Online LearningPub Date : 2023-09-01DOI: 10.24059/olj.v27i3.4118
Peter Shea
{"title":"Introduction to OLJ Volume 27, Issue 3","authors":"Peter Shea","doi":"10.24059/olj.v27i3.4118","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v27i3.4118","url":null,"abstract":"The September issue of the Online Learning Journal includes 13 articles from our regular submission process. These articles discuss supporting refugees in online settings, the importance of relationships in remote education settings, online engagement and how it may vary by cultural context, cognitive presence, online mentoring, modelling online student satisfaction, diversity, equity, and inclusion, and more.","PeriodicalId":54195,"journal":{"name":"Online Learning","volume":"33 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135200290","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Online LearningPub Date : 2023-03-01DOI: 10.24059/olj.v27i1.3879
Peter Shea
{"title":"INTRODUCTION TO SECTION II - VOLUME 27, ISSUE 1","authors":"Peter Shea","doi":"10.24059/olj.v27i1.3879","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v27i1.3879","url":null,"abstract":"In addition to the special issue papers, this first issue of 2023 also includes ten articles from our regular submission process. Topic include access, inclusion, synchronous online learning, student satisfaction, student evaluation of online faculty, student perspectives on engagement, faculty adoption of online teaching and more.","PeriodicalId":54195,"journal":{"name":"Online Learning","volume":"139 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135074947","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Online LearningPub Date : 2021-12-01DOI: 10.24059/olj.v25i4.2439
Isa Jahnke,Nathan Riedel,Kanupriya Singh,Joi Moore
{"title":"Advancing Sociotechnical-Pedagogical Heuristics for the Usability Evaluation of Online Courses for Adult Learners","authors":"Isa Jahnke,Nathan Riedel,Kanupriya Singh,Joi Moore","doi":"10.24059/olj.v25i4.2439","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v25i4.2439","url":null,"abstract":"Online courses often include interface designs that do not support a positive learner experience. Literature shows a variety of heuristics to detect issues of online courses. While heuristic-based inspection of usability is a dominant method for evaluating digital systems, these methods cannot be easily transferred to online courses. To close this gap, we identified an initial set of social, technical, and pedagogical related items (STP) heuristics based on literature. Next, we analyzed this set using empirical data from two online courses. In total, we analyzed 195 problems with the goal to substantiate a final set of 14 STP heuristics. This new set allows for efficiently evaluating online courses by supporting evaluators and instructional designers in uncovering the most crucial issues and improving the learner experience. Finally, based on this work, we discuss a definition of learner experience for the emerging field of learner experience design and research. ","PeriodicalId":54195,"journal":{"name":"Online Learning","volume":"20 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2021-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138516800","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Exploring Online Pedagogical Practices for Enhancing Transfer of Learning in Higher Education","authors":"Tamara Galoyan,Kristen Betts,Brian Delaney,Mariette Fourie","doi":"10.24059/olj.v25i4.2887","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v25i4.2887","url":null,"abstract":"Institutions of higher education play a critical role in bridging academia and workforce, yet college students find it challenging to transfer their learning across and beyond instructional formats, including online, hybrid, and face-to-face. The goals of this exploratory, sequential, mixed-methods study were to (1) explore graduate students’ conceptualizations of transfer, and (2) examine online pedagogical practices for enhancing transfer. Participants included students enrolled in a full-time online graduate degree program in education at a private university in the Mid-Atlantic USA. Findings from the qualitative phase with seven semi-structured interviews were used to design a survey study with 68 graduate students to explore their perceptions of effective online pedagogical practices for enhancing transfer. This study is significant since its findings revealed a number of online practices that instructional designers and faculty can use to optimize learning and transfer in higher education.","PeriodicalId":54195,"journal":{"name":"Online Learning","volume":"117 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2021-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138516792","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Online LearningPub Date : 2021-12-01DOI: 10.24059/olj.v25i4.2901
Yishi Long,Adrie A. Koehler
