Learning in an online distance education course: Experiences of three international students

Abstract

This case study explores the learning experiences of three international students who were enrolled in an online master's program offered by a large university in Canada. The aim of the study was to understand the international students' experiences with, and perspectives on, the online learning environment. Findings indicate that previous education and especially language proficiency strongly impacted the learning of these students in this environment. Non-native English speakers required considerably more time to process readings and postings and to make postings themselves. Their lack of familiarity with the details of North American culture and colloquial language made it difficult to follow much of the course discussions. They also tended to avoid socializing in the course, which left them at the periphery of course activities. Based on these findings, the authors make the following recommendations for designers and instructors of online courses: 1) Raise the English language proficiency requirement for graduate admissions into online programs because the text-based communication in a CMC space requires interpreting messages without non-verbal cues; 2) Ensure that online distance education course designers are aware of the needs and expectations of international students; and 3) Combine the design principles from both traditional and constructivism theories.

The integration of collaborative distance learning methods in secondary education: case study of an eTwinning partnership

“…Οι δύο μεταβλητές του μοντέλου αυτού είναι η αντιληπτή χρησιμότητα και η αντιληπτή ευκολία χρήσης (Halawi & McCarthy, 2008;Ngai, Poon & Chan, 2007;Johnson, Hornik & Salas, 2008). Τέλος, μία ακόμα σημαντική παράμετρος η οποία σχετίζεται με την παρούσα έρευνα είναι η ετοιμότητα στη χρήση της γλώσσας επικοινωνίας (Mason & Gunawardena, 2001;Bates, 2001;Goodfellow, Lea, Gonzalez & Mason, 2001;Zhang & Kenny, 2010). Εκτός από τις παραπάνω παραμέτρους που εξ αρχής κρίθηκε σκόπιμο να διερευνηθούν, στην πορεία της παρούσας έρευνας ως σημαντικές αναδείχθηκαν δύο ακόμη παράμετροι: α) η ενεργητική συμμετοχή των εκπαιδευομένων στις διάφορες δραστηριότητες και β) τα στοιχεία της προσωπικότητάς τους και οι ατομικές στρατηγικές μάθησης που εφαρμόζουν.…”

“…Όσον αφορά την επίδραση της ενεργής συμμετοχής στο βαθμό ικανοποίησης, από τους 11 μαθητές που φάνηκαν πολύ ικανοποιημένοι από τη συνεργασία eTwinning οι 9 είχαν συμμετάσχει ενεργά και με προθυμία (οι τέσσερις μάλιστα με μεγάλο ενθουσιασμό) σε όλες τις δραστηριότητες της συνεργασίας. Το γεγονός αυτό δείχνει ότι η ενεργή συμμετοχή, η οποία σύμφωνα με τους ερευνητές (Harasim et al, 1995;Zhang & Kenny, 2010) παίζει σημαντικό ρόλο στην εξ αποστάσεως εκπαίδευση, επηρεάζει σημαντικά και το βαθμό ικανοποίησης. Σύμφωνα με την Arbaugh (2000), οι πιο ενδεδειγμένες παιδαγωγικές πρακτικές για την εκπαίδευση μέσω διαδικτύου είναι αυτές που ενισχύουν την ενεργητική μάθηση και την αλληλεπιδραστικότητα (interactivity).…”

Spotlight on Distance Learning and Undergraduate International ELLs

“…Furthermore, Zhang and Kenny (2001) maintained that in an online classroom, students are more prone to be easily distracted because they are at home. They may be distracted by personal phone calls, chores, TV or even roommates (Kenny & Zhang, 2010). Wenden (1991) suggested that in an online course there is no assurance that a student is paying full attention to the lesson at hand.…”

“…These institutions need to consider the learning needs of all students, including English language learners, who choose to take online courses. In a study of three international students' experiences in distance learning at a four year institution, Kenny and Zhang (2010) found that some of the participants were reluctant to engage in course discussions because they were not sure what they could contribute. These students were not from North America and lacked background knowledge.…”

Instructional Design and Curriculum Perspectives Applied in Online Teaching and Learning

“…Various scholars (e.g. Higgins, 1998;Moore & Kearsley, 2005;Peters, 2010;Zhang & Kenny, 2010) argued that online education has shifted the focus from knowledge transmission to knowledge constructing and the role of the teacher from knowledge transmitter to that of a facilitator who provides considerable opportunities for interaction and meaningmaking to distant learners. Indeed, online learning has become a new paradigm for teaching and learning given the capability of expanding ICTs and the widespread concepts of constructivist-oriented open and distance life-long learning.…”