Zehra Altinay

Roles of the Students and Teachers in Distance Education

Distance Education is the new, global technology based education to facilitate easy, immediate learning and interaction for all communicators who are the teachers and students that involve the education program. Distance Education can provide wide-mass education for everyone, it leads people to learn individually and let responsibility of learning to the people. In addition to this; it is obvious to select courses and content that reflect the concerning needs and motivation of students. It provides creative and qualified ideas atmosphere and information that will be presented should be update and interesting for all different kinds of students according to their backgrounds information. For the effective distance education programs out of the communicational or any kind of barriers, there should be consciousness on the definable roles of the teachers and students in learning-teaching process.

Assessing the Effects of Managers in the Digital Age on the Management Process of Digital Citizenship Roles

Abstract The frequent use of technology in education has led to developing certain norms and standards in order to prevent the potential negative results and the chaos of using technology in education. These standards gave rise to the concept of digital citizenship. The term digital citizenship is used to refer to the certain standards that should be followed by students and teachers as well as the education managers. This is why the managers should possess these standards and reflect them in the management processes. The current study, which is based on this necessity, aims to evaluate the influence of the digital citizenship roles of today’s managers in digital age on the management processes. Hence, this study worked with the participation of managers working at the Ministry of National Education. The study adopted mixed method research design with 11 participants. Participants were asked to complete the digital citizenship scale and attend focus group interviews. The collected data was analysed through content analysis and descriptive statistics. The results of this study showed that managers possess digital citizenship roles at 70 percent and that these roles influence the management processes. However, despite the low rate, there are still some problems faced while reflecting digital citizenship roles in management processes.

Analysis of MOOCs Practices from the Perspective of Learner Experiences and Quality Culture.

This explanatory analysis of the relevant literature seeks to identify factors affecting quality in massive open online courses (MOOCs). The paper highlights sub-dimensions of quality in MOOCs using the ladder of analytical abstraction. Communication, trust, collaboration, inclusiveness, innovation, and commitment are identified as key elements in developing a quality culture in online education. In seeking to merge the organizational and pedagogical aspects of online education, MOOCs raise new questions concerning personalization, widening recruitment, internationalization or globalization, and lifelong learning. However, the pedagogical aspects of MOOCs remain insufficiently described and explored. As MOOCs are now a significant presence in digital education, it is essential to understand learners’ experiences and participation in such courses.

Towards Fostering Quality in Open Online Education Through OER and MOOC Practices

This book chapter offers institutions a roadmap for establishing policies about the quality of open online education. The chapter also describes how institutions can enhance and assure quality through open education resources (OER) and massive open online course (MOOC) practices. Quality plays an essential role in innovation and drives changes in higher educational practices. The quality assessment of open online practices requires evaluation methods that are used to examine the potential for achieving quality. The increased digitization of openness and access has led practitioners of higher education to question the fundamental aspects of quality. This chapter discusses the quality of OER and MOOC practices and presents ways that both institutions and professionals can enhance their usability. In pedagogical enhancement, the use of media, increased personalization, open and shared content, participation, reflection, and social learning are the main measures used to assess the quality of MOOCs. Because the effects of international cooperation on higher education are important, the practice of OERs and MOOCs is strategic for the institutional management of internationalization as well as the mobility of students and academic staff. Student satisfaction and services for the participants—the learners—in higher education are essential. Therefore, OERs and MOOCs present strategic opportunities to ensure the quality of open online education.

Evaluating peer learning and assessment in online collaborative learning environments

ABSTRACT Transformation of learning and teaching in higher education now offers greater educational equality through enhanced access and collaboration within the framework of lifelong learning in the digital age. This study aims to evaluate online peer learning and assessment in the collaborative learning process in higher education practices. The study also investigates the impact of online peer learning on the development of skills within collaborative learning through the use of volunteered responses from learners concerning their experiences with and perceptions of online learning. Therefore, a quantitative approach is applied through the administration of a survey with 32 items that is distributed to 715 participants. According to the objective of the study, a set of inferential statistical analyses are performed. The theoretical framework of this study is the CHAT (cultural historical activity theory) which reconstructs the knowledge of learners through the application of the Adobe Connect program to demonstrate how learners can be collaborative and social with their peers in an online context. The results revealed that the collaborative online peer learning process in higher education encourages critical reflection and self-assessment. The study contributes to the understanding of the value of learner satisfaction in online collaborative learning environments through the experiences of learners.

