M- LEARNING EFFECTS ON QUALITY OF LEARNING AND ENGAGEMENT Al-sharaabi Waheeb A., University of Science and Technology, Yemen
1. Introduction
2.3 Sharing resources for primary and secondary school teachers’ continue education
The public service platform provides degree education and non-degree education on the task of primary and secondary school teachers’ continue education. At
present, NUNTE coordinates seven universities on this public service platform to launch courses mutual selection and credits mutual recognition at teachers’ online degree education that encourages teachers with junior college degree to purchase bachelor degree on the subject of Chinese language and literature as a trial.
Since 2012 fall term to 2014 spring term, as members of NUNTE, seven universities including four national and two local normal universities and Peking university, have launched 36 shared courses and organized 4076 students to take part in the course mutual selection on the public service platform. The numbers of the involved universities, shared courses, and participating teacher students are shown in Table 2. 3.
Table 2.3 Numbers of the involved universities, shared courses, and participating teacher students in the task of Teachers’ Online Degree Education as a trial
Term
Number of Involved Universities
Number of Shared
Courses
Number of students Selecting Courses of Other Universities
2012 Fall 7 7 1654
2013 Spring 7 10 930
2013 Fall 7 10 822
2014 Spring 7 9 670
Total Number 36 4076
In practice, through signing the cooperation contract, NUNTE helps every university to overcome the difficulties in coordinating the proper time for course selection, learning and evaluation, organizes students to select courses collectively and coordinates universities to settle the expense.
CONCLUSIONS & IMPLICATIONS
In the era of information and the knowledge economy, building the public service platform of NUNTE has a signification for reforming the service pattern of teacher education and promoting teachers’ lifelong learning in China. The building and successfully application of the public service platform push forward current education reform, which is a shock wave for old education idea, teaching model
and management pattern. It breaks the traditional independent teaching model among universities, liberates teachers from their own university and makes them enter a wider teaching space outside their university. While the more learning options students owing makes the competitions between teachers, which promote them to take part in teaching reforms that improves the teaching quality.
As an education cloud, the public service platform is a “connection”, resources especially high quality resources shared platform that provides service from the third organization. It supports university members to undertake courses mutual selection and credits mutual recognition between each other, which changes the education model from depending on universities’ teaching capability to students’
diverse learning needs. It’s a pattern innovation that makes education be service.
The key point of the public service platform is to support three tasks NUNTE undertaken, which runs through the teacher education including pre-service and post-service education and makes an innovation on the service level.
Based on the public service platform, the members of NUNTE undertake three tasks, such as the Synchronous Classroom, the courses mutual selection and credits mutual recognition for the normal universities graduates with tuition free to purchase the master degree of education and for the teachers’ online degree education, which is a typical case about the integration of technology and education and is a reform and innovation on teacher education including transformation of teaching and learning, innovation of educational service pattern and evaluation. NUNTE building the platform for teachers’ lifelong learning through the integration of technology and teacher education makes useful exploration and practice for constructing the lifelong learning system.
In future, in order to make the public service platform sustainably develop, we should solve the problems on the systems and mechanisms of the third servicing organization, make full use of the market mechanism to achieve the purpose of enterprise operation, and stimulate the motivation of educational institutions and teachers. We should strengthen cooperative innovation and do more on the system and mechanism reform, platform building, and resources integrated, updated and shared, etc. Meanwhile, we should follow the developmental trends of technology especially the modern education technology. In the process of courses mutual selection and credits mutual recognition, the platform should be optimized and improved on its framework, functions and management model to satisfy learners’ personal and diverse needs.
We should integrate more high quality education resources to amplify the resource pool of the public service platform. As a public service platform run by the third organization, it should be reformed on systems and mechanisms to
attract more education resources taking part in, not only the members of NUNTE, but also the other social institutions. Also, the public service platform transmits the high quality education resources to institutions who are non-members of NUNTE and individuals especially teachers who are in the rural and remote primary and secondary schools to expand the use scope of the resources and to make contribution for education justice.
