Instructional Design | Distance-Educator.com

Archive for the ‘Instructional Design’ Category

Student Perceptions of the Most Effective and Engaging Online Learning Activities in a Blended Graduate Seminar

The principal concern of this research was to learn more about effective designs of learning activities in blended courses. A questionnaire was administered in three sections of a not-for-credit intensive blended graduate seminar in university teaching. The online activities included readings, videos, discussion forum activities and other activities using a range of web-based technologies. Students […]

Strengths-Based Analysis of Student Success in Online Courses

Online courses today give a broad, diverse population access to higher education. Despite postsecondary institutions embracing this opportunity, scholarly literature reveals persistent concern over low retention rates in online courses. In response to this concern, an explanatory sequential, mixed methods study was conducted in three phases at a public research university to simultaneously explore personal, […]

Exploring the effects of visual aesthetics in e-learning for engineering students

e-Learning is changing the way students learn in the classroom. However, one of the least emphasised aspect in e-learning design concerns with aesthetics. Recent research in multimedia aesthetics highlighted the need to understand interaction from a multidisciplinary perspective. Aesthetics research in e-learning usually focuses on exploring the effects of positive aesthetics design towards neutral designs […]

Gamify Online Courses with Tools Built into Your Learning Management System (LMS) to Enhance Self-Determined and Active Learning

“Gamified” active learning has been shown to increase students’ academic performance, engagement, and make more social connections than standard course settings. However, the costs to use an educational game design with efficient delivery of the game/course plan can be problematic. Our first objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of gamification by using existing techniques (e.g., […]

How do Virtual Teams Collaborate in Online Learning Tasks in a MOOC?

Modern learning theories stress the importance of student-centered and self-directed learning. Problem-Based Learning (PBL) supports this by focusing on small group learning centered around authentic problems. PBL, however, usually relies heavily on face-to-face team collaboration and tutor guidance. Yet, when applied in online/blended environments, such elements may not be feasible or even desirable. This study […]

Critical Thinking in Asynchronous Online Discussions: A Systematic Review

Enhancing critical thinking is a common goal of higher education. Designing and facilitating learning environments in which critical thinking may develop is a key responsibility for instructors. In this paper, we seek to inform future research and practice by investigating instructional strategies that could be used to promote critical and reflective thinking in asynchronous online […]

Understanding Learner Variability to Personalize Learning

Personalized learning is being heralded as an antidote for much that ails the education system. It is deemed by some as a way to inspire and motivate students, tailor instruction to meet student needs, and scale instruction with the support of technology. Many schools nationwide are exploring ways to personalize the learning experience. But a […]

New Project Aims to Use Artificial Intelligence to Enhance Teacher Training

(TNS) – WORCESTER – A new government-funded research project at Worcester Polytechnic Institute aims to use artificial intelligence in hopes of revolutionizing the way teachers evaluate their own performance in the classroom. Computer science professor Jacob Whitehill and his colleagues have received a $750,000, three-year grant from the National Science Foundation to develop the Automatic […]

The Changing Pedagogical Landscape: In Search of Patters in Policies and Practices of New Modes of Teaching and Learning

The cases in this study reveal numerous positive incentives for stimulating innovation in education. Next to an institutional strategy plan on education and leadership for an innovative climate, the development of expertise on blended teaching and learning within the institutions and the continuous development of staff are seen as essential incentives. The examples of various […]

Effect of Communication Management on Distance Learners’ Cognitive Engagement in Malaysian Institutions of Higher Learning

Rapid development of communication tools has brought about contentious issues in communication management in distance learning (DL) programs. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationships between communication management indicators, namely, communication practices, communication tools, and students’ cognitive engagement in distance learning programs. A conceptual framework for communication management was developed from Moore’s […]

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