Online Learning by David Wicks
Online learning, Jun 10, 2015
Researchers in a recent study found that online students' ability to self-regulate led to more fo... more Researchers in a recent study found that online students' ability to self-regulate led to more focused attention and time on task, and in turn, these skills could lead to better learning. Given the need for more theoretical work in this area, as well as the potential practical benefits from the use of these pedagogical strategies, we sought to compare differences between high-versus low-collaboration teams in an online assignment to determine if higher levels of student-to-student collaboration led to higher levels of selfregulation or learning presence (forethought and planning, monitoring, strategy use, and reflection). Specifically, we explored how the use of high-collaboration technologies, such as Google Docs and Google Hangouts, impacted the level of learning presence students demonstrated while participating in a small group project. The low-collaboration group made minimal use of an asynchronous discussion forum for collaboration. Differences in collaboration were measured using student grades, peer evaluations, preand posttests, and community of inquiry surveys. In addition, quantitative content analysis and social network analysis were used to assess collaboration by examining learning presence in the two groups.
Online learning, Jun 1, 2022
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 and the ensuing public health crisis, thousands of h... more In response to the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 and the ensuing public health crisis, thousands of higher education institutions (HEIs) worldwide have had to grapple with rapid pivots to emergency remote online learning modalities with relatively little time to prepare, and the need to maintain these modalities continues to extend longer than most institutions anticipated. However, this is not the first time HEIs have had to enact an emergency switch to online learning in a time of crisis, and there is perhaps much to be learned from examining the experiences of institutions that have been through this before. Resilient pedagogy is an emerging field in education, but it is intrinsically tied to online learning in a crisis insofar as it describes the ability to intentionally and effectively shift instructional tactics given a change in environment or context. Using a case study approach, this paper explores indicators of resilient pedagogy in emergency pivots to online learning following crisis situations-including the COVID-19 pandemic-in the United States, New Zealand, and South Africa. The data informing this research are qualitative, derived from interviews with faculty members and students in each higher education context.
This presentation explores how SPU’s Digital Education Leadership program’s courses are designed ... more This presentation explores how SPU’s Digital Education Leadership program’s courses are designed to promote cognitive presence through inquiry-based learning using synchronous and asynchronous collaboration technologies. Cognitive presence is the extent to which participants in a community of inquiry are able to construct meaning through sustained communication
Routledge eBooks, Jun 22, 2023
LLT Journal/LLT journal, Apr 8, 2024
LLT Journal: A Journal on Language and Language Learning, 2024
This research is grounded in the theoretical foundation of the Community of Inquiry (CoI) Framewo... more This research is grounded in the theoretical foundation of the Community of Inquiry (CoI) Framework, exploring its application within the context of Indonesian cultural values in English education. The objective of this case study is to examine how English instructors adapt their teaching strategies to the challenges of online learning. The research design employs a qualitative approach, centered on interviews with three instructors from an English department at a private university in Jakarta. The participants, representing a small but focused population, were selected through a reputational purposive sampling technique, based on nominations from students who identified them for their effectiveness and expertise in online English learning. Data collection involved in-depth interviews, providing insights into the instructors' perspectives and experiences. The analysis involved a thematic examination of teaching, cognitive, and social presence in the CoI framework. Findings show a robust teaching presence and a significant cognitive presence. Notably, social presence, crucial to CoI, subtly aligns with Indonesian hierarchical culture. This study underlines the complex relationship between CoI and cultural factors in online education. It suggests incorporating pedagogies aligned with local cultural values to improve engagement and outcomes in Indonesian online English learning.
