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Descriptors:
Open Universities; Foreign Countries; Distance Education; Tutors; Tutorial Programs; Online Courses; Higher Education; College Students; Internet; Educational Technology

Abstract:
UT (Universitas Terbuka), the open university in Indonesia, is one of the large universities in Indonesia that has more than 300,000 students. UT, as a distance learning education, has conducted online tutorial since 2001. The implementation of an effective and efficient online tutorial depends on three components: students, tutors, and supporting facilities. The low interaction between students and tutors in the online tutorial of UT can be expectedly anticipated by giving additional features. Thus, when the students and tutors log in, it will be simultaneously visible and the students can interact directly. (Contains 3 tables.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Distance Education; Web Based Instruction; Online Courses; Learning Modules; Tutors; Adult Students; Pilot Projects; Cognitive Processes; Difficulty Level; College Faculty; Barriers; Program Implementation; Electronic Learning; Technology Integration; Computer Mediated Communication; Synchronous Communication; Virtual Classrooms; Qualitative Research; College Students; Student Attitudes; College Instruction; Instructional Effectiveness; Teacher Attitudes; Teleconferencing; Internet

Abstract:
This paper reports on a pilot investigation into web conferencing in a distance learning module. It focuses on the perceptions and experiences of the tutors, all of whom were new to the web conferencing environment, but were experienced in online teaching. A number of web conferencing tutorials were studied through the collection of various datasets, mostly qualitative. The data were analysed by a team of researchers, informed by key literature in this area. The main findings from the pilot indicated that tutors experienced challenges in creating social presence and in managing cognitive load when dealing with multiple tasks online. There were also technical obstacles to improvisation in response to students' emerging needs. The findings of the pilot informed the training and support provided when web tutorials were subsequently rolled out to all tutorial groups (approximately 140) in the module. Overall, experiences from the web tutorials indicate that tutors and students reacted positively to the opportunities web conferencing provides for interactive learning and teaching. (Contains 3 tables and 1 figure.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Feedback (Response); Peer Evaluation; Undergraduate Students; College Students; Spiral Curriculum; Tutors; Tutorial Programs; Learner Engagement; Psychology; Higher Education; Independent Study; Foreign Countries; Outcomes of Education

Abstract:
A series of tutorials was re-designed to further engage students in spiral learning and highlight development of transferable skills. The tutorials focused on self-directed and enquiry-based learning, both of which provided particular challenges to students and staff. The students were randomly allocated a media article related to psychology as a focus to their studies and the module was assessed by presentation and report. Students were encouraged to work together to develop ideas and provide peer feedback on drafts of their work. Feedback from students was overall more positive about the module than in previous years, particularly in respect to the extent to which they were helped to develop transferable skills. (Contains 1 table.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Teaching Methods; Psychology; Constructivism (Learning); Essays; Writing Instruction; Writing Skills; Peer Relationship; Higher Education; Student Centered Curriculum; Colleges; Feedback (Response); Tutors; Tutorial Programs; Thinking Skills; Scaffolding (Teaching Technique)

Abstract:
The legacy and sustainability of a university education requires student independence and ownership of learning. Adopting a student-centred constructivist approach to teaching and learning allows students to develop a web of self-constructed, interconnected understanding, and supports their development into lifelong learners. The efficacy of this approach is illustrated with a case study relating to a series of academic skills tutorials for first-year psychology students. The tutorial materials, activities and teaching techniques were rated as more useful by students when delivered using constructivist principles. The use of constructivist techniques also enabled students to make larger gains in their essay grades over the course of the academic year. The implications of using such teaching methods in higher education are discussed. (Contains 2 figures.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Web Sites; Electronic Publishing; Open Universities; Distance Education; Educational Technology; Tutors; Teleconferencing; Virtual Classrooms; Tutoring; Foreign Countries; Higher Education; Electronic Learning; Computer Assisted Instruction; Computer Mediated Communication; Online Courses; Synchronous Communication; Asynchronous Communication; Electronic Mail

