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Faculty Support in Higher Education Provided by University Administration during Emergency Remote Teaching: A Case Study Open Praxis Pub Date : 2021-12-31 Murat Sümer,Berna Yüner
COVID-19 caused a global crisis and influenced approximately 1.5 billion students. Due to the threat of COVID-19, schools and universities suspended all the face to face classes and faced a mandatory transition to online learning to continue their teaching and learning. Teachers and students did not have time to prepare or get supported for emergency remote teaching. This study aims to examine the
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OER Certification of Individuals and Organisations in Higher Education: Implementations Worldwide Open Praxis Pub Date : 2021-12-31 Sandra Schön,Martin Ebner,Elfriede Berger,Gerhard Brandhofer,Ortrun Gröblinger,Tanja Jadin,Michael Kopp,Hans-Peter Steinbacher,Charlotte Zwiauer
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Fostering Symbiosis Between E-tutors and Lecturers of an English Studies Module at an Open Distance Learning University in South Africa Open Praxis Pub Date : 2021-12-31 Thembeka Shange
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Assessment, Interaction and Technology in Distance Education: A Netnographic Study at a Brazilian Virtual University Open Praxis Pub Date : 2021-12-31 Édison Trombeta De Oliveira
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Book Review of Evaluating Online Teaching: Implementing Best Practices Open Praxis Pub Date : 2021-12-31 NorHafizah Azhar,M. Khalid M. Nasir
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Surfing on Three Waves of MOOCs: An Examination and Snapshot of Research in Massive Open Online Courses Open Praxis Pub Date : 2021-12-31 Aras Bozkurt
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A Classification Approach with Machine Learning Methods for Technical Problems of Distance Education: Turkey Example Open Praxis Pub Date : 2021-12-31 Rıdvan Yayla,Halime Yayla,Gizem Ortaç,Turgay Bilgin
Distance education is an education model in which the lessons can be taught simultaneously using technical material without time and space restrictions. It has gained importance after the Covid-19 pandemic processes and has been implemented as a valid educational model in all educational institutions. Due to the sudden pandemic measures, distance education has brought about a lot of technical problems
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Systemic Tensions in the MOOC Design Cycle: An Activity Systems Analysis upon Implementing edX for Latin America and the Caribbean Open Praxis Pub Date : 2021-12-31 Fabián Freire
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Say no to Reinventing the Wheel: How other Countries can Build on the Norwegian Model of State-Financed OER to Create More Inclusive Upper Secondary Schools Open Praxis Pub Date : 2021-10-20 Frank J. Müller
The article shows in which areas other countries can benefit from the work of the Norwegian platform NDLA (ndla.no). This assessment is based on interviews with 13 representatives of the platform, three cooperation partners and one representative of Norwegian textbook publishers. The experiences described refer to a large-scale Open Educational Resources (OER) platform for upper secondary education
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The State of Micro-Credentials Implementation and Practice in Australasian Higher Education Open Praxis Pub Date : 2021-10-20 Ratna Selvaratnam,Michael Sankey
Micro-credentialing is rapidly growing globally as learning that is both life-long and life-wide and this has only accelerated due to COVID-19. To understand what this means for higher education, The Australasian Council on Open, Distance and eLearning has conducted two surveys on the implementation and practice of micro-credentialing in the Australasian sector. With the surveys conducted a year apart
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Development of an Online Teaching Competency Scale for University Instructors Open Praxis Pub Date : 2021-10-20 Irfan Simsek,Sevda Kucuk,Sezer Kose Biber,Tuncer Can
In providing effective online education, it is crucial that the instructors have the competence to teach online. The aim of this study is to develop a valid and reliable online teaching competency scale for online instructors. The data were collected from 392 instructors working in a big state university in Turkey (Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa). The instructors have conducted online courses through
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Designing for Wellbeing: An Inclusive Learning Design Approach with Student Mental Health Vignettes Open Praxis Pub Date : 2021-10-20 Kate Lister,Ruth McFarlane
