Articles in Periodicals & Books

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Browsing Articles in Periodicals & Books by Subject "Collaboration"

Now showing 1 - 8 of 8
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    Open Access
    A Review of Research on Collaborative Assessments in the Open Distance and e-Learning Environment
    (2024-07-21) Mphahlele, Ramashego; Panda, Santosh
    This paper reviews 38 studies conducted between 2015 and 2022 on collaborative assessments in open-distance and e-learning (ODeL) contexts, focusing on the benefits, types, challenges, and strategies to improve collaborative assessments. This qualitative review aims to investigate collaborative assessments within the ODeL comprehensively. The objectives encompass thoroughly exploring theoretical foundations and empirical evidence to illuminate the pedagogical implications and effectiveness of collaborative assessment methodologies. Employing a systematic literature review approach, various scholarly articles, research papers, and educational studies were scrutinised to synthesise the current landscape. The review shows that effective communication, feedback, and appropriate technology are critical factors in promoting successful collaborative assessments, which can result in improved engagement, motivation, and better learning outcomes. However, challenges such as scheduling difficulties, technology challenges, group dynamics, and assessment quality may arise. Using social constructivism, this paper addresses criticisms of collaborative assessment in the ODeL context, identifies types of collaborative assessments, and presents strategies for implementation and addressing challenges. Based on these findings, recommendations are presented to educators, urging the integration of collaborative assessment methods into open distance and e-learning frameworks, accompanied by pedagogical support and training to optimise their efficacy and promote enriched learning experiences. The paper concludes by suggesting future research areas and recommendations for educators and instructional designers seeking to implement collaborative assessments in ODeL environments. Collaborative assessments can contribute to collaborative learning, providing students with a sense of community, engagement, and responsibility.
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    Open Access
    Collaborative Research Writing in the New Normal: Students’ Views, Challenges, Coping Strategies, and Takeaways
    (2023-07-18) Roxas, Mark Joshua; Panda, Santosh
    The ‘new normal’ setup of education posed challenges on courses requiring learners’ collaboration. Despite the proven advantages of collaborative writing, several challenges still confront the learners which may affect the quality of their output. Collaboration per se is already a challenge for learners in face-to-face classes, more so in online distance learning. Thus, this study explored the views, challenges, coping strategies, and takeaways of senior high school students in collaborative research writing in the ‘new normal.’ Thirty (30) reflective essays written by senior high school students from three (3) academic strands, namely Humanities and Social Sciences, General Academic, and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics were analysed. Ten (10) sample essays from each strand were selected through Critical Case Sampling. Findings revealed that students view collaborative research writing in general as easy, while some see it as difficult. The students met challenges in research technicalities, communication, and collaboration. Varied coping strategies were identified, such as having a positive mindset, being patient, considerate and determined, seeking help from others, maintaining proper communication and collaboration, seeking spiritual guidance, and taking a break. Ultimately, the takeaways of the students were not limited to academics or cognitive aspects—they were also able to gain important values.
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    Open Access
    International Online Courses: Issues of Global Quality Assurance, Multi-Country Collaboration and Open Educational Resources
    (2008) Uvalić-Trumbić, Stamenka; Daniel, John; West, Paul
    If international online courses are to play a significant role in the expansion of education they must be placed within a global framework of quality assurance and qualifications recognition that inspires confidence. We describe this evolving framework before exploring the special challenges facing small countries and giving the example of the Virtual University for Small States of the Commonwealth, a collaborative venture in the production and use of online courses involving 30 countries. We end by emphasising the potential importance of open educational resources and drawing attention, through the Cape Town Open Education Declaration, to the various degrees of openness being practiced.
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    Open Access
    Rethinking A Framework for Contextualising and Collaborating in MOOCs by Higher Education Institutions in Africa
    (2021-03-19) Erkkie, Haipinge; Kadhila, Ngepathimo; Panda, Santosh
    Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are online courses that are open to anyone with Internet access. Pioneered in North America, they were developed for contexts with broader access to technology and wider access to the Internet. As globally networked learning environments (GNLEs), MOOCs foster collaborative communities and learning in ways not conceived as feasible until recently. The affordances of MOOCs, such as the ability to access learning beyond one’s immediacy, exemplify their benefits for open and distance learning, especially in developing countries that continue to consume rather than produce online courses. However, the globality of MOOCs and their delivery mode pose a challenge of contextualising learning content to the local needs of educational institutions or individual students that choose to use the courses. This theoretical paper used a desk-research approach by revising literature to investigate and propose ways of contextualising MOOCs to the African higher education setting. It applied the principles of reuse and repurposing learning content, while suggesting the use of mobile learning as a technological delivery solution that is relevant to the local context. The paper also suggests a framework for inter-institutional collaboration for higher education institutions to guide future efforts in the creation and sharing of credit-bearing MOOCs.
