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This thesis presents a systematic review regarding the way technology supports adult learning in communities of practice. It presents the systematic review procedure that was developed, based on NBS CRD (2001) protocol, from publication sources relevant to the topic. It includes the identification of research from an initial question that is: how does technology support adult learning in communities of practice. In addition, it presents a search strategy, a study quality assessment, a data extraction strategy and a synthesis of findings. Because most of the pertinent research is qualitative, a typology of qualitative research and a critical appraisal checklist for quality assessment were designed and are presented. The results presented have synthesized evidence from studies that meet certain quality criteria and they are discussed in terms of (a) the kinds of technologies applied in communities of practice, and (b) successful features of the technology that seem to contribute to learning.

Distributed learning is becoming an increasingly common method of further education in post-secondary institutions and programs across Canada and internationally. Academic libraries are not immune to this trend, and many are reviewing and revising their teaching methodology. All learners require information literacy instruction that is relevant, engaging, and embedded in curriculum; in a distributed learning environment, however, the design and delivery of that instruction may need to be adapted to respond to the challenges of instruction to distributed learners. Through a literature review of distributed learning models in academic libraries and consultation with faculty and librarians at the University of Saskatchewan, this research will assist in determining distributed learning models and instructional design best suited for the provision of information literacy instruction within this environment. Although this research focused on academic libraries, this session will be relevant to anyone who is interested in providing instruction outside of a classroom. / Slides from a presentation at the Saskatchewan Library Association annual conference in Saskatoon, SK, in May 2013. Notes from the presentation are included on the slides which were not part of the original presentation.

The purpose of this study was to describe and understand the meaning of responses of study participants to interactive computer-mediated communication within a distance learning environment. The theoretical framework for this study was based on collaborative learning theories within a constructivist perspective.The study setting was a distance learning graduate course taught in a studio classroom on Ball State University campus and transmitted via the IHETS Network to five distant sites in Indiana. An interactive Internet site, the Class Page, was an important instructional component of the course. This Class Page was developed to enable and support active, collaborative learning among distance learners.Study participants, all graduate students enrolled in degree programs, included 13 studio students and 24 off site students. One professor and two graduate assistants delivered course and Web site instruction. In this descriptive study, responses of participants were collected through a series of surveys and interviews over the sixteen week semester. Evidence collection focused on learner responses to the computer component of this distance learning setting.Identified in this study were cognitive and affective learning strategies developed and employed by students to effectively learn from the educational environment of computer-mediated communication within this study's setting. Two cognitive learning strategies identified were the `management of the computer environment' and the `management of personal resources.' Two affective learning strategies identified were the `management of self and the `management of others.' The computer medium of this setting played an important role in determining how students responded to, and learned within, this distance learning environment.Learners' responses to this multimedia distance setting were shaped by specific aspects of the learning environment. The development of the cognitive and affective learning strategies was influenced by the instructional design of the distance course and the Class Page, the structure of Class Page interactivity, and the characteristics of individual learners. Conclusions and recommendations of this study focused on these four influences upon student responses. Implications for future distance education design and development included the need for a clear model of distance learner participation and further research requirements in areas such as learner characteristics, applications of interactive media, and course design issues. / Department of Educational Leadership

