Abstract

As online instruction continues to evolve, instructors continue to struggle with the perceived growing problem of academic dishonesty. This study will expand the literature regarding academic integrity, particularly in the online learning environment by examining student perceptions of academic integrity related to both online and face-to-face course formats. A survey was administered which measured the frequency students participated in academic misconduct and the instances in which students believed other students participated in academic misconduct. This study involved two research questions: 1) Do differences exist between online vs. face-to-face students’ perception of the academic integrity of their own behavior based on course type? 2) Do differences exist between online and face-to-face students’ perceptions of other students’ behavior based on course type.

Abstract

The authors examined online responses of a cohort of teachers, most of whom were taking their first graduate course. The teachers (students) posted their ideas within six blogs. Of 26 students, 11 (42.31%) consented to the analysis of their reflections. Basing their interpretation on stages of online community developed by Waltonen-Moore, Stuart, Newton, Oswald, and Varonis (2006), the authors describe the progress of one group through the stages, discuss three themes that related to a sense of classroom community, and offer suggestions for using online conversation to build classroom community.

Abstract

Toward the goal of better e-book design to support early literacy learning, this study investigates analytic tools for examining design qualities of e-books for young children. Three research-based analytic tools related to e-book design were applied to a mixed genre collection of 50 e-books from popular online sites. Tool performance varied across design categories (e.g., multimedia) and administration revealing comparative strengths and weaknesses. Results inform researchers and educators who are engaged in designing and evaluating e-books as material resources in early literacy teaching and learning.

Abstract

While the development of online education has been progressing rapidly, further research is needed on the experiences of students in online courses. One concept that has been explored in relation to the quality of the online learning experience is social presence, the degree to which a person is perceived as “real” in mediated communication. The purpose of this article is to discuss the findings regarding the Social Presence and Satisfaction instruments (Gunawardena & Zittle, 1997) used in a recent research study focusing on online learning. Background literature regarding social presence and existing studies of this construct in relation to online learning are analyzed. Descriptive statistics for the Social Presence Scale and Satisfaction Scale are presented and show that students in online courses feel comfortable relating and interacting in the online environment, and are satisfied with online courses. Findings support the continued reliability and validity of these scales and encourage further use of these scales in educational research.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of training, modality, and redundancy on the participants’ ability to apply and recall a historical inquiry strategy. An experimental research design was utilized with presentation mode as the independent variable and strategy application and strategy recall as the dependent variables. The participants were engaged in the multimedia intervention for a total of five days, for approximately 30 minutes a day. The results of the study revealed significant differences in the training main effects analysis indicating that strategy instruction can be effectively provided in a multimedia learning environment. However, no significant differences were found for the modality and redundancy main effects.