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Item Learning during a pandemic: an Activity Theory analysis of the challenges experienced by Aotearoa/New Zealand university students(Springer Nature Limited on behalf of the Association for Educational Communications and Technology, 2023-12) Gedera D; Forbes D; Brown C; Hartnett M; Datt AThe worldwide disruption of higher education during the Covid-19 pandemic has been studied from the viewpoints of institutions and teachers, with some attention to students’ health and learning challenges. Attempts to theorise the diverse and conflicting challenges faced by students learning online during the pandemic have been limited. It is helpful to analyse students’ experiences as part of an activity system in order to unravel the system’s elements and determine contradictions that occur. This study adopted a mixed methods approach to investigate students’ online learning experiences at all eight New Zealand universities during the pandemic. Data obtained via a large-scale online survey, followed by focus groups and individual interviews, is presented in light of an Activity Theory framework. Findings show that students’ key challenges were associated with new tools and technologies, lack of interaction and social connection, lack of routine and space, and clashing commitments due to multiple roles and responsibilities. Contradictions can be a driving force for change and development in teaching and learning contexts. We conclude with recommendations for tertiary institutions, teachers, learning designers and students to inform future learning and teaching plans.Item Online learning adoption by Chinese university students during the Covid-19 pandemic(School of Psychology, Massey University, 2022-12-01) Huggins TJ; Tan ML; Kuo Y-L; Prasanna R; Rea DDThe 2019 Novel Coronavirus Pandemic has severely challenged the continuity of post-secondary education around the world. Online learning platforms have been put to the test, in a context where student engagement will not occur as a simple matter of course. To identify the factors supporting online learning under pandemic conditions, a questionnaire based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology was adapted and administered to a sample of 704 Chinese university students. Structural equation modelling was applied to the resulting data, to identify the most relevant theoretical components. Effort expectancy, social influence, and information quality all significantly predicted both students’ performance expectancies and the overall adoption of their university’s Moodle-based system. Performance expectancy mediated the effects of effort expectancy, social influence, and information quality on symbolic adoption. Internet speed and reliability had no clear impact on adoption, and neither did gender. The direct impact of information quality on symbolic adoption represents a particularly robust and relatively novel result; one that is not usually examined by comparable research. As outlined, this is one of three key factors that have predicted online learning engagement, and the viability of educational continuity, during the Coronavirus pandemic. The same factors can be leveraged through user-focused development and implementation, to help ensure tertiary education continuity during a range of crisesItem Digital divide framework: online learning in developing countries during the COVID-19 lockdown(Taylor and Francis Group, 2022) Mathrani A; Sarvesh T; Umer RThis article showcases digital inequalities that came to the forefront for online learning during the COVID-19 lockdown across five developing countries, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Afghanistan. Large sections of population in developing economies have limited access to basic digital services; this, in turn, restricts how digital media are being used in everyday lives. A digital divide framework encompassing three analytical perspectives, structure, cultural practices and agency, has been developed. Each perspective is influenced by five constructs, communities, time, location, social context and sites of practice. Community relates to gendered expectations, time refers to the lockdown period while locations are interleaved online classrooms and home spaces. Societal contexts influence aspects of online learning and how students engage within practice sites. We find structural issues are due to lack of digital media access and supporting services; further that female students are more often placed lower in the digital divide access scale. Cultural practices indicate gendered discriminatory rules, with female students reporting more stress due to added household responsibilities. This impacts learner agency and poses challenges for students in meaningfully maximising their learning outcomes. Our framework can inform policy-makers to plan initiatives for bridging digital divide and set up equitable gendered learning policies.Item The relationship between self-regulated learning and the use of online portfolios in an online learning environment : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Education at Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealand(Massey University, 2015) Sasai, LalidaSelf-Regulated Learning (SRL) theory provides an explanation for how learners control and direct their thoughts, feelings, and actions in relation to their learning goals and is considered to be an important requirement for successful learning. Using online portfolios is believed to enhance SRL skills. This longitudinal study conducted over one academic year examined postgraduate students’ SRL skills in relation to their use of online portfolios within an online learning environment, and how they perceived the value of online portfolios. Factors that affected students’ self-efficacy beliefs and perceptions of their ability to be successful in using online portfolios were also studied. A mixed methods research design with an explanatory sequential approach involving three phases was used in the study. In the first phase, at the