Academic Innovation Blog

Pearson Global Learner Survey

As we continue to navigate changes in education due to COVID, I wanted to share some Global Education Trends published by Pearson – the world’s largest education company. Pearson's Global Learner Survey (published August 2020) surveyed 7038 students, ages 16-70, from 7 different countries.

Key Takeaways

As we look to support students in the future: "More than three out of four students surveyed believe that the education system will fundamentally change after COVID." Learners are relying on and calling for funding to further improve the Student Experience:

• to create more robust online resources and academic help (particularly tutoring)
• for remote learning solutions
• for hiring and training more online faculty and support staff (particularly academic advisors and mental health professionals)
• for technology upgrades on campus

“Trust in education (as a vehicle for economic recovery and personal opportunity) is rising across all age groups.”

• The average student from Gen Z believes that an Online Education can lead to a quality degree and high career preparedness.
• Student ratings for "Education Quality" are the highest they have ever been, despite the interruption from COVID taking us all online.

Learners expect schools to do a better job addressing issues related to equity and voice support for more accessible education. This includes:

• More funding to provide computers and technology resources for under-served students and students with accessibility concerns
• More flexibility for students who are juggling job loss, issues with childcare, etc.
• Addressing racial inequity in the classroom and in the outside world (which leads to an inability to access a quality education)

Learners are prioritizing the following skills and outcomes:

• Technology skills, as many of their current or intended jobs have fundamentally changed and require "upskilling" in technology. Digital skills are now believed to be on par with soft skills for job acquisition.
• Soft skills that will help them progress in their career.
• To feel confident in their abilities.
• To have a better life.

Trades/Vocational programs are now seen as an even more prevailing path to success than traditional degrees.

• Trade and Vocational careers provided steady income and were reliable forms of employment during COVID. Students expect enrollment to rise in vocation programs due to the return on investment.

Where do we go from here?

We at Daytona State College have already made several strides on the identified needs above by utilizing the CARES Act and LENS Grant funding we have received, as well as the creativity of our staff, faculty, and administration. From loaning laptops when COVID hit, to moving our academic help fully online, and mentoring our peers to assist and teach online--we are helping to bridge the gap every day for our learners in this new world. Thank you for the work you do--together we are building a better future for our students.

Kara Parkes, M.A.
Online Retention Coordinator, Academic Advising
kara.parkes@daytonastate.edu | 386-506-3610
Online Student Resource Guide | Falcon Online InfoGuide

Substantive Interaction in an Online Science Lab

Social presence, or the degree of awareness of others in an interaction, is an essential component of the learning process, affecting both learning outcomes and student satisfaction (Akcaoglu & Lee, 2016). I employ numerous strategies that contribute to this presence, including the use of an instructor profile and welcome message, frequent announcements, individualized feedback on assignments, and the use of discussion boards (Quality by Design, 2016).

Group Discussion Boards

I currently teach lab courses, where enrollment is limited to 20 students per session. This is ideal for small group discussion because there are usually enough contributors to have a meaningful conversation where different facets of a topic can be shared, without becoming repetitive and tiresome for the participants (Akcaoglu & Lee, 2016). I often design these discussions as low-stakes assignments, offering extra-credit for participation when this is allowed by the lead instructor. Feedback is most effective when it addresses specific areas of misunderstanding, and is delivered timely enough so that students are able to incorporate it into future work (Ambrose, Bridges, DiPietro, Lovett, & Norman, 2010). By asking students to explain their understanding of a topic through a low-stakes discussion, I am able to recognize and correct any misunderstandings prior to their completion of more heavily-weighted items such as quizzes (Van Blerkom, 2017).

Another benefit of the discussion board is the ability to personalize content according to the needs and interests of the students. Adult students in particular want to understand the reasoning behind a learning activity and its application outside of the classroom prior to fully committing to that activity (Merriam & Bierema, 2014). Many of my students are in health-related professions such as nursing, rad tech, or EMS programs. Posting discussion prompts so that physiological concepts are discussed in relation to what is usually expected when there is a breakdown in the normal process demonstrates this personal application. A final benefit to the discussion board is that it transforms the online learning experience from passive to active, as students formulate responses to the material rather than simply watching or reading it, improving content retention (Kelly, 2012).

