Inna Bolechowsky's List: E-Learning in Education

Gonzalez-Gomez, F., Guardiola, J., Rodriguez, O. M. (2012). Gender differences in e-learning satisfaction. Computers & Education, 58, 283-290.

The authors of this research represent the Universidad de Granada in Spain. Francisco Gonzalez-Gomez and Jorge Guardiola work at the Department of Applied Economics, Faculty of Economics and Business, while Oscar Martin Rodriguez works for the Centro de Estudios Virtuales Universidad de Granada and Montero Alonso is from the Faculty of Social Sciences.

The given study is based on the assessment of online courses taken by male and female students at the Universidad de Granada. The research question was to identify whether gender differences exist in e-learning. As a result of a literature review the authors pointed out that some studies show that biological and social factors can explain the behavioural and information processing differences in males and females. According to the previous research conducted on gender differences male students show stronger skills in solving spatial problems while female students possess greater verbal skills. Thus, the authors of this study claimed that gender should be taken into consideration by teachers while planning their lessons and courses.

The literature review also showed some contradictive statements about the influence of gender differences in learning satisfaction. Some research showed that male students enjoy and value e-learning more than female students and are in general more interested in computers, while other studies suggested that gender does not affect student satisfaction in e-learning at all.

The main objectives of the research were to analyze gender differences in satisfaction with e-learning courses and to estimate how gender differences influence specific aspects of students' overall valuation with virtual teaching. The authors argued that by recognizing gender differences educators can improve their teaching and make recommendations to plan lessons and courses in accordance with gender.

The research framework, data and methodology, as well as results of the study were clearly identified in the paper. The participants in the study were 1185 students (776 female and 409 male students) from 27 courses held in 2008-09 and 2009-10 at the Universidad de Granada, Spain. The researchers used a questionnaire designed by representatives from 10 Spanish universities in accordance with the Guide to Assessing Course Based on ICT. The questionnaire included 23 questions about the objectives, content, teaching methods, teaching tools and global satisfaction of students. All the courses selected for the evaluation in this study were selected according to the criteria of uniform content. This allowed the authors to conduct a joint analysis of data in the different subjects. The anonymous questionnaire was sent out to students as a web link 15 days before the end of the course. The researchers performed a t-test in order to meet the first objective of their study and to prove the hypothesis that average satisfaction scores are equal within groups, and the Ordinary Least Squares tests to achieve the second objective and to prove the hypothesis that the influence of each item on global satisfaction is nonexistent.

The results of the research, clearly presented in the form of tables, showed that female students show greater satisfaction with e-learning than male students, which contradicts previous research in this field. Another interesting result of the research showed that female students are more interested than male in items of the course such as planning, participation, practice and tutor contribution, while male students are only interested in the place where the course is conducted and the presentation and organization of the content. Therefore, the greatest gender differences found in the study were in teaching methods. Another substantial gender difference was found in the valuation of teachers' activity. For female students the contribution of the tutor was important, while for male students it was irrelevant. Also, female students showed greater satisfaction from planning the educational process and having various ways of contacting the teacher.

The main contribution of this study lies in the identification of the gender differences in student satisfaction with online courses as well as with specific aspects of e-learning. The authors made a recommendation for e-learning instructors and course designers to introduce different learning routes and evaluations aimed to increase course satisfaction. The suggested alternatives to assess the skills acquired by students include the use of forums, chats and collaborative action in problem solving which could prioritize students' ongoing participation throughout the course.

The main limitations of this study include the very long questionnaire, the double-barreled questions which could possibly generate inaccurate responses and a non-random sample of the dataset that could be partially offset by the large number of students sampled. Another limitation of the research is the exclusion of assessment of e-subjects from other universities in Spain or even internationally.

In this course we have been discussing technology preferences of students based on their learning styles. Saeed, Yang and Sinnappan (2009) pointed out that gender variables do not show any significant differences in the overall academic performance of males and females. However, it was interesting to learn from Gonzalez-Gomez, Guardiola and Rodriguez (2012) that students learning skills differ depending on gender, which becomes especially important in e-learning where the roles of students and teachers change significantly.

