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Online Courses (online + course)
Selected AbstractsComputer Self-Efficacy and Motivation to Learn in a Self-Directed Online CourseDECISION SCIENCES JOURNAL OF INNOVATIVE EDUCATION, Issue 1 2009Marcia J. Simmering ABSTRACT Despite the increased use of new learning technologies, there is still much to be learned about the role of learner characteristics in online learning. The purpose of this study was to examine how subjects' characteristics normally associated with effective training (i.e., initial motivation to learn and self-efficacy) related to learning in a self-directed online course. From an analysis of 190 respondents, computer and Internet usage prior to the start of class were positively related to individuals' computer self-efficacy and computer self-efficacy was positively related to learning. However, contrary to expectations, computer self-efficacy was not related to initial motivation to learn and motivation to learn was not related to learning in the class. Post hoc analysis of qualitative data enabled a rich explanation of the findings, including an evaluation of the unexpected relationships among the variables of interest and the nature of self-directed courses in virtual learning environments. [source] The Emergency Informatics Transition Course: A Flexible, Online Course in Health Informatics for Emergency Medicine Clinicians and TraineesACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 2009Michael Wadman Increasing emphasis on health information technology (HIT) as a mechanism to control costs and increase quality in health care is accelerating the diffusion of more advanced health information systems into emergency medicine. This has created an increased demand for informatics-trained emergency physicians to provide clinical input. In response to this need we partnered with the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) to adapt an existing informatics educational program to emergency medicine. The American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) 10X10 program is an effort to provide formal informatics training to 10,000 clinicians by 2010. Our first AMIA-ACEP 10X10 Emergency Informatics Transition Course matriculated 37 emergency physicians this fall. This 12 week online course is an adaption of the Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) introductory informatics 10X10 course where students complete weekly assignments and participate in online discussions. At the end of the course they meet face-to-face at the ACEP Scientific Assembly where they present their projects and discuss common themes. The online design of the course proved adaptable for a widely varied enrollment. The first class contained students from the United States and four other countries, both large urban and small rural hospitals, and both new and experienced clinicians. Extensive input from the students will assist us in further refining this annual course to better meet the needs of emergency clinicians. We will demonstrate the design of this course, which we believe offers interested residents and fellows in emergency medicine a flexible opportunity to advance their informatics training. [source] Computer Self-Efficacy and Motivation to Learn in a Self-Directed Online CourseDECISION SCIENCES JOURNAL OF INNOVATIVE EDUCATION, Issue 1 2009Marcia J. Simmering ABSTRACT Despite the increased use of new learning technologies, there is still much to be learned about the role of learner characteristics in online learning. The purpose of this study was to examine how subjects' characteristics normally associated with effective training (i.e., initial motivation to learn and self-efficacy) related to learning in a self-directed online course. From an analysis of 190 respondents, computer and Internet usage prior to the start of class were positively related to individuals' computer self-efficacy and computer self-efficacy was positively related to learning. However, contrary to expectations, computer self-efficacy was not related to initial motivation to learn and motivation to learn was not related to learning in the class. Post hoc analysis of qualitative data enabled a rich explanation of the findings, including an evaluation of the unexpected relationships among the variables of interest and the nature of self-directed courses in virtual learning environments. [source] The Determinants of Students' Perceived Learning Outcomes and Satisfaction in University Online Education: An Empirical Investigation,DECISION SCIENCES JOURNAL OF INNOVATIVE EDUCATION, Issue 2 2006Sean B. Eom ABSTRACT In this study, structural equation modeling is applied to examine the determinants of students' satisfaction and their perceived learning outcomes in the context of university online courses. Independent variables included in the study are course structure, instructor feedback, self-motivation, learning style, interaction, and instructor facilitation as potential determinants of online learning. A total of 397 valid unduplicated responses from students who have completed at least one online course at a university in the Midwest were used to examine the structural model. The results indicated that all of the antecedent variables significantly affect students' satisfaction. Of the six antecedent variables hypothesized to affect the perceived learning outcomes, only instructor feedback and learning style are significant. The structural model results also reveal that user satisfaction is a significant predictor of learning outcomes. The findings suggest online education can be a superior mode of instruction if it is targeted to learners with specific learning styles (visual and read/write learning styles) and with timely, meaningful instructor feedback of various types. [source] Dental undergraduate expectations and opinions of Web-based courseware to supplement traditional teaching methodsEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF DENTAL EDUCATION, Issue 3 2003R. Eynon The rapid growth of Internet for the delivery of information has enabled teaching materials to be placed on websites