Psychological grit is over-rated as the key to retention in distance education: a South African study debunks the myth [The Conversation, February 2023]

Title:

Psychological grit is over-rated as the key to retention in distance education: a South African study debunks the myth

 

Author:

Kelly Anne Young

Senior Researcher, University of South Africa

 

Published:

The Conversation, 21 February 2023

https://theconversation.com/psychological-grit-is-over-rated-as-the-key-to-retention-in-distance-education-a-south-african-study-debunks-the-myth-199022

 

From the article:

Psychological grit has garnered a lot of interest in the last decade, particularly in the higher education arena. It’s typically defined as passion and perseverance for long-term goals. A great deal has been written about it and the role it plays in the retention and success of tertiary students. Kelly Anne Young explored the role grit played in determining postgraduate retention among historically disadvantaged students enrolled at the University of South Africa (Unisa) – the largest provider of open, distance e-learning in Africa.

Online Assessment Methods For Student-Centered Learning: Active Learning, Collaboration, And Application With Authentic Assessment - Webinar presentation converted to PDF file

Title: 

Online Assessment Methods For Student-Centered Learning: Active Learning, Collaboration, And Application With Authentic Assessment  

 

Authors: 

Charlotte Nirmalani Gunawardena, University of New Mexico 

Stephanie L. Moore, University of New Mexico 

Linda Baril, University of New Mexico 

Kathiravelu Thabotharan, University of Jaffna, Sri Lanka  

 

Document type: 

Webinar presentation converted to PDF file  

 

Published: 

University of New Mexico, Digital Repository, 18 November 2020 

https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/ulls_fsp/156/  

 

Agenda:

*Introduction (Lani Gunawardena) 

*A Learning and Pedagogical Foundation & Taxonomy for Selecting Assessment Methods (Stephanie Moore)

*Assessing Collaborative Learning (Lani Gunawardena)  

*Student-Centered Assessment Methodologies at the University of Jaffna K. Thabotharan  

*Technologies for Assessment (Linda Barril)  

*Labs & Art Online - Assessing Practicals (Stephanie Moore)  

*Questions & Discussion

 

Australian Institute For Teaching and School Leadership Limited - Spotlight: What Works in online/Distance Teaching and Learning? - Excellent guide for teachers

Title of website:
Spotlight: What Works in online/Distance Teaching and Learning?

By:
Australian Institute For Teaching and School Leadership Limited (aitsl)

From the Introduction:
"The threat posed by COVID-19 has meant that teachers in Australia and around the world are looking for the best ways to continue to support student learning outside the traditional school or early childhood setting. This has meant many are looking towards solutions like virtual / online learning or home-schooling at scale. There are now innumerable new resources and guides and ‘top 10’ best practice lists on how to deliver online education, including a focus on what students and parents should do to make the most of learning virtually. Many of these guides are helpful, however, some resources are based on little more than opinions.  

This Spotlight identifies best practice evidence to guide teachers on setting up online learning and advice teachers can give to parents during this process. Key consideration is given to principles demonstrated to benefit student outcomes and wellbeing. As such, this Spotlight is written from the perspective of teachers."

Available:
https://www.aitsl.edu.au/research/spotlight/what-works-in-online-distance-teaching-and-learning

Coronavirus – Morocco: USAID Distance Education Activities prepare Morocco’s Ministry of Education for Virtual Learning During Coronavirus Disruptions

Title:
Coronavirus – Morocco: USAID Distance Education Activities prepare Morocco’s Ministry of Education for Virtual Learning During Coronavirus Disruptions

By:
Africa Press Office

Published:
CNBCAfrica, 6 April 2020

From the article:
"Coronavirus is shutting down schools and affecting learning opportunities for over 1.5 billion children and youth around the globe. The global pandemic has stunned education systems worldwide: How do we ensure the continuity of our children’s academic education? Is virtual learning the solution?  

