Volume 13, Number 2, Winter 2014


 

Designing Deeper Learning Experiences for Online Instruction

Betul C. Czerkawski
University of Arizona-South Campus

Abstract

Deeper learning promotes students’ active engagement in learning environments, so they can continuously explore, reflect and produce information to build complex knowledge structures. Consequently, deeper learning has become a major focus of scholarly investigation and debate. Multiple studies have been conducted to describe the characteristics of deeper learning and to determine methods for infusing it into the curriculum. The paper starts with a description of deeper learning, reviews the body of existing research and presents guidelines for deeper learning that can be used in online learning environments.

Applying the Seven Principles of Good Practice: Technology as a Lever - in an Online Research Course

Sherryl Johnson
Albany State University

Abstract

This article provides an overview of the seven principles of good practice with emphasis on the implementation of technology in an online healthcare research class in a southwest Georgia (United States) university. The seven principles are outlined using various elements of the online course. Historical and philosophical reasoning are applied to the practices of good teaching for optimal student benefit.

Applying the Interaction Equivalency Theorem to Online Courses in a Large Organization

Brenda Cecilia Padilla Rodriguez
Autonomous University of Nuevo Leon, Mexico

Alejandro Armellini
University of Northampton, UK

Abstract

Finding effective ways of designing online courses is a priority for corporate organizations. The interaction equivalency theorem states that meaningful learning can be achieved as long as courses are designed with at least a high level of one of three types of interactions (learner-content, learner-teacher or learner-learner). This study aimed to establish whether the interaction equivalency theorem applies to online learning in the corporate sector. The research was conducted in a large Mexican commercial organization, and involved 147 learners (sales supervisors), 30 teachers (sales managers and directors) and 3 academic assistants (course designers, or education support staff). Three courses of an existing Leadership Program (Situational Leadership, Empowering Beliefs and Effective Performance) were redesigned and developed to test three course designs, each emphasizing a different type of interaction (learner-content, learner-teacher or learner-learner). Data were collected through surveys (for diagnostic and evaluation purposes) and exams. All courses yielded high levels of effectiveness, in terms of satisfaction, learning, perceived readiness for knowledge transfer and return on expectations. This suggests that the interaction equivalency theorem not only applies in a business setting but might also include other indicators of course effectiveness, such as satisfaction, learning transfer and return on expectations. Further research is needed to explore the possible expansion of the theorem.

Online Learning and Students with Disabilities: Parent Perspectives

Paula J. Burdette
National Association of State Directors of Special Education

Diana L. Greer
Center for Research on Learning, University of Kansas

Abstract

While research has been conducted on parental involvement in K-12 online learning, none of this research relates specifically to the parents of students with disabilities. Thus, researchers developed a survey around the following constructs: parental roles, instruction and assessment, communication and support from the school, and parental challenges. Researchers then distributed the survey to parents who had a child with a disability enrolled in an online setting. This article describes the survey findings based on 119 qualified responses from across the United States. In general, parents were pleased with the outcomes that their children were experiencing in online learning, but some issues still exist for educating students with disabilities within this environment.

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