Marguerite Koole | University of Saskatchewan (original) (raw)

Research Gate: http://www.researchgate.net/profile/Marguerite\_Koole2
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.ca/citations?user=gj275K8AAAAJ&hl=en

In 2013, Dr. Koole completed her PhD in E-Research and Technology-Enhanced Learning at Lancaster University UK. Her thesis is entitled “Identity Positioning of Doctoral Students in Networked Learning Environments”. She also holds a Masters of Education in Distance Education (MEd) through the Centre for Distance Education at Athabasca University. Her focus was on mobile learning.

Dr. Koole has a BA in Modern Languages and has studied French, Spanish, German, Blackfoot, Cree, Latin, Mandarin, ancient Mayan hieroglyphics, and linguistics. Her interests in languages led her to teaching. She has taught English as a Second Language (ESL), English for Academic Purposes (EAP) and university-level writing at the University of Lethbridge, Athabasca University, private schools in Canada, and a private school in Spain.

While teaching at the University of Lethbridge, Dr. Koole became interested in designing online educational resources. She completed a college diploma in Multimedia Production with training in web development, audio, video, animation, 3D animation, marketing, and business.

Dr. Koole has worked in online and distance education for over 15 years. Through the years, she has been involved in teaching, instructional design, multimedia programming, content management, e-portfolios, and social software. She has designed interactive, online learning activities for various learning purposes and platforms—including print, web, and mobile devices.
Address: Saskatoon, Canada

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Papers by Marguerite Koole

Tipping the Canoe: What Can Be Learned from a Postdigital Analysis of Augmented and Virtual Reality in Networked Learning?

Research in networked learning, Dec 31, 2022

As the highest degree awarded, successful completion of a doctorate demands that learners work at... more As the highest degree awarded, successful completion of a doctorate demands that learners work at a conceptual level. The demands of independent, original research intended to extend knowledge in a field can lead to oscillating feelings of confidence, acceptance, and belonging-intellectually and socially. Exposure to new ideas, norms, and ethics can cause learners to question their position within their various social contexts. The descriptions of doctoral experiences of identity positioning in networked learning environments is the focus of this thesis. I set out to examine to what extent doctoral students in two NL programs experience identity positioning; how they describe this process; and whether or not positioning might be described differently by students in different fields. This investigation took place at a distance university in Canada in which the learners used networking technologies to exchange information and discuss ideas. Participants were solicited from doctoral courses offered via networked learning in education and business. The main method of data collection was semi-structured interviews. The interviews were transcribed and coded through qualitative open coding in which I sought themes indicative of social positioning. Discourse analysis was also used to aid in the analysis of interview transcripts, allowing deeper interrogation of the meanings of and relationships between specific utterances appearing within the transcripts. The results indicate that doctoral students experience identity positioning across multiple aspects of their lives including, but not limited to their social, intimate, professional, and academic contexts. The importance of this work is partially directed towards the concerns of governments and funding agencies that may pass over the intangible benefits of doctoral studies in search of direct and measureable economic and social outcomes. More importantly, this work is intended to draw attention to the variety of social contexts that may impact doctoral students' experiences, and how these influences might influence learners' persistence, completion, and enjoyment of doctoral studies.

Augmented and Virtual Reality in the Classroom: Adding a Postdigital Perspective to Backward Design Lesson Planning

Springer eBooks, 2022

Preparing Learners for Online Doctoral Study: Readiness App

EdMedia: World Conference on Educational Media and Technology, Jun 24, 2013

In October 2013, I attended the 25th World Conference in Tianjin, China of the International Coun... more In October 2013, I attended the 25th World Conference in Tianjin, China of the International Council for Open and Distance Education. I presented a paper entitled “Preparing Learners for Online Doctoral Study: Readiness App”. The paper described a mobile application that I have been designing for purposes of aiding potential doctoral students in preparing for or determining their readiness for online doctoral studies. I received feedback that I will incorporate and consider in the ongoing development of this application. I am planning on some re-programming using different technologies. In addition, I will be applying for some funding to further develop and enhance the application. My intent is to offer the application to potential students for free and to invite users to participate in research on doctoral student readiness.

Teaching presence in online communities of inquiry : Learners, facilitators and learning

lib.kth.se. ...

