There has been a significant increase in the level of remote or distance learning using the Internet, often referred to as e-learning or online education. E-learning is often combined with classroom instruction and on-the-job training and this is referred to as blended learning. The purpose of this research is to investigate the impact blended learning has in improving engineering training in the engineering field of industrial automation. This is especially in improving the reaction, achievement and return on investment of learners compared to that of only the traditional classroom or e-learning approaches. One of the gaps in current research is the examination of the impact of blended learning in improving engineering training. The research revealed significant growth in the use of e-learning for engineers and technicians. There would however appear to be a large number of engineers and technicians who were disappointed with their experiences of e-learning. Significant concerns were also identified in the efficacy of e-learning and the lack of hands-on experience in this form of training for engineers and technicians. Suggestions are made as a result of the research into addressing these issues.

Being able to study at the Municipal Adult Education, Komvux, is a privilege available to adults in Sweden of age 20 and above. Although almost 200 000 people attended Komvux 2011 in Sweden, a fifth of the participants discontinued their studies before completing their course(s). This becomes costly for the society, but it is also diminishes the future chances of a career and college studies. In our thesis we have done a quantitative investigation trying to determine what the reasons for dropping out could be. A request to participate in our survey were sent out to all 64 people who dropped out one or more courses during the fall semester 2012 at a Municipal Adult Education in southern Norrland. Almost half, 32 people, agreed to participate. The results indicated that most students applied to Komvux because they were lacking complete exams of high school or part of it. According to the home-background, most of the 32 pupils came from homes where none of the parents had a college degree. One third of the pupils in the survey dropped out because of work related reasons. More than half of those who had dropped off studied a distance learning course, or a combination of distance and regular courses. / Att studera inom kommunal vuxenutbildning, Komvux, är en förmån som finns i Sverige för vuxna från och med det andra kalenderhalvåret då man fyller 20 år. Nästan 200 000 personer var inskrivna på Komvux i Sverige år 2011, men var femte kursdeltagare beslutade ändå att hoppa av sina studier innan de avslutat kursen/eller kurserna. Detta är både kostsamt för samhället men också en fråga om individens möjliga framtid inom högre studier och arbetsmarknaden. Studiens syfte var att undersöka vad anledningarna av avhoppen kan vara, och detta har vi gjort i en kvantitativ undersökning. En förfrågan skickades ut till samtliga 64 personer som hoppat av en eller flera kurser under höstterminen i en kommunal vuxenskola i södra Norrland, om de vill medverka i vår enkätundersökning via telefon. Nästan hälften, 32 personer, ville medverka. Slutsatsen av svaren vi fick in tydde på att de flesta elever som sökte Komvux saknade grundläggande behörighet eller slutbetyg. En tredjedel av eleverna hoppade av på grund av arbete. De flesta kom från ett hem där ingen av föräldrarna hade högskoleutbildning samt att över hälften av eleverna gick på distansutbildning eller kombinerade distans och reguljär kurs.

This bounded case study describes the readiness of a Southeastern State University System to support the growth of online learning. Structured as a case study, the view provided of the Southeastern State University System in this moment in time provides a contextually rich view of the phenomenon of change within a university system. The study answers the following questions regarding the change towards online course delivery: Does the Southeastern State University System have a primarily transformational or transactional orientation? What are the key change facilitating factors within the Southeastern State University System? What are the key change restraining factors within the Southeastern State University System? The key change facilitating factors identified as part of the first phase of the study included: motivation to change, job/task requirements and organizational culture supportive of change. The perspectives of the administrators regarding facilitating factors differed, as did views on if the organizational culture was supportive of change. The CIO interviewed described a variation in perspectives regarding online learning based on institutional categories and missions, which was reflected in the interviews. The key change restraining factors were identified during the survey phase of the study as: change related systems, emotional impact of change and change mission and strategy. Financial incentives, both for the institutions and the individuals involved in online or blended activities was identified in the interviews. However, the CIO interviewed outlined a perspective that the funding model for collaborative programs in the university system was flawed. A perceived lack of change mission strategy was common through the interviews, with signs pointing towards improvement within the system, with a new focus on online learning as part of an initiative to have more college graduates within the state. This study provides a snapshot of the state of a university system as it adapts to the changing environment of higher education. The study describes the application of an established organizational change and development model to the study of online learning, which provides future researchers with a framework to investigate online learning at a university system level.

