High School Teachers' Beliefs about Learner-Centred E-Learning

Abstract

This article reports on a study conducted to gain insight into teachers' beliefs about elearning. Data collection relied on discussions conducted with 16 teachers from six high schools in two adjacent municipalities of one Canadian province. Data collection and analysis were guided by a framework of research-validated, learner-centred principles. Teachers' beliefs portrayed learners as digital natives who actively consume information and knowledge, engage emotionally with technology, and devote themselves to it. Beliefs about teaching referred to teachers as guides and mediators in the knowledge process who can give creative control of the technology, engage learners, and promote higher-order thinking skills. Beliefs about the Internet highlighted its potential to provide unlimited, authentic, purposeful, relevant, participatory, and individualized learning that can take place outside the classroom.

Interaction, Structure, Social Presence, and Satisfaction in Online Learning

“…Online learner satisfaction primarily related their ability to learn from online content, interact and communicate from others, and understand to needs for success (Palmer & Holt, 2009). This finding features the structure component of the TD theory and reveals out the relation between the structure and the satisfaction (Lee, & Rha, 2009;Murphy & Rodríguez-Manzanares, 2008;Stein, Wanstreet, Calvin, Overtoom & Wheaton, 2005;Horzum, 2007).…”

“…Online interactive tool's usage increased SP positively (Chou & Min, 2009;Joyce & Brown, 2009;Mykota & Duncan, 2007;Weinel, Bannert, Zumbach, Hoppe & Malzahn, 2011;Wise, Chang, Duffy, & del Vale, 2004). From this aspect, interaction and SP are considered directly related two variables (Murphy & Rodríguez-Manzanares, 2008;Richardson & Swan, 2003). Related literature showed that SP has a positive effect on online learner"s satisfaction and achievement (Olpak & Çakmak, 2009).…”

“…Interaction is another factor influences the satisfaction in online learning and it is positively related with satisfaction (Ali, Ramay & Shahzad, 2011;Burgess, 2006;Jung, Seonghee, Lim & Leem, 2002;Lee & Rha, 2009;Murphy & Rodríguez-Manzanares, 2008;Stein, Wanstreet, Calvin, Overtoom & Wheaton, 2005). SP is another factor that affects the satisfaction in online learning environments.…”

Learner centredness in high school distance learning: Teachers' perspectives and research validated principles

“…The coder then associated statements with one of the four LCP dimensions of factors (A. Cognitive and metacognitive factors; B. Motivational and affective factors; C. Developmental and social factors; and D. Individual differences factors). To facilitate this process, the coder relied on a version of the summary of the dimensions of LCPs referred to earlier (see Murphy & Rodriguez, 2008b) that included key words for each dimension. Another individual then verified the associations.…”

“…A description of the 14 principles is available in McCombs and Vakili (1995) and Bonk and Cunningham (1998). Murphy and Rodriguez-Manzanares (2008b) provide a synthesised description of the four dimensions of the LCPs which we reproduce here:…”