Authors:Kate Thompson; Linda Corrin, Jason M. Lodge, Gwo-Jen Hwang Abstract: Authoring documents and academic articles is a key means by which researchers share new knowledge and is closely tied to academic progression, prestige for individuals and institutions, and continued funding of research. In this editorial we continue our discussion around ensuring quality research and publication practices, with a focus on authorship. There are concerning trends emerging around practices in relation to authorship across the publishing landscape. In the field of educational technology research, projects can involve teams of people in a variety of roles. This can result in a particular risk, that important contributions of learning designers and technologists are overlooked, despite their involvement in the creation of the tools tested, or the infrastructure with which we collect data. In this editorial we will consider the importance of authorship, explore the common issues related to how authorship is determined and represented, and relate the debate currently in play across different disciplines around authorship to our context of educational technology research. We will conclude by introducing our revised guidelines for authorship at AJET. PubDate: Thu, 14 Apr 2022 00:00:00 +100
Authors:Junjie Gavin Wu; Mark Feng Teng, Miller Lindsay Abstract: This paper, drawing upon a mobile telecollaborative project, resonates with the rapid development of technology in language learning. We employed the instant messaging app WeChat to create an English telecollaborative environment for two groups of Chinese students to communicate within. Interview data were triangulated with students’ chat transcripts and comments from a teacher’s reflective journal. A mixed-methods approach, including quantitative descriptive analysis, thematic analysis and content analysis, was used to investigate the challenges and the linguistic performance by applying the community of inquiry framework to the students’ chats. The analysis illustrates some of the complexities and challenges of using online apps as a way of communicating in a second language: students expected more teacher support, they struggled to use the app due to their physical environments and they felt that they were not sufficiently well prepared for chatting in an English medium environment. Based on the findings, a conceptual model is proposed for consideration when encouraging students to engage in telecollaborative learning. Implications for practice or policy: Teachers should enhance their visibility in mobile telecollaborative projects by promoting participants’ contribution through different facilitation techniques. Teachers and educators can capitalise on the proposed conceptual model to guide their own design of such online learning experiences for their learners. Telecollaborative learning can be improved by taking into account various factors such as physical environment, the medium of communication and the potential incentives. PubDate: Sat, 01 Jan 2022 00:00:00 +110
Authors:Ying Zhou; Xin An, Xiuting Li, Lewei Li, Xue Gong, Yushun Li, Ching Sing Chai, Jyh-Chong Liang, Chin-Chung Tsai Abstract: Studies measuring online learning have adopted different perspectives, resulting in different approaches to their assessment of online learning. However, when we consider the literature from a wider angle, there may be complimentary or contrasting relationships. This study performed content analysis on a total of 44 studies that used questionnaires with good reliability and validity from the database of the Social Science Citation Index. Through encoding the 241 factors and 1,171 items used in the questionnaires, we found relationships among them that could be supported by classical theoretical frameworks or our general knowledge of instruction. The content measured by these questionnaires can be divided into five categories according to Li’s (2001) theory of instructional elements: (1) learning environment, (2) learner, (3) teacher, (4) learning content, and (5) learning interaction. Following the initial analysis, this study used the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) (Oye et al., 2014) to classify 58 factors that reflect the learning environment. In addition, the combination of Marzano and Kendall’s (2007) new taxonomy of educational objectives and learning outcomes provides useful information for 111 factors used to assess learners. Implications for policy and practice: An online learning questionnaire database was established with a good structure based on the classification of the factors and items of these questionnaires. Based on the results, teachers can more accurately design online teaching without feeling lost or taking detours. PubDate: Tue, 30 Nov 2021 00:00:00 +110
Authors:Fan Ouyang; Xinyu Dai Abstract: Understanding the relationship between social and cognitive engagement has critical implications for collaborative learning theory, pedagogy and analytics. This study proposed a three-layered social-cognitive network analysis framework for examining the relationship between students’ social and cognitive engagement from summative, epistemic and micro-level perspectives within online collaborative discussions. A multi-method approach was used, consisting of social network analysis, quantitative content analysis, statistical analysis, epistemic network analysis and social-cognitive network visualisation. The results showed that from a summative perspective, students’ social participatory roles were critical indicators of their level of cognitive engagement. From an epistemic perspective, socially active students tended to shift towards more group-level cognitive structure, while inactive students showed a decreasing individual-level cognitive structure throughout the discussion duration. From a micro-level perspective, a large proportion of individual students showed continually changing social participatory roles with fluctuating cognitive engagement levels. The findings have implications for collaborative learning theory, pedagogy support and learning analytics. Implications for practice or policy: Researchers can use the three-layered social-cognitive network analysis framework to examine student engagement. Instructors should encourage student agency for facilitating high-quality online collaborative discussion. Instructors should consider students’ different engagement levels in online discussions. PubDate: Fri, 29 Oct 2021 00:00:00 +110
