Exploring Creation of Connected Classroom in Rural College: Students perspective on Challenges and Implications

This study is based on an intervention of the connected classroom to seek out the teaching faculty shortage alternative. Two Government colleges, rural and urban colleges, coordinated for the intervention of the connected classroom through a software application ‘Skype.’ The urban college serves as the host institution. The urban college teacher delivers lectures to two classes simultaneously, through ‘Skype’ for rural students and face-to-face class interaction for urban colleges. The experiment was continued for four months to teach chemistry subjects. A focus group discussion was arranged for the class students after the successful completion of the connected classroom experiment. The data collected from the focus group discussion revealed that the participants enjoyed and appreciated learning through the experiment of the connected classroom, and they were satisfied at the end of the intervention. They expressed the learning through the connected classroom can be a useful alternative for the colleges facing the problems of shortage of teaching faculty. Students were happy that they got the opportunity of the connected classroom at the right time, and they completed their course well in time even when the teachers were not physically present there in the college. They consider the connected classroom is vital to reduce the distresses of poor village students. They say the permanent implementation of this strategy can assist and help rural students during the non-availability of teaching faculty.

Exploring Creation of Connected Classroom in Rural College: Challenges and Implications

Education plays an important role in the lives of individuals. Education helps the individuals in developing skills, capabilities, attitudes and behavior (Saleem & Shah, 2015). In developing countries like Pakistan access towards education is not satisfactory. In Pakistan, at the higher education, arts subjects generally and science subjects particularly are not with in the access of rural people. Because there are very few colleges in rural areas, and these colleges have shortage of subject specialist faculty. The available faculty is only for teaching compulsory courses and limited option of humanities group courses. As a result, the rural communities are deprived from their basic right of getting education and unable to utilize their potential in their areas of interest. Connected classroom is one of the technological innovation that can be used to overcome the shortage of teaching faculty issue in rural areas. Connected classrooms are created by using new technology tools to build online networks and develop personal learning resources through collaboration with personal learning networks and professional learning communities (Siemens, 2005). t was observed that in remote and rural areas of Pakistan, the opportunities of higher education are limited. After completing the secondary school certificate, students have limited option to choose subjects of their interest. As a result, either they select the subjects in which they are not interested or move towards cities to get better education opportunities. But it is a sad fact that majority of students cannot afford to travel towards colleges in big cities, and have to left their journey of education. Therefore, this study introduced connected classroom technology for rural and remote communities at college level to improve student's enrollment in rural area colleges instead of moving towards urban colleges. More importantly, it will help to overcome the problem of shortage of subject teachers at the rural colleges as well. Keywords: Connected classroom; teaching faculty; rural college; rural student

Developing the rotational synchronous teaching (RST) model: Examination of the connected classroom climate

The multiple synchronous smart classroom learning environment (MSSC) is an alternative educational context that describes several active learning classrooms, connected through synchronous broadcasting technology. MSSC provides conceptually new capabilities to maximise both student learning and instructor efficiency. However, MSSC lacks an empirically validated instructional model, which limits effectiveness, particularly in relation to student interaction. Therefore, this study designed, developed, and implemented the rotational synchronous teaching (RST) model: a practical instructional approach for simultaneously teaching large student audiences, while maintaining smaller interactive classroom atmospheres. The RST model was tested in a mixed method research design that relied on survey (n = 305) and interview (n = 8) data of college students collected at the conclusion of the spring semester 2017. The effects of this RST model on student connected classroom climate obtained results matching previous research in traditional face-to-face classroom contexts. These preliminary findings indicate that the MSSC can effectively cultivate social interaction among students in a large instructional context with an approapriate instructional approach. The results of this study also suggest the need to expand future research toward comparative methodologies that examine additional variables, including academic achievement.

ENSINO E TECNOLOGIA: DIÁLOGOS POSSÍVEIS ENTRE O ESTÁGIO CURRICULAR OBRIGATÓRIO E A FORMAÇÃO DISCENTE

Resumo: Este trabalho interliga os resultados da pesquisa “A formação de professores em cursos de licenciatura EaD: do aprender com tecnologia ao ensinar com tecnologia”, atrelado à linha de pesquisa “Ensino de Linguagens e suas Tecnologias”, cujo objetivo é investigar o impacto das novas tecnologias na formação discente, mais especificamente no Estágio Curricular Obrigatório, dos alunos de Letras, na modalidade Ensino Presencial Conectado. Para tanto, procedeu-se uma pesquisa qualitativa, realizada junto aos alunos de graduação dos últimos períodos do curso de Letras de uma universidade particular do estado de Minas Gerais, utilizando-se o questionário, enquanto instrumento de pesquisa. A ancoragem teórica seguiu a linha epistemológica do multiletramento enquanto prática social, tendo em vista a necessidade de novas práticas de leitura, dentro do contexto tecnológico vigente. Os dados apontaram para uma consciência dos discentes sobre a necessidade do uso da tecnologia na esfera escolar, porém a enunciação dos sujeitos indicou, também, que ainda há falta de saberes sobre como transpor o construto teórico na prática.Palavras-chave: Ensino. Educação a Distância. Formação de Professor. Abstract: This work connects the results of the research that was carried out in the Project “Teacher education in undergraduate courses distance learning: of learning with technology while teaching with technology", linked to the line of research "Teaching of Languages and their Technologies”, which aims to investigate the impact that new technologies have on students formation, more specifically in Mandatory Curricular Practicum for Letters students in Connected Classroom Teaching. For this purpose, a qualitative research was carried out with students who were in the last semesters of the Letters Course in a private university in the state of Minas Gerais. A questionnaire was used as an instrument for the research. The theoretical references followed an epistemological basis of multiliteracy as a social practice and the data showed that students are conscious about the necessity of using technology at schools. Nevertheless, their enunciation also indicated that they still do not know how to put this theory in practice.Keywords: Education. Distance Education. Teacher Education.

Understanding College Students’ Acceptance of Cloud Classrooms in Flipped Instruction: Integrating UTAUT and Connected Classroom Climate

Cloud classrooms provide many advantages in higher education. However, little is known about the social influence of peer relationships on students’ acceptance of cloud classrooms. This study utilized structural equation modeling to examine a model that integrates the Universal Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) and Connected Classroom Climate (CCC). Effort expectancy, social influence, and CCC were found to significantly impact cloud classroom acceptance by college students. Performance expectancy and facilitating conditions, however, did not affect acceptance. These findings contribute understanding that can support decision-making for the cloud classroom, with particular emphasis on increasing college students’ acceptance and use of such technology. Administrators, researchers, and practitioners can use this knowledge to guide their implementation, improvement, and assessment of cloud classrooms. In addition, beyond the cloud classroom, our identification of this relationship between CCC and students’ acceptance represents new knowledge to guide other contexts of online learning.