Showing papers in "Internet and Higher Education in 2016"
TL;DR: The results suggest that it is imperative for learning analytics research to account for the diverse ways technology is adopted and applied in course-specific contexts, and require consideration before the log-data can be merged to create a generalized model for predicting academic success.
Abstract: This study examined the extent to which instructional conditions influence the prediction of academic success in nine undergraduate courses offered in a blended learning model (n = 4134). The study illustrates the differences in predictive power and significant predictors between course-specific models and generalized predictive models. The results suggest that it is imperative for learning analytics research to account for the diverse ways technology is adopted and applied in course-specific contexts. The differences in technology use, especially those related to whether and how learners use the learning management system, require consideration before the log-data can be merged to create a generalized model for predicting academic success. A lack of attention to instructional conditions can lead to an over or under estimation of the effects of LMS features on students' academic success. These findings have broader implications for institutions seeking generalized and portable models for identifying students at risk of academic failure.
497 citations
TL;DR: Learners' motivations and goals were found to shape how they conceptualised the purpose of the MOOC, which in turn affected their perception of the learning process.
Abstract: Massive open online courses (MOOCs) require individual learners to be able to self-regulate their learning, determining when and how they engage. However, MOOCs attract a diverse range of learners, each with different motivations and prior experience. This study investigates the self-regulated learning (SRL) learners apply in a MOOC, in particular focusing on how learners' motivations for taking a MOOC influence their behaviour and employment of SRL strategies. Following a quantitative investigation of the learning behaviours of 788 MOOC participants, follow-up interviews were conducted with 32 learners. The study compares the narrative descriptions of behaviour between learners with self-reported high and low SRL scores. Substantial differences were detected between the self-described learning behaviours of these two groups in five of the sub-processes examined. Learners' motivations and goals were found to shape how they conceptualised the purpose of the MOOC, which in turn affected their perception of the learning process.
428 citations
TL;DR: The results demonstrated that students' regular study, late submissions of assignments, number of sessions, and proof of reading the course information packets significantly predicted their course achievement.
Abstract: This study sought to identify significant behavioral indicators of learning using learning management system (LMS) data regarding online course achievement. Because self-regulated learning is critical to success in online learning, measures reflecting self-regulated learning were included to examine the relationship between LMS data measures and course achievement. Data were collected from 530 college students who took an online course. The results demonstrated that students' regular study, late submissions of assignments, number of sessions (the frequency of course logins), and proof of reading the course information packets significantly predicted their course achievement. These findings verify the importance of self-regulated learning and reveal the advantages of using measures related to meaningful learning behaviors rather than simple frequency measures. Furthermore, the measures collected in the middle of the course significantly predicted course achievement, and the findings support the potential for early prediction using learning performance data. Several implications of these findings are discussed.
276 citations
TL;DR: The marginal means on the post-test scores showed that the participants in the experimental group performed better than those in the control group, and the intervention of WhatsApp improved the learning achievement of the participants.
Abstract: Smartphones could be the fastest spreading technology in human history. These mobile devices change the way we communicate and enable mobile and ubiquitous learning at a different level. This study evaluated the use of mobile instant messaging tools to support teaching and learning in higher education. A total of 61 undergraduate students enrolled at a teacher-training institute in Hong Kong who have smartphones with WhatsApp were assigned into experimental and control groups. Besides the traditional classroom learning for both groups, the experimental group was also supported with bite-sized multimedia materials and teacher-student interaction via WhatsApp outside school hours. The participants of the control group used WhatsApp only for academic communication. Pre-test scores were used as the covariate. The marginal means on the post-test scores showed that the participants in the experimental group performed better than those in the control group. The intervention of WhatsApp improved the learning achievement of the participants. The strength of the intervention between the two groups was medium to large. A questionnaire designed by the author was administered at the end of the study. The participants showed positive perception and acceptance of the use of WhatsApp for teaching and learning. The participants slightly rejected the view that receiving instructional materials and questions outside school hours could interfere with their private lives. The typical usability issues on mobile learning were found to be valid. The experience learnt in this research was discussed.
229 citations
TL;DR: Findings from an online survey of 151 postgraduate business students suggest that positive student attitude and digital literacy significantly contribute to self-efficacy, which has positive effects on peer engagement, learning management system (LMS) interaction and convener interaction.
