Research Annotations

Records: 322

Multimedia, Hypermedia, and Hypertext: Motivation considered and reconsidered

Daniel Moos     Elizabeth Marroquin

APA Citation

Moos, D. C., & Marroquin, E. (2010). Multimedia, hypermedia, and hypertext: Motivation considered and reconsidered. Computers in Human Behavior, 26(3), 265-276.

Annotation

This review paper identifies and examines the three popular forms of computer-based instruction (hereafter CBI) (1) multimedia, (2) hypermedia, and (3) hypertext, as well as challenges of CBI and their influence on students’ motivation. Multimedia is defined with various forms through which learners attain knowledge (e.g. text, images, video etc.) Hypertext refers to texts projected on a screen that may contain interlinked information. Unlike multimedia, hypertext allows learners to navigate . . . hyperlinks and thus enables greater level of autonomy. Hypermedia comprise both characteristics of multimedia and hypertext. It is characterized by both multiple formats of information representation and “nonlinear design” (p. 266) for knowledge attainment. The result of literature review reveals that learners, especially those with intrinsic motivation, is prone to attractive details of CBIs. Based on Cognitive Load Theory, these details consumes valuable space that would have been used to process main content of information. Also, they found that self-efficacy was a significant indicator of CBI satisfaction.

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Open Educational Resources and Open Access in Higher Education in Macedonia

Dimitar Poposki

APA Citation

Poposki, D. (2010). Open Educational Resources and Open Access in Higher Education in Macedonia.

Annotation

This research paper discusses potential beneficence of open educational resources in the context of Macedonia. The author suggests several steps toward utilization of OER. First, Ministry of Education and Information Society need to recognize the shift to more economic and practical model of teaching among EU countries. This model of sharing knowledge is free from government interventions, but implementation of policies that fosters OER is crucial. Second, given the lack of professional . . . information scientists in Macedonia, it is important to participate in South-Eastern European network of Library and Information Professionals (Kosson community). Lastly, strong infrastructure in higher education cannot be achieved without local initiatives, such as student representative, teachers, and libraries.

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Professional Development 2.0: Transforming teacher education pedagogy with 21st century tools

Leanna Archambault     Keith Wetzel     Teresa Foulger     Mia Williams

APA Citation

Archambault, L., Wetzel, K., Foulger, T. S., & Williams, M. K. (2010). Professional development 2.0: Transforming teacher education pedagogy with 21st century tools. Journal of Digital Learning in Teacher Education, 27, 4-11.

Annotation

This study is a qualitative analysis on instructor reflections on a professional development program focused on the use of social media at ASU for instructors teaching education courses. The professional development program used Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) as its theoretical framework. The purpose of TPACK is to use technology to provide better learning experiences for students. The authors suggest that through use of social networking, “instructors can begin to reap the . . . benefits of their changing roles as they work with their preservice teachers, who in turn might expand these possibilities as they adopt social networking tools with their K-12 students” (p. 11).

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Reconceptualising Higher Education Pedagogy in Online Learning: Distance education

Nicole C. Green     Helen Edwards     Brenda Wolodko     Cherry Stewart     Margaret Brooks     Ros Littledyke

APA Citation

Green, N. C., Edwards, H., Wolodko, B., Stewart, C., Brooks, M., & Littledyke, R. (2010). Reconceptualising higher education pedagogy in online learning. Distance Education, 31, 257-273.

Annotation

This article examined the process of revamping online learning in several early childhood education programs at the University of New England in Australia. Most students in the program are full-time early childhood educators and are taking courses in these programs online. Online pedagogy in the programs in moving away from gaining skills and knowledge and moving towards collaborative learning, ongoing professional development and “learning as knowledge creation” (p. 270).

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Social Media & Mobile Internet Use among Teens and Young Adults

Amanda Lenhart     Kristen Purcell     Aaron Smith     Kathryn Zickuhr

APA Citation

Lenhart, A., Purcell, K., Smith, A., & Zickuhr, K. (2010). Social Media & Mobile Internet Use among Teens and Young Adults. Millennials. Pew internet & American life project.

Annotation

Using social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, to communicate with college students is a natural fit as Internet use is almost ubiquitous among young adults (18-29). 93% of young adults use the Internet and they, as well as teens, continue to be the two groups most likely to go online. Of those young adults that are online, 72% use social media and 52% have two or more profiles. Of those that have profiles, 71% have Facebook profiles.

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Student Perceptions of Support Services and the Influence of Targeted Interventions on Retention in Distance Education

Mark Nichols

APA Citation

Nichols, M. (2010). Student perceptions of support services and the influence of targeted interventions on retention in distance education. Distance Education, 31(1), 93-113.

