Archive for the ‘Research’ Category

Technology-mediated task-based language teaching: A qualitative research synthesis

In the past 10 to 15 years, researchers have begun to explore the possibility of synthesizing research on task-based language teaching (TBLT) and computer-assisted language learning (CALL) in the interests of advancing the development of both fields as well as informing practice. In particular, there has been an increasing number of naturalistic, classroom-based studies, which […]

Creating Better Definitions of Distance Education

Distance education across all levels of education is growing at a rapid rate. As institutions and governments attempt to guide distance education, working definitions and their meanings conflict. Perhaps this is in part because administrators and practitioners are working from definitions that are decades-old. This paper suggests new definitions are needed to help guide and […]

Examining educational technology and research impact: the two roles of e-learning and related terms in the 2014 REF impact case studies

The need to demonstrate the impact of research has become an important issue in the Higher Education sector in the UK. This has been taken care of through the introduction of ‘impact case studies’ as part of the research excellence framework (REF). The aim of the study presented in this paper was to understand the […]

K-12 Community of Inquiry: A case study of the applicability of the Community of Inquiry framework in the K-12 learning environment

Teaching practices and rationales of experienced online social studies teachers at one fully online high school in the southeastern United States were aligned with the Community of Inquiry theoretical framework using the descriptive case study method. Three male teachers and one female social studies teacher, all with three or more years of experience in the […]

How Can Educators Tap Into Research To Increase Engagement During Remote Learning?

As university professors and researchers who work closely with K-12 online teachers and learners, we’ve heard from many newly remote educators who are struggling. Recent class discussions have focused on the difficulties of getting through to students without in-person contact, especially during a time of enormous stress. Some teachers report that their students lack interest […]

The Linguistic Deception of the Phrase Best Practices: A Critical Analysis of Articles Discussing “Best” Practices in Online Learning

This article examines the use of the phrase best practices in academic literature that discusses online learning. Results of our study indicate that, despite the ubiquity of this phrase in academic literature concerning online pedagogy, the majority of articles lack empirical support for promoting certain approaches as best practices. Faculty and administrators would be well […]

Open Textbook Library: University of Minnesota

Open textbooks are textbooks that have been funded, published, and licensed to be freely used, adapted, and distributed. These books have been reviewed by faculty from a variety of colleges and universities to assess their quality. These books can be downloaded for no cost, or printed at low cost. All textbooks are either used at […]

Furthering Research and Development in Technology-Enabled Learning

Considerable attention has been paid, in the recent past, to technology-enabled learning (TEL) and how digital technologies have been facilitating teachers, learners and trainers in transforming the ways they approach teaching-learning and development (Kirkwood & Price, 2016; Sankey & Mishra,2019). Institutions across the globe use TEL to ‘enhance’ the quality of learning and teaching with […]

Virtual International Exchange as a High-Impact Learning Tool for More Inclusive, Equitable and Diverse Classrooms

While technology-assisted learning has become commonplace in education, its applications are rarely examined along geopolitical and cultural perspectives that reveal certain shared and vastly distinct localized practices in evolving pedagogy and cultural dynamics. For developing countries such as Uzbekistan, collaborating virtually with a university in the U.S. may represent both a technological and socio-cultural challenge. […]

A Confirmatory Factor Analysis of a Teaching Presence Instrument in an Online Computer Applications Course

Academic research has consistently shown effective teacher presence to be a significant factor in stu-dent satisfaction, engagement, perceived learning, and sense of community. The need for effective teaching presence remains of significant importance, particularly with the vast growth of online courses and online degree programs. It is, therefore, also necessary to evaluate the instruments used […]