In: International journal of intercultural relations: IJIR ; official publ. of SIETAR, the Society for Intercultural Education, Training and Research, Band 37, Heft 2, S. 188-201
ABSTRACTA key concern for most institutions and instructors is whether students are satisfied with their learning experience. However, relatively few studies have unpacked what the key drivers for learner satisfaction are in blended and online courses. Using logistical regression modelling, learner satisfaction data of 62,986 learners in 401 undergraduate blended and online modules was analyzed. The data included over 200 potential explanatory variables based on learner and module learning design characteristics. Findings indicate that learning design has a strong and significant impact on overall satisfaction for both new and continuing learners. Learners who are more satisfied with the quality of teaching materials, assessment strategies, and workload are more satisfied with the overall learning experience. Furthermore, long‐term goals of learners (i.e., qualifications and relevance of modules with learners' professional careers) are important predictors of learner satisfaction. Individual learner characteristics are mostly insignificant, indicating that despite a wide diversity of learners studying at the Open University, UK, the underlying learning experiences are similar. Future research should focus on how learning design changes can enhance the learning experiences of students.
Mixed methods social network analysis brings together diverse perspectives from 42 international experts on how to design, implement, and evaluate mixed methods social network analysis (MMSNA). There is an increased recognition that social networks can be important catalysts for change and transformation
AbstractFlipped classroom (FC) approaches have gotten substantial attention in the last decade because they have a potential to stimulate student engagement as well as active and collaborative learning. The FC is generally defined as a strategy that flips the traditional education setting, i.e., the information transmission component of a traditional face-to-face lecture is moved out of class time. The FC relies on technology and is therefore suitable for online or blended learning, which were predominant forms of learning during the COVID-19 pandemic (March 2020–July 2021). In this paper we present a systematic literature review (SLR) of studies that covered online FC approaches in higher education during the pandemic. We analyzed 205 publications in total and 18 in detail. Our research questions were related to the main findings about the success of implementation of online FC and recommendations for future research. The findings indicated that those who had used FC approaches in face-to-face or blended learning environments more successfully continued to use them in online environments than those who had not used it before. The SLR opened possible questions for future research, such as the effectiveness of the FC for different courses and contexts, the cognitive and emotional aspects of student engagement, and students' data protection. It pointed to the need to examine different aspects of online delivery of the FC more comprehensively, and with more research rigor.
AbstractLearning analytics dashboards (LADs) can provide learners with insights about their study progress through visualisations of the learner and learning data. Despite their potential usefulness to support learning, very few studies on LADs have considered learners' needs and have engaged learners in the process of design and evaluation. Aligning with that, there is a limited understanding of what specific student cohorts, in particular distance and online learners, may seek from LADs to effectively support their studies. In this study, we present findings from 21 interviews with undergraduate distance learners, mainly high performers, that aimed to capture student perceptions about the usefulness of specific LAD features and the factors that explain these perceptions. Our findings revealed that amongst the LAD features favoured by students was the potential to receive study recommendations, whereas comparison with peers was amongst the least favoured elements, unless informed by qualitative information. Factors including information trust, attitudes, age, performance and academic self-confidence were found to explain these perceptions.