Analyzing how participants learn from each other during online forums on discussion boards or social media platforms is often challenging. One of the predominant methods of analyzing such learning is through qualitative content analysis or interaction analysis. The Interaction Analysis Model (IAM), developed by Gunawardena, Lowe and Anderson which…

Preparing for back-to-school is essential, and it is also complicated because it involves different groups of people, and they have different needs. Pandemics, like COVID-19, make the situation even more difficult. Better preparation during a pandemic needs a comprehensive understanding of the situation. However, few studies have provided such…

This book focuses on research-based teaching and learning practices that promote social justice and equity in higher education. The fourth volume in a four-volume series, this book critically addresses virtual and remote classroom settings. Chapters explore contexts within and outside the classroom, including a history of online learning; research…

Growing interest in online learning has instructors looking for new ways to engage learners in asynchronous discussions. Building on experiences with hashtag use to connect on social media platforms, the purpose of this study is to investigate the contexts of hashtag use and its associated impact on learner engagement in asynchronous online…

This paper aims to develop a prototype of learning for the achievement of critical thinking skills of Higher Distance Education students through the utilization of open educational resources (OER). It is based on a research and development project conducted from September 2013 until April 2014 at Universitas Terbuka (UT), the Indonesia Open…

This article proposes an automatic group formation method applying the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm to boost the quality of students' online interactions. The groups were heterogeneous regarding their levels of knowledge and their interests, and three different leadership roles were distributed among group members. A case study with…

This study investigated the impact of face-to-face contact sessions and online discussion forums on the academic performance of students at an Open Distance Learning (ODL) university (N = 1,015). t-Tests for independent samples indicated that students who attended a written assignment preparation contact session performed significantly better in…

This work explores some methodological challenges in the application of Social Network Analysis (SNA) to the study of "Asynchronous Learning Networks" (ALN). Our interest in the SNA is situated within the framework of the study of Distributed Teaching Presence (DTP), understood as the exercise of educational influence, through a multi-method…

Interactive relationships in online learning communities can influence the process and quality of knowledge building. The aim of this study is to empirically investigate the relationships between network structures and social knowledge building in an asynchronous writing environment through discussion forums in a learning management system. The…

Advances in technology are having a profound impact on distance education as online learning is becoming a preferred educational option. Within these online learning experiences, the asynchronous online discussion has evolved into one of the most commonly used communication tools. However, a lack of cognitive processing and interaction in the…

Comparisons were made between instructor and student contributions in an online course that engaged eight graduate students asynchronously in discussion of early intervention principles and practices. Discourse patterns and levels of cognitive complexity were analyzed as indices of engagement and "critical thinking". The online…

Distance learning has facilitated innovative means to include Cooperative Learning (CL) in virtual settings. This study, conducted at a Hispanic-Serving Institution, compared the effectiveness of online CL strategies in discussion forums with traditional online forums. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from 56 graduate student…

In this knowledge-based economy, corporations invest millions of dollars in training and expect a return on that investment; similarly, employees have a vested interest in wanting to further their knowledge and their ability to contribute. The types of e-learning strategies and instructional methods being employed elude the use of asynchronous…

Whether our students are sitting in the room with us as we teach, sitting in their home listening, participating by video-conference, or answering discussion questions on an online platform, technology can play a pivotal role in student learning. In this article we discuss technology in higher education, specifically its role in hybrid or online…

Interaction is a critical component of successful online learning and by extension an important component in overall online program quality. The researcher studied the impact of course design on participation in an online university course. The participants were university students (n = 62, male = 33, female = 29). Their responses from online…