Postdigital Science and Education, Dec 18, 2019

Networked professional learning: Emerging and equitable discourses for professional development (... more Networked professional learning: Emerging and equitable discourses for professional development (Littlejohn et al. 2019) is the latest addition to the Research in Networked Learning book series 1 originated by Drs Vivien Hodgson and David McConnell of Lancaster University and Curtin University, respectively. The book positions networked learning as a sustainable pedagogical and design-approach for understanding and effectuating change within a complex world of 'wicked' (i.e., highly complex) problems (Littlejohn et al. 2019: 241; see also Levin et al. 2012). The book reflects the current research and practice of the networked learning community in the area of professional learning. Within this context, professional learning refers not only to 'the provision of service to a client for a fee' but also to a 'broader array of knowledge work' (Littlejohn et al. 2019: 241). Networked learning, in the early years, mostly focused on higher education (Hodgson et al. 2014: 2) and was originally defined as 'learning in which information and communication technology is used to promote connections: between one learner and other learners, between learners and tutors; between a learning community and its learning resources' (Goodyear et al. 2004: 1). Chapters within this book also advance emergent perspectives on networked learning such as those by Hansen and Bonderup Dohn, who propose that networked learning can also be understood as a 'resituation of knowledge, perspectives and ways of acting across.. .contexts' (Littlejohn et al. 2019: 129). The incorporation of differing perspectives and approaches is matched by the criticality and reflectiveness with which the community engages with such perspectives.

Perceptions on mobile health use for health education in an Indigenous population

Digital health, 2022

Introduction Indigenous peoples in Canada face numerous health needs and challenges and often hav... more Introduction Indigenous peoples in Canada face numerous health needs and challenges and often have poor health status due to inequitable access to care. Providing culturally appropriate support for health conditions, particularly chronic conditions that require self-management, can assist in averting complications and morbidity. Mobile health is a useful medium for delivering health education across different populations. However, meaningful user involvement is necessary because mobile health interventions suitable for one population may not be appropriate for another. Indigenous people’s views will inform the use of mobile health interventions in Indigenous communities. Objective The study explored the perception of Indigenous women on using mobile health as a tool for receiving health information. Methods This was a qualitative study, and participants comprised of 22 Indigenous women (First Nations and Métis) with or at risk of diabetes, aged 18–69 years in Saskatoon, Canada. After 12 weeks of disseminating diabetic eye care information via text messaging, data were collected via sharing circle discussions and analyzed using thematic analysis. Results Participants indicated that the nature of messages such as the use of Indigenous languages, the message content, frequency of messages, group activities, and delivery formats such as voice messages, mobile applications, Internet, two-way messaging, and text messages were essential considerations in using mobile health as a tool for receiving health information. Conclusion Different factors need to be considered in using mobile health as a tool for health education among Indigenous peoples. These factors could be applicable in implementing mobile health solutions in other populations for the management of health conditions.

What Are the Driving and Inhibiting Forces in Youth Cyberbullying? Perceptions of School Personnel

PsycEXTRA Dataset, 2017

International Association for Development of the Information Society, 2014

Mobile learning is often described as ubiquitous, pervasive, accessible, and transparent. It has ... more Mobile learning is often described as ubiquitous, pervasive, accessible, and transparent. It has been seen as providing opportunities for those who could not previously cross existing digital divides-though it of course may create new ones. Yet, some work in the field lacks sufficient and appropriate grounding in theory to effectively address such needs. Theory determines what we observe, how we observe it, and what we deem valuable. Theory has power; it can affect how people live and how they view the world. In the case of mobile learning, it can affect how people access and interact with the world. In order to ensure adequate access to knowledge and resources, we must fight against uncritical, clichéd theory and against naïve or tacit theory, and consider the exploration of theoretical perspectives outside the dominant modernist Western-European perspectives and perhaps outside those of late-global capitalism. Research and practice needs to be grounded in well considered theoretical perspectives that take into account the local and the global; the overly represented and the excluded; the global South and the global North. In this paper, we argue for an ongoing and increasingly sensitive role for researchers and theoreticians as well as a reexamination of extant theories in mobile learning.