start of academic year, a questionnaire was used to assess students’ initial SRL skills and their perceptions of the usefulness of online portfolios. Sixty-four students participated in this phase. Two SRL groups comprising students with high and low SRL scores were drawn from this sample. A three-person sub-sample of each SRL group was interviewed in the second phase in order to examine in greater depth the nature of SRL skills for those with high and low SRL scores. For the third phase, a follow-up questionnaire was used towards the end of the academic year to examine whether students’ SRL skills and their perceptions of the usefulness of online portfolios changed over the period of their enrolment in the postgraduate course. For this third phase, 92 students participated. The results revealed that SRL had a strongly positive relationship with students’ perceptions of the usefulness of online portfolios and the relationship between the two variables over time was reciprocal that is, both constructs influenced each other. The results also showed a significant increase in students’ reported SRL skills and in their positive perceptions of the value of online portfolios over the year. Students attributed the increase in these two variables to using online portfolios to help set their own learning goals, control their own learning, and reflect on their learning. They identified a range of factors, including course support, motivation, peer support, and lecturer support, as helping them to construct and use their online portfolios. However, they identified lack of technology skills and time constraints as the main problems in constructing and using their online portfolios. The findings of the present study indicated that students’ skills across the three aspects (forethought, performance, and self-reflection) of SRL, the three stages of the use of online portfolios (collection, selection, and reflection), and the three elements of learning (personal, behavioural, and environmental) were interrelated. Such findings have important implications for students and university course coordinators to make better use of online portfolios, and for teaching and learning in a university online learning context, particularly in relation to the use of online portfolios as a tool for both storing (product) and reflecting (process) on artefacts of learning. This contribution in turn will help students to better regulate their learning behaviour.Item The relationship between learner control and online learning self-efficacy : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Education at Massey University, Manawatu campus, New Zealand(Massey University, 2014) Taipjutorus, WidchapornOnline learning has been growing rapidly in recent years, providing increased opportunities for tertiary institutes to reach out to learners who previously may have had limited access to a traditional university. Although students frequently use information technologies in their daily life, online learning requires considerably more competencies than basic computer skills. Many students are unsuccessful in their learning without face-to-face contact and collaboration with lecturers and peers. They can feel isolated and doubt their ability to succeed in the online course. To increase online learner success, support is needed, especially to improve learner self-efficacy. Very few studies have focused on student self-efficacy in an online learning environment and especially those conducted in an authentic setting. Learner control is thought to facilitate students in online learning, but the relationship between learner control and learner self-efficacy is still unclear. Therefore, this study intends to examine this relationship using an embedded-correlational mixed method design to answer the research question, what is the relationship between learner control and online learning self-efficacy? The quantitative approach was used to find the correlations among learner control, online learning self-efficacy, and related variables such as age, gender, prior online experience, and computer skills. An online Learning Self-efficacy Scale (OLSES) was constructed and validated with an internal consistency of 0.895. Open-ended questions were added to the questionnaire to gain a greater level of insight of online learning experience in relation to self-efficacy and learner control. Seventy-five students in a four year teaching online programme at a New Zealand tertiary institute participated in the online survey. Data analyses revealed that the relationship between learner control and online learning self-efficacy was confirmed, r = .526, p < .01. Age and gender had no effect on the relationship while prior online experience, computer skills for social and academic purposes did. The multiple linear regression showed that learner control and computer skills for academic purpose are good predictors of online learning self-efficacy. Analyses of the qualitative data not only confirmed the quantitative findings, but also provided insight into the nature of self-efficacy and importance of feedback in the online setting. As a result of this study, the embedded framework for successful line learners (SUCCESS) was developed and is recommended as a set of guidelines for online learning developers.Item The registered nurse's experience of online professional development : an action research study : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy in Nursing at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand(Massey University, 2013) Green, Jennifer KayThis action research project enabled nine registered nurses (RNs), with varying computer skills, ages and clinical specialties, to explore the reality of designing online learning activities for professional development. The aim of this research was to establish which educational strategies would assist a multi-generational, digitally-differentiated nursing workforce to flourish in an online environment for their professional development. Through a process of six action research spirals, the research participants