Discussing teaching videocases online: Perspectives of preservice and inservice EFL teachers in Taiwan

This study investigated the application of an online videocase discussion community into fostering preservice and inservice EFL (English as a foreign language) teachers’ professional development in Taiwan. This investigation further revealed the nature and development of discussion discourse and the participating teachers’ perceptions of this online learning experience. Also included were potential concerns or difficulties encountered by these community members. There were 21 preservice teachers, 7 secondary school teachers, and 4 university teachers involved in this study. Multiple data collection methods included teaching videos, online discussion messages, interviews, reflection journals, and an open-ended questionnaire. The findings showed that the preservice and inservice teachers appeared to respectively play different roles in discussing teaching videocases online. Yet, what they noticed in the teaching events shifted from diverse to similar focuses after engaging in online videocase discussion for almost one year. These teachers further perceived professional learning opportunities in this community, albeit several issues might hinder some of them from joining the discussion frequently. Pedagogical implications and research suggestions are offered for teacher educators and researchers to further codify and document teacher professional development in various online videocase discussion contexts.     

Peer modeling and innovation adoption among teachers in online professional development

This paper draws on three years of data from an online course on educational technology for practicing teachers, in which a goal was for teachers to develop a web-based application they could use in their own teaching. Based on analyses of discussion forums and teachers' course projects, we found that iterations of the course evolved over the years from being a loose association of peers involved in vastly different development projects with different tools, to a community of designers involved in a common endeavor, as more and more students chose the same open-source learning management system for their course projects. We tracked what factors seemed to affect how many and which teachers chose which development technologies, and how the process of making these choices evolved with the increased role of designed and emergent forms of peer modeling. We situate these findings in the literature on teacher professional development and technology use, arguing that existing conversations need to attend to the important role that peers play in teachers' learning and innovation adoption, particularly in online learning environments.     

The POD model: Using communities of practice theory to conceptualise student teachers’ professional learning online

This paper focuses on the broad outcomes of a research project which aimed to analyse and model student teachers’ learning in the online components of an initial teacher education course. It begins with discussion of the methodological approach adopted for the case study, which combined conventional data gathering techniques with those which are facilitated using the ‘panoptical’ tools of the VLE. The author has synthesized case study evidence, learning theory (Community of practice theory) and the advice of a key theoretician, to produce an original model of student teachers’ learning online within a professional online district (POD). The most distinctive feature of the POD model is the learning-curriculum dichotomy which recognises the potential of a VLE as a venue in which student teachers, working together in a community of practice, construct their own curriculum (both formal and informal/’hidden’. The paper also examines the key technological and pedagogical issues which affect students’ online learning.     

The student experience of a collaborative e-learning university module

The aim of this paper is to present a picture of student experience of a collaborative e-learning module in an asynchronous e-learning environment. A distance learning module on music education worth five credit points for a bachelor online degree for primary school educating teachers was assessed using a self-evaluation questionnaire that gathered quantitative and qualitative data about student satisfaction of the collaborative e-learning activity. The quantitative part of the questionnaire consisted of 27 closed questions on a 10-point Likert scale and offered data about satisfaction with the module. The qualitative part of the questionnaire provided an insight into the participant perspective of the online collaborative experience. General open questions on satisfaction and dissatisfaction were analyzed with an inductive analysis which showed the evaluation criteria used by 92 students. Results of the analysis showed five themes of the participants’ perspectives, which were interpreted by the researcher as: teamwork, cognitive, operating, organizing, and emotive/ethic for the positive aspects and teamwork, operating, organizing, and emotive/ethic for the aspects to be improved. The aspects that were associated with satisfaction include: collaborating, comparing ideas, sharing knowledge and skills to support each other, peer learning, analyzing and integrating different points of view, the usability of the platform, group planning and workload management. Aspects of the student learning experience that should inform the improvements of e-learning include: more collaboration between students since some students engage differently; more coordination and organization, the workload management in the group activities, some technical problems such as updating modifications. The participants’ results in the module increased their didactic potential as primary school teachers. The findings are discussed in relation to their potential impact on developing collaborative activities addressed to teacher education in distance learning. Implications for future research are also considered.     

(A)Social reputation: Exploring the relationship between online video game involvement and social competence

Affordable and accessible Internet has changed the way video games are played, allowing individuals to connect worldwide in shared gaming spaces. On the surface participation within these environments may seem socially beneficial, as these highly social, playful spaces allow players to connect, interact with, and learn from others. However, there is a growing concern that increased participation within online gaming environments comes with a wide variety of social consequences, contributing to numerous losses in ‘offline’ sociability. While considerable research has examined these claims, consistent relationships between social competence and online video game involvement have yet to be established. The current work (N = 515) aimed to examine the extent to which online video game involvement may support, or undermine, the development and maintenance of traditional social skills. The results indicate that there are unique relationships between social skills and video game involvement within online gaming populations. However, among online video game players, these links were not as negative or broad as hypothesized. The results of this assessment dispute the anecdotal attribution of a global level of social ineptitude amongst online video game players and provide insight into the potential effects of online video game play on skill development and maintenance.     