Stalked by Our Own Devices: Cyberbullying as a Boundary Crossing Behavior

Postdigital Science and Education, Jan 12, 2021

The goal of this paper was to explore the phenomenon of cyberbullying using a sociomaterialist se... more The goal of this paper was to explore the phenomenon of cyberbullying using a sociomaterialist sensitivity. Through the process, we discovered that cyberbullying is very much postdigital in nature. As part of a larger study, the data was collected via two semi-structured focus groups with sixteen youth, one focus group comprising four adults, and nine individual interviews with school and professional service personnel in Saskatchewan, Canada. The data was recorded, transcribed, and thematically analyzed for indications of (1) boundary crossings and (2) spatial, verbal, digital, social, and temporal characteristics of the crossings. We noted how cyberbullying crosses boundaries of location (school, home, and extra-curricular activities), time (time of day and time of year), age groups, cultural groups, technological platforms, and professional roles (law enforcement, principals, teachers, parents, and children). The results were examined relative to three relational patterns: networks (patterns of connectedness), fluids (patterns of variation), and regions (patterns of containment) (Sørensen 2009 ). We conclude that cyberbullying as a behavior has strength due to its fluidity (i.e., continuous mutation and exchange of members without loss of identity) and that digital technologies hasten cyberbullying through the ambiguation of boundaries (breakdown of regions). Digital anonymity may hinder the attribution of responsibility (identification of networks and participants) because, as a postdigital phenomenon, physical and digital boundaries that we ‘normally’ assign to our world lack clear differentiation. This paper provides an example of how a postdigital sensitivity can be applied in an empirical study and how we can gain new insights from engaging with research from a postdigital perspective.

Canadian Journal of Learning and Technology, Sep 26, 2018

Awakening Sleeping Languages in Saskatchewan with Culturally Appropriate Curricula and Technology

Routledge eBooks, Nov 26, 2020

Developing a community of inquiry in a mobile learning context

lib.kth.se. ...

The ethical and practical implications of systems architecture on identity in networked learning: a constructionist perspective

Interactive Learning Environments, Jun 1, 2012

In this paper, the reflexive relationship between social interaction and understanding of self in... more In this paper, the reflexive relationship between social interaction and understanding of self in online learning networks is examined. In keeping with constructionism, we acknowledge the significance of social interaction in learning and identity formation. It is through identification with and differentiation from others that individuals are able to establish their sense of self. Therefore, a sense of self is inherently connected to one's sense of belonging within a community (-ies). Building on the work of Goffman (impressions management) and Foucault (technologies of the self), a model of identity and community formation is introduced: the Web of Identity (WoI). According to the WoI model, community members rely on technical, structural, political, cultural, and idiosyncratic perspectives coupled with performance strategies in a continuous cycle of internalization, understanding, enactment, and revision of their individual identities. We discuss how individuals construct their identities through relational dialogue and interaction in which they express, share, and build upon their histories, practices, and goals. It is an ongoing reciprocal process that constantly changes both personal and collective narratives. The combined perspectives and strategies guide the individual's behaviour, but do not completely restrict it. The individual is free to choose how to perform and may choose performances that support or contravene accepted social practices. Ideally, this process guides the individual towards cognitive resonance, a process in which he/she behaves in accordance with his/her internalized conceptions of society and self. If an individual's actions do not resonate with social expectations, accepted practices, and self, the individual may modulate his/her actions or may cause shifts in accepted practices, expectations, or self identity. Such shifts filter through the WoI performance strategies. The paper concludes with suggestions for further research in identity formation in online learning networks. We recommend study of current social networks and learning management systems to identify existing mechanisms that permit expression of WoI strategies. In addition, we recommend research into how social software systems can be developed or facilitated to encourage strategy use. Since, it is through these performances that the individual enacts his/her identity, we wish to know how, in actual practice, strategy use will affect conceptions of self and community in educational environments.

