Research Article
Kaur Kiran, Rohaida Mohd Saat, Lieven Demeester, Magdeleine Duan Ning Lew, Wei Leng Neo, Nopphol Pausawasdi, Thasaneeya Ratanaroutai Nopparatjamjomras
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 17, Issue 2, Article No: ep567
ABSTRACT
Online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic compelled many instructors to seek efficient and effective ways to stay connected with their students and improve the learning experience by using a wide range of available technologies. This multiple-case study, in three South-East Asian universities, investigated whether the use of technology in university teaching and learning during that period influenced personalized learning, and if so, how. The study also explored the kinds of institutional support for teachers and learners that led to increased technology-enhanced personalized learning (TEPL). Using a qualitative approach, the study analyzed 23 individual interviews and 3 document analyses (circulars, announcements, etc.), involving six administrators (AD), six faculty developers (FD), and eleven instructors. Purposeful sampling targeted AD involved in policy development and strategic planning, FD responsible for professional development programs, and instructors with high teaching evaluation scores and expertise in online learning across various disciplines. Thematic analysis revealed that technology enhanced flexibility in learning pace, time, and place, increased student choice in learning methods, enabled needs-driven teaching adjustments, and provided more and broader personalized feedback, sometimes facilitated by anonymity. The provision of training and resources, including emotional, physical, and infrastructure support for students, facilitated the growth of TEPL. The significance of this study lies in discussing how online teaching, and institutional support for it, facilitated the growth of TEPL. Universities can explore collaborations to further advance this growth.
Keywords: technology-enhanced personalized learning, online teaching and learning, instructors, faculty developers, administrators, university support
Research Article
Cristina Diordieva, Curtis J. Bonk
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 15, Issue 3, Article No: ep425
ABSTRACT
This qualitative phenomenological study investigates international instructors’ perspectives and experiences in designing a successful language-based massive open online course (L-MOOC). Detailed information was gathered during Summer 2018 about the instructor’s challenges and strategies through semi-structured interviews with seven participants in six different countries: Ireland, Italy, Norway, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The findings indicated that curating and facilitating a learning environment with a design team helps create an efficient L-MOOC delivery. Additionally, having multiple moderators per course and using forums helps with monitoring learners’ progress. Moreover, according to these seven L-MOOC instructors, having a course platform with rigid structures prevents using multiple activities and assessment tools for language learning. Interviewees argued that it is important to implement a learner-centered approach in L-MOOC, where learners can interact with each other and construct their knowledge. Future research studies may include exploring L-MOOC to address the best instructional practices and contribute to expanding research in language education in massive open online course environment.
Keywords: language-based massive open online courses, online language learning, learner-centered approach, instructors’ perspectives, qualitative approach