allowing student access to course material. It is the aim of this paper to evaluate a cohort of dental undergraduate students who have used Web-based courseware in prosthetic dentistry for a semester. A questionnaire was distributed to clinical undergraduate students prior to the use of the prosthetics course to determine their experience of using the World Wide Web (WWW) and their expectations of an online course. A second questionnaire was distributed at the end of 6 months which asked about their usage and opinions of the prosthetics Web-based courseware. The main concerns raised at the beginning of the course were related to computer access, the ability to use computers, the time involved and their conception that the e-course would be an additional burden. The main potential benefits were perceived to be convenience, availability of information and the ability to reinforce or catch up on aspects of the module they did not understand or had missed. Feedback at the end of the year showed that most students had accessed the Web-based courseware site at least once a month and, generally, their comments were favourable, dispelling some of the initial perceived fears. They felt that the website was a quick and convenient way to access information and was a good additional resource. Access to the site and printing information were the main problems raised by the students who had to use a shared cluster. In conclusion, Web-based courseware was felt to be a useful additional resource for students. However, this research showed that sufficient computers and printers must be available for such a resource to become an integrated part of the dental course. [source] Analysis of learners' navigational behaviour and their learning styles in an online courseJOURNAL OF COMPUTER ASSISTED LEARNING, Issue 2 2010S. Graf Abstract Providing adaptive features and personalized support by considering students' learning styles in computer-assisted learning systems has high potential in making learning easier for students in terms of reducing their efforts or increasing their performance. In this study, the navigational behaviour of students in an online course within a learning management system was investigated, looking at how students with different learning styles prefer to use and learn in such a course. As a result, several differences in the students' navigation patterns were identified. These findings have several implications for improving adaptivity. First, they showed that students with different learning styles use different strategies to learn and navigate through the course, which can be seen as another argument for providing adaptivity. Second, the findings provided information for extending the adaptive functionality in typical learning management systems. Third, the information about differences in navigational behaviour can contribute towards automatic detection of learning styles, helping in making student modeling approaches more accurate. [source] Using Peer Feedback to Enhance the Quality of Student Online Postings: An Exploratory StudyJOURNAL OF COMPUTER-MEDIATED COMMUNICATION, Issue 2 2007Peggy A. Ertmer This study investigates the impact of peer feedback used as an instructional strategy to increase the quality of students' online postings. While peer feedback has been demonstrated to support students' learning in traditional classrooms, little is known about its efficacy in online discussions. To address this gap, we examined students' perceptions of the value of giving and receiving peer feedback, specifically related to the quality of discussion postings in an online course. In addition, we investigated the impact of that feedback by comparing the quality of students' postings, based on Bloom's taxonomy, from pre-course to post-course. Results suggest that the quality of students' postings was maintained through the use of peer feedback despite students' preferences for instructor feedback. Students noted that peer feedback can be valuable and, more importantly, described how giving peer feedback not only reinforced their learning but enabled them to achieve higher understanding. [source] The Emergency Informatics Transition Course: A Flexible, Online Course in Health Informatics for Emergency Medicine Clinicians and TraineesACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 2009Michael Wadman Increasing emphasis on health information technology (HIT) as a mechanism to control costs and increase quality in health care is accelerating the diffusion of more advanced health information systems into emergency medicine. This has created an increased demand for informatics-trained emergency physicians to provide clinical input. In response to this need we partnered with the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) to adapt an existing informatics educational program to emergency medicine. The American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) 10X10 program is an effort to provide formal informatics training to 10,000 clinicians by 2010. Our first AMIA-ACEP 10X10 Emergency Informatics Transition Course matriculated 37 emergency physicians this fall. This 12 week online course is an adaption of the Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) introductory informatics 10X10 course where students complete weekly assignments and participate in online discussions. At the end of the course they meet face-to-face at the ACEP Scientific Assembly where they present their projects and discuss common themes. The online design of the course proved adaptable for a widely varied enrollment. The first class contained students from the United States and four other countries, both large urban and small rural hospitals, and both new and experienced clinicians. Extensive input from the students will assist us in further refining this annual course to better meet the needs of emergency clinicians. We will demonstrate the design of this course, which we believe offers interested residents and fellows in emergency medicine a flexible opportunity to advance their informatics training. [source] Web-based Thermodynamics Tables WizardCOMPUTER APPLICATIONS IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION, Issue 3 2002C. C. Ngo Abstract This paper presents the Web-based Thermodynamics Tables Wizard and how it can be used for online courses or web-teaching to accommodate the need of students at different levels in looking up thermodynamics properties. It can be used as a stand-alone study aid or an add-on component for any online Thermodynamics course. The implementation of this Web-based module has greatly enhanced the learning experience of students in the study of Thermodynamics. