ERIC Number: EJ1176040
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2018
Pages: 16
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-1929-7750
EISSN: N/A
Timing Matters: Approaches for Measuring and Visualizing Behaviours of Timing and Spacing of Work in Self-Paced Online Teacher Professional Development Courses
Fiel, Jeremy; Lawless, Kimberly A.; Brown, Scott W.
Journal of Learning Analytics, v5 n1 p25-40 2018
One feature of self-paced online courses is greater learner control over the timing of their work in a course. However, the greater timing flexibility that learners enjoy in such environments may play a different role in the learning process than has been previously observed in formal online or face-to-face courses. As such, the study of work timing merits further investigation. Toward this goal, this study forwards two measures that represent the timing of coursework: (1) the timing index, or the degree to which a participant completes 50% of their work, and (2) the spacing count, the frequency of work performed across the course timeframe. In this study, the authors demonstrate the use of these measures from a data set of 42 U.S. middle-school teachers who participated in a self-paced, online professional development course to support teacher implementation of a new blended-learning curriculum. Using the two measures, the authors identify timing behaviours of participants and examine the effects that timing has on teacher self-efficacy after completing the course. The two measures and visualizations demonstrated in this paper yield useful individual-level variables for course timing that can be used for further study on the effects on learning outcomes.
Descriptors: Pacing, Individualized Instruction, Online Courses, Faculty Development, Middle School Teachers, Time Factors (Learning), Inservice Teacher Education, Student Behavior, Self Efficacy, Measurement Techniques, Visual Aids, Statistical Analysis, Social Studies
Society for Learning Analytics Research. 121 Pointe Marsan, Beaumont, AB T4X 0A2, Canada. Tel: +61-429-920-838; e-mail: info@solaresearch.org; Web site: http://learning-analytics.info/journals/index.php/JLA/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Middle Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Institute of Education Sciences (ED)
Authoring Institution: N/A
IES Funded: Yes
Grant or Contract Numbers: R305A080622