Electronic Journal of e-Learning

From Emergency Remote Teaching to an Online Educational Ecosystem: An Ecuadorian University Case Study

Miguel Angel Herrera-Pavo, Adriana Ornellas — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0000

This case study examines the experience of Universidad Andina Simón Bolívar (UASB-E), a traditionally face-to-face institution in Ecuador, as it transitioned to online learning during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing on data from interviews, surveys, and document analysis, the study explores the challenges and opportunities associated with this rapid shift, offering insights for rethinking and redesigning higher education in the post-pandemic world. Prior to the pandemic, UASB-E primarily relied on face-to-face teaching with limited use of its virtual learning environment. In response to the crisis, the university quickly mobilized to migrate its entire educational offering online, initially adopting an emergency remote teaching approach focused on synchronous videoconferencing. However, student preferences and the need for a sustainable solution prompted UASB-E to rethink its online learning model. The study identifies six key dimensions of UASB-E's improvement in its capacity to deliver online education: (1) Technological Infrastructure and Digital Processes: Enhanced technological infrastructure and streamlined digital processes in management, administration, and academics, laying the foundation for a robust online learning environment. (2) Pedagogical Innovation: Recognizing the limitations of replicating face-to-face teaching online, UASB-E embraced activity-based instructional design, asynchronous online education, and collaborative learning strategies, promoting deeper engagement and personalized learning experiences. (3) Accessibility and Inclusivity: By leveraging the flexibility of online learning, UASB-E expanded its reach beyond its physical campus, reaching students across Ecuador who might not have otherwise accessed higher education, demonstrating the potential of online learning to democratize access to quality education. (4) Programme Diversification: Beyond emergency measures, UASB-E is strategically diversifying its academic offerings, developing new face-to-face, blended, and fully online programmes, allowing for flexibility and catering to diverse student needs and learning preferences. (5) Faculty Training and Development: Implemented a comprehensive training programme focusing on both the instrumental skills of managing online platforms and the pedagogical aspects of designing engaging and effective online learning experiences. (6) Assessment and Feedback: The study highlights the need for a more reflective and analytical approach to assessment and feedback in online environments, with efforts to improve feedback timeliness, individual support, and communication providing valuable lessons for other institutions. Beyond UASB-E's specific experience, the study emphasizes the importance of collaboration and cross-sectoral strategies in building resilient and comprehensive education systems for the future. It also underscores the need for new approaches to learning ecologies that leverage technology effectively while ensuring equitable, inclusive, and high-quality education for all. This case study offers valuable insights for higher education institutions navigating the rapidly evolving landscape of online learning. By understanding the challenges and opportunities that emerged from UASB-E's experience, other institutions can make informed decisions about their own online learning strategies and contribute to shaping a more resilient and flexible future for higher education.

An Overview of Arabic Language Open Educational Resources (OER) for Primary and Secondary Education and Their Use in Offline Environments

Laura Hosman, Rachel Nova, Osamah Abdullah Ahmed Mohammed Naji, Lubna Alsaka — Tue, 03 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Open educational resource (OER) initiatives have opened new avenues for educational opportunities, yet OER adoption levels globally remain low. Two significant obstacles to more widespread adoption of OER are the challenge of internet connectivity that nearly half the world’s population still faces, and the lack of locally-relevant (e.g. in terms of language and curricula) OER resources. This article’s contribution is twofold. First, it presents a qualitative landscape analysis of existing primary- and secondary-level Arabic-language digital OERs and of the initiatives that provide these resources. Second, it details applied research via a case study, wherein appropriate resources identified in the analysis were subsequently curated for inclusion in an offline digital library currently being used in schools in Northeast Syria that offers all Open resources. Results from the landscape analysis indicate a limited quantity of Arabic-language OER content available for primary and secondary education. Furthermore, multiple challenges hinder the adoption of OER in resource-constrained settings. Accordingly, recommendations are made that could help to improve these resources' ability to be used, particularly drawing from the article’s applied case study for examples. Given the case study’s application of providing locally-relevant OER resources in an offline setting, this article provides a real-world example of furthering open e-learning, despite infrastructural, linguistic, and socio-political challenges. As such, it advances research supporting innovative e-learning practice, and should be of interest for scholars and practitioners interested in furthering the adoption of open e-learning in low-resource settings globally.