Laboratory experimentation plays a critical role in the education of engineers. With the increase of students choosing to obtain their education online through Distance Learning programs, something must be done to allow them to gain practice with experimental techniques. Remote Laboratories (RLs), or laboratory experiments specially constructed for remote use, have the potential to fill this void. In a "traditional" laboratory experiment, students physically interact with an apparatus to obtain experimental data. Remote Laboratories are meant to offer a similar learning experience that is equivalent to, or as close as possible to the physical one, by allowing a user to control the apparatus from a remote location using mechatronic control hardware, integrated with data acquisition software. Studies have shown there is no significant difference with regard to meeting educational outcomes between students who performed an experiment remotely versus those who carried out the same experiment in-person. The focus of this thesis is on the development of a framework for developing and implementing Remote Laboratories. To do this, this research introduces advances in the following areas: a) Identifying the educational differences between traditional and Remote Laboratories. b) Developing a method for comparing student perceptions about RLs and their laboratory reports through surveys and laboratory report grading. c) Creating a standard Information Technology protocol for hosting and conducting remote experiments. d) Investigating alternative uses for RLs. e) Proposing new methods to best mimic the physical interactions of traditional laboratories. f) Creation of functioning Remote Laboratories. g) Analyzing the findings of their use in a classroom setting. A comparison of surveys and laboratory reports between groups that conducted remote experiments and those which conducted traditional experiments over a period of 4 semesters suggest that RLs have the potential to be used to achieve the same educational outcomes as traditional laboratories.

<p>Bachelor thesis within Business Administration</p><p>Title: Second Life – New opportunity for higher educational institutions</p><p>Authors: Axel Andersen, Emil Hristov & Hamid Karimi</p><p>Tutor: Olga Sasinovskaya</p><p>Date: May, 2008</p><p>Subject terms: Second Life, virtual worlds, distance learning, marketing, universities, stu-dents, interactions</p><p>Executive summary</p><p>Background: Virtual worlds such as Second Life have been used in the corporate world for a few years now. However, it is only recently that higher educational institutions have seen the marketing and educational potential inside this world. Several hundred universities around the world are currently involved in Second Life and a majority of them give fully accredited academic courses inside SL. As traditional distance learning can sometimes be interpreted as low on interactions, SL represents a new means for interactive distance learn-ing.</p><p>Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore if, why and to what extent Second Life can be used as a marketing and pedagogical tool within higher educational institutions.</p><p>Method: A mixed qualitative and quantitative method was utilized in this study. For the qualitative side: in-depth interviews with SL teachers from five universities around the world were held and these were complemented by observations at educational institutions inside SL. For the quantitative side: a questionnaire was designed and sent out to 50 SL-students. This primary data have been combined with appropriate secondary data concern-ing distance learning and education within SL.</p><p>Theoretical framework: The theoretical framework can be divided into two main sec-tions: a marketing section with primarily service management theories and a pedagogical section where cognitive apprenticeship theory is applied.</p><p>Conclusion: Higher educational institutions can use SL to promote their schools to pro-spective students and to other stakeholders such as new teacher recruits. All of the univer-sities that were under our scrutiny felt SL had strengthened their university’s brand. Fur-thermore, SL represents an opportunity for universities that are looking to increase col-laborations with other international universities and who are interested in enhancing the public image of themselves as pioneering and global universities. Therefore, it is highly ad-visable that a university such as JIBS enters SL, if not on pedagogical reasons then on stra-tegic and marketing reasons. In general, a majority of the students interviewed were satis-fied or very satisfied with the quality of the SL-courses they had taken and an overwhelm-ing majority would recommend SL-courses to other students. The empirical findings showed that the most frequent courses taken within SL are design courses, although no limits were perceived to exist of which courses that can be held within SL. A majority of the students also felt SL aided their learning experience. However, due to some of the cur-rent flaws of SL – such as the slow graphics and the high demands of computer hardware – SL should be viewed mainly as a learning tool that complements, rather than substitutes other current educational forms.</p>