Abstract: Online distance education allows easy and convenient access to learning opportunities. As with other forms of education, high self-efficacy often encourages greater student confidence and autonomy. While self-efficacy has been shown to have positive effects in face-to-face education, its antecedents and consequences in online distance education are less clear. This study addresses this issue. First, it considers two important antecedents: attitude and digital literacy. Second, the study considers the effects of self-efficacy on three important learning behaviors: peer engagement, learning management system (LMS) interaction and course convener interaction. Findings from an online survey of 151 postgraduate business students suggest that positive student attitude and digital literacy significantly contribute to self-efficacy. In turn, self-efficacy has positive effects on peer engagement, learning management system (LMS) interaction and convener interaction.
223 citations
TL;DR: A generally more favourable attitude towards personal sharing and connecting with peers in professional networks rather than integrating these devices into their teaching practices is emphasised, which shows that prior experience with e-learning or blended learning is greatly associated with Social Media use.
Abstract: This study aims at providing empirical evidence on how higher education scholars are using Social Media for personal, teaching and professional purposes. A survey tool was addressed to the entire Italian academic staff, with a response rate of 10.5% corresponding to 6139 responses. The study takes into account a number of socio-demographic variables such as gender, age, numbers of years of teaching, academic title, and academic discipline. It also explores the relationship between the different kinds of use, the relationship between frequency of use of Social Media and online and/or blended teaching, as well as the use of institutional e-learning systems. The results show that Social Media use is still rather limited and restricted and that the variable most associated with frequency of use is scientific discipline. In addition, age and seniority seem to influence the adoption of Social Media. The results also revealed that frequency of personal use is mostly associated with the frequency of professional use more than with the frequency of teaching use. They also show that prior experience with e-learning or blended learning is greatly associated with Social Media use. Overall, the study emphasises a generally more favourable attitude towards personal sharing and connecting with peers in professional networks rather than integrating these devices into their teaching practices.
181 citations
TL;DR: The authors surveyed 214 faculty and interviewed 39 faculty at a school in the adoption/early implementation stage of BL adoption to determine the degree to which institutional strategy, structure, and support measures facilitate or impede BL adoption among higher education faculty.
Abstract: The authors previously proposed a framework for institutional BL adoption (Graham, Woodfield, & Harrison, 2012), identifying three stages: (a) awareness/exploration, (b) adoption/early implementation, and (c) mature implementation/growth The framework also identified key strategy, structure, and support issues universities may address at each stage In this paper, the authors applied that framework as well as Rogers' (2003) diffusion of innovations theory to determine the degree to which institutional strategy, structure, and support measures facilitate or impede BL adoption among higher education faculty In addition, the authors explored whether higher education faculty's innovation adoption category affects which measures facilitate or impede BL adoption To achieve these objectives, the authors surveyed 214 faculty and interviewed 39 faculty at a school in the adoption/early implementation stage of BL adoption The authors published the survey results in a prior article The current article explores the results of the interviews
177 citations
TL;DR: A systematic review of the literature on faculty member's adoption and use of online tools for face-to-face instruction identifies six influences that cut across the literature: faculty member’s interactions with technology, academic workload, institutional environment, interactions with students, the instructor's attitudes and beliefs about teaching, and opportunities for professional development.
Abstract: College and university instructors are increasingly incorporating online tools into face-to-face teaching approaches, such that blended instruction is forecasted to become “the new traditional model” ( Ross & Gage, 2006 , p. 168; Norberg, Dziuban, & Moskal, 2011; Watson, 2008 ). Yet, less than 5% of the scholarship on blending in higher education explores academic practice (e.g. teaching, curriculum design, professional development and training for instruction; Torrisi-Steele & Drew, 2013 ). This discussion reports the results of a systematic review of the literature on faculty member's adoption and use of online tools for face-to-face instruction. Six influences that cut across the literature are identified: faculty member's interactions with technology, academic workload, institutional environment, interactions with students, the instructor's attitudes and beliefs about teaching, and opportunities for professional development. Strengths and limitations of the literature and future directions for research on socio-technical systems of instruction are identified.
166 citations
TL;DR: Results reveal significant variation in how education scholars participate on Twitter, and suggest that by focusing on the use of social media for scholarship researchers have only examined a fragment of scholars' online activities, possibly ignoring other areas of online presence.