The Evaluation of Strategies Used to Improve Teaching and Learning in Education Society

Abstract This research evaluated the strategies used to improve teaching and learning in secondary schools, which fosters quality in management. A case study has been applied. In this study, the semi-structured interview technique was used. Research data was obtained from the National Education General Secondary Education affiliated to the schools from which 13 school principals who work in public schools, and 27 teachers and 12 school council representatives were chosen. School principals take their staff along when they make decisions, and the people that they work closely with, but they sometimes make decisions by themselves. School principles promote the relationship and cooperation between the teachers, positive attitudes in the teachers’ professional development needs of the populace working in public schools to improve the teaching and learning strategies that they use. Many efforts are made to create a positive learning and teaching environment, and to promote the use of information technology in schools to reflect a society-based education system.

Digital Transformation in School Management and Culture

Quality becomes milestone for enhancing learning and teaching practices through contemporary standards. In this respect, considering the outcomes of transformation is essential. School management is an umbrella of facilitating learning and teaching. Therefore, role of digital transformation in school management is an intensified need to be underlined. In establishing school culture, school management plays an essential role that digital transformation effects the school management and culture for the quality in education. The nature of this research is qualitative. Reflective reports of headmasters are gathered as data to understand the readability and awareness of school management to the digital transformation in the case of North Cyprus. In addition, content analysis is done to realize the upcoming issues in school management and digital transformation. As this focus is demanding for developing countries especially North Cyprus, this research revealed that headmasters have awareness on the use of digital and techno‐ logical facilities. They are aware on digital transformation although budget and application restrictions are revealed to apply this transformation.

The Impact of Open Leadership in Being Learning Organisations for Professional Learning.

The study examines the impact of being learning organisations in secondary schools culture in fostering professional learning and development. The study sheds a light of qualities of learning organisations to catch change and innovation in digital age. The study has qualitative nature which 26 headmasters become part of the research process voluntarily. The self-reports were employed during the process and thematic analysis was done. Research findings are revealed that headmasters still keep working within the frame of traditional management approach however they reflected that approaching learning organisations is crucial in fostering professional learning. Approaching open leadership and management can be crucial in being learning organisation. In further studies, perceptions and experience of parents, teachers can be examined and experimental studies can be done in detail.

Overcoming Cyberbullying in Childhood: Children as Digital Leaders.

Cyberbulling in childhood may damage learning and development of children in their life. Being aware of cyberbulling and developing societal strategies in protecting cyberbulling are very crucial to set secure learning and development context for the children. It is significant to create atmosphere on leadership of own their learning in digital arena through trainning. This study aims to reflect the experiences and perceptions of experts in order to set strategies for the future as a result of national project on cyberbulling and children as digital leaders in school culture and even in society. The study has qualitative nature which case study approach was employed. The research process is conducted upon workshop with 17 volunteer participants from the experts who are the representatives from various associations. The self-reports are employed as data collection and thematic analysis was done. The findings revealed that trainings on being digital leaders, e-transformation, creating online learning platforms for counseling, game-based learning and film making as public spot in media need to be basic strategies in order to overcome cyberbulling for children as digital leaders in societal level. Further to this, tolerance education and conflict resolution courses and programs need to be included to the curricula.

The Role of Accessibility and Equality in Open Leadership and Management.

Accessibility and equality in higher education for quality improvement become crucial research challenge that need to be undertaken as part of the quality strategies and innovation in higher education. With the development of information technologies and its applications on higher education policy and strategies, diffusion of accessibility and equality to all learners comes across as the strategic quality movement in order to underline importance and nature of openness, access and equality into practice. Therefore, accessibility and equality are the quality indicators to set opportunities in learning with disabilities. This research has qualitative nature which the quality, accessibility, equality, technology, and management practices were examined upon semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis was done to reveal the findings that the model can be significant to set barrier free education and future plans for accessibility, equality and management in