The purpose of this study was to determine whether student outcomes are a function of participation in different modes of delivery in an Opticianry program at the community college level. First, the intent was to determine whether differences in instructional delivery methods and background characteristics impact student performance in an Opticianry program. The three instructional delivery methods were traditional face-to-face instruction, online delivery, and a hybrid format where students take theory courses online and attend face-to-face laboratories on campus. A second objective was to determine the role of background variables such as student age, which was the age when entering the Opticianry program classified in three categories: Young Adults (18-24), Middle Age (25-33), and Older Adults (34 & >). To meet the purpose of the study and its driving questions, a non-experimental explanatory research design relying on survey data collection strategies was used. Data collection was conducted during a six-week period using an online survey available through Survey Monkey. The survey was used to identify instructional delivery method, perception of job preparedness, and perception of program quality. A two-way ANOVA was used to analyze the relationship between independent variables (delivery method and age) and a dependent variable (GPA, national certification score, workplace preparation score, and quality of instruction score). Two hundred and eighty six graduates of the Hillsborough Community College Opticianry Program from 2006-2012 were contacted for participation. One hundred and twelve graduates completed the survey representing a response rate of 39%. The results indicated no significant difference in the outcomes of Opticianry program graduates related to instructional delivery method or age. Based on the overall results in the study, the overall conclusion is that students in the Opticianry program should achieve similar outcomes whether they complete the program online, on campus, or in a hybrid format. The results of the study provide support for the idea that it is possible to provide equivalent technician preparation using a variety of instructional delivery methods. The study adds to a limited body of knowledge about the impact of participation in online or hybrid courses compared to traditional courses in technical preparation. The outcomes provide support that distance education is a promising strategy for increasing access to adult learners seeking flexible opportunities for technical preparation. The results should also reduce the reluctance of institutions offering career and technical education programs, to offer complete programs via distance learning in fear that distance students will not achieve program outcomes equivalent to face-to-face students. The study has generated positive comparative evidence of student performance as a function of instructional method, and documented students' evaluative perspectives about their occupational readiness and program quality.

The primary purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of implementing desktop 3-dimensional (3D) stereo images of human anatomy into an undergraduate human anatomy distance laboratory. User perceptions of 2D and 3D images were gathered via questionnaire in order to determine ease of use and level of satisfaction associated with the 3D software in the online learning environment. Mayer's (2001, p. 184) principles of design were used to develop the study materials that consisted of PowerPoint presentations and AVI files accessed via Blackboard. The research design employed a mixed-methods approach. Volunteers each were administered a demographic survey and were then stratified into groups based upon pre-test scores. A total sample size of 62 pairs was available for combined data analysis. Quantitative research questions regarding the effectiveness of 2D versus the 3D treatment were analyzed using a doubly-multivariate repeated measures (Doubly- MANOVA) design. Paired test scores achieved by undergraduates on a laboratory practical of identification and spatial relationships of the bones and features of a human skull were used in the analysis. The questionnaire designed to gather user perceptions consisted of quantitative and qualitative questions. Response frequencies were analyzed for the two groups and common themes were noted. Results revealed a statistically significant difference in group means for the main effect of the treatment groups 2D and 3D and for the variables of identification and relationship with the 3D group outperforming the 2D group on both dependent variables. Effect sizes were determined to be small, 0.215 for the identification variable and 0.359 for the relationship variable. Overall, all students liked the convenience of using PowerPoint and AVI files online. The 3D group felt their PowerPoint was more realistic than did the 2D group and both groups appreciated the detailed labeling of the online images. One third of the volunteers in the 3D group indicated that "eye strain" was what they liked least about working with the 3D images. Results indicate that desktop, stereo imaging may be incorporated effectively into online anatomy and physiology courses, but that more work needs to be done to ensure less eye strain.