Tackling Online Education: Implications of Responses to COVID-19 in Higher Education Globally, 2021
The 2020 pandemic forced many professors to use educational technology for which they had little ... more The 2020 pandemic forced many professors to use educational technology for which they had little training and a limited understanding of the pedagogical decisions that needed to be considered. Furthermore, because there was little time for training, professors chose to adopt digital tools that they thought would replicate their current teaching practices. Therefore, many professors turned to synchronous web meeting tools such as Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams because the dominant form of instruction in higher education is lecture. Professors and students found themselves spending many hours each week in lectures which resulted in a number of cases of zoom fatigue which is mental exhaustion associated with having to concentrate on small video windows to read student body language. This chapter examines how web-based synchronous class meetings are conducted in the Digital Education Leadership (DEL) graduate program at Seattle Pacific University. Strategies for research-based synchronous online learning will be shared including how to prepare for a synchronous class meeting, how to facilitate a synchronous class meeting, and what needs to be done following class. When synchronous online learning tools are used effectively, instructors and students report having positive experiences with this technology rather than complaining about Zoom fatigue.
The researchers explored the Community of Inquiry framework and how collaborative technologies, s... more The researchers explored the Community of Inquiry framework and how collaborative technologies, specifically wikis, can be used to impact student perception of social presence in online learning. The subjects were 78 graduate education students in three differently contrived sections of the same online course. Participants completed the Community of Inquiry (CoI) Survey at the end of the term measuring their perceived level of teaching, social, and cognitive presence during the course. The experimental setting utilized a single instructor teaching one course, and randomly assigned students. Each section had students collaborate using a different tool (synchronous wiki, asynchronous wiki, and discussion board). All subjects perceived high levels of the three presences when compared with previous studies. Students collaborating using an asynchronous wiki perceived significantly more social presence than those using only a discussion board. Specifically, students perceived greater levels of trust and group cohesion when the course design incorporated a wiki for small group collaboration.
ProQuest, 2012
This study continues the exploration of the Community of Inquiry framework and how
collaborative... more This study continues the exploration of the Community of Inquiry framework and how
collaborative technologies, specifically, wikis can be used to impact student perception of
social presence. The subjects were 78 graduate education students in three differently
contrived sections of the same online course. Participants completed the Community of
Inquiry Survey at the end of the term, which measured their perceived level of teaching,
social, and cognitive presence during the course. The experimental setting utilized a
single instructor teaching one course, and randomly assigned students. Each section had
students collaborate using a different tool (synchronous wiki, asynchronous wiki, and
discussion board-only). All subjects perceived high levels of the three presences when
compared with previous studies. Students collaborating using an asynchronous wiki
perceived significantly more social presence than those using only a discussion board.
Specifically, students perceived greater levels of trust and group cohesion when the
course design incorporated a wiki for small group collaboration.
A faculty learning community (FLC) comprised of six professors representing different disciplines... more A faculty learning community (FLC) comprised of six professors representing different disciplines came together to study, develop, and teach blended learning courses. As an FLC, the researchers sought to evaluate student perceptions of the blended learning courses, measured using the Community of Inquiry (CoI) survey, and how these differed across the courses taught. In addition to this objective, a secondary objective of how the experience of learning to design blended learning courses in an FLC differed across the faculty was also explored. This exploratory case study found evidence to suggest that student perceptions of a blended course, as measured by the CoI framework, can be used to determine differences in students' blended learning experiences. The results of the study also suggest that perceived differences in blended learning experiences varied by discipline, highlighting an important area for future research experiments. An additional research outcome was that an FLC may be a useful form of faculty development when correctly implemented. For example, participating faculty benefited from participation in an FLC when they received helpful advice on promising practices and encouragement when experiencing instructional or technical challenges.
Researchers in a recent study found that online students’ ability to self-regulate led to more fo... more Researchers in a recent study found that online students’ ability to self-regulate led to more focused attention and time on task, and in turn, these skills could lead to better learning. Given the need for more theoretical work in this area, as well as the potential practical benefits from the use of these pedagogical strategies, we sought to compare differences between high- versus low-collaboration teams in an online assignment to determine if higher levels of student-to-student collaboration led to higher levels of self-regulation or learning presence (forethought and planning, monitoring, strategy use, and reflection). Specifically, we explored how the use of high-collaboration technologies, such as Google Docs and Google Hangouts, impacted the level of learning presence students demonstrated while participating in a small group project. The low-collaboration group made minimal use of an asynchronous discussion forum for collaboration. Differences in collaboration were measured using student grades, peer evaluations, pre- and posttests, and community of inquiry surveys. In addition, quantitative content analysis and social network analysis were used to assess collaboration by examining learning presence in the two groups.