Authors:Brandford Bervell ; Jeya Amantha Kumar, Valentina Arkorful , Emmanuel Manu Agyapong, Sharifah Osman Abstract: Online learning environments have become a contemporary component of global tertiary education due to their affordances. These environments are hinged on internet-based learning management systems and one such tool is Google Classroom. However, empirical studies have indicated that gaps exist in determining how Google Classroom influences students’ behavioural intention to use it for online learning. Accordingly, this study defines a model based on the unified theory of acceptance and technology 2 (UTAUT2) to examine the relationship between facilitating conditions and other variables towards intention formation for Google Classroom usage. Based on a mixed method using the explanatory sequential design, survey data from 163 students were initially analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling followed by a qualitative approach based on open-ended questions for thematic analysis. Results from the partial least squares structural equation modelling approach validated the hypothesised model confirming the significant predictive relationship of facilitating conditions with effort expectancy, hedonic motivation, habit and social influence but had an insignificant relationship with behavioural intention. Furthermore, hedonic motivation and habit were the main predictors of behavioural intention by masking the role of facilitating conditions. Subsequently, the qualitative outcome indicated that habit and perceived control of using Google applications influence hedonic motivation. Finally, recommendations were made to universities towards policy formation and practice of virtual learning using Google Classroom. Implications for practice or policy: Higher education institutions should create an environment for students to be motivated and enjoy Google Classroom use. Universities should provide Internet, technical and pedagogical support for students’ Google Classroom use. Universities should explain to students the affordances of using Google Classroom. Universities should encourage students to acquire access gadgets (smartphones or tablets) for Google Classroom use. PubDate: Wed, 06 Oct 2021 00:00:00 +110
Authors:Hengtao Tang; Wanli Xing Abstract: Massive open online courses (MOOCs) have been integrated into higher education systems as an option for delivering online professional degree and certificate programs; however, concerns about whether employed professionals actively participate in MOOCs remain unresolved. Some researchers have described learners’ employment as the major cause of attrition from MOOCs, but research has not addressed how employed learners interact with MOOCs over time. Understanding employed professionals’ trajectory of participation patterns across course time is thus essential to improving the effectiveness of MOOCs. This study investigated the log data of learner participation to explore how attrition occurs in a professional MOOC, focusing on whether students’ employment status was associated with learner participation. The results revealed learners’ longitudinal participation patterns and confirmed the impact of sustained engagement on course performance. The study also found that employed learners were more likely than their peers without jobs to become cramming learners with initially infrequent engagement in a course but investing intensive time at the end for certificates. We discuss practical implications for designing and facilitating large-scale professional degree and certificate programs in higher education institutions. Implications for practice or policy: Educators can apply MOOCs with a lower weekly workload and a slower pace to support employees’ professional development. Educators should develop professional learners’ interests in the course topic to avoid only cramming for the course certificates. Educators may consider longitudinal patterns of learner participation when assessing learner performance. PubDate: Wed, 06 Oct 2021 00:00:00 +110
Authors:Sandy C Li; Tony K. H. Lai Abstract: Despite the positive claims on the pedagogical use of social annotation and online collaborative writing tools discussed in the literature, most of the findings are derived from interviews or self-reported survey data. Very few studies probed deep into the learning processes and examined students’ digital traces and the artefacts they co-construct. In this study, we employed semantic network analysis techniques to examine how the use of a social annotation tool (Diigo) coupled with an online collaborative writing (Google Docs) affects students’ learning outcomes. The results indicate that the use of Diigo coupled with Google Docs helps enhance student engagement in the collaborative process and that the concept connectivity and quality of the text co-constructed by each group using Diigo coupled with Google Docs is significantly higher than those using Moodle’s forum. In addition, the level of collaboration within a group correlates positively with the number of vertices with high lexical relevancy identified in the semantic network of the text co-constructed by each group. Implications for practice and policy: Undergraduate students can use Diigo coupled with Google Docs to enhance their collaborative work. Course leaders could use Diigo coupled with Google Docs to support learning activities, such as flipped learning or collaborative inquiry learning, in which students are required to engage in close reading and the co-construction of artefacts. Course instructors could consider using semantic measures such as the number of clusters and betweenness centrality to assess the quality of students’ co-constructed artefacts. PubDate: Wed, 06 Oct 2021 00:00:00 +110