Abstract: There has been a lack of large-scale research examining education scholars' (professors' and doctoral students') social media participation. We address this weakness in the literature by using data mining methods to capture a large data set of scholars' participation on Twitter (232 students, 237 professors, 74,814 unique hashtags, and 645,579 tweets). We report how education scholars use Twitter, which hashtags they contribute to, and what factors predict Twitter follower counts. We also examine differences between professors and graduate students. Results (a) reveal significant variation in how education scholars participate on Twitter, (b) question purported egalitarian structures of social media use for scholarship, and (c) suggest that by focusing on the use of social media for scholarship researchers have only examined a fragment of scholars' online activities, possibly ignoring other areas of online presence. Implications of this study lead us to consider (a) the meaningfulness of alternative metrics for determining scholarly impact, (b) the impact that power structures have upon role-based differences in use (e.g. professor vs. student), and (c) the richness of scholarly identity as a construct that extends beyond formal research agendas.
151 citations
TL;DR: Perceived teacher support was found to have a broad range of direct and mediated effects on students' motivations for e-learning, and E-learning completion was chiefly predicted by ability beliefs.
Abstract: In e-learning environments that are characterized by minimal peer and teacher regulation, motivation is particularly critical but poorly understood. Students' prior experience with computers and smartphones, as well as the teacher support they receive during in-class instruction (in blended learning scenarios), are essential components of the e-learning experience that must be accounted for when seeking to explain students' motivation and learning outcomes in these contexts. This study therefore aimed to test the longitudinal effects of teacher support, prior subject competence, and prior experience with computers and smartphones, on student motivation for e-learning and finally e-learning completion. Employing five data points collected over one academic year, first-year Japanese university students (n = 975) studying English as a foreign language completed surveys at three time points. Cross-lagged panel structural equation modelling was undertaken with the finalized latent variables, prior subject competency (standardized test), and year-end e-learning completion rates. Perceived teacher support was found to have a broad range of direct and mediated effects on students' motivations for e-learning. Effort beliefs were consistent predictors of task value and ability beliefs after accounting for auto-lagged effects. E-learning completion was chiefly predicted by ability beliefs. The practical and theoretical implications for e-learning are discussed.
134 citations
TL;DR: An empirical study developed through an electronic survey distributed to higher education students belonging to various learning levels and from various universities demonstrates that learners' perceived individual impact is positively influenced by their satisfaction and e-learning systems' use, and demonstrates the determinant role of individualism/collectivism on individual and organizational impacts.
Abstract: E-learning systems are enablers in the learning process, strengthening their importance as part of the educational strategy. Understanding the determinants of e-learning success is crucial for defining instructional strategies. Several authors have studied e-learning implementation and adoption, and various studies have addressed e-learning success from different perspectives. However, none of these studies have verified whether students' cultural characteristics, such as individualism versus collectivism (individualism/collectivism), play a determinant role in the perceived e-learning success. This study provides a deeper understanding of the impact of students' cultural characteristics, for individualism/collectivism, on the perceived outcomes of e-learning systems use. This study proposes an e-learning systems success model that includes a cultural construct, individualism/collectivism. This paper reports an empirical study developed through an electronic survey distributed to higher education students belonging to various learning levels and from various universities. The study applies quantitative methods to obtain results. Our findings demonstrate that learners' perceived individual impact is positively influenced by their satisfaction and e-learning systems' use. Results demonstrate the determinant role of individualism/collectivism on individual and organizational impacts. Students influenced by collective culture perceive more individual and organizational impacts than individualistic culture students. Individualism/collectivism also moderates the users' perceived satisfaction on individual impact, and from individual impacts to organizational impacts. The result shows that for the students with a stronger individualistic culture, satisfaction plays a central role in the way they assess the individual impacts, and individual impacts on organizational impacts. This empirical research discusses the theoretical and practical implications.
TL;DR: Latent Class Analysis method as a clustering approach of educational data mining was employed to extract common activity features of 612 courses in a large private university located in South Korea by using online behavior data tracked from Learning Management System and institution's course database.
Abstract: Blended learning (BL) is recognized as one of the major trends in higher education today. To identify how BL has been actually adopted, this study employed a data-driven approach instead of model-driven methods. Latent Class Analysis method as a clustering approach of educational data mining was employed to extract common activity features of 612 courses in a large private university located in South Korea by using online behavior data tracked from Learning Management System and institution's course database. Four unique subtypes were identified. Approximately 50% of the courses manifested inactive utilization of LMS or immature stage of blended learning implementation, which is labeled as Type I. Other subtypes included Type C — Communication or Collaboration (24.3%), Type D — Delivery or Discussion (18.0%), and Type S — Sharing or Submission (7.2%). We discussed the implications of BL based on data-driven decisions to provide strategic institutional initiatives.