In Morocco, a Ministry of Education cadre of experts that benefited from previous USAID-funded distance learning activities responded, “Yes!” While Morocco’s school buildings are closed, one million students have already accessed the Ministry’s online learning platform and lessons broadcast nationally on TV, opening the door to continued learning for millions more of Moroccan youth."

To read this article:
https://www.cnbcafrica.com/africa-press-office/2020/04/06/coronavirus-morocco-usaid-distance-education-activities-prepare-moroccos-ministry-of-education-for-virtual-learning-during-coronavirus-disruptions/

Brookings, 21 April 2020 - Mexico’s COVID-19 distance education program compels a re-think of the country’s future of education

Title:
Mexico’s COVID-19 distance education program compels a re-think of the country’s future of education

Author:
María Cristina Osorio Vázquez

Published:
Brookings, 21 April 2020

From the article:
"Saturday, March 14, 2020 was a historic day for education in Mexico. Through an official statement, the Secretariat of Public Education (SEP) informed students and their families that schools would close to reinforce the existing measures of social distancing in response to COVID-19 and in accordance with World Health Organization recommendations."

To read this article:
https://www.brookings.edu/blog/education-plus-development/2020/04/21/mexicos-covid-19-distance-education-program-compels-a-re-think-of-the-countrys-future-of-education/

Short Article - What we are learning about distance learning

Title:
What we are learning about distance learning

Author:
Mark Potterton

Published:
Mail & Guardian, 14 April 2020

From the article:
"The coronavirus has caused a major disruption to education around the globe. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) reported that nine out of 10 of the world’s children were out of school at the start of April. This is huge, and we remember that the purpose of school closures is to try to prevent further transmission of Covid-19 through isolation and physical distancing. The challenge around the world is how to ensure that the effect on children’s learning is minimised." 

To read this article:
https://mg.co.za/article/2020-04-14-what-we-are-learning-about-distance-learning/

Scholarly Article (2020) - Studying Learner Behavior in Online Courses With Free-Certificate Coupons: Results From Two Case Studies

Title:
Studying Learner Behavior in Online Courses With Free-Certificate Coupons: Results From Two Case Studies

Authors:
Joshua Littenberg-Tobias, José A. Ruipérez-Valiente & Justin Reich

Citation:
Littenberg-Tobias, J., Ruipérez-Valiente, J. A., & Reich, J. (2020). Studying Learner Behavior in Online Courses With Free-Certificate Coupons: Results From Two Case Studies. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 21(1), 1-22. https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v20i5.4564

From the abstract:
The relationship between pricing and learning behavior is an important topic in research on massive open online courses (MOOCs). We report on two case studies where cohorts of learners were offered coupons for free certificates to explore how price reductions might influence behavior in MOOC-based online learning settings.

Short Article - #BizTrends2020: Why off-campus (distance) learning will keep growing, and what trends to expect [South African focus]

Title:
#BizTrends2020: Why off-campus (distance) learning will keep growing, and what trends to expect

Author:
Professor Patrick Bean

Published:
BizCommunity, 9 January 2020

From the article:
"Post-schooling education remains a 'hot button' topic in South Africa. The high levels of unemployment and poverty are caused by numerous factors, but a struggling education system and barriers to entering higher education are certainly significant contributors. Alternatives to traditional face-to-face or contact learning (on-campus) are therefore seen as means of improving educational access for more South Africans, and offers various other benefits too."

To read this article:
https://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/722/199525.html

Scholarly Article: How distance education students perceive the impact of teaching videos on their learning

Title:
How distance education students perceive the impact of teaching videos on their learning

Author:
Tom Harrison, School of Education, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom

Published:
Open Learning: The Journal of Open, Distance and e-Learning (published online: 15 December 2019)
doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/02680513.2019.1702518

From the abstract:
"This article focuses on a study conducted with distance learning students and teachers from one university in England to discover their attitudes to teaching videos. The exploratory study found that although a majority of distance students like and watch the videos, a significant proportion give good reasons for not doing so."