Student mental health is a growing concern for universities; increasing numbers of students are experiencing wellbeing issues, and distance learners are particularly at risk. Evidence indicates that triggers for mental health difficulties can reside within higher education environments, systems and study practices, implying that a proactive, inclusive design approach should be considered to complement
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On Becoming an Online University in an Emergency Period: Voices From the Students at a State University Open Praxis Pub Date : 2021-10-20 Volkan Kukul
This study purposes to examine the emergency transition to distance education during the COVID-19 pandemic from the perspective of university students. Based on this purpose, university students were asked open-ended questions about their distance education experience during the COVID-19 pandemic. Transactional Distance Theory was used as the theoretical framework to form the questions and interpret
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Making Barriers to Learning in MOOCs Visible. A Factor Analytical Approach Open Praxis Pub Date : 2021-10-20 Maartje Henderikx,Karel Kreijns,Kate M. Xu,Marco Kalz
Learners in MOOCs often experience challenges that can be identified as barriers to learning. These barriers may be MOOC- or not MOOC-related. By knowing about potential barriers learners would be better prepared and more likely to handle and overcome them. Therefore, the aim of this study was to advance insight and knowledge about barriers to learning in MOOCs. Assessment and reassessment of the data
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Using Grounded Theory Approach for Examining the Problems Faced by Teachers Enrolled in a Distance Education Programme Open Praxis Pub Date : 2021-10-20 Sutapa Bose
This study investigated the problems faced by teachers enrolling in a distance teacher education programme offered by India’s Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). Instead of review of literature, the study began with the examination of learners’ complaints about various aspects of the programme. Analysis of data extracted from the complaints led to the hypothesis that the inability of the
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A global crash-course in teaching and learning online: A thematic review of empirical Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT) studies in higher education during Year 1 of COVID-19 Open Praxis Pub Date : 2021-03-31 William H. Stewart
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted education in ways that academic institutions, scholars, administrators, educators, and students will strive to fully comprehend for years to come. The global spread of SARSCoV2 in early 2020 prompted social distancing as the primary countermeasure against contracting and spreading the novel coronavirus, which in turn led academic communities worldwide to suddenly
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Does Virtual Field Experience Deliver? An Examination into Virtual Field Experience during the Pandemic and Its Implications for Teacher Education Programs Open Praxis Pub Date : 2021-03-31 Phu Vu,Christine E. Fisher
This study attempted to examine whether academic performance of pre-service teachers (PST) in virtual field experiences was the same as that of their peers in the previous semester who had regular face-to-face field experiences. Data for this study included PST’ scores in three course sections in the Spring 2020 semester at a mid-size public university located in the Midwest of the United States where
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Inequitable Impacts of Textbook Costs at a Small, Private College: Results from a Textbook Survey at Gettysburg College Open Praxis Pub Date : 2021-03-31 Sarah Appedu,Mary Elmquist,Janelle Wertzberger,Sharon Birch
Recognizing that higher education settings vary considerably, librarians at Gettysburg College sought to better understand textbook spending behaviors and the effects of costs on our students. We adapted the Florida Virtual Campus 2016 Student Textbook and Course Materials Survey to suit the context of our small, private, liberal arts college. Most students spent $300 in Fall 2019. Financial aid awards
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Exploring Student Perceptions as Co-authors of Course Material Open Praxis Pub Date : 2021-03-31 Eric Werth,Katherine Williams
Students acting as co-creators of academic material is growing in popularity as a pedagogical approach in higher education. With student engagement and persistence consistently being emphasized for student and institution well-being, educational praxis must foster engaged, high-retention student cohorts. This exploratory research uses a mixed-methods approach to examine the experience of students participating
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Student support service excellence evaluation: Balancing the Iron Triangle of accessibility, cost-effectiveness and quality? Open Praxis Pub Date : 2021-03-31 Asteria Nsamba,Angie Bopape,Bongi Lebeloane,Laetitia Lekay