Distance Education, Jan 2, 2016

As the highest degree awarded, successful completion of a doctorate demands that learners work at... more As the highest degree awarded, successful completion of a doctorate demands that learners work at a conceptual level. The demands of independent, original research intended to extend knowledge in a field can lead to oscillating feelings of confidence, acceptance, and belonging-intellectually and socially. Exposure to new ideas, norms, and ethics can cause learners to question their position within their various social contexts. The descriptions of doctoral experiences of identity positioning in networked learning environments is the focus of this thesis. I set out to examine to what extent doctoral students in two NL programs experience identity positioning; how they describe this process; and whether or not positioning might be described differently by students in different fields. This investigation took place at a distance university in Canada in which the learners used networking technologies to exchange information and discuss ideas. Participants were solicited from doctoral courses offered via networked learning in education and business. The main method of data collection was semi-structured interviews. The interviews were transcribed and coded through qualitative open coding in which I sought themes indicative of social positioning. Discourse analysis was also used to aid in the analysis of interview transcripts, allowing deeper interrogation of the meanings of and relationships between specific utterances appearing within the transcripts. The results indicate that doctoral students experience identity positioning across multiple aspects of their lives including, but not limited to their social, intimate, professional, and academic contexts. The importance of this work is partially directed towards the concerns of governments and funding agencies that may pass over the intangible benefits of doctoral studies in search of direct and measureable economic and social outcomes. More importantly, this work is intended to draw attention to the variety of social contexts that may impact doctoral students' experiences, and how these influences might influence learners' persistence, completion, and enjoyment of doctoral studies.

IGI Global eBooks, Jul 31, 2012

This chapter examines how learners develop a sense of self and belonging in networked learning en... more This chapter examines how learners develop a sense of self and belonging in networked learning environments. The authors propose that individuals create and negotiate their identities through an iterative process of dialogic and symbolic exchange with other individuals. The process is always in flux as individuals constantly readjust their understanding and actions within a given context. Individuals strive to reach comfortable levels of cognitive resonance in which they integrate experiences and beliefs of the external world into their personal narratives. To explain this process, the authors provide the Web of Identity (WoI) model. Based on the work of Goffman (1959) and Foucault (1988), this model is composed of five dramaturgical strategies: technology, power, social structure, cultural, and personal agency. These strategies both guide and enable the enactment of behaviour. For researchers, exploring identity and affiliation through the WoI lens raises a series of thought-provoking questions worthy of further investigation.

International Journal of Distance Education Technologies, Jul 1, 2008

This article presents a methodology for developing learning objects for web-based courses using t... more This article presents a methodology for developing learning objects for web-based courses using the IMS Learning Design (IMS LD) specification. We first investigated the IMS LD specification, determining how to use it with online courses and the student delivery model, and then applied this to a Unit of Learning (UOL) for online computer science courses. We developed an editor and runtime environment to apply the IMS LD to a UOL. We then explored the prospect for advancement of the basic IMS LD UOL. Finally, we discussed how to construct ontology-based software agents to use with the learning objects created with the IMS LD Units of Learning.

Tipping the Canoe: What Can Be Learned from a Postdigital Analysis of Augmented and Virtual Reality in Networked Learning?

Research in networked learning, Dec 31, 2022

As the highest degree awarded, successful completion of a doctorate demands that learners work at... more As the highest degree awarded, successful completion of a doctorate demands that learners work at a conceptual level. The demands of independent, original research intended to extend knowledge in a field can lead to oscillating feelings of confidence, acceptance, and belonging-intellectually and socially. Exposure to new ideas, norms, and ethics can cause learners to question their position within their various social contexts. The descriptions of doctoral experiences of identity positioning in networked learning environments is the focus of this thesis. I set out to examine to what extent doctoral students in two NL programs experience identity positioning; how they describe this process; and whether or not positioning might be described differently by students in different fields. This investigation took place at a distance university in Canada in which the learners used networking technologies to exchange information and discuss ideas. Participants were solicited from doctoral courses offered via networked learning in education and business. The main method of data collection was semi-structured interviews. The interviews were transcribed and coded through qualitative open coding in which I sought themes indicative of social positioning. Discourse analysis was also used to aid in the analysis of interview transcripts, allowing deeper interrogation of the meanings of and relationships between specific utterances appearing within the transcripts. The results indicate that doctoral students experience identity positioning across multiple aspects of their lives including, but not limited to their social, intimate, professional, and academic contexts. The importance of this work is partially directed towards the concerns of governments and funding agencies that may pass over the intangible benefits of doctoral studies in search of direct and measureable economic and social outcomes. More importantly, this work is intended to draw attention to the variety of social contexts that may impact doctoral students' experiences, and how these influences might influence learners' persistence, completion, and enjoyment of doctoral studies.