examined the potential benefits of, and barriers to, transitioning to an online environment for continuing professional development. E-learning is becoming increasingly prevalent as an option for maintaining competence in a clinical environment. With the latest developments in web-based technology there is the potential to capitalise on both andragogical and heutagogical learning. Benefits and barriers to online professional development are explored, with online learning activities developed for each of the three clinical areas of surgical ward, operating rooms (OR) and post-anaesthesia recovery unit (PACU). Suggestions for enhancing success of transitioning to web-based learning for clinical settings are discussed. At any point in time, the current body of clinical knowledge is rapidly changing so that content learnt will, within five to ten years, be revised. In addition, maintaining professional competence is now a requirement of professional bodies. Therefore, a focus on life-long learning and the development of skills to enable access to relevant contemporary information is essential. If an organisation is going to offer online professional development, they must be deliberate in their planning, implementation and ongoing support in order to provide learner driven (heutagogical) content that capitalises on the full extent of Web 2.0 capabilities. Rather than imposing online learning for PD, this action research project increased the participants’ familiarity with the online environment, enabling them to engage with the development of learning activities. The use of web 2.0 capability in this action research project enabled participants and the researcher, involved as a learning designer, to collaboratively construct learning activities specific to each of the clinical contexts. As a result recommendations are made for learner driven PD activities that benefit the RN, the organisation and most significantly, have the potential to positively influence patient care.Item Computer-mediated collaborative learning in a Vietnamese tertiary EFL context : process, product, and learners' perceptions : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Applied Linguistics at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand(Massey University, 2011) Nguyen, Long VanViewing language learning from a sociocultural perspective, this study investigates the nature of both synchronous and asynchronous computer-mediated communication (CMC) and how these two modes of communication may complement each other and contribute to collaborative learning in an EFL classroom environment. The focus is on collaborative language learning competence and learners‟ perceptions of the application of CMC to classroom practices. This classroom-based research took the form of a collaborative problem-solving experiment in a group of EFL students in a large university in Central Vietnam. Various data were collected for the study, including the initial pre-project questionnaire on students‟ background and attitudes, transcripts from both face-to-face and chat discussion, after-chat focus-group interviews, peer comments from both traditional pen-and-paper and wiki exchanges, final collaborative written assignments, and post-project questionnaires and interviews with students about their reflections on classroom CMC in collaborative learning. The study, with both process and product orientation, took place throughout a 12-week semester. Results from the study indicated promising avenues for the application of various CMC technologies in the language classroom. First, although learners‟ language production in the online synchronous discussion was not as high as that from traditional face-to-face practice, the quality of discussion was persuasively better in the SCMC mode. In addition to the fact that learners‟ participation was more equal, evidence of interaction and negotiation leading to a satisfactory level of information synthesis were found to be promising elements in online chatscripts. Second, the use of wikis as a new platform for peer exchanges can be considered an innovation, liberating the students from the conventional, narrow, and linear practice of pen-and-paper-based peer editing. The students participated more, interacted more, and negotiated more in the multi-way interactive architecture of participation, the wiki. Third, although there was no significantly statistical difference in any of the comparative criteria between the two sets of essays produced by the two classes, indications of trends in terms of quality were positive toward the online essays. Fourth, the students‟ reflections on and perceptions of the introduction of CMC into the language classroom presented a potential picture of a technology-enhanced classroom. Apart from the fact that computer and typing skills turned out to be the biggest hindrance regarding the effectiveness of CMC integration, the students‟ reflections on the process were positive and they saw it as constructive. Finally, the four key issues emerging from the study included classroom boundary, the sociotechnical affordances of the CMC environment, the teacher‟s roles in the CMC environment, and product-oriented versus learning-oriented collaborative learning styles.Item Motivation to learn in online environments : an exploration of two tertiary education contexts : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Education at Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealand(Massey University, 2010) Hartnett, Margaret KatherineResearch evidence suggests that motivation is an important consideration for online learners. Notably, existing research has frequently focused on the design of motivating online learning environments. Alternatively, motivation has been viewed as a collection of relatively stable personal characteristics of learners. In contrast, a contemporary view that acknowledges the complexity and dynamic interplay of factors underlying and influencing motivation to learn (e.g., Turner & Patrick, 2008) is adopted here. From this „person in context‟ perspective, this