TL;DR: The intensity of using social networking experience does not have significant correlation to students' perceived social presence but does have a positive influence on students' perceptions of using SNSs for educational purposes.
Abstract: As online learning has increased a number of researchers have focused on the need to integrate techniques to strengthen students' social presence ties in online learning. Social networking sites (SNSs) have been suggested as an effective tool to increase social presence. To investigate the effects of students' social networking experience on social presence and their perceptions of using SNSs for educational purpose, students (n = 82) at a large public university were surveyed. Results show that students use SNSs frequently and actively for various reasons in their daily life and they showed a positive perceptions of using SNSs for educational purposes. Results also revealed the intensity of using social networking experience does not have significant correlation to students' perceived social presence but does have a positive influence on students' perceptions of using SNSs for educational purposes.
TL;DR: A subsequent analysis found that cognitive presence played the most important role in blog-based online learning performance and identified a significant relationship in learning performance between students' subjective and objective learning outcomes.
Abstract: This study investigated how learners' perceived online presence contributed to their learning performance while participating in a blog-based university course. Although the literature evidently highlights that there is a necessity for online presence in online courses, concrete design approaches and empirical evaluation of the impact of online presence on learning performance in blog-based courses are lacking. An empirical study was therefore conducted to understand the relationship between individuals' perceptions of online presence, in terms of teaching, social and cognitive presences, and their learning performance, in terms of subjective and objective learning outcomes. Research questions were tested and data were analyzed using regression analysis. The results indicate that online presence has a significant influence on learning performance. A subsequent analysis found that cognitive presence played the most important role in blog-based online learning performance. This study also identified a significant relationship in learning performance between students' subjective and objective learning outcomes.
TL;DR: The findings reveal that successful students and groups differ in terms of their feedback quality than less-successfulStudents and groups, which implies that when students engage in high-quality, elaborated and justified peer feedback processes, they write high- quality argumentative essays.
Abstract: Teachers often complain about the quality of students' written essays in higher education. This study explores the relations between scripted online peer feedback processes and quality of written argumentative essay as they occur in an authentic learning situation with direct practical relevance. Furthermore, the effects of the online argumentative peer feedback script on students' written argumentative essay are studied. A pre-test, post-test design was used with 189 undergraduate students who were assigned to groups of three. They were asked to explore various perspectives, and the ‘pros and cons’ on the topic of ‘Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)’ in order to write an argumentative essay in the field of biotechnology. The findings reveal that successful students and groups differ in terms of their feedback quality than less-successful students and groups. This implies that when students engage in high-quality, elaborated and justified peer feedback processes, they write high-quality argumentative essays. Furthermore, the results show that the online argumentative peer feedback script enhances the quality of students' written argumentative essay. Explanations for these results, limitations, and recommendations for further research are provided.
TL;DR: Analysis of survey data gathered from students across two universities in Australia and follow-up group interview data suggests that Wikipedia is now an embedded feature of most students' study, although to a lesser extent than other online information sources such as YouTube and Facebook.
Abstract: Wikipedia is now an established information source in contemporary society With initial fears over its detrimental influence on scholarship and study habits now subsiding, this paper investigates what part Wikipedia plays in the academic lives of undergraduate students The paper draws upon survey data gathered from students across two universities in Australia (n = 1658), alongside follow-up group interview data from a subsample of 35 students Analysis of this data suggests that Wikipedia is now an embedded feature of most students' study, although to a lesser extent than other online information sources such as YouTube and Facebook For the most part, Wikipedia was described as an introductory and/or supplementary source of information — providing initial orientation and occasional clarification on study topics While 875% of students reported using Wikipedia, it was seen to be of limited usefulness when compared with university-provided library resources, e-books, learning management systems, lecture recordings and academic literature databases These findings were notably patterned in terms of students' gender, year of study, first language spoken and subject of study
TL;DR: The findings indicated that the social network patterns and values as measured by peer relationships were noticeably changed at the end of the semester, when compared to that at the beginning, by correlational analysis between the peer relationships in thesocial network and online interactions through the learner blogs.