{"title":"Student Participation and Interaction in Online Case-Based Discussions: Comparing Expert and Novice Facilitation","authors":"Yishi Long,Adrie A. Koehler","doi":"10.24059/olj.v25i4.2901","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v25i4.2901","url":null,"abstract":"Discussion is an essential component in case-based learning (CBL), as it offers students the opportunity to consider diverse perspectives, clarify confusion, and construct understanding. As a facilitator bears most of the responsibility for the overall success of CBL, understanding how facilitation strategies influence interactions during discussions is worthwhile. However, previous CBL facilitation research has primarily considered student perspectives during case discussions, without examining relationships between facilitator experience and student interaction and participation. This study combined social network analysis and content analysis to compare the structure of expert and novice instructors’ discussion posts and to consider their relationship to student participation and interaction in online case discussions. Results showed that both the expert and novice instructors used facilitation strategies involving social congruence, cognitive congruence, and content expertise frequently in the discussions; however, when and how they used a combination of these strategies was noticeably different. These differences influenced student interaction. More specifically, students tended to interact with others more actively and densely as a result of questions initiated by the expert facilitator. Suggestions are provided for novice facilitators.","PeriodicalId":54195,"journal":{"name":"Online Learning","volume":"175 11 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2021-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138516793","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Online LearningPub Date : 2021-12-01DOI: 10.24059/olj.v25i4.2897
Rebecca M. Quintana,Juan D. Pinto,Yuanru Tan
{"title":"What We Learned When We Compared Discussion Posts from One MOOC Hosted on Two Platforms","authors":"Rebecca M. Quintana,Juan D. Pinto,Yuanru Tan","doi":"10.24059/olj.v25i4.2897","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v25i4.2897","url":null,"abstract":"We compared discussion posts from a data science ethics MOOC that was hosted on two platforms. We characterized one platform as “open” because learners can respond to discussion prompts while viewing and responding to others. We characterized the other platform as “locked” because learners must respond to a discussion prompt before they can view and respond to others. Our objective is to determine whether these platform differences are consequential and have the potential to impact learning. We analyzed direct responses to two discussion prompts from two modules located in modules two and six of an eight module course. We used conventional content analysis to derive codes directly from the data. Posts on the “open” platform were characterized by failure to completely address the prompt and showed evidence of persuasion tactics and reflective activity. Posts on the “locked” platform were characterized by an apparent intent to complete the task and an assertive tone. Posts on the “locked” platform also showed a diversity of ideas through the corpus of responses. Our findings show that MOOC platform interfaces can lead to qualitative differences in discussion posts in ways that have the potential to impact learning. Our study provides insight into how “open” and “locked” platform designs have the potential to shape ways that learners respond to discussion prompts in MOOCs. Our study offers guidance for instructors making decisions on MOOC platform choice and activities situated within a learning experience.We used conventional content analysis to derive codes directly from the data. Posts on the “open” platform were characterized by failure to completely address the prompt and showed evidence of persuasion tactics and reflective activity. Posts on the “locked” platform were characterized by an apparent intent to complete the task and an assertive tone. Posts on the “locked” platform also showed a diversity of ideas through the corpus of responses. Our findings show that MOOC platform interfaces can lead to qualitative differences in discussion posts in ways that have the potential to impact learning. Our study provides insight into how “open” and “locked” platform designs have the potential to shape ways that learners respond to discussion prompts in MOOCs. Our study offers guidance for instructors making decisions on MOOC platform choice and activities situated within a learning experience.","PeriodicalId":54195,"journal":{"name":"Online Learning","volume":"31 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2021-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138516783","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Online LearningPub Date : 2021-09-01DOI: 10.24059/olj.v25i3.2969
Patsy Moskal
{"title":"Introduction to the Special Issue: Select Papers Presented at the 2020 OLC Accelerate Conference and the 2021 OLC Innovate Conference","authors":"Patsy Moskal","doi":"10.24059/olj.v25i3.2969","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v25i3.2969","url":null,"abstract":"Each year, OLJ presents a special section devoted to research shared at the Online Learning Consortium conferences. We are happy to present five research articles selected from the many presented at OLC Accelerate, held virtually November 9-18, 2020 and OLC Innovate, held virtually March 15-19, 2021. We invite the readers to consider presenting their research to OLC conferences in the future and submitting to OLJ to share their work with others in the field.","PeriodicalId":54195,"journal":{"name":"Online Learning","volume":"52 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2021-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138517557","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}