Skip to main content
Our journal logo
Search

Vol. 19 No. 2 (2022)

Published: 1 December 2022

Articles

  • The EdTech difference: Digitalisation, digital pedagogy, and technology enhanced learning

    Michael A Cowling, Joseph Crawford, Carmen Vallis, Rebekkah Middleton, Kwong Nui Sim

    This editorial is in support of an issue of the Journal that has a focus on educational technology (EdTech). With this in mind, this editorial will provide advice on how the editorial team for this section feels that educational technology will evolve into the latter part of the 2020’s, especially given the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Examples are given of how writing in this space has changed over the years of the pandemic, with a history of EdTech given, followed by an argument for the need for technology to be used in context. This is followed by descriptions of good practice around theoretical framing, methodology rigour, inclusion of the people element, and the need for the technology to serve a purpose. The piece concludes with a summary of where the editorial team feels the field will go from here into the future. Throughout, practical examples of submissions made over the last few years are given to help illustrate a coherent direction. It is anticipated that this editorial will serve as a guide for future authors to use in service of better educational technology outputs in the future.

    Read article: The EdTech difference: Digitalisation, digital pedagogy, and technology enhanced learning

  • The state of Australasian online higher education post-pandemic and beyond

    Michael D Sankey

    Online learning is not a new phenomenon that had just been discovered in March 2020, it has been developing very strongly for 20+ years. What is new is that we are now realising that what was conceived as being good online learning pedagogy is being challenged by many of the newer student-centred approaches that have evolved in learning and teaching. Not the least because the technologies now allow us to do way more in a more synchronous way, allowing students to work more collaboratively with others. Or maybe it’s more that we have rediscovered some activities that were harder to achieve in the past. Either way, what has also changed in higher education is the emphasis on the student and how providing them with a greater level of agency in their learning presents more traditional educators with new challenges. This paper presents some options for those looking to understand and meet those challenges head on.

    Read article: The state of Australasian online higher education post-pandemic and beyond

  • Emergency support for faculty: Adherence to best practices in designing, developing, and implementing virtual training during a pandemic

    Meredith Rausch, Lee Flood, Rhia Moreno, Stacy Kluge, Arthur Takahashi

    COVID-19 disrupted face-to-face instruction across university campuses world-wide. As universities struggled, instructional design teams stepped in to assist. At one southeastern university in the US, an instructional design team, with support from instructional systems analysts, responded by creating online instruction for faculty and facilitating training during the summer months in 2020. Literature outlining multiple perspectives and best practices for online instruction prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic is robust; however, provides little to no guidance for implementing empirically based practice during a time of worldwide crisis. Many educational institutions recognised the need to provide a timely response to ensure continuity and quality of education yet lacked a framework or model from which to follow. This mixed methods study reviews best practices for designing and implementing virtual training for faculty and determines to what extent best practices were followed for this shift during a time of crisis. The use of a survey and semi-structured interviews with the instructional design team and instructional systems analysts resulted in four themes: prioritising faculty needs, responsiveness to faculty, lack of time, and difficulties collaborating across departments. Alignment to pre-pandemic best practice literature is provided to demonstrate the response of one university to the pandemic. Implications for instructional design teams and future research directions are presented.

    Read article: Emergency support for faculty: Adherence to best practices in designing, developing, and implementing virtual training during a pandemic

  • A self-regulated learning management system: Enhancing performance, motivation and reflection in learning

    Henry Khiat, Silke Vogel

    Practising self-regulated learning is essential in one’s lifelong learning journey. As educators, we can assist our students to regulate their learning effectively, whether this is in an online learning environment or any other. However, many factors affect how well learners regulate their learning. Research reveals that self-regulated learning practices vary and warrant further exploration. This study specifically investigates how the guided practice of self-regulated learning behaviour affects learning in the online learning environment. To guide students in managing their learning more effectively, an automated self-regulated learning management system was developed. The system assists students in practising the cognitive, meta-cognitive and motivational aspects of self-regulated learning. 155 postgraduate students in two online healthcare-related courses were randomly selected to be involved in the study. Trace data from the self-regulated learning management system was used to triangulate the students’ self-reports in relation to their self-regulated learning behaviours. Non-parametric statistical tests were used in the analysis. Findings indicate that the use of the self-regulated learning management system facilitated and aided students in practising more effective self-regulated learning behaviours thus impacting positively on learning motivation and metacognitive reflection. However, its effect is inconclusive in relation to academic performance. In summary, positive changes were made to their self-regulated learning behaviours and these subsequently improved their self-regulation and related outcomes.

    Read article: A self-regulated learning management system: Enhancing performance, motivation and reflection in learning

  • The use of Adobe Connect in synchronous online teaching

    Atefeh Elekaei

    The COVID-19 pandemic is a huge challenge to the world. It has interrupted many aspects of lives, especially education settings. Emergency remote education was put into practice to ensure the continuity of education while learners are physically out of universities, schools and institutes. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of learners’ attitude using Adobe Connect on their final course scores in synchronous online teaching. 75 participants from Qazvin University of Medical Sciences and Health Services participated in this study. Data were gathered by means of a questionnaire and final course exam. A one-way ANOVA was used in order to analyze the data. Results revealed that the attitude level significantly affected the participants’ final scores (F = 18.503, p < .01). The participants who had higher attitude levels had higher final scores.