The questions that have emerged from this work and which I would like to further explore are: do gender differences exist among K-12 students in regards to e-learning satisfaction? If yes, what teaching methods should be applied in K-12 environment to accommodate gender differences in e-learning?

Reference:

Saeed, N., Yang, Y., & Sinnappan, S. (2009). Emerging Web Technologies in Higher Education: A Case of Incorporating Blogs,
Podcasts and Social Bookmarks in a Web Programming Course based on Students' Learning Styles and Technology Preferences. Educational Technology & Society, 12 (4), 98-109.

Bailey, C. J., Card, K. A. (2009). Effective pedagogical practices for online teaching: Perception of experienced instructors. Internet and Higher Education, 12, 152-155.

The given research paper is based on the phenomenological study conducted by two American researchers: Crag J. Bailey from the Western Dakota Technical Institute and Karen A. Card from the School of Education, University of South Dakota. In their study the authors aimed to identify the effective pedagogical practices for online teaching from the perspective of the experienced South Dakota e-learning instructors.

Having conducted a review of literature on effective pedagogical practices for online teaching the authors felt the need for more studies in this field, especially the ones that distinguish between novice and more experienced faculty members. Bailey and Card (2009) argued that to date institutions provide faculty with sufficient technological training to enhance online teaching, however there is a lack of pedagogical and instructional support, especially for novice faculty members.

The phenomenological research method used in the current study included one-on-one interviews conducted with 15 (9 female and 6 male) experienced, award winning South Dakota e-learning instructors. The participants were in their 20s to those in their 60s and were all recipients of the South Dakota Board of Regents' E-Learning Award, honored for their online teaching skills. The interview process followed the phenomenological processes and guidelines outlined by Creswell (2007) and Hycner (1985), with the interviews being confidential, semi-structured, tape-recorded or transcribed word-for-word, and with the total length from 1 to 2 hours. The data were analyzed according to Creswell (2007) and described as textual and structural descriptions. Based on these descriptions the authors compiled the general description of the common experiences of the participants related to the best practices for teaching online university classes.

The findings of the research are clearly presented in the form of eight effective pedagogical practices for effective online teaching, such as fostering relationships, engagement with students, following timelines, good communication skills, effective organization of the course, effective utilization of technology, flexibility (ability to adapt) and clearly established high expectations. The authors pointed out that the identified effective pedagogical practices for online teaching are reflective of theories and practices referenced in the college teaching literature, such as andragogy (self-directed learning), constructivism (self-exploration through active learning and assessment) and transformational learning (critical thinking, evaluation of basic assumptions and meaning making). The researchers further claimed that the principles of andragogy can be used to design online courses to meet the needs of self-directed learners, by allowing them flexibility and a well-organized structure of the course. The principles of constructivism and transformative learning can guide instructors through the proper structuring and facilitation of their courses, which in turn can help foster relationships and engage students in the learning process.

Bailey and Card (2009) also identified the main challenge for e-learning instructors, which is the necessity to integrate the constantly emerging new technological tools into their effective pedagogical practices and thus, constant revision and improvement of online learning systems.

In my opinion, the limitation of this study was the insufficient description and explanation of the phenomenological research process. As I am not aware of this research methodology it was hard for me to understand the complexity of the steps taken to complete the interview process and especially to complete data analysis. Also, it would be helpful to see a graphical representation of data received from the interview process and data analysis.

In this course we have discussed the challenge of novice teachers with their limited opportunities to learn from experienced instructors. Masterman, Jameson and Walker (2009) suggested one solution to help share effective practices in designing for online learning with novice teachers and providing them with guidance on how to effectively create online courses on their own. The authors proposed using various case studies of experienced teachers to represent their best practices and to help in scaffolding the learning design practice of other teachers. Such case studies could also serve as an inspirational mechanism for the novice teachers. However, as mere learning from the case studies can be challenging, Masterman, Jameson and Walker (2009) suggested face-to-face mentoring as well. In the given research Bailey and Card (2009) suggested providing more pedagogical training and support to novice instructors who teach online and allowing more opportunity for theoretical and pedagogical foundations of e-learning. The authors also suggested creating networks of online teachers "to reduce the sense of depersonalization and burnout" (p.155).