Augmented and Virtual Reality in the Classroom: Adding a Postdigital Perspective to Backward Design Lesson Planning

Springer eBooks, 2022

Preparing Learners for Online Doctoral Study: Readiness App

EdMedia: World Conference on Educational Media and Technology, Jun 24, 2013

In October 2013, I attended the 25th World Conference in Tianjin, China of the International Coun... more In October 2013, I attended the 25th World Conference in Tianjin, China of the International Council for Open and Distance Education. I presented a paper entitled “Preparing Learners for Online Doctoral Study: Readiness App”. The paper described a mobile application that I have been designing for purposes of aiding potential doctoral students in preparing for or determining their readiness for online doctoral studies. I received feedback that I will incorporate and consider in the ongoing development of this application. I am planning on some re-programming using different technologies. In addition, I will be applying for some funding to further develop and enhance the application. My intent is to offer the application to potential students for free and to invite users to participate in research on doctoral student readiness.

Teaching presence in online communities of inquiry : Learners, facilitators and learning

lib.kth.se. ...

Postdigital Science and Education, Dec 18, 2019

Networked professional learning: Emerging and equitable discourses for professional development (... more Networked professional learning: Emerging and equitable discourses for professional development (Littlejohn et al. 2019) is the latest addition to the Research in Networked Learning book series 1 originated by Drs Vivien Hodgson and David McConnell of Lancaster University and Curtin University, respectively. The book positions networked learning as a sustainable pedagogical and design-approach for understanding and effectuating change within a complex world of 'wicked' (i.e., highly complex) problems (Littlejohn et al. 2019: 241; see also Levin et al. 2012). The book reflects the current research and practice of the networked learning community in the area of professional learning. Within this context, professional learning refers not only to 'the provision of service to a client for a fee' but also to a 'broader array of knowledge work' (Littlejohn et al. 2019: 241). Networked learning, in the early years, mostly focused on higher education (Hodgson et al. 2014: 2) and was originally defined as 'learning in which information and communication technology is used to promote connections: between one learner and other learners, between learners and tutors; between a learning community and its learning resources' (Goodyear et al. 2004: 1). Chapters within this book also advance emergent perspectives on networked learning such as those by Hansen and Bonderup Dohn, who propose that networked learning can also be understood as a 'resituation of knowledge, perspectives and ways of acting across.. .contexts' (Littlejohn et al. 2019: 129). The incorporation of differing perspectives and approaches is matched by the criticality and reflectiveness with which the community engages with such perspectives.

Perceptions on mobile health use for health education in an Indigenous population

Digital health, 2022

Introduction Indigenous peoples in Canada face numerous health needs and challenges and often hav... more Introduction Indigenous peoples in Canada face numerous health needs and challenges and often have poor health status due to inequitable access to care. Providing culturally appropriate support for health conditions, particularly chronic conditions that require self-management, can assist in averting complications and morbidity. Mobile health is a useful medium for delivering health education across different populations. However, meaningful user involvement is necessary because mobile health interventions suitable for one population may not be appropriate for another. Indigenous people’s views will inform the use of mobile health interventions in Indigenous communities. Objective The study explored the perception of Indigenous women on using mobile health as a tool for receiving health information. Methods This was a qualitative study, and participants comprised of 22 Indigenous women (First Nations and Métis) with or at risk of diabetes, aged 18–69 years in Saskatoon, Canada. After 12 weeks of disseminating diabetic eye care information via text messaging, data were collected via sharing circle discussions and analyzed using thematic analysis. Results Participants indicated that the nature of messages such as the use of Indigenous languages, the message content, frequency of messages, group activities, and delivery formats such as voice messages, mobile applications, Internet, two-way messaging, and text messages were essential considerations in using mobile health as a tool for receiving health information. Conclusion Different factors need to be considered in using mobile health as a tool for health education among Indigenous peoples. These factors could be applicable in implementing mobile health solutions in other populations for the management of health conditions.

