Massive Open Online Course （MOOC） has many characteristics, such as mass, openness, and online learning, which can effectively make up for the problem ＆shortage of teachers in the college English teaching. But, the...Massive Open Online Course （MOOC） has many characteristics, such as mass, openness, and online learning, which can effectively make up for the problem ＆shortage of teachers in the college English teaching. But, there is also a challenge to introduce MOOC to the college English teaching. This paper analyzes the challenge and revelation MOOC brings to college English teaching combined with the characteristics of MOOC, and points out that the role of teachers, students, and managers should be changed under the background of MOOC.展开更多
Aim:To gain knowledge of how adult students experienced the first year of a blended learning master programme to better understand their learning process.Methods:A qualitative,exploratory,descriptive study based on da...Aim:To gain knowledge of how adult students experienced the first year of a blended learning master programme to better understand their learning process.Methods:A qualitative,exploratory,descriptive study based on data from two focus group interviews with students attending a blended learning Master programme.Qualitative content analysis based on Graneheim and Lundman’s procedures was applied.Findings:Our analyses revealed one main theme:aspiring for competence in a multifaceted everyday life and four main categories:acquiring professional competence,struggling to manage diverse forms of communication,demanding task juggling and confused student role.Conclusions:The participants experienced that the programme enabled them to acquire professional competence relevant to practice.Despite the challenges,the programme is recommended for prospective students who live in both urban and rural areas,who are working and also responsible for children and other family tasks.展开更多
English is now, as a universal language, the main tool for communication among people all over the world. The English listening and speaking ability is the key to it. But the status-quo of Chinese student＇s English l...English is now, as a universal language, the main tool for communication among people all over the world. The English listening and speaking ability is the key to it. But the status-quo of Chinese student＇s English listening and speaking ability is disappointing. This paper tries to analyze the necessity of improving their English listening and speaking ability and put forward some strategies on it based on MOOC which includes teaching online and teaching offline.展开更多
Online teaching and learning environments have been booming worldwide. However, many universities in developing countries cannot afford learning management systems, such as Blackboard or WebCT. Therefore, this qualita...Online teaching and learning environments have been booming worldwide. However, many universities in developing countries cannot afford learning management systems, such as Blackboard or WebCT. Therefore, this qualitative study explores the possibility of using social media sites for online instruction due to the fact that their prominent utilities are similar to those of Blackboard and other learning management systems. Through purposeful sampling, four university professors using social media for online instruction were selected as participants, in order to gain insights from their perspectives regarding its usage as an alternative instructional medium. Using the constant comparison method and open coding, data was gathered and triangulated from participant interviews, observations of participants＇ online courses on social media sites; documents collected from their online courses; and the researcher＇s reflexive journal. Thematic findings revealed that social media sites increased （1） interaction and communication between the instructor and students, （2） interaction, communication, and collaboration among students, （3） and interaction between students with materials. It is believed that the significance of the research findings can be transferred to the similar online teaching contexts where learning management systems cannot be afforded.展开更多
The popularity of technology has allowed universities to make changes through their educational system in recent years. Some transitioned from face-to-face instruction to online instruction. The aim of this study is t...The popularity of technology has allowed universities to make changes through their educational system in recent years. Some transitioned from face-to-face instruction to online instruction. The aim of this study is to investigate the perceptions of both the instructors and the students as regards second language acquisition through online education at a rural university. The study was implemented in the context of teaching and learning English as a second language in an online education environment. The course material is based on The Net Languages Learning Platform, which is available at http：//ide.yok.gov.tr/, and the course level is general English pre-elementary. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used in this study. For quantitative data collection, a questionnaire was employed to understand the reasons for low student attendance on online courses. For qualitative research method, observation was carried out, and interviews are designed as data collection techniques. Purposive selection was used for selection of the participants. The findings revealed that online education needs to be modified. The students are eager to improve their second language competencies; however, they do not want to waste their time on an easy course level.展开更多
In the paper, the authors present their experience and results related to the design and management of the on-line course ＂Development of e-learning resources based on the EUCIP （The European Certification of Inform...In the paper, the authors present their experience and results related to the design and management of the on-line course ＂Development of e-learning resources based on the EUCIP （The European Certification of Informatics Professionals） certification scheme＂, which was organized under the auspices of the international Leonardo da Vinci project Sloop2desc （Sharing learning objects in an open perspective for development of European skills and competences）. The course was primarily aimed at teachers of informatics. Out of 64 participants that applied for the course, slightly less than 50% managed to reach the last course module. In line with other research, the authors＇ experience showed that in order to minimize participants＇ drop-out rate, a sustained communication flow between tutors and participants was necessary and specific assignments had to be provided by the tutors, along with guidance. The authors expect the participants who successfully finished the on-line course to become a some kind of ambassadors for the introduction of the EUCIP scheme in Slovenia.展开更多