Abstract:
Research into tutoring at a distance has a fairly long history and the functions of tutors in distance education institutions are well understood. Over the past 20 years research into online tutoring has advanced significantly as such institutions have "gone electronic": in this paper we cite published research from the UK Open University. Recently, blogs, wikis and podcasts have arrived to supplement established systems like email, virtual learning environments (VLEs, such as Blackboard) and computer conferencing. Little research has been published so far, however, on tutoring distant students in three-dimensional multi-user virtual environments (3-D MUVEs). Distance educators may well ask whether the best practices from tutoring at a distance and online tutoring can be transferred to these environments, which do "not" resemble VLEs. To clarify what may or may not be feasible in a prime example of a 3-D MUVE, this paper elucidates tutoring by and through avatars on a Second Life Island created by the Beyond Distance Research Alliance at the University of Leicester (which has 7,000 students learning at a distance). It analyses what can be done in Second Life by way of meeting students' needs for tutoring, and discusses some of the opportunities and challenges inherent in asking students and tutors to meet in such an environment. (Contains 1 table.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Nontraditional Students; Discourse Communities; Higher Education; Writing (Composition); Group Discussion; Online Courses; Social Networks; Communities of Practice; Cooperative Learning; Enrollment Rate; Enrollment Trends; Asynchronous Communication; Synchronous Communication; Teleconferencing; Information Networks; Computer Mediated Communication; Technology Uses in Education; Educational Technology; Influence of Technology; Electronic Learning; Distance Education; Change Strategies; Educational Change

Abstract:
In November 2008 the Sloan Consortium published "Staying the Course: Online Education in the United States." This study produced survey statistics relating to enrollments in online courses. The study confirmed what most administrators and faculty members already suspected: the growth of online higher education continues to be astounding; 3.9 million students took at least one online course in the fall of 2007, reflecting a growth in online education enrollments of 12.9% as compared to a modest 1.2% increase in the overall higher education student population. For those who teach continuing higher education courses, particularly composition courses, these statistics seem daunting in that teaching online seems to run counter to collaboration, a best practice that has long been a mainstay of the brick-and-mortar classroom. Nonetheless, online course enrollments will continue to grow, particularly among nontraditional students, many of whom are seeking to enroll in online graduate and professional programs. Employing emerging digital technologies such as group discussion boards, chat sessions, and Web conferencing can create learning and discourse communities that not only lessen student isolation but increase reflection and metacognition. Online collaborative learning groups reap the same benefits as face-to-face collaborative groups: a greater understanding of abstract concepts and ideas, an increase in the student's ability to find and solve writing problems, and a better understanding of audience and its significance. Collaborative group members form a collective audience, an audience that can and does question the writer, forcing the writer to grapple with content and style issues that would otherwise have gone unnoticed and unquestioned. Because collaborative work is so important and because, as Hannah Arendt has stated, "For excellence, the presence of others is always required," instructors must look toward the future and embrace those digital technologies that foster engagement, collaboration, and community. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Foreign Countries; Educational Policy; Higher Education; Consortia; Educational Cooperation; Educational Trends; International Education; Educational Technology; Influence of Technology; Technology Uses in Education; Handheld Devices; Computer System Design; Information Storage; Computer Interfaces; Online Courses; Distance Education; Computer Games; Web Based Instruction; Internet; Teleconferencing; Electronic Learning; Trend Analysis; Delphi Technique; Literature Reviews; Educational Research; Expertise; Web Sites; Postsecondary Education; Electronic Publishing; Advisory Committees; Information Management; Economic Factors; Data Analysis; Barriers; Resistance to Change; Learner Controlled Instruction; Open Universities

Abstract:
This paper reflects a multi-year collaborative effort between the New Media Consortium (NMC) and Griffith University to help inform Australian educational leaders about significant developments in technologies supporting teaching, learning, and research in tertiary education. The research underpinning the report makes use of the NMC's Delphi-based process for bringing groups of experts to a consensus viewpoint, in this case around the impact of emerging technologies on teaching, learning, research, or information management in Australian tertiary education over the next five years. This paper was produced to explore emerging technologies and forecast their potential impact expressly in an Australian context. In the effort that ran from February through April 2012, a carefully selected group of 41 experts behind this report considered hundreds of relevant articles, news, blog posts, research, and project examples as part of the preparation that ultimately pinpointed the most notable emerging technology topics, trends, and challenges for tertiary education in Australia over the next five years. That group of experts, known as the 2012 Horizon.au Advisory Board, is comprised of a body of knowledgeable individuals, all highly regarded in their fields; collectively the advisory board represents a range of diverse perspectives across the learning sector. [For "Technology Outlook for UK Tertiary Education 2011-2016: An NMC Horizon Report Regional Analysis," see ED532399.] Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Learning Theories; Undergraduate Students; Writing (Composition); Distance Education; Information Transfer; Interaction; Tutors; Foreign Countries; Higher Education; Academic Discourse; Business Administration Education; Data; Pilot Projects; Research Projects; Electronic Mail; Computer Mediated Communication; Individual Needs; Researchers