The Analysis of Learning Performance Satisfaction for Physical and Online Learning: A Case Study from Taiwan

Kuei-Chien Chiu, Rung-Ching Chen — Wed, 18 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Management education, continuously evolving since the 1990s, recognizes the need to develop proficient management professional’s adept at strategic decision-making. The present research delves into the effectiveness of a management course for first-year students at a chosen School of Management, underlining its paramount importance in ensuring student retention and bolstering departmental stability. The purpose of this research is to evaluate the effectiveness of traditional physical and online learning methods in a management course for first-year students at a university in Taiwan, focusing on students' satisfaction with their learning performance. The study aims to compare the educational efficacy of these two instructional modes and analyze the variations in student performance and satisfaction. The methodology involved a longitudinal design with data collection from first-year students in 2022 (online learning) and 2023 (physical learning). The research employed pre-test and post-test evaluations, regression analysis, and Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA) to assess the impact of course units on students' learning satisfaction. This study employed regression analysis to determine the influence of enhancing "Management Basis" and "Management Operations" on satisfaction. The results revealed that online learning outperformed physical learning in terms of overall student satisfaction, particularly in understanding "Management Basis" and "Management Operations." However, physical learning demonstrated higher improvements in student scores and satisfaction, particularly in areas requiring detailed explanations and hands-on engagement, such as "Control Tools.". The novelty of this research lies in its comparative approach to evaluating two distinct learning environments during a critical period marked by the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings offer valuable insights into how different teaching modalities impact student satisfaction and learning outcomes, providing guidance for educators to refine instructional strategies to enhance student learning efficacy across different formats. The study underscores the importance of adapting teaching methods to suit the specific demands of online and physical learning environments.

A Systematic Review on the Efficacy of Flow Experience on Continuance Intention in e-Learning: The Need for Overarching Evidence Synthesis

Tue, 15 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The application of the concept of flow in the context of the e-learning environment has widespread benefits. Creating a sense of flow can result in a positive learner experience and continuance in the e-learning environment. However, in the past two decades, applying the flow concept in analysing continuance intention in an e-learning context has been vague and complicated due to the broad nature and learners’ behaviour. This includes the lack of certainty in operationalising the flow framework, theories, multitude of methods, or delivery settings. More specifically, uncertainty persists regarding the association between flow experience and continuance in e-learning. Hence, we intend to systematically review, synthesise and appraise the literature on the operationalisation of flow experience, methods used to study the flow concept, and the relationship between flow experience and continuance intention. We reported this systematic review according to the guidance of the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses). Electronic database searches on Scopus, Web of Science, JSTOR, and manual searches yielded 913 potential papers. Overall, n=20 peer-reviewed articles published between 2000 and 2021 satisfying the eligibility criteria were included. The synthesis identified that all the studies applied quantitative research design to examine the relationship between flow experience and continuance intention. While evidence also accumulated that no included studies have conceptualised flow experience considering all the nine dimensions, the lack of certainty in operationalising the flow framework applied in e-learning invites the attention of the researchers to validate the dimensions. Finally, most studies in the review exhibited a significant relationship between flow experience and continuance intention. The study provides a comprehensive synthesis and an in-depth analysis of the body of knowledge produced in the area of flow experience and continuance in the e-learning context, as it helps in providing implications for online marketers, learners, and academic institutions. The approach incorporated for synthesising evidence in this study lays a rigorous benchmark for conducting systematic reviews. This research study will be an asset for researchers and methodologists undertaking systematic reviews in e-learning. A total n=20 peer-reviewed articles were included after performing a search on Scopus, Web of Science, and JSTOR. Results of the study reveal that all the studies applied quantitative research design for examining the relationship between flow experience and continuance intention. Further, the lack of certainty in operationalizing the flow framework applied in e-learning invites the attention of the researchers to validate the dimensions. Finally, the majority of the studies in the review exhibited a significant relationship between flow experience and continuance intention. The study provides a comprehensive synthesis and an in-depth analysis of the body of knowledge produced in the area of flow experience and continuance in the e-learning context, as it helps in providing implications for online marketers, learners, and academic institutions. The approach incorporated for synthesizing evidence in this study lays a rigorous benchmark for conducting systematic reviews. This paper will be a valuable asset for researchers and methodologists undertaking systematic reviews in e-learning.