Although Web 2.0 tools like blogs and wikis have been used for supporting collaborative learning in higher education, there are not many reports about implementation of that resource on engineering in Brazil. In this ...Although Web 2.0 tools like blogs and wikis have been used for supporting collaborative learning in higher education, there are not many reports about implementation of that resource on engineering in Brazil. In this way, the main purpose of this research is to use a wiki platform for online activities and evaluate how students collaborate with each other in online tasks. It was investigated how collaboration can be measured on wiki platform During four-week online activities, 40 students of Civil Engineering course were monitored on Wikispaces~ platform. All students＇ actions were analyzed and classified as low, medium, or high level of collaboration. The data were collected through the statistical reports of Wikispaces~ and Google Analytics platforms. It computed 336 students＇ actions： 16.67% as high level, 45.24% as medium, and 38.10% as low. During informal interview, most of students （70%） related that wiki was a nice tool for collaboration work. The results indicated that wiki platform is an important way to develop innovative activities and tasks for the purpose of improving engineers＇ abilities and skills such as： writing communication, organization, collaboration, and critical thinking development.展开更多
English is the universal language. With the development of economic and cultural globalization, the demand for English has gradually increased. Traditional college English teaching cannot meet real requirement, so col...English is the universal language. With the development of economic and cultural globalization, the demand for English has gradually increased. Traditional college English teaching cannot meet real requirement, so college English teaching reform is imperative. With the development of online platform, the Internet has brought a great impetus to the curriculum reform. The author thinks that ＂MOOC＂ and College English Teaching Reform have a good point of combining, but there is still a problem remaining to be solved： How to make good use of＂MOOC＂ for College English Teaching Reform service has a lot study space in the future.展开更多
By introducing multi-agent technology to the online teaching system and establishing a personalized online teaching system model, the intelligent and personalized problems in the traditional online teaching system are...By introducing multi-agent technology to the online teaching system and establishing a personalized online teaching system model, the intelligent and personalized problems in the traditional online teaching system are solved; the needs of students for learning are fulfilled; the intelligent and interactive functions of the online teaching system are improved; a new interactive online teaching model is implemented. In this paper, the online system design based on multi-agent system technology is raised, and the modules and functions of the system are defined.展开更多
The implementation of the Smart schools project was one of the seven flagships＇ initiatives of the Malaysian Government aims at optimalising ICT utilisation in schools in line with Malaysia＇s aim to position the cou...The implementation of the Smart schools project was one of the seven flagships＇ initiatives of the Malaysian Government aims at optimalising ICT utilisation in schools in line with Malaysia＇s aim to position the country as a globally competitive knowledge-based economy. However, research studies reported a lack of success of the project towards promoting effective ICT usage and developing teacher professionally. This situation became the impetus for the development of the e-CPDelT research project which intends to develop an online learning system based on action research and personal involvement for Smart school teachers. The model adopted is loosely based on the successful UK-based Improving the Quality of Education for All （IQEA） proiect （Ainscow et al., 1994） and the Communities of Practice （CoP）＇s approach （Wenger, 1998）. The data were obtained from the blog entries made by the 20 participating Smart schools teachers and triangulated with focus group interviews and mentor reflections. The preliminary findings revealed both internal and external problems. Drawing upon these findings, the eCPDelT learning system was designed and steps were undertaken to promote the new system. However, the response to this promotion was far from satisfactory. The paper concludes by discussing the reasons for such disappointing results and proposes a new plan of action that involves the introduction of the Critical Friends Group technique,展开更多
文摘Massive Open Online Course （MOOC） has many characteristics, such as mass, openness, and online learning, which can effectively make up for the problem ＆shortage of teachers in the college English teaching. But, there is also a challenge to introduce MOOC to the college English teaching. This paper analyzes the challenge and revelation MOOC brings to college English teaching combined with the characteristics of MOOC, and points out that the role of teachers, students, and managers should be changed under the background of MOOC.
基金supported in part by Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences,Faculty of Health and Social Sciences,NO-2418 Elverum,Norway.No external funding.
文摘Aim:To gain knowledge of how adult students experienced the first year of a blended learning master programme to better understand their learning process.Methods:A qualitative,exploratory,descriptive study based on data from two focus group interviews with students attending a blended learning Master programme.Qualitative content analysis based on Graneheim and Lundman’s procedures was applied.Findings:Our analyses revealed one main theme:aspiring for competence in a multifaceted everyday life and four main categories:acquiring professional competence,struggling to manage diverse forms of communication,demanding task juggling and confused student role.Conclusions:The participants experienced that the programme enabled them to acquire professional competence relevant to practice.Despite the challenges,the programme is recommended for prospective students who live in both urban and rural areas,who are working and also responsible for children and other family tasks.
文摘English is now, as a universal language, the main tool for communication among people all over the world. The English listening and speaking ability is the key to it. But the status-quo of Chinese student＇s English listening and speaking ability is disappointing. This paper tries to analyze the necessity of improving their English listening and speaking ability and put forward some strategies on it based on MOOC which includes teaching online and teaching offline.
