The nation's explosive growth in Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) is likely to lead to low effectiveness of MOOCs, therefore, it is necessary to promote the high-quality and long-term development of MOOCs through understanding learner satisfaction. The present research adopted the Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) to derive factors affecting…

With the rapid development of online courses, digital learning has become a global trend. In this context, this study analyzed the high intake population of online courses for online affective cognition, and explored what the user's attraction factors for online courses are. The key factors that affect consumers' usage of online courses and the…

The choice of the first programming language (FPL) has been a controversial issue for several decades. Nearly everyone agrees that the FPL is important and affects students' subsequent education on programming. The study presented in this article investigates the suitability of various C-like and Pascal-like programming languages as a FPL.…

We report on an online course in research writing offered in a massive open online course (MOOC) format for developing country researchers. The concepts of cognitive presence, teacher presence, and social presence informed the design of the course, with a philosophy of strong social interaction supported by guest facilitators. The course was…

Students' perceptions of assessment used within the learning environment greatly influence their approach to learning. Therefore, this study aims to explore whether various student or course characteristics (age, gender, course format) impact perceptions regarding effectiveness of assessment type (e.g., exam, participation, presentation) and…

To extend prior findings on the motivational value of tiny, nonfinancial incentives, we conducted two quasi-experiments on the relationship of extra credit micro-incentives (ECMIs, worth =1% of course grade) and response rates for online course evaluations. Study 1 involved two advanced undergraduate psychology courses taught by the same…

While online learning is nothing new, research regarding student perceptions of online courses is limited and has generally focused on those who have taken online courses. Data were collected from 180 students taking criminal justice courses on campus at a large 4-year university in the Southwest and 100 students taking criminal justice courses in…

This study compared student impressions of a text-rich contractual syllabus to a graphic-rich engaging syllabus. Students enrolled in sections of an undergraduate introductory nutrition course viewed either a contractual or engaging syllabus and completed a survey regarding their perceptions of the course and instructor. Students perceived both…

The current paper presents the assessment of the infusion of sustainability principles into university curricula at two Jordanian universities. The peer review process of revising the curricula infusing sustainability principles is also discussed. The research methodology involved quantitative methods to assess the revised courses. The results…

To address the gap in locally driven mental health capacity strengthening initiatives in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt), researchers from Birzeit University (BZU) and King's College London (KCL) developed a unique short course focusing on the intersection between methods, mental health, and conflict. The course was delivered in the West…

Instructional labs are widely seen as a unique, albeit expensive, way to teach scientific content. We measured the effectiveness of introductory lab courses at achieving this educational goal across nine different lab courses at three very different institutions. These institutions and courses encompassed a broad range of student populations and…

Capstone experiences have high educational impact with a number of approaches for biology. In most capstones, students produce a major project, typically as an undergraduate research experience, with a primary goal to integrate students' learning. At Augustana, our senior biology capstone uses history and philosophy to frame students' reflections…

A great deal of research exists in the use of multimedia communications in online classrooms as a means of furthering student engagement. However, little research exists that examines the perceptions of students when such technologies are used. Additionally, it is unclear that students are likely to engage in the use of such technologies when…

Virtual learning environments (VLE) have become a standard feature of most courses in higher education, offering the potential to facilitate and improve teaching and learning. Whilst there is an implicit assumption that VLEs benefit student learning, much of the evidence originates from direct questioning of students about their satisfaction with…

This study assessed the relationships of student attributes, course characteristics and course outcomes to college students' ratings of course quality in three types of settings. The analysis utilised data from online surveys of samples of college students conducted in 2011 and 2012 at the Pennsylvania State University. Included in the analysis…