Abstract:
Supporting undergraduate students with their academic literacies has recently been a major focus in higher education in the UK. This paper explores the value of tutor mediation in the context of academic writing development among undergraduate business studies students in open and distance learning, following the dynamic assessment (DA) approach that has been developed within Vygotskian sociocultural theory of learning (Vygotsky, 1978). DA is an assessment approach that blends instruction and assessment. The data, which came from a pilot study of a larger research project, consisted of text-based interaction between a tutor-researcher and two business studies students across various drafts of two assignments in line with the DA approach. This interaction was mediated by computers mainly through emails. The analyses of such interaction suggest that DA can help to identify and respond to the areas that students need the most support in (in this study, managing information flow). Finally, we argue that a learning theory-driven approach such as DA can contribute to undergraduate students' academic writing development by responding to their individual needs. (Contains 3 tables and 6 figures.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Attendance; Problem Based Learning; Motivation; Problem Solving; Course Content; Biochemistry; Foreign Countries; Student Reaction; Tutors; Large Group Instruction; Student Attitudes; Academic Achievement; Physiology; Evaluation; Undergraduate Study; Undergraduate Students; Higher Education; Surveys; Pharmacology; Independent Study; Teaching Assistants

Abstract:
Problem-based learning (PBL) can be described as a learning environment where the problem drives the learning. This technique usually involves learning in small groups, which are supervised by tutors. It is becoming evident that PBL in a small-group setting has a robust positive effect on student learning and skills, including better problem-solving skills and an increase in overall motivation. However, very little research has been done on the educational benefits of PBL in a large classroom setting. Here, we describe a PBL approach (using tutorless groups) that was introduced as a supplement to standard didactic lectures in University of British Columbia Okanagan undergraduate biochemistry classes consisting of 45-85 students. PBL was chosen as an effective method to assist students in learning biochemical and physiological processes. By monitoring student attendance and using informal and formal surveys, we demonstrated that PBL has a significant positive impact on student motivation to attend and participate in the course work. Student responses indicated that PBL is superior to traditional lecture format with regard to the understanding of course content and retention of information. We also demonstrated that student problem-solving skills are significantly improved, but additional controlled studies are needed to determine how much PBL exercises contribute to this improvement. These preliminary data indicated several positive outcomes of using PBL in a large classroom setting, although further studies aimed at assessing student learning are needed to further justify implementation of this technique in courses delivered to large undergraduate classes. (Contains 3 tables and 2 figures.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Tutoring; Open Universities; Preservice Teacher Education; Distance Education; Tutors; Research Tools; Andragogy; Reflection; Skill Analysis; Student Evaluation of Teacher Performance; Teaching Skills; Scaffolding (Teaching Technique); Student Attitudes; Questionnaires; Student Teacher Attitudes; Likert Scales; Interviews; Knowledge Base for Teaching; Participant Satisfaction; Teacher Effectiveness; Online Courses; Foreign Countries; Adult Education; Adult Students

Abstract:
The researcher conducted present study with the objectives to a). evaluate attitude of learners towards academic and tutoring skills of distance education tutors, b). assess the opinion of distance learners about assessment and evaluation skills of their tutors and c). examine reflection of learners on scaffolding skills of distance education tutors. The population of the study consisted of learners of pre-service teacher education (B.Ed semester spring 2010) programme of Allama Iqbal Open University Islamabad. The sample of the study was taken through the convenient sampling technique from three regions of Allama Iqbal Open University situated in the Punjab Province. A questionnaire was designed using a five-point (rating/Likert) scale to elicit the reflection of (600) learners. However, the response rate was 78% (468) of the total sample. Interview schedule was also used as a research tool for collecting qualitative data from (50) respondents in five groups. The researcher analysed data quantitatively and qualitatively. The study concluded that the overall reflection of distance learners on andragogical skills of their tutors was positive. Apparently they were satisfied with andragogical skills of their tutors. They asserted that their tutors had academic and tutoring skills (consisting of encouraging, guiding & facilitating--emboldening and enabling skills), assessment & evaluation skills, and technical and social skills. However, tutors needed training to use social websites, Skype and mobile phone conferences and online discussion. Keeping in view the conclusion of the study, the researcher recommended short and long term training of tutors to use information and communication technologies appropriately. (Contains 7 tables.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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