What Are the Driving and Inhibiting Forces in Youth Cyberbullying? Perceptions of School Personnel

PsycEXTRA Dataset, 2017

International Association for Development of the Information Society, 2014

Mobile learning is often described as ubiquitous, pervasive, accessible, and transparent. It has ... more Mobile learning is often described as ubiquitous, pervasive, accessible, and transparent. It has been seen as providing opportunities for those who could not previously cross existing digital divides-though it of course may create new ones. Yet, some work in the field lacks sufficient and appropriate grounding in theory to effectively address such needs. Theory determines what we observe, how we observe it, and what we deem valuable. Theory has power; it can affect how people live and how they view the world. In the case of mobile learning, it can affect how people access and interact with the world. In order to ensure adequate access to knowledge and resources, we must fight against uncritical, clichéd theory and against naïve or tacit theory, and consider the exploration of theoretical perspectives outside the dominant modernist Western-European perspectives and perhaps outside those of late-global capitalism. Research and practice needs to be grounded in well considered theoretical perspectives that take into account the local and the global; the overly represented and the excluded; the global South and the global North. In this paper, we argue for an ongoing and increasingly sensitive role for researchers and theoreticians as well as a reexamination of extant theories in mobile learning.

Stalked by Our Own Devices: Cyberbullying as a Boundary Crossing Behavior

Postdigital Science and Education, Jan 12, 2021

The goal of this paper was to explore the phenomenon of cyberbullying using a sociomaterialist se... more The goal of this paper was to explore the phenomenon of cyberbullying using a sociomaterialist sensitivity. Through the process, we discovered that cyberbullying is very much postdigital in nature. As part of a larger study, the data was collected via two semi-structured focus groups with sixteen youth, one focus group comprising four adults, and nine individual interviews with school and professional service personnel in Saskatchewan, Canada. The data was recorded, transcribed, and thematically analyzed for indications of (1) boundary crossings and (2) spatial, verbal, digital, social, and temporal characteristics of the crossings. We noted how cyberbullying crosses boundaries of location (school, home, and extra-curricular activities), time (time of day and time of year), age groups, cultural groups, technological platforms, and professional roles (law enforcement, principals, teachers, parents, and children). The results were examined relative to three relational patterns: networks (patterns of connectedness), fluids (patterns of variation), and regions (patterns of containment) (Sørensen 2009 ). We conclude that cyberbullying as a behavior has strength due to its fluidity (i.e., continuous mutation and exchange of members without loss of identity) and that digital technologies hasten cyberbullying through the ambiguation of boundaries (breakdown of regions). Digital anonymity may hinder the attribution of responsibility (identification of networks and participants) because, as a postdigital phenomenon, physical and digital boundaries that we ‘normally’ assign to our world lack clear differentiation. This paper provides an example of how a postdigital sensitivity can be applied in an empirical study and how we can gain new insights from engaging with research from a postdigital perspective.

Canadian Journal of Learning and Technology, Sep 26, 2018

Awakening Sleeping Languages in Saskatchewan with Culturally Appropriate Curricula and Technology

Routledge eBooks, Nov 26, 2020

Developing a community of inquiry in a mobile learning context

lib.kth.se. ...

The ethical and practical implications of systems architecture on identity in networked learning: a constructionist perspective

Interactive Learning Environments, Jun 1, 2012

In this paper, the reflexive relationship between social interaction and understanding of self in... more In this paper, the reflexive relationship between social interaction and understanding of self in online learning networks is examined. In keeping with constructionism, we acknowledge the significance of social interaction in learning and identity formation. It is through identification with and differentiation from others that individuals are able to establish their sense of self. Therefore, a sense of self is inherently connected to one's sense of belonging within a community (-ies). Building on the work of Goffman (impressions management) and Foucault (technologies of the self), a model of identity and community formation is introduced: the Web of Identity (WoI). According to the WoI model, community members rely on technical, structural, political, cultural, and idiosyncratic perspectives coupled with performance strategies in a continuous cycle of internalization, understanding, enactment, and revision of their individual identities. We discuss how individuals construct their identities through relational dialogue and interaction in which they express, share, and build upon their histories, practices, and goals. It is an ongoing reciprocal process that constantly changes both personal and collective narratives. The combined perspectives and strategies guide the individual's behaviour, but do not completely restrict it. The individual is free to choose how to perform and may choose performances that support or contravene accepted social practices. Ideally, this process guides the individual towards cognitive resonance, a process in which he/she behaves in accordance with his/her internalized conceptions of society and self. If an individual's actions do not resonate with social expectations, accepted practices, and self, the individual may modulate his/her actions or may cause shifts in accepted practices, expectations, or self identity. Such shifts filter through the WoI performance strategies. The paper concludes with suggestions for further research in identity formation in online learning networks. We recommend study of current social networks and learning management systems to identify existing mechanisms that permit expression of WoI strategies. In addition, we recommend research into how social software systems can be developed or facilitated to encourage strategy use. Since, it is through these performances that the individual enacts his/her identity, we wish to know how, in actual practice, strategy use will affect conceptions of self and community in educational environments.