Reference
[1] Huaying BAO, Wenfeng Huang, Lan Xia, Exploration on the Model of High-quality Teacher Education Resources Sharing among Colleges: A Study on Synchronized Classroom of NUNTE[C], Tianjin, China: International Council for Open and Distance Education, 2013
[2][3]Zenghui LIU, The National Union of Networked Teacher Education: An innovation career [D], China distance education, 2013（12）, 25-38
[4] Huaying BAO, Wenfeng Huang, On the Service Pattern of Teacher Training based on the National Union of Networked Teacher Education in China[C], Valencia: World Conference on Continuing Engineering, 2012
ADDRESSING THE INTERNATIONAL ISSUE OF UNDEREMPLOYMENT THROUGH E-LEARNING INITIATIVES: THE DIGITAL EDUCATION CASE AT THE G. RAYMOND CHANG SCHOOL OF CONTINUING EDUCATION,
RYERSON UNIVERSITY, CANADA
Bountrogianni Marie, Djafarova Naza, The G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education, Ryerson University, Canada
ABSTRACT: Underemployment is a well documented and growing policy concern, resulting in significant earning loss and impacting the economic benefit of a university degree. As we move into a global, knowledge-based economy, utilizing the talents of young graduates and older workers is crucial to each nation's future economic prosperity. This presentation will demonstrate how continuing education and e-learning can address underemployment through partnerships among education, business and government.
Through high-quality programming, the award-winning G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education helps working professionals apply knowledge and skills to the workplace. With 70,000 annual enrollments (20,000 of which are distance), we are the largest university-based provider of adult education in Canada, with programs based on multicultural and diversity principles that allow us to compete
on the global stage. Our success is largely due to the fact that our business efficiency and course-production model allow us to develop 90 online courses annually.
KEY WORDS: Underemployment, Economic prosperity, Online Education, E- learning
POSTER DESCRIPTION:
Underemployment is now a well documented and growing policy concern, resulting in significant earning loss and impacting the economic benefit of a university degree. As the countries of the world move into a knowledge-based economy, tapping into the talents of young graduates and older workers is crucial to each nation's future economic prosperity. This presentation will show how the role of continuing education, and e-learning in particular, can address the issue of underemployment through partnerships between education, business and government.
Through relevant, high quality and flexible educational programming, The G.
Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education, Ryerson University, helps learners such as working professionals apply their newfound knowledge and skills to the workplace faster and more effectively. With annual enrollments exceeding 70,000, and 93 career-focused certificate programs, we are the largest university- based provider of adult education in Canada and a leader in providing applied adult learning that combines academic rigor with practical experience. Our success is largely due to the fact that our course production process and delivery model is based upon a model of business efficiency and cost effectiveness, allowing us to increase course production and course delivery by 300% without increasing staff numbers. We develop up to 90 courses annually, averaging 3500 hours of learning units, and distribute our course materials through national and international partners. Furthermore, at close to over 20,000 annual distance enrollments, we have 22 fully online certificate programs, with courses counting toward 13 part-time degree programs.
The Chang School’s course design is continually recognized for its quality and relevance and we develop our courses based on multicultural, interdisciplinary, and interprofessional principals that allow us to compete on the global stage. We have been the recipients of international and national awards for our programs and pedagogical innovation, including the Sloan Consortium’s Award for Excellence in Institution-Wide Online Education.
In this poster presentation, we will demonstrate how The Chang School has built the internal capacity to develop and deliver high quality, engaging and relevant curriculum aligned with recommended practices of adult learning principles and
constructivist theories. For our students in particular, this works well as it encourages them to apply the skills and knowledge they acquire immediately into their everyday lives. Our approach to online learning takes into account the needs of adult learners from all stages of life. About (80%) of these learners are employed and their average age is 36 years old. In a recent student survey, 93% of distance education student respondents said they would choose to enroll in another course offered by The Chang School.
Social media networking systems as an educational tool: the perception of students from an Open Distance Learning (ODL) institution Cant Michael C., Wiid Johannes A., Nell Corinne, University of South Africa, South Africa
ABSTRACT: Organizations are increasing expecting students, who are entering the workforce, to be proficient in the use of social media. Therefore, it is important for students’ institutions to make use of similar technology in delivering educational material. The aim of this study was to investigate students’
perceptions of the use of social media networking systems during their time of studying at an Open Distance Learning (ODL) tertiary institution. The study investigated whether students feel at ease when using social media networking systems, whether they will be able to find information on these social media networking systems, and whether they believe it will be an effective and easy way to study course content. These were tested by making use of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) constructs namely, “Perceived ease of use”, “Perceived usefulness”, Attitude towards using”, and “System accessibility”. The study found that students regarded “Perceived ease of use” as the most important factor to consider when they are using social media networking systems.
