A research report submitted to the Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, in 50% fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education (in the field of Educational Technology). / Online learning has been identified as a growing area in the education sector and many educational institutions are expanding their offering of online courses. When designing online courses, there are several design considerations and decisions that need to be made. Despite the development of various instructional design literature and the potential of online courses to support learning, there exists a gap between theoretical knowledge (theory) and practice (reality). The objective of the current research study is to determine the effectiveness of the design of online courses for teaching and learning, and what designers and instructors of online learning environments should collectively consider in terms of the quality of the design for online courses. The current study found the dimensions (1) course information, course structure and course organisation, (2) interaction and communication, (3) multimedia design, (4) assessment and feedback, and (5) effective use of technology of online courses to be important contributors towards the quality design of online courses. Using these dimensions, a valid and reliable evaluation instrument was developed – a rubric. In the current study, the rubric is used as an evaluation tool to evaluate three online short courses at a university level. The current study uses a quantitative instrument design methodology as it involves measuring by scoring various criterion on the developed rubric. These scores were measured and analysed using simple descriptive statistics. Qualitative descriptive evaluations of the online short courses were also done. Both the quantitative and qualitative aspects of the online course analysis were integrated to ascertain a summative conclusion of the three online courses and whether the rubric, as a design framework, needed further improvement or not. The current study provides a contribution towards literature by advancing the development of best practices in terms of quality design and evaluation of online courses. The rubric offers a framework to determine what components contribute towards quality design in online courses. This framework contains a set of benchmarks that will assist instructors and course designers in one of two ways; (1) as a self-evaluation tool for an online course thus advising the appropriate stakeholder on how to revise their current online course, and (2) as a best practice guideline to design a new course within the online environment. / NG (2020)

New developments in information and communications technologies have rapidly made their way into the forefront of educational concerns. With exciting possibilities for global communication, access to vast amounts of information and new approaches to teaching and learning practices, a small number of schools have integrated the technology into the school environment. However, the majority of schools are just feeling their way and this is particularly so in small rural schools which are removed from the high technology communications networks of the capital cities. This study placed open learning technology into three rural schools where the teachers had control over its use. Using qualitative multi-site case study techniques, the effect of the technology on the planning and teaching strategies of the teachers, classroom organisation and management, changes in teacher-student interactions, student motivation, curriculum enhancement and/or extension, the role of the teacher, and professional development issues was investigated. It was found that the use of the technology had a positive effect on encouraging open learning and student-centred approaches to lesson delivery. The Internet and e-mail were accepted by the teachers and the wider school community and became part of normal classroom activities. Staff development opportunities figured largely in the outcomes of this study being revealed as a necessity for teacher adoption of the innovation. The leadership role of the principals emerged as an important theoretical construct influencing the implementation of the innovation. Finally, the introduction of the technology was found to contribute to breaking down the barriers of distance that are a characteristic of rural and isolated schools. By providing teachers in rural schools with access to open learning technology that can be readily integrated into teaching activities, it is likely that lasting change in attitude to the legitimacy of information gained through the technology, and a greater level of independent student classroom activity, will occur.

