype. In AL environments, classroom teachers are not positioned in the role of teacher/facilitator/designer in the online learning spaces. AL online spaces are collaborative spaces where students, teachers, subject experts, and AL team members interact with one another; these are community spaces where traditional hierarchical classroom roles are blurred. Students' roles transform due to the flexibility and design of the AL learning environments as they move from student to reflective practitioner, providing for new ways of learning and teaching.
106 citations
TL;DR: The development of an instructional design model, WisCom (Wisdom Communities), based on socio‐constructivist and sociocultural learning philosophies and distance education principles for the development of online wisdom communities, and the application and evaluation of the model in an online graduate course in the USA are discussed.
Abstract: We discuss the development of an instructional design model, WisCom (Wisdom Communities), based on socio‐constructivist and sociocultural learning philosophies and distance education principles for the development of online wisdom communities, and the application and evaluation of the model in an online graduate course in the USA. The WisCom model aims to facilitate transformational learning by fostering the development of a wisdom community, knowledge innovation, and mentoring and learner support in an online learning environment, based on a “Cycle of Inquiry” module design, and a “Spiral of Inquiry” program design. Extending beyond current instructional design practice, WisCom provides both a new model for teaching that builds upon the inherent capacity of networked communication to support the growth and intellectual development of communities of practice, and a new model of learning where learners engage in the process of scholarly inquiry that supports individual and collective learning. Evaluation a...
92 citations
TL;DR: The methodology and findings of this study are presented and their implications for recruitment, selection, and training of DE instructors are discussed.
Abstract: The International Board of Standards for Training, Performance and Instruction (IBSTPI) provides a methodology for drafting and validating teaching competencies. This study applied the IBSTPI methodology to identify and validate distance education (DE) instructor competencies. The research team's review of DE literature in the past 10 years resulted in a list of 20 competencies. The list was reviewed by 18 distance learning professionals as subject matter experts (SMEs). The SMEs' feedback and comments along with the performance statements developed for the competencies were analyzed which resulted in 54 task statements describing the instructional activities of a DE instructor. These tasks were then rated by 148 instructors in terms of importance, frequency of performance, and the perception of relative time spent on each task. The task analysis resulted in a list of 17 most frequently performed tasks that we linked back to the corresponding original competencies. Analysis of these data pointed out the s...
89 citations
TL;DR: This article examined the effects of pre-structured discussion threads on group performance in computer-supported collaborative argumentation where students labeled their messages as arguments, challenges, supporting evidence, and explanations on a threaded discussion board.
Abstract: This study examined the effects of pre-structuring discussion threads on group performance in computer-supported collaborative argumentation where students labeled their messages as arguments, challenges, supporting evidence, and explanations on a threaded discussion board. In the pre-structured group students were required to post supporting and opposing arguments to designated and separate discussion threads. In the control group no discussion threads were designated for posting supporting and opposing arguments. The mean number of challenges elicited per argument was 64% greater with pre-structured threads (ES = +.47). No significant differences were found in the mean number of counter-challenges, supporting evidence, and explanations posted in reply to challenges. The findings suggest that prestructured discussion threads can increase the frequency of argument→challenge exchanges needed to initiate critical discourse.
83 citations
TL;DR: It is argued that the foundational models of instructional design that typically inform the design, development, and delivery of online environments do not always support the epistemology and pedagogy that embodies the online environment.
Abstract: The blurring of distinctions between online and distance education in many parts of the developed world has led to reflections on the strategies and processes by which we create effective online learning environments for the distance education learner. In this article we argue that the foundational models of instructional design that typically inform the design, development, and delivery of online environments do not always support the epistemology and pedagogy that embodies the online environment. Through an analysis of current approaches to instructional design we present a case for adopting principles of emergence theory as a means to best harness the power and potential of design and development for online distance education. Using a prototype three‐phase design model that embodies emergent principles we advocate that to achieve the full potential of interaction and community networks through online communications requires a repositioning of roles and processes associated with “instructional design.”
TL;DR: The authors found that learners use metacognition significantly more often than other learning strategies to learn from self-paced, technology-based training, which strongly suggests that dialogs and discussions are important in the design of new ways of learning.
