Mohamed Ally

A Study of the Design and Evaluation of a Learning Object and Implications for Content Development

This paper reports on a case study that examined the process of designing and evaluating a learning object to help students understand the therapeutic principles of drug administration. The challenges and issues associated with creating learning objects using interactive multimedia software will be described. The study had two broad objectives: (1) to analyze and document the process of designing a learning object and (2) to evaluate the outcome of applying these practices. To achieve its purpose, this illustrative case study examined the following areas, 1) theories of learning and cognition that influence the design of learning objects; and 2) instruments that can be used to assess the quality of the learning object and to provide designers with information for improving the learning object. The results from the evaluation revealed that the learning object was rated highly in the areas of content quality, learning goal alignment and motivation. Interaction/ usability and feedback/ adaptation were areas identified as needing improvement. The comments and ratings obtained in the student surveys provided the basis for the learning impact study and indicated that this learning object provides added value for the study of pharmacokinetics.

Student Learning Style and Asynchronous Computer-Mediated Conferencing (CMC) Interaction.

This article describes a study of the relation between learning style, as measured by the Kolb Learning Style Inventory, and online communication behavior, as measured by analysis of transcripts of computer-mediated conferencing (CMC) interaction using a previously developed tool. Analysis of over fifty-nine hundred sentences, generated by forty graduate students in moderated online conferences from two different courses, showed that some theoretical predications of the Kolb learning style model were confirmed, especially for the dichotomous types Convergers and Divergers, and Assimilators and Accommodators.

What is the future of mobile learning in education

The evolution of wireless technologies and the development of applications for mobile devices in higher education have been spectacular. For many educators, mobile technology in the field of teaching and learning has recently become one of the most important areas of research. Today, mobile learning is a strategic topic for many organizations concerned with education. In the future, more research should be conducted to transform education using mobile learning. The advent of new types of devices is disruptive to education, no matter what educators and education institutions do. Therefore, a thorough analysis, from a pedagogical and technological perspective, is key to ensuring appropriate usage and implementation of mobile learning.This Special Section of RUSC. Universities and Knowledge Society Journal presents a general overview of successful mobile learning experiences in higher education. Its aim is to share best practices and create new opportunities in universities. These mobile applications will add another layer to the learning and teaching processes.ResumenLas tecnologías inalámbricas y las aplicaciones para dispositivos móviles en la educación superior han experimentado un crecimiento espectacular. Para muchos educadores, la tecnología móvil en el campo de la enseñanza y el aprendizaje se ha convertido en uno de los principales ámbitos de investigación. Hoy, el aprendizaje móvil es un ámbito estratégico para muchas organizaciones que tienen competencias educativas. En el futuro, habrá que intensificar las investigaciones para transformar la educación mediante el aprendizaje móvil. La aparición de nuevos tipos de dispositivos plantea problemas para la educación, independientemente de lo que hagan el personal docente y las instituciones educativas. Por lo tanto, es esencial llevar a cabo un análisis, desde una perspectiva tecnológica y pedagógica, para garantizar el uso y la implementación apropiados. Esta sección especial de RUSC. Revista de Universidad y Sociedad del Conocimiento presenta una visión general de experiencias exitosas de aprendizaje móvil en la educación superior. El objetivo es compartir buenas prácticas y crear nuevas oportunidades en las universidades. Estas aplicaciones móviles añadirán un nuevo estrato a los procesos de aprendizaje y enseñanza.

Affective Learning Outcomes in Workplace Training: A Test of Synchronous vs. Asynchronous Online Learning Environments

Research employing an experimental design pilot-tested two delivery platforms, WebCT ™ and vClass ™, for the generation of affective learning outcomes in the workplace. Using a sample of volunteer participants in the help-desk industry, participants were randomly assigned to one of the two types of delivery software. Thirty-eight subjects participated from 10 different corporations across Western Canada. Course-delivery observations suggested greater engagement and more interaction among participants in the WebCT ™ group. Exam scores showed a higher mean for the WebCT ™ group, but differences between means were not statistically significant.

Enhancing Mobile Learning Delivery through Exploration of the Learner Experience

M-learning research at the School of Computing and Information Systems (SCIS) at Athabasca University has been directed at improving mobile device access to distance learning materials through improved device detection, use of mobile device style sheets, and alternate files and graphics that are tailored to smaller screens. However, there is a greater significance placed in determining how learners perceive these enhancements to online learning. During this study, students were directed to access their regular online course materials using their mobile devices, then asked to complete a survey regarding their perception of this experience. This paper discusses the results from this study.

