Collaboration in E-Learning: A Study Using the Flexible E-Learning Framework (original) (raw)
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Faculty Perceptions of E-Learning: Case Study
International Journal of Innovative Research and Development, 2017
Introduction E-learning is the utilization of information communication technologies (ICT) through innovative applications in the service of learning or learner support to enhance the learning capabilities through utilization of Internet (Aparicio et al., 2016). Generally speaking, e-learning has been viewed as the process of transforming the educational delivery from the traditional modes of learning toward those requiring content delivery via information technology. This is achieved by implementing creative and interactive models utilizing technological platforms aimed at sustaining the learning process. Upon reviewing the literature related to the educational process, one can observe that educational process has undergone many changes since the last century, starting from the printing of learning materials, hardcopy handouts to be given to students as homework, to developing educational recorded media, to creating educational television programs, to recent innovative interactive web-based learning tools supported by Smartphone e-learning student-centric applications. Obviously, technological advancement has contributed significantly to this evolution of the teaching paradigm, resulting in new curriculum design and teaching strategies, and leading to the creation of new teaching delivery platforms aimed at efficient and effective learning outcomes and establishing strong linkage between students and teachers within the learning equation. However, while the new e-learning paradigm has transformed learning itself, it has also resulted in many challenges for the stakeholders, prompting them to either embrace or dismiss the e-learning evolution. Dismissing or ignoring the adoption e-learning would put them at disadvantage compared to their more technologically literate peers. E-learning applications and platforms are being disseminated across different levels of educational framework, from the early learning stage to the higher educational levels. Following an investigation of the relationship between the e-learning development and the higher education, Laurillard (2004) concluded that e-learning can support students through capabilities, such as Internet access, allowing access to digital version of the teaching material irrespective of the physical devices utilized. It also facilitates communication and collaboration with other learners as well as the faculty, and provides means for interactive simulation and data mining capabilities to distance learners. Integrating and encompassing wide range of innovative technologies, including online embedded webcam conference environment, is another benefit of e-learning. However, the issue of acceptance and adoptability of the e-learning model has been the focus of the educational institutions, especially those at the higher educational level. Likewise, there is a need to explore the faculty attitudes toward the usefulness of e-learning at the institutions of higher learning. Therefore, the first aim of this study is to understand the faculty perceptions toward the existing elearning platform and examine the impact of e-learning on conventional teaching from the perspectives of students and faculty.
Online Faculty Development for Creating E-learning Materials
Education for health (Abingdon, England)
Faculty who want to develop e-learning materials face pedagogical challenges of transforming instruction for the online environment, especially as many have never experienced online learning themselves. They face technical challenges of learning new software and time challenges of not all being able to be in the same place at the same time to learn these new skills. The objective of the Any Day Any Place Teaching (ADAPT) faculty development program was to create an online experience in which faculty could learn to produce e-learning materials. The ADAPT curriculum included units on instructional design, copyright principles and peer review, all for the online environment, and units on specific software tools. Participants experienced asynchronous and synchronous methods, including a learning management system, PC-based videoconferencing, online discussions, desktop sharing, an online toolbox and optional face-to-face labs. Project outcomes were e-learning materials developed and par...
Faculty and students' awareness and challenges of e-learning in a college of education
Journal of the International Society for Teacher …, 2010
This study explored the use of e-learning by student teachers and faculty members at the Paro College of Education, Royal University of Bhutan. It provides an overview of the current status of e-learning at the College including the challenges faced by both faculty members and students teachers, and the influence of ICT resources on the use of e-learning by the lecturers and student teachers. The results indicated that there exist challenges in exercising e-learning at the College for teaching and learning. The data indicated that the Internet connection is slow and revealed that most of the lecturers have average computer competency. This study strongly recommends that the College develops a strategic plan for ICT infrastructure and resources that includes policy and guidelines for use. This study also suggests that lecturers and student teachers use freely available e-learning management software.
