A COMPARATIVE CASE STUDY OF THE QUALITY OF LEARNING EXPERIENCE BETWEEN TRADITIONAL CAMPUS AND ON-LINE DISTANCE LEARNING AT A MASTERS LEVEL. This study compares the quality of learning experiences of traditional campus students to those of distance on-line students studying at a Masters level. Using an adapted version of “The theory of on-line learning quality” five dimensions of interaction were compared to determine if there was a significant statistical difference between both learning methods. The study took place within a Masters level program, in Linnaeus University, Sweden. The five dimensions of interaction included in the study are Instructor-Learner, Learner-Learner, Learner-Content, Learner-Interface, and Social Interaction. Using these dimensions of interaction to determine the quality of learning experience a questionnaire survey was designed for the students enrolled in the program. Answers to the survey questions used a Likert-scale schema for responses. A Mann-Whitney U-Test was performed on the response results. The results of the study found that there was little statistical difference between the quality of learning experience of traditional campus students to that of on-line distance students. The two survey questions which did show a statistical difference were related to the Instructor-Learner and Social dimensions of interaction. In a dual learning program of this type, recommendations are made to include a teaching assistant with responsibilities for monitoring on-line participation during live lectures.

Clinical reasoning is the cognitive process that nurses use to gather and incorporate information into a larger bank of personal knowledge. This incorporated information guides therapeutic actions, and helps determine client care. Since the process guides therapeutic actions regarding client care, failure to use the process effectively leads to poor clinical decision-making, inappropriate actions, or inaction. Because of the criticality of this process, this paper presents an analysis of the literature that reveals the current state of the science of clinical reasoning, identifies gaps in knowledge, and elucidates areas for future research. A systematic review of the databases the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC), PsychInfo, the Education Full Text (H.W. Wilson), and PubMed revealed 873 articles on the topic of clinical reasoning. Quality appraisal narrowed the field to 27 pieces of literature. Appendix A gives the State of the Science Coding Sheet used to identify the selections used in this research. Appendix B contains a summary of this literature. Although analysis of this literature shows that three theories exist on how to utilize most effectively the clinical reasoning process presently; a clear consistent definition is lacking. Additional research should focus on closing gaps that exist in defining the process, understanding the process, establishing linkages to non-clinical reasoning processes, and developing measures to both develop and accurately measure clinical reasoning.

No / The nature of Higher Education (HE) has seen many changes throughout the last decade. The agenda for widening participation in HE has led to an increase in the number of students with a broader range of educational backgrounds. At the same time there has been a surge in the development of digitalisation and the convergence of computing and telecommunications technologies available for use in education. This paper discusses the outcomes of a case study, conducted in a School of Health Studies within a northern English University, which identified the extent to which `non-traditional¿ students access on-line learning facilities, such as virtual learning environments and library networks, and what factors enhanced or formed barriers to access. `Non-traditional¿ students, for the purpose of this study, were defined as mature students who were returning to higher education after a considerable break. The outcomes indicated that skill deficit is a major obstacle for many `non-traditional¿ students. The paper explores this issue in depth and suggests potential ways forward for the delivery of technology supported learning for `non-traditional¿ students in Higher Education.