This study was designed to identify faculty and participant perceptions regarding Ball State University's distance education model known as MBA/TV and report on its apparent effectiveness. A second purpose was to examine both motivations for and barriers to participation in this distance education model.Two surveys (faculty and student) were designed to collect data for this study. Responses from faculty included their perceptions of student performance, student inquiries and participation, administrative and logistical support services, technology (performance and limitations), and program strengths/limitations. Responses from students included their demographic profile, motivations for participation (logistical, personal, and career), perceptions of the program strengths/limitations, faculty, technology, and administrative support services. Responses to all questions were reported by number and percentage. Responses to open-end questions were separated into categories and reported by number.The major findings included: Males (67%) outnumbered females (32%) by more than two to one. More students were married (78.9%) than single (20.1%). Nearly all (96.1%) had experienced good TV reception at their site. Many rated issues such as receiving the program in their hometown(s) (71.1%) and offering it at convenient times (80.8%) as important. Other issues rated as important by participants included: the opportunity to earn an MBA (90.9%); the opportunity to upgrade work skills (75.1%); and the opportunity to learn more about business concepts (83.2%).Analysis of the faculty survey revealed the following: 75100 percent of the MBA/TV students demonstrated understanding and resourcefulness in completing class assignments (78.9%); less than fifty percent of the students contributed to the quality of class discussions (78.9%); and mail communication with students had either minor problems (solved) or had always gone smoothly (78.9%).Additional investigation was needed regarding educational resource and training needs of both students and faculty. Also, attitudes of faculty toward distance learners and administrative dictates requiring televised instruction should be further explored.3 / Department of Educational Leadership

The purpose of this study was to describe and improve understanding of adult students' experiences of learning in an interactive computer-mediated communications context in a distance education environment. Within a constructivist perspective, the theoretical framework for this study was based on collaborative learning theories.The study setting was an eight-week, Internet-based undergraduate/graduate distance education course, Sociology of Poverty, sponsored by a medium-sized midwestern university. The computer-mediated course was designed by the instructor to support active and collaborative learning among students at a distance.Study participants included two graduate students and five undergraduate students who volunteered their participation. One professor delivered course and Web-site instruction, aided by one technical assistant. In this descriptive study, responses of participants were collected through a series of individual interviews, field observations, student learning journals, and the researcher's field journal. Evidence collection focused on learners' responses to the synchronous and asynchronous (e-mail messaging) computer-mediated communications of the distance education setting.Identified were cognitive and affective learning strategies, and descriptions of students' meaningful receiving and expressing experiences. Two cognitive learning strategies were identified: Management of personal resources and management of technology. Two affective learning strategies were identified: Management of self and management of others. The computer-mediated educational context was found to have influenced students' cognitive and affective experiences of learning, and synchronous computer conferencing was judged a potentially motivational and effective tool for interactive learning in a distance education environment. Important impacts on students' learning experiences included learner characteristics, the design of the Web-based course and its computer-mediated components, the structure of interactivity in the computer-mediated communications, and the moderation of the weekly synchronous computer conferences. Conclusions and recommendations of this study focused on these five influences.Implications for future Internet-based distance course design and development included the need for opportunities for students to establish connections with peers early in the course and the need for learner input into course content. Further research requirements revealed included student collaboration in a computer-mediated environment, student-teacher power relations, moderation of synchronous computer conferences, and the integration of online experiences with community-based field experiences. / Department of Educational Leadership

The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate the factors that students considered important in taking distance learning and attitudes of students toward the technology-based distance learning in Thailand. The three main attitude components that were examined in this study were affective, behavioral, and cognitive. The additional components: usefulness, quality, and interaction of technology used in distance learning in Thailand were also examined in this study.Participants of this study were students at Ramkhamhaeng University in Thailand. The questionnaires were used as survey instruments. The questionnaires were distributed by email and paper. Students could complete the questionnaire either by web or by paper. The questionnaires were distributed to undergraduate students around Thailand by staffs of Ramkhamhaeng University. Valid survey responses were received from 307 students; 148 males and 159 females. Based on the analysis of the qualified data, the sample mean scores were significantly higher than the hypothesized mean scores. Students were considered to have positive attitudes toward affective component, behavioral component, and cognitive component. Students also had positive attitudes towards the usefulness, interaction, and quality of technology used in technology-based distance learning in Thailand.The most important factor that students considered in taking distance learning was their work requirements. By gender, male students considered earning more money or getting promoted as their important factor. Female students considered work requirements as their important factor.Students considered most technologies in this study to be useful. However, some students have not had experience with some technologies that they believed were useful. Therefore, institutes and instructors should encourage students to use technologies that universities have currently employed. Institutes should offer training sessions to both instructors and students, so that they can effectively use these technologies in their teaching and learning. / Department of Computer Science

