Higher education institutions are increasingly looking to implement online and distance learning (ODL) options for students. Professional development for the design of ODL is needed to support these strategies. This study explores how, in what ways, and to what extent, design for ODL approaches from a series of Learning Design & Course…

This study was developed in the context of a course in higher education and in a blended learning environment--online, distance, and face-to-face (b-learning). The aim was to identify and characterize the meanings and effects that students and teachers attribute to the use of digital portfolios as an assessment and learning strategy. The…

There has been much interest in how to develop a sense of belonging to an academic institution over the last twenty years, given the evidence that this improves student retention, satisfaction and attainment. Fostering a sense of belonging involves both psychological and sociological aspects; students need to feel like they belong and are valued…

Establishing a sense of community is important for student success in online learning environments. However, how online graduate students experience a sense of community in higher learning institutions providing their courses or degree is an area not fully explored. This article reports the results of an investigation into how graduate students in…

Understanding the role of teaching presence in students' learning can help improve online teaching. This study explored the effects of online teaching presence on students' cognitive conflict and engagement by analyzing three rounds of a course taught with different levels of teaching presence. The participants were 132 students enrolled across…

The current study proposes a comprehensive structural model to determine whether online learning perceptions and online learning readiness affect students' online learning performance and course satisfaction. A questionnaire was voluntarily completed by 356 undergraduate students enrolled in a cross-campus, general education, asynchronous online…

This study explores the role of teaching presence in students' behavioral engagement in online learning. We analyzed three classes conducted by one teacher over a period of three semesters. Content analysis and social network analysis were employed to analyze the teacher's teaching presence and students' behavioral engagement. Results indicated…

Authentic assessment activities are those that afford learners opportunities to practice finding solutions to real-world issues and challenges, so that upon graduation they are able to apply these skills to issues and challenges they will face in their workplaces. When learners are able to do this successfully, they are judged as job ready.…

This study reports the development and validation of the Online Learning Readiness Self-Check (OLRSC), a self-report survey designed to examine nontraditional students' readiness for online learning. A total of 505 prospective online learners with diverse background participated in the study. Data from 252 randomly selected participants were used…

This study analyzed four widely used videoconferencing systems: Zoom, Skype, Microsoft Teams, and WhatsApp. Using experiential e-learning as the framework for analysis, this study examined the systems' general characteristics, learning-related features, and usability. We conducted an analytical evaluation and analyzed system features in regard to…

This article reviews motivation research published in "Distance Education" since 1980, highlighting the major foci of investigation and reflecting on past findings. A major trend was that past research has focused predominantly on learners' motivational attributes using sociocognitive models of motivation. We therefore have developed a…

Scaffolding techniques, such as sequencing and fading, used in online video lectures may help mitigate the negative relationship between complex contents represented by intrinsic load and content understanding represented by germane load. This study analyzed survey responses from university students (n = 2365) who participated in online classes in…

Online courses are mainstream throughout higher education. This pattern has been accelerated, temporarily or permanently, due to the coronavirus pandemic (Allen & Seaman, 2016; Arum & Stevens, 2020; Garrison, 2011). Tenure-track and contingent faculty's willingness to teach online serves students, but little research critiques the forces…

During the academic year 2019-2020, school buildings worldwide closed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, necessitating a rapid shift to distance education. This study assessed the influence of high-speed broadband availability on student engagement with distance learning during this period in Ireland. Employing data from a representative sample…

There has been a growing interest in how teaching might be informed by "learning design" (LD), with a promising method for investigating LD being offered by the emerging field of "learning analytics" (LA). In this study, we used a novel LA for LD methodology to investigate the implementation of LD in an online distance learning…