Sunnie Lee Watson

The Role of Technology and Computer-Based Instruction in a Disadvantaged Alternative School's Culture of Learning.

New approaches to instruction are increasingly being advocated to meet the needs of diverse learners. Educational researchers have identified the further development and application of computer-based instruction technologies for managing differentiated learning for all students as essential for shifting to a learner-centered paradigm of instruction in future schools. This study examines how a disadvantaged alternative high school implemented technology use and computer-based instruction to support a learner-centered culture of learning. Based on findings, the study looks for implications and future directions to better support learner-centered instruction for diverse students.

Somebody’s Gotta Fight for Them A Disadvantaged and Marginalized Alternative School’s Learner-Centered Culture of Learning

This year-long ethnographic study explores one alternative school’s journey of creating a positive and collaborative learning community while negotiating through the disadvantages and marginalization within a school district and society at large. This study examined various aspects of school culture, including learning processes, discourses, relationships, and challenges the students and teachers face in schools. Participants discussed the importance of a flexible learning environment, strong relationships between students and teachers, while displaying a strong resistance toward authority. How schools must change to meet all students’ needs still remains a vital question.

Learner profiles of attitudinal learning in a MOOC: An explanatory sequential mixed methods study

The aims of the study were to investigate learner profiles in a MOOC focused on attitudinal learning, Science of Happiness, based on learner self-assessment of happiness and relationships with demographics, attitudinal learning gains and preferred instructional activities. A sequential explanatory mixed methods design was used in the attitudinal learning survey. The survey assessed cognitive, affective, and behavioral learning, and was followed by interviews with 12 participants. Latent profile analysis identified two profiles based on the differences in the levels and trends of happiness reported by learners during the 10-week course. Results indicated that MOOC learners described different preferences for exploratory or instructor-directed instructional strategies. Identified implications for the instructional design of MOOCs for attitudinal learning included recognizing that MOOC learners often view MOOCs more as entertainment as opposed to formal education. Therefore, course length, pace, scope, and difficulty should be considered in this light. Furthermore, supporting varied learner goals and interests, and instructional preferences are important. Finally, special consideration must also be paid to the design and facilitation of course discussions. Latent profile analysis identified 2 profiles based on happiness levels and trends.Learners identified different instructional preferences: instructor-led versus self-directed.Course design should consider views of MOOCs as entertainment.Design should support varied learner goals and preferences.MOOC discussion challenges merit focus on design and facilitation.

Examining Instructor and Learner Experiences and Attitude Change in a Journalism for Social Change Massive Open Online Course: A Mixed-Methods Case Study

This study examined instructor and learner experiences in a Journalism for Social Change (JSC) Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) designed to introduce learners around the world to constructive, solutions-based journalism techniques, as well as engage learners in developing news stories promoting positive change about critical child welfare (CW) issues. Mixed-methods were used to identify five themes across instructor and learner experiences. Results suggest MOOCs have the potential to increase learners’ journalism content knowledge and to mobilize citizen journalists around social justice topics impacting communities. This study adds to an ongoing body of work investigating MOOC design for changing attitudes.

Enrolment purposes, instructional activities, and perceptions of attitudinal learning in a human trafficking MOOC

Abstract This study examines learner enrolment purposes, perceptions on instructional activities and their relationship to learning gains in a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) for attitudinal change regarding human trafficking. Using an author-developed survey, learners reported their perceptions on instructional activities and learning gains within the MOOC, as well as their enrolment purposes. Motivations varied with the majority of learners wanting to formulate a viewpoint or to justify their existing viewpoint, with those taking the MOOC in order to earn a formal certification reporting the highest learning gains. Overall, learners perceived lectures and videos as the most impactful instructional strategy. However, learners who reported the personal project activity as the most effective instructional strategy showed the highest learning gain. The authors discuss the instructional design considerations based on these survey results.

Facilitating Attitudinal Learning in an Animal Behaviour and Welfare MOOC.