study investigates the nature of motivation to learn in online distance learning environments. The study explores how student motivation relates to online participation in these contexts. In addition, social and contextual factors that foster and undermine motivation are identified. The research design utilises a case study approach which focuses on learners in two separate online distance courses within the same university programme. The boundary for each case study is defined by one piece of assessed work and the associated activities within each course. Interview and questionnaire data, supported by archived online data and course resources, were collected. Analysis of the data were made using the three conceptual lenses of self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985) and the continuum of human motivation encompassed within this theoretical framework. Findings indicate that the motivation of learners in online environments was multidimensional. Intrinsic motivation and various types of extrinsic motivation were shown to co-exist. Complex relationships were also shown to exist between motivation and participation that were sensitive to situational influences. Multiple factors fostered the expression of high quality (i.e. more self-determined) motivation. Most prominent among these were the relevance of the learning activity, the provision of clear guidelines, and ongoing support and feedback from the teacher that was responsive to learners‟ needs. Supportive caring relationships were also important. A range of factors also undermined the motivation of learners; most notably high workload, assessment pressure, and the perception that the learning activity lacked relevance.Item The effectiveness of vehicles promoting eLearning professional development : a research thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Management in Communication Management at Massey University, Manawatu(Massey University, 2010) O'Hara, DuncanThe influence of vehicles, such as email, websites, and newsletters, to promote eLearning professional development is an area of study that is marked by a lack of research. The aim of this thesis is to develop an understanding of the role that the vehicles used to promote formal eLearning professional development opportunities play in influencing staff awareness of academic development programmes. Using questionnaires and semi-structured interviews, seven groups of Massey University staff were asked to recall and assess the effectiveness of the vehicles used to promote eLearning professional development. The research also drew on web metrics data to provide an observational assessment of the popularity of the University eLearning professional development webpage. The results suggest that motivation plays a key part in staff awareness of formal eLearning professional development opportunities and the vehicles used to promote them. Further, motivation and institutional factors, such as an institutional eLearning strategy, are interrelated. Therefore the vehicles used to promote eLearning professional development need to be varied and focused on the strengths of each vehicle. There is also potential to use eLearning professional development courses themselves as effective means of promoting other eLearning opportunities. Additionally, the findings suggest that technology-reliant vehicles, such as email and websites, help in converting staff interest in eLearning into action in the form of enrolment into professional development courses. For staff who are less interested in eLearning, a strategy that involves ii developing relationships within key personnel within departments is likely to be highly effective in changing perceptions and encouraging engagement. It is hoped that the findings will assist academic development units to strategically promote their eLearning professional development to a wider academic audience.Item Cognitive trait model for adaptive learning environments : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Information System [i.e. Systems], Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand(Massey University, 2007) Lin, Tai-YuAmong student modelling researches, domain-independent student models have usually been a rarity. They are valued because of reusability and economy. The demand on domain-independent student models is further increased by the need to stay competitive in the so-called knowledge economy nowadays and the widespread practice of lifelong learning. On the other hand, the popularity of student-oriented pedagogy triggers the need to provide cognitive support in virtual learning environments which in turn requires student models that create cognitive profiles of students. This study offers an innovative student modelling approach called cognitive trait model (CTM) to address both the needs mentioned above. CTM is a domain-independent and persistent student model that goes beyond traditional concept of student model. It is capable of taking the role of a learning companion who knows about the cognitive traits of the student and can supply this information when the student first starts using a new learning system. The behaviour of the students in the learning systems can then be used to update CTM. Three cognitive traits are included in the CTM in this study, they are working memory capacity, inductive reasoning ability and divergent associative learning. For the three cognitive traits, their domain-independence and persistence are studied and defined, their characteristics are examined, and behaviour patterns that can be used to indicate them are extracted. In this study, a learning system is developed to gather behaviour data of students. Several web-based psychometric tools are also developed to gather the psychometric data about the three cognitive traits of students. In the evaluations, Cognitive trait modelling is then applied on the behaviour data and the results are compared with the psychometric data. The findings prove the effectiveness of CTM and reveal important insights about the three cognitive traits.
