Quantifying the Mismatch Between Course Content and Students’ Dialogue in Online Learning Environments

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sunghoon Lim ◽  
Conrad S. Tucker ◽  
Kathryn Jablokow ◽  
Bart Pursel
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Classroom Environment ◽  
Latent Dirichlet Allocation ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Discussion Forums ◽  
New Paradigm ◽  
Student Interactions ◽  
Course Content ◽  
Potential Success ◽  
Learning Platforms

Due to the internet’s increasing global availability, online learning has become a new paradigm for distance learning in higher education. While student interactions and reactions are readily observable in a physical classroom environment, monitoring student interactions and quantifying divergence between lecture topics and the topics that interest students are challenging in online learning platforms. Understanding the effects of this divergence is important for monitoring student engagement and aiding instructors, who are focused on improving the quality of their online courses. The authors of this paper propose a topic modeling method, based on latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA), that quantifies the effects of divergence between course topics (mined from textual transcriptions) and student-discussed topics (mined from discussion forums). Correlations between the measured dissimilarities and (a) the number of posts and comments in discussion forums, (b) the number of submitted assignments, and (c) students’ average performance scores are presented. A case study involving video lecture transcripts and discussion forum posts/comments in a massive open online course (MOOC) platform demonstrates the proposed method’s potential success and informs course providers about the challenges of measuring the topics that interest students.

Distance and Online Learning

2017 ◽  
pp. 23-36
Author(s):  
Sema A. Kalaian
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Small Group ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Group Learning ◽  
Small Group Learning ◽  
Learning Collaborative ◽  
Learning Methods ◽  
Course Content ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
Teaching Learning

The aim of this chapter is to present a conceptual and practical overview of online learning pedagogies for the 21st century courses including science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses. Online learning and various alternative innovative forms of online small-group learning have been developed and implemented worldwide to replace or supplement the traditional face-to-face classroom instruction. Online teaching/learning using small-group learning methods such as problem-based learning, cooperative learning, collaborative learning methods, and team-based learning are examples of such innovative reform-based collaborative student-driven pedagogies that are covered in the chapter. These innovative 21st pedagogies make learning in online environments more stimulating, engaging, and motivating for students to deeply and meaningfully learn the course content and maximize their persistence in the web-based online courses.

Engage Online Learners

2018 ◽  
pp. 96-118
Author(s):  
Sang Chan ◽  
Devshikha Bose
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Learning ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Flow Theory ◽  
Learning Needs ◽  
Online Learners ◽  
Course Content ◽  
Design Considerations ◽  
Student Instructor

Online learning will continue to be one of the popular modes of instruction offered by higher education institutions to accommodate different learning needs. Student engagement is critical to the success of online learning. Students should be engaged cognitively, emotionally, and behaviorally. This chapter discusses design considerations for online courses to promote student-instructor, student-student, and student-content interactions to engage students cognitively, emotionally, and behaviorally. The chapter also discusses the application of flow theory, specifically, in the design of instruction to engage students during their interaction with course content.

Technology as Integral to a New Paradigm of Adult Education

2012 ◽  
pp. 64-72
Author(s):  
Judith Parker
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Adult Education ◽  
Paradigm Shift ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Information Dissemination ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Modern Technology ◽  
New Paradigm ◽  
Impact Of Technology ◽  
The Impact

Technology and adult education are often discussed as two separate subjects, yet just as it is impossible to live one day without the impact of technology, it is impossible to discuss adult education without considering technology. The growth of the field of adult education and the evolution of modern technology as well as the theorists and practitioners who were instrumental in moving the fields will be considered in this article as the foundation for a paradigm shift in adult education. Since effective adult education involves not only information dissemination but communication and collaboration among its participants, online learning activities and entire online courses influence how the field itself is viewed. This new paradigm will be explored in the current and future world of adult teaching and learning.

scholarly journals Innovative Authoring Tools for Online-Courses with Assignments - Integrating Heterogeneous Tools of e-Learning Platforms into Hybrid Application Solutions

