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,…

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…

In this paper, we set out a collaborative autoethnographic account of our reflective journey to deeper understandings of open, distance and e-learning (ODeL) through enrolling, participating and completing the first module in a course on technology-enhanced learning (TEL). As authors, we both enrolled for the course for different reasons. The…

Peer-assisted learning (PAL) involves a student peer providing some form of support to a student mentee, usually participating at an earlier point in the same programme of study. PAL has been shown to have benefits for on-campus students. However, differences in on-campus and online programme delivery make it difficult to generalise these benefits…

This paper proposes a design framework to support science education through blended learning, based on a participatory and interactive approach supported by ICT-based tools, called "Science Learning Activities Model" (SLAM). The development of this design framework started as a response to complex changes in society and education (e.g.…

Active learning in mathematics can lead to deeper understanding than passively listening to a lecture, yet recent studies indicate that didactic teaching dominates online tutorials. This study investigated student participation in three types of activity: solving mathematical problems via polling, on-screen activities on a shared whiteboard and…

Machine haptics has been shown to assist and enhance human--computer interactions. Research from previous studies in the field of haptics has focused on developing a user's sense of realism of touch when using a haptic device. This paper examines the use of haptics for education, specifically for creative online education. The paper is presented…

In higher education (HE), some of the distinctions between conventional, campus-based universities and those dedicated to distance education are being eroded through the use of information and communication technology. Despite huge investments in technology to enhance teaching and learning, there has been a considerable lack of clarity about what…

Heutagogy is described as an extension to andragogy and has also been referred to as a potential theory for online and distance education. There have been reviews of the literature on heutagogy, albeit the research field seems to lack a review that would provide a map of research studies revealing clear empirical evidence of the application of the…

This article outlines a methodological approach to the creation, production and dissemination of online collaborative audio-visual projects, using new social learning technologies and open-source video tools, which can be applied to any e-learning environment in higher education. The methodology was developed and used to design a course in the…

Sonification is the use of non-speech audio to convey information. In this article, sonifications are representations of plots aimed at improving the accessibility of teaching materials. The electronic nature of sonifications means that they can be deployed to students via teaching interfaces such as virtual learning environments. We describe a…