Liam Rourke

Validity in Quantitative Content Analysis

Over the past 15 years, educational technologists have been dabbling with a research technique known as quantitative content analysis (QCA). Although it is characterized as a systematic and objective procedure for describing communication, readers find insufficient evidence of either quality in published reports. In this paper, it is argued that QCA should be conceived of as a form of testing and measurement. If this argument is successful, it becomes possible to frame many of the problems associated with QCA studies under the well-articulated rubric of test validity. Two sets of procedures for developing the validity of a QCA coding protocol are provided, (a) one for developing a protocol that is theoretically valid and (b) one for establishing its validity empirically. The paper is concerned specifically with the use of QCA to study educational applications of computer-mediated communication.

Using Peer Teams to Lead Online Discussions

Abstract: This study investigated an online course in which groups of four students were used to lead online discussions. The teams were examined for their ability to bring instructional design, discourse facilitation, and direct instruction to the discussions. The setting was a graduate-level communications networks course delivered asynchronously to a cohort group of 17 adults enrolled for professional development education. Interviews, questionnaires, and content analyses of the discussion transcripts indicate that the peer teams fulfilled each of the three roles and valued the experience. Students preferred the peer teams to the instructor as discussion leaders and reported that the discussions were helpful in achieving higher order learning objectives but could have been more challenging and critical. Editors: Xiufeng Liu (U. Prince Edward Island, CA) Reviewers: Martha Gabriel (U. Prince Edward Island, Canada), William Hunter (U. Calgary, Canada), Gilly Salmon (Open U., UK)

The Impact of eLearning on higher education

The purpose of this study was to explore changes that are occurring in higher education as a result of the use of eLearning in Canada Using constructivist grounded theory techniques, open- ended interviews with 12 Western Canadian administrators of distance delivered Internet-based programs (or eLearning) at research-intensive universities were conducted A conclusion resulting from the findings is that the dominant assumption that eLearning can respond to accelerating global competition, deliver more effective learning experiences, and increase access for less money without corresponding losses needs to be questioned.

Student Engagement and Study Abroad.

In this study the authors assessed student engagement during a short-term study-abroad program using the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE). Data were collected from a group of Canadian undergraduates spending six weeks in Mexico. Their program included a 10-day bus tour, three half-credit courses, and accommodations with local families. The authors administered the NSSE twice: once at the conclusion of the students’ current school year and six weeks later at the end of their study-abroad program. A comparison of responses from the two administrations of the NSSE indicates an advantage, though modest, for the study-abroad setting. Study abroad’s stature in higher education as a high-impact learning activity received moderate support from the data. The authors encourage administrators and researchers to use student engagement and the NSSE to refine study-abroad programs.

A workshop to introduce residents to effective handovers

Patient safety is associated with the quality of handover, yet many residents train in settings that lack a formal procedure for handover. Thus, they have few opportunities to observe or participate in effective practices. The purpose of our project was to design an educational experience that would introduce residents to the essentials of an effective handover.