Authors:Tzu-Chien Liu; Yi-Chun Lin, Slava Kalyuga Abstract: System pausing at pre-determined positions during multimedia presentations can enhance multimedia learning. However, the pause positions are usually set up based on the structure of the learning material (e.g., segmentation principle) rather than on the complexity of its different sections (as determined by levels of element interactivity, according to cognitive load theory). This study investigated the effectiveness of complexity-determined system pauses positioned either before or after complex (high element interactivity) sections of a slideshow multimedia presentation. The study adopted a single-factor between-subjects design and randomly assigned 128 undergraduates to four experimental conditions, namely (1) pausing before high element interactivity, (2) pausing after high element interactivity, (3) learner pausing and (4) no pausing. The research results revealed that complexity-determined system pausing approaches and learner pausing resulted in better test performance and instructional efficiency than the continuous presentation without pausing. The findings suggest that pauses allow students more time to deal with learning contents with high element interactivity, thus reducing potential cognitive overload and resulting in better performance compared with continuous presentation. However, no significant difference was found between the two types of system pausing and learner pausing in all measures. PubDate: Tue, 05 Oct 2021 00:00:00 +110
Authors:Caitríona Ní Shé; Dr. Orna Farrell, Dr. James Brunton, Dr. Eamon Costello Abstract: Online education is becoming the norm in higher education. Effective instructional design methods are required to ensure that “ever-connected” students’ needs are being met. One potential method is design thinking: an agile methodology that stresses the importance of empathy with the student. The #OpenTeach fully online course was designed using design thinking principles and delivered in Spring 2020. This article reports on a case study which focused on the use of design thinking to design and develop the #OpenTeach course. The five iterative stages of design thinking (empathy, define, ideate, prototype and test) were integrated into the design and development of the course materials. The findings of this study indicate that the use of the design thinking process may be used by instructional designers to achieve empathy with their learners, which will ensure learners successfully engage and achieve the learning objectives of the course. Implications for practice or policy: A rich case study of the successful integration of design thinking within the instructional design methodology of an online teacher education project is valuable to educationalists who wish to follow a user-cntred empathetic approach. Instructional designers should focus on empathising with their student cohort to successfully engage students in the content that has been designed, and developed, as part of an online course. PubDate: Mon, 20 Sep 2021 00:00:00 +100
Authors:Janet Mannheimer Zydney; Aimee deNoyelles, Baiyun Chen, Kerry Rich Patton Abstract: Instructors face challenges in facilitating higher levels of shared cognition in large enrolment classes. One strategy to foster shared cognition is the use of asynchronous discussions; however, these can be difficult to support with large numbers of students. Online protocols have been found to help students take more ownership of the discussion, reducing the workload of instructors and thus may be helpful in this context. The purpose of this study was to determine the most effective design of online protocols in large enrolment classes. The study used a design-based research methodology to iteratively design, assess and refine the online protocols and the design principles of its underlying protocol pedagogy. Participants for this study were 1,286 students enrolled in a blended undergraduate class in business that used online protocols for discussions over three semesters. The paper describes how iterative changes in the design of protocol-based discussions influenced students' cognitive presence. Students’ perceptions of cognitive presence were significantly higher in the second and third iterations, and the concepts shared by group members were significantly more integrated by the third iteration. Findings suggest that with careful design, these enhanced protocols are a potentially useful strategy to facilitate asynchronous online discussions in large classes. Implications for practice or policy: Students need additional incentives to actively participate in large enrolment courses. Instructors can use peer questioning to increase shared cognition in large enrolment courses. Instructors should create concise directions with modelling of exemplary posts to help reduce confusion. Students in large enrolment courses benefit from additional scaffolding of norms to foster a sense of trust. Design-based research provides an effective methodology to examine both theoretical and practical implications of online protocols on cognitive presence. PubDate: Mon, 20 Sep 2021 00:00:00 +100