Annotation

● In early 2008, the position of academic support coordinator was established. The new role, based in the main office of the CDL in Auckland, is currently shared by two people. The objective of the role is to provide dedicated, proactive, and targeted support for students studying at a distance.
● Student support survey. Students were required to complete a readiness for distance study questionnaire with their course selection forms. The survey questioned students about various factors relating . . . to their ability to study well at a distance.
● ● Study @ Laidlaw College orientation. All new students were given the option to participate in an orientation course, designed as a 1-week distance learning primer. While all first-time students were sent the materials, participation was optional. During the orientation students had the opportunity to develop the online skills required for study and received helpful tips relating to time management and study technique
● General messages of support. The academic support coordinators generated a schedule for sending out general messages of support and advice, relating to such matters as essay writing and exam technique. These messages, sent by email, were timed to coincide with assignment due dates.
● Personal contact. From their analysis of student support surveys, experience with students during the orientation, tutor advice, and contact from individual students seeking assistance, the academic support coordinators developed a list of those students they would specifically contact over the phone. Frequently, personal contact was associated with a specific difficulty the student had, the academic support coordinator ensured that the difficulty was addressed or else noted.
● Each intervention was designed to complement the already satisfactory academic direction given by course tutors.
● This study compares retention results across two distinct semesters
● Semester 1, 2008 In semester 1 of 2008, student support systems in the CDL were in a period of transition. Regional representative roles had been disestablished, and new academic support coordinators were in the early stages of setting up systems for their role. Table 1 compares semester 1 SDR results for the CDL with the 2008 national SDR. The results indicate that new CDL students found it difficult to embark on distance study, and that the transition from level 5 to level 6 study (first-year to second-year papers) proves especially difficult. All students who withdrew from or did not complete (WDN and DNC) at least one paper in semester 1 of 2008 were surveyed (n = 51) to learn of their reasons and to ascertain whether any action from the CDL might have helped them to persevere. Twenty-eight surveys were returned, a 55% response rate.
● Semester 1, 2009 By semester 1 of 2009, support interventions were ready. Students were required to complete a readiness for distance study questionnaire with their course selection forms, and an orientation course introducing new students to study skills and online interaction was put in place. The academic support coordinators also determined the timing of general messages of support. The number of EFTS (equivalent full time students) was consistent across the two semesters under comparison, the average number of courses taken per student was likewise similar
● Comparison with Laidlaw College’s on-campus retention rates from the same period suggests that about 4% of the improvement in student success might be attributable to institution-wide factors such as the reduction of teaching weeks from 15 to 12, the shift to 15-credit papers, the adoption of hybrid courses, and the change of name to Laidlaw College
● The four main contributors to persistence were as follows: ● Contact with my course tutor(s) encouraged me to continue (1.91 average, SD of 0.87). ● The course itself helped me to persist with my studies (1.81 average, SD of 0.75). ● Not completing the course never occurred to me (1.5 average, SD of 0.74). ● I was determined to complete and pass (1.45 average, SD of 0.74).

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Teaching Online: A practical guide

S. Ko     S. Rossen

APA Citation

Ko, S., & Rossen, S. (2010). Teaching online: A practical guide. Routledge.

Annotation

Not available

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Technology and Education Change: Focus on student learning

B. Means

APA Citation

Means, B. (2010). Technology and education change: Focus on student learning. Journal of research on technology in education, 42(3), 285-307.

Annotation

This study finds that incorporating technology in learning and instructional activities in reading and mathematics increases academic performance. Students who enrolled in the study schools and the mixed instructional activities earned above-average test scores despite the schools at large having a history of earning below-average scores. The study found that teachers were able to obverse and monitor students’ weekly progress via computer-based performance and adapt instructional activities to . . . more closely relate to students’ needs.

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The Context of Distance Learning Programs in Higher Education: Five Enabling Assumptions

Don Chaney     Elizabeth Chaney     James Eddy

APA Citation

Chaney, D., Chaney, E., & Eddy, J. (2010). The context of distance learning programs in higher education: Five enabling assumptions. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, 13(4). https://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/winter134/chaney134.html

Annotation

“This article offers “five assumptions,” rooted in their authors’ own experiences and a review of literature, from which to build distance learning programs. The five assumptions presented in this article reflect: (1) that neither face-to-face or distance learning is better than the other, (2) that meeting student and teacher needs is more essential to quality distance learning than the technologies employed, (3) that distance learning programs require appropriate marketing, (4) that distance . . . learning programs need to meet the needs of several stakeholders, and (5) that distance learning programs require a large network of support within an institution. The authors suggest that a distance learning program design should represent the “context” of higher education, which includes interconnection between faculty, student, administrative, technological and academic needs. As these needs change, they suggest flexibility, continuous evaluation, and revision are necessary.
“

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The Effect of Social Presence on Affective and Cognitive Learning in an International Engineering Course Taught via Distance Learning

Katherine R. M. Mackey     David L. Freyberg

APA Citation

Mackey, K. R. M., & Freyberg, D. L. (2010). The effect of social presence on affective and cognitive learning in an international engineering course taught via distance learning. Journal of Engineering Education, 99, 23-34.

Annotation

This study compared knowledge acquisition (cognitive learning) and student satisfaction (affective learning) in a traditional and an online graduate engineering course. To assess knowledge acquisition, student grades and perceptions were examined. Satisfaction was lower in online courses but knowledge gained was the same. Twitter account and interacted with students in educationally relevant ways. After 14 weeks, the experimental group had a higher increase in student engagement (as measured by . . . 19 questions from the NSSE) and higher GPAs. Prior to the experiment, no difference in engagement or GPAs existed between the two groups. The authors also present a qualitative analysis of three types of tweets: a book discussion, panel discussion, and study group formation. The authors suggest that further research is needed to determine how much of the effects can be linked to Twitter, and how much can be linked to the “Web 2.0 mentality” of the faculty members that resulted in increased faculty-student interaction. Additionally, this experiment must be replicated on a larger, more diverse population.
Using the NESSE engagement scale in student surveys, the authors found that there was a positive effect on students who used Twitter in educationally relevant ways. It also had a positive effect on grades. An analysis of student tweets found that they were actively engaged in course content and thoughtful conversations that went on for hours.

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