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    Open Access
    Teacher Participation in Online Collaborative Learning: Does It Improve Their Teaching Competency?
    (2024-07-21) Krismanto, Wawan; Syawaluddin, Ahmad; Sayidiman; Irfan, Muhammad; Panda, Santosh
    The Covid-19 pandemic has caused a rapid transformation of Teacher Professional Education (TPE) in Indonesia from face-to-face to online. Although the programme is run online, learning activities, namely collaborative learning among programme participants, practitioners, and experts, are increasingly being encouraged. This study attempts to explore online collaborative learning (OCL) from the perspective of teachers participating in TPE. This study uses a qualitative approach with a qualitative e-research framework design, and the respondents were twenty in-service teachers. Data was collected through structured interviews, observation, and related documentation studies. The results suggest that by using various technological devices, programme participants collaborate in designing, implementing, evaluating, and reflecting on innovative learning while participating in the TPE. The contributions are an increase in their problem-solving competence, teaching competence, and information and communication technology competence. Based on the results, several recommendations have been provided for TPE providers, programme designers, and future researchers.
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    Open Access
    To Use or not Use Collaborative Learning Techniques in Teleconference Teaching? A Case Study from the Hellenic Open University
    (2021-03-18) Niari, Maria; Panda, Santosh
    The purpose of the small-scale qualitative research study was to examine the use and perceived value of integrating collaborative learning techniques at teleconferences at the School of Humanities of the Hellenic Open University (HOU). Qualitative semi-structure interviews with tutors from the School of Humanities at the HOU were conducted in order for the research plan to be fundamentally heuristic and generate original results. Purposeful sampling was chosen for the data collection process, cross-sectional organization for the data classification and thematic analysis for the data analysis. The results of the present research study indicate the parameters need to be taken into account in order for the tutors to use collaborative learning techniques at teleconference teaching at HOU. Adequate teleconference platform, tutors’ training on distance collaborative learning and group dynamics, and a common understanding regarding distance learning and group dynamics in e-learning environments are some of the most significant findings derived from this research study. The role of students, as well as the role of the distance-learning provider, in integrating and adopting distance collaborative learning strategies is also highlighted by the results.
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    Open Access
    Using Wikis as a Teaching Tool for Novice Teachers – Pedagogical Implications
    (2022-07-19) Sula, Gerda; Sulstarova, Anila; Panda, Santosh
    The present study reports on research conducted on novice teachers’ use of wikis with their high school students. These teachers had been previously exposed to wikis as a collaborative learning tool during their teaching preparation programme. The aim was to explore whether their experience with wiki usage helped them in their teaching. Participants included fifteen novice teachers in their first year of teaching foreign languages in Albania, who held their teaching partly online during the school year 2020-2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Data collected through in-depth interviews include their own reflections. These reflections indicate that the use of a wiki at the university level helped them feel at ease in using wikis in their online teaching. The study proved the use of wikis to be a feasible means of online collaboration, which facilitated constructing new knowledge for their students. As a result, wikis provide a collaborative medium of technology integration into their teaching.
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    A ‘Watershed’ for Educational Transformation: Deployment of Carpe Diem Learning Design Methods in a South African Context
    (2020-07-20) Salmon, Gilly; van der Merwe, Antoinette; Schoonwinkel, Arnold
    This action research project describes the application of a large-scale collaborative learning design method to a major educational transformation programme at a South African university. Our findings determined that Carpe Diem learning design was an appropriate methodology for contributing to and creating key moments and movements (“watersheds”) in educational transformation in the South African context and beyond. We demonstrated that the impact of an original one-week collaborative intervention, covering all faculties and 10 major degree programmes, was sustained over the following three years. It created acceptance and strong interest across the campus in transforming learning and proved a fitting catalyst for programme renewal initiatives. It placed the university and the service to its students in a much stronger position in unexpected circumstances. We offer suggestions for those who would like to try a collaborative design approach for transformation.