In 1990, two-year colleges nationwide reported that approximately 38% of their faculty were part-time. According to the National Center for Educational Statistics' (NCES) 1999 National Study of Post-Secondary Faculty (NSOPF), this percentage continues to rise, and currently exists at 40% or more in some two-year and four-year institutions. To retain competent, qualified, and successful teachers, it is critical for higher education administrators to determine factors that may contribute to part-time faculty's job satisfaction. This study investigated whether the use of instructional technology for curriculum delivery affected part-time faculty job satisfaction by investigating four specific areas that may be affected. The first component explored whether the use of a technology-based educational delivery system in higher education contributed to overall part-time faculty job satisfaction in and four- year institutions. The second examined whether the use of a technology-based educational delivery system in higher education contributed to the overall job satisfaction of part-time faculty in their first year of teaching. Third, it was the intent of the researcher to determine whether the use of a technology-based educational delivery system in higher education contributed to the overall job satisfaction of part-time male and female faculty. In the fourth component, by applying an adaptation of the Center for the Study of Community Colleges (CSCC) curriculum classification scheme to group teaching fields, the researcher observed whether the use of a technology-based educational delivery system in higher education influenced the overall job satisfaction of part-time faculty in each teaching discipline. The results of this study confirmed in eight of the research questions the notion that the use of instructional technology when teaching had no effect on the overall job satisfaction of part-time faculty. Two areas of statistical significance evolve around the Computer Science and Social Sciences disciplines. Although both null hypotheses were statistically rejected, a closer look at both of these areas demonstrates the need for further understanding of their statistical significance. The results of this study demonstrate that during the moment in time when the 1999 NSOPF survey was conducted, instructional technology may not have been a large enough component in the total package of teaching deliverables to make a measurable difference in job satisfaction (NCES, 2005). This observation applies to most liberal arts teaching disciplines and affects the variables of gender, years of teaching experience, and type of institution equally with little exception.

The purpose of this study was to examine the goal conflicts, self-regulation, and course completion of post-secondary learners and to compare these factors in distance and traditional learners. Participants completed a self-report survey given on-line to those who had Internet access and administered in paper format to students in traditional classrooms. Procrastination, socializing, and employment were the most common goal conflicts reported by participants. Significantly more web-based students than traditional students were employed and were employed more average hours. Web-based students also had more children under the age of 12 than did traditional students. A significantly greater percentage of web-based participants than traditional students passed the courses included in this study. Web-based participants reported a significantly greater amount of self-regulation than did traditional students. Contacting the instructor for help and analyzing assignments contributed significantly to passing courses included in this study. Distinctions between distance learners and traditional learners are becoming less clear since some traditional courses have begun to offer web completion as an option. Many students who live on or near campus and who are otherwise traditional students now include web-based courses in their schedule.

College and university teacher education programs are not, and should not be, exempt from the growing demand for distance education opportunities. Science teacher education is no exception to this growing demand. While there are some distance-learning courses and even complete programs for teacher education, the majority of these are offered as continuing education or post-graduate education opportunities. The number of programs offered specifically in science teacher education (either undergraduate or post-graduate) is extremely limited. Those distance-learning classes that are available for teacher education rarely reflect the instruction expected from teachers by the National Science Education Standards when they enter the K-12 classroom. With the demand for distance education rising, it is important to determine if it is possible for the distance-learning format to be an effective form of delivery for quality preservice science teacher education programs. The research herein took the form of a qualitative case study of two sections of a Science Technology and Society Interaction (STS) course offered via a distance-learning format. (For the purposes of this study, distance-learning courses are defined as those that are offered using online delivery.) The research investigated the extent to which the course incorporated the principles of science education reform. The study took the form of an evaluative case study and provided a rich description of the course itself as well as the nature of the interactions and meanings constructed by students. The course was determined to be an example of a distance learning opportunity that exhibits the desired ideology. Insights gained here were used to illuminate some guiding principles for developing courses for distance delivery that exhibit principles consistent with science education reform.