Authors:Kwang Meng Cham; Mary-Louise Edwards, Lisa Kruesi, Tania Celeste, Trent Hennessey Abstract: This study aimed to improve understanding of graduate students’ digital preferences and perceptions to prepare them for work in the digitally enabled health sector. We surveyed 361 students from five disciplines to create a baseline of their digital capabilities. Results show that students were confident in engaging with day-to-day technologies required for discipline-specific learnings and most were reasonably aware of digital privacy and security. However, only 11% of the students reported having sufficient university support and services to develop their digital skills and competencies, and only 39% of the students believed they have the relevant skills for entering the workforce. To improve their understanding in this area, students attended a digital skills and employability workshop that was developed in partnership with teaching specialists, learning and teaching librarians and career services coordinators. Post-workshop findings show that this learning intervention positively impacted students’ understanding of their own digital capabilities and increased their awareness of the importance of this core skill for both the university and the workforce. Teaching staff can use these findings to improve student digital learning in health professional curricula, which will contribute to knowledge transfer and communication with digital health employers. Implications for practice or policy: Heath professional educators can bridge the gap in digital practices between graduates and the workplace by understanding students’ baseline digital skills and competencies and developing targeted learning opportunities within the curriculum to support students’ digital confidence, experience, attitudes and understandings of digital practices and digital skills and competencies. Students’ digital skills and competencies can be enhanced by facilitating dialogue between universities, employers and accrediting bodies in the health sector to set consistent and realistic expectations. PubDate: Mon, 20 Sep 2021 00:00:00 +100
Authors:Francisco Iniesto; Patrick McAndrew, Shailey Minocha, Tim Coughlan Abstract: Massive open online courses (MOOCs) are widely available and have become a common option for learners. However, their full potential cannot be realised if they are not accessible to all learners, including those with disabilities. It is, therefore, important to understand the different stakeholders and their requirements and perspectives in designing accessible MOOCs. This research investigated the perspectives of MOOC providers on MOOC learners who have accessibility needs and the processes used to manage accessibility and MOOCs in their individual organisations. In this paper, we report the results of a study using thematic analysis, which involved 26 semi-structured interviews with MOOC providers and focused on MOOC accessibility. The results show that, while MOOC providers are aware of learners with accessibility needs who are participating in MOOCs, they prioritise legislation over learners’ accessibility preferences. MOOC providers consider the technology of the platform itself creates barriers and are aware of the limitations for learners in finding help, reporting accessibility barriers and obtaining feedback, when participating in MOOCs. Implications for policy and practice: Course providers should acknowledge MOOC design is being guided by legal requirements. That involves uncertainty to who is the responsible to deliver accessible MOOCs. Platform providers need to consider the lack of information about their learners makes it difficult to design educational resources that consider different target groups and provide personalisation. Learners can find MOOCs helpful for continuing professional development and lifelong learning. MOOCs are attractive due to their low-cost and self-regulated learning. PubDate: Mon, 20 Sep 2021 00:00:00 +100
Authors:Alistair McCulloch; Monica B. Behrend, Felicity Anna Braithwaite Abstract: This article provides a description and analysis of the way in which research degree students and their supervisors at one Australian university (the University of South Australia) use a popular online plagiarism-detection system, iThenticate. The study identifies how these two groups use iThenticate by analysing usage data together with data from an anonymous online survey conducted 12 months after the university took out a pilot subscription to the system. One hundred and nineteen students and 26 supervisors responded to the survey, representing 61% and 43% of the active users in each category. The survey found that the two groups of respondents used the system differently but that, while for both groups iThenticate’s regulatory function in preventing plagiarism (whether international or accidental) was important, the system’s potential educational function in improving research writing capability and publication was equally important. The study highlights the value of regarding the use of anti-plagiarism software so as to encourage a move way from a simple focus on its punitive regulatory dimension and towards its educational possibilities and suggests directions for future research on the relationship between this type of software and the ways scholars work with other people’s texts to recreate meanings and develop original contributions. Implications for practice or policy: Online plagiarism detection systems (such as iThenticate) can be used either negatively to police doctoral students’ practice or positively to improve their research writing practice. Academic developers should promote a positive approach, aimed at improving research writing practice, as the preferable pedagogy in using online plagiarism-detection systems. PubDate: Wed, 01 Sep 2021 00:00:00 +100
Open Access journal
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