The topic of resources for learning mathematics commonly becomes of interest during times of disruption and rapid change in education. The considerable research on undergraduate mathematics students' resource use largely focuses on learning resources in the form of material technologies and texts. Concerned that contemporary decisions about…

Purpose: Face-to-face tutorial sessions remain an integral part of the delivery mode of distance education in Ghana. It is sometimes used as the sole mode of delivery of educational content in some distance education institutions. This study, therefore, investigated the interconnectedness of elements of face-to-face tutorials among distance…

In the context of increased concerns about student engagement across the higher education sector, which have intensified subsequent to the rapid transition to online delivery in March 2020, this small-scale research project aimed to explore the motivations for student engagement in self-selecting learning development (LD) online tutorials. The…

The purposes of this study were: i) Developing strategic management of education and training online tutorial; ii) Testing the feasibility of strategic management of education and training online tutorial; iii) Finding out the obstacles in strategic management of education and training online tutorial development process; and iv) Finding the…

This study investigated the case-based method (CBM) instructional-design theory and its application in designing self-directed online instruction. The purpose of this study was to validate and refine the theory for a self-directed online instruction context. Guided by formative research methodology, this study first developed an online tutorial…

Supporting and assessment of students' preparation and learning process in problem-based learning (PBL) tutorials has long been a challenge. We present a modified PBL model focussing on the specific critical phase in the PBL process, the self-directed learning phase in between tutorial meetings. The modified seven step PBL model including an…

This article discusses the teachers' role in self-directed learning (SDL) -- a central concept in adult education. We explore the use of Socratic questioning to develop critical thinking, which is the outcome of SDL in problem-based learning (PBL). In particular, we analyse 11 adult learners' reflective journals in relation to a Socratic seminar.…

While YouTube has a wealth of educational videos, how self-guided learners use these resources has not been fully described. An analysis of search engine queries for help with the use of Microsoft Excel shows that few users search for specific features or functions but instead use very general terms. Because the same videos are returned in…

Higher education institutes of North America, Europe and far-east Asia have been leveraging the advances in ICT for quite some time. However, research based knowledge on the use of ICT in the higher education institutes of central and south-east Asia is still not readily available. The study presented in this paper explores a variant of teaching…

Students' attendance and engagement with teaching and learning practices is perceived as a critical element for academic performance. Even with stipulated attendance policies, students still choose not to engage. The study employed a principal component analysis to analyze first- and second-year students' perceptions of the importance of the 12…

As in other Anglophone nations, a large percentage of Australia's postgraduate international students come from English as an additional language (EAL) backgrounds, and many require development of their academic language and learning (ALL) capabilities to successfully navigate a higher degree. This paper investigates those capabilities through the…

The aim of this study was to investigate how first-year students view the purpose of tutorial groups in problem-based learning. In all, 147 students from 24 groups participated, providing 399 statements. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. The results showed a focus on both learning and social influence. Learning involved the tutorial as…

A series of tutorials was re-designed to further engage students in spiral learning and highlight development of transferable skills. The tutorials focused on self-directed and enquiry-based learning, both of which provided particular challenges to students and staff. The students were randomly allocated a media article related to psychology as a…

Employers in the 21st century seek graduates with a demonstrated ability to be independent, self-managing, lifelong learners. In this paper the authors explore student responses to a tutorial activity designed to promote lifelong learning skills. The activity is framed around situated learning theory, and capitalises on the affordances of video…

Evidence supporting Problem-based learning (PBL) fostering students' self-directed learning (SDL) in hybrid PBL curricula is inconsistent. To explore the influence of PBL in a hybrid curriculum on students' SDL, the authors investigated the following: (1) students' self-assessed SDL ability, (2) students' perceptions of the influence of curricular…