For close to three decades. the positive effects of online learner engagement in asynchronous discussions have been reported. Given the many positive effects of asynchronous discussion that have been conveyed in the literature, a preponderance of today's online courses include the activity as a part of the learning experience. It seems only…

Using the Community of Inquiry framework, this case study probes the posting patterns of students' social presence, cognitive presence, and teaching presence in an online learning setting. Using purposive sampling, qualitative data were collected from 91 students in the Department of Medical Documentary and Secretary, a fully online associate…

Despite rapid growth in online enrollment within higher education, persistence and completion rates remain lower for online courses than face-to-face courses. This discrepancy between the two modalities indicates a need to better understand students' self-regulated learning (SRL) within online learning environments. Students with higher SRL skills…

This paper reports on a study that integrated two instant messaging applications (Moya Messenger App and WhatsApp) and a myUnisa's online discussion forum (ODF), and utilised them as tools to support student learning at an open and distance e-learning university in South Africa. The participants in this study were 41 undergraduate education…

The present study dealt with exploring to what extent asynchronous virtual learning environment (ASVLE) and synchronous virtual learning environment (SVLE) enhance students' metacognitive awareness in L3 German learning process. During a five-week intervention, the students of the experimental group were taught L3 German synchronously through the…

The Arnold Mitchem Fellows Program (AMF) is a co-curricular, undergraduate research program where first-generation, low-income, and underrepresented students learn about basic research skills in preparation for future undergraduate research opportunities and graduate school outside of their traditional for credit classes. This academic year-long…

Aim/Purpose: This paper investigates the factors contributing to student IT self-leadership in online education using an exploratory study. Specifically, our goal was to understand whether the instructors' transformational IT leadership and the students' personal innovativeness with IT contributed to student IT self-leadership. Background: The…

The purpose of this study was to examine factors influencing online learning given its rapid growth combined with the necessity to reduce attrition in online classes by providing quality instruction. This study was contextualized using the three elements of the community of inquiry (CoI) framework. We surveyed 93 students currently registered in…

Students gain a lasting impression of a course and of the instructor on the first day of class (Lang, 2019). In asynchronous online or hybrid classes, the equivalent of the first day of class is the Start Here module. This orientation module should contain essential information about class expectations and technology requirements and provide help…

The article proposes a model for integrating TED Talks (TTs) in EFL college listening practice. It shows instructors where TTs can be located, gives reasons for using TTs, criteria for selecting TTs, the listening skills that can be developed, and an instructional strategy. TTs provide a variety of real-life themes, speakers, motivation, and…

This qualitative study explored digital technologies that promote educational experiences and achievements of culturally diverse learners via interviews with 46 culturally and linguistically diverse students across different academic programs. A qualitative research design using semi-structured interviews was used to collect the data for the…

Traces of learning behaviors generally provide insights into learners and the learning processes that they employ. In this article, a learning-analytics-based approach is proposed for managing cognitive load by adjusting the instructional strategies used in online courses. The technology-based learning environment examined in this study involved a…

This paper reports on the implementation of a learner identification system developed to facilitate real-time interaction in an international distance course. To increase the teacher immediacy and social presence, it proposes an integrative system for incorporating technology to improve the learning involvement, teaching effectiveness, and quality…

This chapter investigates students' reported patterns of use and perceived outcomes of an online intercultural exchange. It is hoped that the study will inform our understanding of the students' language learning process on an online discussion forum and consequently will help us maximise the educational potential of computer-mediated…

Contemporary discussions of education in blended-learning environments increasingly emphasize the social nature of learning which emphasizes interactions among students, or among students and instructors. These interactions can occur asynchronously using a text based discussion forum. A text-based discussion forum, however, may not work well for…