Higher Education

The Design and Effectiveness of Online Collaborative Work

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

Online learning has become a commonplace method of instruction due, in part, with the onset of the pandemic. This article examines how online collaborative learning is designed for the higher education environment and how specific design choices influence its effectiveness. Using a survey of online learners, the study invited students to share their experiences with the design of online group work in relation to group size, formation methods, collaboration type, and duration, along with their relationship to teaching and social presence. Results showed that collaborative work predominately occurs within small, randomly assigned groups focused on discussions, assignments, or peer reviews for varying lengths of time. While many students perceived online collaborative work as beneficial for learning and engagement, others reported neutral or mixed experiences due to coordination and participation challenges. Higher levels of social and teaching presence were associated with allowing students to self-select their groups and incorporating peer review activities. Overall, the study emphasizes that online learners value being able to provide input into the process of collaborative work in their online courses and that this purposeful, learner-centered design is critical for effective online collaborative work.

This article is an excellent resource for trainers, higher education instructors, and instructional designers that are responsible for creating online learning environments and wish to foster a positive e-learning experience. Effective instructional methods in online education differ from methods that are effective in other learning environments due to the lack of personal connection and face-to-face interaction. The study’s findings suggest that an instructor’s level of understanding of their student’s needs and how the instructional strategy being used relates to various learners’ requirements, enabling them to develop more effective learning experiences. Using the results of the study as a structural framework for integrating collaborative activities in an online environment would serve as a beneficial tool to inspire active participant engagement and to generate consistent feedback for future improvements to the learning experience.

Reference:

Oyarzun, B., Kim, S., Maxwell, D. et al. (2025). The design and effectiveness of online collaborative work. Journal of Computing in Higher Education. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12528-025-09472-2

Boosting Online Learning Through Technology

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

Barbetta (2022) summarizes how active learning by digital tools can enhance learner outcomes by promoting collaboration and engagement. One focus includes the concept of Education 5.0 to discuss the learner-centric outcomes and focus on student well-being adapted to be more inclusive on a holistic level. The utilization of artificial intelligence to amplify learning experiences supports increased rates of engagement. The author supports their theory by data found in gamification approaches without losing sight of ethical concerns on data privacy. They also provide a framework for implementation to include cross-disciplinary collaboration with artificial intelligence. 

I enjoyed the inclusive mentions to emphasis accessibility and a holistic approach for learning. Barbetta focused on lower-cost options such as presentations adaptations and peer learning sessions. However, I am concerned about the sufficiency these tools will provide since it will take from the direct approach from traditional means. Active listening or proper absorption on niche topics from the peer-turned-teacher doesn’t guarantee adequate results. I would have enjoyed specific examples, with their effectiveness, of how technology can boost current programs with relative ease to provide the reader with an actionable insight to more realistically integrate.  

Reference: 

Barbetta, P. M. (2022). Technologies as tools to increase active learning during online higher-education instruction. Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 51(3), 317–339. https://doi.org/10.1177/00472395221143969 

Data Graphs: Emerging e-learning tool

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Technological Innovations in Data Usefulness

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

There is a massive amount of digital data available on any number of subjects. AI has pushed the boundaries of big data. Gleaning useful information from endless search parameters is an infinite challenge, especially in the e-learning setting. The use of AI and big data mining makes it nearly impossible for students, in the time frame of semester course work, to make meaningful connections between various subject matters. There is an emerging tool that is indispensable to students and researchers at all levels of education, but specifically in the e-learning setting.

An article published in the journal Heliyon, analyzes the available peer reviewed published research literature on the use of data graphs as an effective search technology which is highly adaptable and suited for the digital learning environment. The authors provide a systematic appraisal of user usefulness and successful research outcomes in the digital learning environment when searching topics using institutionally compiled data graphs. Data graphs allow seemingly independent information variables to interconnect and return more meaningful data to the user through AI and human compiled related data. This information is useful when students and institutions are interested in a comprehensive understanding of a specific topic. Data graphs have been developed in other areas but are emerging as a invaluable tool for higher education students and instructors participating in the e-learning environment.

Abu-Salih, B. & Alotaibi, S. (2024).  A systematic literature review of knowledge graph construction and application in education. Heliyon, (10)3. https://doi.org/10.1016/jheliyon.2024.e25383

e-learning

Mystery and History of Instructional Design

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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

Emerging Technologies and eLearning-Raising the Bar

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

E-Learning is evolving to create the ultimate self-driven and self-paced yet interactive design. It is emerging into an interactive model that is intuitive for the learners’ needs. Is this what learners need and want? Will this aid them in achieving their goals? Mangalvedhe examines this in this 2023 article. The author examines how emerging technologies can influence and transform learning and development moving forward. In the article, the author examines how artificial intelligence, augmented and virtual reality, gamification, mobile learning and microlearning will change how we interact and respond within the learning model to a more profound level than we have in eLearning.

This is an excellent article for content creators and instructional designers that are seeking ways to provide interaction and take learning to an application level. The author examines in detail how each technology can be integrated into instructional design. Mangalvedhe (2023) also discusses how each technology can fulfill and appeal to the various needs of learners. Examples are provided to suggest how these technologies can be executed successfully in the created content. These examples will be a starting point to consider using these advanced technologies that workplaces are already utilizing to raise the bar of flexible and efficient learning while expediting the upskilling process.  

References

Mangalvedhe, A. (2023, January 12). The emerging technologies in Elearning. eLearning Industry. https://elearningindustry.com/the-emerging-technologies-in-elearning

Crowdsurfing? More like Crowdsourcing

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

Have a big question about the future of education at your institution? Have thousands of college students and faculty who have opinions and possibly bright ideas on this exact topic? Jeffrey Young’s article for EdSurge highlights the efforts MIT implemented to sort Continue reading →

The Pandemic vs Higher Education

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

Almost one thousand higher education administrators and faculty responded to a survey in mid-May 2020 on Covid-19 impacting their spring semesters across college campuses in the United States. The survey results were described and reported by A. W. June in the most recent issue of The Chronicle of Higher Education. Continue reading →

How Tweet Tidbits Enhance Teaching

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

This article summarizes research finding that Twitter aids students in higher education courses. A significant finding was that Twitter use by students better connected them to the content of their courses which, in turn, resulted in students spending a higher Continue reading →

Online Teaching Tools for the Adult Learner

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Check out my session from the Association for Continuing Higher Education (ACHE) 2015 national annual conference held this year in St. Louis, MO. Thank you to all who attended the session! Continue reading →