Educational Technology - Blended Learning
M.R. Heydari; E. Zaraii Zavaraki; M. Vahedi
Abstract
Background and Objectives: After the Corona epidemic, educational systems were forced to move to online instruction and learning. Despite its advantages, online instruction could not overcome some of its challenges, such as the sense of presence of learners; therefore, the importance of using the blended ...
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Background and Objectives: After the Corona epidemic, educational systems were forced to move to online instruction and learning. Despite its advantages, online instruction could not overcome some of its challenges, such as the sense of presence of learners; therefore, the importance of using the blended learning approach for the educational systems of the world, especially the educational system of our country, was clearly clarified. Blended learning, which overcomes the challenges of online learning and face-to-face learning by blending online and face-to-face learning, and brings benefits such as increased flexibility, increased cost effectiveness, and time saving, has attracted the attention of teachers and learners. However, a fundamental challenge for the teachers is designing, implementing and evaluating a blended learning in order to achieve high-level learning and presence. In this regard, it is important to pay attention to cognitive presence and teaching presence, which are elements of the community of inquiry framework. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of blended learning on the level of cognitive presence and teaching presence of elementary school students in the science course.Methods: The research method was a semi-experimental of pre-test-post-test type with a control group. The statistical population included all fifth-grade students in Shahryar, who were studying in the academic year 2022-2023. Using available sampling method, 60 students were selected; 30 students were randomly assigned to the experimental group and 30 students to the control group. The experimental group spent six sessions in the form of blended learning and the control group spent six sessions in the form of face-to-face learning. In order to check the changes before the intervention, a pre-test was performed on both groups, and after the intervention, a post-test was performed on both groups. The data collection tool in this research was the questionnaire of cognitive presence and teaching presence of Arbaugh et al. (2008). The reliability of the questionnaires of cognitive presence and teaching presence was calculated based on Cronbach's alpha values of 0.91 and 0.83, respectively. To analyze the research data, statistical methods were used at two descriptive (mean and standard deviation) and inferential (correlated t-test and multivariate covariance analysis) levels.Findings: Based on the results of paired samples t-test, there was a significant difference between the pre-test and post-test stages in the variable of cognitive presence in both experimental and control groups and in the variable of teaching presence only in the experimental group (p≥ 0.001). The results of covariance analysis showed that the effect of blended learning on cognitive presence and teaching presence was greater than that of face-to-face learning (p≥0.01).Conclusion: The results of the research showed that blended learning and face-to-face learning are both effective in increasing cognitive presence, but only blended learning is effective on teaching presence. Blended learning has a greater impact on cognitive and teaching presence compared to face-to-face learning. Therefore, blended learning by blending face-to-face and online learning has more effectiveness in the amount of cognitive and teaching presence and can be a suitable alternative to fully face-to-face learning in the educational system of our country, and it is suggested that the educational system adopt this approach in formal mainstream education.
E-Lerning
A. Taghizadeh
Abstract
Background and Objectives: With the increasing use of information technologies in the field of education, it is now possible to create flexible learning environments without temporal and spatial barriers on the Internet. These environments enable learners to access various learning materials, share their ...
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Background and Objectives: With the increasing use of information technologies in the field of education, it is now possible to create flexible learning environments without temporal and spatial barriers on the Internet. These environments enable learners to access various learning materials, share their findings, and discuss with other online participants. Despite the dramatic increase in web-based courses and learners enrolling in these courses, there are many indications that the mentioned courses have failed to meet the needs of learners and learners remember unpleasant experiences from such contexts. One of the relatively new methods in teaching is flipped classroom. The underlying idea of the flipped classroom is that instructional materials are presented outside the classroom, and on the other hand, the classroom time is used for interaction and conceptual transformation. Also, the community of inquiry (CoI) framework created by Garrison et . (2001) has been extensively applied and explored. It is probably the most frequently used model based on technology for a constructivist learning design. According to Garrison et al, learners can learn collaboratively and as a group in an inquiry community when there is a shared cognitive, social, and teaching presence. learning experiences are formed through the interaction of cognitive presence, social presence, and teaching presence. Garrison et al. claim that the common nature of cognitive, social, and teaching presence leads to the creation of an inquiry community, in which a cooperative learning experience is created for learners. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the effect of using the flipped classroom on the learners’ perceived teaching, social and cognitive presence in online courses. Methods: This study was quasi-experimental in terms of research method, using pre-test and post-test design with experimental and control groups. The population of the research included all the students of Tehran in the academic year of 1400-1401, using Convenience sampling. A total of 58 people were selected and randomly assigned to the experimental group (30 students) and control group (28 students). Research instruments included CoI survey instrument developed by Arbaugh et al. (2008) along with rubric for online discussions analysis (Social presence: indicators by Rourke et . (1999), teaching presence: indicators by Anderson et al. (2001), and cognitive presence: indicators by Park (2009)). To analyze the data, descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation), and inferential statistics, i.e., the multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA), and the chi-squared test were used.Findings: The results of MANCOVA showed that the experimental group had better progress for all types of presence (teaching, social & cognitive) in posttest compared to the control group(p<0.05). Also calculated chi-square test showed that frequency of produced semantic units for all types of presence (teaching, social & cognitive) in the experimental group were significantly higher than those in the control group (p>0.05).Conclusion: The results of this research proved the potential of flipped classroom pedagogy in learner’s progress in the three key factors of the community of inquiry framework, i.e. cognitive, social and teaching presence. Also the findings of research can lead to the improvement of offered education in web-based courses and are useful for those who are involved designing and implementing web-based education.
Technology-based learning environments
F. Shafiepour Motlagh; H. Nazari
Abstract
Abstract: The main purpose of this research was to examine the model of evaluating efficiency of electronic learning strategies on students’ academic achievement. The methodology of research was correlation. Statistical community included all of the virtual universities’ students of Iran ...
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Abstract: The main purpose of this research was to examine the model of evaluating efficiency of electronic learning strategies on students’ academic achievement. The methodology of research was correlation. Statistical community included all of the virtual universities’ students of Iran in 1390-91. The statistical sample was randomly selected (n=363). The data were gathered by three questionnaires (efficiency electronic learning strategies)، (α= 0.94), (academic interest)، (α= 0.92) and comparing students’ score mean for two semesters. The validity of questionnaires has been prepared by specialist. The fundamental theory of this research was research community model of picciano and predicted that students cooperated with each other by social, teaching and cognitive presence and at last this cooperation results in their progress. The total results indicated that there was relationship between electronic learning strategies based on cognitive presence, social presence, teaching presence and students’ academic achievement. They have direct effects of the variables, such as cognitive presence (0.789), social presence (0.078), and teaching presence (0.695). The CFA shows that the measurement model fit the data very well with a goodness of fit index (AGFI) of 0.91 and adjusted goodness of fit index (GFI) of 0.95, RMSEA (0.214).