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 10: 137,143, 2002; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com); DOI 10.1002/cae.10022 [source] The Determinants of Students' Perceived Learning Outcomes and Satisfaction in University Online Education: An Empirical Investigation,DECISION SCIENCES JOURNAL OF INNOVATIVE EDUCATION, Issue 2 2006Sean B. Eom ABSTRACT In this study, structural equation modeling is applied to examine the determinants of students' satisfaction and their perceived learning outcomes in the context of university online courses. Independent variables included in the study are course structure, instructor feedback, self-motivation, learning style, interaction, and instructor facilitation as potential determinants of online learning. A total of 397 valid unduplicated responses from students who have completed at least one online course at a university in the Midwest were used to examine the structural model. The results indicated that all of the antecedent variables significantly affect students' satisfaction. Of the six antecedent variables hypothesized to affect the perceived learning outcomes, only instructor feedback and learning style are significant. The structural model results also reveal that user satisfaction is a significant predictor of learning outcomes. The findings suggest online education can be a superior mode of instruction if it is targeted to learners with specific learning styles (visual and read/write learning styles) and with timely, meaningful instructor feedback of various types. [source] Strategies for teaching nursing research onlineINTERNATIONAL NURSING REVIEW, Issue 2 2004P. Moore RN Abstract Background:, Nursing, like many disciplines in university settings, is experiencing increasing demand for online courses. Development and implementation of online courses with the quality of education nursing students experience in traditional classroom settings, is essential to maintaining integrity of the educational process. Nursing research has been offered in the online format in the RN-BSN programme for 2 years. This course has an average enrolment of 80 to 90 students each semester. Purpose:, This article presents strategies used in teaching an RN-BSN nursing research course online. Conclusions:, Feedback from faculty and students indicates that these strategies have been successful in facilitating this writing intensive course through distance learning. [source] Pushing the boundaries of technology to educate and train the next generation of crystallographersJOURNAL OF APPLIED CRYSTALLOGRAPHY, Issue 5-2 2010Katherine Kantardjieff This article describes the evolution of educational technologies, moving from the Web 1.0 to the current Web 3.0 decade, with the aim of stimulating discussion and inspiring innovative and effective crystallography education in the Web 3.0 decade. In the last 15 years, academic crystallography has largely migrated from a research specialty to a technique employed by a broad user community. This has led to the growth of and dependence on independently funded workshops and summer schools, as well as other non-traditional curricular resources for crystallography instruction, such as web pages and online courses, which allow crystallography to be self-taught. In fact, informal courses and e-learning constitute 70,80% of all learning today, and students expect on-demand learning. Implementing modern web technologies with sound pedagogy requires skilful integration of relevant, often disparate, resources into useful and usable frameworks, enabling learners to interact, explore new situations, and use scientific reasoning skills such as hypothesis testing and model-based reasoning. The evident disproportion in implementing contemporary technologies into our global crystallography education resources requires that we shift our focus from simply imparting subject knowledge by posting largely text-based content to empowering students with the fundamental processes and skills needed for on-demand learning and practice in crystallography. [source] Peer observation of teaching in the online environment: an action research approachJOURNAL OF COMPUTER ASSISTED LEARNING, Issue 5 2008D. Swinglehurst Abstract This paper describes a collaborative action research approach used to explore peer observation of teaching (POT) within the online environment. Although POT has become familiar in face-to-face teaching contexts, little is understood of its potential role in online settings. We conducted ,virtual' focus groups to explore the experience and views of 28 teachers and subjected our data to a thematic analysis. This informed the implementation of an innovative programme of POT, ,Peer-to-peer Reflection on Pedagogical Practice' (PROPP) among tutors of a Web-based MSc in International Primary Health Care at University College London. Modeled on an action learning set, the programme encourages collaborative reflection on teaching practices, based on participants' specific examples of online teaching. The PROPP model is consistent with Quality Enhancement, which we distinguish from Quality Assurance. Here, we describe the implementation of the PROPP programme within an action research framework and identify the factors that we consider critical to the success of peer observation within online courses. We highlight examples of aspects of teaching that have been discussed within the PROPP programme and offer suggestions of the kinds of evidence that could be incorporated into a portfolio to demonstrate the effectiveness of such an initiative. [source] The European