Online Learning

Take Control of Your Education 

Posted by

0

This post is provided by guest blogger, Edith Peña, graduate student at the University of St. Francis in Joliet, MS in Talent and Development program.

In the article, “Student Choice in Virtual Learning: Empowering Autonomy Online”, Pustka (2024) states that online education offers students more autonomy through choice. This not only empowers students to make decisions about learning it also builds skills like self-regulation, critical thinking and motivation. The article illustrates the benefits of incorporating student choice into virtual classrooms. Pustka mentions that when students have a say they are deeply engaged, develop independence, and their retention of the information improves.  Overall, student choice is transformative in the virtual learning space because it provides students an opportunity to be creative, engage, and grow. 

This article is published by the National Virtual Teacher Association, which is an association that offers certification for virtual teachers. The association’s mission is to inspire virtual teachers to provide excellent instruction. The association also consist of an advisory board with extensive knowledge in virtual instruction. I think this website and articles provided by the association are great tools for virtual teachers. 

Reference

Pustka, B. (2024, November 30). Student choice in virtual learning: Empowering autonomy online. National Virtual Teacher Association. https://virtualteacherassociation.org/student-choice-in-virtual-learning-empowering-autonomy-online

Instructional Design Strategies for eLearning

Posted by

0

This post is provided by guest blogger, Darryl Barrios, graduate student University of St. Francis, MS Training and Development program

Instructional design strategies play an important role in creating effective courses, and eLearning courses are no exception. When it comes to online learning you need more than engaging content, you need a strategic approach. Instructional Design helps you to create structured, engaging, and personalized learning experiences. To create an effective instructional design strategy there are five components that you need to consider. They are content, visuals, media, assessments, and technical aspects.  If these five items are considered alongside your core instructional design principles, you should be able to create a strategy that provides an engaging experience for your learners.

Dr. Sandhya Johnson’s (2025) article Instructional Design Strategies for eLearning [What, Why, & How] contains not only an exploration of how instructional design strategies serve as the key to creating impactful eLearning courses, but it also includes important background information, such as the differences between instructional design models and instructional design strategies, that help those who may be approaching these concepts for the first time a clear explanation of how the discussed concepts fit together.  She also provides examples of some of the most popular instructional design strategies.  My only criticism would be the lack of analytics regarding the chosen examples.

Reference: Johnson, S. (2025, March 18). Instructional design strategies for eLearning [What, Why, & How]. CommLab India. https://blog.commlabindia.com/elearning-design/instructional-design-strategy-importance-in-elearning

Unlocking Student Success with Digital Learning Logs 

Posted by

0

This post is provided by guest blogger, Samerah Saad, graduate student University of St. Francis, MS Talent Development program. 

Arizmendi et al. (2023) highlights how Learning Management Systems and utilization of digital logs can provide insights to student performance and outcomes. This would be utilized to assess e-learning environments and their ability to understand the unique interaction patterns for the student. Moreover, this would also be used to analyze the data to calculate trends among all class members. This will be helpful to see how long each student is spending on coursework in comparison to the grades they are earning. The authors highlight how essential it is to enhance the learning experience through diverse learning approaches, standardization, instructional strategies, and proper use of technological tools/resources. 

I recommend this article’s approach to put into practice many of the theories circling successful approaches to e-learning. However, there are concerns on how these digital logs can gather information to be utilized effectively in an ethical manner. I am concerned about how thoroughly they will need to dive into student data without privacy concerns. Additionally, just because an individualized student demographic is inputted into the algorithm, I worry about overcoming any stereotypical notions and assess the student fairly. Personalized education was a major selling point but, unfortunately, there was no data supporting the same results for diversified in-person learning. 

Reference:

Arizmendi, C. J., Bernacki, M. L., Raković, M., Plumley, R. D., Urban, C. J., Panter, A. T., Greene, J. A., & Gates, K. M. (2022). Predicting student outcomes using digital logs of learning behaviors: Review, current standards, and suggestions for future work. Behavior Research Methods, 55(6), 3026–3054. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13428-022-01939-9Links to an external site. 