The purpose of this ethnographic case study was to explore how different distance learning modes and environments affect the design and implementation of a crosscultural, university-level, distance education course. The case chosen was a U.S. -Taiwan collaboration that used H.323 videoconferencing and Web 2.0 technologies. Through participant observation, document analysis and interview, this study investigated the factors that influence the instructor's pedagogical practice with new technologies in relation to the cross-cultural aspects. It also examined the various types of interactions that occurred as consequences of the distance learning modes and the contexts of the course. The findings provided a portrait of factors and relationships that affected the implementation of the curriculum and the enablement of technology affordances. They suggested that the instructor’s personal value and intrinsic motivation, well-supported technology framework, and a long stable international partnership helped sustain her engagement in cross-cultural distance education (CCDE). While the instructor’s high self-efficacy prompted her to idealize technology affordances in the CCDE course, her limited technology literacy hindered the enablement of these affordances and resulted in different outcomes. In addition, difference in the teaching styles between the instructor and her international partner, unbalanced learner preparedness, and the Western valueladen learning environment were also factors that contributed to the gap between the idealization and the realization of the CCDE course. Implications and suggestions for future practice and research were provided in relation to the literature, as well as the contexts of cross-cultural/international distance education. / Access to thesis and accompanying PDF permanently restricted to Ball State community only / Department of Educational Studies

Distributed learning is becoming an increasingly common method of further education in post-secondary institutions and programs across Canada and internationally. Academic libraries are not immune to this trend, and many are reviewing and revising their teaching methodology. All learners require information literacy instruction that is relevant, engaging, and embedded in curriculum; in a distributed learning environment, however, the design and delivery of that instruction may need to be adapted to respond to the challenges of instruction to distributed learners. Through a literature review of distributed learning models in academic libraries and consultation with faculty and librarians at the University of Saskatchewan, this research will assist in determining distributed learning models and instructional design best suited for the provision of information literacy instruction within this environment, with a specific focus on reaching out to rural communities with emerging technological infrastructure. / This is a preprint of an article submitted for consideration in the Journal of Library and Information Services in Distance Learning, 2013, Tasha Maddison; Journal of Library of Information Services in Distance Learning is available online at http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/wlis20#.VJRmTwIYE.

As a result of the increasing demand for tertiary education in many developing countries, institutions are seeking ways to increase educational access in difficult economic times. This paper describes the development of the University of the West Indies Open Campus as the mechanism for online distance education delivery to students across sixteen islands in the Caribbean region. The shift from the use of print based distance education to online education was examined from the perspectives of the administration, the instructors and the students in order to determine which factors were important for a successful transition. Factors examined included institutional context, vision, curriculum, organizational structure, finances, leadership, stakeholder attitudes towards online courses, staff training, student support and programme quality. The study also examined whether online education could promote a regional cultural identity. The research design used was a qualitative single case study with multiple data sources including archival records, semi-structured interviews and online surveys. Research findings indicate that implementing online education requires a deep understanding of the institutional context, clear vision, effective leadership, understanding attitudes towards online education and the provision of effective student support mechanisms. Context and aspects of culture (specifically communication) emerged as important factors that strongly influenced the transition, both pedagogically and in terms of the organizational culture and structure required to support online education. A lack of communication resulted in staff resistance both internally and externally. Communication was also the major stumbling block in the pedagogical changes required for online teaching and learning. Both students and instructors found teaching and learning online more difficult than in traditional classes as a result of the differences in communication modes between online classes and the wider culture. Students in online classes specifically desired the immediate feedback available in face-to-face classes and indicated a strong preference for blended learning. The study presents some suggestions for successful transitions and provides support for institutions preparing to use online education as a mode of distance education delivery, especially in the Caribbean context.