ABSTRACT This case study examines the design and facilitation of a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) that focused on attitudinal learning about the topic of animal behaviour and welfare. Findings showed that a team of instructors worked together collaboratively towards realising learning goals and found the experience rewarding. While learners had mixed perceptions of gains in cognitive, affective and behavioural learning, they reported high satisfaction with lecture videos and instructor course participation. Implications for the instructional design of MOOCs and attitudinal learning are discussed based on these findings, including a discussion of MOOCs as a unique platform for attitudinal learning, and recommendations for their successful use. The recommendations include the importance of creating a collaborative instructor team, establishing high instructor presence, using interactive and collaborative learning activities, and receiving support from platform providers and institutions.

Perceived learning in three MOOCs targeting attitudinal change

Abstract Massive open online courses (MOOCs) have gained significant attention in recent years for their potential to impact education at a global scale. This paper presents the findings from a study that examined the cases of three MOOCs, including Human Trafficking, US Food System, and Animal Behavior and Welfare, that were specifically designed to effect attitudinal change in its participants, specifically focusing on the three aspects of attitudinal change, cognitive, affective and behavioral as well as general learning. The study examined learners’ perceptions of attitudinal change, including according to the MOOC they took, the instructional method utilized, and the influence of attitudinal components on each other. The findings from this research provide a number of implications that could be helpful for understanding instruction and instructional design of MOOCs, particularly those MOOCs addressing attitude change.

Instructional quality of massive open online courses: a review of attitudinal change MOOCs

This study builds on prior research regarding attitudinal learning MOOCs, and a study examining the quality of MOOCs based on adherence to the first principles of instruction. Nine MOOCs designed for attitudinal instruction were reviewed to rate the degree they incorporated first principles of instruction and first principles of attitudinal instruction. The study found that while none of the MOOCs incorporated all of the first principles, overall, they incorporated the first principles of instruction more consistently than in the prior study. The review also showed that all of the courses did incorporate the attitudinal instruction first principles to some degree. This study provides researchers an approach to evaluating the instructional design quality of attitudinal instruction in general and MOOCs designed for attitudinal learning specifically, while also guiding practitioners in understanding how others have approached the design of attitudinal learning MOOCs.

An Expert Instructor's Use of Social Congruence, Cognitive Congruence, and Expertise in an Online Case-Based Instructional Design Course.

Promoting and sustaining effective discussion—that which contributes to learning—is a skill that eludes many instructors (Darling-Hammond, 2008; Ge, Yamashiro, & Lee, 2000). This study explored the role and strategies of an expert instructor in an online advanced instructional design (ID) course that utilized a case-based learning (CBL) approach. Discussion posts, as well as interview data, were analyzed and coded to explore how the instructor utilized three strategies noted as being critical to students’ learning during problem-centered discussions: social congruence, cognitive congruence, and content expertise (Schmidt & Moust, 1995; Yew & Yong, 2014). Results showed that facilitation choices were made with course goals in mind: modeling the case analysis process and improving students’ ID problem solving. All three strategies were used frequently during discussion facilitation. Strategies tended to be implemented in clusters, with social congruence strategies appearing in every post but four. Implications are discussed for utilizing a combination of these facilitation strategies, in a dynamic manner, within a case-based context.

Using Game-based Learning to Facilitate Attitude Change for Environmental Sustainability

Environmental Sustainability Education (ESE) is a critical element in youth education, as it facilitates learners to understand and realize the importance of creating a sustainable future for themselves and others. Changing learner attitudes and related behaviours is critical in ESE. Digital game-based learning (DGBL) environments offer a suitable pedagogical tool for ESE, as they enable youth to learn and test their behaviours within the game. This literature review looks at studies that examine the efficacy of games as a pedagogical tool for producing change in attitudes and behaviours regarding environmental sustainability. While there are limited longitudinal studies that test whether learners retained their environment-friendly behaviours over time, which highlights the need for more such research; existing studies do show that games have demonstrated the potential for producing attitudinal change.