Recently, the University of South Africa widened access to academic facilities and services at one of its study centres. Although this is laudable and demonstrates a commitment by the university towards its students, it raises these three concerns (1) What is the occupancy rate of the facilities? (2) To what extent are these improved facilities cost-effective? (3) What is the quality of the services
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Exploring Learners’ Attitude toward Facebook as a Medium of Learners’ Engagement during Covid-19 Quarantine Open Praxis Pub Date : 2021-03-31 Meisam Moghadam,Habibeh Shamsi
The rapid transition to online teaching because of the global disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic exclaimed all the educators on finding the most efficient ways to teach in the presence of all rampant limitations caused in both social and academic lives. Facebook, as one of the favorite social networks, having hundreds of millions of users, is an enticing way for the teachers and students to
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Evaluating student support provision in a hybrid teacher education programme using Tait’s framework of practice Open Praxis Pub Date : 2021-03-31 Folake Ruth Aluko
Effective student support is key in stemming the dropout in distance education. This article reports on the student support provision in a hybrid teacher education programme. Altogether 160 participants were purposively selected; 126 completed a survey, 33 (30 students and 3 administrative staff) took part in six focus group discussions; and one instructional designer took part in a one-on-one interview
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Introduction to vol. 13 issue 1 and brief report on Open Praxis data Open Praxis Pub Date : 2021-03-31 Inés Gil-Jaurena
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Lessons learned developing a massive open online course in implementation research in infectious diseases of poverty in low- and middle-income countries Open Praxis Pub Date : 2021-03-31 Pascale Allotey,Daniel Reidpath,Edith Certain,Mahnaz Vahedi,Dermot Maher,Pascal Launois,Bella Ross
This study uses a case study approach to examine the development of a massive open online course (MOOC) on intervention and implementation research in infectious diseases of poverty for learners in low- and middleincome countries (LMICs). Implementation research (IR) seeks to understand and address barriers to effective implementation of health interventions, strategies, and policies. In recent years
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Open Praxis vol. 13 issue 1 Open Praxis Pub Date : 2021-03-30 Inés Gil-Jaurena, various authors
This first Open Praxis issue in 2021 includes 7 research papers and 2 innovative practice papers.
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Impact of OER in Teacher Education Open Praxis Pub Date : 2020-12-31 Denise Cummings-Clay
The purpose of this research study, which employed a quantitative research design, was to determine if there was a difference in the grades achieved by students who were enrolled in an entry-level Foundations of Education course using Open Educational Resources (OER) versus the grades achieved by students who used textbooks in other course sections. The goal was to find out whether OER was of the same
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Open and Distance Learner Engagement with Online Mediation Tools: An Activity Theory Analysis Open Praxis Pub Date : 2020-12-31 Judy Corinne Noeline Pullenayegem,K. Radhika M. De Silva,Buddhini Gayathri Jayatilleke
This paper presents the results of a study conducted to ascertain the extent to which participants studying in an open and distance learning context utilized the mediation tools provided in an Advanced Writing Skills course, conducted in a blended-learning mode in Sri Lanka. Sixty-four participants engaged in the online component of the writing course using the Process Approach. The course consisted
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An Evaluation of Online Proctoring Tools Open Praxis Pub Date : 2020-12-31 Mohammed Juned Hussein,Javed Yusuf,Arpana Sandhya Deb,Letila Fong,Som Naidu
COVID’19 is hastening the adoption of online learning and teaching worldwide, and across all levels of education. While many of the typical learning and teaching transactions such as lecturing and communicating are easily handled by contemporary online learning technologies, others, such as assessment of learning outcomes with closed book examinations are fraught with challenges. Among other issues
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Open Praxis vol. 12 issue 4 Open Praxis Pub Date : 2020-12-31 Inés Gil-Jaurena (ed.), various authors
The last Open Praxis issue in 2020 includes nine research papers and one book review. It also includes the list of reviewers who have collaborated in reviewing the papers submitted to Open Praxis volume 12.