Online students' ability to self-regulate led to focused attention and time on-task. Given a need... more Online students' ability to self-regulate led to focused attention and time on-task. Given a need for more theoretical work in this area, as well as the potential practical benefits, we sought to compare differences between high versus low-collaboration teams in an online assignment to determine if higher levels of student-to-student collaboration lead to higher levels of semantic writing. Specifically, we explored how the use of collaboration technologies such as Google Docs and Google Hangouts impacted the level of ideas generated while participating in a group project. It was found that in terms of total generated semantic themes, low collaboration groups developed significantly more than their high collaboration counterparts in both online discussions and post course meta-reflective blog writings. The high collaboration students did, however, generate a wider variety of unique semantic themes in both the online discussions and blog posts.
The researchers explored the Community of Inquiry framework and how collaborative technologies, s... more The researchers explored the Community of Inquiry framework and how collaborative technologies, specifically wikis, can be used to impact student perception of social presence in online learning. The subjects were 78 graduate education students in three differently contrived sections of the same online course. Participants completed the Community of Inquiry (CoI) Survey at the end of the term measuring their perceived level of teaching, social, and cognitive presence during the course. The experimental setting utilized a single instructor teaching one course, and randomly assigned students. Each section had students collaborate using a different tool (synchronous wiki, asynchronous wiki, and discussion board). All subjects perceived high levels of the three presences when compared with previous studies. Students collaborating using an asynchronous wiki perceived significantly more social presence than those using only a discussion board. Specifically, students perceived greater levels of trust and group cohesion when the course design incorporated a wiki for small group collaboration.
Online students' ability to collaborate with peers may lead to increased learning and positive at... more Online students' ability to collaborate with peers may lead to increased learning and positive attitude toward their learning. Given a need for more theoretical and practical work in this area, we sought to compare differences between high and low-collaboration groups in an assignment to determine if higher levels of collaboration lead to higher levels of semantic writing. We explored how the use of collaboration strategies in group work through the use of online tools impacted the ideas generated while participating in a group project as compared to an individual project. We sought to compare the degree of document sentiment between the two groups. For total generated themes, the low collaboration group developed significantly more themes than the high collaboration group. The high collaboration group yielded 349 more facets than the low collaboration group with 50% of the facets being unique between the two groups. We found neutral document sentiment in both groups overall.
The Learner-Centered Instructional Designer: Purposes, Processes, and Practicalities of Creating Online Courses in Higher Education, 2020
Between the two of us, we have been incorporating synchronous learn- ing into our online instruct... more Between the two of us, we have been incorporating synchronous learn- ing into our online instruction for more than 8 years, most notably as part of the Seattle Pacific University Digital Education Leadership graduate program, designed for educators specializing in the exploration of how digital technology can be used to enhance learning and teaching. Many people assume that synchronous online learning is a live lecture, where a large group of learners watch and listen to their instructor online rather than in a lecture hall. We have been wondering how we disrupt this assumption. As proponents of synchronous learning that is student-centered and focused on highlighting learner voices, the class conversations we facilitate must have fewer participants. Although the option of synchronous learning in larger classes exists, the focus of this chapter is on learning environments with less instructor talk and more learner voices. Our courses always include asynchronous components as well as learners sharing their research and engaging in peer teaching and assessment through discussion board comments (Park & Kim, 2015).
