Group items tagged

Morris, N., & Lambe, J. (2014). Studying a Mooc : a Guide. Retrieved from http://www.palgrave.com/resources/Product-Page-Downloads/M/Morris-Studying-a-MOOC/Studying-a-MOOC-Neil-Morris-James-Lambe.pdf How-to "free" guide book from Palgrave to help anyone prepare themselves to study a MOOC course. As MOOCs tend to appeal to learners with good digital study habits already - this will bring less technically savvy people familiarity with MOOCs as well as people who are not used to studying in an online environment the essential information that they need to know about the online features. It is extremely clearly written, easy to follow, with good advice in each section and not too long. It covers the A-Z of MOOCs from the learner perspective. It provides really useful hyperlinks for finding courses. (The only information not given is related to the copyright issues for user content.) It is a 'first' as far as I can tell in this sort of study guide. It would be useful to younger students (say highschool level) who have never taken an online course before or to older learners (over 30) who have good study habits but are not familiar with digital technology and online communication methods and etiquette and want to learn how to participate in MOOCs including discussion groups, etc. before they start. I thought that it would be a useful resource prior to starting the MALET programme as it gives a lot of practical advice that is relevant to all online learning.

Mackness, J, Mak, S and Williams, R (2010) The ideals and reality of participating in a MOOC, proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Networked Learning 2010, University of Lancaster, available at: www.lancaster.ac.uk/fss/organisations/netlc/past/nlc2010/ abstracts/PDFs/Mackness.pdf' This is a peer reviewed scholarly article, frequently cited, based on mixed method research which studied the learners in the first connectivist MOOC. As such it was the first study of its kind. It appears to have correctly analyzed the relatively small quantitative sample of learners, including an instructor or two. Its contribution is to test the connectivist theory (Siemens and Downes) with a case. As noted in the abstract "The research found that autonomy, diversity, openness and connectedness/interactivity are indeed characteristics of a MOOC, but that they present paradoxes which are difficult to resolve in an online course. The more autonomous, diverse and open the course, and the more connected the learners, the more the potential for their learning to be limited by the lack of structure, support and moderation normally associated with an online course, and the more they seek to engage in traditional groups as opposed to an open network." P. 266 Analysis was focused on the "characteristics of connectivism outlined by Downes, i.e. autonomy, diversity, openness and connectedness/interactivity" p.266. Generally the research outlines the strengths and weaknesses of cMOOCs using this format. Not a lot of further research is recommended other than using a larger sample in future research and "the aims of experiencing learning within a massive open online network are constrained by a course framework and many design issues and aspects of learner experience remain unresolved." P. 273 Abstract "CCK08' was a unique event on Connectivism and Connective Knowledge within a MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) in 2008. It was a course and a network about the emergent practices

Guo, P., Kim, J., & Rubin, R. (2014). How video production affects student engagement: An empirical study of mooc videos. Proceedings of the First ACM Conference on Learning @ scale conference. Retrieved from http://pgbovine.net/publications/edX-MOOC-video-production-and-engagement_LAS-2014.pdf

"While language learning and place-based learning linked to history, geography, sociology, and social studies are already available for such devices, the next developments are focused on using wearable devices linked to smartphones for self-assessment linked to a much wider range of learning. Imagine being a student four weeks away from final examinations in chemistry. What if your Apple Watch or smartphone asked you chemistry questions related to your course of study twice a day, every day for these four weeks? The daily feedback could help you focus review on topics you are weak in and reinforce your mastery of topics in which you are strong. These adaptive assessments are becoming more widely used and can be linked to open educational resources on the specific topics the student needs to master so as to aid their learning."