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Student Perceptions of Textbooks: Prior Behaviors and Beliefs Can Influence Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) Adoption Impact Open Praxis Pub Date : 2020-12-31 AmberNicole Pfannenstiel,Alex Redcay,Daniel Albert
Many Open Educational Resource (OER) and Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) studies explore cost savings, impact on learning outcomes, and student perceptions of the materials. While OER/ZTC research reports positive student perceptions (Brandle et al., 2019), textbook research reports negative student perceptions of digital textbooks (Behnke, 2018). This study explores student buying behavior and perceptions
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Tutoring support as a predictor of student retention in distance learning: The case of a University in Ghana Open Praxis Pub Date : 2020-12-31 Vera Arhin,John Ekow Laryea
The tutor’s role in enhancing student retention in distance learning is paramount. This study aims to predict retention and not actual retention by investigating how tutoring support predicts student retention in distance learning at the University of Cape Coast in Ghana. Moore Transactional Distance Theory underpinned the theoretical framework of this study. The correlational research design was adopted
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Introduction to Open Praxis volume 12 issue 4 Open Praxis Pub Date : 2020-12-31 Inés Gil-Jaurena
The fourth Open Praxis issue in 2020 includes nine research papers and one book review.
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Exploring the impacts of distance higher education on adult learners’ lives and reclaiming lifelong learning as a human development process Open Praxis Pub Date : 2020-12-31 Claudia Neves,Susana Henriques
This article intends to launch discussion and reflection on two main themes: lifelong learning and digital literacy in nowadays societies. In looking for the intersections between these concepts to connote them with a more humanistic and holistic perspective, we explore the potentials of distance learning in the lives of adult learners. The empirical basis for this exploration is a survey applied to
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What About Reuse? A Study on the Use of Open Educational Resources in Dutch Higher Education Open Praxis Pub Date : 2020-12-31 Marjon Baas,Robert Schuwer
Extensive research has taken place over the years to examine the barriers of OER adoption, but little empirical studies has been undertaken to map the amount of OER reuse. The discussion around the actual use of OER, outside the context in which they were developed, remains ongoing. Previous studies have already shown that searching and evaluating resources are barriers for actual reuse. Hence, in
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Evaluation and Improvement of students’ satisfaction in Online learning during COVID-19 Open Praxis Pub Date : 2020-12-31 Fayyaz Ahmad Faize,Muhammad Nawaz
With the closure of educational institutions due to COVID-19, the biggest challenge with the universities and the instructors was engaging students in virtual learning. This research aimed at supporting university students in Islamabad (Pakistan) for online learning through a collaborative approach. The university started online learning during COVID-19 and had no earlier experience of such mode of
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Book Review of Teaching and Learning with Technology: Pushing boundaries and breaking down walls Open Praxis Pub Date : 2020-12-31 Ramesh Chander Sharma
Book review of Teaching and Learning with Technology: Pushing boundaries and breaking down walls , edited by Som Naidu and Sharishna Narayan and published in 2020 by The University of the South Pacific Press.
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The Influence of Social Presence on Students’ Satisfaction toward Online Course Open Praxis Pub Date : 2020-12-31 M. Khalid M. Nasir
Students’ satisfaction plays a vital role in ensuring effective online learning. This study investigated the association between social presence and students’ satisfaction toward online discussions in Learning Management System (LMS) platform conducted at a private university in Malaysia. Both correlation and two-step hierarchical linear regression were performed to analyze the online survey data.
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Open Praxis volume 12 issue 3 Open Praxis Pub Date : 2020-10-27 Inés Gil-Jaurena, various authors
The issue includes six research papers and two innovative practice papers, introduced by the journal editor.
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Introduction to Open Praxis volume 12 issue 3 Open Praxis Pub Date : 2020-09-30 Inés Gil-Jaurena
The issue includes six research papers and two innovative practice papers.
