Students' experience of learning in a virtual classroom (original) (raw)

The use of learning technologies to facilitate engagement in an online course

E-learning is becoming increasingly popular in many countries for its flexibility in terms of time, place and pace. Research affirms that learning technologies support interaction and collaboration among learners and improve learning outcomes. However, current practices of e-learning are not without constraints and there is a need for empirical research to assist practitioners in determining the best uses of learning technologies. This paper seeks to develop an understanding of students' experiences and their perspectives of learning with the educational technologies of 'Adobe virtual classroom' and 'Moodle' that facilitated activities in a university course. The study was conducted using a case study method over a period of one semester. With Activity Theory as its research framework, the research methods of this study include individual interviews, online observation and document analysis. This paper includes some of the initial findings of the research and a brief discussion on how the educational technologies facilitated students' engagement in this course. This may inform practitioners of the pragmatic constraints and affordances of existing technologies, learning activities and strategies used in online learning environments.

Virtual Spaces: Employing a Synchronous Online Classroom to Facilitate Student Engagement in Online Learning

International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning

This research study is a collaborative project between faculty in social foundations, special education, and instructional technology in which we analyze student data from six undergraduate and graduate courses related to the use of a virtual classroom space. Transactional distance theory (Moore & Kearsley, 1996) operates as our theoretical framework as we explore the role of a virtual classroom in distance education and analyze the ways in which a synchronous learning environment affects students’ learning experiences. Elluminate Live! was the software employed in the virtual classroom. In this analysis, particular themes emerged related to dialogue, structure, and learner autonomy. In addition, students rated convenience, technical issues, and pedagogical preferences as important elements in their learning experiences. The article discusses these themes as a contribution to reducing the “distance” that students experience in online learning and to developing quality distance educa...

Exploring the Virtual Classroom: What Students Need to Know (and Teachers Should Consider)

2011

Technological improvements in many countries have meant that institutions offering distance education programmes now have more options available to them to communicate and interact with their students, and increasingly, attention is being turned to the potential of Web2 technologies to facilitate synchronous interaction. This study explores the affordances and limitations of an online virtual classroom, Adobe Connect Pro, when used in the learning programmes of two groups of undergraduate and postgraduate education students. Results indicate that while both groups gained value from using the classroom, they also found it a completely new environment, and one to which many had trouble transferring the interaction and communication skills developed in other contexts. The reasons for this related to three specific areas of knowledge – technical, procedural and operational, that were identified as being critical to student performance in this environment. The study suggests that educato...

Introducing a Virtual Classroom in a Master Course: Lessons Learned

The paper presents empirical research investigating the effect on the learning activity when the ordinary classroom setting in a university college master course is substituted with a virtual classroom supporting synchronous e-learning. To obtain good learning results in the virtual classroom, we hypothesised that changes to various aspects of the learning activity would be required. Applying activity theory as a framework, we identified such changes in the learning activity of our case in two virtual classroom test sessions: an ordinary lecture and a formal examination in the form of a student presentation. Our findings include a set of considerations that we suggest should be made if a virtual classroom is to be taken into use by a community of learners normally basing their learning activity on face-to-face interaction in a traditional classroom.

Student Experience of E-Learning Tools in HE: An Integrated Learning Framework

European Journal of Social Sciences Education and Research, 2017

Over the last decade the adoption of a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), at University, has become an accepted norm of support for student learning. However, despite the major investment in VLE's there is a major disparity between what universities are offering, on their online platforms, and how this material and activities are being utilised by students. This research provides empirical evidence of the passive use, both by tutors and students, of the VLE. The literature provides evidence of the inertia that still exists, within Higher Education (HE), among tutors, to fully embrace the spectrum of VLE engagement tools. The lack of transition, among many tutors, to utilise the VLE as a pedagogical engagement tool continues to impact the expectations of fee paying students in the UK, who no longer expect that a Socratic dialogue will suffice to catalyse their intellectual curiosity. Today's generation of students have been exposed to a plethora of technologies that facilitates the acquisition of instant information and often through a multitude of sensory (visual, audio) formats. Furthermore, with the growth of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCS) that are freely available to students the expectations, of HE students, from universities is becoming more demanding. In light of this competitive virtual learning landscape the authors propose a learning framework. To enable universities to create a unique and effective learning experience, for their students, through prudent investment in VLE tools and a complimentary learning environments. Resulting in deeper learning and informed students prepared for seminars.

Engaged learning with E-Learning technology-a proposed model and case example

2004

Promoting active participation among learnersfur meaningful learning with technology has been a challenging task for many educators. This paper presents an engaged learning model based on studies on E-Learning and distance learning, as well as cognitive and constructivist pedagogies. We propose the SMART (student, motivation, activities, regulation and management, and technology) framework, which details five important dimensions for designing and implementing learning with technology.

Identifying Factors Influencing Students’ Motivation and Engagement in Online Courses

The emergence of educational technologies offers flexible learning opportunities to the twenty-first-century learners. Research affirms that online courses provide learners with some flexibility in terms of time, place and pace. However, the anonymous nature of the online learning environment can lead to demotivation and disengagement and subsequent minimal participation or even withdrawal. Although in face-to-face classrooms, students’ levels of motivation could be observed to a certain extent, with little or no physical cues, online courses present challenges and concerns in relation to students’ motivation and active participation. The challenge of engaging online learners seems common across subject matter, levels and institutions. Therefore, in order for the learners to have a positive learning experience, it is vital to identify the factors that affect students’ motivation and engagement in online courses. This chapter is based on a case study carried out in a university in New Zealand. With activity theory as its research framework, the research methods of this study include individual interviews, observation of online learning activities and analysis of other relevant documents. The learning technologies that facilitated synchronous and asynchronous learning activities of this course comprised Adobe Connect virtual classroom and the university learning management system, Moodle. The aim of this study is to examine the factors that affect students’ motivation and engagement in an online learning environment. Through this case study, the chapter aims to connect the readers with pedagogical and practical ideas and strategies practitioners may like to consider when designing online courses that may enhance students’ motivation and engagement in online learning environments.

Assessment of the Use of Synchronous Virtual Classrooms in Higher Education

Th e presented paper describes the characteristics of a study conducted on Synchronous Virtual Classrooms (SVCs), virtual spaces which harbour such resources as videoconferences, shared desk-tops, etc. Th e main objective of the research was to assess teaching and methodological, communication and technological aspects of SVCs in e-learning processes. Empirical methodology of quantitative and descriptive nature was used; a questionnaire was designed to assess these issues with a sample of 116 university students from six diff erent fi elds of study at the University of Extremadura. As a conclusion, we report that SVCs with a constructive methodology enhance students’ creativity, favour virtual collaborative work, promote critical and independent thought, and create alternative channels to stimulate students’ active participation by means of fl exible and attractive interfaces.

An activity-theoretical approach to investigate learners’ factors toward e-learning systems

Computers in Human Behavior, 2007

The Internet and World Wide Web have provided opportunities of developing e-learning systems. The development of e-learning systems has started a revolution for instructional content delivering, learning activities, and social communication. Based on activity theory, the purpose of this research is to investigate learners' attitude factors toward e-learning systems. A total 168 participants were asked to answer a questionnaire. After factor analysis, learners' attitudes can be grouped four different factors-e-learning as a learner autonomy environment, e-learning as a problem-solving environment, e-learning as a multimedia learning environment, and teachers as assisted tutors in e-learning. In addition, this research approves that activity theory is an appropriate theory for understanding e-learning systems. Furthermore, this study also provides evidence that e-learning as a problem-solving environment can be positively influenced by three other factors.