scholarly journals Postgraduate students' knowledge construction during asynchronous computer conferences in a blended learning environment: A Malaysian experience

Author(s):  
Kian-Sam Hong ◽  
Julia Ai Cheng Lee

<span>Blended learning, using e-learning tools to supplement existing on campus learning, often incorporates asynchronous computer conferencing as a means of augmenting knowledge construction among students. This case study reports findings about levels of knowledge construction amongst adult postgraduate students in six asynchronous computer conferences in a blended learning environment. The aim is to document and understand the kinds of task related postings in asynchronous computer conferencing that foster knowledge construction. The tool for analysis is an adaptation of the model by Veerman and Veldhuis-Diermanse (2001). Data were collected from</span><em>Quickplace</em><span>, the e-learning system at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, with 22 adult postgraduate students enrolled in the Masters of Science in Human Resource Development who were attending a 14-week course on Cognition and Learning. The results showed that the students were active in constructing knowledge but limited to seeking and giving opinions among peers and knowledge telling. The prevalence of low level knowledge construction points to the need for the e-learning facilitator to encourage the students to go beyond regurgitating facts of what they have learned. More guidance should be given to the students to refrain from mere knowledge telling. Results suggest that there are blended learning benefits for these students as they are given improved opportunities to learn outside the classroom.</span>

2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (100) ◽  
pp. 2-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Audronė Dumčienė ◽  
Tomas Saulius ◽  
Audrius Čapskas

Background. E-learning is a new paradigm of modern teaching methods. The aim of the paper was to reveal the university students’ attitudes towards e-learning. Methods. Research sample involved undergraduate (first cycle) and postgraduate (second cycle) students of three different universities, 156 men and 278 women. Questionnaire was comprised of 60 questions and statements. Results. Research reveals that 40% of undergraduates and 42% of postgraduates positively treat e-learning as the method of study content presentation; 23% of undergraduate and 38% postgraduate students believe that study content presented in e-learning environment helps them focus attention; 61% of the undergraduates and 59% of postgraduate students claim that materials accessible in e-learning environment are relevant to their studies. Even 37% of undergraduates and 34% of postgraduates are completely satisfied with their study results achieved by studying materials presented in e-learning environment. Attitudes of male and female students and students from different universities differ significantly (p < .05). About 40% of undergraduate and 36% of postgraduate students believe that studying via e-learning is easier than studying based on traditional methods, 48% and 44% respectively think that it is harder. The majority, i.e. 59% of undergraduates and 52% of postgraduates, prefer blended learning methods. About 42% of first cycle students and 43% of second cycle students disagree or partly disagree with the claim that studies via e-learning and studies based on traditional methods do not differ in respect of their quality; 38% of undergraduate and 42% of postgraduate students believe that e-learning and traditional methods lead to the acquisition of the same competences. Students who have part-time jobs and students who have full-time jobs have significantly different (p < .05) attitudes towards competences acquired via e-learning and via traditional methods. The opinion that the same competences are acquired via e-learning and via traditional methods is more common among full-time workers. Students (45% of undergraduates and 37% of postgraduates) tend to believe that in the e-learning environment studies were organized as professionally, qualitatively and effectively as studies based on traditional methods. This view is opposed by 22% of undergraduate and 30% of postgraduate students. Conclusions. Students treat traditional (“live”) lectures more favourably than autonomous studies in the e-learning environment. They tend to believe that the blended learning method is the most acceptable. Male students’ and female students’ attitudes towards study results in the e-learning environment differ significantly. The majority believe that competences acquired via e-learning and the ones acquired via traditional methods do not differ.


Author(s):  
Tiong-Thye Goh ◽  
Bing Yang

AbstractE-learning systems are widely deployed in higher education institutions but sustaining students’ continued use of e-learning systems remains challenging. This study investigated the relationship between e-learning engagement, flow experience and learning management system continuance via a mediated moderation interaction model. The context of the study is a Moodle LMS supporting a blended learning environment. After controlling age and gender, a PLS analysis of 92 students’ samples with a reflective flow construct explained 49% of the variance in the research model. The analysis shows that flow mediates e-engagement and perceived ease of use with a direct positive impact on e-learning system continuance. Flow has an indirect impact through perceived usefulness on e-learning system continuance. However, the direct impact of flow on system continuance weakens as e-learning engagement increases. This finding may help to explain the mixed and inconsistent impact of flow in the e-learning system continuance literature. The dual effect of flow suggests that instructors must carefully balance pedagogical decisions intended to heighten flow experience to generate positive learning outcomes through e-engagement and its consequence of reduced impact on continued system use.


