During the COVID-19 pandemic, schools at all levels were often closed and online distance instruction (ODI) was applied. The main objective of this research was to discover the main didactic features of online distance instruction; and based on the collected data to define didactic recommendations towards improving the quality of the process. Five…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify staff skills and competencies on which Chinese open universities should focus their professional development activities in order to enhance the quality of open and distance learning (ODL) in China. Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected from surveys of 220 academic and academic-related…

The present study deals with the mediation of statistics anxiety and motivation in the relationship comprising academic dishonesty, personality traits, and previous academic achievements in three different learning environments (Face to Face -- F2F, Planned Online Environment -- POE, and Emergency Remote Teaching -- ERT). Self-determination theory…

Educators are increasingly confronted with technology-driven learning scenarios. Even before the push from the current pandemic, digital learning apps became an integrated didactic tool. Advanced computing can thereby support the digital content creation for educational courses offered on mobile platforms. Computed media content such as natural…

This article presents two similar design cases and a discussion of how like values resulted in dissimilar design moves. Both cases were gamified learning activities for graduate students in instructional design. Both interventions employed rapid prototyping and were delivered synchronously in an at-a-distance setting. This article compares the two…

In this paper, we present and discuss an explorative study on the use of a social 360° virtual reality (360VR) for supporting case-based Problem Based Learning (case-PBL) in clinical medical education. In the context of case-PBL, we argue that our social 360VR learning space extends the design and application of cases in medical education by…

This study sheds light on the challenges of communicating knowledge in remote accounting education that has traditionally been demonstrated on a blackboard or whiteboard. In a synchronous online education setting, the study investigated whether students' learning experience is facilitated by observing the instructor's hand while examples are…

This study aimed to examine the behaviour of learners across a whole system and in various courses to reveal the interrelation between learners' system interaction, age, programme features and course design. We obtained data from the system logs of 1,634 learners enrolled in distance learning programmes. We performed hierarchical clustering…

This paper explores a new tool for instructional designers. By calculating and graphing the Student Momentum Indicator (M) for 196 university-level online courses and by employing the constant comparative method within the grounded theory framework, eight distinct graph shapes emerged as meaningful categories of dropout behavior. Several of the…

A research and development project was undertaken to document, analyze and report the effects of implementing a free/open educational resources (OER) initiative within Sullivan University's College of Business Administration. The project involved the redesign of courses using no-cost textbooks and other educational resources, in place of resources…

This paper describes an ongoing study related to a conceptual design model, which is specific to instructional interface design to enhance courseware usage. It was found that most of the existing courseware applications focus on the needs of certain target with most of the courseware offer too little to inclusive learners. In addition, the use of…

As distance education moves increasingly towards online provision, and because of the benefits provided by online approaches, students will be expected to engage with more resources available on screen. Contemporary forms of reading from the screen include reading from tablet devices, LCD monitors, and smartphones. However, print remains the…

A vast body of research has indicated the importance of distinguishing new vs. continuing students' learning experiences in blended and online environments. Continuing learners may have developed learning and coping mechanisms for "surviving" in such learning environments, while new learners might still need to adjust their learning…

This paper positions discussion of learning designs in the broad context of reuse and repurpose. It proposes that not enough attention has been given to the "purpose" of reuse and the motivation of those who choose to share or use reusable learning resources. There is a need for both a broad and deep understanding of what occurs when…

While educational design research promotes closer links between practice and theory, reporting its outcomes from iterations across multiple contexts is often constrained by the volumes of data generated, and the context bound nature of the research outcomes. Reports tend to focus on a single iteration of implementation without further research to…