Online Learning Journal, 2022
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 and the ensuing public health crisis, thousands of h... more In response to the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 and the ensuing public health crisis, thousands of higher education institutions (HEIs) worldwide have had to grapple with rapid pivots to emergency remote online learning modalities with relatively little time to prepare, and the need to maintain these modalities continues to extend longer than most institutions anticipated. However, this is not the first time HEIs have had to enact an emergency switch to online learning in a time of crisis, and there is perhaps much to be learned from examining the experiences of institutions that have been through this before. Resilient pedagogy is an emerging field in education, but it is intrinsically tied to online learning in a crisis insofar as it describes the ability to intentionally and effectively shift instructional tactics given a change in environment or context. Using a case study approach, this paper explores indicators of resilient pedagogy in emergency pivots to online learning following crisis situations—including the COVID-19 pandemic—in the United States, New Zealand, and South Africa. The data informing this research are qualitative, derived from interviews with faculty members and students in each higher education context.
The Internet and Higher Education, 2015
A Faculty Learning Community (FLC) comprised of six professors representing different disciplines... more A Faculty Learning Community (FLC) comprised of six professors representing different disciplines came together to study, develop, and teach blended learning courses. As an FLC, the researchers sought to evaluate student perceptions of the blended learning courses, measured using the Community of Inquiry (CoI) survey, and how these differed across the courses taught. In addition to this objective, a secondary objective of how the experience of learning to design blended learning courses in an FLC differed across the faculty was also explored. This exploratory case study found evidence to suggest that student perceptions of a blended course, as measured by the CoI framework, can be used to determine differences in students' blended learning experiences. The results of the study also suggest that perceived differences in blended learning experiences varied by discipline, highlighting an important area for future research experiments. An additional research outcome was that an FLC may be a useful form of faculty development when correctly implemented. For example, participating faculty benefited from participation in an FLC when they received helpful advice on promising practices and encouragement when experiencing instructional or technical challenges.
Online Learning, 2015
Researchers in a recent study found that online students’ ability to self-regulate led to more fo... more Researchers in a recent study found that online students’ ability to self-regulate led to more focused attention and time on task, and in turn, these skills could lead to better learning. Given the need for more theoretical work in this area, as well as the potential practical benefits from the use of these pedagogical strategies, we sought to compare differences between high- versus low-collaboration teams in an online assignment to determine if higher levels of student-to-student collaboration led to higher levels of self-regulation or learning presence (forethought and planning, monitoring, strategy use, and reflection). Specifically, we explored how the use of high-collaboration technologies, such as Google Docs and Google Hangouts, impacted the level of learning presence students demonstrated while participating in a small group project. The low-collaboration group made minimal use of an asynchronous discussion forum for collaboration. Differences in collaboration were measured...
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Online Learning by David Wicks
collaborative technologies, specifically, wikis can be used to impact student perception of
social presence. The subjects were 78 graduate education students in three differently
contrived sections of the same online course. Participants completed the Community of
Inquiry Survey at the end of the term, which measured their perceived level of teaching,
social, and cognitive presence during the course. The experimental setting utilized a
single instructor teaching one course, and randomly assigned students. Each section had
students collaborate using a different tool (synchronous wiki, asynchronous wiki, and
discussion board-only). All subjects perceived high levels of the three presences when
compared with previous studies. Students collaborating using an asynchronous wiki
perceived significantly more social presence than those using only a discussion board.
Specifically, students perceived greater levels of trust and group cohesion when the
course design incorporated a wiki for small group collaboration.
collaborative technologies, specifically, wikis can be used to impact student perception of
social presence. The subjects were 78 graduate education students in three differently
contrived sections of the same online course. Participants completed the Community of
Inquiry Survey at the end of the term, which measured their perceived level of teaching,
social, and cognitive presence during the course. The experimental setting utilized a
single instructor teaching one course, and randomly assigned students. Each section had
students collaborate using a different tool (synchronous wiki, asynchronous wiki, and
discussion board-only). All subjects perceived high levels of the three presences when
compared with previous studies. Students collaborating using an asynchronous wiki
perceived significantly more social presence than those using only a discussion board.
Specifically, students perceived greater levels of trust and group cohesion when the
course design incorporated a wiki for small group collaboration.