KEY WORDS: Open Distance Learning; ODL; Social Media; Social Media Networking Systems, TAM
Introduction
The way in which education is delivered to the student has changed dramatically over the past few years. The days of a one dimensional offering of knowledge to a passive audience, is long gone. Today’s student is more informed and technology savvy than at any time in the past and with the advances in technology measured in days and not years, this pace of change is accelerating. The use of Internet- based social media networking systems have enabled companies, consumers, institutions and many more to communicate more effectively and in real time with hundreds, even thousands of other people around the world about a specific topic,
product or issue at any point in time (Mangold & Faulds, 2009: 357). Social media networking systems do not only make it easier for companies to communicate with their consumers, but also makes it easier for tertiary institutions to communicate related course work to their students, to encourage discussion between and among students and to address administrative issues (Adamson, 2012; Moran, Seaman & Tinti-Kane, 2011: 4). Shen, Laffey, Lin and Huang (2006:
270) further indicate that online learning through means of various social media networking systems have become a very common educational format to use by both tertiary institutions and their students around the world, due to its flexibility of time and place. Social media networking systems have the ability to enable lecturers and students to collaborate and share information at any time convenient to them and from any place in the world (Adamson, 2012).
Adamson (2012) and Picardo (2011:1), have different opinions concerning social media networking systems in Higher Education Institution. Adamson (2012) is of the opinion that social media networking systems might change the focus of education from a single student to a group of students, but that students’
individual learning experience is enhanced through collaboration and informal learning with their peers. However, according to Picardo (2011:1), it is a potential threat that the use of social media networking systems in the tertiary institution can lead to a loss of control for many lecturers as they experience social media networking systems as being highly disruptive. This may be attributed to the fact that students are more familiar with using different social media tools than the lecturers (Picardo, 2011:1).
A lack in knowledge, according to King, Duke-Williams and Mottershead (in Picardo, 2011) may cause lecturers to resist the adoption of social media networking systems. This fact may have an impact on the use of social media networking systems in tuition and it is important to establish the wishes of the students in this regard.
Research objectives
The purpose of this study is to determine students’ perceptions on the use of social media networking systems during their time of studying at an open distance learning (ODL) tertiary institution. The following was specifically researched:
To determine the perception of students on the effectiveness of social media networking systems as a lecturing tool.
To establish to what extent social media networking systems is utilised by students.
To investigate the relationship between social media networking systems as a lecturing tool and the private use of social media networking systems by students.
The following section gives an overview of social media networking systems, the different types of social media networking systems, as well as a review of the influence thereof on students. The empirical findings and the discussion of the findings appears in the latter part of the paper.
Literature review
Overview of social media networking systems Defining social media
Boyd and Ellison (2008:211) define social media as, “... web-based services that allow individuals to construct a public or a semi-public profile within a bounded system, articulate a list of other users with whom they share a connection and view and traverse their list of connections and those made by others within the system”. Mangold and Faulds (2009:357) on the other hand define social media or
‘consumer-generated media’ as, “... a variety of new sources of online information that are created, initiated, circulated and used by consumers intent on educating each other about products, brands, services, personalities and issues”.
Evident from these definitions is that social media networking systems include various online, and word-of-mouth forums which also includes blogs, company- sponsored discussion boards and chat rooms, consumer-to-consumer email, consumer product or service ratings websites and forums, Internet discussion boards and forums, moblogs (sites containing digital audio, images, movies, or photographs), and social networking websites, to only name a few (Mangold &
Faulds, 2009:358).
Larson (2012) explains that the five most popular social media networking systems used and accepted in the market are; Facebook with 901 million users, Twitter with 555 million users, Google+ with 170 million users, LinkedIn with 150 million users and lastly Pinterest with 11.7 million users. Given the importance and relevance of these different social media networking systems, a brief discussion of each is given below.