The research was carried out to assess the value of the Bachelor of Education, Educational Administration, Planning and Policy Studies (B.ED-EAPPS) degree programme offered by the Zimbabwe Open University (ZOU) as a further teacher education programme for primary teachers in Zimbabwe offered through open and distance learning. The research utilised the case study design and had relevant data collecting instruments which included questionnaires, write ups and interviews. Both random and non-random sampling methods were used to come up with samples used quantitatively and quantitatively. The research was immensely useful as it provided an attempt to determine whether it was worth the while for primary school teachers to study for the BEDEAPPS degree programme and more so in view of the large numbers of non-degree primary school teachers either studying for it or on its waiting list. Nothing of the sort had been done since the inception of the BEDEAPPS degree programme in 1993. The research produced findings that reflected that the BEDEAPPS degree programme had much to offer in the area of further teacher education of an in-service nature than had been envisaged by those who originated the programme. It was realised that while the programme's emphasis was on management and supervision it was not devoid of the instructional expertise that is relevant to classroom practitioners. Moreover, there was a traceable link between college training experiences of the BEDEAPPS students and Teachers' College graduates and the course content they had to work on. These findings made revelations on the diversity of further teacher education whose structure and content could be designed to respond to a specific further education need. Findings also revealed that open and distance learning was a suitable and effective means of delivering such a programme provided an enhancing technological back-up can be easily accessed. The research had time related and operational limitations whose impact on the whole process were, however, repulsed by controls effected by the researcher. The diversity of data collecting instruments also played a positive role in ensuring checks and balances in the type and authenticity of data collected. The research had, among its findings, a grounded research theory which was extrapolated from the data that was collected using the seven data collecting instruments mentioned earlier on. It was possible, after thorough scrutiny of data collected, to conclude that the BEDEAPPS degree programme was a performance enhancing qualification to those primary school teachers who were involved in classroom teaching since it made them effective instructors and managers both within their classroom confines and the larger school-wide operational environment. / Educational Studies / D.Ed.

Cloud-based computing in higher education has the potential to impact institutions on a myriad of fronts, including technology governance, flexibility, financial, and intellectual property. As the demand for blended and online education increases, institutions are considering expedient approaches to implementing learning management systems (LMSs). Cloud-based e-learning models, such as personal learning environments and open learning networks, are reported to be among the next generation of LMSs. Saint Anselm College launched a cloud enhanced LMS, HawkLearn, to support several blended courses. HawkLearn was flexible, low-cost, low-maintenance, and targeted to digital natives, accustomed to using web 2.0 based tools and social media. Reporting utilized a case study approach, tracking HawkLearn's evolution from concept to reality. Results yielded data for higher education institutions, evaluating LMS strategies.

At the time this research was conducted, OLSET’s “English in Action” (EIA) programme worked with large numbers of foundation phase learners and teachers in seven of the nine provinces of South Africa, using interactive radio instruction. In addition, the programme provided in-service training for the teachers, and classroom support based on open learning principles. This study focuses on the self-reports of teachers and principals in the programme, which have been examined in relation to educational development and empowerment theory. The researcher has attempted to establish whether the programme was meeting its objectives in terms of provision of radio lessons, classroom materials, in-service training and classroombased support, and whether empowerment was taking place among teachers involved in the programme. The first stage of the study involved the development of a database of schools involved in the programme, from which a convenience sample was drawn. The analyses then involved thematic content analysis of 541 teacher and principal questionnaires and 202 teacher and principal personal accounts obtained in 2001 and 2003. Prior to 2001, the programme had operated under severe financial constraints. A longitudinal design was used to establish whether there were differences in teacher perceptions under conditions of financial constraint in 2001 and adequate programme funding in 2003. In vivo coding was used throughout the analyses to enable the content categories developed to reflect the words used by teachers in reporting their perceptions of the programme’s work, the benefits they derived with respect to their teaching, and the difficulties experienced at school level with respect to both resourcing as well as consistent quality of programme delivery. Observation was then conducted in 36 classrooms in 2003, to assist in substantiation of the themes found in the 2001 and 2003 questionnaire and personal account data. Recurring themes in the questionnaire and narrative data indicated that the EIA programme was meeting its objectives. Teachers were using the OLSET materials, and reported benefits in terms of improved classroom management and teaching practices. In the observations conducted in classrooms in which the programme was implemented there was indication that the programme’s methodology was being applied, and that teachers and learners were using English more than mother-tongue. Teachers also reported that they were empowered through the materials, workshops and classroom support provided by the programme. Quality of service delivery, however, varied across schools, dependent on donor finances, the radio broadcast delivery, quality of radios, the capacity of the programme to deliver sufficient materials to the schools, as well as the capacity of programme staff to reach all teachers and schools, particularly in the rural areas.