The development of pre-service teachers' knowledge: A contemplative approach

This study investigates the effects of meditation on enhancing pre-service teacher knowledge based on the framework of technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) by deepening the reflective process. Participants were students enrolled in an ICT literacy course during the fall 2014 semester. Pre- and post-course surveys indicated that the teachers had significant growth in TPACK and other types of teacher knowledge and in the depth of their reflective practice. Post-course interviews indicated positive effects from their reflective practice, showing that meditation helped the teachers prepare themselves for learning, conduct cognitive and affective tasks, and improve self-efficacy and inner strength. Several implications were noted for the future direction of teacher education programs and research.     

The development of an educational computing course for initial training of primary teachers

Abstract Current literature in educational computing concentrates on the creation of better software and more in-service training to maintain the impetus in the use of microcomputers in the classroom. This approach often ignores the vital role to be played by educational computing courses in initial teacher training, the content of which is much under-researched. This paper outlines the development of one such course at La Sainte Union College of Higher Education, in which the student teachers were asked to work at an early stage with groups of children using micro-computers. The results are very encouraging and specific conclusions are presented and discussed. These may be of interest to others involved with formulating policy and the provision of new technology courses in initial teacher training.     

Preparing pre-service teachers to integrate technology in education: A synthesis of qualitative evidence

This study reviewed qualitative studies that focused on strategies to prepare pre-service teachers to integrate technology into their lessons. A meta-ethnography approach was utilized to locate, critically appraise, and synthesize the results of these studies. Based on an extensive search in the Web of Science, 19 articles were included in this synthesis. The results were divided into two parts: (1) key themes explicitly related to the preparation of pre-service teachers (e.g., using teacher educators as role models, learning technology by design, scaffolding authentic technology experiences), and (2) conditions necessary at the institutional level (e.g., technology planning and leadership, co-operation within and between institutions, training staff). To present how these key themes related to each other, an overarching model was developed. By interpreting the results of the review, recommendations were discussed for pre-service teacher technology training and future research.     

Synchronous online conference-based instruction: A study of whiteboard interactions and student writing

This paper describes a small-scale, empirical study of synchronous conference-based online writing instruction (OWI) using an electronic whiteboard in a professional tutorial setting. Linguistic analysis of participant talk indicated that the interactions were both idea-development focused and task oriented as opposed to socially oriented. The interactions often consisted of detailed dialogue wherein participants used primarily declarative language to give each other information about the writing under development and its processes. However, nearly half of the talk was oriented toward achieving interpersonal connections, facilitating the interaction, and communicating about the whiteboard's workspace. Textual analysis of the drafted student writing subsequent to the instructional interactions indicated that nearly two thirds of the interactions could be connected through iterability or presupposition with the writing and revisions. Most of the traceable writing and revision changes were meaning-preserving in nature and of insignificant to moderate rhetorical force. Such writing and revision changes were generated by students or online instructors or through shared interaction, demonstrating a highly collaborative process. Based on these findings, implications emerge for online instructor training, for student preparation to use whiteboard platforms, and for future research into synchronous conference-based OWI.     

Networked Participatory Scholarship: Emergent techno-cultural pressures toward open and digital scholarship in online networks

We examine the relationship between scholarly practice and participatory technologies and explore how such technologies invite and reflect the emergence of a new form of scholarship that we call Networked Participatory Scholarship: scholars’ participation in online social networks to share, reflect upon, critique, improve, validate, and otherwise develop their scholarship. We discuss emergent techno-cultural pressures that may influence higher education scholars to reconsider some of the foundational principles upon which scholarship has been established due to the limitations of a pre-digital world, and delineate how scholarship itself is changing with the emergence of certain tools, social behaviors, and cultural expectations associated with participatory technologies.     

Efficacy of a planned behavior model: Beliefs that contribute to computer usage intentions of student teachers and experienced teachers

The primary purpose of this study was to examine beliefs contributing to student teachers’ and experienced teachers’ intentions to use computer applications in their curricula. The secondary purpose was to investigate the efficacy of the decomposed theory of planned behavior for predicting such intentions. A purposeful sample of 19 teachers participated in semi-structured interviews. Results showed that both student and experienced teachers were motivated to use computers to prepare students for real world experiences. Although both groups reported high computer confidence, they expressed limitations in their usage. Student teachers focused on use of the Internet and not on using a variety of computer applications as tools for teaching and learning. Experienced teachers depended on both equipment resources and personal support from school administrators to successfully integrate technology into their classroom. Both teacher groups expressed the need for more computer-integrated training. This research provided support for using the decomposed theory of planned behavior to predict computer intentions and usage for teachers. Assessment of computer usage within any profession should be based upon a behavior model that complements the profession’s cultural environment.     

Using multimedia to teach inservice teachers: Impacts on learning, application, and retention

This study investigated teachers’ ability to learn, apply in lesson plans, and retain knowledge of classroom discourse from a single module of a multimedia professional development program, used with 39 K-12 teachers enrolled in two graduate courses. Data collection and analysis included: (a) teacher development of – and panel review of – lesson plans integrating discourse, and (b) follow-up teacher interviews one year later. The study found: (a) the video modeling in the module was effective in helping teachers learn, and (b) discourse strategies were learned, applied, and retained. Implications for professional development with multimedia to teach classroom discourse include: (a) recursive use, (b) reflection, (c) multiple examples, (d) counter examples, and (e) prompts for observation.     