Online Students…The Choice is Yours!

Posted by

0

This post is provided by guest blogger, Samerah Saad, graduate student University of St. Francis, MS Talent Development program. 

The article “Examining Voice and Choice in Online Learning” provides students with the agency to create their own academic pathway (Henrikson & Baliram, 2023). The authors talk about the likely outcomes and trends for ways to utilize flexible content to increase engagement and motivation. They highlight the benefits of empowering students to dive into their interests with personalized context. Autonomous learning, particularly focusing on asynchronous online modules at self-paced regulation, helps foster a learning environment most advantageous to each student.  

Though students are the primary target here, faculty and staff members should be very interested in this information as it offers a practical option. We have come a long way in our technological advancements, and it’s about time we put them to good use in academia. It’s important to note that there are barriers to online learning, such as assuming each student can afford proper technology or has access to reliable internet. Through a credible source with data to back up emerging trends, the author did not mention any hindrance due to being overwhelmed by all the options newly presented to them. 

Reference 

Henrikson, R., & Baliram, N. (2023). Examining voice and choice in online learning. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 20(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-023-00401-wLinks to an external site. 

Cloud Supported Collaborative Learning: Enhancing Student Engagement

Posted by

0

This post is provided by guest blogger, Erica LoBurgio, graduate student University of St. Francis, MS Training and Development Program.

In this article Engagement in cloud-supported collaborative learning and student knowledge construction: a modeling study, authored by Ahmed N. Al-Rahmi, Mohd Shahizan Othman, Rusli Abdullah, Mo’ez Al-Habaibeh, Yousef Mehmood Yahaya Al-Rahmi, Muhammad Atta Ullah, and Norshahriza Nordin, published in 2022 in the in the International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, studies how the impact cloud supported collaboration has on student knowledge and the learning environments.

The use of cloud supported collaboration such as Google Drive Sheets for post graduate students with knowledge sharing, reflective thinking, and enhancement of collaborative learning. The article provides a study amongst 180 post graduate students, who all participate in an activity to study the student engagement and overall improvement of student learning outcomes. The study utilizes collaboration in Google Drive Sheets, utilizing the importance of research focus, methodology, implications, and practical implications in the learning environment.

The article delivers the importance of cognitive presence, knowledge sharing, and reflective thinking in the learning environment. The study and article explain how the use of cloud based collaborative learning enhances the student’s knowledge, engagement, and learning in their environment.

Lin, X., Spector, J. M., & Ren, X. (2022). Engagement in cloud-supported collaborative learning and student knowledge construction: a modeling study. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education. Retrieved from https://educationaltechnologyjournal.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s41239-022-00317-2




Assessing Student Learning – Insight into Impact

Posted by

0

This post is provided by guest blogger, Lynn Urban, graduate student at the University of St. Francis in Joliet, MS in Training and Development program.

Educators put time and energy into preparing lessons, but the work does not end once class is over.  It is essential to evaluate student learning, ensuring information provides intended impact.  Especially in the online learning environment, instructors cannot rely upon in-person interaction, and should explore the use of online assessment tools.  Content creator, Helen Colman (2024) provides methods to assess student learning, while sharing eLearning insights and teaching strategies.  “Online assessments are a critical part of eLearning and should be undertaken with the same level of care and rigor that you put into creating your other learning content.” (Colman, 2024). 

I recommend this article for instructors seeking the latest information about online assessment tools.  The article is organized and provides a fresh look at modern methods and software.  The author shows eLearning knowledge, but does not push readers away with heavy technical terms.  Images provide helpful descriptions pointing out the simplicity, usefulness, and outcome of various tools.  While the article references iSpring Suite as a vendor to provide online courses and assessments, the information is helpful whether pursuing the vendor or not.  There are many options, and readers will surely gain insight into the impact of assessments for online learning.

Reference

Colman, H. (2024, January 16). 9 Ways to Assess Student Learning Online. iSpring Solutions. https://www.ispringsolutions.com/blog/8-ways-to-assess-online-student-learning

Self-Regulated Learning in Online Education Using AI

Posted by

0

This post is provided by guest blogger, Erica LoBurgio, graduate student University of St. Francis, MS Training and Development Program.