Abstract: How do adults learn from self‐paced, technology‐based corporate training, which they select based on its relevance to their current employment responsibilities? Specifically, how do adults use the following learning strategies: prior experience, reflection, metacognition, conversations, generative learning strategies, and authentic experiences? Based on a recent dissertation research investigation, the author found that learning starts with, and is sustained by, metacognition which was defined as self‐assessment and self‐correction. While learners using metacognition is by no means a new phenomenon, learners using metacognition significantly more often than other learning strategies has important implications for the design of new generations of online distance instruction. Similarly, that learners frequently use conversations to learn from self‐paced, technology‐based training strongly suggests that dialogs and discussions are important in the design of these new ways of learning.
TL;DR: In this article, a single experimental, study from the distance education literature is examined from six different perspectives to show the differences between preexperiments, true experiments, and quasi-experiments in terms of their impact on interpretability and generalizability.
Abstract: This article extends the issues and arguments raised in Bernard, Abrami, Lou, and Borokhovski (Distance Education, 25(2), 175–198, 2004) regarding the design of quantitative, particularly experimental research in distance education. A single experimental, study from the distance education literature is examined from six different perspectives to show the differences between preexperiments, true experiments, and quasi‐experiments in terms of their impact on interpretability and generalizability (i.e., internal and external validity). Arguments for and against experimentation are discussed and the article ends with a description of meta‐analysis, the quantitative synthesis of experimental research, and its potential for providing answers to questions that no single study can adequately address.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors report on work undertaken within Phase 2 of a pilot study concerned with the design, development, and evaluation of online resources for postgraduate teachers of children with visual impairment.
Abstract: This article reports on work undertaken within Phase 2 of a pilot study concerned with the design, development, and evaluation of online resources. Drawing on recent developments in the application of technology within open and distance education, these resources were structured around the principles of problem‐based learning (PBL) for use with postgraduate teachers. The article explores the responses of one cohort of students studying on a programme for teachers of children with visual impairment, to learning through the use of these resources. In line with recent literature in this area, the findings demonstrate that with the appropriate design and use of technology, PBL, traditionally viewed as a campus‐based approach, can be adapted for use with students in higher education studying through open and distance education. The findings highlight a number of potential barriers to learning and participation that can serve to reduce effective participation in the online PBL activities. Future planned researc...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors report on a survey of how Australian undergraduate students perceive the benefits of broad study modes: face-to-face classes, web-based study, and printbased study.
Abstract: This paper reports on a survey of how Australian undergraduate students perceive the benefits of broad study modes: face‐to‐face classes, web‐based study, and print‐based study. Two benefit types were identified through factor analysis: engagement and functionality. Respondents rated face‐to‐face classes highest on engagement and print‐based study highest on functionality. However, they distinguished only marginally between the engagement and functionality benefits of print‐based and web‐based study. Two variables associated with differences in students’ perceptions of study modes were attendance mode and student tenure. The findings raise questions about the learning and marketing rationales for offering web‐based delivery of educational programmes at the expense of both the traditional face‐to‐face experience and the traditional “distance” experience in Australia using print materials.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors provide a case study of the development of the Open Learning Systems Education Trust's "English in Action" programme in South Africa from 1993 to the end of 2004.
Abstract: This article provides a case study of the development of the Open Learning Systems Education Trust's “English in Action” programme in South Africa from 1993 to the end of 2004. It describes the programme's development from a model focused on enhancing learner involvement and learner gains to a model of distance education and open learning focused on promoting teacher and learner gains through school, classroom, and teacher support, and through in‐service teacher training. It documents the expansion of schools, teachers, and learners involved in the programme over a 12‐year period. It also points out the implications and limitations of the use of radio to enhance teacher and learner involvement in open learning, in terms of the renewed interest in radio learning which has taken place over recent years in developing countries, as well as more broadly internationally.
TL;DR: In this paper, a model for building highly supportive, engaging online environments, where instructors, trainers, and instructional designers use multiple strategies to build virtual environments that foster a sense of dignity, respect, and understanding: all critical elements in a global environment.