Towards Pedagogy-Driven Learning Design: A Case Study of Problem-Based Learning Design

Existing learning design languages are pedagogy-neutral. They provide insufficient support to explicitly represent pedagogy-specific approaches such as problem-based learning (PBL). As the first step towards pedagogy-driven learning design, we developed a PBL design language and an associated authoring tool by adopting a domain-specific language (DSL) approach. The language and the tool provide means for teachers to think and represent their own PBL designs in vocabularies that the teacher daily uses to describe their PBL approaches. This paper presents a case study to investigate whether the language and the tool can facilitate the design of a PBL course plan. Although participants had minimal knowledge of PBL and were not skilled in process modeling, after a short training they were able to prepare their own PBL course plans using the PBL authoring tool. They reported that the vocabularies in the PBL design language were easy to understand. Some thought that the tool provides flexibility and others did not think so. Nevertheless, some found the process somewhat difficult to represent the narrative into a course plan. In addition, most participants found that the tool is user-friendly and easy to learn.

A Ubiquitous Computing Platform - Affordable Telepresence Robot Design and Applications

Online universities are growing and they have to continuously integrate new technologies to provide remote students with ubiquitous learning. How to conduct lab work becomes a great challenge in distance education. Existing methods to deal with lab work in distance education institutions usually require students to travel to the actual university laboratory or the nearest located laboratories or be lent lab kits by the university. This is not perfect and can be costly to the universities and students. One possible novel solution would be to use telepresence robots as avatars for remote lab work. To investigate this novel application of telepresence robots, we built an affordable robot and we provide an application scenario, the affordable telepresence robot for remote lab as a case study. This paper will mainly focus on the design and applications of affordable telepresence robot that provides a ubiquitous computing platform for the remote lab solution in distance education.

Model for Transforming Engineering Education Using Technology-Enhanced Learning

Engineering education is important for all countries to progress and to be competitive in the twenty-first century. This is especially true for countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), which are developing very fast. MENA must train a large number of high-quality engineers to meet the demand for engineers today and in the future. Engineering schools need to transform engineering education to be more flexible and more relevant, and deliver engineering programs in a blended format where students can complete part of the training anywhere and at any time and complete parts that require face-to-face instructions to complete on-campus or in an industry placement. Engineering programs should implement problem-based learning, games and simulation, and contextual learning to encourage outcome-based learning and higher level learning. To cater for different learning styles, proven learning theories should be followed to develop quality programs to improve the completion rate. Technology-enhanced learning consisting of e-learning, online learning, mobile learning, and blended learning should be implemented for the new generation of students, to improve access for students who live in remote locations and those who cannot physically attend a campus. A model for engineering programs to develop quality learning materials is proposed. The model proposed is learner-centered, will cater for different learning styles, and, if followed properly, will result in high-level or deep learning. The proposed model consists of four components. These include a variety of strategies to prepare and motivate the student to start the course, different learning activities for different learning styles and independent learning, interaction strategies to promote high-level learning, and transfer of training in the real environment.

Workplace Learning Using Mobile Technology: A Case Study in the Oil and Gas Industry

This article presents an innovative project using mobile technology to train workers in the oil and gas industry to develop their communication skills while functioning on the job. The training was delivered on mobile devices using Apps so that workers can access the training materials without having to connect to a network. Workers performance improved and workers indicated that they would like to engage in other experiences using mobile technology and that mobile learning provides flexibility for learning. Since not much research was conducted in the past on the use of mobile learning for training in organizations, more research should be conducted. Examples of research needed include how mobile sensors can be used for just in time training as workers are mobile and how to make learning pervasive using mobile technology so that workers can learn in context.

Use of Social Media and Social Network Analysis for Mobile Learning

Social media has currently become a ubiquitous communication tool in all facets of the society. It enables networks of communication channels to become available—linking us to networks of people, organizations, and information. The education sector is also benefiting from the growth of social media in areas such as mobile learning. Yet, despite its’ rapid growth and integration in mobile learning, research in this field is still relatively new, particularly in areas relating to investigation of social network analysis in mobile learning. Thus, the chapter focuses the discussion on the approaches of integrating social media for mobile learning and links it to appropriate learning theories and strategies. The chapter then taps into a case study of social network analysis and explains how it can be used to discover the dynamics of social roles in learning as well as participation levels in mobile learning. The chapter ends with a discussion on conclusions and future directions for future educators and researchers interested in the use of social media for mobile learning.