The research contained within this PhD project forms part of the Pedagogical ElectroAcoustic Resource Site project of the Music, Technology and Innovation Research Centre of De Montfort University Leicester. This thesis contributes to current research in music education and musicology related to electroacoustic music. The purpose of this research was to investigate the influence of teaching on the change in inexperienced listeners’ appreciation of electroacoustic music. A curriculum was developed to introduce electroacoustic music to 11 to 14 year old students (Key Stage 3). The curriculum was based on concepts distinguishing between electroacoustic music using (mainly) real-world sounds and generated sounds. The curriculum is presented in an online learning environment with an accompanying teacher’s handbook. The learning environment represents the prototype for the pedagogical ElectroAcoustic Resource Site offering online learning, blended learning and classroom-based learning. The website was developed following user-centred design; the curriculum was tested in a large-scale study including four Key Stage 3 classes within three schools in Leicester. In five lessons music using real-world sounds (soundscape and musique concrète) was introduced, which included the delivery of a listening training, independent research and creative tasks (composition or devising a role-play). The teaching design followed the methods of active, collaborative and self-regulated learning. Data was collected by using questionnaires, direct responses to listening experiences before and after the teaching, and summaries of the teaching written by the participants. Following a Qualitative Content Analysis, the results of the study show that the participants’ appreciation of electroacoustic music changed during the course of these lessons. Learning success could be established as well as a declining alienation towards electroacoustic music. The principal conclusion is that the appreciation of electroacoustic music can be enhanced through the acquiring of conceptual knowledge, especially through the enhancing of listening skills following the structured listening training as well as the broadening of vocabulary to describe the listening experience.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:26:00Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2009-03-27Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:53:52Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 guimaraes_lb_me_prud.pdf: 1157949 bytes, checksum: e0d6a0fc66ac75adfdaa70975c3b64f9 (MD5) / Este trabalho insere-se no contexto da linha de pesquisa “Tecnologias de Informação e Comunicação e Educação” e investiga um processo de formação continuada de professores do ensino superior para o uso do ambiente colaborativo on-line MOODLE para apoiar sua prática docente e a ocorrência da formação de uma rede de aprendizagem on-line após a capacitação. Baseia-se principalmente em pressupostos teóricos que norteiam a formação continuada contextualizada e na perspectiva da simetria invertida, nos conceitos de professor reflexivo e pesquisador, nas competências digitais necessárias para atuação docente, nas redes de aprendizagem on-line e na utilização da EAD para apoiar processos formativos. Utiliza-se da metodologia quanti-qualitativa na abordagem da investigação-formação. Os dados foram coletados no ambiente virtual utilizado durante o período da capacitação docente analisada. Os resultados apontam a possibilidade de se formar uma rede de aprendizagem on-line a partir da formação continuada, cujo foco seja o desenvolvimento das competências docentes necessárias para a mediação pedagógica com as tecnologias digitais. / This paper is within the context of the Information and Communication Technologies and Education research line and investigates a process of continuous training of higher teachers for the use of on-line collaborative environment MOODLE to support their teaching practice and the occurrence of the formation of a network of on-line learning after the training. It is mainly based on theoretical assumptions that guide the continuing education context and in view of the reverse symmetry, on the concepts of reflective teacher and researcher, on the skills necessary for proper teacher performance in networks of on-line learning and the use of LMS to support training processes. It uses the methodology in the qualitative-quantitative approach to research and training. Data were collected in the virtual environment used during the teacher training examination. The results indicate the possibility of forming a network of on-line learning from continuing education, whose focus is the development of teaching skills necessary to mediation training with digital technologies.

Currently, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is available to almosteveryone. In the last few decades its impact has widely expanded in all fieldsincluding the educational one. There are important attitudinal factors affecting theusage of learning technology successfully. Information system researchers haveidentified the importance of personal factors, such as attitudes, beliefs, culture andbehaviours in technology acceptance (Davis, Bagozzi, & Warshaw, 1992). Previousresearch has analysed these factors in the acceptance of educational technology inhigher education (Liu, Liao, & Pratt, 2009), (Teo, 2009), (Terzis & Economides, 2011),(Cheung & Vogel, 2013). However, the factors playing a role in a mathematicalcontext have not been fully analysed. This research explores the role of several attitudinal factors in the acceptance ofeducational technology for the assessment process in mathematics in a highereducation setting. We examine the effects of formative on-line feedback on theadoption of educational technology by analysing both teachers' and students'opinions regarding enriched formative on-line assessment for mathematics. Ourresults suggest that UK students find on-line feedback is more enjoyable and usefulthan traditional feedback. Attitude and enjoyment are two important factorsinfluencing usage intentions. Results also show that two influential factors to facilitateusing the on-line testing environment are that feeling confident about computers andthe availability of information technology services. In Mexico, findings reveal thatstudents' attitude has the strongest influence on usage intentions which means thattheir feelings and opinions are important. They also think that on-line feedback ismore enjoyable than face-to-face feedback. Students who are proficient in on-linetesting are more likely to find it easy to use. Students also agree that when an on-lineenvironment is easy to use, it is also more likely that they consider it as useful andenjoyable. Taking into account these results can be the best way to design amathematics e-assessment activity for UK and Mexican students. UK instructors agreethat on-line assessments are useful tools to enrich instructional strategies. Teachersin Mexico have a similar opinion. Both results show that they really value providingon-line feedback.