Enhancing Learning Engagement in the Flipped Classroom using a Video-Annotation Tool

Giacomo Cassano, Nicoletta Di Blas, Alessia Mataresi — Tue, 29 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

In the realm of academia, there has been a burgeoning interest in examining student engagement within the context of the flipped classroom approach, particularly at the higher education level. Nevertheless, research pertaining to a pivotal facet of this pedagogical methodology—namely, student engagement during the individualized, at-home preparatory phase—remains limited. Within this void, the primary objective of this study is to delve into the prospective benefits offered by a video annotation tool in augmenting students’ level of engagement during this autonomous study phase. Throughout the course of this investigation, a bespoke questionnaire was crafted, grounded in a multifaceted framework for evaluating student engagement, with a specific emphasis on dissecting four distinct dimensions: behavioral, emotional, agentive, and cognitive. This questionnaire is geared towards gauging student engagement within the domain of the Flipped Classroom model that relies on video-based instructional content—a facet heretofore poorly explored within the scholarly literature. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected by administering the aforementioned questionnaire to a cohort of 68 undergraduate engineering students at Politecnico di Milano (Italy), all within the authentic context of a case study. The outcomes stemming from this empirical inquiry showcase a noteworthy enhancement in student engagement, with particular prominence accorded to the realms of emotional and agentive engagement. Moreover, this study establishes that the interactivity and proactive involvement necessitated by the video annotation tool do not obstruct students’ behavioral and cognitive engagement levels. In summation, this research endeavors to illuminate the potentiality of bridging a pivotal juncture in the Flipped Classroom paradigm, specifically the phase characterized by independent at-home study. This bridge is facilitated by the utilization of a video annotation tool designed to heighten student engagement. This transformative approach effectively transmutes the traditionally passive at-home study phase of the Flipped Classroom into an active experience, thereby enhancing the overall efficacy of this pedagogical approach.

The Influence of Artificial Intelligence Tools on Student Performance in e-Learning Environments: Case Study

Mohd Elmagzoub Eltahir, Frdose Mohd Elmagzoub Babiker — Mon, 04 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000

This study investigated the impact of AI-powered personalized learning tools on the academic performance and perceptions of pre-service student teachers enrolled in the Educational Technology course, a compulsory component of the Professional Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching program at Ajman University. A quasi-experimental design was employed with 55 students in the experimental group and 55 in the control group. The experimental group utilized AI-powered tools within the Moodle platform, while the control group received traditional instruction. Pre- and post-tests, along with a rubric-based assessment and a questionnaire, were administered to assess performance, knowledge retention, critical thinking, motivation, and engagement. Statistical analysis revealed significant differences between the groups, favoring the experimental group in terms of academic performance and knowledge retention. Additionally, students in the experimental group demonstrated higher levels of critical thinking, motivation, and engagement. These findings underscore the transformative potential of AI-powered personalized learning tools in teacher education. By integrating AI into educational practices, institutions can revolutionize e-learning by providing personalized instruction, intelligent tutoring, automated grading, and adaptive learning experiences. This can enhance student engagement, improve learning outcomes, and reduce the workload of educators. Ultimately, AI empowers institutions to create more effective and inclusive learning environments that cater to the diverse needs of students and prepare them for the future.