Author(s):  
Michaela Banek Zorica ◽  
Šonja Spiranec ◽  
Nikolaj Lazić

Paper shows the case study of transforming traditional learning environment (based on teacher-centred instruction), to the blended learning environment (based on student-centred instruction) using Open Source Learning Management Systems, like Moodle. Special attention was on the advantages in usage of this tool in educating LIS professionals. Authors try to investigate whether new technologies help and motivate students master the necessary knowledge, especially when applied to the mandatory courses. Differences in motivation and access to the studies between the full-time and part-time students are also compared. Data fo theevaluation have been gathered through numerous satisfaction surveys and interviews with the students of Department of Information Sciences, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb, both full-time and part-time, as well as through the analysis of the data from the faculty’s e-learning system.  


2010 ◽  
Vol 171-172 ◽  
pp. 523-526
Author(s):  
Fu Lei Zhang

The Chinese government is pursuing e-learning policies which makes job-training with a knowledge-based society. To explain more fully the important role of the e-learning environment, this article undertakes some typical examples of the governments' job-training under e-learning environment. The main problems in servants' job-training in China are the low quantity in the servants' training, short of restriction, the uniform manner in the training and less fairness and availability of opportunities for educational training. In order to develop the e-learning system, the civil servant's job training policies are provided and the measures of the effective e-learning system are designed.


2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 72-86 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sinan Keskin ◽  
Halil Yurdugül

AbstractToday’s educational institutions are expected to create learning opportunities independent of time and place, to offer easily accessible learning environments and interpersonal communication opportunities. Accordingly, higher education institutions develop strategies to meet these expectations through teaching strategies, such as e-learning, blended learning, mobile learning, etc., by using teaching technologies. These new technology-based teaching strategies are mainly shaped by decision-makers in education. This study seeks to analyse the individual factors that affect learners’ mode of teaching and learning delivery preferences. In this study, blended and online learning is considered as preferences of learners’ mode of teaching and learning delivery. The individual factors discussed in this research are cognitive learning strategies, e-learning readiness, and motivation. The data were obtained from the pre-service teachers at the end of the academic semester when they experienced online and blended learning. Data were analysed using optimal scaling analysis. The analysis method provides a two-dimensional centroid graph which shows the correlations between the variable categories. According to study findings, there is a correlation between the preferences of the learning environment, and the constructs of self-efficacy, e-learning motivation, and task value. It can be said that the motivational variables are more effective in the learning environment preference. The students with high task value, e-learning motivation, and self-efficacy preferred studying in blended learning environments. Cognitive strategies, self-directed learning, learner control, and test anxiety factors are independent of the learners’ learning delivery preferences.


Author(s):  
Yücel Uğurlu

In this chapter, the authors introduce a blended learning approach where LabVIEW, an e-learning environment, was integrated into a traditional graphical programming course for engineering students to teach advanced topics and to increase the programming skills of the students. In this course, the students were required to design projects using technology. The students designed small projects and frequently accessed the e-learning system to build real-world applications. The projects that students designed stimulated them to use the e-learning system. The impact of blended learning was evaluated on the basis of student surveys and certification test results. Experimental studies show that blended learning produced higher results in the students’ self-assessment and certification test.


Author(s):  
Yücel Uğurlu

In this chapter, the authors introduce a blended learning approach where LabVIEW, an e-learning environment, was integrated into a traditional graphical programming course for engineering students to teach advanced topics and to increase the programming skills of the students. In this course, the students were required to design projects using technology. The students designed small projects and frequently accessed the e-learning system to build real-world applications. The projects that students designed stimulated them to use the e-learning system. The impact of blended learning was evaluated on the basis of student surveys and certification test results. Experimental studies show that blended learning produced higher results in the students' self-assessment and certification test.


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