The purpose of this paper is to explore the students' opinion of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi, regarding the use and success of mobile technology in the library environment for providing better services by library and their expectations from the library through mobile technology. Design/methodology/approach - A survey was conducted through a well-structured and precise questionnaire circulated personally among 200 students studying in Jawaharlal Nehru University for the academic session 2012-2013. Findings - The majority of students are in favor of using mobile technology for better services, and it is expected by the students that services should be provided to them by libraries through mobile technology. Furthermore, the study also explores the students' opinion on improved services using mobile technology. Research limitations/implications - The geographical area of study was confined to the students of the JNU, New Delhi, purely regarding their opinion on use and success of mobile technology by the library. The research results are limited to this environment only. Originality/value - The paper highlights the students' opinion of JNU regarding the use of mobile technology by the library for better services, and further it also explores the expectations of students from the library through this technology. [Abstract from ProQuest Research Library Database (at ESC)] Link: http://search.proquest.com.library.esc.edu/pqrl/docview/1633960190/D4F687B968B342A3PQ/1?accountid=8067 Kumar, A. (2014). Students opinion about the success of mobile technology in libraries. New Library World, 115(9), 471. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1633960190?accountid=8067

"Brown, B. B. (1966). Bringing Philosophy into the Study of Teacher Effectiveness. Journal Of Teacher Education, 17(1), 35-40. "

"Mobile cloud learning, a combination of mobile learning and cloud computing, is a relatively new concept that holds considerable promise for future development and delivery in the education sectors. Cloud computing helps mobile learning overcome obstacles related to mobile computing. The main focus of this paper is to explore how cloud computing changes traditional mobile learning. A case study of the usage of Moodle in the cloud via mobile learning in Khalifa University was conducted." [Abstract from ERIC database.] Wang, M., Chen, Y., & Khan, M. J. (2014). Mobile Cloud Learning for Higher Education: A Case Study of Moodle in the Cloud. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning. 15(2), 254-267.

Academic libraries have traditionally provided computers for students to access their collections and, more recently, facilitate all aspects of studying. Recent changes in technology, particularly the increased presence of mobile devices, calls into question how libraries can best provide technology support and how it might affect the use of other library services. A two-year study conducted at California State University San Marcos library analyzed student use of computers in the library, both the library's own desktop computers and laptops owned by students. The study found that, despite the increased ownership of mobile technology by students, they still clearly preferred to use desktop computers in the library. It also showed that students who used computers in the library were more likely to use other library services and physical collections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] [Abstract from ESC Academic Search Complete database] Link: http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.library.esc.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=18&sid=777400f5-917a-43a0-83b8-26cdc83f8315%40sessionmgr4003&hid=4103&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#AN=89086995&db=a9h Thompson, S. (2012). Student Use of Library Computers: Are Desktop Computers Still Relevant In Today's Libraries?. Information Technology & Libraries, 31(4), 20-33

To discover how a newly developed library mobile website performed across a variety of devices, the authors used a hybrid field and laboratory methodology to conduct a usability test of the website. Twelve student participants were recruited and selected according to phone type. Results revealed a wide array of errors attributed to site design, wireless network connections, as well as phone hardware and software. This study provides an example methodology for testing library mobile websites, identifies issues associated with mobile websites, and provides recommendations for improving the user experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] [Abstract from ESC Academic Search Complete database] Link: http://eds.b.ebscohost.com.library.esc.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=2&sid=32d26eef-5aab-4af2-ad1a-c9624344797d%40sessionmgr115&hid=126&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#AN=83583519&db=a9h Pendell, K. D., & Bowman, M. S. (2012). Usability Study of a Library's Mobile Website: An Example from Portland State University. Information Technology & Libraries, 31(2), 45-62.

This article examines the risk to students on the internet. It talks about adult content, cyberbullying sexual harassment, online gambling etc. and the safety issues that go along with these topics. There was a study done that logged data to see if student preferred web sites were to understand whether students can visit web sites which contain unsafe material bypassing the computer-supported security policies and to see which types of web locations contain unsafe content.

Turkle herself, in a brief commentary on her new book (see review, also tagged here) - Her reference to the interactive dynamics in MOOCs is interesting - something we should attend to as we join our Coursera study later this month.

To Dr. Gal: I would like to read this Chronicle of Higher Education article about Turkle -- but the Chronicle does not allow full access. I will try to find this somewhere so I can read it. Robert

This article provides a relatively compact, organized overview of the reasons and audiences for assessing teacher performance, followed by a review of various specific methods as actually practiced (mostly in the United States) and evaluating (meta-assessing?) these assessment methods. Despite being described as a "literature review," this reader found it to be more of an overview in general-few specific works of research are discussed. However, this reader will find its references section to be very useful as this project is continued.