Collaboration between institutions in distance learning has been practiced for decades at first domestically and now expanding to an international level. Many higher education institutions are also trying to globalize their learning environments through the internationalization process, especially through the curriculum. A review of the extant literature, however, revealed that collaboration efforts are characterized more by infusion of content from one country to another. Collaboration between two different countries, however, is much more meaningful if both parties are equally involved in co-designing, sharing, and implementing such learning experiences. Such a two-way collaboration process is a missing gap in the literature, which the present study has addressed. This study examined the process of developing a two-way collaborative learning experience between one of the universities in the United States of America and a university in a developing Asian country. The global question that guided this research was: What is involved in the process of developing and designing on-line learning between two different countries; and What are the challenges faced during the process? The research design was a qualitative case study of a process, based on Miles and Huberman's (1994) classification. A micro monitoring process, complemented by interviews with key individuals, was conducted to collect the data. Different sources of data (Yin, 1984) or triangulation (Krathwohl, 1997) was a strategy used to increase the validity of the study. Through the micro monitoring process, all documents such as e-mails, meeting notes, and personal notes were collected and analyzed. Categorization and coding procedures followed Coffey and Artkinson (1996): that is, coding as a "mixture of data reduction and data complication." All the data (from interviews and the micro monitoring process) were reported, analyzed, and interpreted from two different but complementary voices: the voice of reporter and the voice of analyst. The voice of reporter revealed a chronology of events and description whereas the analyst interpreted the meaning of the reporter's descriptive portion. Analysis revealed three major phases that evolved in the process of collaboration: initiation, pre-development, and development. Each phase consisted of several specific activities. The major challenges faced during the process evolved around technical matters. Cultural differences, technical expertise, institutional procedures, financial, and time differences were also a challenge to the process. This study besides confirming some practices also broadened and deepened the concept of collaboration and internationalizing the curriculum. Moreover, this study was able to recommend the follow up development of a process framework for developing and co-designing a collaborative on-line learning experience that involves two different countries. / Ph. D.

This case study examined how contextual factors influenced the adaptation of on-line courses created in the United States as they were re-purposed for use in Malawi. The investigation starts and ends within Year Two of a five year project funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The grant brings together an instructional technology program at a large research university in the southeastern United States and a newly established national university in Malawi, Africa. A total of 24 people participated in the study. Of these, nine were directly involved in the adaptation process, five of whom were students from Malawi. Six other Malawian students took part in a formative review of the instructional products. Three professors of instructional technology were also directly involved in the adaptation process. The participants involved in the adaptation process did their work over the course of one semester. They took pre-existing web-based courses created for an on-line master's degree program in instructional technology and adapted them for use in Malawi by accounting for various contextual elements. Data included project documents, student-created materials including personal journal reflections, interviews with students and faculty at both institutions, field notes, and personal observations by the researcher. Data analysis procedures followed protocols established for descriptive, qualitative methodologies. The findings emphasize the importance of a needs assessment and context analysis as developed by people who are native to a particular culture. Instructional designers who are made aware of contextual factors through such documents become more sensitive to cultural issues related to teaching and learning. Negotiation among team members to come to a workable consensus is also important, as project goals inevitably evolve. Another interesting outcome of this study was the fact that not one context, but two, affect adaptation. Whereas the Malawian context impacted content and delivery mechanisms of the courses, the U.S. context influenced the process and procedure for design. / Ph. D.

The aim of the thesis is to examine all aspects relating to the e-learning and information apply to the possibility of lifelong education in the field of accounting has just through e-learning. This is mainly on the evaluation of the effectiveness of e-learning in the teaching of accounting and the identification of the problematic circuits.

The purpose of implementing educational reform is to improve the academic achievement and social skills of graduating students, but evaluating the benefits of a particular instructional method or curriculum design can be complicated. In an online and problem-based learning environment that allows students to choose content and assessment projects and self-pace, the motivation of students to learn and their engagement in the learning process significantly influences the success of the program. This generic qualitative study focused on the experiences of middle school students participating in an online and problem-based educational setting. The study included interview data and self-evaluation questionnaires about students' levels of motivation and engagement. Vygotsky's zone of proximal development (ZPD), Bandura's theory of self-efficacy, Dewey's experiential learning theory and other motivational theories provided the conceptual framework for this qualitative study of personalizing learning in constructivist environments. The data were analyzed through inductive thematic analysis with constant comparison. The findings highlighted the student perspective and identified factors that influenced students' buy-in to this type of personalized education. The results from this study may be used to help teachers plan and design curriculum and instructional strategies that encourage student motivation to learn and engagement in the learning process. Students who are motivated to learn and engaged in the learning process are more likely to graduate from school with the knowledge and skills required to enter the workforce and become productive knowledge workers in a knowledge economy.