Engaging online learners: The impact of Web-based learning technology on college student engagement

Widespread use of the Web and other Internet technologies in postsecondary education has exploded in the last 15 years. Using a set of items developed by the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), the researchers utilized the hierarchical linear model (HLM) and multiple regressions to investigate the impact of Web-based learning technology on student engagement and self-reported learning outcomes in face-to-face and online learning environments. The results show a general positive relationship between the use the learning technology and student engagement and learning outcomes. We also discuss the possible impact on minority and part-time students as they are more likely to enroll in online courses.     

The power of eWOM: A re-examination of online student evaluations of their professors

Over the past few years, a number of studies have examined the impact of the Rate My Professors (RMP) website (RateMyProfessors.com) on higher education. The focal area of examination is whether students’ evaluations of their professors on RMP are valid. The current study attempts to push the RMP discussions to a deeper level through two studies. Study 1 illustrates that students rely on the valence of review information on RMP to make their course selection decisions without considering its validity. Study 2 shows that students’ decision-making process tends to be biased as a result of review information available. The results of both studies suggest it is necessary for institutions to test new teaching evaluation models online.     

Using podcasts to replace lecture: Effects on student achievement

This study examined achievement when podcasts were used in place of lecture in the core technology course required for all students seeking teacher licensure at a large research-intensive university in the Southeastern United States. Further, it examined the listening preferences of the podcast group and the barriers to podcast use. The results revealed that there was no significant difference in the achievement of preservice teachers who experienced podcast instruction versus those who received lecture instruction. Further, there was no significant difference in their study habits. Participants preferred to use a computer and Blackboard for downloading the podcasts, which they primarily listened to at home. They tended to like the podcasts as well as the length of the podcasts and felt that they were reasonably effective for learning. They agreed that the podcasts were easy to use but disagreed that they should be used to replace lecture. Barriers to podcast use include unfamiliarity with podcasts, technical problems in accessing and downloading podcasts, and not seeing the relevance of podcasts to their learning.     

Digital diversity among upper secondary students: A multilevel analysis of the relationship between cultural capital,self-efficacy,strategic use of information and digital competence

This paper addresses digital diversity among upper secondary students. Since 2006 digital skills and competence has been embedded as key competence in the Norwegian national curriculum. A sample of 593 Norwegian students from 43 upper secondary schools participated in a survey with a digital competence quiz and a self-report questionnaire. Analysis showed differences in students' digital competence and indication of digital diversity on both student and school level. A multilevel analysis reveals that cultural capital, language integration at home, self-efficacy, strategic use of information and average grades of the students predict 20% of the variation in students' digital competence score and 49% of the variation between schools' average digital competence score.     

Paying attention to adult learners online: The pedagogy and politics of community

Our article profiles the evolution of a fully online writing course designed for adult learners in our university's Prior Learning Assessment Program. Based on our own observations and experiences teaching adult learners online, we question if the virtual learning environment presents different challenges and prospects for the adult learner versus the traditional student learner, along with an extension and complication of the more social metaphors of “virtual community.” Moreover, because of the changing demographic from traditional to adult students, we argue that this change also fosters a change in the relationship between teachers and students. In chronicling this relationship, we note problems when the labor of adult education becomes invisible to those supervising online instructors. Because of these “invisible” labor issues, we argue that successful online instruction must include a range of interactions between students and instructors that extend the more public concept of community to better acknowledge the importance of personal, private interaction. Thus, we conclude with a call to rethink our online writing pedagogies to be more flexible to adult learner needs and learning styles, simultaneously recognizing the impact of adult online education on faculty workload.     

The provision of online public goods: Examining social structure in an electronic network of practice

Electronic networks of practice are computer-mediated social spaces where individuals working on similar problems self-organize to help each other and share knowledge, advice, and perspectives about their occupational practice or common interests. These interactions occur through message postings to produce an on-line public good of knowledge, where all participants in the network can then access this knowledge, regardless of their active participation in the network. Using theories and concepts of collective action and public goods, five hypotheses are developed regarding the structural and social characteristics that support the online provision and maintenance of knowledge in an electronic network of practice. Using social network analysis, we examine the structure of message contributions that produce and sustain the public good. We then combine the results from network analysis with survey results to examine the underlying pattern of exchange, the role of the critical mass, the quality of the ties sustaining participation, the heterogeneity of resources and interests of participants, and changes in membership that impact the structural characteristics of the network. Our results suggest that the electronic network of practice chosen for this study is sustained through generalized exchange, is supported by a critical mass of active members, and that members develop strong ties with the community as a whole rather than develop interpersonal relationships. Knowledge contribution is significantly related to an individual's tenure in the occupation, expertise, availability of local resources and a desire to enhance one's reputation, and those in the critical mass are primarily responsible for creating and sustaining the public good of knowledge. Finally, we find that this structure of generalized exchange is stable over time although there is a high proportion of member churn in the network.