Union and e-learning: an examination of rhetoric, theory and practiceJOURNAL OF COMPUTER ASSISTED LEARNING, Issue 3 2002V.E. Hodgson Abstract The paper examines the impact that new technology has had upon the rhetoric, theory and practice of trans-national educational collaboration within Europe. The paper first looks very generally at the way e-learning has become a strong part of the educational rhetoric of the EU. Some of the different models found in the literature for describing online courses and teaching and learning approaches used within distance education are then described. These models, however, for the most part apply to courses that are offered by single generally specialist distance education providers. In contrast, the ODL/Minerva projects supported by the European Commission's Socrates programme are relatively unusual in that they have as a starting point a consortium of trans-national partners engaged in a common educational venture. Consequently, the second part of the looks at some of the models generated within the ODL action. This is followed by descriptions of the work of three ODL projects, each of which differ in orientation and approach. It is argued that the dimensions on which the three projects most significantly differ are not so much according to the models already described in the first part of the paper but is more related to their assumptions about how comparative knowledge is viewed and the kind of discourse from which knowledge and learning is generated and the dialogical practices used to support this. [source] CmapTools: Integrating teaching, learning, and evaluation in online coursesNEW DIRECTIONS FOR ADULT & CONTINUING EDUCATION, Issue 113 2007Barbara J. Daley Concept maps are an instructional strategy that promotes meaningful learning. This chapter examines the use of concept maps in online environments through discussion of CmapTools software. [source] An instructional strategy framework for online learning environmentsNEW DIRECTIONS FOR ADULT & CONTINUING EDUCATION, Issue 100 2003Scott D. Johnson The rapid growth of Web-based instruction has raised many questions about the quality of online courses. This chapter presents a conceptual framework that can guide the development of online courses by providing a holistic perspective on online teaching and learning. Examples of instructional strategies that fit the framework are described. [source] Planning for online courses at rural community collegesNEW DIRECTIONS FOR COMMUNITY COLLEGES, Issue 150 2010Jay Leist Rural community colleges often expand their online course offerings in an ad hoc manner. Due to limited resources and competing priorities, the necessary, careful planning for online instruction is often forgotten. [source] Assessment of online continuing dental education in North CarolinaTHE JOURNAL OF CONTINUING EDUCATION IN THE HEALTH PROFESSIONS, Issue 2 2000Ms. Bonnie Francis RDH Abstract Background: Dental professionals are discovering the unique advantages of asynchronous lifelong learning through continuing dental education (CDE) opportunities offered online. The purpose of this study was to evaluate both the process and outcomes of online CDE in North Carolina. The assessment was designed to provide a better understanding of practicing dental professionals experiences with online CDE and to determine the effectiveness of this learning strategy. Methods: Dental professionals from four North Carolina Area Health Education Centers regions evaluated two pilot online CDE modules in 1998. Thirty-one participants were recruited and subsequently enrolled with 23 completing at least one module. Each module included objectives, a multiple-choice pretest, interactive core material, and a post-test. Participants completed three online surveys measuring individual demographics and computer skill level, module design, and use and overall reaction to online learning. Results: Most participants agreed that the modules were comprehensive, were pleasing in appearance, provided clear instructions, provided adequate feedback, and were easy to navigate. Most participants agreed that knowledge of the material increased. This was validated by a significant increase in mean pre- to post-test scores (p =.0001). Participants agreed that convenience was a definite advantage, and they would choose online courses again to meet their CDE needs. The least-liked aspects included technical and formatting issues. Implications: Participants were enthusiastic about online learning and learned effectively with this teaching strategy, but desired much more interactivity than existed in the current design. [source] Examination of attitudes towards teaching online courses based on theory of reasoned action of university faculty in TaiwanBRITISH JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY, Issue 5 2006Tzy-Ling Chen This study examined attitudes of university faculty specialising in the field of human resource (HR) in Taiwan towards participation in the teaching of online courses using the theory of reasoned action (TRA). The population targeted for investigation consisted of the full-time university faculty in the HR field in Taiwan regardless of their experience in the teaching online courses of any kind. Survey development included a detailed literature review to identify beliefs that guided measurement construction and followed the guidelines recommended by Ajzen and Fishbein (1980) to ensure construct validity. Data were collected on TRA constructs and demographic variables using the questionnaire mailed to 278 faculty members targeted for the study. A 42% (n = 116) response rate was achieved after one round of the follow-up through emailing. The significant predictor variables, attitude and subjective social norm were confirmed. In other words, results of analyses evidenced the contribution of TRA to explaining the underlying beliefs that enhance or thwart participation. Additionally, faculty in this study possessed positive attitudes towards the participation in online teaching, and further analyses supported the use of TRA in this research context. [source] | |||||||||||||