Substantive Assignment Feedback

The other important substantive interaction tool I regularly use is individualized feedback on assignments. Explanatory feedback is often more effective than corrective feedback for producing positive learning outcomes (Clark & Mayer, 2016). When students incorrectly answer a question on a quiz, I do not simply state that the answer was incorrect; I explain the correct answer and provide the page reference from their text. When applicable, such as when they use an incorrect term that has another meaning, I will include an explanation of the term they used and why it does not apply to the current question. Using this method, students are able to learn from their mistakes rather than simply be penalized for them.

Faculty Initiated Engagement

By creating a social presence, using and participating in discussions, and offering individualized explanatory feedback, I am providing substantive interaction with my students while also contributing to a learning environment designed to maximize their learning outcomes.

Christopher Smith
School of Biological and Physical Sciences
Adjunct Faculty
christopher.smith@daytonastate.edu

References

Akcaoglu, M., & Lee, E. (2016). Increasing social presence in online learning through small group discussions. International Review of Research In Open And Distributed Learning, 17(3), 1-17. Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1102673.pdf

Ambrose, S. A., Bridges, M. W., DiPietro, M., Lovett, M. C., & Norman, M. K. (2010). How learning works: 7 Research-based principles for smart teaching. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Clark, R. C., & Mayer, R. E. (2016). E-learning and the science of instruction: Proven guidelines for consumers and designers of multimedia learning (4th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Kelly, J. (2012, September). Learning pyramid. Retrieved from http://thepeakperformancecenter.com/educational-learning/learning/principles-of-learning/learning-pyramid/

Merriam, S. B., & Bierema, L. L. (2014). Adult learning: Linking theory and practice. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Quality by Design. (2016, May 23). Creating instructor presence [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmRGc8MRjNQ

Van Blerkom, M. L. (2017). Measurement and statistics for teachers (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.

Hybrid Tips from an eMentor

For me, the challenge early on in teaching hybrids was making sure students remember that both components (face-to-face and online) are necessary for success. Some students tend to do all of the online work but miss the face-to-face meetings, and others will attend every class meeting unerringly but fail to submit assignments online.

Scaffolding Learning

To combat students unclear about online requirements, I’ve always assigned graded in-class group or individual activities, as well as assignments due a few days after we’ve met, so that students will have a good reason to check in to the course. I might also assign a quiz on readings that will be due the night before a class meeting, if I need students to have some familiarity with the material we will be covering.

An Ideal Week Might Look Like the Following:

• Class meets on Wednesday: we review new material, the nuances of a major assignment or important concept, and then students complete a group or individual activity for credit. Whether I’m teaching face-to-face or hybrid, lecture never constitutes more than 30 minutes (40 minutes max) of any given class meeting. The assessment or practice happens almost immediately after the lecture so that concerns can be addressed in person.
• Class has an assignment due on Saturday or Sunday: This could be a discussion board, something that needs to be submitted to an assignment folder, or both.
• Class has a quiz on a reading assignment due Tuesday night, the night before the next class meeting: This reminds students that we are meeting the following day, but it also ensures that they come prepared to work.

Weekly Update to Students

Remain Consistent

Consistency, I have found, is the key. Once the schedule becomes routine, students embrace expectations and understand where things need to be done and when. Using the announcements and sending reminders via email and instant message help. I use all three, along with 4-minute videos, on a weekly basis. Hope this helps, and all the best!

Harun Karim Thomas, Ph.D.
Professor School of Humanities and Communication
WAC/WID Coordinator Daytona State College
harun.thomas@daytonastate.edu
386.506.3948 | 386.246.4807

New Webinar Offerings From Honorlock

In this webinar, Leo Bentovim, Customer Success Manager @ Honorlock, will demonstrate how to integrate Honorlock with your courses in D2L, enable Honorlock for your assessments, and simulate the student experience. He will also share ways to review Honorlock results once your assessments are complete.

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In this webinar, Kim Pulda, Customer Success Manager @ Honorlock, will demonstrate how to integrate Honorlock with your courses, enable Honorlock for your 3rd party assessments, and simulate the student experience. She’ll also share ways to review Honorlock results once your assessments are complete.

After this webinar, you will be able to:

• Understand how Honorlock works for your 3rd party assessments from both the faculty and student perspective
• Understand how to enable Honorlock's exam settings for your desired level of proctoring
• Demonstrate how to to review results for any Honorlock assessment
• Implement shared best practices to ensure a smooth exam day experience

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Bill Harrison
Senior Instructional Technologist/Instructional Designer
Instructional Resources
bill.harrison@daytonastate.edu | 386.506.4306