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Examining eLearning system self-efficacy amongst instructors at the University of Dodoma, Tanzania Open Praxis Pub Date : 2020-09-30 Joel S. Mtebe
Higher learning institutions in Africa have been investing in various eLearning systems (also referred to as learning management systems) aiming at improving the quality of teaching and learning. However, non-use or low usage of these systems amongst users is a significant setback for their success. Studies indicate that first-order barriers such as unreliable electricity power, shortage of computers
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If at First You Don’t Succeed, Try Closing Another Assessment Loop: Implementing Online Co-Curricular Assessment Open Praxis Pub Date : 2020-09-30 Heather D. Hussey,Ashley Babcock,Tara J. Lehan
Higher education institutions are commonly tasked with demonstrating student learning in and out of the classroom. Although academic and student affairs share a common goal of supporting student success, they frequently do not speak the same assessment language. This lack of alignment can lead to miscommunication and missed opportunities to collaboratively promote learning and achievement. Further
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A case study of work-based learning through the design of edX MOOCs for Latin America and the Caribbean Open Praxis Pub Date : 2020-09-30 Fabián Freire
This exploratory case study analyzed the reported learning experiences among the multidisciplinary practitioners employed in the development of edX courses for a pioneering MOOC program targeted at Latin America and Caribbean. It applied work-based learning theory and activity theory to answer the question of whether and how a group of 20 participants—including subject matter experts, instructional
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Determining needs and priorities of learners with special needs for support services in an open and distance learning context in Turkey Open Praxis Pub Date : 2020-09-30 Hakan Genç,Serpil Koçdar
This study aims to identify needs and priorities of learners with special needs for support services in an open and distance teaching university in Turkey based on disability type. Exploratory sequential design was adopted. In the qualitative phase, semi-structured interviews were performed with six individuals from each group, including hearing impairment, visual impairment, and physical disability
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Academic e-tandems as a strategy for English language learning in a Mexican university Open Praxis Pub Date : 2020-09-30 Dan Isai Serrato,Brenda Cecilia Padilla Rodriguez
E-tandems, or virtual synchronous exchanges, offer opportunities for language learners to practice their skills with native speakers. While they are regularly conducted informally, some institutions are exploring their academic use. This paper reports on the experience of eight students who were learning English at a public university in Mexico. They connected via Skype with a group of peers who were
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Academic Librarians Examination of University Students’ and Faculty’s Perceptions of Open Educational Resources Open Praxis Pub Date : 2020-09-30 Lane Fischer,Olga Belikov,Tarah K. Ikahihifo,John Hilton III,David Wiley,M. Troy Martin
A survey of 2,574 students and 1,157 faculty members across ten institutions of postsecondary education in the state of Utah was conducted by the Utah Academic Libraries Consortium. Survey items were created to understand the influence of textbook costs on student academic behavior and the viability of faculty adopting open educational resources (OER) as a solution to the cost of textbooks and the
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Forty Years of Distance Education: Challenges and implications at the Open University of Sri Lanka Open Praxis Pub Date : 2020-09-30 Buddhini Gayathri Jayatilleke,Geetha Udayanganie Kulasekera
Commencing its activities in 1980, the Open University of Sri Lanka (OUSL) has expanded over the years embracing emerging technologies periodically, undergoing a series of technological adoptions gradually through Generations of Distance Education (GDE). The aim of this study is to assess the current status of OUSL, based on Taylor’s conceptual framework of GDE, identify the challenges faced during
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Implementation of Learning Management System: A Way Ahead on the Digital Journey in Distance Learning Open Praxis Pub Date : 2020-09-30 Sidra Noreen
Over a number of years, the Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) has encouraged and supported moves to Learning Management System (LMS) replacing aspects of paper-based and face-to-face teaching and learning including, assignments, workshops and examination. The views of learners and academics were explored to consider the advantages of the system as well as potential challenges. Twenty-two participants
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Open Praxis vol. 12 issue 2 Open Praxis Pub Date : 2020-06-30 Inés Gil-Jaurena, various authors
This second Open Praxis issue in 2020 includes nine research papers.