Abstract: This study examines the social network of the learner relationships and online interactions in a graduate course using weblogs for writing and sharing weekly reflective journals during a 16-week semester. The social network data of the learner relationships were gathered twice by measuring learners' perceived emotional closeness with other learners. In terms of the online interactions among the learners, the numbers of replies that individual learners had posted to and received from others' postings were respectively calculated and analyzed. The findings from these measures indicated that the social network patterns and values as measured by peer relationships were noticeably changed at the end of the semester, when compared to that at the beginning. The impact of blogging activities on such changes was supported by correlational analysis between the peer relationships in the social network and online interactions through the learner blogs.
TL;DR: The study examined the ‘Fundamentals of Clinical Trials’ MOOC offered by edX, and presents narrative descriptions of learning drawn from interviews with 35 course participants that provide an insight into the goal-setting, self-efficacy, learning and task strategies, and help-seeking of professionals choosing to study this MOOC.
Abstract: Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are typically designed around a self-guided format that assumes learners can regulate their own learning, rather than relying on tutor guidance. However, MOOCs attract a diverse spectrum of learners, who differ in their ability and motivation to manage their own learning. This study addresses the research question ‘How do professionals self-regulate their learning in a MOOC?’ The study examined the ‘Fundamentals of Clinical Trials’ MOOC offered by edX, and presents narrative descriptions of learning drawn from interviews with 35 course participants. The descriptions provide an insight into the goal-setting, self-efficacy, learning and task strategies, and help-seeking of professionals choosing to study this MOOC. Gaining an insight into how these self-regulatory processes are or are not enacted highlights potential opportunities for pedagogic and technical design of MOOCs.
TL;DR: It was found that self-control (as a dispositional personality trait) and self-regulated learning would predict the participants' course outcomes that were indexed by their final grades in the course.
Abstract: The paper aims to report the influence of self-control and self-regulated learning on a group of tertiary students' learning outcomes in a blended learning environment. In this project, 74 second-year students who were enrolled in a blended course of ICT in Education completed a questionnaire survey on self-control and self-regulated learning skills at the beginning of the course and weekly reports about their learning experiences during the course. It was found that self-control (as a dispositional personality trait) and self-regulated learning (students' capability of using effective strategies to achieve their learning goals) would predict the participants' course outcomes that were indexed by their final grades in the course. The impact of self-control on the participants' learning outcomes was mediated through their self-regulated learning and course participation.
TL;DR: The results provided supportive evidence of the effectiveness of the design framework and revealed important information with regard to critical indicators of teachers' learning presence within the community, i.e. members' participation, engagement, interaction and cohesion.
Abstract: On-line teacher communities constitute a very popular and dynamic field while they foster a new philosophy for professional development which is characterised as associative, constructivist, reflective, situated, collaborative, and connectivist. This paper reports on the design and the implementation of a learning community consisting of computer science teachers teaching in primary and secondary public schools (K–9), in Greece. The conceptual and the operational dimensions of the on-line community design framework are presented in detail. The architecture of an integrated platform, developed to support the teacher community, as well as the tools and the features it incorporates are also outlined. Finally, we present the findings of a pilot study concerning teachers' presence within the community as well as their views and perceptions of community learning. The results provided supportive evidence of the effectiveness of the design framework and revealed important information with regard to critical indicators of teachers' learning presence within the community, i.e. members' participation, engagement, interaction and cohesion.
TL;DR: A case study of collaboration between the Instructional Design and Technology faculty and the Assistive Technology Initiative group at a 4-year public institution to address both of these issues simultaneously during the development of an online course designed to teach undergraduates to cultivate the self-discipline and self-direction required to become successful online learners.
Abstract: As institutions of higher education continue to roll out online courses and programs, issues of undergraduate student readiness on the one hand, and the challenges surrounding the design and development of pedagogically-sound online experiences that are also accessible to students with disabilities on the other, remain of concern. This paper describes the results of a case study of collaboration between the Instructional Design and Technology faculty and the Assistive Technology Initiative (ATI) group at a 4-year public institution to address both of these issues simultaneously during the development of an online course designed to teach undergraduates to cultivate the self-discipline and self-direction required to become successful online learners. The authors of this paper discuss project challenges, particularly concerning accessibility, along with lessons learned from both a process and a student outcome perspective. The authors also share insights into creating sustainable collaborative processes for successful online initiatives.
TL;DR: A WBT based on the process model of SRL was developed and tested with 211 university students in a randomized control evaluation study and showed that the training had significant effects on SRL knowledge, SRL behavior measured by questionnaires and diaries, as well as on self-efficacy.