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (02) ◽  
pp. 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthias Then ◽  
Benjamin Wallenborn ◽  
Birgit R. Ianniello ◽  
Duc Binh Vu ◽  
Michael Fuchs ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Data Exchange ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Learning Tools ◽  
Course Content ◽  
Integration Architecture ◽  
E Learning ◽  
Learning Platforms ◽  
Methods Of Learning ◽  
Effective Use ◽  
Support Software

This paper is concerned with an essential topic in e-learning - course content authoring. Besides supporting the concept of Competence-Based Learning (CBL) our solution is aiming to make effective use of an open integration architecture fostering the interoperability of hybrid e-learning solutions. Modern scenarios ask for interoperable software solutions to seamlessly integrate existing e-learning infrastructures and legacy tools with innovative technologies while being cognitively efficient to handle. In this way, prospective users are enabled to use them seamlessly without learning overheads. At the same time, methods of Learning Design (LD) in combination with CBL are getting more and more important to produce and maintain easy to facilitate solutions. Our approach of developing a competence-based course-authoring and assignment-support software bridges the gaps between Moodle and established legacy infrastructures by embedding existing legacy tools via Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI). The underlying conceptual architecture for this integration approach and its components will be introduced; furthermore a Moodle plugin will be outlined, which enables Moodle for LD- and CBL-support including corresponding data exchange with our course authoring tool. The paper concludes with an outlook on future plans for our research and development.

scholarly journals Intentionality and Players of Effective Online Courses in Mathematics

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Salman Hussain Raza ◽  
Emmenual Reddy
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Pedagogical Practices ◽  
Discussion Forums ◽  
Success Rates ◽  
Learning Space ◽  
Problem Solving Skills ◽  
Mathematics Courses ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Online Mathematics

Mathematics is the engine, vehicle, driver, and language of today’s initiatives, innovations, and human endeavors. In this mathematical-driven world, the ability to perform mathematical tasks and logical reasoning is also essential in solving quotidian tasks and problems. Therefore, mathematical competency and problem-solving skills are kept as an integral component in almost every educational curriculum around the globe. However, there are numerous stumbling blocks along the way to successful teaching, conducive learning environment, and good student performances in almost all disciplines, but more prevalent and visible in mathematics. The major concerns of educators responsible for teaching mathematics and mathematics-related courses are to find effective and innovative ways to deliver mathematical content, to extend the concepts and theories beyond the classrooms, to integrate mathematics with important concepts such as gamification, data mining, learning analytics, deep learning, and effective tools such as mobile devices, learning management systems, and digital technology, and to maintain a good record of students’ performance. In online deliveries, these concerns are further escalated due to no or limited one-to-one interactions and lack of face time, to mention a few. This article investigates the efficacy and effectiveness of traditional and innovative pedagogical practices used in online mathematic courses at the University of the South Pacific (USP). It examines the interdependence of embedded activities and students’ achievement. The results indicate that these online mathematics courses were highly dominated by conventional approaches and were less interactive and engaging, resulting in lower success rates when compared to the courses from other disciplines. To recommend possible ways to enhance the quality of learning and teaching in online mathematics courses, selected online courses from the information system discipline were explored. The reasons for the high online presence in the course were investigated and activities that could lead to collaborative and active learning beyond the passive materials were data mined. The evidence drawn from the statistical analysis highlights the importance of including selected interactive and engaging activities in online learning space of mathematics courses to promote student engagement and help create a sense of community among geographically dispersed students. Overall, based on the observations and theoretical foundation from literature, it can be said that including regular and frequent active assessment strategies, such as weekly quizzes and discussion forums, could extend and promote interactive and engaging learning in online learning space.

scholarly journals CREATING EFFECTIVE ONLINE DISCUSSIONS: OPTIMAL INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT ROLES

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcia Dixson ◽  
Michelle Kuhlhorst ◽  
Amber Reiff
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Online Discussions ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Discussion Forums ◽  
Learning Groups ◽  
Teaching Online ◽  
Online Discussion Forums ◽  
Powerful Learning ◽  
Social Messages