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Online Distance Learning in Higher Education: E-learning Readiness as a Predictor of Academic Achievement Open Praxis Pub Date : 2020-06-30 Emel Dikbas Torun
The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between e-learning readiness and academic achievement in an online course in higher-level education. The survey method was employed when collecting the study data, and the data-collection instrument used was the E-Learning Readiness Scale. The scale comprises 33 items and six sub-dimensions, including (1) computer self-efficacy, (2) internet
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Opening World Regional Geography: A Case Study Open Praxis Pub Date : 2020-06-30 Caitlin Finlayson
A growing body of research has demonstrated that open educational resources (OER) provide an opportunity for improvements in learning outcomes compared to traditional texts. This project builds on the Open Education Group’s COUP framework to explore student and faculty use and perceptions of an open education World Regional Geography textbook. World Regional Geography is a lower-level course that is
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Development and validation of a scale to measure volition for learning Open Praxis Pub Date : 2020-06-30 John M. Keller, Hasan Ucar, Alper Tolga Kumtepe
Volition explains the transition from desire, or motivation, to action especially when faced with competing goals. In learning environments, the concept refers to acting with the aim of achieving learning objectives. Despite the importance of volition in learning environments, research has rarely addressed the volition construct. Thus, the purpose of this study was to explore and develop a valid and
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Effective Pedagogical Strategies for STEM Education from Instructors’ Perspective: OER for Educators Open Praxis Pub Date : 2020-06-30 Meina Zhu
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) OpenCourseWare (OCW) was launched in 2001. It is one of the earliest Open Educational Resources (OER). MIT OCW has published more than 2,400 courses which are available at no cost, the majority of which are STEM related. The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine the pedagogical strategies through reviewing instructor insights of 15 MIT OCW
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Exploring the Predictive Role of E-Learning Readiness and E-Learning Style on Student Engagement Open Praxis Pub Date : 2020-06-30 Esin Ergün, Fatma Betül Kurnaz Adıbatmaz
The aim of this study was to determine the factors predicting student engagement. The sample of the study consisted of 527 students from Karabuk University Distance Education Center. Independent variables of the study were e-learning style and online learning readiness. The data were analyzed using the stepwise multiple regression analysis. The findings revealed that students, who set a learning goal
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Examining e-Learners’ Preferences and Readiness Satisfaction: A Holistic Modelling Approach Open Praxis Pub Date : 2020-06-30 Hale Ilgaz, Yasemin Gülbahar
Over the past several years, online learning has become an extremely popular research topic. Nevertheless, there continues to be a need for a holistic approach when examining online learning. To examine issues related to online learning as well as the effects caused to online learners; researchers in this study developed and tested a model that employed a holistic approach. The aim of this study was
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Factors for Success and Course Completion in Massive Open Online Courses through the Lens of Participant Types Open Praxis Pub Date : 2020-06-30 Isa Bingol, Engin Kursun, Halil Kayaduman
The main purpose of this study is to investigate the factors for success and course completion through the lens of participants in a Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) system implemented in Turkey. Thirty-two participants were selected on the basis of purposive sampling among 5000 enrolled users from 10 MOOCs, who were then classified into 3 types –lurking, moderately active, memorably active– based
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Open Praxis vol. 12 issue 1 Open Praxis Pub Date : 2020-06-13 Inés Gil-Jaurena
The first Open Praxis issue in volume 12 includes a brief report on the journal development since its relaunching in 2013, with a special focus on volume 11, published in 2019; nine research papers, one innovative practice paper and one book review.
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Open Praxis, volume 11 issue 4 Open Praxis Pub Date : 2020-04-06 Inés Gil-Jaurena (ed.), various authors
This Open Praxis publishes 10 selected papers among those presented in the 2019 Open Education Global Conference, hosted by Politecnico di Milano (Polimi) and held in Milan (Italy) from November 26 to 28, 2019.
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Undergraduate Student Perspectives on Textbook Costs and Implications for Academic Success Open Praxis Pub Date : 2020-03-31 Lucinda Rush Wittkower, Leo S Lo
To provide more affordable course content to our students and faculty, local data on how students perceive textbook expenses and how the costs impact student success would be necessary in order to advocate to faculty and other stakeholders. This survey, conducted at a mid-sized research public institution, aims to explore student perceptions of textbooks and how these perceptions influence academic