Abstract not available

Αντικείμενο της εργασίας μου είναι η E-learning. Αρχικά εξετάζω την πορεία της μέσα στον χρόνο, τα πλεονεκτήματά της αλλά και τα μειονεκτήματά της σε σχέση με την παραδοσιακή εκπαίδευση. Σαν μια νέα διάσταση στον χώρο της εκπαίδευσης χρειάζεται νέος σχεδιασμός τόσο όσον αφορά στην οργάνωση των μαθημάτων και του εκπαιδευτικού υλικού όσο και για την διαχείριση της τάξης. Συνεχίζω με την παρουσίαση των διαφόρων μοντέλων ανάπτυξης της E-learning που έχουν κατά καιρούς προταθεί. Μέσα από αυτά και κυρίως λόγω των προβλημάτων που αναδεικνύονται, διαφαίνονται και οι προοπτικές εξέλιξης της που δεν είναι άλλες από την συνδυασμένη μάθηση στην οποία και γίνεται ιδιαίτερη αναφορά αφού όπως όλα δείχνουν αναμένεται τελικά να επικρατήσει λόγω των πλεονεκτημάτων που προσφέρει. Ακολουθούν σκέψεις και προβληματισμοί ανθρώπων που έχουν ασχοληθεί ιδιαίτερα με την εκπαίδευση από απόσταση καθώς επίσης και προτάσεις για την αποδοτικότερη χρήσης της. Αυτοί που καλούνται να υλοποιήσουν την νέα αυτή μέθοδο μάθησης είναι βέβαια οι εκπαιδευτικοί και σίγουρα οι σκέψεις τους και οι προβληματισμοί τους έχουν θέση στην παρούσα εργασία. Στην συνέχεια γίνεται μία προσπάθεια αξιολόγησης της αποτελεσματικότητας της E-learning μέσα από διάφορες έρευνες που κατά καιρούς έχουν γίνει σε διάφορα σημεία του κόσμου. Στο κεφάλαιο για την κατάσταση στην Ελλάδα παρουσιάζω το Πανελλήνιο Σχολικό δίκτυο το οποίο είναι επιφορτισμένο με την παροχή τηλεματικών και άλλων υπηρεσιών στην πρωτοβάθμια και δευτεροβάθμια εκπαίδευση, με παράλληλη παράθεση των στοιχείων εκείνων που δείχνουν κατά πόσο οι υπηρεσίες αυτές χρησιμοποιούνται από μαθητές και εκπαιδευτικούς έτσι ώστε έμμεσα να φανεί κατά πόσο η εκπαιδευτική κοινότητα είναι πρόθυμη να χρησιμοποιήσει την νέα τεχνολογία. Συνεχίζω με τον μοναδικό πανεπιστημιακό φορέα που κάνει χρήση της Ε-learning ο οποίος είναι το Ελληνικό Ανοικτό Πανεπιστήμιο επικεντρώνοντας την προσοχή ιδιαίτερα στο τμήμα εκείνο που αξιοποιεί και αναπτύσσει την νέα αυτή μορφή της εκπαίδευσης. Στην συνέχεια αναφέρομαι στην πετυχημένη προσπάθεια της Ρουμανίας πάνω στην E-learning η οποία θα μπορούσε να λειτουργήσει ως οδηγός για άλλες αντίστοιχες προσπάθειες και κλείνω την εργασία μου με παρουσίαση διαγραμμάτων που δείχνουν πως έχει η κατάσταση στα διάφορα κράτη της Ευρώπης σχετικά με την χρήση της νέας αυτής μορφής μάθησης. / The object of my study is E-learning. Initially I refer to E-learning through the time, the advantages and the disadvantages related to the traditional education. As a new dimension in the space of education it needs a new planning in the way the courses are organized, the educational material and the class management. I continue with the presentation of various models of growth of E-learning that have been proposed. Through them and especially through the problems that have appeared, we can see the prospect of E-learning that is not other than the hybrid learning. There is particular report in this kind of learning because all elements show that this learning will finally prevail, because off the advantages that it offers. Some thoughts and reflections of persons that have particularly dealt with the education from distance are presented as well as proposals for more efficient use. Those that are called to materialise this new method of learning are the teachers and surely their thoughts and their reflections have been writen in this work. Then becomes an effort of evaluation of effectiveness of E-learning through various researches that occasionally have taken place all over the world. In the chapter for the situation in Greece I present the Hellenic School network which is charged with the rendering of telematics and other services in the first and secondary education. Moreover there is a parallel presentation of the elements that show how much these services are used by students and teachers. Through these elements we can see the degree the educational community is willing to use the new technology.I continue with the unique academic institution in Greece that makes use of E–learning, which is the Greek Open University, focusing the attention particularly in that department that develops and uses this new type of education. Then I refer to the succesful effort of Romania in E - learning which would be a good example for other similar efforts. I close my work with the presentation of diagrams that shows the situation in Europe with regard to the use of this new type of learning.