Teaching online courses is unexplored territory for many instructors. Understanding how to use the powerful learning techniques involved in cooperative group learning in an online context is imperative. This paper is a first attempt to explore the dynamics of learning groups in the context of online discussion forums. Given the spread of online learning, the importance of this kind of research cannot be overstated. The authors analyzed the content of twenty asynchronous discussion forums within an online course in family communication. Their findings indicate that such groups send social messages at a fairly high rate; that participation seems to be fairly evenly distributed among members, although having a “leader” is helpful to the group’s process; and that instructor messages and competitive student messages have no apparent effect on the final product. However, they also found that two types of messages— orienting/giving information and showing solidarity—were found more frequently in groups that produced higher quality work. This research opens many questions and offers some guidelines about the most effective ways to structure online learning situations.

scholarly journals Student engagement with course content and peers in synchronous online courses discussions

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Allison M Truhlar ◽  
Kimberly M Williams ◽  
M Todd Walter
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
United States ◽  
Student Engagement ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Student Interaction ◽  
Interaction Type ◽  
Student Interactions ◽  
Course Content ◽  
The Third

As higher education institutions in United States offer online courses to growing audiences, there is increasing desire to understand how best to engage students with both course content and their peers. This case study examines the effects of assigning chat roles and facilitating self and group reflection on student-content and student-student interaction outcomes in four synchronous chats conducted in an online introductory-level sustainability course. We also considered what occurred within group reflections to inform how they are structured in the future. We found that assigning roles increased the proportion of critical student-student interactions. Self-reflections had no effect on either interaction type. Groups completing group reflections had a greater proportion of critical student-content interactions in the third chat and critical student-student interactions in the fourth chat than the groups that did not complete the group reflections. Based on our results, we plan to keep roles and group reflections going forward, and eliminate self-reflections. Furthermore, to increase the effectiveness of the group reflections, we propose some ideas to increase student ability to convert their ideas into change during subsequent chats.

The Forgotten Teachers in K-12 Online Learning

2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 18-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Kristopher Barbour ◽  
David Adelstein ◽  
Jonathan Morrison
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Online Course ◽  
Virtual High School ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Course Content ◽  
Telephone Interviews ◽  
Use Of Technology ◽  
Learning Programs ◽  
K 12

Like many K-12 online learning programs, the Illinois Virtual High School (IVHS) began by utilizing vendor content to populate its online courses. In its fourth year, the IVHS began a concerted effort to design more of its own online course content internals. The aim of this study was to examine the nature of the support needed and application of tools used by IVHS course developers. The data consisted of a two-part, web-based survey and telephone interviews that were analyzed using descriptive statistics and inductive analysis. The results showed these developers had a strong desire to use interactive elements in their course as well as working in cooperative teams. Further, developers were opposed to using a forced template, but indicated a need for general structural guidance and additional professional development. Finally, developers recommended that subject matter teacher-developers and multimedia specialists be split into two separate roles, and these individuals work together as a part of a design team. Further research should be conducted on the intended use of technology tools requested.

Using Course Maps for Easy Classroom to Computer Transition

2011 ◽  
pp. 2226-2230
Author(s):  
Stephanie J. Etter ◽  
Lisa T. Byrnes
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Online Course ◽  
History Of Higher Education ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Course Content ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Learning Programs ◽  
History Of

Online learning is the fastest growing segment in the educational marketplace (Conhaim, 2003). As the number of online courses increases and distance learning programs grow in popularity, questions of quality and comparability of online courses with traditional methods naturally arise (Schulman & Sims, 1999). While online learning is the fastest growing educational segment, partly in thanks to on-campus students who choose to take courses online, there are still debates about not only the quality of the course content, but the quality of the technology used as well. According to Bowman (2003), in “the history of higher education, online classes are relatively new, and it is yet to be determined how to take full advantage of the technology” (p. 73). Traditional face-to-face courses, which may have been proven successful in terms of evaluations and outcomes assessments, are increasingly being converted to online courses. A study by Smith, Ferguson, and Caris (2000) concluded: “Contrary to intuition, current Web-based online college courses are not an alienating, mass-produced product. They are a laborintensive, highly text-based, intellectually challenging forum which elicits deeper thinking on the part of the students” (p. 67). Converting a traditional classroom course that is intellectually challenging and that elicits deeper thinking into an online course that can do the same can be a harrowing task. The process of converting a face-to-face course into an online course without compromising the course’s integrity and quality is a difficult burden to overcome. The burden of the conversion process can be eased, however, through the use of course maps.

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