Online discussions tend to be more effective when they are purposefully structured. In this article, we describe how the design of a photo-based protocol influenced community interactions within an online discussion in an undergraduate course. Students were asked to take and share a photo related to a course concept, respond to a peer's photo, and…

This study focuses on the online learning abilities of university students, a crucial skill in today's digital age. This research collected data from students (n = 945) from China with a questionnaire of 40 questions in two scales. The researchers made factor analyses concerning university students' online learning ability, which included 19…

Colleges and Universities have a more diverse student body than ever before--this includes a growing number of students with disabilities. Many of these students are attracted to the flexibility and anonymity of learning online. However, research suggests that students with disabilities often face barriers learning online. Given this, we set out…

The creation of an engaging online learning environment where students feel a sense of belonging is a challenge for all educators. With the rise of online courses, discussion forums are commonly used to connect students with course content, peers, and instructors. However, these discussions are often text-based in nature. The purpose of this…

Despite the growing body of studies on gamification, there is a paucity of research investigating the specific emotional outcomes of gamified experiences. Most gamification studies have focused primarily on positive emotions such as enjoyment. In addition, most gamification studies in educational contexts have been conducted with undergraduate…

Improving social presence has long been a goal for online instruction; with the shift to emergency remote teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic, the focus on improving social presence has only become more imperative. In asynchronous online courses, social interaction typically relies on discussion groups. Despite this, little research has been…

This study explores the relationship between the three elements of the Community of Inquiry (teaching, social, and cognitive presences) and video-based instruction in the online environment. The video-based instruction included instructor-created videos and screencasts, video feedback assignment critiques, video-enhanced content discussions, and…

Doctor of Education (EdD) programs have experienced much development and attention in the last two decades. Simultaneously, the steady growth of online education has resulted in several universities offering online EdD programs, including in Educational Technology and related fields. This article provides an overview of the structure and goals of…

A design case is a form of scholarly writing in which the author embarks on a reflective journey sharing rich descriptions of their design, design processes, challenges, etc. This paper presents two design cases that demonstrate how learning theories and instructional design concepts were purposefully incorporated in two instructional applications…

As the areas of education and workforce training tend more toward online training, they have emphasized the rapid setup and expansion of online environments. This scaling-up and scaling-out of training programs can be difficult, but there are examples of success available for us to learn from. To capture the lessons learned, we conducted…

We have explored designers having empathy for the audience of focus, designers using empathy as a means to an end, and designers using empathy to deliver a meaningful design deliverable. Our research has evolved from studying how designers reflect on their own design context and the audience's given circumstance to designers acting on moments of…

This study aimed to develop and validate the Live Online Classes Engagement Scale (LOCES) to measure higher education (HE) students' live online classes (LOCs) engagement levels. The scale items were created after reviewing the studies focusing on engagement and those developing engagement scales. For validity and reliability, data were collected…

Wheel-spinning is unproductive persistence without the mastery of skills. Understanding wheel-spinning during the use of intelligent tutoring systems (ITSs) is crucial to help improve productivity and learning. In this study, following Beck and Gong (2013), we defined wheel-spinning students (unsuccessful students in ITSs) as those who practiced…

Increasingly researchers and practitioners have highlighted the importance of developing a sense of community in online courses and programs. However, many questions remain about the best ways to develop community in online courses. A recent literature review highlighted how influential Alfred P. Rovai's research has been to researchers of…

In this single case study, we explored how seven preservice teachers engaged emotionally and cognitively in case-based learning through three Teacher Moments cases to consider and reflect on their teaching practices. A thematic analysis of the transcripts of online case simulation (Teacher Moments) entries, class recordings, questionnaires and…