Swapna Kumar

The Net Generation as Preservice Teachers: Transferring Familiarity with New Technologies to Educational Environments.

Abstract A survey of preservice teachers’ (n=54) use of Web 2.0 tools and creation of online content for both personal and educational purposes highlighted the large gap between Web 2.0 use in their daily lives and in their coursework, as well as their negligible online content creation in general. Participants used social networking and collaborative editing technologies with peers in coursework areas that were not led by instructors, indicating that they transfer their technical skills from informal to formal settings but continue to use technology in familiar ways. The results emphasize the continued need to model technology use in teacher education for preservice teachers of the Net generation and to require them to develop digital artifacts when preparing them for 21st century schools.

Digital Didactical Designs: Teachers’ Integration of iPads for Learning-Centered Processes

Abstract This research presents five examples of how teachers integrated iPads into their classrooms, as part of a larger study of 15 Danish classrooms. Classroom observations and interviews with teachers revealed the use of multiple apps and a focus on creativity, production, and collaboration in the learning process. We discuss the results in the context of digital didactical designs that are needed when integrating mobile devices into teaching and learning.

Assessing the Value of Embedded Librarians in an Online Graduate Educational Technology Course

The increase in online programs has been accompanied by the need for library instruction and support for online students. Students enrolled in off-campus programs have to be able to successfully access and use digital library resources to complete course requirements. An embedded librarian project in an online graduate educational technology course resulted in several benefits for students. The results of pre- and postassessment questionnaires, discussion forum feedback, and an instructor interview indicated that embedded librarians can greatly help students in their online assignments. Further research and recommendations for the implementation and assessment of embedded librarian projects are discussed.

Program-Integrated Information Literacy Instruction for Online Graduate Students

Academic librarians often provide information literacy support for specific courses or topics in the form of research guides, one-shot training sessions, library orientations, or by embedding library content into online courses. Less frequently, they provide continuous program-level support on-campus or online. This paper highlights the value of sustained involvement of librarians at the program level to provide information literacy in an online environment. The description of implementation, research results, and strategies for sustainability will be useful to other online programs engaged in equipping online graduate students with essential information literacy skills to succeed in their academic endeavors.

More than a social network: Facebook as a catalyst for an online educational community of practice

This article describes the use of Facebook as an educational community of practice by online doctoral students to achieve their common goals. The analysis of participants’ interactions in the social network revealed that participants shared knowledge, resources, advice, and insights. They collaborated and communicated with each other to provide feedback, supported each other, and essentially, learned in and as a community. The results are discussed within a social constructivist learning perspective of the building of community among adult practitioners in a higher education setting.

Adapting the Community of Inquiry Survey for an Online Graduate Program: Implications for Online Programs

A cohort-based online professional doctorate program that consisted of both online coursework and research activities was designed using Garrison et als community of inquiry (CoI) framework. The evaluation of the program proved a challenge because all existing CoI assessment methods in the past have dealt with online courses, not with online programs. In the absence of a validated instrument for measuring the success of the community of inquiry design at a program level, the CoI survey for online courses was adapted and used with the second cohort of online students (n = 18). This article presents (a) an extension of the constructs cognitive, teaching, and social presence for online programs, and (b) an instrument to measure student perceptions of a CoI that encompasses asynchronous and synchronous interactions, as well as course-specific and non-course-specific interactions in different learning spaces.

Information literacy and embedded librarianship in an online graduate programme

This paper reports on an embedded librarian project aimed at providing incoming online graduate students with essential information literacy skills to succeed in an online programme. It describes the design and implementation of the project, the results of pre- and post-instruction surveys of students’ information literacy skills and students’ perceived ability, confidence, and anxiety when accessing information using library resources. The assessment of the embedded librarian project is discussed in the context of the methods used and the needs of online students.

Digital Didactical Designs as research framework: iPad integration in Nordic schools

In this research, the design of teaching and learning with web-enabled technologies, such as iPads, in 64 one-to-one (1:1) Nordic classrooms was explored using the Digital Didactical Design (DDD) f ...

How OER Enhances MOOCs—A Perspective from German-Speaking Europe

In this chapter, we discuss why open educational resources (OER) and MOOCs are a necessary and powerful combination, especially in German-speaking Europe. We begin with an introduction to open online courses and an overview of copyright law in Germany and Austria. We then describe the evolution of OER MOOCs in Austria and Germany, especially the development of two MOOC platforms. Finally, we present examples of the impact of OER on MOOCs to conclude that an approach combining OER and MOOCs can be very valuable to foster new and innovative didactical approaches as well as future education.

Mentoring and Student Support in Online Doctoral Programs

ABSTRACT The increase in online graduate programs and the online mentoring of student research have led to the need to identify challenges faced by online mentees and successful strategies used by online mentors during the dissertation process. Based on semistructured interviews with ten graduates, strategies for online mentoring and areas of support valued by online doctoral students during the dissertation process are presented in this article.