Distance Education, Jan 2, 2016

As the highest degree awarded, successful completion of a doctorate demands that learners work at... more As the highest degree awarded, successful completion of a doctorate demands that learners work at a conceptual level. The demands of independent, original research intended to extend knowledge in a field can lead to oscillating feelings of confidence, acceptance, and belonging-intellectually and socially. Exposure to new ideas, norms, and ethics can cause learners to question their position within their various social contexts. The descriptions of doctoral experiences of identity positioning in networked learning environments is the focus of this thesis. I set out to examine to what extent doctoral students in two NL programs experience identity positioning; how they describe this process; and whether or not positioning might be described differently by students in different fields. This investigation took place at a distance university in Canada in which the learners used networking technologies to exchange information and discuss ideas. Participants were solicited from doctoral courses offered via networked learning in education and business. The main method of data collection was semi-structured interviews. The interviews were transcribed and coded through qualitative open coding in which I sought themes indicative of social positioning. Discourse analysis was also used to aid in the analysis of interview transcripts, allowing deeper interrogation of the meanings of and relationships between specific utterances appearing within the transcripts. The results indicate that doctoral students experience identity positioning across multiple aspects of their lives including, but not limited to their social, intimate, professional, and academic contexts. The importance of this work is partially directed towards the concerns of governments and funding agencies that may pass over the intangible benefits of doctoral studies in search of direct and measureable economic and social outcomes. More importantly, this work is intended to draw attention to the variety of social contexts that may impact doctoral students' experiences, and how these influences might influence learners' persistence, completion, and enjoyment of doctoral studies.

IGI Global eBooks, Jul 31, 2012

This chapter examines how learners develop a sense of self and belonging in networked learning en... more This chapter examines how learners develop a sense of self and belonging in networked learning environments. The authors propose that individuals create and negotiate their identities through an iterative process of dialogic and symbolic exchange with other individuals. The process is always in flux as individuals constantly readjust their understanding and actions within a given context. Individuals strive to reach comfortable levels of cognitive resonance in which they integrate experiences and beliefs of the external world into their personal narratives. To explain this process, the authors provide the Web of Identity (WoI) model. Based on the work of Goffman (1959) and Foucault (1988), this model is composed of five dramaturgical strategies: technology, power, social structure, cultural, and personal agency. These strategies both guide and enable the enactment of behaviour. For researchers, exploring identity and affiliation through the WoI lens raises a series of thought-provoking questions worthy of further investigation.

International Journal of Distance Education Technologies, Jul 1, 2008

This article presents a methodology for developing learning objects for web-based courses using t... more This article presents a methodology for developing learning objects for web-based courses using the IMS Learning Design (IMS LD) specification. We first investigated the IMS LD specification, determining how to use it with online courses and the student delivery model, and then applied this to a Unit of Learning (UOL) for online computer science courses. We developed an editor and runtime environment to apply the IMS LD to a UOL. We then explored the prospect for advancement of the basic IMS LD UOL. Finally, we discussed how to construct ontology-based software agents to use with the learning objects created with the IMS LD Units of Learning.

Handbook of Research on Transformative Digital Content and Learning Technologies, Apr 2017

The emergence of the makerspace movement offers tremendous potential to transform learning. Learn... more The emergence of the makerspace movement offers tremendous potential to transform learning. Learning by making, while ancient in practice, has evolved due to the development and confluence of developments in computing, communications technologies, pedagogy, and library science. In particular, online networking has enabled learners to share and engage with ideas and materials in a uniquely 21st century fashion. The makerspace activity process (MAP) framework illustrates how makerspace activities—curating, relating, and creating—are intertwined through networking practices. Makerspaces are highly contingent and transformative; both the nature of the makerspace and the participants transform each other through interaction. For those educators who find it difficult to integrate within formal curricula and assessment practices, the MAP framework provides a guide for facilitating and assessing learner activity in educational makerspaces. The framework is useful for educators at all levels from kindergarten to post-secondary