This conceptual paper sets out the community-of-inquiry framework from a distributed perspective. It proposes that considering teaching presence, social presence and cognitive presence from a distributed perspective allows the broadening of the presences to consider the way in which participants, content and tools maintain and advance these…

Despite the recognition of the benefits that can be achieved through the use of Open Educational Resources (OER) and, more broadly, Open Educational Practices (OEP), there has been little research on the competences that are needed to enable educators to utilise such practices. To contribute to closing this gap, this paper presents a framework of…

Self-directed learning (SDL) is necessary for successful learning in MOOCs. Motivation is one of the critical elements of SDL. This mixed-method study examined the design and delivery of MOOCs to motivate learners for SDL. The data collection methods included semi-structured interviews with 22 MOOC instructors, a document review of 22 MOOCs, and…

Offering education by distance provides an important sociological tool for equalising opportunities in developed nations. However, for developing nations and more particularly some of the least-developed countries in the world, it has the potential to play a much larger role in providing both basic and advanced educational opportunities and,…

This practical, practice-based article sets out to define and describe vlogging based on the author's experiences while teaching a blended learning course. Vlogging is a short duration video recording that engages the learner in critical self-reflection. It is a scaffolding strategy for moving students from a descriptive diary to situated…

This study aims: (1) to investigate the different motivations and perspectives for Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) that targeted attitudinal learning outcomes; and (2) to categorise learner profiles in regards to their perceived attitudinal learning gains. Seven hundred and ninety-six learners from three MOOCs participated in an…

Higher education institutions are increasingly looking for the adoption of new ways to improve education quality, enhance student engagement, and manage knowledge resources. Technological developments have a significant impact on education, and technology-mediated learning is steadily progressing, with blended learning being implemented in…

Information and communication technology (ICT) not only improved communication in the 21st century, but it also led to rethinking the facilitation of online learning. University students in the information age have access to the internet, chat rooms, Twitter, and other social media. However, the literature reveals that most students use these…

Given the rapid rise of open educational resources (OER) for informal learning pursuits impacting countless millions of people each day around the world, this study investigated the impact of the initiative that spearheaded this movement; namely, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) open courseware (OCW). More specifically, it explored…

As the demand for tertiary education increases, Caribbean universities are choosing online education as a means of increasing access to education. The transition from the traditional classroom to the online classroom has proved challenging for some. The purpose of this study was to analyse why Caribbean adult learners do not perceive online…

Technological advances allow open and distance learning (ODL) providers to offer all kinds of interaction opportunities for their students. In Turkey, different institutions adopt different interaction types in ODL services mostly because of legal procedures and a shortage of experience in ODL. Learning more about students' preferences and needs…

This paper examines the pedagogical integration of Virtual Microscopes (VMs) in Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs), to identify best practice and improve online pedagogy. It has captured the perspectives of 12 Health and Earth Science university teachers, through in-depth interviews, about the current integration of the VM in online teaching,…

While there are laudable studies on the challenges of flipped learning and hybrid models adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic, limited studies exist on the advancements achieved through digitally enhanced learning. Eliciting information from preservice teachers on their experiences while switching to different learning environments during the…

This research aimed to explore the nuances of utility in components of e-learning systems by using a multi-generational undergraduate business school cohort programme and an e-learning utility-satisfaction evaluation model. Our empirical research demonstrates differences between the three generations for the utility of all the variables of the…

This study was initiated at a time of unprecedented uncertainty, as lecturers and educational institutions across the world tried to manage the move to online education as a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic. It started with lecturers' perspectives of their performance during that time to identify innovative teaching strategies beyond the…