The items which I would like to further explore are in regards to any existing professional development programs or formalized mentoring programs available for novice e-learning teachers as well as any emerging online support groups for novice instructors.

Reference:

Masterman, E., Jameson, J. & Walker, S. (2009). Capturing teachers' experience of learning design through case studies. Distance Education, 30(2), 223-238.

Bernsteiner, R., Ostermann, H., Staudinger, R. (2008). Facilitating E-Learning with Social Software: Attitudes and Usage from the Student's Point of View. International Journal of Web-Based Learning and Teaching Technologies, 3 (3), 16-33.

The authors of this scientific paper are researchers from the Institute for Medical Law, Human Resources and Health Politics. Their research interests encompass the field of e-Learning and innovative IT-based instruments for learning and teaching, health politics and public administration and management.

The given study is based on research of the experiences of students using social software tools for learning, and whether these tools can support self-organized learning. The research question is whether the integration of web-based social software tools like wikis, discussion forums, and weblogs can foster learning from the student's point of view.

The authors present the theoretical background for the integration of social software tools in learning. They provide an overview of the research conducted on the necessity to change the traditional models of instruction in higher educational institutions in order to meet the growing demands of the new generation of digitally literate students who are active in social networking. This next-generation (called Net generation) of Internet savvy students prefer experiential learning, working in teams, constantly interacting and able to create and publish on the Internet. Thus, these students choose to take web-based courses with a more flexible and asynchronous mode of instruction. As they all have different backgrounds and skills it is important for educators to consider these factors in the design of their future courses. The authors argue that a special learning environment needs to be created in order to support learners and to manage individual learning progress. The research paper presents the hypothesis that social software tools can be used as personal learning environments, by allowing people to share information in new ways through social networking sites, wikis, weblogs and discussion forums, and thus allowing these tools to have considerable influence on learning.

The article presents a detailed description of the related empirical research outlining three prototypical modes of learning and teaching suggested by Baumgartner (2004), such as: 1) transferring knowledge, 2) acquiring, compiling, and gathering knowledge, and 3) developing, inventing, and constructing knowledge. The integration of social software tools into the learning and teaching modes is also presented. The authors claim that according to Baumgartner (2004) every social software tool can be used for every teaching model in one way or another. In order to determine if the integration of web-based social software tools are suitable to foster learning from the student's point of view an empirical survey has been conducted. The participants of the survey were 268 first-semester students in the first term of their studies from different study programs at Austrian universities. Students were asked to use any of the social software tools in their learning and their participation in the survey was voluntary. The results of the survey also presented in the format of tables, showed how the students used the tools before they started their studies; their experiences with the tools during the study; and the potential future use of the tools. The results showed that wikis and discussion forums can support learning and collaboration. The authors pointed out that in order to successfully implement social software tools in education it is important to consider various social and psychological issues, such as social interaction, the size and composition of the learning communities, the provision of the technology and the services, intellectual property rights, the security of data, access restrictions to the content and information ethics.

The major limitation of the research was the inability to yield results on the usage of weblogs by students, because of their low interest in weblogs. Some other limitations of the given research include the unplanned consequences of the intensive use of the Internet and social software tools as well as further rapid development of social software tools. All these can create the need to explore possible problems and solutions in further research studies.

In this course we have discussed the importance of social software tools to support active, self-directed learning of students. Dalsgaard (2006) claimed that social software technologies allow students a choice of tools to use in problem solving either on their own or in collaboration with other students. The results of this study show that social software tools can be used in education to help students set up individual learning environments, which can support lifelong learning.

The questions that have emerged from this work and which I would like to further explore are: what social software tools can be used to facilitate learning of high school, junior-high, and elementary students? How can educators ensure that social software tools in schools are used to enhance student's personalized, self-directed learning and are not being used by students as distracting tools for mere socializing?

Reference:

Dalsgaard, C. (2006). Social software: E-learning beyond learning management systems. European Journal of Open, Distance and E-Learning.