文摘Online teaching and learning environments have been booming worldwide. However, many universities in developing countries cannot afford learning management systems, such as Blackboard or WebCT. Therefore, this qualitative study explores the possibility of using social media sites for online instruction due to the fact that their prominent utilities are similar to those of Blackboard and other learning management systems. Through purposeful sampling, four university professors using social media for online instruction were selected as participants, in order to gain insights from their perspectives regarding its usage as an alternative instructional medium. Using the constant comparison method and open coding, data was gathered and triangulated from participant interviews, observations of participants＇ online courses on social media sites; documents collected from their online courses; and the researcher＇s reflexive journal. Thematic findings revealed that social media sites increased （1） interaction and communication between the instructor and students, （2） interaction, communication, and collaboration among students, （3） and interaction between students with materials. It is believed that the significance of the research findings can be transferred to the similar online teaching contexts where learning management systems cannot be afforded.
文摘The popularity of technology has allowed universities to make changes through their educational system in recent years. Some transitioned from face-to-face instruction to online instruction. The aim of this study is to investigate the perceptions of both the instructors and the students as regards second language acquisition through online education at a rural university. The study was implemented in the context of teaching and learning English as a second language in an online education environment. The course material is based on The Net Languages Learning Platform, which is available at http：//ide.yok.gov.tr/, and the course level is general English pre-elementary. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used in this study. For quantitative data collection, a questionnaire was employed to understand the reasons for low student attendance on online courses. For qualitative research method, observation was carried out, and interviews are designed as data collection techniques. Purposive selection was used for selection of the participants. The findings revealed that online education needs to be modified. The students are eager to improve their second language competencies; however, they do not want to waste their time on an easy course level.
文摘In the paper, the authors present their experience and results related to the design and management of the on-line course ＂Development of e-learning resources based on the EUCIP （The European Certification of Informatics Professionals） certification scheme＂, which was organized under the auspices of the international Leonardo da Vinci project Sloop2desc （Sharing learning objects in an open perspective for development of European skills and competences）. The course was primarily aimed at teachers of informatics. Out of 64 participants that applied for the course, slightly less than 50% managed to reach the last course module. In line with other research, the authors＇ experience showed that in order to minimize participants＇ drop-out rate, a sustained communication flow between tutors and participants was necessary and specific assignments had to be provided by the tutors, along with guidance. The authors expect the participants who successfully finished the on-line course to become a some kind of ambassadors for the introduction of the EUCIP scheme in Slovenia.
文摘Although Web 2.0 tools like blogs and wikis have been used for supporting collaborative learning in higher education, there are not many reports about implementation of that resource on engineering in Brazil. In this way, the main purpose of this research is to use a wiki platform for online activities and evaluate how students collaborate with each other in online tasks. It was investigated how collaboration can be measured on wiki platform During four-week online activities, 40 students of Civil Engineering course were monitored on Wikispaces~ platform. All students＇ actions were analyzed and classified as low, medium, or high level of collaboration. The data were collected through the statistical reports of Wikispaces~ and Google Analytics platforms. It computed 336 students＇ actions： 16.67% as high level, 45.24% as medium, and 38.10% as low. During informal interview, most of students （70%） related that wiki was a nice tool for collaboration work. The results indicated that wiki platform is an important way to develop innovative activities and tasks for the purpose of improving engineers＇ abilities and skills such as： writing communication, organization, collaboration, and critical thinking development.
文摘English is the universal language. With the development of economic and cultural globalization, the demand for English has gradually increased. Traditional college English teaching cannot meet real requirement, so college English teaching reform is imperative. With the development of online platform, the Internet has brought a great impetus to the curriculum reform. The author thinks that ＂MOOC＂ and College English Teaching Reform have a good point of combining, but there is still a problem remaining to be solved： How to make good use of＂MOOC＂ for College English Teaching Reform service has a lot study space in the future.
文摘By introducing multi-agent technology to the online teaching system and establishing a personalized online teaching system model, the intelligent and personalized problems in the traditional online teaching system are solved; the needs of students for learning are fulfilled; the intelligent and interactive functions of the online teaching system are improved; a new interactive online teaching model is implemented. In this paper, the online system design based on multi-agent system technology is raised, and the modules and functions of the system are defined.
基金a research project (Code number:UKM-GUP-TMK-08-03-310) funded by a research grant provided by the National University of Malaysia
文摘The implementation of the Smart schools project was one of the seven flagships＇ initiatives of the Malaysian Government aims at optimalising ICT utilisation in schools in line with Malaysia＇s aim to position the country as a globally competitive knowledge-based economy. However, research studies reported a lack of success of the project towards promoting effective ICT usage and developing teacher professionally. This situation became the impetus for the development of the e-CPDelT research project which intends to develop an online learning system based on action research and personal involvement for Smart school teachers. The model adopted is loosely based on the successful UK-based Improving the Quality of Education for All （IQEA） proiect （Ainscow et al., 1994） and the Communities of Practice （CoP）＇s approach （Wenger, 1998）. The data were obtained from the blog entries made by the 20 participating Smart schools teachers and triangulated with focus group interviews and mentor reflections. The preliminary findings revealed both internal and external problems. Drawing upon these findings, the eCPDelT learning system was designed and steps were undertaken to promote the new system. However, the response to this promotion was far from satisfactory. The paper concludes by discussing the reasons for such disappointing results and proposes a new plan of action that involves the introduction of the Critical Friends Group technique,