Review of teacher appraisal practices.

Study examining a failed (authors' conclusion) teacher assessment program in Ontario, circa 2000.

Turkish study on an appraisal/development program carried out experimentally in one school.

Steven Novella discusses a survey of how younger people reason and evaluate online information sources. This Stanford University study looked at 7,804 student responses across 12 states, divided among middle school, high school, and college students. The goal of the study was to see if these students could distinguish reliable sources of information from fake or unreliable sources.

Did you see that study on privacy in the digital age? If you're wondering which one, there's a good reason for that. Every few months, a new study hits the press about how different generations relate to privacy and so far, the results have been all over the map.

Yousef, A. M. F., Chatti, M. A., Wosnitza, M., & Schroeder, U. (2015). A Cluster Analysis of MOOC Stakeholder Perspectives. RUSC. Universities and Knowledge Society Journal, 12(1). pp. 74-90. doi http://dx.doi.org/10.7238/rusc.v12i1.2253 Abstract "Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are providing opportunities for thousands of learners to participate in free higher education courses online. MOOCs have unique features that make them an effective Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) approach. Institutions are offering a growing variety of MOOCs. Nevertheless, there are several crucial challenges that should be considered in the development of MOOCs, e.g., the drop-out rate of over 95% of course participants. One of the potential reasons for that is the complexity and diversity of MOOC participants. This diversity is not only related to the cultural and demographic profile, but also considers the diverse motives and perspectives when enrolled in MOOCs. This paper aims to cluster and analyze the different objectives of MOOC stakeholders to build a deeper and better understanding of their behaviors. Our main finding was a set of eight clusters, i.e., blended learning, flexibility, high quality content, instructional design and learning methodologies, lifelong learning, network learning, openness, and student-centered learning. This cluster schema creates a meaningful picture for the MOOC community" (p. 71). This is a peer reviewed scholarly article that uses qualitative and quantitative methods to analyze survey data on MOOC instructors and learners. Responses were relatively low: 158. The context is unclear - where did they get the sampling frame from? And why did they combine the learners and instructors? So there is some question as to the sample and it cannot be generalized. That said, they are innovative in their qualitative analysis. The qualitative work analyzed the open ended questions in their survey. They used a research method that allowed them to catego

March 9, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Mobile use among students was on the rise from 2013 to 2014, according to new research released today by McGraw-Hill Education.

Jordan, K. (2014). Initial trends in enrolment and completion of Massive Open Online Courses. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 15(1), 133-160. Retrieved from http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/viewFile/1651/2813 Abstract "The past two years have seen rapid development of massive open online courses (MOOCs) with the rise of a number of MOOC platforms. The scale of enrolment and participation in the earliest mainstream MOOC courses has garnered a good deal of media attention. However, data about how the enrolment and completion figures have changed since the early courses is not consistently released. This paper seeks to draw together the data that has found its way into the public domain in order to explore factors affecting enrolment and completion. The average MOOC course is found to enroll around 43,000 students, 6.5% of whom complete the course. Enrolment numbers are decreasing over time and are positively correlated with course length. Completion rates are consistent across time, university rank, and total enrolment, but negatively correlated with course length. This study provides a more detailed view of trends in enrolment and completion than was available previously, and a more accurate view of how the MOOC field is developing." p.133 This is a peer reviewed article by a frequently cited author from the Open University who has set up for other researchers a MOOC Research Literature Browser that currently has 257 annotated research articles. It was written in 2013 using enrolment and completion data that was available on the Internet. It lists the data in a long table (for transparency) and shows in graphs enrolment and completion analysis. The article's main contribution is the aggregation of data for a large number of courses undertaken from 2011-2013 on 3 US based platforms, data not readily ava

Academic libraries are creating copyright positions to respond to the evolving and litigious copyright environment associated with digital content and services. This paper reports on a study of advertisement trends for copyright positions available in academic libraries. A content analysis of job advertisement data was carried out on data generated from JobLIST , an electronic listserv of the American Library Association (ALA) where library positions from the United States and Canada are posted. Job data were generated by searching the JobLIST database using the following search terms: copyright , intellectual property , scholarly communication , repository , electronic resources , licensing , and digital.