In this article Supporting students’ self-regulated learning in online learning using artificial intelligence applications, authored by Yannis Vovides, Sara Sanchez-Alonso, Vasiliki Mitropoulou, and Gwendoline Nickmans, published in 2023 in the International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, studies how the use of artificial intelligence can improve students in self-regulated learning during their online education. The article explains how utilizing artificial intelligence’s adaptive learning patterns, emotional assistance to students, and personalized responses help as tools and techniques required for the student’s needs.

The article delivers the importance of utilization of artificial intelligence for learning environments. There is a study that explains combined teacher support and constructed feedback, and the importance of it for the student. Specifically, learning outcomes in the online environments which help to assist the students in management of their learning processes more effectively.

Vovides, Y., Sanchez-Alonso, S., Mitropoulou, V., & Nickmans, G. (2023). Supporting students’ self-regulated learning in online learning using artificial intelligence applications. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education. Retrieved from https://educationaltechnologyjournal.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s41239-023-00314-9

Mystery and History of Instructional Design

Posted by

0

This post is provided by guest blogger, Lynn Urban, graduate student at the University of St. Francis in Joliet, MS in Training and Development program.

Instructional Design (ID) in Higher Education often holds a mysterious existence for students and educators accustomed to traditional learning.  To uncover mystery, it’s helpful to look back and understand how ID became part of what we now know as “e-learning” teaching strategies.  Sharon O’Malley (2017) points to a time in military training where the practice emerged during World War II, “when the military assembled groups of psychologists and academics to create training and assessment materials for troops”. (O’Malley, 2017).  The author traces ID over decades, landing on the popularity of online courses and remote learning infiltration to higher education practices.  

I recommend this article for anyone interested in beginnings of instructional design, and the journey to gain acceptance in higher education. The article is from 2017, when there was still mystery surrounding the field. While written pre-pandemic (and much has developed since that time), the references to ID entering higher education are relevant.  Providing quotes and backgrounds of students and educators, readers can glimpse online technology being new and adaptation being slow.  Post-pandemic we see that ID has taken a larger space in education, but there is value to understanding history behind technology – to appreciate how far we have come.

Reference

O’Malley, S. (2017, August). Still a mystery. Inside Higher Ed.com. https://www.insidehighered.com/digital-learning/article/2017/08/02/what-do-instructional-designers-do

Who Cares? The Affective Domain & Training

Posted by

0

This post is provided by guest blogger, Daniel Liestman, graduate student University of St. Francis, MS Training and Development program

How well do new resident physicians manage their money?  Apparently, not too well.  Hence the need for training.  Learners reported positive responses to the training.  Trainers incorporated Level 2 multiple choice and open-ended questions to gauge attitudes and behaviors toward the training.  In follow up they also self-reported new behaviors in setting financial goals and other manifestations of financial planning ranging from acquiring insurance to systematic retirement planning.  They also self-reported improved habits of increased savings and long-term financial planning.  Incorporation of training is considered an operational measure of the degree to which learners respond positively within the affective domain.

This study realizes the affective domain does not stand on its own and acknowledges cognitive and behavioral factors are essential to training success.  However, the further the study moves from Level 1, the less clear the impact of affective motivation.  Moreover, the authors narrowly define affective as positive feelings in response to the training. Fear of failing financially could easily be an affective response.   This study is unique in its assessment of affective motivation.  Yet, there is much more to consider in assessing  how learners respond to training.  How do the basic emotions impact learning, retention, and behavior.

Shappell, E., Ahn, J., Park, Y. S., McKillip, R., Ernst, M., Pirotte, M., & Tekian, M.  (2021, July). Affective, cognitive, and behavioral outcomes from a resident personal finance curriculum pilot project. AEM Education and Training.  5(3), p.e10619-n/a. https://www-ncbi-nlm-nih-gov.libdb.heritage.edu/pmc/articles/PMC8246005/pdf/AET2-5-e10619.pdf.