Abstract: Trainings on self-regulated learning (SRL) have been shown to be effective in improving both competence of self-regulated learning and objective measures of performance. However, human trainers can reach only a limited number of people at a time. Web-based trainings (WBT) could improve efficiency, as they can be distributed to potentially unlimited numbers of participants. We developed a WBT based on the process model of SRL by Schmitz and Wiese (2006) and tested it with 211 university students in a randomized control evaluation study including additional process analyses of learning diaries. Results showed that the training had significant effects on SRL knowledge, SRL behavior measured by questionnaires and diaries, as well as on self-efficacy. Time-series analyses revealed a positive linear trend in SRL for the training group but not for the control group as well as intervention effects for each of the three WBT lessons.
TL;DR: While cheating in online formative tests may happen, it does not seem to pay off, and a score that indicates the likelihood of cheating is calculated, based on unexpected grade patterns, and it is found that this score is negatively related to academic progress.
Abstract: Online testing has become a common way to organize formative assessment in higher education. When student participation is stimulated by grading formative tests that are held in an unproctored online environment, this raises the issue of academic dishonesty. In the literature, a debate is waged on the prevalence of cheating in unproctored online environments. The issue is whether online exams are invitations to cheat. We add to this literature by using the Harmon & Lambrinos (2008) and Jacob & Levitt (2003) approaches to detect cheating. Next, we go one step further by exploring whether cheating in online formative tests will do the suspected perpetrators any good. This is a non-trivial question, as students that cheat at formative tests forsake the opportunity to enhance their learning and may suffer the consequences in subsequent proctored summative tests. We investigate this using data from a large School of Economics in the Netherlands. We calculate a score that indicates the likelihood of cheating, based on unexpected grade patterns, and find that this score is negatively related to academic progress. Our evidence thus suggests that while cheating in online formative tests may happen, it does not seem to pay off.
TL;DR: A data mining process to construct proxy variables that reflect theoretical and empirical evidence and measured the accuracy of a prediction model that incorporated all of the variables for validation indicated the high accuracy of the prediction model as well as the possibility of early detection and timely interventions.
Abstract: Although asynchronous online discussion (AOD) is increasingly used as a main activity for blended learning, many students find it difficult to engage in discussions and report low achievement. Early prediction and timely intervention can help potential low achievers get back on track as early as possible. This study presented a data mining process to construct proxy variables that reflect theoretical and empirical evidence and measured the accuracy of a prediction model that incorporated all of the variables for validation. For the empirical study, data were obtained from 105 university students who were enrolled in two blended learning courses that used AOD as their main activity. The results indicated the high accuracy of the prediction model as well as the possibility of early detection and timely interventions. In addition, we examined participants' learning behaviors in the two courses using the proxy variables and provided suggestions for practice. The implications of this study for education data mining and learning analytics are discussed.
TL;DR: The findings suggest that a students' grade point average relative to the grades of the courses they are considering for enrolment was the most important factor in determining future course selections, consistent with theories of modern counseling psychology that acknowledges self-efficacy as a critical factor in career planning.
Abstract: The ability to predict what university course a student may select has important quality assurance and economic imperatives. The capacity to determine future course load and student interests provides for increased accuracy in the allocation of resources including curriculum and learning support and career counselling services. Prior research in data mining has identified several models that can be applied to predict course selection based on the data residing in institutional information systems. However, these models only aim to predict the total number of students that may potentially enrol in a course. This prior work has not examined the prediction of the course enrolments with respect to the specific academic term and year in which the students will take those courses in the future. Moreover, these prior models operate under the assumption that all data stored within institutional information systems can be directly associated with an individual student's identity. This association with student identity is not always feasible due to government regulations (e.g., student evaluations of teaching and courses). In this paper, we propose an approach for extracting student preferences from sources available in institutional student information systems. The extracted preferences are analysed using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), to predict student course selection. The AHP-based approach was validated on a dataset collected in an undergraduate degree program at a Canadian research-intensive university (N = 1061). The results demonstrate that the accuracy of the student course predictions was high and equivalent to that of previous data mining approaches using fully identifiable data. The findings suggest that a students' grade point average relative to the grades of the courses they are considering for enrolment was the most important factor in determining future course selections. This finding is consistent with theories of modern counseling psychology that acknowledges self-efficacy as a critical factor in career planning.