IRRODL Volume 14, Number 3
This explorative study captured the perceptions of faculty members new to technology enhanced learning and the longitudinal observations of the e-learning manager during dedicated professional development in order to compile a socially transformative emergent learning technology integration framework for open and distance learning at the School of Continuing Teacher Education at North-West University, South Africa. A pragmatic approach guided the bounded case study. The study followed a fully mixed sequential equal status design of mixing sequential qualitative and quantitative findings. Data collection strategies concern a custom-made questionnaire, interviews with faculty members, and longitudinal observations by the e-learning manager. The first phase uncovered 34 qualitative codes. After quantitating of the data, a t-test indicated significant differences for 17 variables between faculty perceptions and observations of the e-learning manager. Ward’s method of Euclidean distances grouped the variables into five clusters according to the researchers’ paradigm of looking in and looking out from the development context. The clusters formed the basis of a model for faculty development towards socially transformative learning technology integration for open distance learning. The five aspects of the model comprise (i) the environment in which faculty members should gain support from the institution; (ii) the environment in which faculty have to address the realities of adopting TEL; (iii) human factors relating to the adoption of TEL; (iv) concerns and reservations about the use of TEL; and (v) continuing professional development needs, expectations, and motivators. The sustainable integration of ICT into higher education institutions remains a major challenge for the adoption of TEL.
Faculty Opinions Towards Introducing e-learning at the University of Bahrain
The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning
E-Learning is an important tool for delivery, interaction, and facilitation of both teaching and learning processes. Faculty members at the University of Bahrain's College of Education are being encouraged to become involved in e-learning activities. To assess faculty opinions on elearning, a questionnaire was sent to 30 faculty members of the University's College of Education to determine how they perceive e-learning, and how they might choose to integrate it into their everyday teaching activities. Data was collected and analyzed by using descriptive statistics. Results indicate that faculty generally perceive e-learning as a positive force in helping students' achieve their learning objectives. Answers to this questionnaire, however, also indicated areas of weakness: specifically that baseline technological and human resource prerequisites are necessary to support e-learning, and that these baseline prerequisites are not yet available at the University of Bahrain. Other baseline prerequisites are: staff training, well prepared online courses and learning materials, sufficient groundwork for the smooth transition from traditional modes of learning towards e-learning delivery, and the implementation of a more robust technological infrastructure to support all the technical aspects necessary to launch and sustain e-learning.
Faculty Experiences with Collaborative Learning in the Online Classroom
2016
The purpose of this qualitative case study was to identify the perceptions and experiences that instructors in higher education have toward providing collaborative learning activities and opportunities in their online classroom. Through semi-structured interviews, the experiences of four higher education instructors from two universities were collected concerning their provision of collaborative learning opportunities in their online classrooms. A multi-phase coding process was used to analyze the information, including the constant comparative coding method for theme and category development. Three themes emerged from the study: online communication approaches matter, there are challenges and supports for online collaborative learning, and care is at the core of online learner support. The findings are discussed and recommendations are provided for the development and design of meaningful online collaborative learning.
Pedagogical Roles and Competencies of University Teachers Practicing in the E-Learning Environment
The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 2013
Identifying the roles and competencies of faculty performing in virtual environments is crucial to higher education institutions in order to build a common frame for teaching and training initiatives. One of the goals of this study is to identify and systematize faculty's roles through a review of the most representative surveys. There has also been an effort to identify competencies associated to every role, with an emphasis on those of the pedagogical scope, by means of a focus group. Furthermore, a cross-sectional survey with 166 faculty participants has been conducted in order to identify faculty's level of proficiency on the pedagogical competencies and the interest in training programs.
Participative Faculty Development with an Online Course in e-Collaboration
How could you design an online course in e-Collaboration for the faculty and staff of your university? This paper – a report about research in progress - will first explain how it came that we faced this question early in 2010 at our university, then present the approach that our team of the research management unit developed for answering it in line with our concept of an “e-Collaboration culture”. After that we will present the case of the online course that we designed, organized and facilitated between May and September 2010 and where we used tools like wikis and forums (Moodle), document and desktop sharing (Google-Docs, Titanpad, Mikogo), chat and web conferencing (Skype, Adobe Connect), meetings in virtual worlds (Second Life), etc. Finally we will summarize in terms of general design guidelines and lessons learned our approach to a participative faculty development enabled by social media
Aims: This study reviews the role of e-learning application in training and learning process from the point of view of faculty members of Islamic Azad University of Sari in 2012. Methods: Descriptive survey method (field study) was used in this study. Statistical populations were 140 professors of faculty members of Islamic Azad University of Sari of which 103 were selected randomly as a sample according to Kerjsi-Morgan chart. For data collection, the researcher made questionnaire considering global experiences was used. Professors' judgment of this field was used to determine the validity. The reliability of questionnaire was 0/88 calculated via Cronbach's alpha. Data analysis was done according to descriptive and inferential statistics (one sample t- test). Results: The results of this study showed that online or attendance training, networks, video conference, multimedia, training through cell phones, and also training via TV, audio, and video tapes have important role in student's training and learning process. Furthermore, the results showed that faculty members have a positive attitude about applying e-learning methods.