Thesis (MEd (Distance Education))--University of South Australia, 1995

This thesis is an investigation of the role of 'social presence' in on-line interaction of the students in Hong Kong. It seeks to examine the factors that students believe affect their on-line interaction with each other and with the tutor. Hypotheses were developed to examine the relationship between language competence, paralanguage, discussion topic, cultural variables and on-line interaction. The study was carried out in three stages: focus groups; survey; and interviews. The purpose of the focus groups was to determine the factors other than those identified in the literature that might affect the on-line learning of the students. There were four focus groups involving 17 people and 10 hours of interview time. A great deal of interesting and relevant information was generated. The second stage involved a questionnaire that sought data about the factors identified in the focus groups and the literature review to test the hypotheses. There was an open-ended question asking students whether there were other factors that they believe might affect their on-line interaction. The sample was made up of 100 students and 57 valid responses were received. The third stage involved interviews with three students to follow up answers to the open-ended question in the survey. The participants in the interviews were invited to go through their answers to the open-ended question (i.e., factors that they think will affect on-line interactions) and to explain how they think the factors actually affected their on-line interactions. The results from the focus groups were analyzed using content analysis; the results from the survey were analyzed using descriptive statistics including the chi-square test. Results show that the Chinese students in the present study accepted computer-mediated communication and had positive perceptions of on-line discussion. Similar to suggestions in the literature, it was found that social presence could be cultured among the on-line participants. For successful on-line learning, factors such as students' language competence, discussion topic, and tutor's involvement are important. / Thesis (PhD)--University of South Australia, 2009

This thesis is an investigation of the role of 'social presence' in on-line interaction of the students in Hong Kong. It seeks to examine the factors that students believe affect their on-line interaction with each other and with the tutor. Hypotheses were developed to examine the relationship between language competence, paralanguage, discussion topic, cultural variables and on-line interaction. The study was carried out in three stages: focus groups; survey; and interviews. The purpose of the focus groups was to determine the factors other than those identified in the literature that might affect the on-line learning of the students. There were four focus groups involving 17 people and 10 hours of interview time. A great deal of interesting and relevant information was generated. The second stage involved a questionnaire that sought data about the factors identified in the focus groups and the literature review to test the hypotheses. There was an open-ended question asking students whether there were other factors that they believe might affect their on-line interaction. The sample was made up of 100 students and 57 valid responses were received. The third stage involved interviews with three students to follow up answers to the open-ended question in the survey. The participants in the interviews were invited to go through their answers to the open-ended question (i.e., factors that they think will affect on-line interactions) and to explain how they think the factors actually affected their on-line interactions. The results from the focus groups were analyzed using content analysis; the results from the survey were analyzed using descriptive statistics including the chi-square test. Results show that the Chinese students in the present study accepted computer-mediated communication and had positive perceptions of on-line discussion. Similar to suggestions in the literature, it was found that social presence could be cultured among the on-line participants. For successful on-line learning, factors such as students' language competence, discussion topic, and tutor's involvement are important. / Thesis (PhD)--University of South Australia, 2009