TL;DR: The results indicate that there was a specific increasing trend in the frequency of cognitive and social activity according to the requirement of the task, and the nature of the learning task modulated the different components of social and cognitive presence in these contexts.
Abstract: The purpose of the current study was to explore social and cognitive relationships among students when they are solving complex cognitive tasks in online discussion forums (self-regulated). An online course targeting interventions for risk behaviors was developed in the Virtual Campus of Andalusia, Spain. A total of 9878 units of meaning posted in 96 online discussion forums during three academic years (2010–11, 2011–12 and 2012–13) were analyzed through the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework. The degree to which online tasks at three different levels of cognitive demand (analyze, evaluate and create) triggered cognitive and social processes were examined. The results indicate that there was a specific increasing trend in the frequency of cognitive and social activity according to the requirement of the task. This study also found that the nature of the learning task modulated the different components of social and cognitive presence in these contexts.
TL;DR: This study suggests that students practice self-regulated learning in ESN informal learning spaces, raising new possibilities for future development of online learning ecologies.
Abstract: This case study examines how students in a higher education program used an enterprise social network system (ESN) to engage in learning activities within its community. We explain how ESNs fit within the Web 2.0 landscape and describe how the program used an ESN to form its learning ecology. The community of inquiry framework is applied to analyze dialogue from the informal learning spaces of the system. Results show that a majority of students participated in learning activities within these public, non-mandatory spaces “beyond the classroom.” We also found high levels of cognitive and learning presence in their posts. This study suggests that students practice self-regulated learning in ESN informal learning spaces, raising new possibilities for future development of online learning ecologies.
TL;DR: The entire model, including all institutional and integration variables, were found to significantly predict whether or not online doctoral students will persist in the candidacy stage of the program.
Abstract: Based on a synthesis of traditional attrition models and the empirical literature, an online doctoral persistence model was developed using archival data from 148 candidates. A predictive, correlation design and logistic regression were used to examine if a linear combination of institutional (financial support; program, curriculum, and instruction; and support services) and integration variables (academic, social, economic, and familial integration) could be used to distinguish between doctoral students who persist from those who withdraw during the dissertation process. The entire model, including all institutional and integration variables, were found to significantly predict whether or not online doctoral students will persist in the candidacy stage of the program. Moreover, support services; quality of the program, curriculum, and instruction; academic integration; social integration with faculty; and familial integration each individually contributed to explaining the likelihood of online doctoral persistence. Social integration, financial support, and economic integration were not individual significant contributing factors explaining persistence.
TL;DR: The findings suggested that four themes impact synchronous hybrid learning: peer relatedness, technology influence, instructor impact, and program structure.
Abstract: The purpose of this multiphase mixed methods study was to apply Deci and Ryan's (1985) self-determination theory in an investigation of the relationships among students' need satisfaction, motivation, and achievement in synchronous hybrid learning environments (i.e., simultaneously teaching on-campus and online students using webconferencing). The results from Survey 1 indicated that online students reported significantly lower levels of relatedness than their on-campus counterparts. Follow-up interviews were conducted with purposefully chosen students and faculty members. The findings suggested that four themes impact synchronous hybrid learning: peer relatedness, technology influence, instructor impact, and program structure. In vivo quotations were used to develop a scale to assess participants' self-efficacy of relatedness development. Survey 2 data indicated that the new scale had good psychometric quality and that students reported significantly greater levels of self-efficacy for relatedness development with classmates in their same attendance mode than with peers in the opposite format.
TL;DR: Although attitudes towards online and offline marking did not significantly differ, positive attitudes towards one modality were strongly correlated with negative attitudes towards the other modality, and greater perceptions of social presence within amodality were associated with morepositive attitudes towards that modality.
Abstract: This study provided the first empirical and direct comparison of preferences for online versus offline assignment marking in higher education University students (N = 140) reported their attitudes towards assignment marking and feedback both online and offline, perceptions of social presence in each modality, and attitudes towards computers The students also ranked their preferences for receiving feedback in terms of three binary characteristics: modality (online or offline), valence (positive or negative), and scope of feedback (general or specific) Although attitudes towards online and offline marking did not significantly differ, positive attitudes towards one modality were strongly correlated with negative attitudes towards the other modality Greater perceptions of social presence within a modality were associated with more positive attitudes towards that modality Binary characteristics were roughly equally weighted Findings suggest that the online feedback modality will most effectively maximise student engagement if online assignment marking and feedback tools facilitate perceptions of social presence