Facebook is a social media networking system which was originally developed for tertiary students. Today it is open for any individual older than 13 years of age.
Facebook enables their users to create and modify their own profiles with photos, videos and information about themselves. Facebook friends have the ability to browse the profiles of other friends, as well as write messages to them (Tech terms, 2008).
Facebook is a one-way communication form and it is a very effective tool to use for sharing information, as well as collaborating with students from a safe distance. Facebook groups do not require their members to be friends with each other and the members of the group can easily and immediately swap and upload files, links, articles, information and videos at no cost. A Facebook page can, for example, be used as a central page for students and lecturers to share and discuss information (The Guardian, 2013).
Twitter is a micro-blogging application that can be described as a combination of instant messaging and blogging. It has established itself as an effective tool for communicating news, market trends, questions and answers, as well as sharing photos, videos and links with many benefits for both business and personal use (Social Media defined, 2008).
Some lecturers in tertiary institutions have managed to set-up subject or class Twitter accounts that students can follow. Lecturers can tweet information relevant to their subjects and they can even tweet homework or reading work to their students following them (The Guardian, 2013).
Google+
Google+ is a social networking system from Google that is presently an invitation- only service that offers functionality and many features that is comparable to Facebook (PCMAG, 2013). Google+ has developed and introduced Circles which is used to share information among different groups of people, Sparks which is used to offer videos and articles, and Hangouts which is used for video chatting with a friend or group of friends, together with other unique features (Webopedia, 2013).
WikiHow (n.d.) explains that the features offered by Google + (Circle, Sparks and Hangouts) are of great value for lecturers teaching at institutions that are located at a distance from their students. The reason for this is that Google+ Hangouts is a tool that is created in order to reduce the travel-strain in the teaching processes.
The time can then be used by lecturers to carry out more virtual classrooms at more places. Therefore Google+ enables institutions to teach more students with fewer lecturers, in that way saving costs, as well as placing institutions in a position to reward lecturers in more effective ways. The main benefit of Google+ Hangouts is that it enables lecturers to teach to ten classrooms simultaneously.
LinkedIn allows people to share work-related information with other users as well as to keep an online list of other professional contacts. It is a social networking website that is aimed at business professionals (WhatIs, 2013). LinkedIn also allow
their users to create a profile page. The only difference is that a LinkedIn profile is created based on a business focus, instead of on a personal focus. In other words, a LinkedIn profile highlights education and past work experiences, almost the same as a resume. The profile also enables other users to see the connections list of each other, as well as the recommendations that are made to or received from other users (Tech Terms, 2010).
Pinterest is a social media website that enables users to organise and share images, quotes and videos from around the Web (Walker, 2013). Images that are uploaded by users/pinners are called Pins and can be organised into pinboards that are customised, themed and followed by other users. Users/pinners are allowed to like or repin images, videos and quotes that is shared by other users.
Pinterest is very similar to Twitter, as any pinner/user can follow another (TechoPedia, 2013).
According to The Guardian (2013), Pinterest is becoming very popular as a virtual pinboard. It is a very effective way to share web resources that both students and lecturers might find interesting or relevant. Pinterest enables lecturers to make different pinboards by creating different categories that students can find useful and the other way around.
Youtube
YouTube is a video sharing service that enables users to watch videos that are posted by other users, as well as upload their own videos. All uploaded videos on YouTube appear on the YouTube website and can also be posted on other websites, although the original files are hosted on the YouTube server (PCMAG, 2013).
Although the YouTube service was originally designed for ordinary people who want to publish videos that they have created themselves, a number of companies and organisations use YouTube to promote their businesses (Tech Terms, 2009).
People also use YouTube to post instructional videos for instance step-by-step and do-it-yourself guides, educational information lessons, power point presentations and other how-to videos (Tech Terms, 2009).
Adamson (2012) stated that social media networking systems are an important tool for learning and should be used for this purpose more extensively. Due to the fact that both students and some lecturers are familiar with social media networking systems they should take advantage of this and use social media networking systems as a platform for communication, learning and collaboration, as well as sharing ideas and topics of interest (Adamson, 2012). In order to use