TY - GEN
T1 - Bridging Contemporary Theory With Online Practice
T2 - 22nd European Conference on e- Learning, ECEL 2023
AU - Galdames, Caro
AU - Charbonneau-Gowdy, Paula
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 Academic Conferences Limited. All rights reserved.
PY - 2023
Y1 - 2023
N2 - Higher Education (HE) Institutions that offer online programs seek to connect their training promises with the kind of learning and learners 21st century workplaces demand. Fulfilling these objectives implies promoting empowered, collaborative, and self-directed identities in learners during their formal learning and beyond. While learning theories and societal demands might support such identity development in individuals, ensuring these goals are met and importantly sustained has been problematic for institutions. Putting theory into practice becomes a greater challenge when the training process is completely mediated online. This inquiry is one of a four-part longitudinal study aimed at aligning the instructional design, pedagogical practices, and use of social learning-based technology tools in all programs with 21st century goals and contemporary theory of e-learning at a fully online technical HE institution in Chile. In the first three studies, we examined the impact of this alignment across all programs on the learner identities of students: 1) at the outset of their programs (n=2,300), 2) after 5 months (n=14), and 3) through the perspectives of faculty (n=82). Findings in all three studies suggested that many students in the institution, most from socially and academically disadvantaged backgrounds, transitioned to clearly evident 21st century learner behaviours. In the present investigation, our aim was to gather a deeper understanding of these changes and the implications of the design/practice/technology alignment after one year. We focussed on the same students (n=14) to uncover evidence, if any, of sustained changes as they graduated and moved back full time to their respective workplaces. A qualitative methodology was employed where data collection involved individual interviews, field notes, observations, and online digital activity. Findings reveal student identities with significantly increased confidence in their abilities and skills, placing important value on life-long learning as a means to transform their present and future lives and positively influencing their workspaces. This study provides strong empirical evidence of sustained changes that an instructional design based on social learning and mediated by technology generated in our students. At the same time, it contributes valuable and practical answers for overcoming the challenges that still beset many online programs in higher education.
AB - Higher Education (HE) Institutions that offer online programs seek to connect their training promises with the kind of learning and learners 21st century workplaces demand. Fulfilling these objectives implies promoting empowered, collaborative, and self-directed identities in learners during their formal learning and beyond. While learning theories and societal demands might support such identity development in individuals, ensuring these goals are met and importantly sustained has been problematic for institutions. Putting theory into practice becomes a greater challenge when the training process is completely mediated online. This inquiry is one of a four-part longitudinal study aimed at aligning the instructional design, pedagogical practices, and use of social learning-based technology tools in all programs with 21st century goals and contemporary theory of e-learning at a fully online technical HE institution in Chile. In the first three studies, we examined the impact of this alignment across all programs on the learner identities of students: 1) at the outset of their programs (n=2,300), 2) after 5 months (n=14), and 3) through the perspectives of faculty (n=82). Findings in all three studies suggested that many students in the institution, most from socially and academically disadvantaged backgrounds, transitioned to clearly evident 21st century learner behaviours. In the present investigation, our aim was to gather a deeper understanding of these changes and the implications of the design/practice/technology alignment after one year. We focussed on the same students (n=14) to uncover evidence, if any, of sustained changes as they graduated and moved back full time to their respective workplaces. A qualitative methodology was employed where data collection involved individual interviews, field notes, observations, and online digital activity. Findings reveal student identities with significantly increased confidence in their abilities and skills, placing important value on life-long learning as a means to transform their present and future lives and positively influencing their workspaces. This study provides strong empirical evidence of sustained changes that an instructional design based on social learning and mediated by technology generated in our students. At the same time, it contributes valuable and practical answers for overcoming the challenges that still beset many online programs in higher education.
KW - 21st Century Learning Goals
KW - Connecting Theory To Practice
KW - Contemporary Learning Theories
KW - Distance Education
KW - Higher Education
KW - Instructional Design
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85179125800&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:85179125800
T3 - Proceedings of the European Conference on e-Learning, ECEL
SP - 97
EP - 105
BT - Proceedings of the 22nd European Conference on e- Learning, ECEL 2023
A2 - Johnston, Sarah Jane
A2 - Singh, Shawren
PB - Academic Conferences and Publishing International Limited
Y2 - 26 October 2023 through 27 October 2023
ER -