    Read article: The use of Adobe Connect in synchronous online teaching

  • The impact of online assessment challenges on assessment principles during COVID-19 in Oman

    Asma Hilal Al-Maqbali, Raja Maznah Raja Hussain

    With the emergence of COVID-19, many educational pillars have been altered from conventional ways to online solutions. The educational assessment has been administered in online environments despite all encountered challenges. This descriptive study aimed to uncover the online assessment challenges that were confronted. Furthermore, it intended to display the impact of these challenges on the assessment principles. A mixed-method approach was adopted for data collection. A survey was used to collect quantitative data from 60 academic staff at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with four of them. The study found some challenges when applying online assessment such as learners’ refusal to turn on cameras, heavy teaching loads, cheating, the long time required for developing online assessment instruments, impersonation/dishonesty, assessing practical experiences, plagiarism, grades’ inflation, assessing group’s work, academic integrity and a large number of students per section. The study concluded that these challenges respectively threatened assessment principles of validity, efficiency, fairness, reliability and variability.

    Read article: The impact of online assessment challenges on assessment principles during COVID-19 in Oman

  • Introducing conditional probability using the Monty Hall problem

    Ricela Feliciano-Semidei, Ke Wu, Rachel M Chaphalkar

    This study developed a teaching module that incorporated the Monty Hall problem to introduce conditional probability in a college introductory statistics course. This teaching module integrated a guess – experiment – discussion approach with game-based instruction. The researchers piloted this module and made modifications. The work of 20 non-mathematics major undergraduate students was examined for changes in their perceptions about conditional probability through a pre-and-post survey design. The Structure of the Observed Learning Outcome (SOLO) taxonomy was used for data analysis to show the quality of the student work. Findings suggest that most students’ perceptions were at higher levels after the teaching module.

    Read article: Introducing conditional probability using the Monty Hall problem

  • Are undergraduate students studying smart? Insights into study strategies and habits across a programme of study

    Suzanne Fergus

    The approach that students take in their studies at university is critical not only for their academic success but is equally important in life-long learning for their career and professional development. Heutagogy is the study of self-determined learning and it is important that we appraise how students in higher education are developing their metacognitive awareness in how they learn and study effectively. Cognitive science is an interdisciplinary research area that involves the scientific study of the human mind. It helps provide new knowledge in relation to areas such as memory, problem solving, knowledge transfer and understanding of complex topics. Cognitive science has demonstrated that re-testing oneself on material when learning, enhances and promotes greater retention of knowledge compared to re-reading the material. Learning that is distributed or spaced out over multiple study sessions also allows for greater retention of knowledge in the longer-term compared to ‘cramming’ of information. To evaluate the use of effective study approaches and habits across three different levels of study in an undergraduate pharmacy programme, a survey study was employed. A paper-based survey was completed by first-, second- and third-year undergraduate pharmacy students (n=192) during class sessions. Although there was some evidence of metacognitive awareness such as using testing (retrieval practice) with practice problems; across all years, suboptimal study approaches such as rereading, copying notes and cramming were endorsed. A schedule of deadlines shaped the organisation of study and time management for most students. Self-testing was predominantly used to test learning rather than an approach used during learning. There was evidence of a difference between the cohorts in relation to decisions for prioritizing studying, returning to review course material and re-reading. The evidence from this study demonstrates that learners would require training on metacognitive awareness and effective study strategies to enable their self-determined learning capabilities to evolve. The linear progression through a programme of study alone will not achieve this. There is a need to embed and emphasize effective strategies for learning into curricula and for faculty to utilise metacognitive awareness in their teaching.

    Read article: Are undergraduate students studying smart? Insights into study strategies and habits across a programme of study

  • Prioritising lifeload over learning load: Understanding post-pandemic student engagement

    Rachel Hews, Judith McNamara, Zoe Nay

    Higher education institutions universally need to maximise student engagement by modifying teaching practices in response to changes caused by globalisation, technological innovation, and community values. To do this, it is necessary to deeply understand the complexity of student needs and identify how to respond. The global shift to wholly online learning during COVID19 presented a unique opportunity to better understand the influences and outcomes of student engagement in practice. We conducted an extended 2-day focus group with students from an Australian university and applied Kahu and Nelson’s educational interface framework to investigate how the shift to online education affected students’ perceptions of learning and engagement. Students reported their primary needs related to digital competencies, flexible learning, and teacher care and enthusiasm. In these contexts, educators must support students to develop self-efficacy and a sense of belonging. However, most significant was the inextricable connection between students’ personal lives, including emotions and wellbeing, and their university lives. Students reported that they consistently prioritised lifeload over learning load, while consciously knowing their choices were at odds with their learning. We provide suggestions for improving future learning models, while also acknowledging more work is needed to better understand student lifeloads and decision-making. These insights are valuable for improving practice in higher education, as institutions internationally and sector wide continue to adapt to the evolving needs of students within global sociocultural contexts.

    Read article: Prioritising lifeload over learning load: Understanding post-pandemic student engagement

  • Your success is our goal: An intervention for failing students

    Jenelle Benson, Marilyn Chaseling, Elizabeth Emmanuel, Christos Markopoulos, Julie-Ann Paredes

    More diversity is now shown in students gaining admission into universities, many who are ill-equipped for first-year studies and assessment writing. This can result in a failing grade for some, which can impact their success and progression. This study contributes to the student success literature by reporting on the six-step one-on-one targeted intervention strategy devised to support the 33 out of 500 students who were unsuccessful in their first university assessment and its resubmission. The study also details the theoretical framework that underpinned the subject—Carol Dweck’s growth mindset, Mezirow’s transformative learning theory, and the maxim “Your success is our goal”! The study determined that: i) the intervention was successful for the 33 students who each passed the assessment; ii) a pre- and post-intervention writing skills assessment showed an improvement of +0.67 to give an average of 3.48, where 3 is a pass, and iii) at interview, students (76.9%) reported their improved writing abilities and that the intervention support was helpful. The study concluded that failing students can be successful when they are encouraged to use a growth mindset and individually supported to develop their writing skills.

    Read article: Your success is our goal: An intervention for failing students