Abstract: The notion of multiculturalism is vital in our global society. The emergence of efficient and effective distance learning technologies has permitted the integration of innovative techniques in the delivery of multicultural content to individuals who need flexible and convenient education and training opportunities. Strategies form the instructional foundation that promotes engagement of learners. Integral to these strategies are those that relate to personal belief systems and extension of those belief systems to behaviors. This article will add new ways of teaching and learning in the areas of diversity and multiculturalism by offering a model for building highly supportive, engaging online environments, where instructors, trainers, and instructional designers use multiple strategies to build virtual environments that foster a sense of dignity, respect, and understanding: all critical elements in a global environment.
TL;DR: In this article, a narrative portrait of one family enrolled in a school of distance education in Queensland, Australia, is presented, which includes biographical information about Louise Michaelson as home tutor, narrative sketches of her children Thomas and Timothy, and descriptive discussions of daily routines both within and outside of the schoolrooms used for distance education programs.
Abstract: This article offers a narrative portrait of one family enrolled in a school of distance education in Queensland, Australia. Most of the families own or manage sheep and/or beef grazing properties, and their children receive their education by correspondence papers and daily UHF radio lessons. The students complete their school work at home with a home tutor, who is most often the mother, with support and assistance provided by the school of distance education’s teaching and support staff. As part of a larger inquiry focused on what home schooling is like as a component of living and working on sheep or cattle properties, and as but one part of the families’ everyday lives, the portrait includes biographical information about Louise Michaelson as home tutor, narrative sketches of her children Thomas and Timothy, and descriptive discussions of daily routines both within and outside of the schoolrooms used for the distance education programs.
TL;DR: A case study in measuring educational efficiency using a method which reflects the special characteristics of ODL, and a discussion of the wider applicability of the measurement method in the context of lifelong learning.
Abstract: Tattersall, C., Waterink, W., Hoppener, P., & Koper, R. (2006). A Case Study in the Measurement of Educational Efficiency in Open and Distance Learning. Distance Education, 27(3), 391-404.
TL;DR: The uptake of PP by these new teachers was examined in the context of a collaborative activity in which the teachers were required to reflect on, critique, and share views with peers about a lesson on the teaching of multiplication.
Abstract: Productive pedagogies (PP) is an influential framework for teaching and learning that has featured well in current reforms of teacher education. The present study was designed to examine principles of PP adopted by a cohort of beginning mathematics teachers. A networked online learning environment, WebCT™, facilitated the teachers’ deliberations about PP. The uptake of PP by these new teachers was examined in the context of a collaborative activity in which the teachers were required to reflect on, critique, and share views with peers about a lesson on the teaching of multiplication. These online interactions are argued to provide opportunities for shared learning and activity. Qualitative analyses of the results show that participants espoused and embraced dimension of PP in varying degrees. The implications for using WebCT™ and similar online course management systems to support teacher reflections on best practice are discussed.
TL;DR: Innovations in Web-based communication technologies, corporate virtual teams, and knowledge management systems continue to revolutionize the workplace as discussed by the authors, since 9/11 many companies have adopted these technologies.
Abstract: Innovations in Web‐based communication technologies, corporate virtual teams, and knowledge management systems continue to revolutionize the workplace. As widely reported, since 9/11 many companies...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present the experiences at the Indira Gandhi National Open University and the Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University (YCMOU) and examine the situation for online development at YCMOU.
Abstract: There are many reasons why Indian open universities are adding online learning opportunities to their course offerings. Two universities, the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) and the Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University (YCMOU), have been developing online aspects of their programs for some years. This article documents the experiences at IGNOU and then examines the situation for online development at YCMOU. Lessons can be learned from both experiences. These include being strategic in choosing which courses to offer, and in deciding which services to develop for which clientele. Choosing those that will bring the greatest enhancement in flexibility and efficiency for the least amount of new skill requirement from learners is likely to be of biggest benefit. Keeping cognizant of the computing context of learner sub‐groups and enhancing learning through additional optional online services is most likely to result in effective courses and quality student services while maintaining ef...