Analysing the Impact of Gamification Techniques on Enhancing Learner Engagement, Motivation, and Knowledge Retention: A Structural Equation Modelling Approach

Lassaad Smirani, Hanaa Yamani — Tue, 05 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000

This study investigates the impact of gamification techniques, including Kahoot!, Classcraft, and Badgeville, on learner motivation, engagement, and perceptions of learning effectiveness and enjoyment in online learning environments. Employing a quantitative research approach, the study utilizes Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to analyze the relationships between gamification elements and learner outcomes, framed by Self-Determination Theory (SDT). Data collected from a survey of 169 academics across varis fields reveal that gamification techniques, such as leaderboards, badges, points systems, and challenges, significantly enhance learner engagement, with an average increase of 25% observed. Rewards, incentives, and competitive challenges boost both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, leading to a 30% improvement in learner performance. Despite a slight negative perception regarding gamification's impact on learning effectiveness, a 20% increase in perceived enjoyment underscores its overall positive influence. Knowledge retention significantly impacts learner engagement, perceived learning effectiveness, and enjoyment, with a correlation coefficient of 0.65 between retention rates and engagement levels. These findings highlight the importance of balancing competitive elements to optimize motivation, effectiveness, and enjoyment while maintaining a supportive learning environment. The study provides actionable recommendations for designing gamified e-learning environments that effectively integrate gamification elements to enhance engagement, motivation, and knowledge retention, offering evidence-based guidance for educators aiming to create engaging and effective online learning experiences.

Unlocking Insights: Harnessing Primary School Children's Experiences and Reflections on Emergency Remote Learning to Shape K-12 e-Learning in the Post-Pandemic Era

Maria Meletiou-Mavrotheris, Zoe Oikonomidou, Nektaria Klada, Argyro Fyseki — Tue, 12 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The study aimed to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on primary education in Cyprus and to discern the implications for the post-pandemic era, specifically focusing on the Emergency Remote Learning (ERL) experiences and reflections of upper primary students (ages 9-12). Grounded in socio-constructivist learning theory, which emphasizes the importance of active student engagement and social interaction in the learning process, the research explored the challenges students faced during the rapid shift to remote education. A mixed-methods design was employed, using an in-depth online survey that incorporated both quantitative and qualitative questions. Data were collected from a sample of 204 students selected through non-probability, convenience sampling. The analysis revealed that students experienced several challenges, including technology constraints, lack of interaction, and difficulty maintaining concentration, which are consistent with global findings on K-12 ERL. Among demographic factors, the type of school attended (public vs. private) had a significant influence on most aspects of students' ERL experience. Private school students reported more favourable conditions than their public school counterparts, which facilitated a smoother shift to both asynchronous and synchronous ERL, resulting in a more positive overall ERL experience. Regardless of the type of school attended, students overwhelmingly expressed a strong preference for face-to-face learning. Comparisons with other studies conducted in Cyprus during the same period involving older student age cohorts suggest significant age-related differences. The young students in our study encountered greater challenges during the transition to ERL, which can be attributed to their heightened need for scaffolding and external regulation to learn in the virtual space, as well as the higher importance they attached to the social aspects of school life taken away by ERL. Despite their largely negative experiences with ERL, a high proportion of the children advocated integrating the e-learning tools and technologies they got acquainted with during ERL into the normal context of schooling. These findings underscore the importance of further research into effective instructional strategies tailored to young learners in both online and blended learning settings. They also highlight the potential benefits of incorporating e-learning tools into conventional classrooms to enhance the teaching and learning process.

Leveraging Data Analytics to Investigate the Effectiveness of Flipped Classroom Models: A Case Study of Practical Programming Teaching

Huy Tran, Tien Vu-Van, Thanh-Van Le, Hoang-Anh Pham, Nguyen Huynh-Tuong — Thu, 14 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Educators face multiple challenges when teaching programming, such as the intricate nature of programming knowledge, the choice of effective teaching methods, and the diverse abilities of learners. Traditional teaching methods often fail to address these challenges, leading to higher dropout rates and lower student grades. This paper explores a study on the effectiveness of the flipped classroom model as a strategy to enhance student engagement in a practical programming course. In addition, learning data was analyzed to examine the relationship between pre-class preparation and in-class learning outcomes. The study's results indicate that the flipped classroom model significantly enhances student engagement and performance. Students who diligently completed pre-class assignments and dedicated more time to study demonstrated improved performance in subsequent in-class exercises. The results emphasize the potential of the flipped classroom model as a successful teaching method for increasing student involvement, encouraging self-directed learning, and ultimately improving the overall educational experience in programming courses.